Giverny and Monet’s Gardens from Paris: When to Go and How

The village of Giverny is in Normandy, about an hour and fifteen minutes’ drive from Paris depending on traffic. Claude Monet lived there for more than forty years and created the gardens that inspired much of his work, including the famous Water Lilies series. The house and gardens are easy to see in half a day. Being this close gives you options: a morning in Giverny and back to Paris for lunch, or a full day pairing the village with another stop. The village itself, with its flower-lined streets and the Museum of Impressionisms, is also worth a stroll.

Monet’s house and gardens are generally open from spring through fall and closed in winter. Exact opening dates and hours change from year to year, so check the official Fondation Claude Monet website before you settle on a date. It can get crowded, especially on weekends and sunny days. Buying your ticket online ahead of time, when that option is available, and arriving early in the morning often let you enjoy the gardens more quietly.

The gardens change throughout the season. In spring you’ll typically see tulips, followed by irises and wisteria; summer brings roses and the water lilies on the pond; fall often adds dahlias, asters and warmer colors. Blooms still depend on each year’s weather, though, and no date guarantees a particular picture. So there’s no single “right” date: every month has its own character. If you have your heart set on a specific bloom, check with the Fondation shortly before your visit and keep a little flexibility in your plans.

The pink house with green shutters still feels like Monet’s home: the yellow dining room, the kitchen lined with blue tiles and his collection of Japanese prints. In front of it lies the Clos Normand, a flower garden laid out in paths and colorful beds. An underground passage leads to the water garden, with its lily pond, weeping willows and the Japanese bridge the artist painted many times. Plan on about two hours for everything, or longer if you like taking photos or sitting quietly by the pond.

Giverny and Versailles both lie west of Paris, so you can see Monet’s gardens in the morning and the palace or gardens of Versailles in the afternoon. It’s a packed day, but it works well if you’ve sorted out your tickets and entry times ahead of time. Another option is Rouen, about an hour from Giverny. Its cathedral, which Monet painted again and again, its half-timbered old town and the Place du Vieux-Marché round out a day devoted to Impressionism.

Your driver picks you up at your Paris hotel in a Mercedes, drops you off at the village entrance and waits while you visit. For a half day, hourly hire starts at €80/h in Business and Van; for a full day paired with Versailles or Rouen, the trip is quoted individually. A guide is available on request. Request a quote through our online form, by phone or on WhatsApp, with your date, the number of passengers and the stops you have in mind. You’ll get a firm price before you go.