giverny tourist information

Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny are the second most visited tourist attraction in Normandy, France, and attract visitors from around the world between 29 march and 1 November. This page provides useful information to plan your visit.

Getting there

Restored in the late 1970s, the Giverny house and gardens were Claude Monet’s private sanctuary from 1883 to 1926. Permeated with memories of yesteryear, the pink rendered building and the flower gardens have been perfectly restored to immerse visitors in the artist and gardener’s home setting.

Claude Monet

Changing seasons

Virtual tour

Clos normand

Water garden

Water lily pond

Claude Monet in Giverny

Claude Monet’s house

Le jardin d'eau

Claude Monet à Giverny

La maison de Monet

Les fleurs de Giverny

• Educational resources
• Cultural mediator

Claude Monet’s house and gardens - Giverny

84 rue Claude Monet 27620 Giverny Tel : +33 (0) 2 32 51 28 21 [email protected]

Open march 29th 2024 to november 1st 2024 9.30 am to 6.00 pm, last admission 5.30 pm

No animals permitted. >> Online bookings recommended

Useful links

• Useful information

Legal information

• Legal notices
• General terms and conditions of sale

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Sujet : Demande de particulier Presse et médias Groupes Scolaires

Personal queries

Press and media, groups and schools.

Guide To Monet’s Giverny, His Impressionistic Garden Masterpiece

Need a break from the hurly burly of Paris? Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny are the perfect bucolic destination.

Just 50 miles northwest of Paris, Giverny is an easy day trip or weekend getaway from Paris.

Giverny is a one-of-a-kind pastoral paradise, born from a great artist’s obsession. It’s a must see site for art lovers or horticulturists in France.

On a day trip from Paris, you’ll be transported from the City of Light to an ethereal and exquisitely staged garden in the French-Norman countryside. With the scent of roses wafting in the air, Monet’s garden is one of the world’s most beautiful and popular gardens.

For Monet, flowers were his brushstrokes. On a visit, you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a utopian Impressionist painting.

To get to Monet’s home in Giverny, you leave from Paris’ Gare Saint-Lazare train station. It seems fitting. 

In a famous series of paintings, the Impressionist master captured the hurried energy of the station. He produced images of blurred figures, with clouds of steam billowing under the arched iron and glass roofs.

But it was Monet’s outdoor “plein air” paintings that he’s best known for. Monet is one of the most important and pivotal figures in Western art history.

He’s the poster boy for Impressionism , and a symbol of French painting. Monet produced shimmering poplars, glowing haystacks, and iridescent sheets of water lilies in a blurry pastel palette.

Unlike prior artists, Monet and the Impressionists aimed to capture the ephemeral, sensory effect of a scene — the impression — objects made on the eye in a fleeting instant.

They used fast and loose brushwork, a lighter palette, and tried to capture the effects of light. Monet is thought to have “invented” light.

Monet’s Giverny Years: Inspiration and Mad Obsession

In 1883, Monet left behind the urban life of Paris and moved to rural Giverny. Before Paris, he had flitted about. Monet lived in Le Havre, Etretat, Argenteiul, Bordighera, and jaunted about to others places to paint. Often, he would move in the middle of the night to evade creditors.

READ : Guide To the Impressionism Trail in Normandy

Monet was on a train when he first spotted Giverny. He looked out the window and was instantly besotted with the charming village. He got off the train, chatted with the friendly locals, and promptly rented an old farm house.

When he arrived in Giverny, Monet was middle-aged and nearly penniless. Nine years earlier, he had exhibited Impression: Sunrise, the painting that baptized Impressionism and gave the movement its name.

Yet, true artistic success and financial stability eluded him for years. Fiercely independent and dedicated to his craft, Monet gave courage to fellow artists in the face of harsh criticism.

Over the next 43 years in Giverny, everything changed, albeit slowly. Monet came to be regarded as one of the world’s greatest artists. He attained international fame and amassed a considerable personal fortune.

Monet funneled his newfound wealth into his other passion, horticulture. He said “what I need most are flowers.”

In virtuoso fashion, Monet would go on to mold nature into his artistic vision, shaping his subjects exactly as he wanted to paint them. He created first a world of plants and then a world of painting.

Monet enlarged the Giverny property and house, built new studios, constructed a greenhouse to propagate plants, and bought land for his Japanese garden. He didn’t do it in a void.

Monet consulted professional gardeners and read horticultural reviews. He collaborated with fellow artist and flower enthusiast Gustave Caillebotte.

Monet once joked that he was “good for nothing except painting and gardening.” At Giverny, he gardened and painted his gardens. Gardening was his single luxury.

Monet spent years composing and transforming his property, working with the assistance of his team of gardeners and small children. Monet’s lovingly-produced gardens were his other “studio.” They became a living canvas.

To accommodate his large format paintings, Monet built a special barn-like studio with skylights and wheeled easels. He worked obsessively, sometimes painting 14 hours a day. The water lilies, in particular, were a prolonged source of inspiration.

Monet created over 250 paintings of his beloved water lilies. They were the singular focus of the last decades of his career, especially after his wife’s death.

His first Nympheas series, in 1909, was hugely successfully. Critics recognized the value and cumulative effect of having 48 paintings on the same subject.

The motif was not the water lilies, per se , but the mirror of water whose appearance changed at every moment. The intensely-colored lilies are a theater-like recreation of the experience of physically being at a pond.

Beginning in 1912, Monet began to go blind with cataracts. He used even larger canvases and painted fewer details.

In later water lily series, Monet abandoned any attempt at formal composition. There was no focal point. The fragmented paintings command the viewers’ attention, pulling them in Monet’s time-space continuum.

In 1914, eight monumental water lily paintings were commissioned for the Orangerie of the Tuileries. A custom gallery was built to showcase the pieces. It was effectively the first “art installation” in history. The gallery has been dubbed the Sistine Chapel of Impressionism.

When Monet died in 1926, the Giverny property passed to his son Michel. But Michel chose not to live there. The gardens fell into neglect, becoming a jungle.

When Michel died in 1966, he bequeathed the Giverny property to the French Academie des Beaux-Arts. The institute established the Claude Monet Foundation and raised money. Over 20 years, Giverny was painstakingly restored.

The foundation hired Gibert Vahe to restore the gardens to their former lush state. In fact, Vahe has a garden next door that’s also fantastic. The Giverny property opened to the public in 1980.

If you are a Monet fan, Giverny is a must visit to glimpse the magical gardens that inspired hundreds of his paintings. You can take a nostalgic walk in Monet’s footsteps.

It’s a perfect complement to getting your Monet fix at Paris’ Musee d’Orsay , Musee de l’Orangerie , and the Musee Marmottan Monet .

Guided Tours To Giverny

Giverny is one of the most popular day trips from Paris , so expect crowds.

A guided tour will give you skip the line access. Many of these tour sell out fast, so don’t dally too long if you want to book one.

Here are some of the different guided tour options you might consider:

• a 1.5 hour guided tour once you arrive in Giverny
• a half day 5 hour guided tour from Paris
• a 6 hour guided tour from Paris that includes the Museum of Impressionism
• a 9 hour guided tour that includes Giverny and Versailles
• a full day 10 hour guided tour that includes Giverny and Versailles
• a full day private guided tour to Giverny and Versailles
• a full day tour to Giverny and Versailles with a 3 course lunch

Guide To Monet’s Garden: An Explosion of Color

To wander through Monet’s Garden is akin to living in one of his paintings. A world of flowers of every color fills your field of view, nodding slightly in the breeze. It looks like a paint factory explosion, or a few flicks of the paintbrush.

There are two parts to Monet’s labor-of-love gardens — the Clos Normand flower garden and the Water Garden. The Clos Norman is a boldly colored display and expressly Western. The Water garden is organic, Asian, and more exotic.

The two gardens are connected by a tunnel passing under the road. The gardens are immensely popular, a pilgrimage both for Monet fans, Francophiles, and avid gardeners.

1. Clos Normand, the Formal Garden

Clos Normand is structured traditionally in a formal French garden manner. Yet, it feels wild and overgrown in a pleasing, messy, impressionistic kind of way.

Designated pathways (and signs) take you around the gardens. The central alley features iron arches, adorned with climbing roses, that span a path of summer-blooming nasturtiums.

You’ll see ornamental trees, roses, hollyhocks, lilies, tulips, irises, snapdragons, peonies, and patches of bright red geraniums. The density of plant life in all colors is stunning.

Playing on the seasons like a keyboard, Monet orchestrated his garden so that something is always in bloom, from spring to fall.

The garden was curated through the eyes of an artist. Monet planted his flowers with meticulous advance planning.

Using his knowledge of color theory, Monet experimented with the color sequence of his flowers. He chose flower colors to accentuate changes in light and weather.

Blue flowers are planted near trees to suggest the blue of shadows. Orange and gold flowers are planted on the garden’s western side to emphasize sunsets.

Pastel flowers are planted behind stronger colors of the same hue to give a sense of depth. The pastels blurred boundaries, just like in Monet’s paintings.

2. The Giverny Water Garden

At the center of Monet’s garden laboratory is the Water Garden, with an Asian-influenced vibe. In 1893, Monet received authorization to build his coveted watery idyll.

He excavated a pond and diverted water from a nearby stream. Monet went on a buying spree, purchasing different species of water lilies in pink, purple, lavender, and red.

In 1903, after more wrangling with the city council, he acquired some additional property to expand the pond. Like a sculptor, Monet went to work, reshaping the pond’s contours, massing Japanese cherry trees, and introducing ever more exotic species of water lilies.

Now, the Water Gardens have a man-made pond, framed by flowers. As they brush the water’s surface, a canopy of weeping willows create rippled indentations.

The pond is adorned with an adorable humpbacked Japanese bridge. The Water Garden is a lush oasis of clear pools, huge ferns and a forest of tall green bamboos.

With its whimsical water lily covering, the pond quickly became one of Monet’s favorite subjects. Monet was fascinated with the interplay of light and the reflection of clouds on the mirroring water.

He hired a gardener whose sole duty was to keep the pond pristine. He would hop in Monet’s rowboat and rid the pond of any insects or alien weeds. Then the gardener would clean the water lilies, by submersion, to maintain the luster of their pads.

The famous arching green bridge is held tight with densely winding wisteria blossoms. The bridge was the subject of countless Monet paintings and photographs until, in his final years, Monet only painted the water lilies. Be forewarned, the picturesque bridge will be crowded with picture takers.

The spiky water lilies, in full bloom in the summer months, are striking flowers. The large leaves spear across the glossy water like exotic blooms.

Monet claimed that he initially grew them without really thinking about them. But, one day, at his pond, the revelation of the enchantment happened.

Monet’s House

The arched trellises of the Clos Normand lead to Monet’s home. It’s an adorable rambling farmhouse, covered in ivy, that’s been beautifully restored. The house is a two story candy floss pink stucco affair with bright green shutters.

Monet chose the vibrant palettes for the facade and interiors. Monet eschewed the dark Victorian colors that were popular at the time, painting it to suit himself.

The house has Monet’s original furniture. It’s filled with all the things and art that Monet loved. It’s undoubtedly an artist’s home.

Because of this, the Monet House is an intimate place to visit. Monet’s spirit is here. You can almost feel the presence of a Monet-ghost standing there with his bushy white beard. Monet lived in the house with his companion (and later second wife) Alice, her six children, and his two children.

You enter the house through a large room that was the artist’s principle “Nymphae” studio. It’s now the Monet Foundation’s gift shop and bookstore. You’ll be tempted to linger there. But I’d leave it to the end after you’ve soaked up the charms of the place.

Each room has its own character. Strong well-balanced colors give it a strangely modern feeling. Monet himself chose the bright palette for the single-color themed rooms.

Most surprising are hundreds of original 18th and 19th century Japanese woodblock prints that were in Monet’s private collection. You can see a print of Hokusai’s unmistakable The Great Wave of Kanagawa hanging on the wall. Art historians believe Monet began collecting these work in the late 1890, at a shop in Amsterdam.

You will first come across Monet’s small blue sitting room or reading room. The room is adorned with his collection of Japanese wood block prints.

The walls and furniture are two blends of blue and teal with an appealing contrast of pink floral and yellow chintz. There’s a pretty freestanding painted clock.

The house has a large sunny dining room, probably its most beautiful room. Bright yellow walls are paired with a long table, blue tiled fireplace, and blue china. There are yellow and brown checkered floors.

Next to the yellow dining room is the china-blue kitchen, intended to contrast blue and yellow. On the wall are immaculately polished copper pots. The blue tiles are from Rouen.

In Monet’s living room studio, sunlight streams through the windows of a high ceilinged room. There’s a tufted chaise lounge in faded chintz that you may want to snuggle into. On the walls are reproductions of Monet’s paintings. There’s also a bust of Monet, sculpted by Paul Paulin.

Up the stairs, past more Japanese prints, is Monet’s bedroom. There’s a beautiful 18th century writing desk. The room is painted in mauve, yellow, and green.

A huge window provide an impressive garden view. It’s almost as if the window is a frame for a painting. Monet would wake up at 5:00 am and admire his own personal Garden of Eden.

The bedroom is decorated with copies of the paintings of Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cezanne. Monet admired and collected Cezanne, even when his works sold at lofty prices.

In fact, Monet was an assiduous art collector. He amassed an impressive collection and kept it squirreled away in his bedroom for private viewing.

Aside from Cezanne, Monet’s pieces once included works by Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Eugene Delacroix, and Pierre Auguste Renoir. For example, he purchased Dega’s Woman After a Bath Drying Herself , now in London’s National Gallery, for a song.

Many of the original paintings were sold by Monet’s single heir, his son Michel. Michel also bequeathed some to the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris.

Upstairs you’ll also find dressing rooms and the bedrooms of Monet’s wife and children. All the rooms contain more paintings or copies thereof.

Monet’s Grave

As you’re cruising down Rue Claude Monet in Giverny, pause briefly at the Church of Sainte-Radegonde de Giverny to pay your respects at Monet’s grave.

Half a lifetime away from the man who trailed into Giverny poor and with an uncertain future, the successful and prosperous artist (and chain smoker) succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 86. Rejecting the pomp of a state funeral, Monet was buried in this local graveyard with only family and close friends in attendance.

At the end of the ceremony, in a moment that reads as if from a play, Monet’s old friend Georges Clemenceau (the former French prime minister) dramatically ripped off the black cloth draping Monet’s coffin.

He declared: “No! No black for Monet! Black is not a color!” Today, the extended Monet family plot is usually covered in flowers.

