Visite guidée du Désert de Retz
Chambourcy
Presentation
Saturday July 30, August 27, September 24 and August 29 at 3 p.m.
Visit this jewel of the Age of Enlightenment which opens its doors to you! The Desert of Retz is an Anglo-Chinese garden created at the end of the 18th century by the aristocrat François-Nicolas-Henri Racine de Monville. Its owner-creator names it Désert, to evoke those solitary places where we liked to retire and entertain without labels. Established on an area of 17 hectares today, located on the northern edge of the forest of Marly, this park with its factories, its audacious viewpoints and its remarkable trees will enchant you!
Duration: 1h30
Meet at the entrance to the Désert de Retz, at the end of the Allée Frédéric Passy, 78240 CHAMBOURCY
Plan an outfit adapted to the hike (good shoes and long clothes). Possibility of parking on the site.
Reservation required at the Tourist Office.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION AND ACCESS:
- Please wait for the guide next to the Boutique/ticket office located at the entrance to the site.
- If you come by public transport from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, take the R4 bus towards Chambourcy, get off at "Mairie'" then, from there, count about 45min to reach the entrance to the site on foot.
- By car, you can park inside the site, after the green gate located at the end of Allée Frédéric Passy.
* For your visit to take place in the best conditions, we advise you to adapt your outfit to the weather and the "nature" aspect of this place:
- Cover your legs and feet, preferably wearing trousers/boots or good walking shoes, as the site can be muddy in the rain.
In addition, depending on the year, ticks may be present: when you get home, don't forget to check that one of these little inhabitants has not followed you!
- Wear a hat/cap (in case of high heat) or waterproof clothing (in case of rain).
As a reminder, the visit will only take place outdoors and will last 1h30
Visit this jewel of the Age of Enlightenment which opens its doors to you! The Desert of Retz is an Anglo-Chinese garden created at the end of the 18th century by the aristocrat François-Nicolas-Henri Racine de Monville. Its owner-creator names it Désert, to evoke those solitary places where we liked to retire and entertain without labels. Established on an area of 17 hectares today, located on the northern edge of the forest of Marly, this park with its factories, its audacious viewpoints and its remarkable trees will enchant you!
Duration: 1h30
Meet at the entrance to the Désert de Retz, at the end of the Allée Frédéric Passy, 78240 CHAMBOURCY
Plan an outfit adapted to the hike (good shoes and long clothes). Possibility of parking on the site.
Reservation required at the Tourist Office.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION AND ACCESS:
- Please wait for the guide next to the Boutique/ticket office located at the entrance to the site.
- If you come by public transport from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, take the R4 bus towards Chambourcy, get off at "Mairie'" then, from there, count about 45min to reach the entrance to the site on foot.
- By car, you can park inside the site, after the green gate located at the end of Allée Frédéric Passy.
* For your visit to take place in the best conditions, we advise you to adapt your outfit to the weather and the "nature" aspect of this place:
- Cover your legs and feet, preferably wearing trousers/boots or good walking shoes, as the site can be muddy in the rain.
In addition, depending on the year, ticks may be present: when you get home, don't forget to check that one of these little inhabitants has not followed you!
- Wear a hat/cap (in case of high heat) or waterproof clothing (in case of rain).
As a reminder, the visit will only take place outdoors and will last 1h30
Information
- Languages :
- French
- Type :
- Tours
- Type of audience :
- Individual clientele
- Type of visit :
- Guided tour
- Duration :
- 1h30
- Ticketing information :
- Dated time ticket
- Payment conditions :
- Secure credit card payment
- Location :
- Chambourcy
- Mandatory reservation :
- Mandatory reservation
- Themes :
- Culture
- Nature
- History
- Next :
- on 29 August 2026
Equipments, Services
- Languages :
- French
- Useful information :
- Toilets on site
- Car parking on site
Good to know
- Equipment to provide :
- Shoes adapted to the activity
- Bottle of water
- Warm clothes
- The strong point :
- Supervised visit
- State-certified tour guide
- Exceptional opening
- Discovery of heritage
- For the young :
- From 8 years old
Availability
Reviews
Score on website :
(109 review)
4.65
/ 5
August 2026
geneviève
Score :
5
/ 5
Très bonne visite
Mais groupe nombreux
Review written on 10/08/2026
11/08/2026
17h03
Julie replied
Bonjour,
Nous vous remercions pour votre retour positif et sommes ravis que vous ayez apprécié cette croisière.
La croisière affichait effectivement complet ce jour-là, avec un nombre de participants correspondant à la capacité maximale du bateau. Nous prenons néanmoins bonne note de votre remarque concernant la taille du groupe.
Bien cordialement,
L’Office de Tourisme Saint Germain Boucles de Seine
July 2026
Christine
Score :
5
/ 5
Review written on 28/07/2026
28/07/2026
14h17
Julie replied
Bonjour,
Nous vous remercions pour votre note positive concernant la prestation et espérons vous revoir prochainement.
Bien cordialement
L'Office de Tourisme Saint Germain Boucles de Seine
Reviews by profile type
Address
Entrée du Désert de Retz
Au bout de l'allée Frédéric Passy
78240
Chambourcy
GPS coordinates
Latitude : 48.89081
Longitude : 2.02153