paris free guided tours

Best things to see and do in Paris

Paris is the capital of France and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world. It is one of the places highest on the list of cities you should visit at least once in your life because of everything it has to offer culturally, in terms of its monuments, architecture, and cuisine. In addition to the main attractions of the city like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, or the Montmartre and Le Marais neighborhoods, take a free walking tour to get to discover some of the lesser-known parts of the city where the River Seine flows. 

On any of the free guided tours we offer in Paris , you will be able to find a large selection of unmissable places to visit with your local guide who will show you the hidden charms and the way of life of this amazing city. You can’t leave Paris without having gone to visit the Saint Chapelle Church, the Louvre Museum, the gardens of Champs Elysées, Sacré Coeur Basilica, Pont Neuf (the New Bridge) over the Seine, Luxembourg Gardens, the Parisian Catacombs,  Vendome Square, Les Halles Market, the Pompidou Center, Orsay Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Latin Neighborhood, Tuileries Gardens, the Galleries Lafayette, Garnier Opera, or the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. 

Many travelers leave their reviews and opinions after having done their free walking tour in Paris (in the morning or afternoon) and they evaluate the route and their experience with the local guide. After, there may be other cities you want to visit and do a guided tour with a local guru like Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, or Nice. 

What is included in the Essential Free Tour of Paris?

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5 Free Paris Walking Tours You Won’t Want to Miss

By: Author Sophie Nadeau

Posted on Last updated: 1st March 2023

Categories Paris , walking tour

Last Updated on 1st March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

Here’s your guide to the best of free Paris walking tours you won’t want to miss! Each focuses on a different arrondissement, aspect of the city, and all are worth taking in order to get to know the city on a more local level!

Do you want to truly get to know Paris? Discover the city’s secret spots, where to find the trendiest museums, and where to go to hang out in all the coolest cafés? Well, these free and self-guided walks are the perfect place to start.

Is Paris a good walking city?

#1 montmartre walking tour, #2 le marais walking tour, #3 ile de la cité walking tour, #4 latin quarter walking tour, #5 highlights of paris of the past walking tour, paris: french fashion history walking tour, read some books about paris, set aside enough time, paris museum pass, wear comfortable shoes, book your paris accommodation well in advance, enjoyed finding out about these 5 free paris walking tours you won’t want to miss pin it now, read it again later:.

First things first: is it easy to walk around Paris? I would personally say that Paris is fairly easily to navigate on foot thanks to the fact that most of the historic districts (or arrondissements as they’re so-called in French) are centred within the Paris Peripherique.

With this being said, some areas of the city are much more walkable than others! For example, while the Latin Quarter has some of the widest boulevards in Paris, Le Marais is home to much tinier alleyways and plenty of little cobblestone lanes.

Furthermore, Montmartre is pretty hilly, and some streets are steep in places, not to mention that there are a number of roads scattered across the city which remain cobbled, so leave the high heels at home!

Wherever you choose to walk, I recommend wearing comfy walking shoes! I personally love my keds like these ones as they go well with dresses and skirts and can easily pack into the smallest of suitcases. If you’re looking for something even comfier, I love the shoes from this company .

Best Paris walking tours

If you make it your mission to enjoy just one Parisian arrondissement on a local level, make it Montmartre. After all, head to the 18th arrondissement of Paris and you won’t find the 19th-century Haussmannian architecture that is so synonymous with the city.

Instead, you’ll find a village vibe complete with several wooden windmills, and even a secret vineyard! Highlights of the Montmartre walking tour of Paris include several historical spots, as well as must-see photography sites (think Instagrammable streets and postcard perfect walkways).

Read the full Montmartre walking tour guide details here.

Once a marshy swampland on the fringes of the city, today Le Marais is one of the chicest districts Paris has to offer. Home to designer stores, boutique hotels, and plenty of incredible eateries, head to this area of the city if you want to discover Paris’ Medieval past.

While in Le Marais, be sure not to miss out on a visit to Place des Vosges (the first public square in the city), as well as the chance to dip into Paris’ ever-so-new vegan scene.

Other highlights of this walking tour include a visit to the oldest house in Paris and a visit to some of the coolest museums the French capital has to offer.

Read the full Le Marais walking tour guide details here.

If you’re headed to Paris for the first or thousandth time, then no doubt you’ll find yourself on Ile de la Cite at one point or another. One of two natural islands in the centre of the River Seine, it’s in this district where you’ll find Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle , and plenty of history from the Middle Ages.

Allegedly, it’s also on Ile de la Cité where the fated lovers, Heloise and Abelard met. Similarly, it’s there where the love story of the doves took place during the 13th-century.

Other highlights of this area of Paris include one of the cutest coffee shops in the city, as well as one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in the late spring.

Read the full Ile de la Cite walking tour guide details here.

So-called because during the Middle Ages students from the nearby Sorbonne university would converse with one another solely in Latin, today the Latin Quarter is still filled with students, happy-hour bars, and eateries. Centrally located and full of museums, this walking tour is predominantly about books, coffee, and cake!

Other highlights of the Latin Quarter include plenty of Roman ruins (the baths are a sight to behold in of themselves), the Paris Pantheon (the dome offers one of the best panoramic views of the city), and the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, the final resting place of the patron saint of Paris, Saint Genevieve.

Read the full Latin Quarter walking tour guide details here.

If you’re looking for a meander of the historical highlights that have shaped Paris over the ages, then my vintage Paris tour is free to undertake and will guide you from the Latin Quarter, through Ile de la Cite, and all the way to the other side of the Seine, and into Le Marais.

For those who are unable to embark on the other free Paris walking tours due to time constraints, this is the perfect self-guided walking tour for you.

Other attractions you may well want to stop off at en-route include admiring the ever-so-stunning stained glass windows of Sainte Chapelle and seeing the very spot from which all points in Paris are measured.

Read the full Paris highlights walking tour guide details here.

Paid walking tours of Paris

If you prefer to go on a Parisian walking tour together with a local and experienced guide, then you can find lots of walking tours for a fairly reasonable free on almost any topic of your choosing. Here are some of our top picks for the best of Paris walking tours with a guide:

If you’re looking to discover that the best of fashion history, then you might consider a three-hour guided visit around the luxury area of rue Saint-Honoré. On the visit, you’ll soon discover about the history of French fashion houses and their influence on the world of fashion today.

Discover more tour details here

Practical advice, tricks, and tips for going on free walking tours of Paris

Before you visit the City of Light, then you may well want to read some fiction and historical works and memoirs about the city. Here are my very top creme de la creme picks for the best  books about Paris !

One of the top tips I could give you before embarking on a self-guided Paris walking tour would be to ensure that you give yourself enough time to truly enjoy the walk. As well as strolling around the city, you’ll want to set aside time to enjoy all of the attractions listed within each guide and snap photos en route.

If you want to see a number of museums and cultural sites while in the City of Light, you may well want to consider purchasing an all-in-one pass.

This 2,4, or 6-day pass gives you access to over 60 museums, and in many cases, offers skip-the-line options at many of these institutions. Check prices and more information here.

When visiting any European capital city, comfortable shoes are a must. And Le Marais arrondissement of Paris is no exception. Be sure to leave your high heels at home as there are plenty of cobbled streets, especially on these free walking tours of Paris.

I personally love  these shoes  as they go well with both jeans and dresses. I would also add that any kind of tennis shoes, i.e.  ones like these , are really practical for wandering around the city.

If you’re planning a trip to Paris, then you should bear in mind that it’s an extremely popular destination all year round. This means that you should probably book your hotel/ hostel/ guest house well in advance.  You can find the best deals for Paris accommodation here.

Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Sunday 16th of April 2023

i would like to read the texts in French….

Gideon Yuval

Wednesday 9th of October 2019

Thanks very much Sophie for this valuable information - written and presented in a very attractive and entertaining way :-). May I suggest you build a Google map with it and share? I built maps based on what you wrote here, but it would save others time if it was public

Monday 4th of February 2019

The latin quater is called tgat because this is tge area the romans set up camp , not because students spoke in latin

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Free walking tours in Paris

Paris is a metropolis filled with magic and charm that has inspired poets, writers, and artists for centuries. Its tree-lined avenues, wrought-iron bridges over the Seine, and majestic historic buildings evoke the golden era of the Belle Époque. But the City of Love is not only an open-air museum; it's also a vibrant modern city with an unparalleled culinary scene and unmatched fashion.

From the Eiffel Tower to the Champs-Élysées, from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Louvre, every corner of Paris is infused with the city's characteristic elegance and charm. Stroll its streets, uncover its secrets, savor its food, and immerse yourself in its culture – Paris awaits you with open arms!

Discover the City of Light with our Free Walking Tour in Paris

Free walking tours in Paris are an excellent option for discovering the city in an economical and authentic way. These tours allow you to explore the city's most iconic places, such as the Latin Quarter with its medieval architecture, the lively Saint-Michel Square, and the majestic Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church. You can also take a stroll through Montmartre and visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the famous windmills, and the charming Place du Tertre. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy these tours during your visit to the City of Light.

What Are Free Walking Tours in Paris?

Free tours in Paris are an ideal option for those who want to explore the City of Light without spending too much money. These guided tours offer the opportunity to visit the most iconic places in Paris accompanied by expert guides.

These walking tours allow you to delve into Parisian history and culture while discovering its most fascinating corners. Unlike traditional tours, free tours do not have a fixed price; instead, they operate based on voluntary tips that participants can give at the end of the tour.

One of the main advantages of free tours in Paris is that they allow you to save money during your visit. By not having to pay a fixed price for the tour, you can allocate that money to other activities or souvenirs to take home as mementos of your trip.

Authentic Knowledge of Parisian History and Culture

One of the main benefits is that they provide you with authentic knowledge of Parisian history and culture. Expert guides will share fascinating stories and anecdotes about the places you visit, allowing you to immerse yourself in the city's rich history. You'll learn about historical events, local traditions, and the daily life of Parisians, gaining a deeper and more authentic perspective of the city.

Visit the Most Iconic Places in Paris

Free tours in Paris offer you the opportunity to visit some of the city's most iconic places. You can explore the charming Latin Quarter with its medieval and Renaissance architecture, visit the famous Sorbonne University, and marvel at the beautiful Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church. Additionally, you can stroll through Montmartre, visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and enjoy the bohemian atmosphere of Place du Tertre. These tours allow you to discover the city's highlights in a convenient and accessible way.

Don't miss the chance to take advantage of the benefits of free tours in Paris during your visit. You'll save money, learn about the history and culture of Paris, and visit the city's most iconic places.

Walking Tours in Paris

Latin Quarter: A Journey Through Medieval and Renaissance History

Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of Paris's Latin Quarter. Walk its charming streets filled with history and admire the medieval and Renaissance architecture that will transport you back in time. During this tour, you'll visit the famous Sorbonne University, a cradle of knowledge and a meeting place for great thinkers throughout the centuries. You'll also enjoy the lively Saint-Michel Square and be captivated by the beauty of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church and its impressive stained glass windows. Let yourself be seduced by the rich historical and cultural heritage of this iconic area of Paris.

