Giverny

Giverny is a village of a few hundred people on the right bank of the Seine, about 80 km north-west of Paris, and the second most visited tourist site in Normandy. Claude Monet moved here in 1883 and stayed until his death in 1926, buying the land opposite his house to dig the pond, plant the willows and build the Japanese bridge that became the subject of the Nymphéas. Both gardens — the geometric, densely planted Clos Normand and the water garden across the road — are maintained as he designed them. Around the Fondation Claude Monet the village has stayed remarkably intact: wisteria-covered houses along the rue Claude Monet, the old Hôtel Baudy where Cézanne, Renoir, Sisley and Mary Cassatt stayed, independent galleries, and the Musée des Impressionnismes a few minutes' walk away with its own garden and changing exhibitions. It is a seasonal place — the house, the gardens and the shuttle bus from Vernon all run from spring to the start of November.

Very few places let you stand inside a painting. The lily pond, the bridge, the wisteria and the long borders of the Clos Normand are the actual subjects of hundreds of canvases hanging in Paris and New York, and they are still planted and pruned to the same plan. Pair the house and gardens with the Musée des Impressionnismes for the context, add lunch at a 19th-century artists' inn, and Giverny fills a day without ever feeling stretched.

• Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet

  Monet's restored pink-and-green house and studio, the Clos Normand flower garden and the water garden with the Japanese bridge and lily pond. Open daily from 1 April to 1 November 2026, 10:00-18:00, with last admission at 17:30. Admission costs €13 adult, €7 child aged 7-17, and is free for children under 7.

  Official site

• Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny

  A five-minute walk from Monet's house, with rotating exhibitions on Impressionism and its legacy and a garden of its own. Open 10:00-18:00, last admission 17:30; published exhibition ticket €12, reduced €9.

  Official site

• Ancien Hôtel Baudy

  The 1886 inn where Cézanne, Renoir, Sisley, Rodin and Mary Cassatt stayed. The original 1888 studio and the rose garden behind it can still be visited, and it is still a restaurant.

  Official site

• Église Sainte-Radegonde

  The village church at the top of the lane; Monet and members of his family are buried in the churchyard.

  Official site

• Rue Claude Monet

  The village's single main street, lined with artists' studios, independent galleries and shops — the walk between the house and the museum is part of the visit.

  Official site

• Le Vieux Moulin, Vernonnet

  The timbered mill built onto the old bridge at Vernon, visible from the Giverny shuttle route and a short stop on the way back to the station.

  Official site

• McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Paris-Giverny

  A large open-air outlet centre about 15 minutes away by car, directly at exit 16 of the A13 — an optional add-on rather than part of the village visit.

  Official site

1. 09:00

   Leave Paris Saint-Lazare for Vernon-Giverny. The fastest journey is 48 minutes; a 09:00 departure arrives around 09:45-09:55.

2. 09:55

   Take the seasonal SNgo shuttle from Vernon-Giverny station for the 6 km journey to Giverny, about 15 minutes. It costs €5 single or €10 return and is timed to the trains.

3. 10:15

   Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet, from opening. Do the water garden first, before the coaches arrive, then the Clos Normand and the house. Allow 1h30-2h.

4. 11:45

   Walk the rue Claude Monet, look into the galleries, and visit the church and Monet's grave.

5. 12:30

   Lunch in the village — Les Nymphéas beside the Foundation, or the Ancien Hôtel Baudy.

6. 14:00

   Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny and its garden, about two hours.

7. 16:20

   Shuttle back to Vernon-Giverny for an afternoon train to Paris. Shuttle departures are timed to the trains, so check the day's sheet when you arrive.

There is no direct train to Giverny. By train and shuttle: trains run from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny, with a fastest journey of 48 minutes and 21 trains a day. From Vernon-Giverny station, the seasonal SNgo shuttle covers the 6 km to Giverny in about 15 minutes. It costs €5 single or €10 return, runs from April to November, and is timed to the trains. The last train back from Vernon-Giverny is at 20:57. By car: Giverny is about 80 km from Paris via the A13. The McArthurGlen outlet a quarter of an hour away sits at exit 16 of the A13 and publishes a 45-minute drive from Paris, so allow around an hour door to door in normal traffic.

Timetables and fares change: always confirm on the operator's official site before travelling.

Giverny eats early and seasonally: most restaurants serve lunch to the day-trip crowd and several close entirely over the winter, when the gardens are shut. Booking is worth it between May and September, particularly for the terrace tables.

• Restaurant Les Nymphéas

  French brasserie, homemade dishes · Group menus published from €26.50; à la carte prices not published

  Square Gérald et Florence Van der Kemp, 27620 Giverny, next to the Fondation Monet

  The closest table to the gardens, useful if you have a timed ticket and a tight afternoon. Terrace and a large dining room.

  Official website

• Ancien Hôtel Baudy

  Traditional French brasserie · Prices not published online; the site describes the cooking as affordable

  81 rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny

  The painters' inn of the 1880s, with the original studio and rose garden behind it. Closes for the winter — the site published a closure from 1 November to 31 March.

  Official website

• Le M, La Musardière

  Neo-bistro, Normandy produce · Prices not published online

  123 rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny

  The relaxed lunch option at La Musardière, using seasonal local produce.

  Official website

• Révélations, La Musardière

  Gastronomic, Normandy terroir · Prices not published online

  123 rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny

  The gastronomic dinner restaurant at the same address — for those staying the night rather than day-tripping.

  Official website

• Restaurant Oscar

  Museum restaurant · Prices not published on the museum site

  Musée des Impressionnismes, 99 rue Claude Monet

  On the museum site, handy for an unhurried lunch between the two visits. The museum directs visitors to oscargiverny.com for hours and booking.

  Official website

Menus, prices and closing days change — we link each restaurant's own website so you can confirm before you set off. We do not take payment from any restaurant listed here.

Book the Fondation Claude Monet online. The Foundation itself recommends it and warns that once the online quota is used, on-site queues can be long. E-tickets are non-refundable. Admission to Monet's house and gardens costs €13 adult, €7 child aged 7-17, and is free for children under 7. The combined ticket with the Musée des Impressionnismes costs €25 adult and €7 child. Accessibility: the gardens are wheelchair-accessible but the house is not. Visitors with reduced mobility get priority access at the group entrance on the Sente Leroy with a disability card. The museum states that its whole site, including toilets, is accessible, with wheelchairs available on reservation. Not allowed at the house and gardens: dogs (except assistance dogs), picnics, painting or drawing, and large luggage — there is no cloakroom. The museum also refuses suitcases and professional camera equipment without prior authorisation. Go at opening or in the last two hours. The gardens are narrow and the middle of the day in June is shoulder to shoulder.

The 2026 season for Monet's house and gardens runs from 1 April to 1 November, daily from 10:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:30. The house and gardens are shut from November to March. The seasonal SNgo shuttle between Vernon-Giverny station and Giverny runs from April to November and is timed to the trains. The Musée des Impressionnismes runs exhibition seasons rather than a fixed collection. Check what is showing before you go. The gardens change week to week through the season, but the Foundation does not publish a bloom calendar, so treat any “best week” advice you read elsewhere as informal.