Impressionist Favorite: Lunch at the Hotel Baudy

If you need lunch before or after your Monet visit, head to the Ancien Hotel Baudy . It’s a historic rosy-pink bistro in an art lover’s paradise. There’s a large terrace in the back, where old coppiced plane trees create a thick green roof over faded red umbrellas and pastel metal tables.

In its heyday, the Hotel Baudy was the center of the village’s thriving social scene. Monet would drink there with his painter buddies.

Originally a general store, the Hotel Baudy expanded due to the sudden influx of American Impressionist artists. Attracted to the region for the beautiful landscapes, the cheap rent and the tantalizing proximity of Monet himself, the artists came by train from Paris. They intended to stay for a few days, but some left years later.

The American artist William Metcalf “discovered” Giverny in 1886. He was one of the first American artists to arrive there. Monet was initially receptive to the American invasion. But later tired of their presence, which ended at the start of WWI.

The likes of John Singer Sargent, Camille Pissarro, and Paul Cezanne patronized the Hotel Baudy. It became the meeting place of Impressionists. Paintings by artists who exchanged works for room and board still hang in the restaurant.

After lunch, take a stroll in the restaurant’s tiered garden and poke about the sunny atelier. It was built in 1887 to accommodate the many artists-in­-residence and has a trapped-in-time vibe. As if an artist had left his paintbrush there just moments ago.

Other Things To Do In and Around Giverny

If there’s a long line of visitors waiting to enter Monet’s home, spend some time in the town of Giverny itself before visiting. Giverny is incredibly picturesque and also filled with lovely gardens and flowers. Gardens and Giverny are synonymous.

Giverny is home to many art galleries, which pepper the main street. There seems to be something for everyone here, from surprisingly modern street art canvases to cloying pastoral scenes.

The Museum of Impressionism is worth a stop, if you have time. It’s dedicated, as one would expect, to Impressionist art. It focuses on the Giverny artists colony of American painters.

But it also includes International artists who adhered to the style of Impressionism. It has works by Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, and James Whistler.

Just an hour away is the bucolic village of Auvers-sur-Oise. You can walk in the footstep of another famous artist, Vincent van Gogh .

Auvers-sur-Oise is a lovely underrated French village, surrounded by wheat fields and set on the banks of the Oise River. The legendary painter Vincent Van Gogh described Auvers as “gravely beautiful.” To him, the quiet village calmed his nerves and inspired his art.

Van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life creating 70 paintings of Auvers-sur-Oise. He was buried in the village with his brother Theo.

Some of his greatest masterpieces were painted there, including Crows Over Wheatfield , the Portrait of Dr. Gachet, and Church at Auvers.

READ : Secret Day Trips From Paris

How To Get to Giverny On a Day Trip From Paris

You can get to Giverny using one of the tours I listed above. But you can also get there perfectly well by yourself.

Giverny is 45 minutes from Paris, leaving from Gare Saint-Lazare. It’s easy to get there. But it’s a two step process.

You’ll get off the train in the town of Vernon, just inside the region of Normandy. Giverny lies a few miles away. From there, take either the Giverny shuttle bus or a taxi the additional 3.5 miles to Giverny. It takes about 15 minutes.

Shuttle buses generally are waiting 15 minutes after your train arrives. They drop you off in a car park and it’s a 5-7 minute walk to the gardens. If you’re driving from Paris, you can park there for free.

If you want some exercise, you can rent a bicycle for the day from the cafe opposite the train station. It’s an easy pedal on mostly flat roads.

Where To Stay in Giverny

If you want to overnight, Giverny has a number of quaint small hotels, set in Norman manor houses with gardens.

If you come the night before your visit, check into La Mare aux Oiseaux .

It’s a charming inn that’s only a 10 minute walk from the Monet site. It also boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Jardin des Plumes, perfect for dinner.

La Dime de Giverny is in a French country house with an old world feel. La Plume des Roses is a classic and cozy B&B.

Practical Guide for Visiting Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny

Address : Rue Claude Monet, 84

Hours : 9:30 am to 6:00 pm from April 1st through November 1st

Tickets : Click here to book tickets, which are 13 euros. Skip the line tickets will allow you to bypass the sometimes long line to see the Monet House.

Expect insane crowds. To avoid them, it’s best to visit in shoulder season (April or October) on a weekday, arriving the night before.

If you can’t get there the night before, try to arrive first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon. Click here for the flowering calendar to know what flowers bloom each month. You cannot picnic in the Giverny gardens.

Guided Tours : If you want a guided tour, they’re 1:30 and by appointment only.

Address of Hotel Baudy : Rue Claude Monet, 81

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to Monet’s Giverny. You may enjoy these other travel guides and resources for France:

• 5 Day Itinerary for Paris
• 3 Day Itinerary for Paris
• Hidden Gems in Paris
• Tourist Traps To Avoid In Paris
• Best 30+ Museums in Paris
• Tips for Visiting Paris
• 25 Secret Towns in France
• 10 Day Itinerary for Southern France
• Hidden Gems in Provence
• Beautiful Villages in Brittany

If you’d like to visit Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, pin it for later.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Last Updated on March 7, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

A Guide to Monet’s Garden at Giverny

• By Katherine Miller
• November 3, 2023

Giverny, a small picturesque village in Normandy, is both only an hour, and an entire world away from Paris. Home to French impressionist painter Claude Monet, the small village that became famous for the artist’s famous garden whisks visitors away from city life to a dreamscape of water lilies and  Belle Époque  nostalgia. Known as the Gilded Age in the United States,  La Belle Époque  refers to the twilight at the end of the 19th century in France, before the darkness that would become World War I in 1914. It was a short span of time representative of a lost world, and it was during this time that Monet made his home in Giverny. More than a century later, Monet’s flower garden at Giverny has been seen by much of the world, as it would go on to become the inspiration for some of the artist’s most famous works.

Claude Monet’s estate and gardens, a must-see when visiting France, are open to the public from April first through November first, during which time 500,000 visitors flock annually to the site. Monet specifically designed his gardens so that they would be in bloom year round. But the waterlilies that Claude Monet painted, immortalized in the artist’s famous Nymphéas paintings at the  Orangerie  museum in Paris, reach their peak in July. Not coincidentally, July is also the most popular time to visit the garden. In order to maintain the garden’s peaceful atmosphere even in peak tourist season, admission is offered for specific time slots, so visitors should plan accordingly and visit  Giverny’s website  to purchase tickets online in advance. The website gives detailed practical information on how to get to Giverny, as well as accommodation in the area if visitors choose to extend their day trip and stay the night.

Once you arrive at the Vernon-Giverny train station in Giverny, only an hour’s train ride from the  Gare Saint Lazare  in Paris, a shuttle bus takes visitors the rest of the way to Monet’s house and garden for a round trip fee of 10 euros. Although traveling by car or signing up for a guided tour and bus trip is also possible, travel by train may be the most authentic way of going to Giverny, as this was the way Monet himself discovered the property – from the window of a passing train on a trip from Paris. He fell instantly in love with the land, and swore, even from his distant view from the train’s window, that he would live there. Claude Monet bought a country house in Giverny and moved there in 1883, where he remodeled the house, at the time abandoned and in ruins. He designed not one but two gardens, which he would go on to call his greatest masterpiece, and which gave him inspiration and solace up until Monet’s death.

Attractions in Monet’s Garden at Giverny

Today, visitors can visit both of Claude Monet’s gardens at Giverny, the Clos Normand and the Water Garden, in addition to Monet’s estate.

The Clos Normand

The first garden, right in front of the house where Monet lived out the remainder of his life, is known as the Clos Normand. This magnificent wildflower garden brims with hundreds of irises, tulips, daisies, poppies, dahlias, roses, and sunflowers, along with rare varieties of lilies, which bloom all spring and summer long. Unlike typical  French gardens , which are designed with a clear structure and shape, such as the gardens of  Versailles , Monet created the Clos Normand to have the same disregard for rules, and passion for blurred edges and lines, as Impressionist paintings themselves.

The  Water Garden

The second garden is the Water Garden, which can be accessed through an underground passage, and was inspired by sketches of Japanese gardens that Monet collected. It is complete with two ponds fed by a tributary of the Seine river, a Japanese bridge shaded in wisteria vines and weeping willows, and of course, Monet’s famous water lilies,  les Nymphéas . In the Water Garden, Monet was not once, but twice an artist – first creating, designing, and bringing his inspiration to life as he built the garden, and then later re-creating the gardens in paintings that would become iconic masterpieces. To preserve the gardens, visitors are required to stay on designated walkways, and while taking photos is allowed, picnics in the gardens are not permitted. 

Japanese Bridge

Poised over the Water Garden is the Japanese Bridge, a small green footbridge that crosses over the water lily pond. The surrounding trees and greenery seem nearly to swallow the bridge whole, but art lovers will be sure to recognize it from the artist’s famous 1899 painting, “The Japanese Bridge,” which remains one of the most iconic pieces of Claude Monet’s work. (“The Japanese Bridge” currently lives at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris.) The bridge and the Japanese garden that surround it were inspired by Monet’s collection of Japanese prints, which can be viewed at Monet’s house when you visit Giverny.

Claude Monet Foundation

Visitors to the Foundation Claude Monet (which comprises Monet’s house and garden) can explore the estate in which Monet lived in for 43 years, until his death in 1926. The estate, a vibrant example of French country living, was reconstructed by Monet himself from abandoned ruins when he moved there in 1883. Following his death, his son and step-daughter inherited the property, however it fell once again into disrepair after World War II. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that restoration work began on the house and gardens to restore them to the way they had been in Monet’s time. The project took nearly 10 years to complete – windows were shattered from bombings during the war, portions of the ceilings had collapsed, floorboards had rotted, staircases had crumbled, the pond had dried up, and portions of the garden had begun to overtake the house, with an entire tree growing inside the studio. However, under the guidance of artist colleagues and friends of Monet, the estate was restored to its original beauty, and has been open to the public since September of 1980. You can wander through the halls, and even see Monet’s bedroom, which Monet built to give him pristine views of the gardens.

Places to See Around Monet’s Garden at Giverny

Many who come to Monet’s house and gardens are inspired to learn more about Impressionism, and the artists who made the movement famous. But there are plenty of things to do in the Giverny area, and visitors will not regret exploring this charming town.

Musée des Impressionnismes

Visitors to Giverny can discover more about this artistic period at the nearby  Musée des Impressionnismes .  The museum offers guided tours, artistic workshops for children and families, concerts (tickets for which are all available for purchase on the  museum website ), and it even has its own garden, a nod to Claude Monet’s understanding of the intrinsic connection between Impressionism and nature.

Domaine de la Corniche

Although Giverny is an easy day trip from Paris, one couldn’t be blamed for wanting to extend their trip in the peaceful countryside landscape that Monet found so inspiring. While accommodation in the small village of Giverny is scarce, especially during peak tourist season, there are many other options for accommodation in the surrounding areas. For an especially luxurious stay, the  Domaine de la Corniche , built in 1908, exudes all the charm of the  Belle Époque  era and Monet’s world, along with every modern comfort travelers could desire, including a spa and Michelin starred restaurant. Overlooking the Seine river valley, and only 15 minutes away from Giverny, visitors can fall asleep dreaming that they are a part of Monet’s latest masterpiece. 

Frequently Asked Questions – Monet’s Garden at Giverny

Where are monet’s gardens.

Monet’s house and gardens are located in the small village of Giverny in Normandy.

Is it worth going to Monet’s garden?

Monet’s garden in Giverny is a breathtaking work of art that is definitely worth a visit.

What is the best month to visit Monet’s garden?

July, when the water lilies are in full bloom, is the most popular time to visit Monet’s garden.

Frenchly newsletter.

Get your weekly dose of frenchly’s news..

Things to do in Cannes, France 

How to get from charles de gaulle airport (cdg) to paris by public transport, how to navigate public transportation during the 2024 paris olympics, working hard in the salt marshes of the camargue.

You love France? This is your site! As an Amazon Associate, Frenchly earns from qualify purchases.

• Subscribe to the Newsletter
• Editorial Guidelines
• Privacy Policy
• Get in Touch
• Advertise with us

Frenchly Newsletter.

Get your weekly dose of frenchly stuff..

• 8 Things To Know Before...

Things to Know Before You Visit Giverny, France

Located approximately 70 kilometres Northwest of Paris , art lovers flock to the town of Giverny to marvel at the gardens captured in Impressionist artist Claude Monet’s paintings. While the Foundation Claude Monet is certainly a must-see, it’s worth noting that the picturesque village and its surroundings have even more to offer. Here are the things to know before you visit Giverny, France.

Did you know you can now travel with Culture Trip? Book now and join one of our premium small-group tours to discover the world like never before.

Don’t book a tour out of Paris

While it may be tempting to let a tour operator take care of everything from Paris , it’s best to plan the journey via train. Booking a tour not only involves travelling through heavy traffic and on uneventful toll highways, Giverny is not a somewhere where you want to be on someone else’s schedule or clustered into a group with tourists. The best option is to take the train directly to Vernon-Giverny, which departs several times a day from St Lazare station. It takes approximately 45 minutes, and the cost is as low as 9 EUR for a one way ticket. From the Vernon station, there are shuttle busses to Giverny every 15 minutes that cost a mere 10 EUR roundtrip.

Spend some time in Vernon

Travelling via Vernon allows for exploring this charming town, which was also frequented by Monet. It has a small museum dedicated to the Impressionists that includes one of Monet’s famous Nymphéas paintings (while there are replicates of Monet’s work in his house in Giverny, there aren’t any of his actual paintings on view permanently in the town). Other noteworthy sites in Vernon include the Old Mill and the church Collégiale Notre-Dame, both of which Monet painted, and the château des Tourelles, a 13th century castle classified as a Historical Monument of France that sits alongside the Old Mill on the banks of the Seine River. Another way to spend time here is enjoying a picnic lunch along the Seine before heading back to Paris, rather than dining on a potentially overpriced meal in Giverny.

Purchase ticket packages if you plan to visit other museums

Along with the Claude Monet Foundation , the Museum of Impressionism also merits a visit to discover even more of what Giverny has to offer. Tickets for the two museums can be combined in order to take advantage of some savings, however can only be done so on-site at either museum or at the Tourism Office of Vernon, which may mean waiting in a line. If you’d rather save time than money, tickets can be purchased individually online in advance. There are also bundle options to include entrances for the Musée Marmottan Monet, L’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay, all of which are museums highlighting Impressionist artworks in Paris.

