The best time to visit Giverny is inside the gardens’ season, 1 April to 1 November. Spring brings the bulbs and irises; summer brings the water lilies; autumn is milder and quieter. Pick your month here, then your day and hour, before you book Giverny reservation.
Monet’s house and gardens open every day from 1 April to 1 November, 10 am to 6 pm, and close from 2 November to 31 March. Those are the 2026 dates. The Fondation publishes each new season’s dates in the new year.
So there is no winter visit. If you are in Paris between November and March, you can still see Monet’s Water Lilies at the Musée de l’Orangerie.
This table sets the weather against what is open. The weather figures are Météo-France’s 1991-2020 averages for Évreux, the nearest official station, 30 km away.
| When | Weather at Évreux (average) | What is open | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| April and May | Highs of 15-18 °C; rain on about 9 days a month | House and gardens from 1 April | Spring bulbs and irises in the Fondation's plantings; public holidays in May |
| June to August | Highs of 22-24 °C; the most sun; heat on some days | Everything, every day | Water lilies flower once the water passes 17 °C |
| September and October | Highs of 21 °C, then 16 °C; October is wetter | Everything, every day | The museum's exhibition runs to 1 November |
| 1 November | Highs of about 11 °C | The last day of the season | Plan it as a last chance, not a quiet day |
| 2 November to 31 March | Highs of 7-12 °C; frost most weeks | House and gardens closed | No tour goes to the gardens |
Each month has its case. If you have one date, go on it. If you can choose, read on.
The Fondation lists what Monet planted, not when each flower opens. A cold spring or a hot summer moves every date. Treat what follows as the order of the year, never a promise.
In the Clos Normand, Monet planted daffodils, tulips and narcissi, which are spring flowers. Irises, Oriental poppies and peonies follow them. Roses and nasturtiums line the central path in the warm months.
In the water garden, the water lilies need warm water: they flower only once it passes 17 °C, the tourist office says. That makes summer their season. The maples and willows round the pond turn colour in autumn.
The Fondation calls Giverny the second most visited attraction in Normandy. The Art Newspaper counted about 750,000 visitors in 2023, nearly all of them in seven months.
The Fondation recommends booking at weekends and on public holidays. Those are the days to expect a queue. France has several public holidays in the season, among them 1 May, 8 May, 14 July, 15 August and 1 November.
If you can, go on a weekday. Be at the gate for the 10 am opening, or come in the late afternoon. Last admission is 5.30 pm, and the gardens close at 6.
Compare the Giverny tours by the time they give you in the gardens, from a half-day to a full day.
The season opens on 1 April with the spring planting. Nights are still cool, about 5 °C on average, so bring a layer for the first hour.
The season ends on 1 November, a public holiday in France. In 2026 it falls on the first Sunday of the month, so the Musée des impressionnismes is free that day. From 2 November the gates stay shut until spring.
Rain falls on about eight to ten days a month in the season. The tours run in the rain, and the gardens stay open. A light waterproof and good shoes will do.
Summer brings about a dozen days of 25 °C or more in July and in August. Most of your visit is outdoors. See Giverny weather for each month in figures.
The season and the planting lists are the Fondation’s own, checked 28 September 2026. The weather is Météo-France’s, and the water-lily note is the tourist office’s. The visitor count comes from Wikipedia and the paper it cites.
Five hours from avenue de Wagram by minibus: nearly two hours across the water and flower gardens, twenty minutes in the house, then Monet's grave. Entry paid.
From $147 per person
Check Availability
Eleven and a half hours by coach from Porte Maillot: Giverny first with the app, then a guided palace visit and free time in the Versailles gardens.
From $158 per person
Check Availability
A licensed driver-guide from your Paris hotel: three hours across the house and gardens, then the church, the cemetery and Van Gogh's house in Auvers.
From $575 per person (minimum 2)
Check AvailabilityNext: see Giverny weather by month, read the house and gardens, or compare every tour on Giverny Tours.