One place we really wanted to experience was Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny. Our European Summer Adventure: Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny takes us outside Paris for a day we had eagerly anticipated.

We booked a private tour with our friend Roland before our trip. Roland lives in Paris and has guided us before. He picked us up early at Hotel Monge, and we headed toward Giverny. The drive took about an hour and a half. Along the way, Roland shared stories about Giverny, Monet, his family, and the gardens. He always makes history interesting and fun.

We arrived early enough for coffee, tea, and croissants before starting our visit. It was a nice way to ease into the morning before seeing a place I had wanted to experience.

Giverny is a small village in Normandy, west of Paris. Claude Monet discovered the village in 1883 and quickly fell in love with the area. He rented a house there and later bought the property in 1890. Monet lived in Giverny until his death in 1926.

The surrounding countryside inspired many of his paintings. Over time, his own gardens became one of his greatest sources of inspiration. He created a place filled with color, light, water, and reflections. Those elements later appeared again and again in his work.

The main entrance leads you toward the flower garden and Monet’s home. The long house stands out with soft pink walls and green shutters. But the garden is what stopped us.

Flowers, plants, trees, and vines filled every space around us. The colors were everywhere, yet the garden still felt natural. We took our time where we could, while staying mindful of the other visitors enjoying the gardens too.  I could say so much about the gardens because every area seemed to offer something different.

After spending time in the garden, we entered Monet’s home. Walking through the rooms gave us another glimpse into his life. The house has just as much personality as the gardens.

Bright colors make the rooms feel warm and lively. The dining room is filled with warm yellow tones, while the kitchen stands out with blue tiles and copper cookware. His studio holds reproductions of his work. Seeing the paintings together reminded us how deeply the landscape influenced him.

To reach the water garden, we walked through a pedestrian tunnel and followed a path through the greenery. The setting felt completely different from the flower garden. We walked beneath trees and through thick foliage. Bamboo and large leafy plants surrounded the paths.

Then we reached the pond. Water lilies floated across the surface while greenery reflected in the water. The famous Japanese bridge curved over the pond beneath hanging wisteria. It was breathtaking.

We kept stopping because every direction offered another beautiful view. I understood why this garden inspired so much of Monet’s work. There was so much to take in, yet the whole area felt peaceful.

We took so many photographs of the gardens, pond, flowers, and bridges. I plan to share plenty because the beauty deserves to be seen. Some readers may never have the chance to visit Giverny. I hope our photos give them a small glimpse of what made it special.

Still, even our favorite photographs cannot capture what it feels like to stand there. You need to see the colors, reflections, and gardens with your own eyes. The peaceful feeling of the water garden is also difficult to capture in a photograph.

Book your tickets in advance, especially during busy travel months. The house and gardens open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. Last admission is at 5:30 p.m. Arriving early can help you see the house before the crowds build. We visited the house first, then spent more time exploring the gardens and water garden.

Late afternoon can also be a good time to visit. If possible, consider arriving around 4:00 p.m. Wear comfortable shoes because you will do plenty of walking.

Security checks bags before entry, and oversized backpacks are not allowed. We also used another entrance along the side lane instead of the main entrance. That helped us enter more quickly during our visit.

Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny became one of our favorite experiences during our week in Paris. The house was beautiful, but the gardens stayed with us.  If we could have stayed longer, we would have happily spent hours taking in the flowers and the pond. It was the kind of place you never felt ready to leave.

If you are visiting Paris, I would add Giverny to your list. Photos can show you the flowers, bridges, and water lilies. Seeing Monet’s garden in person is an experience all its own. This is one of those places we will remember for a very long time.

Next in Our European Summer Adventure, we return to Paris for our final post. We will share more from our week and my birthday celebration.

Before we move on, if you missed our last Paris museum, you can read Our European Summer Adventure: Musée Jacquemart-André  click HERE.