Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors – How to Get an Empty Photo

The Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors is one of the most beautiful and opulent rooms you can visit in the entire world. 

It was Louis XIV’s, or the Sun King’s, pièce de résistance and a grand Baroque gallery at his court in 17th-century France.

It’s breathtaking and filled with gorgeous murals, gilded bronze statues, and glittering chandeliers.

Every wall is covered in reflective mirrors, which were really expensive at the time. 

The wealth required to build this room is inconceivable. The entire gallery and adjoining salons were designed to illustrate the king’s absolute power.

Château de Versailles receives over 7 million visitors per year, and the Hall of Mirrors is always crowded with tourists.

But there are ways you can try to take a Hall of Mirrors photo without lots of people on your visit. 

Here are my top tips on how to get an empty Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors photo.

Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors history 

King Louis XIII ordered Versailles to be built in 1623, but back then it was only a two-storey hunting lodge.

He later enlarged the residence into a small chateau in 1634.

It was King Louis XIV who transformed the Palace of Versailles into a grand Baroque palace. He declared it his future permanent residence in 1661. 

The Hall of Mirrors was built between 1678 and 1684 to replace a large outdoor terrace with smaller salons subject to the elements. 

It was considered impractical due to bad weather, so it was closed in and replaced with this breathtaking room.

The Mirror Hall gallery was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, and the artist Charles de Brun decorated the ceilings with paintings. 

The King would stroll through this hall, and so courtiers would often walk through here on their way from the King’s to the Queen’s apartments.

It served as a place for waiting, meeting, and being seen. 

Although rare, it was also used for musical performances and ceremonies like royal balls and weddings. 

Sometimes, the throne was placed at the end of the hall, and ambassadors would be led through under the scrutiny of the French court.

Most famously, the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles was chosen as the place where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. 

Versailles Hall of Mirrors facts 

• The Hall of Mirrors took 6 years to build between 1678 and 1684 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart

• The Hall of Mirrors isn’t just one gallery; it includes adjoining salons of the War Room and Peace Room.

• All of the paintings on the ceilings and walls are by Charles Le Brun. Each painting glorifies the Sun King and tells a story of the French Empire.

• In the centre of the vault, you can see a painting of Louis XIV represented as a great warrior sitting on his throne in armour. He is surrounded by the Three Graces and the Gods of Olympus, including Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and Mars, the god of war.

• There are 357 mirrors, 43 chandeliers, and 17 large windows

• The Hall of Mirrors is 73 metres long

How to visit the Hall of Mirrors

To visit the Hall of Mirrors in France, you do need to purchase a ticket to the Palace of Versailles and visit it as part of your tour. 

You’ll find the Galerie des Glaces on the first floor of the State Apartments or the King’s private apartments.

You don’t need to buy skip-the-line tickets as the palace has introduced Versailles Passports with timed entry tickets. 

These tickets have guaranteed entry to the palace within the hour that you’ve booked, which is great as queues used to be too long.

Also, on the first Sunday of every month from November to March, the palace is FREE to enter.

How to get to the Palace of Versailles from Paris

Many people make the mistake of thinking that the Palace of Versailles is in the city centre of Paris, as it is advertised as something to do there.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Versailles is located around an hour outside the city to the south-east.

Luckily, it is easy to access Versailles on the Paris Metro by taking the RER C (Yellow Line).

It will take roughly 40 minutes from the Eiffel Tower area and 50 minutes from the Louvre area.

There are also 3 train stations in the town of Versailles, so it’s important to alight at the right one. 

The closest stop for the Palace of Versailles on the RER C is ‘Versailles – Château – Rive Gauche’. It’s then a 10-minute walk to the entry gates.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi or drive to Versailles. But the Paris Metro would be the most economically friendly option for time and money. 

How to get an Empty Versailles Hall of Mirrors Photo

If getting an empty Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors photo or video is important to you, I have a few tips to help you achieve that below.

Fair warning, this isn’t an exact science, and it’s not going to be a guarantee that it will be empty on your visit. 

But these tips will definitely help you plan your trip to Versailles so that the Hall of Mirrors is a lot quieter.

Here are my top tips on how to get an empty Versailles Hall of Mirrors photo.

1. Visit in the off or shoulder seasons

Before you even start booking your trip to Paris and Versailles, it’s always worth considering visiting in the shoulder seasons.

These would be spring, autumn or winter. In the summer season (June – August), the Palace of Versailles can see thousands of visitors per day.

To put it into context, Versailles sees over 7 million visitors a year, and the majority of those are in high season.

It’s not impossible to get an empty Versailles Hall of Mirrors photo in summer, but you would need extreme patience and coordination.

The gardens of Versailles in winter can be pretty bleak, so visiting in the shoulder seasons can still mean great weather but fewer crowds. 

