From Paris: Monet Gardens & Giverny Bike Tour with Picnic Stop
Recommended by 95% of travelers
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Paris, France
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See Claude Monet’s gardens at Giverny on this enchanting, full-day tour, which includes transfers from Paris. Pick up picnic provisions at a local market and then cycle to Monet's former home in Giverny, stopping en route for a picnic lunch. Then visit the artist's home and see the beautiful gardens that inspired some of his most celebrated works before returning to Paris.
- A perfect option for Monet fans and people who love cycling
- Pick up a picnic lunch at a local market (at your own expense)
- Loaner bicycles and helmets are provided to all participants
- Round-trip transportation from Paris adds convenience
What's Included
- Local guide
- Use of bicycle (if you select bike tour option)
- Use of helmet
- Roundtrip transfer to and from Paris
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Food and drinks
- Rain gear is available at a fee of 2EUR paid direct
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 24 Rue Edgar Faure, 75015 Paris, France
All tours depart from the Fat Tire Tours office at 24 rue Edgar Faure, 75015 Paris. The closest metro is the Dupleix station. Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the tour departure. *Meeting point and tour time will be altered during the Olympics. We will contact you directly with details.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
See the gardens that inspired Claude Monet’s world-famous paintings and the town where he lived for decades. Meet your guide in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, and head toward Vernon by bus.
Once you reach Vernon, head to an open-air market to stock up on picnic supplies such as fresh cheeses, breads, and fruit. Then pick up a rental bike and cross the Seine for a lovely picnic lunch on the riverbank.
Continue biking around five kilometers (three miles) along country roads to the postcard-perfect village of Giverny, where Monet lived from 1883 to 1926. Peddle past the village church and its historic cemetery, where Monet is buried in a family vault. Learn about the artistic legacy of the Hotel Baudy, which counted painters Manet and Renoir among its illustrious guests, and admire the town’s delightful cafes and lanes.
Arrive at Monet’s beautifully maintained country house, furnished with original decor and artwork for an authentic glimpse into the painter’s daily life. Stroll through Monet’s gardens, bursting with color from a dazzling variety of flowers, including the water lilies that inspired Monet’s best-known paintings.
After visiting the home and gardens, cycle back to Vernon, and relax on the return journey to Paris, where your tour concludes in the evening.
Once you reach Vernon, head to an open-air market to stock up on picnic supplies such as fresh cheeses, breads, and fruit. Then pick up a rental bike and cross the Seine for a lovely picnic lunch on the riverbank.
Continue biking around five kilometers (three miles) along country roads to the postcard-perfect village of Giverny, where Monet lived from 1883 to 1926. Peddle past the village church and its historic cemetery, where Monet is buried in a family vault. Learn about the artistic legacy of the Hotel Baudy, which counted painters Manet and Renoir among its illustrious guests, and admire the town’s delightful cafes and lanes.
Arrive at Monet’s beautifully maintained country house, furnished with original decor and artwork for an authentic glimpse into the painter’s daily life. Stroll through Monet’s gardens, bursting with color from a dazzling variety of flowers, including the water lilies that inspired Monet’s best-known paintings.
After visiting the home and gardens, cycle back to Vernon, and relax on the return journey to Paris, where your tour concludes in the evening.
1
Unlimited Biking (Formerly Fat Tire Tours)
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
The Seine
Admission Ticket Free
3
Fondation Claude Monet
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Claude Monet's House and Gardens - Giverny
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Restaurant Baudy (Ancien Hôtel Baudy) (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- There is no age minimum or maximum - this tour is suitable for everyone as long as you can ride a bike!
- Not wheelchair accessible
- If a children's bike is required, you must advise at time of booking.
