Giverny Small-Group Half-Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★ 4.8 (1,973 traveller reviews)

Paris: avenue de WagramMonet ticket in the fareGuide in the gardensMax 8 people

Monet's gardens with someone beside you who knows them. A minivan of eight leaves from near the Arc de Triomphe, and the same person drives and guides: through the flower beds, down to the pond, into the house and on to the painter's grave. About three hours on the ground, and back in Paris in four and a half.

Hours, prices and access verified by the Giverny Tours team — last checked 2026-09-28.

More photos →

A guide with you all the way round

Eight seats from avenue de Wagram

You meet outside the café La Flamme at 6 avenue de Wagram, a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe, and the minivan leaves on the dot. The operator is firm about it: be there fifteen minutes early, because there is no way to catch up once the group has gone. Your guide is also your driver, which is what keeps the group to eight and the day to four and a half hours.

The drive to Giverny, about 80 km west-north-west of Paris, is where the story starts: Monet's family, the move to the village in 1883 and why he spent the rest of his life making a garden to paint. By the time the van stops, you know what you have come to see.

Ninety minutes in the flower garden

The visit begins in the Clos Normand, the flower garden that runs down from the house, and it gets the longest share of your time: an hour and a half. Monet laid it out in straight, single-colour beds under iron arches that still carry roses. The Fondation's planting runs from tulips, irises, poppies and peonies to the roses and nasturtiums along the central path, and which of them is in flower depends on the month. Your guide knows where the colour is on the day.

The pond, the house and the grave

Next the guide takes you straight to the water garden, across the railway line at the foot of the flower garden. Monet bought that land in 1893 and diverted a branch of the Epte to fill the pond. The bridge is green because Monet chose to paint it that way rather than the red of Japanese tradition. Half an hour here is enough for the bridge, the willows and the lilies, and the guide knows where to stand for a clear photograph.

Then the house, for half an hour: the rooms Monet lived and worked in, with his first studio and the colours he chose for every room. The last stop is the churchyard of Sainte-Radegonde, the village church, where Monet is buried. It is a quiet half hour away from the crowds, and your guide tells the rest of the story there.

A half-day, not a whole one

At four and a half hours, this leaves the other half of your day free in Paris. Travellers who take an early start say they are back with the afternoon to spare. The minivan brings you back to the meeting point, near the Champs-Élysées and plenty of places to eat, since food is not in the fare. Every half-day that goes to Giverny and nowhere else is compared on the Giverny Monet garden & house tours page.

The half-day, stop by stop

1. Avenue de Wagram. Be outside La Flamme 15 minutes before your departure time.
2. On the road. The minivan to Giverny, with your guide at the wheel.
3. The flower garden. An hour and a half among the beds, guided.
4. The water garden. About 30 minutes at the pond and the green bridge, guided.
5. The house. About 30 minutes in Monet's rooms and first studio.
6. The church. Thirty minutes at Monet's grave in the churchyard.
7. Back to Paris. The minivan returns to avenue de Wagram, about four and a half hours after the start.

Who this suits, and who should book something else

What $150 covers, and what it leaves out

Outside La Flamme, avenue de Wagram

You meet outside the café La Flamme, 6 avenue de Wagram, in the 8th arrondissement, just off the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe. Be there at least 15 minutes before the departure time on your confirmation: the minivan leaves on time, and there is no joining the group later. The day ends back at the same place.

There is no hotel pickup, but the meeting point is near public transport. The Giverny map shows the Paris meeting points and the village, and the best time to visit sets out what flowers in each part of the season and when the gardens are quietest.

Know before you go

• Be early. Fifteen minutes before departure; there is no catching up.
• Ages 7 and over. The operator sets that minimum for every participant.
• Gravel and steps. Walkers are not much help, and the day is not advised if you have trouble walking on your own.
• It is not wheelchair accessible. The Fondation says the house is not, and the gravel paths are hard going in a chair.
• It runs in all weather. Bring a layer and a waterproof; the gardens are open in rain.
• Food and tips are extra. Eat before or after; the day ends near the Champs-Élysées.

What travellers said after the gardens

Read all reviews →

Frequently asked questions