Day Trip: Château de Fontainebleau

Located an hour southeast of Paris and surrounded by 130 acres of parks and gardens, the 1,500-room Chateau de Fontainebleau makes a wonderful day trip for return visitors to Paris. The enormous palace was continuously inhabited for seven centuries from the medieval era through the Second Empire, and every ruler left his or her own distinct mark. Many apartments, chapels and rooms are open to the public, and, compared to Versailles, the property is not overly touristed. (This château, too, features original furnishings through; the same cannot be said of Versailles). Don't miss the Gallery of Francois I (it inspired Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors), Marie Antoinette’s Turkish Boudoir or the Gallery of Diana. Spend some time strolling the impressive grounds before continuing on to lunch in Barbizon or a visit to Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, both of which are less than 30 minutes away and make a nice pairing with Fontainebleau for a historic day in the countryside. Indagare members can contact our Bookings Team to arrange visits with one of our preferred guides.