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Day 3 · Paris
Pavillon Dufour
Step 1 · Before you enter · ~15 sec

Pavillon Dufour

★ 4.7 (88) €92 Maps ↗

You are at the palace’s current front door, not its old royal one. This is where Versailles quietly switches from court life to visitor life, and your 10:30 entry helps you get ahead of the midday rush.

Stand outside · play the audio first, then read on.

Step 2 · The story · ~2 min

Why this place matters

Before you go in, notice how the Dufour Pavilion stands on the courtyard side as a modern gateway. Versailles used to be a place for kings, courtiers, and ceremonies, but today it also has to move thousands of visitors smoothly, and this entrance does that job without pretending to be the original palace façade. For your family, this is the right moment to have tickets and IDs ready, let the two adults collect the audioguides, and let Melek use the free-entry ticket for minors. Then head straight for the State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and the Queen’s Apartments, because those are the rooms that tell the palace story in the clearest way. As you wait, look at the way the pavilion separates the flow of visitors from the old courtyards behind it. That small shift in direction is easy to miss, but it shows how Versailles is both a historic residence and a working museum today. If you keep moving, a 14:00 exit is a sensible target before the afternoon crowds build, leaving you time for the gardens and, if you want, the Trianon after that.

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Step 3 · Going in

Here's how

Best time to visit

Your 10:30 timed entry is the right move; use the built-in time buffer if needed, but aim to be at Entrance A a little early so you can clear security and get moving before the late-morning rush. Friday is a sensible day choice compared with weekends and Tuesday, which is often especially crowded.

Entry strategy

Go directly to Entrance A at the Dufour Pavilion with your tickets and IDs; do not detour to the ticket office if you already have booked tickets. The two adults should collect audioguides on entry, and the minor in your group needs a free ticket if applicable for age-based admission.

Recommended route

Go straight through the State Apartments, then the Hall of Mirrors, then the Queen’s Apartments while the palace is still relatively manageable. Keep the pace brisk so you can exit by about 14:00 and leave the afternoon for the gardens and Trianon estate.

Tap ⓘ at the top right anytime for hours, address, prices.

Look at this · 1 of 5
Dufour’s left-side wing

Dufour’s left-side wing

Where to find itStand in the Cour d'Honneur and face the palace; Entrance A is the left-hand wing of the Dufour Pavilion, not the central royal façade.

Look forA modern glass-and-stone entrance inserted into the old court-side architecture rather than a ceremonial palace doorway.

Why it matters · This is the first clue that Versailles now handles visitors through a deliberately modern gateway, not through the historic state entrance. Without noticing that shift, you miss how the palace has been reworked to separate tourist flow from the old court system.
Look at this · 2 of 5
Royal-courtyard transition

Royal-courtyard transition

Where to find itPause just inside the pavilion and look back toward the Cour royale before moving on.

Look forThe contrast between the restored historic stonework and the clean contemporary visitor route beneath it.

Why it matters · That transition is the point: the building is doing two jobs at once, preserving the palace front while routing thousands of visitors efficiently. People who rush through only see a queue checkpoint and miss the design decision.
Look at this · 3 of 5
Official family entry

Official family entry

Where to find itCheck the signage and staff directions at Entrance A before joining the flow into the palace.

Look forThe entrance used for timed individual visitors, including free-admission visitors who still need a reserved ticket.

Why it matters · This is the correct doorway for your booked 10:30 slot, so it is the place where the day actually starts working in your favor. Using it correctly keeps you on schedule for the State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, and Queen’s Apartments before midday congestion.
Look at this · 4 of 5
Audioguide handoff point

Audioguide handoff point

Where to find itAfter the ticket scan at the pavilion, look for the audio desk or guidance point inside the entry zone.

Look forThe visitor-services area where audioguides are collected for booked visitors.

Why it matters · For two adults, the audioguide pickup is part of the entry process, not something to hunt for later inside the palace. Getting them here avoids losing time once you are already in the crowded interior circuits.
Look at this · 5 of 5
Timed-entry buffer

Timed-entry buffer

Where to find itWatch the queue at the reserved-entry lane and compare it with the midday crowd outside the main courtyard.

Look forA faster-moving line for timed-ticket holders entering through the pavilion rather than the public-facing main approach.

Why it matters · The real value of a 10:30 reservation is not just admission, but entry before the Hall of Mirrors becomes a bottleneck. That timing is what makes a finish around 14:00 realistic for your route.
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Practical info

Address 78000 Versailles, France
Time 10:30
Suggested 210 min
Rating 4.7★ (88)
Cost €92
Map Open in Google Maps

More about this place

At Entrance A (Pavillon Dufour), notice the royal-courtyard side of the pavilion and the way the entrance was reworked as a modern visitor gateway rather than a grand palace façade; people often rush past that transition and miss how deliberately it separates the flow from the old court.[1][3] For a smoother visit, use your 10:30 timed entry and go straight in with your tickets and IDs; this entrance is the official family entry point and is generally less crowded, so you should be inside before the Hall of Mirrors gets its heavier midday traffic.[2][8] What matters here is that the pavilion is the palace’s current front door, which quietly shows how Versailles now balances preservation with the practical movement of thousands of visitors each day.[1][3] For your family of three, Claudiu and Roxana can collect the audioguides on entry, while Melek enters free as a minor with the required free ticket, and your plan to exit around 14:00 is realistic for the State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, and Queen’s Apartments before the afternoon crush.[8][7]