Make an appointment in advance if you want a guide

Taking the train and not booking with a tour operator also means that you’re not set up with a guide. Those who seek to have a little context surrounding their visit can book a guide directly through the Foundation, however it needs to be done so in advance. Otherwise, the garden is easily explored on a self-guided basis as is the house, which has curators stationed throughout to answer questions.

Plan your visit during shoulder season

Unsurprisingly, Giverny is a popular destination that attracts herds of tourists particularly during the summer months. If possible, the best time to visit Giverny is during shoulder season in April or October. The Foundation opens as early as the end of March, and remains open until November 1. The weather may be slightly overcast (which, on the positive side, often makes for better photographs) but the gardens are still perfect. If summer holiday plans don’t permit a visit during quieter times, then plan for an early arrival to the town and visit the Foundation upon opening at 9:30 am to beat the crowds.

Become a Culture Tripper!

Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $1,200 on our unique trips..

See privacy policy .

There is more to see in Giverny than Monet’s home

It can be difficult to remember that Giverny is a town in itself and not just another name for the Claude Monet Foundation. The town is lovely for taking a stroll, dotted with charming country houses that rival Monet’s. Giverny also remains the home of many modern-day Impressionist artists who have set up their own small private galleries, such as Claude Cambour , Florence Ramier and Christophe Demarez , all of whom are located on the same road as the Claude Monet Foundation. There’s also the aforementioned Museum of Impressionism and just 900 metres away from the Foundation is Saint-Radegonde Church, where Monet’s tomb can be visited.

Giverny is surrounded by incredible walking paths

The surrounding hills adorned with wildflowers create the perfect setting for nature walks, rambles and hikes. Route maps can be collected from the Tourist Board or found on their website . Those with an adventurous streak can venture out on their own; the old railroad path is a great option that when followed keeps you from getting lost and can even take you all the way back to Vernon. The walk between Giverny and Vernon is approximately five kilometres.

See & Do

Why dijon is the perfect french weekend getaway.

Amazing Day Trips to Take Around Brittany by Boat

The Most Beautiful Castles to Visit in Normandy, France

A Guide to Sailing in Charente-Maritime, France

Best Places to Visit in France From the UK

Food & Drink

Must-visit food markets in france.

Amazing Day Trips to Take Around Corsica by Boat

The Top French Dishes You Need to Try

Places to Stay

The top spas to book in historic french cities.

The Best Food to Eat in the French Alps

A Guide to Sailing in and Around France

Secret Alternatives to Busy Marinas in the French Riviera for Avoiding the Crowds

Culture Trip Summer Sale

Save up to $1,200 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

• Post ID: 2123781
• Sponsored? No
• View Payload

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Normandie Lovers

To awaken your senses in Normandy - Claire et Manu’s Blog

Visit the Musée des Impressionnismes (Giverny): tips + photos

by Myriam BENDRISS MUDIBU , Region Lovers | July 8, 2024 | no intrusive ads, no sponsored content, just some affiliate links - if you use them, we get a small commission (read more)

Come and visit the Musée des Impressionnismes in the famous Village des Peintres, an artistic, flower-filled setting in the heart of Giverny ! Located on a historic site just 2 steps from Claude Monet’s famous house and gardens , this museum traces the history of Impressionism and its aftermath. Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, Édouard Manet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir are all exhibited here.

Then stroll through the idyllic garden of the contemporary building that has inspired so many artists.

In this article, we present our experience in images to help you prepare for your visit.

This review is completely independent , we visited the area anonymously and paid our bills in full.

Why visit the Musée des Impressionnismes in Giverny?

Is the musée des impressionnismes in giverny worth it our review.

Completely! The Musée des Impressionnismes is one of the places not to be missed in the Village des Peintres. In fact, we’ve listed it among our ideas for things to do in Giverny . It’s well worth a visit:

• Its garden: idyllic and contemporary, the museum’s garden is just 2 steps from Claude Monet’s verdant home.
• Its ideal location: on the village’s main avenue, the museum is just a few minutes from Giverny’s tourist attractions.
• Original museography: the museum hosts exhibitions with a different angle on Impressionism and its aftermath.

Why is the Musée des Impressionnismes in Giverny famous?

Dedicated to Impressionist and contemporary art, this museum offers thematic or monographic highlights relating to Impressionism and its variants. Since its creation in 2009, it has been considered a reference art venue dedicated to this movement and its influence on modern and contemporary art. Many of Giverny’s organized excursions include a passage in their program.

Our favorite moments

You can read more about our experience in this article, but we couldn’t resist sharing our favorite moments with you right now:

• the enchanting flower beds of the museum garden,
• sculptures by Edgar Degas or Pierre-Auguste Renoir,
• the body of prints by painter Mary Cassatt.

VISIT Giverny

Our favorite tours and visits:

• From Paris: Small-group guided tour
• From Paris: Private tour
• From Paris: Tour by bus, then by bike
• On site: Guided tour of the gardens

Our articles:

• Best things to do in Giverny: our 8 ideas
• How to get to Giverny from Paris
• Where to eat in Giverny

Practical tips and map: Musée des Impressionnismes, Giverny, France

Where is the museum.

The museum is located at 99 rue Claude Monet, Giverny (27620), Normandy.

• Driving time from Paris: 1h20min.
• Driving time from Caen: 2h.
• Driving time from Rouen: 1 hour.
• Driving time from Évreux: 45min.
• Driving time from Ouistreham: 2h.

These times are approximate and depend on traffic.

OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy

• Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
• Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
• Think of the complete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
• There is a lot of demand, book it early .

• By car: Giverny can be reached from the A13 freeway. The municipality has installed several parking lots to facilitate access to the village. Discover all our tips for renting a car before going to Giverny from Orly , Roissy-CDG or Beauvais airports.

• By train: the TER Normandie regional train line serves Vernon-Giverny, with regular daily services from Paris, Évreux and Rouen. Vernon SNCF train station is a 30-minute shuttle ride from Giverny. Board one of the 2 shuttle buses that will take you to the village of Giverny, the bus or the Petit train touristique de Vernon (same duration, approx. 30min).

See available timetables and book your train and coach tickets now .

The municipality of Giverny has installed several parking lots to facilitate access to the village as soon as you arrive. You can then stroll around Giverny on foot. Bicycle parking is also available in the parking lot.

Schedules and prices

Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 to November 5, then with some variations in dates until early January, see details here .

• exhibition only: €10 (reduced €7) per person,
• combined ticket for museum + C.Monet’s House and Garden: €21 per person,
• free for under-18s.

We advise you to take the informative audioguide for €4 (available in English and French).

For an even easier visit, you can also opt for an organized tour from Paris, including access to the museum. Discover all the options here !

Best time to visit the museum

With almost 630,000 visitors expected in 2022, according to the Claude Monet Foundation, Giverny is a popular destination for tourists. This can be particularly busy during the peak season from June to September. To avoid queues, we recommend weekday mornings or afternoons in spring, late summer and autumn.

How long to visit and main difficulties

Allow around 1 hour to contemplate the museum’s collection. There are also temporary exhibitions and the gardens are well worth a visit!

The museum meets PRM accessibility criteria:

• if you would like to reserve a wheelchair, more information here ,
• if you wish to reserve a stroller as baby carriers are not accepted, more information here .

A changing table is available in the toilets for you to change your little ones.

Finally, please note that pets are not allowed inside the museum and its gardens.

The Musée des Impressionnismes with children

The museum is child-friendly, with games and activities to stimulate children’s creativity and help them discover Impressionism:

• booklets to download directly from the official website here ,
• an interactive story accessible here , the tale of Iris, a little girl who explains the museum’s trades and the works in the collection,
• workshops for 5-12 year-olds at the Impressionnautes Club here .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

• Get away from it all with Region Lovers’ beautiful destinations!
• Once a month
• Advertising-free

La Brasserie des Artistes, the museum’s restaurant

On site, you can enjoy French cuisine at the Brasserie des Artistes, overlooking the museum garden. If you prefer to eat out, check out our best places to eat in Giverny .

WHERE TO STAY IN Giverny

Option 1: in the village

Giverny, famous for its gardens and the Village des Peintres, is a magical place… We recommend..:

• Pluie de Roses establishment in a 6000 m2 park with veranda – see prices, photos and availability .
• Hotel La Musardière , charming 3-star establishment in the heart of Giverny – see prices, photos and availability .
• B&B Le Clos Fleuri with cosy rooms, shared lounge and terrace – see details, availability and booking .
• Madame Baudy’s 19th-century house , where painters have stayed – see details, availability and bookings .

Option 2: around Giverny

The medieval town of Vernon is just a 10-minute drive from Giverny. We recommend..:

• Hotel Normandy traditional 19th-century establishment – see prices, photos and availability .
• Maison Anne face to park B&B with garden view – see prices, photos and availability .

From the American Art Museum to the Musée des Impressionnismes

30 years ago, the Museum of American Art was founded in place of the current Musée des Impressionnismes in Giverny. Did you know that from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of World War II, the Village des Peintres was the cradle of American Impressionism? After the Civil War, many came to discover new trends in European painting, notably at the Louvre. The former Hôtel Baudy in Giverny will be the haunt of these great names, where a 19th-century art studio is still preserved.

Take American painter and printmaker Mary Cassatt, several of whose works we saw during our visit to the museum. She became close to French Impressionist artists such as Edgar Degas, who made her his model. See below the painting Auprès de la mare (By the pond ), painted around 1898. Can you feel the calm and relaxation of this moment captured by the artist?

Do you know about prints? These are artistic images printed on paper using a relief or intaglio matrix. Several Impressionists took an interest in this Japanese art, notably Mary Cassatt, who used this style in some of her paintings. In fact, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a series of Mary Cassatt prints on our tour, focusing on the mother-child relationship.

Dedicated to the artistic movement of which Claude Monet was one of the masters, the Musée des Impressionnismes takes the place of the Musée d’Art Américain in Giverny. This place of art celebrates the alliance between modernity, the outdoors and the vivid colors so characteristic of Impressionism. It’s no surprise that the Impressionist route was formed in Normandy. Many artists, both French and international, have been inspired by the region’s magical landscapes. Eugène Boudin’s Conversation sur la Plage de Trouville , a precursor of the movement, is a telling example. We caught a glimpse of it that day, but it is now on permanent display at the Musée Eugène-Boudin in Honfleur .

Did you know that Eugène Boudin played a crucial role in Claude Monet’s career? The story goes that he advised him to start painting en plein air, and the painter-gardener took a liking to it! Claude Monet often said, “I don’t need a studio, my studio is the open air”.

USE OUR GUIDE TO PLAN A DREAM TRIP TO Normandy

All the information you need for your trip:

• 8 maps that make planning easier
• 160+ pre-selected locations
• Practical advice
• 300+ photos to help you choose

Impressionism and its aftermath

At the Musée des Impressionnismes in Giverny, you’ll be transported into the world of great French and American artists such as Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt and Henri Martin. We really enjoyed grasping the revolutionary nature of this new artistic approach at the end of the 19th century, highlighted here. This movement influenced the styles that followed it, or broke with them. But Impressionism was also a source of inspiration for musical and poetic artists such as Paul Verlaine and Charles Baudelaire.

In the late 1850s, the great names of French Impressionism met. Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, Édouard Manet… We had the pleasure of marvelling at their remarkable work at the Musée des Impressionnismes in Giverny. Here, Camille Pissarro brilliantly captures the fleeting impression of this everyday moment. He transforms this moment into a work of art, with the woman hanging out the washing outside.

On this highly educational tour, all the works spoke to us, but some were particularly appealing, like this one, L’Écolière by Edgar Degas. Can you make out the fine details of this plaster statuette?

Contemporary architecture in the heart of a historic site

After visiting the interior of the museum, with its exceptional works of art, take a look at the building’s contemporary architecture. This project represented a real challenge for architect Philippe Robert: to succeed in building a modern museum while preserving the charm and authenticity of this historic site.

We saw how he managed to blend this large building into its surroundings, while still allowing the beauty of the exterior to shine through. In this natural setting, you’ll be surprised by the discreet character of the museum’s walls and the large bay windows that illuminate the interior.

An enchanting garden, a source of creative inspiration

The Musée des Impressionnismes garden is bursting with color and plant species, with nearly 22,000 flowers planted. Can you recognize them? For example, we admired shield grass and its twigs, or Lysimachia nummularia . Brightly lit, they stretch across the museum’s flowerbeds.

In the garden surrounding this place of art and history, you can’t miss the magnificent field of poppies that inspired Claude Monet to paint Champs de coquelicots à Giverny at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen . Isn’t it soothing to contemplate?

Now we understand why the artist made his garden, just a stone’s throw from the museum, his open-air studio!

Designed in the early 1990s, the garden at the Musée des Impressionnismes differs from that of Claude Monet. Thousands of plant species flourish here, but unlike the Clos Normand or the Jardin d’Eau, this garden has been designed in an original French style.

Its flower meadow, orchard, colorful pathways and white water garden set it apart from the rest. It was designed by architect Philippe Robert and American landscape architect Mark Rudkin, who also created the gardens for the Franco-American Museum at Château de Blérancourt. This little paradise in the heart of Giverny guarantees a timeless country walk!

You’ll see that contemporary art also invites itself into the museum garden, as here with the Bois des Nymphes by Eva Jospin (2021).

You only have one day at Giverny? Check out our 3 themed itineraries here ! Ready for your visit?

PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Normandy

Inspiration destinations

• Deciding where to go in Normandy – the best destinations
• Our weekend ideas: best-of , romantic , unusual , seaside , luxury , family
• 16 seaside hotels in Normandy
• The most beautiful charming hotels in Normandy

• Best things to do in Normandy
• Best cities in Normandy
• Most beautiful beaches of Normandy
• Most beautiful villages of Normandy
• Best castles of Normandy
• Best abbeys of Normandy
• Read our complete guide to visit the Mont-Saint-Michel
• Discover the D-Day sites

• Where to stay in Normandy – best places and hotels
• See our tips for renting a car at CDG airport , Orly airport , Beauvais airport , Caen , Rouen , Bayeux …

Frequently asked questions

Where to picnic near giverny.

On the main driveway in Giverny, you can sit in the park on the greenery near the Église Sainte-Radegonde. There are no picnic tables, but lunch on the grass is always pleasant. Claude Monet wouldn’t have said otherwise, would he?

Alternatively, a 10-minute drive from Giverny, a large picnic area has been set up in Vernon on the banks of the Seine, behind the stadium, near the cycle path. Enjoy your picnic in peace and quiet, surrounded by nature. Behind the stadium, a parking area is available.

When do the water lilies bloom at Giverny?

