While we were in Paris for a week in March, we took a day trip out to Giverny to visit Claude Monet’s house and gardens, and it ended up being one of our favorite days of the whole trip. We honestly didn’t know what to expect going in, but the gardens were in full bloom, the air smelled incredible, and the house looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. Standing there, it’s easy to understand exactly where Monet found his inspiration.

If you’re wondering whether a day trip to Giverny is worth working into your Paris itinerary, here’s everything you need to know: how to get there, how to spend your day, and what to expect once you arrive. We did Giverny as a half day, so this itinerary is built for travelers who want to see the gardens without giving up a full day of their Paris trip.

How to Get to Giverny from Paris

Train to Vernon: Take the metro to Gare Saint-Lazare, then catch a train toward Rouen that stops in Vernon (the town nearest to Giverny). Trains run roughly every hour, and the ride takes about 45 to 50 minutes. A one-way ticket typically runs somewhere in the €10 to €20 range depending on the time of day and how far ahead you book, so it’s worth reserving your seat online in advance if you want to lock in a lower fare and guarantee your departure time.

Shuttle bus to Giverny: Once you arrive at the Vernon-Giverny station, look for the shuttle bus that meets the trains. It’s a short, scenic ride of about 15 minutes and drops you within a short walk of Monet’s house. Round-trip shuttle tickets are inexpensive (expect to pay somewhere around €8 to €10), and buses generally run from spring through fall to line up with the garden’s open season. If a shuttle isn’t running when you arrive, taxis wait outside the station too.

Book a Tour: If you’re not comfortable navigating the train and shuttle, you can always book a guided tour* from Paris that includes round trip transportation.

The Perfect One Day (or Half Day) in Giverny Itinerary

10:00 AM: Claude Monet’s Gardens

Head straight for Monet’s house and gardens when you arrive, before the tour buses show up. You can buy tickets at the window, but booking skip-the-line tickets online ahead of time will save you standing in line and would be our recommendation.

Once you’re inside, follow the paths through the flower garden right in front of the house, before heading underneath the road to the water garden. This is where you’ll find the famous lily pond and the green Japanese bridge that shows up again and again in Monet’s paintings. If you’re lucky enough to find an open bench, sit for a few minutes and take it in. It genuinely feels like walking straight into one of his canvases.

Similar to our recommendations for Versailles, we are a firm believer of starting in the gardens, as most people go inside first!

11:30AM: Claude Monet’s House

After the gardens, don’t miss out on a walk through the rooms where Monet lived with his family. You can see his studio, and get a feel for the day-to-day life behind the paintings.

Monet is considered the father of Impressionism, a style built around capturing light and movement rather than sharp detail. He lived in the Giverny house for 43 years, from 1883 until his death in 1926, and he’s buried nearby in the small cemetery next to the village church. The gardens weren’t just decoration; they were essentially his outdoor studio, and many of his most famous works, including the sprawling Water Lilies series now on view at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, were painted right there on the property.

12:00 PM: Coffee or Lunch in the Village

We visited Giverny as a half day trip and headed back to Paris without stopping for a full meal, so we can’t personally vouch for lunch in the village. If you have more time to spend than we did, Les Nympheas is a cafe right near the entrance to the gardens that comes up often as a convenient stop for coffee or a light bite before or after your visit. We haven’t eaten there ourselves, so treat it as a starting point to look into rather than a firsthand recommendation, and check current reviews before you go!

Tips for Visiting Monet’s Gardens

• Go early or go late: Giverny gets crowded midday, especially in peak bloom season. Arriving right at opening or in the last couple of hours before close will give you a much quieter experience.
• Check the season: The gardens are only open from April 1 through November 1 each year, so this isn’t a year-round day trip. Late spring is when the gardens are at their most colorful, but something is usually blooming throughout the season.
• Book ahead: Online tickets are recommended, especially if you’re visiting on a weekend or during a busy stretch of the season.
• A half day is enough: If you’re short on time in Paris, you can absolutely do Giverny as a half day trip like we did: gardens and house only, no sit-down meal, back on the train by early afternoon. Give yourself 2 hours at the gardens and house.
• Leave the big suitcase in Paris: There’s no luggage storage on-site, so this is a day trip, not a stop on the way somewhere else.

Is Giverny Worth a Day Trip From Paris?

Yes, without question. Giverny is a genuinely peaceful break from the pace of Paris, and if you have any appreciation for Monet’s work, seeing the actual gardens that inspired it adds a layer of meaning that a museum just can’t. It’s an easy trip, it doesn’t require a car, and you don’t need a full day to make it worthwhile. Even the half day version we did was more than enough to feel like we’d genuinely experienced it.

If you only have time for one trip outside the city during your Paris stay, Giverny is a strong pick, especially if you’re visiting between late spring and early summer when the gardens are at their peak.

All of the recommendations in our guides are places we have personally stayed, dined or explored so you can get an authentic perspective. We will always be transparent if we haven’t personally done something or experienced it firsthand!

Please note: Prices listed in this post are approximate and subject to change. Always check official websites before booking.

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