Day Trip Paris: Giverny Monet’s Garden with Audio or Live Guide
Go on a half-day excursion to beautiful Giverny and explore Claude Monet's former home and breathtaking gardens. Admire his flowerbeds, plants, and weeping willows.
About This Activity
- FREE cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
- Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
- Duration 5 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
- Skip the ticket line
- Live tour guide: English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese
- Optional audio guide: English, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, French, German
Highlights
- Treat your eyes to the beauty of Monet’s gardens in the tiny hamlet of Giverny
- Enjoy the scenic drive through the wheat fields and wooded plateaus of Normandy
- Stand in front of the famous water garden and admire the weeping willows and lilies
- Visit the house of the Master and soak up the spectacular colors of the gardens
- Immerse yourself in the artists’s feelings while marveling at the flowerbeds
FULL DESCRIPTION
Enjoy a half-day trip to the former home of Claude Monet, one of the most famous painters of French Impressionism. Located in the tiny hamlet of Giverny on the banks of the River Seine, 50 miles west of Paris, the house and gardens were bequeathed to the Académie des Beaux-Arts by his son in 1966. Be dazzled by the flowerbeds and plants and get a sense of the artist’s feelings and inspirations as you stand in front of the famous water lilies and weeping willows in the delightful water garden.
They were opened as a public museum in 1980 following large-scale restoration work. Depen... Read more
Enjoy a half-day trip to the former home of Claude Monet, one of the most famous painters of French Impressionism. Located in the tiny hamlet of Giverny on the banks of the River Seine, 50 miles west of Paris, the house and gardens were bequeathed to the Académie des Beaux-Arts by his son in 1966. Be dazzled by the flowerbeds and plants and get a sense of the artist’s feelings and inspirations as you stand in front of the famous water lilies and weeping willows in the delightful water garden.
They were opened as a public museum in 1980 following large-scale restoration work. Depending on the option you choose, your tour will either be guided, audio-guided or at your own leisure. Depart Paris and travel by comfortable air-conditioned coach. As there is no direct public transport to Giverny, this is the ideal way to get there.
You will drive via the western districts of Paris and take the Normandy motorway as far as Bonnières. After crossing the River Seine at Vernon, continue to Giverny through the wooded plateaus of Eure. Giverny attracted several Impressionist painters in the 19th-Century, most following the lead of the movement’s founder, Claude Monet, who lived there for 43 years. Visit the Master’s house, where the spectacular colors and enchanting garden were designed like a work of art.
Included
- Transportation by air-conditioned bus
- Guide (if option chosen)
- Audio guide (if option chosen)
- Entrance ticket to Claude Monet’s House
Know Before You Go
- It is recommended to bring comfortable shoes
- Not suitable for wheelchair users
- Not allowed: pets, smoking, luggage or large bags
Availability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about Giverny? Giverny is the source of inspiration behind some of Claude Monet’s most famous paintings. This includes the waterlilies series that you can see in the specially designed L’Orangerie museum in Paris. Giverny is where Monet retired and curated one of the most famous gardens in France.
What is the best time of day to visit Monet’s garden? For a peaceful experience, it’s best to arrive at the attraction as early as possible if you’re staying near Giverny. We always find morning visits more enjoyable at most tourist spots. To avoid inconvenience, it’s a good idea to check the opening hours and queue situation before the ticket booth opens.
What is the message of the artist’s garden at Giverny? In the near centre of the composition we can see a glimpse of the artist’s house, reminding us that Monet did not have to travel far for inspiration. This painting acts as an example of how we can use the resources that are available to us and that creativity can lie as close as the garden outside our homes.
FEATURED REVIEW(S)
4.2/5 stars – based on 1098 reviews
We chose to do the self-guided tour using audio. It was fine and I’m glad we did as listening to the guide for the guided tour on the bus to Giverny he was a little difficult to understand. The amount of time spent at Monet’s house and garden was about right. After doing this tour it was good to visit the Orangerie Museum and the Orsay Museum to see the works that he painted in the garden.
Very well organized and competent guide. I just thought that we stood around too long in Giverny BEFORE entering the water garden. Of course the guide wanted to get rid of all his information, but I wanted to see the water lily pond and not stand in front of a bamboo hedge for long.
We selected the self guided tour and were very happy being able to go at our own pace. The water gardens were not as delightful as hoped, but we suspect it was the time of year (October). The flower gardens were spectacular and made capturing pictures/memories easy.
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