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Jennifer_S
This trip was ABSOLUTELY the highlight of our recent trip to Paris. To start, our tour guides (O.J. and Dave) were genuinely terrific. They seemed like great guys, were very fun and attentive, knowledgeable, and had everything so well organized. The town of Vernon, the farmer's market, and the riverside picnic were unexpectedly delightful! These bits preceded the visit to the stunning gardens at Monet's property. The biking portion of the trip was easy and we glided along a beautiful riverside path between Vernon and Giverny. If I had known ahead what a great job this company does, we would have booked them for other tours in Paris as well. Highly recommended!!
Reviews
4.7
based on 517 reviews
Jennifer_S, Apr 2026
This trip was ABSOLUTELY the highlight of our recent trip to Paris. To start, our tour guides (O.J. and Dave) were genuinely terrific. They seemed like great guys, were very fun and attentive, knowledgeable, and had everything so well organized. The town of Vernon, the farmer's market, and the riverside picnic were unexpectedly delightful! These bits preceded the visit to the stunning gardens at Monet's property. The biking portion of the trip was easy and we glided along a beautiful riverside path between Vernon and Giverny. If I had known ahead what a great job this company does, we would have booked them for other tours in Paris as well. Highly recommended!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for this incredible review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that your Giverny bike tour was the highlight of your trip to Paris—that truly means a lot to us.
O.J. and Dave will be thrilled to know they made such a positive impact with their energy, organization, and knowledge. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed the full experience—from the charm of Vernon and the farmer’s market to the relaxing riverside picnic, all leading up to the beauty of Monet’s gardens.
We especially appreciate your kind words about the biking route—it really is a special way to take in the scenery at a relaxed pace.
Thank you again for your recommendation! We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure the next time you're in Paris.
Thomas_Z, Jan 2026
We met on the backside of the address we were given. It is a large building with a passage down the side and that is where the bike shop was. Easy to get to from the Metro Station. The bus was comfortable. Took about an hour. Then you stop at the local Market for picnic supplies and this was fantastic. We could have stayed there all day just eating delicious Cheese and Fresh Fruit. But to the bikes we had to go, after a short walk, you stop at a garage and bikes are handed out. It is a fairly easy ride to just outside of town, and this is the only hill you will encounter, then you park and picnic. Our guides had a friendly banter the whole time. Gave us some history of the bridge. Shared some wine, Then led us on a gentle peddle through the french country side on a very smooth bike path to Giverny. You tour the grounds and the house and take 1000 pictures of flowers, if you are like me. Then bike ride and bus ride back to home, where you finish the cheese and baguette and wine you bought at the market. It was not just a fantastic way to spend a day, but will be a memory we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed and thoughtful review. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed every part of the experience—from the market visit and picnic to the scenic ride through the countryside and your time in Giverny. It’s wonderful to know our guides, the route, and the overall pace made the day both enjoyable and memorable. Creating experiences that leave lasting memories is exactly what we strive for, and we’re truly honored to have been part of yours. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure in the future.
Kristina_M, Oct 2025
We had fun and our guide OJ was great about keeping a good pace and sharing fun information. We would absolutely book again!
Graham_h, Oct 2025
Excellent tour great food and wine good information about both as well as local sites
Highly recommend
luis_d, Sep 2025
Rory and OJ were our guides, and they were great, both are very knowledgeable and helped make the trip enjoyable. it was a big group, yet everything was timed so we had enough time to shop for picnic, and the bike ride was fun, a flat tire was repaired and while that was being done, we heard a very interesting story...lol.....no time was wasted i would definitely recommend and do this tour again. the Monet house is wonderful and the gardens are awesome.
Roanne_M, Sep 2025
Rain or shine this beautiful bike ride is easy and an absolutely wonderful guides OJ and Nick were incredible with great historical knowledge of Giverny and Monet! Go dont hesitate we went in the rain and had an absolute blast!
Anne_S, Sep 2025
Wonderful way to see Monet Gardens. Nick and David were great guides and host. Loved picking up lunch at the market and picnic along the River. Fun and easy bike ride to the gardens.
