Giverny: Monet’s House and Gardens
Giverny is where Claude Monet lived, gardened, and painted for the last 43 years of his life, from 1883 to 1926, and the water-lily pond and Japanese bridge he built are the most visited garden in France. It runs seasonally: the Fondation Claude Monet opens from roughly April 1 to November 1, and outside those dates there is nothing to see behind the wall.
The short version
- Our Private Versailles and Giverny Day Trip does the palace in the morning and Giverny in the afternoon from your Paris hotel, eight hours with both admissions and a private driver, $1,975 for up to four.
- Monet’s house and gardens open from April 1 to November 1, 10:00 to 18:00, with a timed ticket at €13 booked at claudemonetgiverny.fr; from November 2 to March 31 there is nothing to see behind the wall.
- The Giverny Bike Tour meets at Saint-Lazare at 9:30, takes the train to Vernon and rides the flat 9 miles along the Seine to the garden and back, admission and bikes included, April to October, $255 per person with rail.
- On your own it is the train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny in about 50 minutes, then the shuttle bus timed to the trains, €10 return, a rented bike, or a 90-minute walk.
- Take the first slot or go after 16:00; from May through July the coach groups fill the middle of the day, and the online quota runs out on busy weekends.
The Visit
Two gardens make the property: the Clos Normand flowerbeds in front of the pink house, and across the lane the water garden Monet dug from a marsh, with the pond, the willows, and the green Japanese bridge of the late canvases. The house shows his yellow dining room, blue kitchen, and Japanese print collection. Book timed tickets at fondation-monet.com and go at opening or after 4 p.m.; midday from May through July belongs to the coach groups. The Musée des Impressionnismes, 200 meters down the lane, adds a strong one-hour exhibition stop, and the village street holds lunch.
Getting There on Your Own
Trains run from Paris St. Lazare to Vernon-Giverny in about 50 minutes; Giverny then sits 7 kilometers on. A shuttle bus timed to arriving trains covers it, bike rental at the station makes a flat, pretty ride along the Seine, and walkers need about 90 minutes each way. The math works for an easy half-day if the shuttle timing cooperates; check the last return shuttle before lingering. If you would rather not work around the shuttle times, the Private Versailles and Giverny Day Trip brings you here by car from your hotel with the ticket already bought.
Pairing It with Versailles
Giverny and Versailles sit on the same side of Paris, and one vehicle day covers both without the rail juggling. The LinkParis.com Versailles and Giverny day trip runs it with a private vehicle, hotel pickup, and admissions included; the fully private version with driver-guide adds a dedicated guide through both sites and bends the day to your pace. Choose the pairing if your Paris days are few; choose Giverny alone by train if the garden is the whole point and you want it at opening. Our Versailles guide covers that half of the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Monet’s garden open?
Seasonally, roughly April 1 to November 1, daily. The rest of the year the house and gardens close completely; confirm exact 2026 dates and book timed tickets at fondation-monet.com.
What is the best month to see Giverny?
The garden changes monthly by design: tulips in April, irises and wisteria in May, roses in June, and the water lilies at their peak from late June through August. May and June are the richest, and the most crowded.
Can you visit Giverny without a car?
Yes: train from St. Lazare to Vernon in about 50 minutes, then the timed shuttle bus, a rented bike, or a 90-minute walk covers the last 7 kilometers.
Is Giverny worth it for non-painters?
Yes. It is simply one of the great gardens of Europe, and the house and village hold a morning on their own terms. The art is a bonus; the garden stands on its own.
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