In Giverny, the famous water lilies that inspired Claude Monet bloom from May to September. You can admire the Bassin aux Nymphéas in the Jardins du peintre jardinier. Each water lily flower blooms for an average of 4 to 5 days. The flowers open in the morning and close again in the evening, their opening and closing depending on light and heat.

Want to discover the magic of Giverny? Don’t wait any longer and discover all our excursions here !

SHE MADE THE TRIP AND WROTE THE ARTICLE Myriam

Region lovers' 10 commitments.

• Visit all the places we tell you about.
• For each city, stay in at least one hotel and visit the ones we recommend.
• For each city, eat in at least one restaurant, visit the ones we select.
• Pay all our invoices in full, refuse any partnership or sponsorship.
• Periodically update our articles, with the help of our readers.
• Enrich our articles with our first-hand experiences.
• Use 99% of our own photos
• Use digital tools in a reasoned and transparent way, feeding them with information verified on site.
• Provide information on the traveler/writer pairing that gave rise to the article.
• Tell you what we do, and do what we tell you!

Claire and Manu

Find out more about the team and our history.

SEARCH OUR SITE

Our multi-destination blogs.

Regionlovers.fr

ZigZagroadtrips.com

OUR OTHER REGIONS TO DISCOVER

LoireLovers.fr

CorsicaLovers.fr

ProvenceLovers.fr

CanariasLovers.com

CHANGE LANGUAGE

Legal Notice / Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

À propos de nous

Découvrir le guide de voyage

• 0 Favorites

Giverny and its surroundings

Normandy Tourism, France

• Active & outdoor
• Lifestyle & Wellness
• Discover Normandy
• Plan your trip

© T. Houyel

Find out more

Updated on 16 December 2021

Reading time: 3 minutes

Written by Vinciane Laumonier

Add to my bookmarks :

• Add to bookmark

Giverny is best seen in the early morning, when the sun begins to highlight the flowers in Monet’s gardens and, shimmering over the ponds, awakens our senses to light and colour. This little village on the very edge of Normandy is famous around the world for being a living canvas and inspiration to painters and artists.

Get lost in the moment

Along the hillside, try following a series of panels that highlights the history of the village that inspired Claude Monet and so many others, including the American artist Theodore Butler and the Czech artist Radimsky. Many impressionist paintings were sourced in this magic place and now is the time to challenge them with your own appreciations.The Musée des Impressionnismes presents just such an opportunity to examine artworks in greater depth through a series of temporary exhibitions of high quality. That could lead you to prolong your trip through the art world by catching up on some of the major artworks created at Giverny by Monet in the  Orsay Museum ,  the Orangerie and the  Marmottan-Monet in Paris.

As you walk down the rue Claude Monet, you’ll come to what used to be the  Hôtel Baudy . Now a restaurant, here the scene was set for many a convivial evening’s entertainment animated by the likes of Robinson, Renoir or Cézanne. You can sit down to lunch in the company of the great and the good in the world of impressionism – or at least in your imagination! Afterwards you can work it off by paying homage to Monet’s grave (which is always bedecked with flowers) or taking off towards Vernon for a bucolic walk along the banks of the River Seine, as they used to do. Don’t miss the splendid old mill ( Vieux Moulin ) overlooking the river! 

On the banks of the River Seine

The River Seine winds and twists its way through the rich Normandy landscape, cutting into chalky cliffs, and is lined with a wealth of timber-framed buildings and old mills, perhaps best appreciated by bicycle. At Vernon , on the left bank, you will find its charming museum which holds a fine collection of impressionist works, including paintings by Butler, by his wife Blanche Hoschedé-Monet, Claude Monet’s step-daughter, and the pointillist Pierre Bonnard. It also has a  tondo (a circular painting) by Monet (the  Nymphéas ) – of which there are only 3 other examples in the world.  

Another  visite champêtre  in the locality is at Les Andelys , immortalised by Signac, or you could take to the ‘painters’ road’ at La Roche-Guyon, to discover perspectives painted by Monet, Renoir or Pissarro.

The  Hôtel-Dieu Museum  at Mantes-la-Jolie exhibits the largest collection in France devoted to the neo-impressionist anarchist painter Maximilien Luce, who managed to calm down when he got to the quiet backwater of Rolleboise.

A moment of pleasure

Lean over the rail of the Japanese bridge which straddles the water-lily pond and look down. The combined effect of the reflections upon the water, the suspended lily pads, the weeping willows, the rippling sky, the soft hints of colour, all combine to create both a void and a vision. You find yourself almost toppling into one of Monet’s paintings!

Rouen and the River Seine

Paris, Normandy and Impressionism

From Caen to the Cotentin

Return to top

Are you already in Normandy?

Plan what to see and do while you’re here by visiting normandy-secrets.com, which lets you in on all of the local secrets and hidden gems in the immediate vicinity!

Close search box

1 Day In Giverny: The Perfect Giverny Itinerary

Giverny is a lovely village mostly known as the location of Claude Monet‘s home and gardens, including his famous pond of water lilies. Wherever your look, you’ll notice a fairytale-like essence, which was so beautifully captured on a canvas by Monet and by some other Impressionist painters.

Located in the Normandy region, Giverny is definitely a must-visit destination from Paris, since it’s less than 60 minutes away from the French capital. You’ll love the bucolic landscapes, the massive flower fields (that bloom almost all year round), and basically the overall atmosphere.

So, do you want to know more about 1 Day In Giverny: The Perfect Giverny Itinerary? Keep reading!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Please read my  disclosure & privacy policy  for more information.

No time to read now? Pin it for later!

Musée des Impressionnismes

Brief history of giverny.

The commune of Giverny has such an intrinsic relationship with Claude Monet’s house and gardens that it’s easy to forget its own history before the French painter discovered it in 1893. First of all, the name derives from its Latin version Giverniacum, which was registered more than 1500 years ago!

Therefore, it’s thought that the village was founded at the time of the Merovingian dynasty, somewhere between 450 and 750 AC. Decades later, there are historical references that King Charles II of France “offered” Giverny to the monks at Abbaye Saint-Denis-le-Ferment, just over 35 km away.

In the 11th century, the Église Sainte-Radegonde began to be built at the behest of the monks of the Abbaye Saint-Ouen de Rouen – a construction that would take about 500 years to complete! Moreover, in the cemetery next to the church, you’ll find the tomb of Claude Monet and his family.

In 1883, Monet saw Giverny during a train ride and decided to move to the quiet village with Alice Hoschedé, her six children, and the two children from his first marriage to Camille Doncieux. The property consisted of a long pink country house with green windows and shutters (called Le Pressoir), as well as a plot of land of considerable length.

The artist, who loved gardening almost as much as painting, created numerous flower beds, vegetable gardens, and orchards in front of his residence, during the early years in Giverny. In 1893, Monet bought a plot near his home, which contained a lake that he called Le Jardin d’Eau. Nowadays, there’s not only a road that separates these two lands, but it’s also necessary to pass under it to access the Water Garden.

Visiting Giverny

Although I arrived in Giverny by car, you can visit the village by taking a train in Paris. To do this, you only have to go to the Gare Saint Lazare and choose as destination the Gare de Vernon ( check the schedules here ). This trip takes about 45-50 minutes and costs €32 (roundtrip).

Once in Vernon, there’s a shuttle that takes you to Giverny, leaving the station 15 minutes after the arrival of each train ( check timetables here ). The ticket price is €10 (roundtrip) and it can be purchased near the driver or through the SNgo! app.

The Fondation Claude Monet-Giverny – that is, the house and gardens – is open every day, from 9:30 am to 6 pm, with the last entry taking place at 5:30 pm. The ticket costs €9.50 (adults) and €5.50 (children and students), but children under 7 years old don’t pay for admission.

The foundation itself advises buying the tickets online , in order to avoid long queues, especially during high season. There’s similarly an online shop , which sells the products of the physical gift and book shop – built on the old Atelier des Nymphéas.

Giverny Itinerary

Maison de claude monet.

On the ground floor, the visit to Claude Monet‘s House begins in the so-called “Le Petit Salon Bleu”, a reading room where part of his extensive collection of Japanese prints is displayed. Soon after, comes the Épicerie, the pantry where eggs, spices, tea, and olive oil were kept in custom cabinets.

From here, the Salon-Atelier follows, which is certainly the most important space in the house. This was Monet‘s first studio, where he worked until 1899. Recreated in 2011 with the original layout of his time, it contains about sixty replicas of his paintings.

Going up to the first floor, which basically consists of family rooms, you can visit the Painter’s Room (la Chambre du Peintre). With a wonderful view over the gardens, this space was also restored in 2013.

Next is Monet’s bathroom and Alice’s bathroom and bedroom, the latter two with more Japanese prints hanging on the walls. There’s also a small sewing room and, at the end of the hall, Blanche’s room (the impressionist master’s stepdaughter and daughter-in-law), which only opened to the public in 2014.

The visit ends back on the ground floor, passing through the dining room, completely painted and furnished in yellow (and filled with more Japanese prints). This communicates with the kitchen, decorated with blue tiles from Rouen and which still retains an enormous set of copper pots and pans. To conclude, the country house has a porch across the front, so there are doors that give direct access to the street on almost all ground floors. Another peculiarity is that there are no windows at the rear of the house!

Jardins de Claude Monet

Claude Monet‘s gardens have dozens and dozens of flowers of all colors and shapes. Some of these species are dahlias, irises, nasturtiums, poppies, and oriental poppies.

Initially, the garden in front of the house (le Clos Normand) had many apple trees, but the painter replaced them with some apricot trees and sakuras, the blossoming cherry trees of Japan.

The Water Garden has strong oriental inspirations, as it is full of bamboo, peonies, wisterias (on the Japanese bridge), and weeping willows, as well as agapanthus and the famous water lilies that cover the lake and that Monet so often portrayed.

Ancien Hôtel Baudy

The Old Hotel Baudy is a restaurant located just 5 minutes from the Claude Monet Foundation. This place has an impressive past if it weren’t for the fact that it served as a place of conviviality (and accommodation) for the many artists who came to visit Monet in Giverny!

The Hôtel Baudy started out as a mix of “grocery store and snack bar”, until 1886 when the American painter Willard Leroy Metcalf came to ask the owners (Angélina and Lucien Baudy) for accommodation. Although he was refused a stay that first time, the artist returned with three more countrymen and Madame Baudy was unable to say no.

Upon discovering that Claude Monet lived next door (and getting to know himself), the Americans rushed to announce their discovery to every artist in Paris. Thus, Hôtel Baudy became one of the “trendy spots”, just outside the French capital.

This new “meeting place” welcomed names such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin, Alfred Sisley, and Pablo Picasso, as well as many American painters, who nicknamed it the “Hotêl des Peintres Americains”. Among them are, for example, John Singer Sargent, William Hart, James Carroll Beckwith, Dawson Dawson-Watson, Frederick William MacMonnies, and Frederick Carl Frieseke.

Nowadays, the old hotel has become a charming and very welcoming restaurant, with period decor and serving typical specialties of the region (and the country). In addition, it conserves an artist’s Studio (Atelier) and an Arborized Park (Parc Arboré) from the time of Claude Monet, which are freely accessible to the restaurant’s customers.

The restaurant offers meals in an indoor room (Salle à Manger) and in a space suitable for events, ceremonies, or larger groups (Salle de Réception). However, if the weather is inviting, I would recommend having lunch/dinner outside in the Terrasse. It’s an extremely nice and lovely area, with constant shade and very well inserted in the countryside of Giverny.

I tried a hot vegetarian dish called “Camembert Chaud” because I love this cheese and it came with roasted potatoes, lettuce, and toasted rustic bread. Not only was it delicious, but the dish came very well garnished! If you want to plan your meal at the Ancien Hôtel Baudy, you can make your reservation on the restaurant’s official website (open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11 am to 11 pm and on Sundays, from 11 am to 6 pm).

The Museum of Impressionisms in Giverny was created in 2009, in the building where the Musée d’Art Américain once stood. As the name implies, the art museum is dedicated to the Impressionist movement, with a permanent exhibition on Claude Monet and his fellow painters and a few temporary exhibitions per year.

The Musée des Impressionnismes is 2 minutes away from the Claude Monet Foundation and the Ancien Hôtel Baudy. Regarding the opening hours, it is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm, but during the low season, it only works on Fridays and weekends ( check the calendar here ). You can also visit the museum on holidays, except on December 25th and January 1st. Finally, tickets cost €7.50 (adults), €5 (12-17 years old), and €3.50 (7-11 years old) ( access the online ticket office here ).

Map of the Giverny Itinerary

Share this blog post on your social media!

More Posts about Gardens and Parks

How To Visit Monceau Park In 2024

How To Visit The National Hunting Park Of Mafra In 2024

National Palace Of Queluz: Best Tips For Visiting In 2024

More posts about travel itineraries.

1 Day In Noto: The Perfect Noto Itinerary

1 Day In Penafiel: The Perfect Penafiel Itinerary

1 Day In Torres Vedras: The Perfect Torres Vedras Itinerary

What photography gear do i use.

• Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless
• Camera Lens: Fujinon XF 18-55 mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS
• Tripod: Manfrotto Compact Action
• Small Tripod: Manfrotto PIXI Mini
• Smartphone Adaptor: Manfrotto PIXI Clamp
• Memory Card: SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

• Skip to right header navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

MY WANDERLUSTY LIFE

#TimeBudgetTravel

Day Trip to Giverny from Paris: How to Easily Tour Monet’s Home & Gardens

Last Updated: May 5, 2023 //  by  Ashley Smith 10 Comments

This day trip to Giverny is another example of my biggest piece of French advice: one thing I always tell people to do when visiting Paris is… leave it. Just get out. *Gasp* 

Alright, alright, calm down. Paris is what it is (magic and romantic and crawling with delicious snails that actually aren’t anymore) but the France outside of Paris is, believe it or not, EVEN BETTER.

On the second of my two trips to France last year I toured all over:

• Paris and Versailles
• the Loire Valley
• Mont-St-Michel
• the D-Day sites of Normandy
• and every sickeningly lavish chateaux in between.

I did all of this with my friend and faithful travel companion who is, of all things, an art teacher. But while she can appreciate brushwork, composition, and whatever ”diptych“ is, I’m more into snooping around in the former homes of famous people, because I’m creepy like that.

This post was originally published in 2018 but has been updated for 2023.

Table of Contents

Why take a day trip to Giverny?

One such reason to leave Paris is for a day trip to Giverny, the tiny village that was once home to impressionist mastermind Claude Monet. Now replace “home” with “resting place” and that’s just one of the reasons to visit.