Montmartre: Art, History, and Bohemian Charm

Embark on a journey through the bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre and discover its artistic essence. Walk its historic cobblestone streets and visit the majestic Basilica of the Sacred Heart, from which you'll enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the city. Learn about the stories of Montmartre's famous windmills, witnesses of the area's artistic past, and don't miss the charming atmosphere of Place du Tertre, where artists paint live and showcase their talent through their works. Let yourself be carried away by the magic of this iconic neighborhood and discover the perfect fusion of history, art, and bohemian charm in every corner.

Central Paris: A Route Through the City's Treasures

Explore the heart of Paris and be amazed by its cultural and heritage richness. During this tour, you'll visit the city's most iconic places, such as the world-renowned Louvre Museum, home to countless masterpieces of art history. Let yourself be enchanted by the elegant streets of the city while learning about the history and stories hidden behind each corner. Additionally, the guide will be happy to provide restaurant and shopping recommendations so you can make the most of your experience in Paris.

Interesting Museums to Visit

• Musée Carnavalet: Dive into the history of Paris through the exhibitions of this museum, which houses a vast collection of art and historical artifacts.
• Musée Picasso: Immerse yourself in the world of the famous Spanish painter in this museum dedicated to his life and work. Contemplate his masterpieces and discover the various stages of his career.
• Musée Cognacq-Jay: If you're interested in 18th-century art and history, this museum is a must-visit. Explore the private collection of the Cognacq-Jay couple and marvel at their art, furniture, and decorative objects from the period.

In addition to these museums, the Marais district is home to numerous contemporary art galleries and design shops that will delight art and fashion enthusiasts.

Recommendations to Maximize Your Enjoyment

Plan Your Route and Book in Advance

Before embarking on a free tour in Paris, it's important to plan your route and book in advance to secure your spot. These tours are often very popular, especially during peak seasons, so it's recommended to make an online reservation. Ensuring you have a reserved spot will guarantee you can enjoy the experience without any hitches.

Follow the Guide's Instructions and Advice

During the tour, pay attention to the guide's instructions and advice. They are experts in the field and know each of the places you'll visit. Follow the guide's instructions and stay close to the group to not miss any details. Additionally, take the opportunity to ask questions and deepen your knowledge of Paris's history and culture.

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15 Best Free Walking Tours in Paris

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A little piece of heaven resides in the food and fashion capital of France that can be experienced on the free walking tours in Paris.

With a profound history full of the French Revolution memoirs, iconic pieces of architecture, and the ever enchanting Eiffel Tower – these walks unveil the heart and soul of the city that envelopes you with an air of love.

So, without any further ado, let’s explore our list of Paris’ best walking tours.

Please note that some free walking tours of Paris are exclusively in English, while others are in Spanish or other languages. Make sure to pick the right one before booking.

1 – Freetour Paris Essential

Unveil the many faces of Paris as you treat yourself to an introduction to the best tourist attractions , such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic Louvre Museum, and the quintessential Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, all in 3 hours.

Even better, roam like a Parisian as you wander through its streets and discover all the intriguing facts that make this the “city of love and light.”

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2 – Latin Quarter and Luxembourg Gardens

Immerse yourself in the fine art of the Parisian-style student life as you tour the Latin Quarter— which is the intellectual neighborhood of the bohemian Paris.

Experience for yourself the spellbinding history of the ‘Sorbonne University’ and learn why it holds so much significance all over the world.

That’s not all; enjoy the stately Luxembourg Gardens and its Palace, in addition to visiting down many side streets and local hidden gems.

3 – Freetour Legends and Mysteries of Paris

Paris harbors a plethora of mysteries and secrets in its bosom, some of which will be unfolded on this walking tour.

Firstly, the guide will scrounge out the legends of demons and angels that lie hidden in the walls of the structurally mesmerizing Notre Dame Cathedral.

From holy stories, get ready to jump right into both the eerie ghost encounters Pablo Picasso had during his life which later became a muse for his black canvases and the grotesque stories attached to the Hotel De Ville.

4 – Montmartre Free Walking Tour: From Moulin Rouge to Sacré Coeur

Set afoot in the underrated yet ethereal town of Montmartre on this free walking tour in Paris where the guide will take you on a rollercoaster of alleys infused with vibrant culture.

You’ll encounter the unearthed gems of Montmartre from the brightly hued vineyard, the Man who walked through the wall, and some undiscovered views of Paris.

That’s not all, come up and close with Picasso’s workshop and the place where Impressionist Art was birthed.

5 – Fragonard Perfume Museum Free Tour

Uncover the delicate art of perfumery through a guided tour to the Fragonard Perfume Museum that dates back to the nineteenth century.

Learn the meticulous process of putting together perfumes right from picking the raw materials to pouring a world-class fragrance into a labeled bottle.

Emblazoned on the walls is an assortment of old perfume bottles from Ancient Egypt which will transport you back in time.

6 – Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees

Plunge deep into the enormous yet enriching history of the city, from the nineteenth century to the present, on this free walking tour in Paris.

Gazing at the intricately constructed buildings, you’ll come across the spectacular sights of the Tomb of Napolean Bonaparte, the infamous Emperor.

Get spellbound by the legendary Théâtre National de Chaillot as you take in romantic puffs of fresh air near the Eiffel Tower.

7 – Free Walking Tour of Le Marais

Discover the fun district of Le Marais that makes everyone’s heartthrob with awe.

You’ll feel on cloud nine as you’re encircled by glorious art galleries that house the works of inspired hands and fashion stores that transport you into their glamorous world.

Enjoy the best falafel in town as you step foot into the Jewish district and lose yourself in the aura of the authentic Parisian lifestyle.

8 – Paris Uncovered – Free Walking Tour

Every breath you take in Paris will go into your box of memories as a cherished moment, such is the grandiose of this city.

Peel off the inherent layers of history on this guided tour as you walk from Palais De Justice to the Quartier Latin.

That’s not all; embrace the chilly wind hitting your face as you walk across the architectural beauty, Le Jardin de Luxembourg.

9 – Free walking tour Paris – How to be Parisian!

Melt into the mold of Parisians as you step into their world for a day on this free walking tour to Paris, unraveling their way of life.

Feel your spirits enliven as you catch glances of Arc De Triumph, Palais Royal, and Saint Chapelle.

Moving forward onto a plethora of radiantly built bridges, you’ll catch yourself mesmerized with the luscious beauty of the Luxembourg garden and many more breathtaking sights.

10 – Beauty of Paris – Free walking tour

Do you know why Paris attracts a multitude of tourists? If you don’t, this guided tour will be an eye-opener for you as it’ll present on a platter the most lauded neighborhoods of Paris.

From the happening Goute d’Or to the underrated Montmartre and Latin Quartier to the awe-inspiring and gorgeous epitome of art, the old Louvre Museum, this tour will take you everywhere with insightful commentary.

11 – Free Tour Paris Mon Amour – The essentials of the Rive Gauche

Lumbering around in the vast streets of Paris evokes the sensation of utmost felicity and courtesy to its lively aura.

A step into the Museum of Modern Art will call out the artist in you and another step into the Wine Museum will leave all your senses pleased.

On this tour, you’ll discover the most exhilarating spots like the Eiffel Tower, Princess Diana Square, and many patisseries, all of which celebrate the Parisian culture in its full glory.

12 – Charm Montmartre, a village in the heart of Paris – free tour

Delve into the charisma of the village of Montmartre, enriched with extraordinary spots like the Wall of Love with innumerable engravings pouring affection.

Further on this tour, soak in the gorgeous sight of the Sacre Coeur Basilica and not to miss the oldest standing church in Paris, the historic Saint Pierre De Montmartre.

13 – Free walking tour Paris – Awesome night in the love city

Watch the blinking lights on the Eiffel Tower as it sparkles at night to lighten up the whole city.

With an amiable guide, discover the city of love at the strike of dusk on a free walking tour in Paris, which takes you from Quai Saint-Bernard in all its glory to the beautiful Eiffel tower.

After capturing these enchanting views, sit down for a sip at the legendary Buddha Bar.

14 – Free walking tour Paris – Full history and culture

On this free walking tour in Paris, revel in the stories inscribed on every wall and corner of this city with an informative commentary.

As you listen to the many anecdotes of the Lock Bridge, move on to admiring the Arc De Triomphe and Jardin de Place Royal.

On top of that, drive up your spirits in the most luxurious way as you step into the largest square in Paris, Place de la Concorde.

15 – The Paris Free Photoshoot Tour

With a city painted with such enriched culture and gorgeous sightings as Paris, not capturing all its essence and glory would totally be a crime.

So, on this free tour, get yourself a professional photographer who will take you to the city’s most iconic hotspots- idyllic to forever transform your presence into memories through photos.

We hope you enjoyed our selection of the best free walking tours in Paris. Do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions.

Enjoy Paris 🙂

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The best free walking tours and paid tours in Paris by Walkative guides.

Tours in paris pay what you wish tours.

What is going on in Paris

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What to see in Paris?

Paris is not only the largest metropolis in France – it is also the famous city of lovers, the fashion capital of the world and the setting for many award-winning films. Productions such as Amelia , Midnight in Paris and The da Vinci Code , among others, were filmed here. Charming winding streets, cosy café gardens, delicious local cuisine and, above all, numerous monuments attract tens of millions of tourists to Paris year after year. For years it has remained in the top five most visited cities in the world.

On our website you can register for an amazing tours of Paris , during which experienced guides will lead you to all the most important sights. What do they include? First and foremost, the famous Eiffel Tower. It is the tallest and most recognisable building in the city. It is located at the north-western end of the Champs de Mars, on the left bank of the Seine. Among the most visited attractions in Paris is also the Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral. Its distinctive façade with two massive towers and an almost ten-metre-high stained-glass rosette is a sight that makes huge impression on visitors.

Paris tours – what else to see?

In addition to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs de Mars, the left bank of the Seine is also home to the classicist Hôtel des Invalides palace and the Dôme des Invalides church with its beautiful golden dome. It is here that the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte, transported to Europe in the 19th century, are laid to rest. Museum lovers will enjoy the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum, which houses the artist’s collection of sculptures (including the famous Thinker ) and many paintings from his collection – including works by van Gogh and Renoir.

A trip to Paris, however, should not end with a visit to the left bank of the Seine. After all, it is on the other side of the river that the Louvre is located – formerly a royal palace and now one of the most important museums in the world. In addition to the famous Mona Lisa , you’ll find more than 380,000 other exhibits from all parts of the world. The collections include, among others, a stele with the Code of Hammurabi from around 1700 BC, a statue of Venus de Milo and paintings by masters such as da Vinci, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Raphael and Delacroix.