I visited in early October, and it was still really sunny and warm. Plus, the gardens were still lush and green with a few flowers. 

2. Consider staying over in Versailles

Although visiting Versailles from Paris is easy to do via the RER C Metro, it’s still quite a journey from Paris to make it for opening time at 9 am. 

If you want an empty Versailles Hall of Mirrors photo, I would always recommend getting in the queue an hour before opening around 8 am. 

This means leaving Paris around 7 am. But you’re on vacation, not a work commute.

To avoid an early wake-up call, I would consider staying in the town of Versailles instead of in Paris for the night.

It will make things a lot easier and less stressful to get there on time. 

I stayed over for the night and enjoyed 2 days exploring the palace and the estate. You could spend a week in Versailles – the estate is so vast.

3. Go self-guided and don’t book a tour

Although booking a guided tour can be a great to learn about the history of the Palace of Versailles, it’s not entirely necessary. 

Also, if you want an empty Hall of Mirrors photo, going self-guided is a must.

Big group tours will rush you through the Galerie des Glaces, and you’ll be there at peak times for crowds. 

It’s easy enough to pre-book a Versailles Passport that allows you entry into the entire estate, and you can explore the palace self-guided. 

4. Avoid weekends and visit on a Thursday

Like most tourist attractions, the busiest days at the Palace of Versailles would be on weekends. 

So, if you want to avoid crowds and get your empty Hall of Mirrors photo, I would try to book your palace visit for a weekday.

The Palais de Versailles is shut on a Monday, like most museums in Paris.

So, Tuesday is the busiest day. Definitely avoid it if you want an empty Hall of Mirrors photo.

From most of my research (and I did a lot of research), most people said that Wednesdays and Thursdays seemed to be the quietest days for crowds.

I visited the palace on a late Thursday afternoon, and it was indeed very quiet. I had most rooms to myself.

5. Visit the Hall of Mirrors as soon as it opens

A great way to see the Hall of Mirrors empty would be to walk here as soon as the palace opens at 9 am. 

But you would need to get in the queue early to be one of the first ones into the palace.

Most early birds start to wait around 8 am when the grounds open to be first in line. 

Once you’re through security, make sure to hurry to the King’s Apartments to be one of the first in the Hall of Mirrors.

I’ve provided some detailed instructions on how to locate the room below. 

I got here around 8.45 am and was around 50th in the queue on a Friday. I was thinking that it would be impossible at this point. 

But I walked straight to the Hall of Mirrors, and there were only one or two people in there at that time.

Where is the Hall of Mirrors located in Versailles?

The Hall of Mirrors is located on the first floor of the King’s Apartment area of Versailles, overlooking the gardens. 

So, if you love to plan your route to get straight to your photography location before the crowds, I’ll provide directions.

The Hall of Mirrors or Galerie des Glaces is in the King’s Apartments at Versailles. 

This is NOT in the building where you first enter the complex after the security queue at Entrance A. That’s the prince’s apartments.

Once you’re through the security queue, you’re going to leave the first building and walk across the courtyard (the golden gates will be on your right) to the King’s Apartment building straight ahead.

This isn’t the black and white marbled floor area on the far left – that’s the exit to the King’s Apartments. 

Head down this long marbled corridor with statues on either side, turn left at the end and then head up the stairs to the first floor. 

Then, you’re going to follow this guided route of the King’s Apartment rooms (don’t stop walking) until you reach the Hall of Mirrors.

Versailles does have a one-way system in some places, but you can easily go back around the rooms that you missed afterwards once you’ve got your empty Versailles Hall of Mirrors photos. 

6. Visit just before closing

Alternatively, if you value your sleep, you could always opt to visit the Hall of Mirrors at the very end of the day when the palace closes.

This is around 5.30 pm in the low season and 6.30 pm in the high season. 

Now, you will need to be in the King’s Apartment area around 30-60 minutes before closing, as they start shutting doors off on the route.

But, this is still a great way to get photos without many people.

At closing time, the staff security will start ushering you out of the Hall of Mirrors through the one-way system. But the room is symmetrical.

So, when you get to the very end of Galeries de Glaces, simply turn around, and viola – you get an empty Hall of Mirrors once everyone has left.

The staff were super kind and took all of my photos and videos for me as I was travelling solo. I was so happy with how they turned out. 

7. Have some (extreme) patience

One of the obvious ways to get photos in the Hall of Mirrors without as many people is to have some patience. 

I will fully admit, I have limited patience, and that’s why I decided to do my research to limit crowd numbers as much as possible. 

But, if you’re normal, a little patience certainly pays off at Versailles with the number of people who visit. 

Most people are listening to audio guides, following their tour guide, or just admiring the opulence of this place. 

They aren’t really paying attention to your mobile or camera and will most likely walk in your photo. 