Besides getting to tour Monet’s personal home, on a Giverny day trip you also get the chance to walk all through his gardens, visit his studio, and circle his water lily pond. Like, the Water Lilies water lily pond. Even for someone on the Microsoft Paint level of the artistic ability spectrum, it’s a pretty impressive experience.

Is Giverny worth visiting?

If you’re a lover of art history, fine art, or even just flowers and gardening, then Giverny is absolutely worth visiting . The property, gardens, and lily pond are meticulously well-kept and the experience of visiting is a quality one.

You get to see so much on a visit to Giverny and every month it’s open offers something different in terms of blooms. You’ll also get to learn about Monet and his paintings and see how he lived.

How long do you need at Monet’s Giverny?

Three to four hours would be a good amount of time for a visit of Monet’s Giverny. Walking around the lily pond and through the gardens will take a good chunk of time. And the rest will be spent touring his home (which tends to get crowded and therefore slow moving) and studio and checking out the gift shop.

If you like floral day trips, definitely check out my post on a day trip to Keukenhof –the world famous tulip gardens outside Amsterdam.

The history of Monet and Giverny

Claude Monet was the founder of French impressionist painting and, by all accounts, the original hipster. Impressionism was the 19 th century art movement that emphasized light, movement, visible brush strokes, and blatant rule-breaking. Boy were those fancy pants art critics pissed at him.

He also, probably, played a major part in pairing a bushy beard with a beret—a style statement you still see so often in and around craft breweries and artisanal vegan donut/bicycle shops.

Looking for more interesting day trips from Paris? Check out these best Normandy tours from Paris for some unforgettable WWII history.

Giverny is an hour outside Paris in 21 st century time but much longer by 1800s standards. I’m just saying, he didn’t have that beard when he left.

Monet lived in Giverny for exactly half of his life, until his death in 1926. It was while he lived here that he painted his entire Water Lilies series, the works he’s most famous for, even long after he developed cataracts. I got lightheaded from standing up too fast yesterday and couldn’t work for a good 20 minutes. Just saying.

Giverny and Water Lilies

Water Lilies —you know what it looks like—is a series of around 250 oil paintings of the water lily pond behind his house at Giverny. Monet was big into doing series work—not unlike Kelsey Grammer or Mariska Hargitay—and has done many others including Haystacks , Rouen Cathedral , and Houses of Parliament .

Throughout his life and especially after moving to Giverny, Monet was obsessed with gardening, the same way I’m obsessed with not gardening (somebody feed me).

To help inspire his work, he diverted water from a nearby source and planted his own water lilies. Monet was also obsessed with perfection. (He once destroyed 15 of his Water Lilies in a perfectionist rage.)

And he was obsessed with natural light, painting as fiercely and frantically as possible to capture an exact moment before it passes which, as science has taught us, is impossible without Instagram.

While in Normandy you should definitely check out the best of Normandy’s D-Day sites . The experience is unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced on your travels, I promise.

Day trip to Giverny from Paris: How to get there

Ahh, so you’re visiting Paris. Now get out. Leaving the city and taking a day trip to Giverny is among the most popular things to do when visiting Paris, right up there with taking selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower and taking selfies in front of the Mona Lisa .

How long does it take to get to Giverny from Paris?

Giverny is just one hour northwest of Paris by car or 14 hours if you choose to walk because automobiles are so bourgeouis.

A day trip to Giverny is a great opportunity to get some background on, like, all the paintings you’ll see in the Paris museums . (probably my favorite thing about my line of work is being able to shout, “I’ve been there!” on an annoyingly regular basis)

Visit Giverny on a day tour from Paris

My recommendation—because it’s what I did—is to take your day trip to Giverny via an organized, guided tour. For the love of lilies, let someone else handle tickets and transportation so you don’t have to.

Plus, these tours usually come with skip-the-line abilities and, visiting Paris and Giverny in the summer , this is worth its weight in goldenrod. You also get private and direct transportation and knowledgeable tour guides who probably know their Phlomis purpurea from their  Phlomis italica . Maybe?

It is possible to get from Paris to Giverny independently—check this  and/or this page for logistics—but the trip will take much more than an hour, includes the cumbersome combination of metro ⇢ train ⇢ bus ⇢ feet, and the schedules of each of those are less ideal than planting tulips in the spring! Ha! Can you imagine!? Garden snobs, you know what I mean.

The Best Day tours to Giverny from Paris

Here are a few great guided tour options for your day trip to Giverny:

Versailles & Giverny Day Trip with Lunch from Paris

This uber-popular 9.5-hour tour includes a trip to the Palace of Versailles (another Paris must) as well as a day trip to Giverny, plus lunch.

Giverny & Monet’s Gardens Small-Group Half-Day Trip

This 5-hour tour is limited to just 8 people and is super informative. It includes visual aids (!!!) and even takes you to Monet’s burial site.

Monet's House & Gardens Self Guided Tour with Transport from Paris

This tour includes transportation, admission, and an audio guide but your time to explore is all your own. (And it costs less than transportation alone if you were to do this  without  a tour.)

Giverny & Monet's Garden by Train

Perhaps you'd like to visit Giverny the same way Monet did - by riding the rails. This tour includes skip-the-line admission into Monet's House and Gardens and round-trip transportation by train.

Other Giverny day trips from Paris

There are actually many more Paris tour combinations for Giverny and you can find those all here. Find one that fits you best!

When is the best time for a day trip to Giverny?

Because of the nature (heh) of this site, a day trip to Giverny can only be taken at certain times of the year. Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny are only open seven months of the year : late March – November 1st, because, duh, flowers. Besides, visiting a garden in the winter would be about as worthwhile as having vegan bacon with a side of O’Doul’s for lunch.

As for when exactly to go during that time… well, this place is so full of beautiful, colorful growing things that visiting any time during those seven months is going to be worthwhile.

When to go to Giverny to see water lilies

But let’s be real here; you came for the water lilies, didn’t you! Water lilies as a species bloom between May and September, however , both the Giverny website and our tour guide told us the lilies at Giverny don’t typically bloom until July and we might not get to see them.

Well, well, well, the pictures in this post were taken on my early June visit and clearly the nympheas showed up to play.

When to go to Giverny to see wisteria

If July is out of the question for your day trip to Giverny, my recommended backup plan would be to visit in May when Monet’s famous Japanese bridge is drenched in flowering purple wisteria. Look at this OMG

But, hell, maybe you hate both and actually get your jollies from holly-hocks or busy-lizzies. Worry not, there’s a Giverny flowering calendar for that.

What to see on a day trip to Giverny

A day trip to Giverny is all about Claude Monet. You’ll visit his house, his garden, his famous water lily pond. You’ll see his chickens, his cows, his jealousy-inducing collection of copper cookware. Wow, I am not sounding cool today.

Monet’s house and studio

Monet lived at his house in Giverny for 43 years, the size of which defies everything I thought I knew about painting as a lucrative career path. Monet lived here with his lady-friend Alice and their combined eight children. I think the mystery of his eventual madness has solved itself.

Here at his house you can tour his bedrooms, kitchen, studio, bathroom, and many other places in which he’d be totally uncomfortable entertaining visitors. And as large as the house is, it’s still tight and you will be bumper to bumper on Fanny Pack Ave.

Monet’s gardens

There are 100 varieties of flowers and trees in the garden of the man who was quoted as saying, “Apart from painting and gardening, I’m not good at anything.” So if his success at painting is any indicator, I think you know what you can expect in his anything-but-ho-hum garden.

During your day trip to Giverny you’re free to wander throughout his garden, on strictly marked paths of course, and take it all in through your nose. I mean it; smell all of them.

Be warned that the garden is almost overwhelming as it’s so full and tightly packed, and everything is taller and more feminine than you. Monet also said, “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.”

Monet’s pond

Monet’s pond is the highlight of his property and where you can find his famous water lilies—in bloom or otherwise. Now every time you see a Water Lilies painting you can shout, “I’ve been there!” but do so internally because museums.

You can circle the entire pond and walk across the Japanese bridge, see the little boat he used to paddle around in (before paddling around in little boats was cool, obvs) and, if you’re lucky, maybe even fall in because there is legit no barrier whatsoever.

What to bring on a day trip to Giverny

Allergy medicine.

Maybe your allergies are fine at home, but you probably don’t have 100 varieties of pollen-producing perennials surrounding your digs—some of them you’ve never been exposed to. Chances are you’re allergic to one of them because you are, in fact, of the human species.

Don’t forget the allergy medicine when you travel to a place literally to be surrounded by flowers. Wouldn’t sneezing and falling into a totally unbarricaded pond be the perfect allergy medicine commercial though?

Remember to opt for something that won’t put you to sleep. For me that means running as far away from Benadryl as possible and straight into the arms of Zyrtec . But damn, Benadryl certainly works. (Don’t forget to pack some tissues too.)

* I think legally I’m supposed to say here that I’m not a doctor? But you already knew that from earlier when I referred to Instagram as “science”. Wouldn’t conking out and falling into a totally unbarricaded pond be the perfect non-drowsy allergy medicine commercial though?

Guidebook(s)

I’m a stickler for two things: always eat where the line is longest, and always get the guidebook.

Guidebooks give great commentary, historical background, essential logistical, time, and cost information, and yeah, often even where to find the food source with the longest line, ergo, the best grub. I personally recommend:

• The Rough Guide to Brittany and Normandy – (Yes, Giverny is actually in Normandy.) Because what are we doing, class? Getting outta Paris! But since you will be in Paris…
• The Rough Guide to Paris – Or get one that has it all…
• Fodor’s Essential France – Covering it all (including Paris and a day trip to Giverny) and with a handy pull-out map. Wouldn’t falling into a pond while reading a handy pull-out map be just the funniest?
• Rick Steves France is a great option too.
• AND, I always recommend these pocket-sized customs and culture guides for all international trips. Check out Culture Smart France here. (And check out my full review of Culture Smart’s books if you want to learn more about them.)

Your day trip to Giverny and the water lily pond is a thing of rare beauty. A chance to photograph, blow up, frame, and brag about having a real (ehh, not real) Monet hanging up in your living room. Do not come to Giverny without a great camera.

A few more essentials

Here are a few more essentials you may want to bring on your day trip to Giverny:

• A decent pair of polarized sunglasses so you can see all the beauty
• Sunscreen since you’ll be visiting in the summer
• Perhaps a light, packable sun hat too
• Comfortable outdoor walking shoes – I swear by both Teva sandals and Chacos and that’s just about all I wear on trips like this. You can get them here on Zappos with free shipping and free returns.

Book to Read for Your Day trip to Giverny

Before I travel anywhere new, I always do my best to get my read on. This way, when I see something I’ve read about I can shout, “I just read about that!” because if the world doesn’t know how awesome you are, are you even awesome?

Along with guidebooks, this is a great way to be able to put everything you’ll see into perspective when you see it—historically, biographically, immediately. Here are my recommendations for books to read for your day trip to Giverny:

Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross King

I talk about Ross King all. the. time. when it comes to reading before a trip to Europe. He specializes in writing actually entertaining biographies of European artists and their lives. He also covers what’s happening in that place at that time to give great context and you learn so much.

Everything I’ve written in this post about Monet and Giverny I learned from this book. Does that make me sound like I’m coming to terms with my adult-ness? Because I’m not.

The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King

Alright, I haven’t read this one yet but it’s sitting on the bookshelf in front of me as we speak. This one goes beyond the work of Monet and covers the movement of Impressionism and its most popular characters as a whole. 

Dover Masterworks: Color Your Own Monet Paintings

Okay, so there’s not a whole lot of reading required here but I’m totally buying this.

Where to find Monet’s Water Lilies

Well, let me put it this way: I don’t think I’ve been to an art museum that hasn’t had one of Monet’s Water Lilies on display. This Water Lilies Wikipedia page does an okay job of listing where many of them can be found but chances are if you visit a fine art museum or a modern art museum or a western art museum you’ll fall into a water lily pond.

…but nowhere will you find an explanation for why I take photos of these every. single. time. I’m chocking it up to: “I’ve been there!”

More info for your day trip to Giverny

• Heading to Paris? Find great places to stay on Booking.com and Expedia .
• Driving to Giverny? Check out the best local rental car deals here.
• Keep yourself and your belongings saf e in Paris with  these must-pack safety items . 
• What else have I covered in France? See more posts here .

Save this info, pin this image:

About Ashley Smith

Ashley is a historian and Oktoberfest expert & tour guide. She has traveled to 39 countries and specializes in quick trips throughout Europe and the Americas that prioritize hiking adventures, museums of all kinds, cultural experiences, and jam-packed itineraries. She hails from Memphis, TN and currently lives in Boston with her husband and two feline sidekicks.

Subscribe to MWL

Get my 2024 Oktoberfest Party Planning Checklist here!

Free 2024 Oktoberfest Packing Checklist

Get my 2023 Oktoberfest Packing List here!

Want more  Oktoberfest ?

Belize Packing List

Iceland packing list, get my 2024 hotel booking checklist here.

Subscribe to MWL!

Tmb packing list 2024, morocco packing list 2024, 2024 oahu bucket list.

Giverny Museum of Impres­sionisms

by Givernet Organisation

Visitor information 2023

Musee des impressionnismes giverny.

99, rue Claude Monet 27620 Giverny

ph:  33 (0)2 32 51 94 65 fax: 33 (0)2 32 51 94 67

Museum Opening Days and Hours

The museum is open from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm (last admission at 5:30 pm):

• everyday including Public Holidays from March 31st through July 2nd, 2023 for the "Children of Impressionism" exhibition;
• everyday including Public Holidays from July 14th through September 10th, 2023 except on September 1st for the "Renoir in Guernsey, 1883" exhibition ;
• from September 29th, 2023 through January 7th, 2024 for t he "Flower Power" exhibition :
• From September 29th to November 5th, 2023: every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission 5.30 p.m.)
• From November 9th to December 17th, 2023: Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission 5.30 p.m.)
• From December 21st, 2023 to January 7th, 2024: every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission 5.30 p.m.)

The museum is open on Public Holidays except on December 25th, 2023 and January 1st, 2024.

The museum offices are open all year to answer your inquiries.

The museum is accessible to people using medical equipment.

Exhibitions

From March 31st to July 2nd, 2023 Exhibition "Children of Impressionnism" From July 14th, 2023 to September 10th, 2023 except on September 1st Exhibition "Renoir in Guernsey, 1883"

From July 14th, 2023 to September 10th, 2023 except on September 1st Exhibition "Flower Power"

The museum galleries are closed from July 3rd to July 13th and from September 11th to September 28th to change exhibition.

