How to See the Bayeux Tapestry

Embroidered around the 11th century, the Bayeux Tapestry is a must-see. Find out how to get tickets, what the opening hours are, how you should dress to go to this place and, above all, it is important to know what the ticket prices are and whether it is possible to take a guided tour. I'll tell you all this and a bit more about it below.

The Bayeux Tapestry is housed in the Musée de la Tapisserie, located at 13B Rue de Nesmond in Bayeux. Tickets, which can be purchased online via the official website and at the ticket office, cost €12 for adults and €5 for children aged 10 to 18, with children under 18 free.

However, the best option to visit this work of art is to book a guided tour of Bayeux which includes a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry. Wondering why? An expert guide will give you all the details of this large canvas depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. This is very practical, because if you decide to do the visit on your own, you will miss many interesting facts.

The museum offers an audio guide which is included in the ticket price. One of the advantages of this audio guide is that you can choose from about 16 languages, including French, English, Spanish and Italian. It is also possible to find the guide in Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Russian, and many others.

It is also possible to take a guided tour that will take you around the museum and tell you all the interesting facts about the most important works, including the tapestry. This guided tour, which you will have to sign up for at least one hour in advance at the ticket office, can last just over an hour and a half.

However, if you want to make sure you don't run out of places and miss out on all the interesting details about this tapestry and its history, you also have the opportunity to book a tour of this French city with a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry.

Anyone with a ticket can see the Bayeux Tapestry, but please note that it is important to present official identification to be allowed access to the museum, either a passport or identity card if you are European.

Children, although welcome in the museum, must be accompanied by an adult at all times for safety reasons.

As for animals, whether pets or assistance animals of any kind, it is important to know that they are not allowed to enter the museum, so if you are travelling with pets, you should take this rule into consideration.

As you know, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is very easy to reach. In fact, it is very close to the other three important museums of the city, so you can move between them on foot. However, in case you are coming from a distant place, you have to use public transport or a private car.

Private car

If you are travelling by private car, there is a car park near the museum where you can park your car. You can travel by private car to get there from anywhere in the city of Bayeux, as well as from Caen using the N13 route leaving at 36 to Bayeux.

The car park is free if you use it to go to the site. Paid parking is also available nearby. The museum car park is also available for those travelling to the museum on a guided tour and travelling by private car.

Train

If the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is one of your first choices for a visit to Bayeux, you should know that once you are at Paris Airport, you can board the train to get to the town of Bayeux. It won't be too difficult because Saint-Lazare station is the closest station to the Airport and it will take you to Bayeux station, from where you can easily get to the Tapestry Museum.

The good thing about going by train is that the station is really close to the three Bayeux museums, so once you arrive at Bayeux train station, you can walk to visit each of them. The walking tour can take between 10 and 15 minutes.

The opening hours of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum are as follows:

• Between January and October, it opens from 9 am and closes at 6.30 pm.
• Between May and August, opening hours are extended by half an hour and close at 7pm.
• In November and December, the museum is open to the public from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm.

You have the opportunity to enter the museum up to 45 minutes before closing time, so that you can make the most of your visit. As for public holidays, the museum is closed on 24 and 25 December, as well as in the afternoon of 31 December.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the museum is closed in January, so if you plan your trip to Bayeux during the first month of the year, you won't be able to visit the famous tapestry.

Children have a special price:

• If they are under 10 years old they enter the grounds for free.
• Children and young people up to 18 years of age have to pay approximately 5 euros per ticket.

However, it is not recommended for the youngest members of the family. As it is basically an interpretative work that can be enjoyed much more by history and art lovers, it is likely that very young children will prefer much more entertaining and didactic plans than going to see the Bayeux Tapestry.

If after that you still think that the children who will go with you on the trip to Bayeux will really enjoy this experience, or you just don't want to miss taking them on your trip, try talking to them about the tapestry before you get to the museum, read with them the history of this embroidery and explain to them why it is so important. Another possibility is to book a tour with a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry so that the guide can entertain them.

It is a masterpiece with an impressive quality and attention to detail. It is embroidered with more than 600 human beings, 200 equines, almost 60 dogs and 500 other animals and beasts, 37 fortifications and 41 boats. Made of wool, it is a total of 68.38 metres long and half a metre wide.

One of the most interesting details of this tapestry is that it has great historical importance, because it not only shows the great medieval battles, including the battle of the Norman Conquest, but also shows part of the preparations for this battle, which sets it apart from other historical documents.

You should not miss the other areas of the museum that will undoubtedly surprise you.

It is important that you have enough time to visit the Bayeux Tapestry, so I recommend you set aside at least an hour and a half to two hours to explore the Tapestry Museum.

Bearing in mind that the audio guide can last approximately one to one and a half hours and the guided tour can last up to two hours, a self-guided tour can last approximately two hours, although it all depends on how deeply you want to explore the site and appreciate the work.

• Before going to the Bayeux museum, I recommend you to make a reservation well in advance, taking into account that it is a very visited place, so it is a perfect option if you want to save time when you arrive at the place.
• Another option is to book a tour with a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry where you will have free access and no queues. This way, you'll be able to learn all about the history behind the tapestry.
• If you go with children, make sure you talk to them about the tapestry and its importance for everyone before you go to see it. It might give them an idea of what they will see when they arrive, so they won't be bored.
• You can bring your camera without a flash to document everything you see inside the grounds.
• And of course, before your trip, be sure to check out the best things to see and do in Bayeux to make the most of your visit.