Katy_B, Aug 2025
The guides are very patient, kind, knowledgeable, and accommodating. I would highly recommend the experience.
Linda_F, Jun 2025
This is a fun day. The bike ride is lovely but only a small part of the day. The bus ride to Normandy was enhanced by some history, the stop to buy food was in a cute village, and touring Giverny was great. There were lots of people at Giverny when we were there so if you want to see it with less people or with a tour guide, this is not the right tour. Also, there are only 2 tour guides for 40 cyclists so on a few occasions, cyclists went the wrong way and got separated from the group or could not keep up and were left behind until one of the guides could go get them after delivering the rest of the group back to the store. They really need 1-2 more tour guides with a group this large.
Jennifer_S, Jun 2025
May25’ flowers in bloom-absolutely stunning! There were lots of people but the grounds were peaceful! I can see why Monet loved his home and gardens!
Kathleen_L, Jun 2025
We enjoyed our day touring Monet’s Gardens which are spectacular. Our guides were wonderful as they were very personable, funny and attentive. While you do need to know how to ride and be comfortable on a bike, the bike ride is very easy and enjoyable. We also enjoyed the market and our picnic lunch. Overall a really pleasant day.
robin_p, May 2025
We had a large group. The ride is doable for different levels of experience. If raining , they will sell you a poncho. It is NOT included. The staff is friendly and funny. The gardens were beautiful at the end of May.
Bradi_E, Apr 2025
OJ and Nick were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and helpful. The day was well-paced with lots of breaks and free time to enjoy the picnic and the gardens. Bus was clean and efficient. What a great experience!
Will_P, May 2024
Great and beautiful time. OJ and Eliza were fun, interesting and kept things fun! My wife and I enjoyed everything about the trip.
Cj_T, Aug 2023
Itinerary:
1) We took a 1+ hour bus to Vernon where we had ~30 minutes to pick up supplies before we picnicked by the Old Mill. Notes: Vernon isn't Paris, very few spoke English and the tour guides give you some phrases at the beginning but pretty much send everyone on their own after. Also the picnic is on a big black tarp with like 10 other people, unless you brought your own supplies. Neither really bothered us though.
2) The bike tour is really not bad at all. I'm an able-bodied 30-year-old man, but I have only ridden a bike about a dozen times so was nervous. There was no need to be. The group is big enough to pave their own way through the few streets your on, most of the ride is through a level beautiful paved path from Vernon to Giverny, and there's only one or two inclines that no one in our group struggled with. Overall, it's about 10km (6 miles) round-trip.
3) The biking through Giverny was absolutely beautiful. If we did this again, we probably would just have spent the whole day there because there are a ton of cute cafes and enough shops to kill the time between meals. This tour drops you off at the Monet House and gives you just under two hours to do the house, gardens, and gift shops. For many, that's probably fine, but my wife wanted more pictures of the gardens and more time in Giverny.
Overall I thought the tour was exactly what it claimed to be and so we have no reason to give it anything other than 5 stars. It was an easy trip from Paris, our tour guide, Nick, was very personable and knowledgeable, the food was good, the gardens are beautiful, the bike ride was pleasant. You definitely won't be disappointed in the tour if you read the description and thought it would be fun.
*One piece of advice, keep your GPS history on, because they leave you to explore on your own a few times and give you places to meet, but if you have no sense of direction (points to self) and are in a new place then that can be confusing. We spend about 5-10 minutes trying to figure out where the group was after the gardens.