What else is worth seeing in Paris? A trip to at least one of the triumphal arches is a must: Arc du Carrousel or Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe is only a few hundred metres from the Louvre, so it’s worth visiting both on one trip around Paris. Architecture lovers will also appreciate the beautiful neo-baroque Grand Palais exhibition hall and the Petit Palais museum standing opposite to the former one. Both buildings impress with their intricate façades. Amazing sight that you should also visit is the beautiful Alexander III Bridge right next to them. A walking tour of Paris is sheer pleasure in this area.

Helpful guides and articles – Paris:

• Paris in 3 days – how to visit the city of lights?
• Public transport in Paris – everything you need to know
• The most interesting museums in Paris – which ones are an absolute must?
• Paris, the city of Love
• What and where to eat in Paris?

Free walking tour – Paris with an experienced guide

Contrary to what you might think, a tour of the French capital doesn’t have to be rushed and without proper commentary – you just need to know where to look for alternatives. The free tours of Paris available on our website are the ideal option for couples, families and small groups of friends who would like, above all, to enjoy each other’s company and at the same time not give up exploring the city with an experienced guide. You will find free walking tours of Paris , as well as other cities in Western Europe – including Lisbon, Seville, Cordoba, Bruges, Antwerp or Ghent. If you decide to take such a walk, we guarantee a wonderful time and great understanding of Paris. Important thing to know – there is no fixed fee for these tours; you decide yourself how much you want to reward your guide. Don’t hesitate and book your place today!

We had just one day in Wroclaw and a decision to join Walkative tours was the right one! These guys are amazing! Their stories are very informative, full of history, legends, funny jokes! They took us to all astonishing places of Wroclaw. Perfect for a day trip to this lovely city! Thank you, Lukasz and Matt for the brilliant tours!

Dawie’s tour was the best theatre in Paris as well as informative!!!! He is great – even in the rain. Do it.

My group really enjoyed the amount of history explained in the tour, it was a nice way to get a lot of information on several of the key sites in the center of Paris in a compact amount of time. Excellent for orientation and background. I would certainly do other tours in the future.

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City Free Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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WALKING TOURS & ACTIVITIES IN PARIS

Free Tour of Paris

Book the original Paris free walking tour and visit many of the city's highlights with a local guide

Montmartre Free Walking Tour

Join a walking tour of the perfectly Parisian Montmartre neighborhood

Paris Latin Quarter Free Walking Tour

Visit the beautiful major landmarks that exist in Paris' Latin Quarter

Paris: 1-hour Seine River Cruise

Complete your trip to Paris with this 1-hour sightseeing cruise on the Seine River

2-hour Paris Highlights Private Tour

Make the most out of your visit and discover Paris' top attractions with your private tour guide

3-hour Paris Private City Tour

Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Paris' fascinating history and must-see sites with your private to ...

Tell us the landmarks, stories or parts of the city you want to see, how long you have to see them and when you want to go, and we’ll build an itinerary that suits you.

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Discover the many faces of Paris with a passionate local guide

Few cities in the world inspire the imagination like Paris. With beautiful architecture, stunning gardens and artistic inspiration to rival any of its European neighbours, this is a city that sits on almost every person’s bucket list. We show it to you through the eyes of Paris’ best local tour guides.

The original Free Tour of Paris  covers many of Paris’ top attractions, including Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. After you’ve managed to tick off some of the most popular landmarks in Paris with the free walking tour, delve deeper with us!

There are so many things to do in Paris, including experiencing the Rive Gauche on the  Latin Quarter Tour . Often known as the writers’ area, or painters’ area, this was home to Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dalí and James Joyce, among others.

Of course, another area not to be missed is Montmartre, and the  Montmartre District Tour  runs every day and includes sites like the Basilica Sacré Coeur, the home of Van Gogh and the Moulin Rouge. But the most romantic places in the City of Love only get more romantic at night. On our City of Lights tour , you get to see Paris’ top attractions while they’re beautifully lit up.

After all that walking, you might be ready for a drink, and our top-rated pub crawl  is a great night out in Paris, with bars, clubs and drink deals all night. If you’ve still got energy the next day, why not visit the stunning Royal Gardens of Versailles? The tour to Versailles  runs almost every day, and no trip to Paris is complete without experiencing this must-see site.

Enjoy authentic local experiences

Paris is part of the SANDEMANs NEW Europe network, one of the largest walking tour companies in the world. Offering daily tours in English and Spanish, we believe in supporting local communities and are committed to giving a voice to some of Paris' best local freelance tour guides, who passionately share the city's history and culture with their own unique and always-entertaining style.

Aside from the Free Tour, in Paris you’ll also find unforgettable tours and experiences. We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!

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Things to do in Paris

Ready to start exploring Paris? Check out these useful tips and don't miss any of the city's main attractions

The best accommodation in town

Finding the right place to stay can be difficult - that's why we have sorted you out with a list of our favourite hostels and hotels in Paris

The best places to eat in Paris

Don't fall into any tourist trap! Here's a list of the top places to eat in Paris recommended by locals

The greatest bars in the city

Discover our selection of popular spots among the locals to taste from French wine to delicious cocktails

The best shopping in Paris

Find everything you are looking for with this guide to the best shops, markets and shopping streets in Paris

The local expert guides we work with are proud to show you the best Paris has to offer!

Scroll through to learn more about these unforgettable guides, including where they’re from, why they love Paris and which tours they can offer you.

Participation in tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe is strictly on a voluntary basis. Neither SANDEMANs NEW Europe, nor the self-employed freelance guides who are the providers of the tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe, will be held responsible in any way for injuries to body or property incurred during tours. The tour guides reserve the right to deny participation in any tour, to any person, for any reason. Thank you for your understanding.

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• Destinations
• Tours in Paris

Historic Paris Tour by Walkative!

Overview of the tour in Paris

Ah, Paris, the capital of elegance, chic, love, art, and science. Its architecture and ambiance are truly iconic, and its people are famous for their achievements and... sense of pride. The city rose from its humble beginnings as a marshland settlement, became a Roman colony, and seat off the early Frankish monarchs to finally set trends as the biggest medieval city in Europe. Home to many revolts and societal changes, it evolved as the capital of the free thinkers and... the most famous revolution changing the political landscape of western civilization forever. With its final overdo in the 19th century, its elegant boulevards became a go-to model for many other cities. Today, Paris retains many of its fortes, adding a spice of modernity. All this can get a little overwhelming, so why not have a helping hand while diving in? Talkative will grant you that and much more, with our local guides taking you on a fascinating journey through Paris's most important monuments and histories!

This activity includes:

• Carrousel du Louvre
• Tuileries Garden
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
• Louvre Museum
• Hôtel de Ville
• Sainte-Chapelle
• Conciergerie
• Pont des Arts

Meeting point

hotel de ville, paris

Hotel de Ville, outside the metro at exit 5, next to the Paris tourist office - look for a yellow umbrella!

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Free visits

Drancy Deportation Camp and Holocaust memorial

This Drancy Internment camp visit will lead you to the Shoah Memorial, opened in 2012 in Drancy, a place of history and education, located opposite the building - Cité de la Muette.

Visit Paris for free with our guided walks, workshops, neighborhoods strolls and guided tours where you'll discover heritage sites and exhibitions of the Greater Paris area.

What can I do in Paris for free during a stay with friends or family ? All year long you can find free visits catered to tourists, Parisians and people who live in Île-de-France. Discover children and teenagers workshops, free exhibitions that you can enjoy alone or with a guide, visits of memorial sites, hikes and walks in Paris and its region. Stock up on free creative and original activities to do in Paris without breaking your piggybank.

NB: Even though all of these visits and activities are free you still have to register. It is indeed mandatory to register because the number of spots on our walking tour, cruises, visits etc is limited. To register, choose the visit, the date and the time slot (when you can). To check that your visit is indeed free look for the price which should be as followed: " Normal price : 0,00 €".

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Free tours in Paris, France

• Post date May 15, 2022
• Post categories In Destinations , France , Paris

What free tours can you take when you visit Paris?

Paris has a lovely selection of free tours. I got to try some of them on my last visit to Paris.

The local tour guides will show you around the city and some of its most famous parts, like the Latin Quarter and Montmartre.

The guides will answer your questions and give you local tips on where to go next, places to eat etc.

What are free tours in Paris?

Walking tours are a fun and easy way to get to know your way around a new place, get familiar with all the famous landmarks, meet other people in the group and learn some history (usually told with plenty of anecdotes).

They also give you the opportunity to ask the guide questions, such as which bars to go to at night or how the public transport works.

I like to ask culture-specific questions and sometimes get into very interesting conversations with guides during the minutes of walking from one stop to the next.

All in all, it’s a great introduction to a new city.

That’s why I always take at least one walking tour in each city, normally on the first or second day of my trip.

Free tours are led by professional guides . On a free tour, you tip the guide at the end as much as you think the tour was worth.

How much you tip depends entirely on your own impression of the guide and the tours, so the guides will make a special effort to engage and entertain you. In other words, you can expect a high-quality tour, even though it’s “free”.

Free guided tours in paris

• Free Walking Tour of Paris

Free Walking Tour of Montmartre

Latin Quarter Free Tour

Paris Mysteries & Legends Free Tour

Fragonard Perfume Museum Free Tour, Paris

Scroll down to read about each of these free Paris tours below.

free walking tour of paris

Start your visit with a fun educational experience that will give you a nice overview of the main places to see in Paris.

The tour covers 2,000 years of history, unique Parisian architecture and all the significant landmarks.

Famous places include:

• The Seine River
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Arc de Triomphe
• Musée d’Orsay
• … and many more.

The tour lasts 2 hours and 45 minutes.

free walking tour of montmartre, paris

Montmartre is a charming place in Paris. It’s famous for its bohemian atmosphere, artistic history and cobblestone streets.

You might know it from the movies Amelie and Moulin Rouge.

As you might expect, it’s very popular with tourists.

The free walking tour of Montmartre tells the stories of the artists who created their art in this part of the city, such as Dali, Picasso, Van Gogh, Lautrec and Monet.

The guide will lead you through tiny streets to see ancient churches and the beautiful Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which is also an excellent viewing point.

latin quarter free tour, paris

The Latin Quarter in Paris on the left bank of the River Seine is famous for its heritage as the intellectual part of the city because it used to be home to some of its oldest universities.

It attracted famous authors such as James Joyce and Ernest Hemmingway.

Today it’s a very popular and lively area with many bars and bistros.

The Latin Quarter free tour will show you the highlights and teach you about the history and cultural context of this iconic part of Paris.

The tour lasts 2 hours.

paris mysteries & legends free tour

Paris has a dark side too…

This free walking tour explores some fascinating stories and legends about the city and the more macabre aspects of famous places like the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The tour takes you around the city centre in the evening, just before it gets dark.

fragonard perfume museum free tour, paris

France is well-known for its perfume industry and perfumery has its own museum in Paris that you can visit on a guided tour.

The Fragonard Perfume Museum is housed in a 19th-century perfume factory.