Let them pass, and eventually, a clearer spot will open up. It may be a small window, but it’s better than a hundred people in your photo.

8. Visit over two or three days

Most people visit the Palace of Versailles on a half-day or day trip from Paris.

But, if your itinerary can afford it, I would opt to stay for a few days at Versailles. Versailles is far more than just the palace.

You have the formal gardens, Grand Canal, Grand Trianon, Petite Trianon, the Queen’s Hamlet, and the outer grounds. 

You could spend days walking or cycling around the estate. Plus, the town of Versailles is worth looking around.

Having a few days at Versailles would also mean more chances at catching the Versailles Hall of Mirrors empty for photos. 

9. Edit your photos

If all of the above tips fail, there are always editing apps to take people out of photographs.

If you’re not familiar with Photoshop or you don’t want to spend money on expensive software, I always use an app called ‘Touch Retouch’ for edits.

Touch Retouch allows you to easily edit out people or things in your photos that you don’t want on your phone. 

It’s not a miracle worker, and it won’t edit out everyone in the Hall of Mirrors perfectly, but it’s enough to take a lot out of the bits that spoil the photo.  

10. Stay at Airelles Château de Versailles

If money is no object, there is a way to get a private viewing of the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.

There is a hotel on the palace grounds called Airelles Château de Versailles where you can stay in a private home called Le Grand Contrôle.

It was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Louis XIV’s favourite architect. There are 11 rooms and 2 signature suites. 

It costs a minimum of €2,000 a night, but you get your own butler service, meals cooked by a Michelin-star chef, a Marie-Antoinette afternoon tea, and a private buggy tour of the estate grounds.

The best part is an exclusive viewing of the Palace of Versailles in the morning before it opens up to the crowds.

So, you’re guaranteed to have the Hall of Mirrors to yourself for a spell. How sublime.

Photography rules at Versailles

Here are some of the photography rules in Versailles so you don’t get caught out on your visit:

• Tripods and selfie sticks are banned – tripods are banned at the palace museum. You can use them in the gardens and on the estate though. 

• You are allowed to take photos and videos – photos and videos are permitted at the palace.

• Don’t use a flash – you mustn’t use a flash inside the palace to avoid damage to the pigments in priceless paintings. 

• Drones are banned – Drones are not permitted anywhere on the Versailles estate unless you have express permission. 

• In some rooms, photos are not allowed – signs will let you know if you can’t take photos in a particular room.

Discover King Louis XIV’s Versailles

There is far more to the Château de Versailles than the Hall of Mirrors.

The whole palace is the finest example of 17th-century French architecture and one of the grandest homes on Earth. 

The Sun King’s palace was the envy of the aristocratic world, and plenty of royal families in Europe and beyond based their palaces, mansions, and gardens on Versailles. 

It’s opulent, spectacular, and lavish, and there are hundreds of rooms to explore on your tour.

But it’s easy to forget that the Palace of Versailles is more than just the palace too. There is an entire estate.

It’s easiest to walk around the Formal Gardens, but you can cycle, hire a buggy or buy a ticket for the Petite Train for the wider areas.

Highlights include the Formal Gardens, Musical Water Fountains, and the Grand Canal where you can hire boats in the summer.

You can also visit Grand Trianon, where the King liked to escape court for some private time alone.

It’s a miniature version of the palace and even has its own Hall of Mirrors. 

My personal favourite area was Petite Trianon with the adjoining Queen’s Hamlet – the personal abode of Marie Antoinette.

The Queen’s Hamlet looks like a fairytale as it was specifically made as a faux-medieval village based on landscape portraits.

Also, don’t forget to visit the Angelina café at the palace, which serves up the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.

They had the most delicious pastries. I can recommend the Demoiselle Tatin that had caramelised apples, vanilla mousse, and gold leaf on top.

There are also exhibitions, guard rooms, stables, the carriage hall, and many more attractions included in your ticket. 

You can fit everything into one day at Versailles if you’re speedy, but I’d say two days allows you to see it at a leisurely pace without burning out. 

Palace of Versailles ticket prices

Versailles now allows you to book tickets online with a guaranteed timed entry. Booking a time slot is mandatory for all visitors.

There are many different types of tickets you can buy for Versailles.

For example, you can just book tickets for the palace, gardens, and/or Trianon. Plus, there are tickets with meals and the Petite Train.

I would recommend booking the Versailles Passport with a timed entry that grants you access to the entire estate.

If you want to visit for the opening time, make sure to book a 9 am ticket slot.

Palace of Versailles opening times

The Palace of Versailles is normally open from 9 am – 6.30 pm in the high season (April – October) with the last entry at 6 pm.

It’s then open from 9 am – 5.30 pm in the low season (November – March) with the last entry at 5 pm. 

The gardens are usually open from 8 am – 8.30 pm in high season and 8 am – 6 pm in the low season. 

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