Liz_W, Jul 2023
We loved the gathering of the food for the picnic. The gardens were superb. Nick was a great tour guide. It wasn’t a problem but it did say we were to be on electric bikes
Elizabeth_J, Apr 2023
Monet’s Garden is so peaceful and inspirational! I loved riding a bike to get there from Vernon. Wonderful guides, both kind and very informative.
smunaza, Jul 2022
Tour was good, however planning was poor. The cost included bike tour of Giverny but on arriving there we were told they couldn’t arrange for enough bikes for everyone so around 8 people were left without them and had to take bus instead. The cost of trip was much more than regular bus tour so they should not take bookings if they can’t deliver
ksmith262100, May 2022
This was a great tour - no surprises. We enjoyed all aspects - market, lunch by the river, biking & mostly the gardens & lily pond.
janae374, Nov 2019
The bike ride was too difficult for me and it was pouring rain and there was no alternate plan for arrival to Giverny. The guide was excellent and the gardens are a must-see. But be aware that if you are not a skilled rider, and able to climb hills just take an ordinary tour. This tour consists of stopping in a village near Giverny to purchase your own picnic lunch, riding to a park to eat your lunch, and then riding 2 miles to Giverny, where you walk through the gardens and museum/house, then ride back. Again, Giverny is beautiful and a must-see while in the Paris region, but only do this if you are normal weight, (I am overweight and found the bicycle unable to support me) and a good rider. I only gave them 4 stars since it was pouring rain and we were still expected to ride bicycles with no contingency plan.
sjlombard892, Oct 2019
This bike tour was amazing! We took an hour long bus tour to Vernon. In Vernon, we shopped for lunch and visited an old church. We felt like Parisians shopping in the village for our lunch. We had a wonderful picnic lunch along the river. The bike ride was fabulous and all ages and levels can do it. I found it to be very organized and felt that we had adequate time in Monet's gardens. This tour was one of the highlights of our trip!
Jacqueline J, Jul 2019
Thomas was a terrific guide! He was informative, funny and seemed to care about everyone having a good experience. It was a hot day but that was not your fault.
Gina F, Jun 2019
Enjoyed getting out of the city for a day. Very scenic and Easy bike ride. Guide very informative. Had a Fun day!!
Susan_M, Jun 2019
Giverny is, of course, a wonderful, beautiful place. However, it was SO crowded that our visit was not very enjoyable. Perhaps they need to limit the number of visitors? There also needs to be better (MUCH better) signage. We had no idea where we were going most of the visit
angela_s, Apr 2019
We enjoyed the trip very much and Nick our guide terrific.
Well organized and very helpful
Thank you
Nichole_O, Oct 2018
A bucket list item ticked off. What s great day and informal but fun way to do it......a bus drive to Vernon with a visit to the market for goodies for lunch; a bike ride through Vernon with a picnic lunch by the river @ the Old Mill followed by a wonder through Monet’s garden and manor. Serreal!!!!
Ruth_E, Jul 2018
My adult daughter and I took this tour so we could bike through the countryside and see where Monet lived and worked. This was a great choice. Phil was an excellent guide, the biking was just right and of course Giverny is beautiful. Highly recommended
Sheryl_C, Jul 2018
Loved this Fat Tire Bike Tour. I will do it again and bring members of my family. Our leader and guide, Bianca, was AMAZING. Thanks, all.
AdrienneRivett_J, May 2018
We were kind of disappointed by this tour. I didn't realize how small Monet's estate actually was, and I think I assumed we'd be biking around his gardens. That's not what this is at all. The actual biking part of the tour was just on a trail from Vernon to Giverny, and not a very compelling one. I suppose if you're only visiting Paris and want the feeling of a smaller French town, maybe this morning visit to Vernon would satisfy that, but we had already visited Provence and Burgundy, so Vernon and it's market weren't all that interesting. That part of the day just kind of dragged it out.
Monet's garden is obviously amazing, but if I had this to do over again, I would skip the bike tour and just take a train/bus/car out to his garden first thing in the morning to beat the crowds and have good light for photos, visit for a couple hours, and either head back to Paris or out to Rouen for the rest of the day. We usually love bike tours, but ultimately, I just don't think a visit to Giverny is a good fit for one.
Jane M, Jan 2018
This is a must - out of the hustle and bustle of Paris - Monet's gardens were brilliant
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