On the tour you’ll learn all about how perfumes are manufactured, the history of perfumery dating back to ancient Egypt and of course smell the perfumes.

The tour lasts between 30 minutes to an hour and runs many times throughout the day. When you book you’ll get an eau de cologne and a scented soap as a gift.

Do you need to book a place on free paris tours?

It’s always best to book a place on free tours to guarantee your spot.

Booking is free of course and you’ll get the reservation confirmation sent to your phone. If the tour gets cancelled for some reason, you will get a message to the email address or phone number you enter when you book.

Booking ahead lets the guide know how many people to expect. In big and popular cities like Paris, they would sometimes need to call an extra guide, to keep the group size reasonable (e.g. 15-20 people instead of 40-50 people in one group.

How much should you tip on a free walking tour in paris?

How much you tip depends on how much you think the tour is worth, how much you enjoyed it, how friendly and helpful the guide was and how much you learnt from it.

It’s quite common to tip €10 as a general guideline, but people will tip a lot more for an exceptional tour.

I’ve had a chance to speak to many guides on free tours and they often make their entire living from the tips, so that’s one more thing to take into account when you decide how much to tip.

I think one of the reasons that the model of a free tour is great is that there’s no pressure to give more than you can or want to give.

Normally the guide doesn’t see how much you tip. It differs from one company to another, but often the guide would pass a bag or a hat that you can put your money in. On some tours, you shake the guide’s hand at the end and give them a note.

On a rare occasion, I’ve seen tourists who were on a strict budget and they would let the guide know. The guides always reacted gracefully.

Find out more about free walking tours here.

More free tours

• Free tours in Spain
• Free tours in Germany
• Free tours in Lisbon
• Free tours in Budapest

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Self Guided Walking Tours of Paris

In this post, you will find a free, self-guided walking tour of the historic heart of Paris, along with a map and a GPS-enabled audio option.

The route includes many locations we cover in our free guided walking tours, so we offer you lots of information based on our knowledge of the history of what you will be seeing in this self-guided tour.

This tour starts on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter before exploring Île de la Cité and ends at the Louvre Museum.

When you are done with this self-guided tour, why not try our others?

• Right Bank Landmarks
• Latin Quarter
• Père Lachaise Cemetery

Like this one, they come with maps, routes, and in some cases, audio tour versions.

You can use these to discover the city at your own pace or as a preview of what you will see on a live-guided tour, like our free walking tours of Paris .

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SELF-GUIDED TOUR - HEART OF PARIS

The tour starts on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter, passes through Île de la Cité and ends at the Louvre Museum.

The route is a little less than 3 kilometers (just under 2 miles).

If you'd like to enhance your experience, you might like to use our accompanying GPS-led audio tour , developed and narrated by one of our local tour guides, Andrew.

The audio tour is a more detailed version of the written information below. It costs just 2.99€ per download.

Here is a sample of the tour.

Click on the map to expand or to download it to your phone.

For directions between stops, use the map above or download a PDF version of this tour.

1. Place Saint-Michel

Place Saint-Michel is simple – a triangle between two streets, uniform buildings along both, designed by the same architect, a walk of smooth cobblestone.

The centerpiece is St. Michael defeating a devil; far above them are four statues symbolizing the four cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice.

This monument came to be because of the 1848 Revolution and a cholera epidemic in Paris that followed it which killed thousands.

This idea of abstract concepts given human form had been popular during the Revolution, the big one, representing the kind of big virtues – like the Four Cardinal Virtues – that everyone could strive for, instead of a single human being whose actions and legacy would turn people against each other.

Simultaneous with the creation of Place Saint-Michel, Napoleon III’s renovation brought the Boulevard Saint-Michel into being, and that is the next part of the walk.

2. Boulevard Saint-Michel

The character of the street you’re on – wide-open space lined with trees and long, harmonious buildings, plus, often, a view of some landmark in the distance – was a central part of the renovation plan, or the Haussmann plan, as it’s also known.

Georges-Eugène Hausmann was a Paris technocrat. Aside from health reasons, he also made the case to the parliament that wide streets would help prevent so many revolutions in the future.

Many buildings along this road are fine examples of the French 2nd Empire style.

On the left side of the street, just after Boulinier, a used book store, you’ll see the ruins of ancient Roman-style baths.

This is a preview of the Cluny Museum, which you’ll see from the front soon.

3. The Sorbonne

The Sorbonne, or the University of Paris, has been here since 1150, making it the second oldest university in Europe.

It’s the place where some of the fundamentals of today’s education system – things like doctoral degrees – were first put into practice.

The Sorbonne helped put Paris, and the Latin Quarter, on the map. 

It’s hard to overstate how many big names are connected with this institution, then and since.

Among them are churchmen John Calvin and Thomas Aquinas, scientists Marie and Pierre Curie, writers Voltaire, Balzac, Jean-Paul Sartre, T.S. Eliot, Elie Wiesel, Susan Sontag and so many more.

4. Cluny Museum

This is the Cluny Museum, formerly the Cluny Mansion. The name comes from the Cluny monks to whom it belonged and they were named for the city where they were based.

In 1340, they obtained what was left of the thermal baths you saw earlier and built this structure beside them.

Today, it’s France’s National Museum of the Middle Ages. It’s more an art museum than a history museum, with excellent exhibits on tapestries and stained glass.

Apart from those, the museum also has early medieval art from before the Gothic era – the style called Romanesque – medieval work from the Islamic world and the Byzantine Empire, and some other late, near-Renaissance pieces from the era of the tapestries.

There are also some much older artifacts in that oldest part of the property, the Roman baths. 

It’s open every day but Tuesday from 9:15 am to 5:45 pm. Regular tickets are 5 Euros, sometimes more if there’s a special exhibit going on ( more info ).

However, it’s free for teenagers, EU citizens under 26, and, on the first Sunday of each month, for everyone. It’s also free with a Paris Museum Pass .

5. The Church of Saint-Severin

Pause here for a moment to take in the atmosphere of the medieval city.

Saint-Severin is a 13th-century church, and the Rue Saint-Severin, the road just past it, is from that same era.

Look down to the left and you can imagine the crowdedness of these roads, shared by carts. pedestrians and animals and whatever was thrown from upper windows.

And you can imagine how easy it would be to improvise a barricade across one of these streets if you wanted to.

6. Church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauve

The Church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauve, or St. Julian the Poor, began construction in the 12th century, around the same time as Notre-Dame, and steady changes since have made it a mash-up of styles.

But it started Romanesque, the early medieval style that preceded Gothic, and you can see the heaviness of that style, compared to which Gothic would have seemed so revolutionary.

While it was originally a Roman Catholic church, today it’s used by Melkite Greek Catholics, who are part of an Eastern Catholic community, based in the Middle East.

The square is called the Square Rene Viviani, mostly known for its view of Notre-Dame.

The grounds are littered with big pieces of limestone – in the 19th century when Notre-Dame was renovated and also contains a locust tree believed to be the oldest tree in Paris, about 400 years old.

7. Shakespeare and Company Bookstore

This is the second of two bookstores called Shakespeare and Company, the other stood just southwest of here, and both focused on English language books. 

An American named Sylvia Beach opened it, and as both a bookstore and a lending library, it came to be the haunt of writers and artists, including Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso.

The bookstore provided more than just a place for future artistic celebrities to meet; it also stocked and eventually published books that were banned back home, including James Joyce’s novel Ulysses.

This Shakespeare and Company was founded by George Whitman, who offered lodging to writers in exchange for volunteer work, and if you step inside, you’ll see some of their beds.

8. Left Bank - Pont au Double

On the quays along the banks of the Seine, Shakespeare and Company has plenty of competition in the bookselling business: bouquinistes , the booksellers who set up shop in little stalls along the river. 

From around the bridge, you can get a few important views. First is the Seine itself. The name Seine comes from Sequana, the name of an ancient river goddess. 

The river is the reason for human interest in this site going back millennia, and the Île de la Cité offered a relatively easy crossing, as well as an opportunity to build low bridges and control traffic up and down the river. 

On the opposite side of the water from here is the Île de la Cité. From here you can see the big picture of the island. 

On the west end, to your left, is the Palais de la Justice, the former site of the royal palace and still home to parts of the French government. 

On the east side, to the right, has been religious turf for even longer – Notre-Dame has stood here since 1163.

Before, there was another Christian cathedral that was likely a Roman temple, and those were sometimes built on sacred sites that were older still. 

Nowadays, there’s not much on the island besides that; Haussmann eliminated most of the residences here.

9. Notre-Dame (Exterior)

This cathedral was started in the 1100s and enhanced with some of its flashiest elements over the next few centuries.

You can see one of those additions: the flying buttresses, those gracefully curved stone supports arrayed along the side of the building. 

The cathedral has 2 beautiful rose windows, both designed in the 13th century, but they were recreated in the 19th century, and they weren’t the only parts of the cathedral added so recently. 

The same is true of much of the stained glass, the spire (now destroyed by the fire), all the gargoyles, and the heads of statues on the western side. 

To help fund that restoration, Victor Hugo penned his novel Notre-Dame de Paris, known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame . 

Looking at the cathedral from the front, you can see an overwhelming number of sculptures and reliefs.

For a time when most attendees were illiterate and didn’t understand the Latin language in which the sermons were given, the church façade itself was the illustrated version of the Bible. 

Over the main western doors, on what’s called the tympanum, is a relief of Judgement Day, with the separation of souls bound for eternal paradise or eternal torment. 

To the left, over the Portal of the Virgin, is a statue of Saint-Denis, who would have needed no introduction for most attendees.

He was beheaded by the Romans for the threat he posed to other religions. 

Now, he’s a patron saint of Paris and he’s also known across the Catholic world as someone to pray for relief from headaches.

In April 2019, a fire led to the collapse of much of the roof and a spire, plus collateral damage from impact, smoke, and water to much of the rest of the building and the artwork inside.

Hundreds of firefighters contained the disaster and kept it from doing more harm. 

The archaeological crypt under the parvis is now open and contains remains of the Roman city, plus models of what Notre-Dame looked like at the various phases of its life.

Tickets are 9€ or for free with a Paris Museum Pass .

Notre-Dame Cathedral's reopening is scheduled for December 8, 2024.

10. Rue de Lutece

Straight ahead, you can see the Palais de la Justice, the next stop.

To your right is the Marché aux Fleurs Reine Elizabeth II, a beautiful, 200-year-old outdoor flower and plant market, operating daily from 9:30 - 19:00 (7 pm).

Lutèce is the French variation of “Lutetia” the ancient Roman name for Paris. The full name was Lutetia Parisiorum – Lutetia of the Parisii. 

The Parisii were the tribe that lived in this area before the Roman conquest, and as you may have guessed, they give the city its modern name.

Though we refer to Roman in this tour, it is Gallo-Roman, to be exact.