Individual visitors

To ensure the comfort of your visit and limit the number of people in the galleries, the use of a time stamped ticket pre-purchased online is highly recommended.

These tickets are on sale at the following rates:

From July 14th through September 10th, 2023 except on September 1st

E-Ticket management fees: 1.45 euros per order.

Travels with Erica

A Solo Traveller's Guide to the World

5 Things to Know Before You Visit Giverny

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on my affiliate link and purchase something (at no additional cost to you!), I may earn a small commission that helps me keep the blog running. Thank you so much for your support!

Giverny is known as the home to Monet’s gardens, but it is so much more than that. Giverny is a beautiful part of France that is home to different museums, sights, restaurants, and things to see.

You are guaranteed to have a good trip to Giverny if you keep these 5 things in mind. Some things have to do with Monet’s gardens and the others will help you explore other activities the area has to offer.

1. Don’t Book a Tour from Paris

The biggest mistake you can make when visiting Giverny is to book a guided tour from Paris. A guided tour is expensive, and it often isn’t as convenient as taking the train.

Most guided tours use a bus as the mode of transportation. The freeways in France can get very busy, so if there is a traffic jam, you lose precious time you could have spent in Giverny stuck in traffic.

It is incredibly easy to get to Giverny from central Paris. If you want to learn how easy it is, check out the Giverny section of this post.

Guided tours are also extremely expensive whereas purchasing a train ticket and doing a self-guided tour is not. You won’t miss anything by skipping the guided tour from Paris.

2. Book a Guide in Advance

You decided to opt out of a guided tour from Paris, but you are still interested in learning more about Monet’s gardens than you would be able to doing a self-guided tour.

Well, you’re in luck. You are able to reserve a guide through the Claude Monet Foundation that is licensed to tour you through the gardens and teach you about their history. You will want to book your guide in advance because they can be quite popular- especially during the peak summer season.

Reserving a guide through the Foundation allows you to get the in-deth knowledge a guided tour from Paris would give you, but you have a level of personal freedom you wouldn’t have if you booked a guided tour through a travel agency.

3. Explore Vernon

Vernon is a small town close to Monet’s gardens. Monet actually frequented it while he was alive.

It has a number of great restaurants with patios where you can sip wine and be inspired by the beautiful scenery. You can also take in the sights it has to offer. The Old Mill and Collégiale Notre-Dame church are two points of interest. Monet painted both of them, so you know they must be beautiful.

One of the most beautiful things you can do in Vernon is have a picnic lunch by the Seine. The views are breathtaking, and it is the perfect way to get away from the rest of the tourists.

4. April and May are the Best Months to Visit Giverny

Giverny is a popular tourist destination. Many guide books and online articles state Giverny is one of the most underrated tourist attractions in France, but it is still extremely busy.

People come from all over the world to see Monet’s gardens, and it is especially busy from the beginning of June through the beginning of September. If you can avoid those months, you will have a more pleasant and less crowded experience at Giverny.

April through May are, in my opinion, the best time to visit Giverny. The weather is decent, the flowers are in bloom, and it is during the shoulder season. You will not have as many crowds if you visit during a shoulder season, and this will allow you to enjoy the gardens more.

Monet’s gardens are open from the end of March to the 1st of November. If you can’t visit the gardens in April or May, October would be the next best time. The weather won’t be as nice in October, but the flowers will still be in bloom and the crowds will be minimal.

5. You Can Book a Hot Air Balloon Ride

If you want a more unique experience in Giverny, you can take a hot air balloon ride. This gives you a bird’s eye view of the region and an experience that you won’t soon forget.

There are a number of companies you can book a hot air balloon ride through. You will want to book the ride early to ensure you get a spot because most balloons only have enough space for 3-4 passengers.

Booking a hot air balloon ride while in Giverny is perfect for couples looking for a romantic outing while in France. The only downside to this experience is the price tag. A hot air balloon ride can cost a couple hundred Euros per person, so you will need to evaluate how much you want to do it. But it would sure make a great story!

Giverny is famous for Monet’s gardens, and you should not miss touring them when you visit Giverny. They are stunning, relaxing, inspiring, and humbling. The amount of work the Foundation does to upkeep the plants is astonishing, and they do an amazing job.

However, Giverny deserves to be explored beyond Monet’s gardens. It is a special part of France that is often overlooked when people are creating their French travel itineraries. The best part of Giverny is that it can be explored in just one day from Paris, so there is no excuse not to go see it.

Related Posts

• 5 Reasons to Visit Disneyland Paris
• Everything You Need to Know Before You Visit Tivoli

Comments are closed.

Giverny tourism and travel guide

Photo is of Giverny Gardens at 1 km from Giverny

Visit Giverny: highlights and tourist information

Giverny is situated in the Eure department and Normandy region.

Attractions in Giverny

The most famous, most visited, and perhaps most attractive gardens in France, as painted by Monet, are here at Giverny: Giverny Gardens

Below you can see some of the places that we have visited and reviewed and can recommend when you are sightseeing close to Giverny in Normandy.

Popular places to visit nearby include Giverny Gardens at 1 km and Vernon at 3 km.

Giverny, France: places to visit and attractions

Note that all distances below are 'direct' and real driving distances will be greater!

Giverny Gardens

La Roche-Guyon

Chateau Gaillard

Lyons-la-Foret

Parc Saint-Paul

Chateau de Rambouillet

Versailles Palace

... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Eure

Arrange a visit to Giverny

Book hotels, car hire and flights.

• Book a visit

Hotels in Giverny

Booking.com: best prices

See Giverny hotels

Reserve excursions

Map of places to visit near giverny, markets in and near giverny.

• Vernon: market Wednesday & Saturday all day (4km)
• Bonnieres-sur-Seine: market Sunday (6km)
• Pacy-sur-Eure: market Thursday (12km)
• Buchelay: market Friday (15km)
• Gaillon: market Tuesday (16km)
• Mantes-la-Jolie: market Wednesday & Saturday (17km)
• Mantes-la-Ville: market Thursday (18km)
• Les Andelys: market Saturday all day (20km)
• Ivry-la-Bataille: market Saturday (22km)
• Gamaches-en-Vexin: market Thursday - seasonal market only (23km)

More information about Giverny, Normandy

Tourist attractions near giverny, france.

What to do at Giverny? Some places with official tourist classifications and other places of interest to visit nearby that should provide inspiration if you are visiting Giverny.

Heritage sites

• Versailles Palace (54km)

Most beautiful villages in France

(see also beautiful French villages )

• La Roche-Guyon (8km)
• Lyons-la-Foret (36km)

National Monuments

• Villa Savoye (41km)

Regional Natural Parcs

• Vexin Francais (28km)

Churches and religious monuments

• Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais de Gisors (Gisors) (29km)
• Eglise de Saint Pierre et Saint Paul (Orgeval) (38km)
• Eglise de Sainte Geneviève (Feucherolles) (40km)
• Collégiale Notre-Dame (Poissy) (41km)
• Eglise de Saint Maclou (Conflans-Sainte-Honorine) (43km)
• Abbaye de Maubuisson (Saint-Ouen-l'Aumone) (43km)
• Abbaye Saint Germer de Fly (Saint-Germer-de-Fly) (45km)
• Eglise de Saint Etienne (Mareil-Marly) (46km)
• Eglise de Saint Martin et Saint Blaise (Louveciennes) (49km)
• Eglise de Notre Dame (Bougival) (51km)
• Abbaye Notre Dame des Vaulx de Cernay (Cernay-la-Ville) (53km)
• Cathédrale Saint Pierre (Beauvais) (57km)
• Notre Dame de Port Royal des Champs (Magny-les-Hameaux) (57km)
• Abbaye Saint Georges de Boscherville (Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville) (57km)

Remarkable gardens

• Jardin du musée d’art américain (1km)
• Jardin de Claude Monet (1km)
• Les jardins du château de Saint-Just (8km)
• Domaine de Villarceaux (12km)
• Domaine du château d'Ambleville (15km)
• Les jardins du château de Miserey (19km)
• Parc du château de Thoiry (31km)
• Jardins du château de Vandrimare (36km)
• Parc du château de Groussay (40km)
• Jardin Plume (43km)
• Domaine national de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (46km)
• Potager du roi, Versailles (53km)
• Parc de Versailles (53km)
• Parc du manoir de Villers (55km)
• Parc du château de Breteuil (57km)
• Abbaye Saint-Georges (57km)

Protected historical centre (fr: secteur sauvegardé)

(see also historical French towns )

• Saint-Germain-en-Laye (46km)
• Versailles (54km)

Sites of natural beauty

• Réserve naturelle régionale des Larris et Tourbières de Saint-Pierre-es-Champs (42km)
• Vaux de Cernay (53km)
• Forêt du Parc de Saint-Quentin (56km)
• Vallée de Chevreuse (56km)
• Plan d'eau du Canada (57km)

Amusement park / theme park

• Parc Saint Paul (51km)

Towns of Art and history

• Pontoise (42km)
• Elbeuf (44km)
• Rouen (51km)

Villages in bloom 4* (fr: ville fleurie)

• Le Vesinet (49km)
• Beauvais (56km)

Zoo and/or wildlife park

• Parc zoologique de Thoiry (31km)

Geography and distances

Giverny is in the north of France at 28 kilometres from Evreux, the department capital (general information: Giverny is 65 kilometres from Paris).

Geographical Information

Commune: Giverny

Canton: Écos

Arrondissement: Andelys

Department: Eure

Region: Normandy

Postcode: 27620

Distance to Giverny

from Evreux (prefecture): 28 km

from Paris: 65 km

from Calais: 209 km

from Nice: 742 km

from Bordeaux: 498 km

from Strasbourg: 459 km

Getting here

Most visitors arrive by car, often from the ferry ports at Cherbourg or Caen on the coast here For driving distances to Giverny from anywhere in France see driving distances and route planner .

We have 14 other places listed as being close (less than kilometres from ): Bennecourt , Blaru , Bois-Jerome-Saint-Ouen , Bonnieres-sur-Seine , Freneuse , Gasny , Gommecourt , Jeufosse , Limetz-Villez , Port-Villez , Saint-Just , Saint-Marcel , Sainte-Genevieve-les-Gasny and Vernon .

This page in French: Visiter Giverny

French Places

We can help you visit any town, village or region of France...

Popular & Useful

① Ideas & inspiration ② Maps of France ③ Explore by region ④ Route planner ⑤ Places (by dept.)

France This Way copyright 2006 - 2024

• Cookies & privacy
• Index of places

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Eure

Giverny is a commune of the Eure , in Normandy region, on the edge of Yvelines , in the Vexin natural region, 28 km east of Evreux.

The village is located on the right bank of the Seine, at its confluence with its affluent l'Epte, in a hilly landscape.

Already inhabited during Antiquity, living partly from viticulture in the Middle Ages, a Romanesque church was erected in the eleventh century.

However, the history of the town which today has about 500 inhabitants is upset in 1883 when the painter Claude Monet, who had discovered the village on the occasion of a train ride, is seduced by the landscape and decides to settle there. He first rented an old farmhouse, "La Maison du Pressoir", which he bought in 1890 and set up exceptional gardens that would be the main frame of his work. He even created a pond covered with water lilies and spanned by a Japanese bridge.

A few years later, other painters - especially American - settled and Giverny became alive even Monet a capital of art and in particular of Impressionism.

Claude Monet died in 1926 and is buried in the village. Today, Giverny and its museums attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and has become a cultural tourism landmark.

Geographical information

Nearest cities & towns, things to see and do.

Before taking an interest in Monet, the Impressionist painters, their gardens and their works, a visit to Giverny can begin with the singular Sainte-Radegonde church, listed. Its oldest parts (11th century) are the apse in the shape of a semicircular vaulted cul-de-four and the south gable. The other parts of the church are from the 15th and 16th centuries. Note the aisles illuminated by Renaissance-style mullioned windows, the paneled vault of the nave, an octagonal turret at the level of the "north" wall and the bell tower between the nave and the choir. Inside, statues and stained glass windows are also worth a look.

Nearby, the dolmen called "Pierre de Sainte-Radegonde" attests to the age of human occupation in the region.

We then head towards the gardens and the house of Claude Monet, where the painter lived from 1883 to 1926 with his family. Now the Claude Monet Foundation, the visit includes an exhibition of Japanese prints, the artist's studio and above all the gardens which were his main source of inspiration during the last 35 years of his life. These gardens have been reconstructed identically. They break down into two parts. The "clos normand" on the one hand, in front of the house, which offers from spring to autumn a symphony of colors which change according to the plantations punctuating the seasons... Below, arranged thanks to a derivation of the Epte, place in the water garden, with the Japanese bridge, the wisteria, the pond and the water lilies whose grace Monet was able to represent with unparalleled brilliance. The entire property is classified as a Historic Monument and its exteriors are labeled Remarkable Garden. Open every day from mid-March to All Saints' Day. Admission: 5.50 and 9.50 euros. Information on +33 2 32 51 28 21. Reservation required for groups.

Logically, we move on to the Giverny impressionism museum, which presents the history and originality of this pictorial current which revolutionized modern art during the last quarter of the 19th century. The museum also evokes who were its precursors and its heirs. Each year, three temporary exhibitions punctuate the season from March to January, concerts are scheduled and workshops accessible to adults and children alike. Admission: 7 and 10 euros. Do not miss the magnificent outdoor museum garden, designed by architects and landscapers on a meadow overlooking the hill overlooking the village. The objective was to recreate a form of palette of colors symbolizing impressionism. Information on +33 2 32 51 94 65.

Finally, a break can then be envisaged at the old Hôtel Baudy, which has a magnificent rose garden, and which gladly welcomed painters staying in the village.

In a completely different register, opposite the town hall, the museum of natural mechanics can complete the visitors' programme. It presents a large collection of industrial or agricultural engines from around the world that three passionate brothers have brought together. All machines have been restored and are in working order. Open during school holidays and the rest of the year by appointment. Free admission. Information on +33 2 32 21 26 33.

For those who are not satiated by all these splendours, several hiking trails are available in the village or its immediate surroundings. A "cultural" route has been laid out in the town, a course more dedicated to the discovery of fauna and flora as well, not to mention the many possible walks in the hillsides... Documentation and information on +33 2 32 51 39 60.

Places of interest

Events and festivities.

