Palace of Versailles hosts Vacances royales from 17 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 04:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Vacances royales runs at the Palace of Versailles on weekends and Wednesdays from 17 October to 1 November 2026.
- The programme offers Napoleonic-themed activities in the Empire Rooms, including a performance, movement poetry and a creative workshop.
- Activities take place through the Dufour Pavilion entrance and require no separate reservation on the listed dates.
- The Palace of Versailles programme is based at Place d'Armes in Versailles, France.
The Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) will host Vacances royales from 17 October to 1 November 2026, giving families a programme focused on Napoleonic history, art and participation. The sessions are scheduled for weekends and Wednesdays at the Palace in Versailles, France.
Vacances royales brings Napoleonic activities to Versailles
The programme runs on the weekends of 17 and 18 October, 24 and 25 October, and 31 October and 1 November 2026. Additional sessions are planned for Wednesday 21 October and Wednesday 28 October, making the programme available across the autumn school holiday period.
The Palace operator describes three activities. One places visitors in the Louis Philippe Museum with André Estienne, a character presented as a former soldier of Bonaparte. A second combines historical anecdotes, paintings and movement poetry, while a third invites participants to create a miniature Imperial-style decoration in a workshop. The programme also includes a relaxation area with podcasts, reading and a postcard activity. The official family programme places the activities in the Empire Rooms, in the southern lower stone gallery.
Family activities connect Versailles rooms with the Empire
The setting links the programme to the palace collections rather than treating it as a separate attraction. Visitors move between historical interpretation, observation of paintings and hands-on making, while the Napoleonic theme is carried into a room associated with the museum of Louis Philippe.
The programme is part of a wider calendar that includes exhibitions, garden presentations and performances at the Royal Opera. On 17 October 2026, the official calendar also lists the Musical Fountains Show in the gardens and Salieri: Tarare at the Royal Opera, but these are separate from Vacances royales. The Palace calendar for October 2026 places those activities within the same estate.
Visiting Palace of Versailles: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Vacances royales takes place on 17 and 18 October, 24 and 25 October, 31 October and 1 November 2026, plus 21 and 28 October. The listed programme hours are 10.30am to 5.45pm, with the last activity beginning at 5.15pm.
- The activities are accessible without a separate reservation. The venue is the Empire Rooms in the southern lower stone gallery, reached through Entrance A at the Dufour Pavilion.
- The Palace is at Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France. The family programme is inside the main historic estate and is connected with the Louis Philippe Museum.
- The programme combines a character encounter, movement poetry, paintings and a practical decoration workshop, so visitors should expect both gallery-based interpretation and a seated or table-based creative activity.
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Frequently asked questions about Palace of Versailles
When does Vacances royales take place at the Palace of Versailles?
The programme runs on selected weekends and Wednesdays from 17 October to 1 November 2026. The additional Wednesday dates are 21 and 28 October 2026.
What does Vacances royales offer at the Palace of Versailles?
The programme offers a character encounter, movement poetry and a workshop creating an Imperial-style decoration, alongside podcasts, reading and postcard activities.
Where is the Palace of Versailles and how do you get there?
The Palace is at Place d'Armes in Versailles, France. The programme venue is reached through Entrance A at the Dufour Pavilion.