The region’s population was the Gauls, a Celtic people, and while they were conquered by the Romans, local culture in the early centuries CE was a fusion of both. 

There’s a limited understanding of the geography of ancient life here – the ancient Gallic city was probably out west in today’s suburbs, and the Roman city, originally on the Left Bank, moved onto the island in the third century to be more easily defended. 

At the end of Rue de Lutèce is Boulevard du Palais, with the massive palace complex on the opposite side of the street.

11. Palais De Justice and Sainte-Chapelle

Altogether, what you see here is the Palais de la Cité. The site has served state functions as far back as being the home of Roman governors in the early years CE.

As for French kings, it was the royal palace until the 14th century, when it moved to various locations across the Seine on the Right Bank, including the Louvre. 

From here you can see Sainte-Chapelle or the Sacred Chapel, easily identified by the tall steeple on the left side of the complex.

As for going inside Sainte-Chapelle, the wait can be long, but you’ll see some of the world’s most impressive stained glass. 

The upper chapel, up a narrow spiral staircase from the entrance and once only accessible by the king and his family, is surrounded by windows, and comprehensive cleaning and restoration completed in 2014 have them in ideal form. 

The lower chapel, the portion originally made for the general population of the palace, has a highly decorated Gothic vaulted ceiling. 

Sainte-Chapelle 's hours are:

• April 1st to September 30th, 9:00 - 19:00 (7 pm)
• October 1st to March 31, 9:00 - 17:00 (5 pm)

Tickets are 13€ per person over 18 years of age; under 18 years old have free admission.

You can also be admitted for free with a Paris Museum Pass .

You can also get a combination ticket with our next stop, La Conciergerie, for 20€, but it’s only available from the La Conciergerie ticket desk; you won’t find it online.

12. La Conciergerie

La Conciergerie is famous as the last residence of Queen Marie Antoinette before she was executed early in the French Revolution. It was also a prison before and after her time. 

La Conciergerie

The royal palace had moved to new locations across the Seine in the 14th century. But some state functions stayed behind here, including part of the French court system. 

In the absence of the king himself, the place was run by a surrogate – a concierge – giving this building its name.

While the Revolution began with the liberation of a prison, the Bastille, it soon took over the palace and found uses for everything there. 

Sainte-Chapelle became storage, the space where the parliament of nobles met became the home of the assembly and the Revolutionary Tribunal, and the prison became... the prison. 

The royalty and their supporters, and eventually all kinds of perceived enemies, were imprisoned, tried, and executed, close to 3,000 of them in this building alone.

The Cell of Marie-Antoinette

In terms of the interior, La Conciergerie is a stark, simple building compared to Sainte-Chapelle, although still majestically Gothic.

Some spaces are set up as they would have looked during the Revolution, including the cell of Marie-Antoinette, which is now a chapel dedicated to her.

Hours : 

• 9:30 - 18:00 (6 pm). Last entry at 17:30 (5:30 pm)
• Early closure on December 24 and January 1 at 17:00 (5 pm)

Lastly, you can purchase a combination ticket that includes La Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle for 20€, available from the La Conciergerie ticket desk; you won’t find it online.

There are guided tours (at an additional cost) every day at 11:00 and 15:00 (3 pm) and virtual reality 'histo-pads' available for rental at a modest price. 

At the end of the block, on the corner of the palace, is the first of the palace’s four towers, Tour de l’Horloge.

13. Tour de L'Horloge

Tour de l’Horloge means clock tower, and the clock is hard to miss!

This was the first public clock in Paris, installed in the 14th century, although the decorated face you see now came along a couple of hundred years later and has been restored a few times since. 

The figures on either side are personifications of law and justice – you may be able to see the plaque on the left and the scales on the right. 

The clock face is covered by a small roof.

If you have especially sharp eyes and you look straight up at the underside of that roof, you can see a repeating pattern of intertwined letters: sometimes H and C, for King Henri II and his queen, Catherine de Medici, and sometimes H and M, for King Henri IV and his queen, Marguerite de Valois.

14-15. Place Dauphine

Place Dauphine is another city square, a triangle really; the rows of buildings that border it on the north and south sides slowly converge, leading to the edge of the island. 

Make your way gradually through to that point.

King Henri IV had a son, who would eventually become King Louis XIII, but until he took the throne, he was the Dauphin, or the crown prince. 

Dauphin also means dolphin; a couple of them are featured on the French coat of arms. 

Anyway, during his son’s boyhood, Henri IV converted a private palace garden into a public square and called it Place Dauphine, or Crown Prince Square. 

The buildings have mostly been redone since then; you can get a feel for the original square at the other end, the last buildings where the two sides converge to frame a statue of Henri IV.

16. Pont Neuf

The space where Henri stands is called the Square du Vert Galant, and it’s a relatively new piece of land.

River islands like Île de la Cité naturally build up this way on their downstream side. 

The New Bridge, when it was new at the start of the 1600s, just touched the tip of the island. 

Today, Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge still running across the Seine, and the others have followed its lead.

This one was specifically designed not to have houses on it, so as to offer a view of the Louvre, which is where we’re going next.

17. Quai du Louvre

First, the sights on the Left Bank. 

Directly across the Pont Neuf you can see the Monnaie de Paris, France’s mint, operating for more than a millennium and still producing Euros today.

The building includes a museum on the history of the institution itself and on other money-related matters.

Next to it, you’ll see a wide building with a dome in the middle, the Institut de France.

Founded as a school, this is the home to intellectual institutions like the Académie Française. 

The Academy does many things, including giving life-changing monetary prizes to artists, but it’s best known for promoting a stiff view of what constitutes correct French. 

Crossing the river in front of the Institut de France is another bridge, the Pont des Arts or Bridge of the Arts, named to match with the Louvre, the Palais des Arts or Palace of the Arts.

It’s a pedestrian-only metal bridge commissioned by Napoleon, and the view it offers makes it a popular spot for artists or just souvenir photographers.

There’s a tradition – purely touristic – of attaching locks to the bridge; you’ll endear yourself to Parisians if you decide not to do this.

18. Louvre Museum and Tuileries Gardens

The Louvre used to be a royal palace, and it’s easy to tell. (See our in-depth post on how to visit the Louvre Museum ).

The Louvre remained private after the royalty moved out, and it housed a private collection of art until the Revolution, at which point, in 1793, it was opened to the public.

The open space to the west of the Louvre, centered on a large sculpted hedge, is the Place du Carrousel, and it used to be the location of another royal palace – the Tuileries Palace, destroyed in the late 19th century.

It left behind the arch opposite the Louvre – the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built to celebrate the military victories of Napoleon and to welcome arrivals to that palace. 

Beyond it are a couple of stairways, leading down into the former location of the moat, which contains some sculptures from the old palace. 

And beyond that is the Tuileries Gardens. At one time an exclusive royal garden, this too became public during the Revolution, and it’s another option for the next part of your adventure.

The gardens have a lot to see – it’s a sculpture garden with about 200 pieces, including several by famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

The gardens are bigger than the Louvre, so you could easily find yourself walking further in this park than you have through this entire tour so far!

Luckily, there are a couple of cafes around the middle if you need somewhere to rest.

It’s free to enter the gardens and is open every day, with hours changing seasonally.

• January through December 7:30 - 19:30 (7:30 pm)
• June, July and August 7:00 - 23:00 (11:00 pm)
• April, May and September 7:00 - 21:00 (9:00 pm)

At the far end of the gardens is the Jeu de Paume , a contemporary art museum and L'Orangerie museum dedicated to impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.

This magnicient museum is a must-visit in Paris. It's open 9:00 - 18:00 (6 pm) daily, except Tuesdays. Tickets are 12,50€ or free with a Paris Museum Pass .

Beyond these museums are Place de la Concorde and the Champs Élysées, included in our self-guided tour of Paris' Right Bank !

For more ideas in Paris, including things to do in the Latin Quarter, Marais, and Montmartre , check out our website, linked in the notes.

And look for our articles and audio tours about lots of other cities - you’ll find links in the notes for those, too. 

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Paris Walking Tours from the Best Local Guides (Updated 2024)

Paris walking tours with local guides.

We have given more than 100,000 Paris walking tours since our founding in 2010. Join us for:

• The best designed tour routes – Montmartre, Marais, Left Bank, Right Bank, and many more.
• The best trained local guides – real Parisians with both knowledge and passion for the city of Paris
• Most convenient times and durations – 90 minute walking tours designed to maximize your time

There can be so many options when it comes to walking tours in Paris! So many guest reviews.   And so many attractions – the Louvre museum, the Palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, the river Seine, etc. Just how can you pick the right guided Paris tour?

Our advice when visiting Paris is first to always hire a local guide, because you will see more of the city. And second, to look for: authenticity, guide quality, value for money, and overall guest enjoyment.

Discover Walks offers Paris walking tours that explore the art, the food, the landmarks, and the local gems of France’s City of Light.

Find the best Paris walking tours by category now

Browse our selection of guided paris tours below, your best day in paris private tour.

Customize a perfect day with Discover Walks Paris

Free tours for today & tomorrow

RAIN OR SHINE. INSTANT BOOKING

Montmartre free walking tour

From Moulin Rouge to Sacré Coeur - the last village

Le Marais free walking tour

Trendy Marais tour, mansions and fashions

Le Louvre’s Great Highlights

The museum you do not want to miss

Left Bank, Notre Dame and Latin Quarter tour

From Notre Dame to Panthéon

Paris in two days premium tour

let us customize a perfect stay

Montmartre Private Walking Tour

MOULIN ROUGE TO SACRÉ COEUR

Paris with kids

PRIVATE TOUR – LET’S KEEP EVERY FAMILY MEMBER HAPPY!

Foods of Paris: The Grand Tour

Private tour – our high-end food selection

Paris Flea Market Guided Tour – small group

A fun adventure at the world's largest antiques market

Paris’ #1 Montmartre Food Tour

French foods with a French foodie

Hidden Gems and Secret Paris free tour

JUMP OFF THE TOURIST MAPS

Montmartre Night Tour with Champagne

Paris landmarks free walking tour.

Right bank tour with Discover Walks Paris

Seine River Hop-On Hop-Off Cruise in Paris

Cruise along Paris’ Seine River

Design your tour

Jewish paris tour.

explore Jewish Marais of the past and present

Paris At Night Private Tour With River Cruise With Champagne

Louvre, Palais Royal & Seine River

Customize your Half Day in Paris

The best of Paris in a custom private tour

Paris Cooking Class: Lunch, Wine & Market Visit

Indulge in a true gourmet French experience

Paris: 2-Hour French Pastry Cooking Class

Discover how to make French pastries from a trained chef

Paris: 2-Hour Behind the Scenes Bakery Tour

Learn how to make French pastries from a top French baker

Paris Street art tour

The best walls of Paris

Paris Cooking Class: Learn How to Make Macarons

Discover how to make macarons from an expert instructor

Paris: Latin Quarter Wine and Food Tasting Tour

Explore Latin Quarter and Indulge in Delicious treats

Paris: Wine and Cheese Lunch

Taste different French wine varieties paired with delicious cheeses

Paris: Versailles Food & Palace Bike Tour

Explore Versailles on a bike tour & sample French delicacies

Paris: Le Marais Food & Wine Tasting Tour

Wine and Dine in the Parisian neighborhood of Le Marais

Paris: Montmartre Best Art, Culture and Food Tour

Discover the rich Parisian history of art, music and food

Explore Paris with Local City Tour Guides

How to choose the right free walking tour in Paris for you

When picking a tour, you want to take three factors into consideration – your time, your money and you yourself (or your group).