• End of May or beginning of June, international pastel fair and piano festival at the Museum of Impressionisms Giverny.
• In early July, the Vernon International Film Festival stops at Giverny.
• Beginning of September, mechanical festival.
• During September, festival dedicated to contemporary music.
• Beginning of October, exhibition of arts and crafts, plants, antiques.
• On 24 august 2024
• 53 / 55 Rue Claude Monet, Église Sainte-Radegonde
• Welcome to Festival 2024 ! - 2024 is the year France hosts the Olympic Games ? They inspire unity, sharing, peace, friendship, respect and excellence. - These are the symbols and values that Michel Strauss wishes to convey through the programming of this new edition of the Musique de chambre en Normandie festival. - With artists from the four corners of the globe (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, etc.), this year ? S festival opens its doors to music from elsewhere, underlining the importance of cultural diversity. - Come and take part in the concert : "Journey to Palestine" - Program : - Jean-Baptiste Barrière - Sonata in G major for two cellos - Cello : Michel Strauss and Faris Nuseibeh - Faris Ishaq - "Inner movement" for ney - Ney : Faris Ishaq - John Coltrane - "My Favorite Things", arr. for ney (F. Ishaq) - Ney : Faris Ishaq - Traditional Palestinian song - ''Ya taleen el Jabal'' - Ney : Faris Ishaq - Jiries Boulata - "Longa Jerusalem" for cello and piano - Cello : Fabienne Van Eck - Piano : Jiries Boulata - Jiries Boulata - "Rhapsody in Time of War" for cello and piano - Cello : Fabienne Van Eck - Piano : Jiries Boulata - Riad Al Sunbati - "Longa Riad" for cello and piano "Fairuz Medley", arr. for cello and piano (J.Boulata) - "Fairuz Medley", arr. for cello and piano (J.Boulata) - Cello : Fabienne Van Eck - Piano : Jiries Boulata - Marcel Khalife - "Asfur tal min as-shubbak" for cello, piano and ney - Cello : Fabienne Van Eck - Piano : Jiries Boulata - Ney : Faris Ishaq - Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib/ Muhammad Abdulrahim al-Maslub - "Lama bada yatathana" for cello, piano and ney - Cello : Fabienne Van Eck - Piano : Jiries Boulata - Ney : Faris Ishaq - Prices - - Full Price : 22 ? / Reduced Price* : 15 ? - Free for children under 12. - The lecture/concert on Monday August 26 at 6pm is free, subject to availability and booking - Subscriptions : - - PASS 4 concerts : 4 concerts of your choice - Full price : 75 ? / Reduced price : 52 ? - - PASS 6 concerts : 6 concerts of your choice - Full price : 100 ? / Reduced price : 72 ? - - Festival PASS (11 concerts) : Access to all 2024 Festival concerts - Full price : 175 ? / Reduced price : 120 ? - *Reduced rates apply to RSA recipients, jobseekers, students (under 28), young people (under 25) and seniors (over 65). - Information and reservations : 06 13 15 12 11 / [email protected]
• From 26 to 29 august 2024
• 99 Rue Claude Monet, Musée des Impressionnismes
• Look closely at Hiramatsu Reiji's works. - What do you see ? What do you feel ? The Japanese artist drew inspiration for his screens from Claude Monet ? S famous water lily pond. It's your turn to interpret the water garden of the great Giverny painter ! - Techniques : watercolor, collage, cutting, folding
• From 27 to 30 august 2024
• Do you know nihonga ? Hiramatsu Reiji used this traditional technique to create the screens you can admire in the exhibition. - Using the same process, create your own screen inspired by Claude Monet ? S water lily pond. - Techniques : collage, paint, pastel, charcoal, other free techniques
• On 28 august 2024
• Nature was a subject that fascinated the Impressionists, but not only ? What details can you observe in the panoramas reproduced by Hiramatsu Reiji ? - Like the master of nihonga (Japanese painting), and inspired by the great masters of Impressionism, design a landscape on a folding screen. Which location will you depict ? - Techniques : collage, folding, pastel, other free techniques
• On 29 august 2024
• 81 Rue Claude Monet, Restaurant Baudy (Ancien Hôtel Baudy)
• The "Caravane des Sports" organized by the Comité Départemental Olympique et Sportif de l'Eure (CDOS 27) is an itinerant event designed to promote various sporting activities in the region. The event offers days of initiation and discovery of a wide range of sports, suitable for all ages and levels. - The latter will be present in Giverny on August 29,2024, from 4pm to 7pm, opposite the Ancien Hotel Baudy. During this afternoon, participants will be able to try out different sporting activities with family and friends, in a friendly and educational atmosphere ? - From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., come and dance on the dance floor during an open-air concert ! - For more information, visit the official CDOS 27 website or contact them directly on 02.32.25.95.56.
• On 5 september 2024
• Discover the exhibition Hiramatsu Reiji. Symphony of Water Lilies with exhibition curator Cyrille Sciama. - He will retrace Hiramatsu Reiji ? S career, recount the Japanese artist ? S passion for Claude Monet ? S water lily pond, and introduce the nihonga (traditional painting) used to create the screens featured in the exhibition. - Curator of the exhibition : - Cyrille Sciama, General Director of the Musée des impressionnismes Giverny, Chief Curator of Heritage
• On 14 september 2024
• Learn to paint like Van Gogh ! Forget the brush for a workshop and discover ? The knife. With the expert advice of our artist, come and learn this original and fascinating technique used by the author of the famous Sunflowers. Create your own flower garden and join us in celebrating Flower Power. - Practical information : - - Please arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled time. - - The techniques used can be messy. - - Please bring suitable clothing. - Price : 15 ? on reservation : https://www.mdig.fr
• On 15 september 2024
• Discover "nihon-buyô" in an exceptional show with Japanese artist Shimehiro Nishikawa ! - In conjunction with the exhibition Hiramatsu Reiji. Symphonie des Nymphéas exhibition, discover nihon-buyô, the dance originating from kabuki theater. - Classical Japanese theater includes a vast repertoire of choreographies that first appeared towards the end of the 17th century. - Japanese artist Shimehiro Nishikawa will perform three emblematic choreographies in traditional kimono.
• On 19 september 2024
• Art historian Angélique Saadoun, a specialist in Japan, will present the Japanese art market in the 19th century in connection with the exhibition Hiramatsu Reii, Symphony of the Water Lilies. - In 1854, the reopening of Japan ? S borders enabled Europe to discover the previously unknown art of Japanese painting. Through travel and trade, prints and paintings found their way into the French art market, arousing the enthusiasm of dealers, collectors and artists, including Van Gogh, Rodin and, of course, Monet. - Guest speaker : - Angélique Saadoun is currently a doctoral student in Art History at the Faculty of Letters, Sorbonne University, under the supervision of Jean-Sébastien Cluzel. After writing her dissertation on the Japanese-style party room known as "La Pagode" in Paris and its owners ? Far Eastern collection, she is currently working on the transition between Japonism and Art Nouveau in French decorative arts at the turn of the 20th century.
• From 21 to 22 september 2024
• 99 rue Claude Monet, Musée des Impressionnismes
• Walk in the footsteps of the Impressionists ! - Discover the views that inspired Claude Monet on a walking tour in the footsteps of the Impressionists. You'll walk 5 km through streets, dirt roads and fields, from the hills of Giverny to the banks of the Seine. - In the event of bad weather, the management reserves the right to cancel the tour. - Exhibition times : - - Saturday September 21 : 3.30 pm - 5 pm - - Sunday September 22:10.30am - 12pm - - Free with registration - Information and booking on 02 32 51 93 99 or https://www.mdig.fr

Detailed information

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

• Castle of La Roche-Guyon .
• Bizy Castle.
• Seine Valley.
• Little train Pacy-sur-Eure .

Leisure activities

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Related articles Giverny

How to Get from Paris to Giverny

• See & Do
• Monet's Garden in Giverny
• Getting from Paris to Giverny

How to Get to Giverny from Paris to Visit Claude Monet's Garden

Planning visit Claude Monet's gardens in Giverny?  If so, you may be wondering: "What's the best way to get there from Paris?"

Ready to Book Your Trip to Giverny from Paris Now?

These are our 3 top choices for Giverny tours with transportation from Paris:

• Giverny: Monet's Garden Half-Day Tour - Highly-rated small-group guided tour
• Monet's Garden Bike Tour - Explore Giverny by bike, picnic by the Seine, and soak up the beauty of Monet's home and gardens
• Giverny & Versailles Day Tour with Lunch - Make the most of your time by visiting both sites in one day, plus a tasty French lunch by a picturesque windmill

If you love Monet's famous water lily paintings, a visit to his home in the small village of Giverny located in the Normandy countryside northwest of Paris may be one the top things to do during your time in the City of Light.

From the moment Monet's estate opens to the public in late March/early April  until it closes at the end of October or early November, the densely-planted gardens surrounding Monet's home and large lily pond produce a dazzling display of flowers. 

With around 100,000 perennials, another 100,000 or so annuals, and rhododendrons, roses, and other flowering bushes and trees, you'll see an incredible display of flowers whenever you visit.  And touring the house where Monet lived with his second wife and their eight children gives you fascinating glimpses of his comfortable furnishings, favorite art, and gorgeous French country kitchen.

Although Giverny lies 50 miles (80 km) from the center of Paris, you can travel there quickly and easily, making Monet's garden a perfect destination for a day trip - or longer.

We describe 6 different ways for you to get to Monet's garden in Giverny from Paris .  We point out the pros and cons of each option so that you can decide which one works best for you.

Here's what you'll find in this article:

• How to get to Giverny from Paris with a tour group
• How to get Giverny tickets & local guides on your own
• How to go from Paris to Giverny by train
• Can you bike to Giverny from Paris?
• How to get to Giverny from Paris with a ride share
• When to consider going to Giverny by car
• Should you go from Paris to Giverny by bus, Uber, or taxi?

Top photo: Monet's home and garden in Giverny, (c) Paris Discovery Guide

Paris Discovery Guide is a reader-supported publication.  When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost for you.  Learn more

1.  How to Get from Paris to Giverny with a Tour Group

The easiest, most convenient, and by far the most popular way to get to Giverny is to join a group tour that includes air-conditioned minivan or coach transportation from Paris.

All you have to do is show up at a designated meeting spot in Paris.  For the ultimate convenience, you can even choose a private tour where you'll be picked up at your Paris hotel or apartment.

Your tour organizer handles everything else, including transportation, your ticket to the house and gardens, and priority entry through a gate available only to tour groups.  The drive to and from Giverny typically takes a little more than an hour each way.

Although most tours of Giverny from Paris include information and insights from an expert guide, you'll typically explore Monet's house, gardens, and lily pond on your own, which allows you to decide how much time to spend in each area based on your interests.

If you want to make the most of your visit to Giverny while not spending (and perhaps wasting) time figuring out all the details, these transportation-included tours are the way to go.

Popular Half-Day Giverny Tours from Paris

Here are three of the most popular choices:

• Giverny: Monet's Garden Half-Day Tour - Small guided group tour (up to 8 participants) - You'll visit Monet's house, gardens, and pond, Giverny village, and a graveyard with Monet's tomb and a moving memorial to seven British RAF airmen after the D-Day landings.
• Half-Day Trip to Giverny from Paris - Large group tour to Monet's house, gardens, and pond.  After a brief overview of what you can see at the estate, you'll explore on your own.
• Private Tour of Monet's Gardens & House with an Art Historian - Private tour for 2-8 participants with pickup/dropoff at your Paris hotel with a professional licensed guide who is also a historian; per-person cost drops as group size increases.  You'll also explore the village of Giverny.

Top Tours to Giverny from Paris:

Best full-day giverny & versailles tours.

These tours combine a half-day visit to Monet's estate and gardens in Giverny with a half-day at the Palace of Versailles, where you'll see the Hall of Mirrors and the Royal Apartments.  Depending on which tour you choose, you'll also get to spend time in Versailles' gardens and perhaps see a Musical Fountains or Musical Gardens show.

Here are several popular choices:

• Giverny & Versailles Full-Day Trip - Medium-sized guided group tour (up to 8 participants) - You'll visit Monet's house, gardens, and pond in Giverny, and Versailles Palace and gardens which special Musical Fountains/Gardens show included if you choose a date when it's available.  Your guide will give you an interesting overview of both places during the drive, but you'll explore on your own.  You'll have time to get lunch on your own.  For a similar experience but with guided tours at both attractions included, take a look at the Giverny & Versailles Palace Guided Day Trip.
• Giverny & Versailles Day Tour with Lunch - Guided tour group (up to 14 participants) - You'll visit Monet's house and gardens in Giverny, and Versailles Palace and gardens which special Musical Fountains/Gardens show when available on your chosen date.  Includes a 3-course lunch with wine in a scenic mill house restaurant near Giverny.  For a similar experience with
• Giverny & Versailles Private Full-Day Trip - Private VIP tour of Giverny and Versailles (including the gardens, Grand and Petit Trianons, and Queen's Hamlet) for your family or friends group of up to 7 people, with pickup/dropoff at your Paris hotel or apartment. 

A Fun Giverny Tour by Bike

• Monet's Garden Bike Tour - This full-day excursion combines a 3 mile (5k) bike ride from the town of Vernon with a visit to Monet's estate.  Along the way, you'll stop at an outdoor market for food and enjoy a picnic in a park.  Later, you can explore the village of Giverny.  Includes transportation from Paris to Giverny and back to Paris.

Find more Giverny & Giverny-Versailles tours from Paris

Pros & Cons for Getting to Giverny With a Tour Group

Pros: 

• Easy & Convenient - The tour operator takes care of transportation, your tickets to Monet's estate and Versailles, if you choose a combo tour, any other tour inclusions (bikes, lunch, separate Versailles garden tickets, audioguides, etc.), and fast entry through the tour-only gate available only to tour groups.  All you have to do is show up at the meeting location - and if you choose one of the VIP tours with pickup/dropoff included, you don't even have to do that.
• Saves Time - One of the quickest ways to get to Giverny, plus the Giverny-Versailles full-day tours are ideal when you want to visit both but don't have much time in Paris.
• Cost - Wide range, which lets you find a tour to fit your budget.  The cheapest tour, which is the Half-Day Trip to Giverny from Paris tour's audioguide/tour-on-your-own option, costs only a little more than going on your own by train and taxi.

Cons: 

• Time Constraints - You will have only a specific amount of time at Giverny (and other activities, depending on which tour you choose).
• Cost - Higher (in most cases) than going by train or a rideshare.

Prefer to Go to Giverny on Your Own?

