Day trips from Paris: Giverny, Monet’s Garden
This post is about Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny and is part of a series of ‘Day Trips from Paris’. It is one of my favourites. Nestled in the charming village of Giverny, less than an hour on the train from Paris, this garden is a living work of art. Monet's garden is like a living canvas and inspired some of his most famous paintings. Claude Monet lived in this house in Giverny for 43 years between 1883 until his death in 1926. Below is an overview as well as all the details on how to get there and book your tickets.
“He had a passion for gardening as well as for colours, he conceived both his flower garden and water garden as true works of art.”
The Water Lily Pond / Le bassin aux nymphéas
The Water Lily Pond, which is the most famous part, is home to the iconic water lilies and Japanese bridge. It's like stepping into one of Monet's paintings. The serene lily ponds are surrounded by weeping willows and bamboo. The famous Japanese bridge covered in wisterias is a perfect spot to take in the scenery and capture that perfect Instagram shot. The path is quite small when walking through the gardens but you can line up to take your photos on the bridge without having other people in the background.
The Gardens
As day trips from Paris go, I think this is one of the more relaxed options. It’s not huge like Versaille so you don’t need to rush through it. Take your time exploring the gardens,the house and enjoy being in nature. We visited on the 21st of May and these were some of the flowers in bloom at that time. I’m not the best person to give you the names but here are some pretty photos! If you are really into flowers here is a calendar that the Giverny Foundation created with the different blooms broken down month by month.
Monet’s House
You can also explore Monet's lovely pink house while you're there. You can peek into his living quarters and see his personal collection of Japanese prints. It's a little peek into the life of the artistic genius himself.
Where to Eat
There are a few restaurants nearby. We chose Les Nymphéas, which is just opposite Monet's house. This ex-farmhouse has lots of seating including two terraces. They serve traditional french food and had a vegetarian option.
We also had a coffee a bit later while waiting for the shuttle bus at La Brasserie des Artistes. There are a few more places including Ancien Hôtel Baudy which also looked really nice.
Museum of Impressionism Giverny
We visited this museum after, as we had some time before our train. It is nice but the best place to see Claude Monet’s paintings of the water lilies are in Paris. The Musée de l’Orangerie museum in Paris has a beautiful collection of water lilies. The Musée d'Orsay also has a collection of famous Monet paintings as well as the Marmottan Monet Museum in the 16th arrondissement in Paris.
Musée de l’Orangerie
Booking your tickets
Just to note that this day trip from Paris is seasonal and is only open from the 1st of April to the 1st of November, and is open between 9.30 and 17.30. It is possible to book in advance online or pay when you arrive. More information is available below.
How to get there
You can get the train to Giverny (Vernon-Giverny) from Paris Saint-Lazare. It takes less than an hour. If you are travelling around France it might be worth getting a Carte Avantage Adulte, it costs €49 but gives you a discount for 12 months on certain journeys. It pays off pretty quickly.
Once you arrive you will need to take the shuttle bus outside the train station. Here is the shuttle bus timetable in English, it costs 10 euro for a return trip and you can buy the ticket on the bus. This is available from April to November.
You can also walk there, it is 7km and will take around an hour.
If you are planning a few day trips from Paris on your next visit, this is highly recommended. Calm and serene, plus you can be back in Paris again by 6pm to enjoy your evening. I would give around 2 hours to walk around the gardens and the house, then you have the option of having lunch and the museum. Any questions let me know in the comments and I will get back to you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!