1 – Your Time Planning what you do in Paris is greatly affected by the number of days you have in the city. The average tourist spends only three nights in Paris. Most overseas visitors spend 4 to 5 nights. Fitting all of Paris’ world-known attractions into 3 to 5 days is not easy! Hiring a guide can help you optimize your time.

2 – Your Money Paris can be expensive to be sure, but many of the city’s highlights are free (Notre Dame, the view from Montmartre, and the special feeling on Pont des Artes to name three). The five-star restaurant can set you back a week’s pay and more – but a sandwich from the local bakery can be a memorable experience. Discover Walks runs the gambit from the very economical free walking tours of Paris , to our flagship “Best Day Ever” customized premium tour of Paris . Our free tours have all of our love of Paris – we don’t hold anything back. If you choose a private tour instead, with us at Discover Walks money will buy you time, personalized service and door-to-door attention.

3- And You!

You and your travel companions are the most important ingredient. We have guests who spend three days in the Louvre and Orsay and one day with Discover Walks and feel they got the best of Paris. Other guests never go inside a museum, they take all seven of our neighborhood tours and feel they really know Paris (and are ready to move here).

If this is your first trip to Paris, we have many ways for you to get the most out of your visit. If you have been to Paris several times, we have created tours that take you off the tourist path, to see more of the real Paris.

Guided Walking Tours Offer the Best Views of Paris

The less time you have in Paris, the more you will want your guide to take you to the best views. Panoramic views help you understand the city better. And they leave you with a lasting impression to take home with you.

One-Day Visit.

We advise you to read below even if you are spending more than one day in Paris, as we give suggestions that you may want to put to use.

High Budget: We have many guests who come from London just for the day. They arrive at Gare Nord train station at 9:30 in the morning and they leave after dinner. Most often, they book our Best Day Ever Tour .

Our guide meets them at the train station and is with them all day as we sweep through Paris in grand style – if they want, we get them reservations for dinner someplace special (the most popular right now is Restaurant Jules Verne at the top of the Eiffel Tower – great dinner and a view that no one forgets.)

Mid/Low Budget: Many other guests with only one day want to get a feel of the city. We recommend first doing a neighborhood tour like our Right Bank Landmarks Tour . In 90 minutes the Discover Walks guide has them feeling like a Parisian, helps them find a good local bistro for lunch.

These guests often stroll past a couple of iconic sites. No need to go inside, from the outside you get a great sense for Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, or the Louvre museum. For the Orsay, Rodin, and Picasso museums. You might end the day having dinner in trendy Marais or one the many places in Montorgueil or in St. Germain des prés.

If you ‘need’ the top of the Eiffel Tower, Orsay, or the Louvre, then we recommend you buy ‘skip-the-line’ tickets at least 30 days in advance. We have many of these special tickets as part of our tours and as a service with our private tour guests.

Two or More Day Visit With two or more full days in Paris, you can start to add things that you have a personality affinity for, alongside the must-sees. First time to Paris? Look at the major landmarks. Been here before? Explore Paris more in-depth, and explore some off-the-beaten-track experiences. Where to start?

To enjoy Paris from the start, to get a feel for the city and to become comfortable, we recommend doing a Discover Walks tour on your first day. Your Discover Walks guide will treat you like an invited guest, like a friend who is visiting our city.

During your time with us, we will not only tell you what you are seeing, we can also explain why things are the way they are in Paris. Our most popular tours are our Food Tour , Best Day Ever, and our neighborhood Private Tours.

Our most popular free walking tour is Montmartre. But all our tours get rave reviews. Perhaps because our guides are all true locals, with a passion for our home city.

We suggest you pick a tour that covers something that interests you – Right Bank (for major landmarks and good orientation), Trendy Marais (to see old Paris Mansions, quaint streets and trendy new Paris), Notre Dame and Left Bank (blend of students, art and bohemian life), St. Germain (the river, old money, art and Hemmingway) and Hidden Gems (the surprising gems in the neighborhood next to the Louvre).

Why Discover Walks as Your Guide?

More than two-thirds of the people who take one tour with Discover Walks decide to take a second tour – and very often a third and a fourth as well. We are thrilled by this, as visitors choose Discover Walks for spending their precious time in Paris. We love Paris. Showing our city to you is a real treat for us. We will treat you the best that we know.

Follow our travels on Instagram!

One Day in Paris France – A Free Self Guided Walking Tour of Paris

There’s nothing better than taking the time to stroll around a beautiful city and delight in its ambience. And there’s no better city to indulge in such a pastime than Paris. After all, this is the birthplace of flâneur – the word the French use to describe the act of strolling idly; sauntering, while observing the goings-on around you.

Usually, my time in Paris is limited to rushed stopovers. But recently I got to spend an afternoon getting reacquainted with “la Ville Lumière”. And it was while practising the art of flânerie that I was able to rediscover the highlights of Paris organically, without an agenda.

What unfolded was a beautiful free walking tour of Paris, taking in some of the city’s most pleasurable sights.

Free Paris Walking Tour Map

If you want to maximise your time in Paris, getting the train is a great alternative to flying. Forget check-in times, collecting baggage and having to schlep into central Paris on the metro or bus. The TGV or Eurostar will drop you right near the heart of Paris. Both the Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord train stations are a fantastic place to start a walking tour of Paris.

The self-guided walking tour of Paris mapped out below starts from the Gare de Lyon and could take as little as an afternoon (if you don’t linger too long at any one-stop) or the entire day if you take time to appreciate each site. Walking is a great way to explore the city and get your bearings – and it’s so much more fun than taking the metro!

Total walk = 12km / 2.3 hours 

Get your free printable version of this map here.

One Day Tour of Paris

Stop #1 bastille.

A swift 10-minute walk from Paris’s Gare de Lyon station will have you outside the Place de la Bastille. Once the site of a prison, it was stormed on what is now known as “Bastille Day” and destroyed during the French Revolution.

While you can still see the outline of the prison marked on the ground, now all that stands here is the 52m high  Colonne de Juillet – a tribute to the 504 lives lost during another revolution in 1830. From the Place de la Bastille you can take a short detour along the Bassin de l’Arsenal to see the colourful houseboats moored at its banks.

Stop #2 Le Marais

If you had to choose just one district of Paris to explore, my advice would be to park yourself in Le Marais. With oodles of old-world charm wrapped in a layer of style and luxury, Le Marais offers the quintessential Paris experience.

Browse the boutiques, soak up the sun in a leafy park, or station yourself in a cafe to watch the passersby. Whatever you do in Le Marais, you’ll be sure to have experienced Paris at its finest.

Stop #3 Hotel de Ville and the Circular Pavilion

The Hotel de Ville is a city hall on a grande scale. Its intricate exterior is only surpassed in beauty by the artwork on display inside the impressive building. Located on the banks of the Seine, the square that houses the Hotel de Ville makes the perfect resting spot and regularly holds concerts and seasonal events throughout the year.

Hearing the name “Circular Pavilion” might have you imagining an entirely different building. Deceivingly, the angular construction completely defies its name. Instead, ‘circular’ comes from the idea of recycling and up-cycling. A message reflected by the use of recycled materials used in its construction.  

The sight of the recycled door  façade  against the flamboyant nature of the Hotel de Ville makes a startling contrast!

Stop #4 Notre Dame

The Cathedral of Notre Dame is one of France’s most famous landmarks . Situated on the Île de la Cité – a natural island in the River Seine – it’s just a short walk from the Hotel de Ville over the Pont d’Arcole. Stop here to admire the building’s amazingly detailed sculpture work, gothic style, and grandiose structure that took over 170 years to build.

It’s worth venturing inside (entrance is free) if only to appreciate the stunning effect of the stained glass windows.*

*Sadly, the cathedral is currently closed due to the devastating fires of 2019.

Stop #5 Pont Neuf

At the opposite end of the Île de la Cité you’ll discover Pont Neuf – the oldest bridge in Paris. Although it’s perhaps preferable to admire it from afar – in order to take in the 12 arches that support the structure – walking over the Pont Neuf is an experience also.

As I heard one passerby explain, “the Pont Neuf used to be the Eiffel Tower of Paris”. Meaning, before Paris’s iconic landmark was around, the Pont Neuf was the city’s most famous attraction.

These days it has taken over as the prime spot for placing ‘love locks’ – padlocks adorned with lovers names before being affixed to the bridge. An honour that used to belong to the nearby Pont des Arts until they were removed due to safety concerns.

Stop #6 Louvre Palace & Pyramid

If you’ve only got 1 day in Paris, you probably won’t have the chance to appreciate the works on display inside the world’s largest museum – the Louvre. But you’ll still be able to admire the architecture of the Louvre from the outside!

Napoleon Courtyard, framed by the Louvre Palace, is an amazing place to sit and soak up the atmosphere. Often you’ll be accompanied by the melodic harmony of a busker or two, and always by the sounds of several dialects being spoken around you.

The Louvre Pyramid, which is actually the biggest of five pyramids onsite, serves as the entrance to the museum. Designed by Ieoh Ming Pei, the architect behind the  Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, it was constructed to the same proportions as the Pyramid of Giza. It consists of 673 glass panels in the shape of diamonds and triangles – giving the effect of sparkling jewels as it reflects the light.

Read more about the Louvre Palace here.

Stop #7 Tuileries Garden

A short jaunt across the road from the Louvre Museum will have you crossing the Carousel Gardens and entering the Tuileries Garden. This formal French garden in the centre of Paris is accentuated with ponds, fountains and statues. 

Pull one of the iconic green metal chairs to the water’s edge and settle in for the afternoon with a good book, or to watch Paris’ younger residents sailing model boats. In the hottest months, seek shade in one of the benches tucked under rows of leafy green trees.

Stop #8 Place de la Concorde

The eighth stop on your Paris walking tour, the Place de la Concorde, lies in between the Tuileries Gardens and the Champs-Élysées. Even though it’s called a ‘square’, Place de la Concorde takes on the form of an Octagon. At the eight points surrounding the square is a monument representing a French city; Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Brest, Rouen, Lille and Strasbourg. And it’s in the middle of the square you’ll find the oldest monument in Paris – the Luxor Obelisk.

