Majorelle Garden: book ahead?

The short answer

Yes, book before you go. The garden's website says tickets can only be purchased online, and a press release on the same site says the on-site ticket offices stopped operating from 30 January 2023. That leaves no ticket desk to fall back on at the gate. The buttons on this site lead to a GetYourGuide booking for entry to the garden alone, for the date and time you choose. Your entrance time can move by up to 30 minutes either way, and you enter on your own, with no guide and no meeting point. The sections below follow the steps in order.

What the garden itself says

The garden's website opens with a banner saying tickets can only be purchased online. Its page on the garden advises reserving an online ticket well in advance, so that you are assured the date and time you want, and it says the garden is open every day of the week. A press release from January 2023 gives the reason: online-only ticketing helps visitors avoid long lines and lets the garden manage the flow of visitors, in the garden and at its two museums. Opening hours are listed on that website too. They can change, so this guide does not repeat them.

How the date and time slot work

The garden's own ticket site asks for a date of visit and then a time of visit, so entry is by slot. The booking page this site links to works the same way: you pick a date and then see the available starting times. It adds that your entrance time may be adjusted 30 minutes earlier or later than the one you requested, because of availability. Plan the rest of your day around a window and not a minute. On the garden's own ticket site a reservation for individuals is capped at 15 people, which is worth knowing if you are booking for a large family. The booking page also warns of longer waits in peak seasons, and one reviewer describes long lines even with a reserved slot.

What arrives in your inbox

This is the step people miss. The booking voucher from GetYourGuide is not your entry ticket. The booking page's know-before-you-go note says your QR-code tickets will be sent by email one day before your visit, so you must give a valid email address that you can reach, and it asks you to check your inbox and your spam folder. A typo in the address matters, because the codes go to the address you gave. Have the email open on your phone when you set out, and keep your passport or ID card with you, since the booking page asks for one.

Booking here or on the garden's own site

The garden's websites name tickets.jardinmajorelle.com as the ticket site the garden stands behind, and say they take no responsibility for tickets sold on other sites. That is the garden's position and it is worth knowing. The ticket these buttons lead to is a GetYourGuide booking, and the booking page says QR codes follow by email a day before. Some reviewers on that page suggest buying from the garden's own site when you can, and many describe walking in. Open both, compare dates, options and the final cost, and choose the route you trust. This site earns a commission on bookings made through its buttons.

What to bring and what is not allowed

Bring a passport or an ID card; the booking page lists it under what to bring, and children under 10 need a valid ID card to enter free. The booking page lists pets, smoking, luggage or large bags, food, unaccompanied minors and feeding animals as not allowed. Commercial photography and video are not allowed either. Food is for sale on site instead: the garden has a café in what were the servants' quarters in Majorelle's day, open the same hours as the garden. Its website describes breakfast, light salads and warm dishes made with fresh local products, plus teas and juices.

What the ticket leaves out

The garden-only ticket does not include the Yves Saint Laurent Museum or the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts. The booking page says so in plain words, and its review summary notes that some travellers want clearer details on museum access. The garden's own ticket site sells the garden, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the garden with the Berber Museum, and a combined ticket as separate choices, and the Berber Museum's own page gives its admission and access details apart from the garden's. The other long guide on this site sets the garden-only ticket beside the combined listing.

Read next: Garden only, or with museums?

Children, disability and access

Children under 10 can enter free with a valid ID card, accompanied by an adult. Visitors with disabilities can enter free on showing a card that attests to the disability. The garden's website lists the same free categories, and the Berber Museum's page does too. It also lists free entry for school groups on written request, which a teacher would arrange with the garden directly. The garden's website says it is wheelchair accessible, and the booking page lists wheelchair access. If a free entry applies to someone in your party, read the booking page and the garden's own ticket site before you buy, and carry the proof with you.

What reviewers say

The booking page's review summary says travellers praise the garden's colours and calm, with tidy paths and good places for photos. Some travellers would like clearer details on pricing and inclusions, such as museum access and child policies. Individual reviewers call the garden quiet and well kept, say it is fine once you are inside despite the crowds at the entrance, and note that it is very shady. Others find it expensive for an unguided visit, and one says no information is displayed as you wander, so a guided tour would suit anyone interested in the history and the plants.

Who this isn't for

Skip this ticket if you want a guide: it is a self-guided entry, and a reviewer notes there is no information on display. Skip it if you want the museums, which need other tickets. If you would rather buy straight from the garden, use its own ticket site. If your dates are fixed, note that the booking page says there are no refunds or discounts if the garden closes for maintenance, safety or weather. And if you cannot be flexible on the minute, remember that the entrance slot can shift by up to 30 minutes.

Booking steps

Open the booking page, choose a date and a time slot, and read the starting times shown. Enter an email address you can reach, because the QR codes will be sent there. A full refund is available up to five days before. If something goes wrong with your booking, the booking page names the activity provider as Global Tours And Tickets. This guide quotes no fare: the booking page shows the live one for your date.

• Open the booking page and pick a date
• Choose a time slot and note that it can shift by 30 minutes
• Enter an email address you can reach
• Look for the QR codes the day before your visit
• Bring a passport or an ID card