The rest of this article describes how to get from Paris to Giverny on your own by train (the most popular choice), bike, car, and a few other options.  Here are a couple of things you might want to know:

How to Get Admission Tickets for Monet's House & Gardens

The Monet Foundation, which operates Monet's estate, offers two options:

• At the entrance (you may have to wait in line for awhile): 11€
• Online in advance (dated, timed tickets - they cost 1€ more, but you'll usually save time by not having to wait in the ticket line) on the Foundation's website (in the "Practical Information" section - click the Admission link): 12€

Reduced rates are available for students, children under 7 (free), and people with disabilities.

Local Tour Guides for Monet's House & Gardens

Even though Giverny is easy to visit on your own, an experienced tour guide can provide information and insights to give you a deeper appreciation of what you're seeing.  Here are some local options:

Private Giverny Guides

In the Practical Information: Admission section on the Foundation's website , you'll find a link to a list of private guides based in Giverny.  The list indicates languages spoken and contact information so that you can get more details.

Group Tours 

Meet up with these local guides in Giverny village near Monet's estate:

• Monet's House & Gardens Guided Tour - Small group tour (up to 9 people), 1.5 hours, includes your priority entrance ticket.  What makes this tour unique is that it starts with Monet's water lily pond garden, where your guide will point out the different features of the garden and the flower species blooming in it.  You'll also visit Monet's house.  At the end, you can stay as long as you want to explore more on your own.
• Monet's House & Garden Skip-the-Line Tour - 2 hours, includes your priority entrance ticket.  Your guide will show you a bit of Giverny village, tell you about Monet's role in leading the Impressionist movement, and describe the other artists such as John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, and Paul Cezanne who he inspired to form an artists' colony in Giverny.  You'll explore the gardens and pond, as well as his house.

2.  How to Get from Paris to Giverny by Train

The second most popular option for getting to Giverny from Paris is take a train in the SNCF network, the French national railway company (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français) for providing rail service across France. 

Giverny , a tiny village with barely more than 500 residents, does not have direct train service from Paris, but you can take a train from Paris's Gare Saint-Lazare (memorialized by Monet in his "Gare Saint-Lazare" series of a dozen oil paintings) to Vernon, a somewhat larger town located only 3 miles (5 km) from Giverny.  

To get to Giverny from the Vernon station, Gare de Vernon-Giverny, you have several options: a seasonal shuttle bus ( navette, in French), taxi, biking, or walking. 

The total time to get from Paris to Monet's estate at Giverny is about 1.5 hours, assuming you take the shuttle bus.

How to Get Your Train Tickets from Paris to Vernon

Here's how to get Vernon by train from Paris, and then to get to Giverny by shuttle bus, taxi, biking, or walking.

Trains to northwestern France including Normandy, where Vernon is located, depart from Gare Saint-Lazare (this is also where you can catch trains to Versailles and the Normandy D-Day beaches). 

Although Saint-Lazare is the second-busiest of Paris's seven big rail stations serving long-distance trains to other parts of France, commuters from nearby suburbs account for the vast majority of the station's almost half-million daily passengers.

You can either buy your train tickets from a ticket machine in Gare Saint-Lazare on the day you travel or in advance, or get them online in advance. 

Transit time varies based on time of day and type of train (several types serve this route), but typically is less than one hour.  Trains run every hour or two throughout much of the day.

How to Buy Your Giverny Tickets at the Station

Navigating around Gare Saint-Lazare can seem a little tricky at first because of the 3-level shopping center stretching across one side of the building - very convenient for the suburban commuters, but a bit confusing if you're familiar with the station.

But actually, all you need to do when buying your tickets to Vernon , whether you enter at street level or take the subway or RER to the station is to look for and then follow the "Grande Lignes" (long-distance trains). 

Once you reach the Grandes Lignes part of the departure concourse, you'll easily spot the ticket machines.  Ignore the ones labeled "Ile de France" and look for a machine for "Grandes Lignes."

Find details about getting your Vernon train tickets at Gare Saint-Lazare

Why to Keep Your Train Tickets Until After You Arrive

Important Tip:  Keep your ticket once you board the train at Gare Saint-Lazare because you'll need to show it to the conductor during your trip, and possibly insert it into a turnstile in order to exit the Vernon station.  

If you don't have your ticket when you exit, you'll most likely be fined.

How to Get from Vernon to Giverny

Once you get off the train at the Vernon station, Gare de Vernon-Giverny, you have four choices for traveling the 3 miles (8 km) to Giverny: a seasonal shuttle bus ( navette, in French), taxi, biking, or walking. 

Here's what you need to know about each option:

Shuttle Bus from Vernon to Giverny

A shuttle bus designed to look like a small train runs to and from Giverny during the months when Monet's house and gardens are open for touring - late March/early April through late October/early November.  The shuttle drops you off in the Giverny parking lot.  Currently, the fare is 5€ each way, and 10€ for a round-trip ticket.  You pay the driver directly, in cash, or with credit card inside the station (look for shuttle or Agence SNgo! signs).

The shuttle bus departs across from Gare de Vernon-Giverny about 20 minutes after the arrival of each train from Paris during hours when Monet's estate is open, and departs Giverny in time to arrive at the Vernon station about 20 minutes before trains depart for Paris.  The ride each way takes about 10-15 minutes.

Here are the current schedules to give you a sense of availability - but always confirm times with the Normandy transportation network in case of updates (on the home page, click Giverny Shuttle).

Taxi to Giverny

As you exit Gare de Vernon-Giverny, you'll probably see a couple of taxis waiting for passengers by the station.  One-way fares to Monet's estate are about 15€ - 20€ for up to 3 people.

The biggest advantage of taking a taxi to Giverny is that you can grab one as soon as you exit the station, rather than wait 15-20 minutes for the shuttle to depart.

If you're traveling with one or more other people, the taxi will cost you the same or less per person than the shuttle. 

However, getting back to the station by taxi is trickier.  Your best bet is to ask the driver for a phone number to call for pickup.  If that doesn't work out, you can always take the shuttle bus back to Vernon.

Walking to and from Giverny

The 3-mile (5 km) walk to Giverny will take you about an hour or a little less, depending on how fast you walk, and you'll most likely enjoy the scenery along the way - especially since much of the walk is along the Seine River.  You'll see plenty of signs from the station, so just follow the walking path. 

Walking can be a wonderful choice if you arrive on an early train, the weather is lovely, and you like to walk.  Plus, you'll save a few euros.  And you can always take the shuttle bus back if you don't want to walk both ways.

Biking to and from Giverny

When you get off the train from Paris and come out of the station, look for bike rental signs. 

One of best full-service places, with is highly rated, is the Givernon Rental Station at 39 Rue Emile Steiner, located about half a block from the train station.  The long row of bikes parked in front of the shop is easy to spot.  Your rental includes a helmet, lock, and, if you rent an electric bike (or scooter) for more than a day, a charger.  Rates are very reasonable, and you can reserve on their website.  

After your visit to Monet's house and gardens, you can explore Giverny, Vernon (which has some interesting attractions), and the surrounding areas using the good bike paths and enjoying the fairly flat terrain.

Pros & Cons for Getting to Giverny by Train

• Flexibility - You can spend as long as you exploring Monet's home and gardens, Giverny village (full of nice cafes, boutiques, artist studios), and even Vernon (attractions include a medieval castle, a 10th century romanesque/gothic church depicted in several of Monet's paintings, a small museum with some Impressionist paintings, including a couple by Monet, and picturesque half-timbered dwellings dating back to the Middle Ages).  With so much to do and see in the area, you may even want to stay overnight in one of the many small inns and B&Bs - which are much cheaper than most Paris hotels. 
• Cost - May be cheaper than a transportation-and-ticket-only tour, depending on when and where you buy your train tickets, and how you get to Giverny (more about that in a moment).
• Somewhat More Complicated than Going on a Tour from Paris - Although getting to Giverny from Paris and back is not particularly complicated, there are more steps involved than just joining a tour, particularly since you should book tickets to Monet's estate in advance during the busiest season (mid-May - early September).

3.  How to Get to Giverny from Paris with a Ride Share

A ride share - b asically, a car-pooling service where you catch a ride from Paris to Giverny in exchange for a few euros with someone who is driving on the same day/time you want to go - is an option you may not have considered.  

France's ride-share app, BlaBlaCar (which also operates in other European countries and UK) makes this easy. 

You simply go to the app, enter your departure point, your destination, and travel date.  A list pops up showing available offers from drivers who have room in their car one or more passengers.  If buses are available for your route (which they are not from Paris to Giverny), you'll see them too.  Click on the offer you like, and you'll see additional details, such as the meet-up location.

Paris to Giverny (or Vernon) is not a particularly popular route for non-tourists, but if the stars align and you see an offer, a ride share can be an interesting experience and will save you a few euros in transportation costs compared with going by train.  Unless you get very lucky, though, you'll probably need to take the train back to Paris.

And of course, similar to going by train, you'll need to get your own admission ticket to Monet's estate.

4.  Can You Go to Giverny from Paris by Bike?

Yes,  although not for a day trip. 

According to France Velo Tourism  (velo means "bicycle" in French), the go-to resource for traveling by bike in France, and whose excellent website you'll certainly want to consult, the fastest route (55 miles/88.5 km over mostly roads vs bike paths) will take you almost 7 hours each way. 

If you ride on bike paths 97% of the time, the route extends to 90 miles (145 km), which France Velo suggests staging over the course of 3 days. 

Probably neither option will appeal to you if you're the average Paris visitor who just wants to spend a few hours strolling around Giverny - but if you love long-distance biking and have time to make this trip, you'll certainly have some memorable experiences.

5.  When to Consider Going to Giverny by Car

Normally, as a Paris visitor, there's no point in being burdened with a car in Paris because a) driving in the city can be a nightmare if you're not used to it, and b) parking can cost more than dinner, and c) paying for petrol in Europe can quickly flatten your wallet.  Getting around Paris on the metro or walking or even the occasional taxi or Uber is much faster, cheaper, and easier. 

Even renting a car just to get from Paris to Giverny and back doesn't makes sense in terms of saving time or money, especially since the process of picking up/returning your rental car can be a hassle.  If your goal is private car transport, ask the concierge at your hotel to recommend a reliable chauffeured car service.

But if you are planning to make a trip outside the city to multiple destinations including Giverny, then renting a car can make a lot of sense. 

If you are considering doing this, here are a couple of tips:

First, instead of renting a car in Paris and having to battle city traffic on congested roads, consider picking up your rental in the nearby business district of La Défense, easily reached on Line 1 of the metro.  You'll find European, British, and even American car rental agencies such as Avis and Budget.  From La Défense, you'll have an easy drive to Giverny and beyond.

Second, consider spending the night at one of the wonderful hotels or apartments in Giverny (make sure you choose one with onsite parking) where both hotel rates and parking fees are significantly cheaper than in Paris.  This also gives you more time to explore Monet's charming home and magnificent gardens at your own pace.

6.  Why Getting to Giverny by Bus, Uber, or Taxi Is Not a Good Idea

Public bus service from Paris to Giverny (or Vernon) is not available.

Should you consider using a ride-share service such as Uber or a taxi for getting to Giverny from Paris?

No, not unless you don't mind paying as much as 200€ or even more Euros each way, finding an Uber or taxi willing to take you (at 50 miles/80 km, most will not), and risking getting stuck there if you can't find a ride service willing to take you back to Paris.

If you want to travel to Giverny by car, you're much better off finding a chauffeured car service to take you.   Ask your hotel concierge to make arrangements for you.  Most hotels have trusted car services that they're happy to recommend. 

You'll still have to pay a lot, but you'll be assured of not getting stuck in Giverny and scrambling to find overnight accommodations.

More Articles about Visiting Giverny & Other Day Trip Destinations

• Best Giverny Tours with Transportation from Paris
• Top Things to See & Do at the Palace of Versailles - Plus visitor tips
• Best Palace of Versailles Tours from Paris - Which one will you like best?
• Best Ways to Get from Paris to Versailles Palace
• Easy Day Trips from Paris - Palace of Versailles, Mont Saint Michel, D-Day Normandy Beaches, Disneyland Paris, Champagne tastings, Loire Valley castles, London, Bruges, & more!

Top Attractions & Tours

• Eiffel Tower - Enjoy sweeping views of Paris
• Louvre Tour - Soak up art & see the Mona Lisa
• Palace of Versailles - Best way to see the famous Chateau
• Paris Museum Pass - Choose 2, 4, or 6 days
• Paris Disneyland - Get express tickets & transport from Paris

Happening in Paris

January in Paris

• The famous Paris winter sales, concerts, new museum exhibits

February in Paris

• Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year Parades

March in Paris

• Mardi Gras, Fountain Shows at Versailles, French Open

April in Paris

• Paris Marathon, Easter concerts, spring flowers

May in Paris

• Mother's Day, jazz festival, concerts

June in Paris

• Summer sales, Pride week, music fests, air show

July in Paris

• Bastille Day, Tour de France, beaches

August in Paris

• Free concerts & movies, Rock En Seine

September in Paris

• European Heritage Days, Fashion Week

October in Paris

• Wine festival, Halloween, Motor Show

November in Paris

• Armistice Day, Salon du Chocolat

December in Paris

• Christmas, New Year's Eve

Hanukkuh in Paris

• Menorah lightings 

Christmas in Paris

• Holiday celebrations & decorations

Christmas Markets

• Gifts, holiday food, mulled wine, and Santa

Newest Articles & Latest Updates

• 2024 Paris Olympics Visitors Guide
• How to Stay Cool in Paris during Summer Heat Waves
• How to Get to Disneyland Paris from Paris
• Best Palace of Versailles Tours from Paris
• 101 Famous Graves in Pere Lachaise Cemetery
• Where to Find Paris's Best Covered Passages
• Best Paris Food Tours
• Best Hotels with Free Shuttles to Disneyland Paris

Book Your Paris Hotel

Eiffel Tower Hotels

• Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle from your balcony

Arc de Triomphe Hotels

• Where to stay near the famous arch

New Hotels in Paris

• Stay in Paris's newest chic accommodations

Hotels near the Louvre

• Where to stay near the famous museum

Hotels near Notre Dame

• Wonderful hotels close to top Paris attractions

Deals & Discounts

• How to save on your Paris hotel

Plan Your Paris Trip

• Why visit Paris?
• What to do & see in each Paris district
• Check out top Paris attractions
• Paris Museum Pass:  Should you get one?
• Which neighborhood should you stay in?
• Choose your Paris hotel  
• How to spend your first day in Paris
• How to skip the ticket lines
• Day trips - Versailles, Giverny, Disney, & more
• 7 Reasons why you need travel insurance
• Electric adapters and converters  
• How to get Euros before you come
• Best Paris guide books
• Find cheap flights to Paris