At over 3,300 years old, this Egyptian obelisk was transferred to Paris in 1833 – taking a ginormous effort in those times. On either side of the obelisk, you can see the Fontaine des Mers and the Fontaine des Fleuves. Despite so much to see in the area, it’s not the most serene area to go for a stroll – with multiple lanes of traffic heaving through the square with every green light.

Stop #9 Champs-Élysées

While the Jardins des Champs-Elysées at the lower end of the avenue are very much worthy of a Sunday stroll, it’s been said that the Champs-Élysées has had its heyday. Now it’s a hub for the fashion stores and cafés which line either side of the almost 2km long avenue.

In any case, tourists still flock here in droves and it does still hold the charm of yesteryear – most noticeably when you look up! In the middle of the road (take care when crossing!) you’ll be met with an outstanding view of the avenue and the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.

Stop #10 Arc de Triomphe

At the upper end of the Champs-Elysées lies the Arc de Triomphe. The Arch, which is the biggest in the world, was commissioned by Napoleon and completed in 1836. It’s difficult to judge from afar just how mammoth a structure it is until you stand underneath it. At just shy of 50m, the Arc de Triomphe towers over the Place Charles de Gaulle, making people and cars look miniature at its foot.

The Arc is a full-scale attraction, with a museum, tours and viewing platform – plan some time to visit if you can. The viewing platform offers the one the best views over Paris (including a great perspective of the Eiffel Tower) and the Champs-Elysées.

Stop #11 Jardins du Trocadéro

From the terrace of the Palais de Chaillot you’ll have a fantastic view over the Jardins du Trocadéro, and of course, the Eiffel Tower which looks almost surreal as it appears in front of you. Try not to get too sidetracked from the gardens though, as they offer an incredible experience in their own right.

The Fountain of Warsaw is the main feature of the gardens – a large mirror-like basin in which multiple fountains shoot water up to 12m in the air. In summer, the garden creates a spectacle as lights illuminate the fountains from below.

If visiting Paris with kids , there is a playground right next door and a carousel to delight the little ones .

Stop #12 Eiffel Tower

The last stop on your self-guided walking tour of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, is the most iconic landmark in the city of lights! You can see it rising up above the slate grey rooftops around the city, but seeing it up close is another experience entirely.

While taking the elevator to the summit offers a breathtaking birds-eye view of the city, the best way to view the tower itself is to make yourself comfortable in the park below. The Champ de Mars park extends out in front of the tower and is the perfect place for a picnic, impromptu game of boules, or simply enjoying the convivial atmosphere.

And there you have it, your one day tour in Paris has come to an end! If you have the time, I’d recommend hanging out at the last stop until sunset so you can experience the magic of the Eiffel Tower at night (it’s one of the loveliest things to do on an evening in Paris !). And then once you’re ready to rest your weary feet, there is a few Metro stops close by.

The Champ de Mars/Tour Eiffel is the closest, followed by Bir-Hakeim and Ecole Militaire.

Essentials for your Free Walking Tour of Paris

For walking tours in Paris, there are a few things you’ll need to take with you to make the most of your one day in Paris:

• A quality, lightweight camera – I recommend the Sony A6000
• A phone to use Google Maps, or you can print out the map (above) ahead of time. Keep a map of the metro lines handy too.
• A reusable water bottle – you can fill it up at drinking fountains en route.
• A few euros. Don’t rely on cards, as some places won’t accept them for small items. Also, you’ll need coins for the public toilets in popular spots.
• Keep cool and look the part with a lightweight linen dress, sandals and sunnies. And don’t forget a travel-safe purse for carrying the items above!

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23 comments.

Brilliant itinerary Nadine! I’ve never followed a walking route through Paris and this is a great way to see the ‘big’ sights in one go. Loved your photos and tips too – it makes me want to jump on Eurostar immediately!

Thanks Nancy! Walking is such a great way to get around – as you normally end up discovering a few surprises on the way too (whether by accident or not!). Keep an eye out for some cheap tickets 😉

This is the walking tour that I usually propose when I have guests (usually starting from Notre Dame) on a Paris Getaway. The thing is that when we arrive at Pont Alexandre III they are so destroyed that they are just happy watching the Eiffel Tower from the right bank :-))

I can’t wait to use your tour, but perhaps you should align your map points (letters) with your text points (numbers)!! Thanks!

Hi Kiim, Good point about the letters/numbers, thanks! I’ll fix that up asap. I’m also working on a cool printable map to go with this post so stay tuned 🙂

We loved your walk Nadine. It gave us and our teenager a great day out, we did some shopping and we saw some great Parisienne landmarks.

Hi Liz, Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed the walk! Thanks for letting me know my plan was useful 🙂

This was an amazing and spot on walking tour. We followed everything that we wanted to see plus we expirience other sites that were along the way like Iglesi Saint Paul – Saint Louis which was an amazing find beautiful church. This made our only day in Paris amazing and we took into consideration on what to bring along for the long journey. Thank you Nadine

Oh, that’s such lovely feedback Saul! I’m so glad the walking tour helped you to enjoy your time in Paris 🙂

Wonderful itinerary. Thanks ❤️❤️❤️

You’re very welcome 🙂

Hi Nadine I just did the same a day in Paris walk tour as mentioned by yourself – thank you for putting this together as it helped me make most of my short time – notes made me feel I was on a guided tour. – le Marais was amazing totally unexpected

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience

Hi Nandu, thanks for the feedback! I’m so glad this walking tour helped you enjoy your time in Paris!

Its going to be my 2nd visit to Paris, and I am already sure that this walk is going to be even more fun than the HoHo bus ride we took last time. The map is part of my travel pouch already. Thanks in advance. You are doing a great job!

Awesome! I’m sure you’ll have a great time 🙂

This was amazing! Must say it is very long so be prepared for that. I combined it with the new Lime Scooter rentals in Paris, and it made it much easier. I would recommend this to anyone because I feel like I’ve seen almost everything in one day! I will say this though a if you plan on stopping and visiting many of the stops, this will take you more than one day. I only went up the Eiffel Tower at the end and it was still a 6 hour mission. Would be great split into two days if you wanted to go into places like the Notre Dame and the Arc de Triumph. Overall it was amazing and I would definetly recommend it!

Yes, it’s a long walk for sure – my feet were quite sore by the end (but I didn’t wear appropriate footwear!). You could absolutely break it down and do it over a few days to allow time for sightseeing on the way. Thanks for your comment!

Hello Nadine, Thank you for the itinerary! This will be a lifesaver. We only have one day in Paris, and this will ensure we get to see the best parts for sure! I see that you have it listed as a 2.5 hour walk, but realistically, (like Hannah posted above), how long would it take if we were to stop at the landmarks? I guess I could do the math, add a half-hour here, and an hour there, but I was just wondering if you had a good idea from feedback you might have received. Thanks!

Hi Patrick, I came up with this itinerary from doing the walk myself and it took a full afternoon with stops for lunch, browsing, to look at landmarks etc. So around 12pm – 7pm. You could most definitely cover it all in a full day if you don’t spend more than an hour at each stop. Hope that helps!

This looks like a great walking route! I’ve been looking for something like this as we’ll be walking with our dog & kids so we’ll take it slow. Do you know specifically if any of the points on your itinerary don’t allow dog access?

Sorry, I don’t know that specifically. But Travelnuity has a great guide on visiting Paris with dogs which may help you. You can find it here .

Thank you very much for your amazing job, Nadine. We visited Paris many years ago, but we didn’t have such a great tool. We’ll be in Paris again, just in four days, and thanks to you now we know what we will do on the first day!

That’s great Michael – hope you love the walk!

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Free self-guided Marais walking tour, Paris (with map)

Posted on Last updated: February 20, 2024

Explore Paris’ medieval heart with this free self-guided Marais walking tour, featuring this picturesque district’s mansion houses, museums and monumental gardens – with map and directions included.

* This site contains affiliate links , where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

Go back in time with a tour of the Marais, Paris’ medieval quarter. Its name means ‘marsh’ and the area was originally swampland. It became a fashionable residence for royalty and 17th-century aristocrats, but fell out of favour after the French Revolution. Today it’s been restored and gentrified, and has strong Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities.

The Marais mainly escaped Baron Haussman’s modernisation of Paris in the 19th century, so has a different feel to a lot of the city, with narrow cobbled streets, elegant squares and mansion houses. It’s also home to some of Paris’ best museums and galleries. So join us on a self-guided Marais walking tour to discover the area’s historic highlights.

A self-guided walking tour of the Marais

Start your Marais walking tour outside Paris’ Hôtel de Ville. The closest Métro station is Hôtel de Ville (Lines 1 and 11) in the square in front of the building. It’s also less than 10 minutes’ walk from Cité (Line 4) and Châtelet (Lines, 1, 4 7, 11 and 14) stations.

Hôtel de Ville

The Hôtel de Ville is Paris’ city hall and the mayor’s official residence. It was built between 1533 and 1628, and has survived wars, riots and being burnt to the ground by the revolutionary Paris Commune in 1871. It took 19 years to rebuild after the fire, with the exteriors recreating the original design and new, lavish ceremonial rooms inside.

The square in front of the Hôtel de Ville was once used for public executions, with a guillotine set up here during the French Revolution. But today it’s used for less gory public activities, like a festive market at Christmas and a big screen for sports events.

Walk around the back of the Hôtel de Ville , following Rue de Rivoli past the BHV Marais department store. Turn right down Rue de Lobau then left along Place Saint-Gervais. Follow the road to the left of Saint-Gervais church down Rue François Miron.

Rue François Miron

Rue François Miron is one of the oldest streets in Paris, with two medieval half-timbered buildings on the left. The Maison du Faucheur and Maison du Mouton (House of the Reaper and House of Sheep) are named after the occupations of the people who lived there. It’s thought they were built in the 14th century, with the upper floors added later.

In 1607 the façades were covered with plaster to reduce the risk of fire, and were only uncovered in 1967. Many buildings from this period were destroyed during Baron Haussman’s 19th-century redevelopment of Paris, so these two are quite rare.

Turn right at the crossroads following Rue de Jouey, then take the second right down Rue du Figuier and walk as far as the Hôtel de Sens at the end of the street.

Hôtel de Sens and Bibliothèque Forney

With its golden stone archways and turrets, Hôtel de Sens looks like a fairytale castle tucked away in a quiet street in the Marais. It was built in the 15th century for Tristan de Salazar, the Archbishop of Sens, though he died before it was completed.

Look carefully and you can see a cannonball embedded above the entrance, with the date 28 July 1830 below it – dating back to the French Revolution. The Hôtel was later used as a factory and warehouse until the City of Paris took it over and restored it. It’s now home to the Forney Library, with a collection of books on decorative arts and a pretty garden.

Carry straight on, passing Square Marie-Trintignant (where there’s a free public toilet) on your right, then turn left down Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul. Through the archways on your right is the Village Saint-Paul, a collection of art, antique and gift shops set around cobbled courtyards – with a couple of cafés if you want to stop for a drink.

