Inside Monet’s garden in Giverny and how to visit this year
Home to the impressionist painter Claude Monet for half his life and the inspiration for his most famous works – those depicting colourful water-lilies and the Japanese bridge – the Monet Foundation, which runs Monet's garden in the village of Giverny, has long been a pilgrimage site for art and garden lovers.
Here we look at what makes the painter’s one-time home special and why it’s a must for anyone with a passion for art and gardens...
Where is Monet’s garden located?
Monet's house and gardens sit in the heart of the Seine Valley, 75km north-west of Paris in the beautiful Normandy village of Giverny.
There are plenty of options for getting to Monet’s garden from Paris including trains, taxis, shuttle buses or a hire car. The journey only takes around 90 minutes, meaning it's easy to take a day trip to Giverny from the capital.
With seamless travel to Paris from London on the Eurostar and speedy connection to Giverny, it's a great place to visit on a no-fly holiday if you're trying to be a little more environmentally conscious.
Travelling to Monet's garden from the capital means you can first pay a visit to the city's incredible Musée de l'Orangerie, where you’ll see the painter's series of murals, Les Nymphéas, inspired by his water-lily ponds in Giverny.
You'll travel flight-free to Paris by Eurostar and see these impressive, two-metre high paintings on Country Living's tour of northern France. The trip will also take you to Giverny, with the company of renowned gardening writer Paula McWaters.
Throughout the trip you'll be staying in the exceptional Château de Montvillargenne, a magnificent 19th-century château hotel and a wonderful base for exploring Paris, Giverny and Chantilly.
Is Monet’s garden worth a visit?
Being easily reachable from Paris, the gardens are definitely worth a visit for anyone with an appreciation of art and gardens. Wandering through the gardens, which are just as they were in Monet's time, allows you to see the master impressionist's source of inspiration and spot details you'll recognise from his paintings — an unforgettable experience for art lovers.
The gardens themselves are stunning, and have been loving maintained just as they were when Monet lived there. It's a very elaborate garden, with a lot of lovely details to appreciate as you wander along pathways bordered by lush flowerbeds.
You can combine a visit to the gardens with a stroll around Giverny itself, which has evolved over time into an artists’ village. The town is filled with workshops to peer into, galleries to browse, and a re-creation of a historic artists’ studio.
There's also the excellent Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny, where visitors can learn about the origins and legacy of the Impressionist movement. In spring 2025, the museum will host an exhibition of works from the prestigious Nahmad Collection, including paintings by Monet, Picasso, Degas and Renoir.
What can you see in Monet’s garden?
Monet was an avid collector of Japanese prints, and it is these that inspired the water garden – the most famous of his two gardens. Here you’ll find Monet’s iconic wisteria-clad Japanese bridge (made from beechwood by a local craftsman), along with smaller bridges, weeping willows, a bamboo woodland and the water lilies (nympheas), which bloom all summer.
The other part of Monet's garden is Le Clos Normand, a flower garden in front of his house, which both contrasts with and complements the Japanese garden.
This was the first garden to be created when Monet and his family settled in Giverny – planted by Monet as a play of perspectives, symmetries and colours.
You’ll see flowerbeds with plantings of different heights, fruit orchards, ornamental trees, climbing roses, long-stemmed hollyhocks and coloured banks of annuals. Among Monet’s skills was to mix simple flowers such as daisies and poppies with rare varieties, and to marry flowers by colour and allow them to grow quite freely.
How long do you need in Monet’s garden?
Most visitors spend 2-3 hours here – enough time to see the house and gardens, including the water-lily pond, and to walk over the Japanese Bridge.
On Country Living's wonderful French holiday, you'll spend half a day in Giverny, giving you plenty of time to wander through the Japanese-inspired gardens with their willow trees, rhododendrons and azaleas, to find the famous lily pond, captured on canvas in Monet's Les Nymphéas.
You might also wish to have a look around the town of Giverny (which is tiny) and its museum, workshops, galleries and the church where Monet is buried. To explore the tiny town, perhaps enjoying a drink in one of its relaxed cafes or bistros, you should factor in another couple of hours.
If you want to spend more time relaxing and enjoying the peaceful pace of life in the town, there's a selection of great hotels and guesthouses in Giverny and neighbouring Vernon. A favourite is Le Jardin des Plumes, just 500 metres from Monet's house and with its own tranquil garden.
What time of year should I visit Monet's garden?
Monet's Garden at Giverny welcomes visitors between April and October, remaining closed for the winter months. You'll see an incredible display of blooms whatever month you choose to visit while the garden is open.
In spring there'll be tulips, pansies, forget-me-nots, cherry and apple blossom, daffodils, irises, peonies, rhododendrons, poppies, geraniums, azaleas, and daisies filling the air with lovely scents. Country Living's tour of the Loire Valley takes place in April and includes a visit to Giverny, where you'll find the gardens at the height of their spring colour.
In summer you'll enjoy roses, zinnias, verbenas, dahlias, sunflowers, hollyhocks, and hibiscus. The famous water lilies begin to bloom in July, casting their colourful reflections on the water.
Even as late as October you can still enjoy annual blooms like marigolds and snapdragons until the frosts take over. There'll be peaceful atmosphere in the gardens in the chillier months, with fewer visitors, and you can also shelter from the cold by touring the house where Monet lived with his wife and their eight children.
You'll get a fascinating glimpse at the life of the artist, with period furniture, art and decoration all carefully preserved just as they were when he lived there. A highlight is the pretty French country kitchen with it's blue and white tiles and views over the gardens.
Is Monet’s garden free?
Tickets to Monet’s garden cost around €12–13 depending on where you order them from, with reduced fares for students and children. You’re strongly advised to book your e-tickets in advance, to avoid long queues when you get there. The tickets will be for a specific time slot and you can also book private guided tours, including in English.
Alternatively, if you book a spot on Country Living's tour of northern France including Giverny and the Musee de l’Orangerie in Paris (home to Monet’s glorious two-metre-tall water-lilies paintings), your tickets will be arranged for you as part of your package.
Visit Monet's garden with Country Living on two exclusive tours: one where you will be accompanied by garden columnist Paula McWaters and another combining a visit to Giverny with the chateaux and vineyards of the Loire Valley.
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