Wall of Philip II Augustus

Between 1190 and 1213, French King Philip Augustus built a great wall around the edge of Paris to protect the city while he was away on the Crusades. Once it was finished it ran for over 5km, stood six to eight metres tall and was three metres thick at the base.

The last of the wall’s gates were knocked down in the 1680s. And although most of the sections of wall left behind have been incorporated into buildings, you can see one of the longest stretches of it on your left, at the end of Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul.

Turn left down Rue Charlemagne then right down narrow Rue du Prévot, which joins onto Rue de Rivoli. Go right and you’ll see a church to your right.

Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis

The Church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis was the first Baroque church built in Paris, in a change to the usual Gothic style. It was built in 1627 for the Jesuits on the orders of Louis XIII, and was inaugurated by Cardinal Richelieu. But after the Jesuits were banished in 1762 it was used as a warehouse before being restored and used for services again.

Author Victor Hugo’s daughter Leopoldine got married here in 1843, and he donated two fonts to mark the occasion which you can still see today. And when he wrote Les Misérables , he included it as the church where Cosette and Marius get married.

Continue along the main road, which becomes the Rue Saint-Antoine. Then go through the arched doorway on your left which is marked ‘Hôtel de Sully’.

Hôtel de Sully

The Hôtel de Sully is another of the Marais’ impressive mansion houses. It was built in the 17th century for Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully and close friend of King Henri IV. It’s now the headquarters of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, who manage France’s historic monuments. And although the building isn’t open to the public, you can walk through its courtyards and admire the beautiful façades and courtyard garden.

Walk through the doorway in the far right corner which leads into the Place des Vosges.

Place des Vosges

The Place des Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris, a perfectly symmetrical space set around a central garden. It was originally known as the Place Royale and was a fashionable place for the nobility to live in the 17th–18th centuries, with its red brick buildings contrasting with the medieval architecture of the Marais.

Former residents include Cardinal Richelieu and Victor Hugo, whose old house in the corner of the square is now the Maison de Victor Hugo museum (free entry, closed Mondays). And underneath the vaulted arches around the square are high-end antique shops, art galleries and cafés where you can stop for a coffee or a glass of wine.

At the opposite side of the square from where you entered it, walk to the west along Rue des Francs Bourgeois and you’ll see the Musée Carnavalet to your right.

Musée Carnavalet

The Musée Carnavalet takes you through the history of Paris, from prehistory to the present day (free entry, closed Mondays). Baron Haussmann had the idea for the museum in 1866, and stored objects and documents at the Hôtel de Ville while the museum was being built – which didn’t work out too well as his collection was destroyed in the 1871 fire.

It’s been rebuilt since, and the museum is now spread across two mansions. There are recreated rooms from different periods in Paris’ history, furniture, paintings and objects including the Hôtel de Ville’s original charred door and a chunk of the Bastille.

From the museum, carry on along Rue des Francs Bourgeois as far as Rue Pavée.

At this point you can take a short diversion to visit the Musée Cognacq–Jay (for 18th-century art and sculpture) or Musée Picasso . Go straight on at the junction and turn right up Rue Elzevir for the Musée Cognacq–Jay. Or walk past that museum and carry on along the Rue de Thorigny for the Musée Picasso.

Otherwise turn left down Rue Pavée, passing La Mouette Rieuse bookshop and café which does a great hot chocolate. Then turn right down the Rue des Rosiers. Look out for the entrance to the Jardin des Rosiers Joseph Migneret on your right, a tranquil community garden. Turn right at the end of the street then left onto Rue des Blancs Manteaux.

Église Notre-Dame des Blancs Manteaux

Go through an unassuming doorway on your left into the Catholic Church of Notre-Dame des Blancs Manteaux (named after the white mantles worn by the monks who founded the original church in 1258). The current Baroque church was built in the 1680s, and has an ornate Bavarian wooden pulpit and 17th-century paintings and sculptures.

Then go straight on and you’ll see the entrance to the National Archives on your right.

Archives Nationales

France has one of the oldest and biggest National Archives in the world. And the documents collected from before the French Revolution are held in two mansions in the Marais – the Hôtel de Soubise and Hôtel de Rohan – which are surrounded by gardens.

The Hôtel de Soubise is where you find the Musée des Archives Nationales (free entry, closed Tuesday). It displays a mix of exhibits from the archive’s collection, which goes all the way back to the first century AD. You can also see the ornate Rococo interiors.

Carry straight on across the junction onto Rue Rambuteau. When you reach a major junction with Rue Beaubourg, the Pompidou Centre will be in front of you. If you do a small diversion to the right here down Impasse Berthaud you can visit the Jardin Anne Frank, a lovely memorial garden with benches and a childrens’ play area.

Centre Pompidou

The Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges-Pompidou (aka the Pompidou Centre ) is instantly recognisable for its quirky, inside-out architecture, with colourful pipes and escalators outside the building. It was designed by architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano and opened in 1977 – taking its name from the president who commissioned it.

Inside there’s the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe, as well as a public library and exhibition space. There is an entry fee for the museum, but it’s free to climb up to the top floor where you get fantastic views out across Paris.

Walk around the side of the Pompidou Centre and finish your Marais walking tour by the colourful Stravinsky Fountain. The nearest Métro station is Rambuteau (Line 11), on the corner of Rue Rambuteau and Rue Beaubourg. Or it’s just a few minutes’ walk along Rue du Renard back to the Hôtel de Ville and its Métro station (Lines 1 and 11).

Self-guided Marais walking tour map

If you’d like to do this Marais walk yourself, click on the map below to access directions through Google maps. The route is around 3.8km (2.4 miles) and takes around an hour to walk straight through, but allow several hours to include stops along the way.

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Johanna Bradley

Tuesday 20th of February 2024

I can tell I missed some interesting things in the Marais from reading your guide, Lucy. If I ever go back...

Lucy Dodsworth

Monday 26th of February 2024

Thanks Jo, and hopefully one day!

Welcome to the Louvre

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Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Guided tours Highlights All publics 12 +

Discover the Mona Lisa , the Winged Victory of Samothrace , the Venus de Milo , and other masterpieces of the Louvre with trained guides who take you through the museum’s most impressive spaces, such as the medieval moat, giving you a fascinating insight into the history of the palace.

Available languages and times

Every day at 9.45 a.m. Additional tour at 2 p.m. on weekends and every Friday at 6 p.m and 7 p.m (Except: 1 March, 5 April, 3 May, 7 June and 26 April)

Every day at 9:45am

Every day at 10 am

Booking conditions

Guided tour - Combined ticket The combined ticket (31 €) allows an admission to the museum at the same access time than the selected Guided tour or Atelier, for visitors who do not benefit of a free admission to the museum. Guided tour - Full price Admission ticket for individual visitor  not included In case of tickets unavailability online, it is mandatory to purchase an admission ticket at spot.) Guided tour - Reduced price For visitors benefiting of a free admission to the museum: under-18s, under-26s living in the European Economic Area, membership card holders (Amis du Louvre, Louvre Mécène, Louvre Professionnels) people with disabilities and people on income support. Complete liste of tarif conditions on:  www.louvre.fr . Free admission with no ticket on presentation of proof of eligibility only.  

Free Le Marais Tour Paris

• Discover the enchanting streets of Le Marais , a captivating district in the heart of Paris that most tourists never get to see!
• Come explore Place des Vosges, the city's oldest square , and immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of the Jewish Quarter .
• Walk to the historic Bastille , a symbol of revolution and change, and uncover its profound impact on Paris's history.

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"There's nowhere quite like Paris and it's amazing to watch our guests light up when they see bucket list icons like the Eiffel Tower in real life. Don't forget to slow down and savour the freshly baked pastries from the local boulangerie and mingle with the locals in the sidewalk cafés and markets."

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See the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo at the Louvre

You can’t take a Paris trip without visiting the Louvre. It’s the both the largest art museum and the most-visited museum in the world, and you can soak it all in with our special evening experience at the Louvre. You’ll discover masterpieces like the Mona Lisa with your Local Specialist and enjoy the quiet atmosphere without the crowds. Simply magical.

Visit the remarkable church of Saint-Sulpice

Paris is full of spectacular architecture, and the church of Saint-Sulpice may be one of the best. This medieval cathedral is the second-largest church in the city and your Paris travel guide will show you around the stunning facades, stained glass windows, impressive fountains, unique sundial, and the breathtaking organ, one of the largest in the world.

Enjoy a leisurely cruise along the River Seine

As the scenic centrepiece of Paris, you can’t miss exploring the iconic River Seine. We’ll wander along the pretty riverbank by day and take you on a special Seine cruise by night, when the City of Light is illuminated in twinkling lights. Look out for icons like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame, and relax as you drift along this enchanting river.

Explore the Latin Quarter of Paris

When you travel Paris with Trafalgar, you’ll join a Local Specialist to discover the Latin Quarter, the city’s epicentre of culture, learning and creativity. See the ancient Sorbonne University, one of the world’s first universities, soak up the vibrant atmosphere of this student hotspot, and perhaps even stop by the legendary Shakespeare and Co bookstore.

Experience a traditional Parisian Cabaret

You’ve probably seen the Parisian Cabaret in dozens of movies and photos, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing the real thing. We’ll take you to the world-famous Moulin Rouge Cabaret, where you’ll enjoy dinner, champagne and a dazzling show of 60 dancers and over 1,000 costumes, for an incredible evening you’ll never forget.

Our top 5 things to do in Paris

With so many incredible Paris attractions to choose from, we’ll show you the very best things to do in Paris, from the beautiful Saint-Sulpice to the original Parisian cabaret.

Musée Rodin

Located just steps away from the Eiffel Tower, you can’t miss the spectacular Musée Rodin. Founded in 1916 by Auguste Rodin himself, the museum features the artist’s incredible sculptures within an 18th-century rocco mansion and a stunning three-hectare garden, along with his personal collection of paintings, photographs and ancient artefacts.

Paris Opera & Palais Garnier

If you want to experience the height of Parisian opulence, it’s got to be the Palais Garnier. This extraordinary building is a 1,979-seat opera house constructed in the late 19th-century, and is renowned as the setting for The Phantom of the Opera. Today you can discover its magnificent treasures or even spend a glitzy night at the opera or ballet.

Grand Palais

Located right across from the Champs-Élysées, the Grand Palais is an icon of Paris with its giant glass ceiling and Beaux-Arts style architecture. Its interior is even more thrilling, with national art galleries, science museums and exhibition halls all held under the famous dome, and you can easily spend a day or two here.

Best museums in Paris

When you travel Paris with Trafalgar, we’ll make sure you get your fill of the best Paris museums, from the iconic Louvre to the magnificent Opéra Garnier.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is the ultimate French vegetarian dish, loved by all for its heartwarming local flavors. It’s essentially a vegetable stew, made with a rich tomato sauce and a rainbow of veggies like zucchini, eggplant and squash, and herbs like basil, garlic and thyme. One bite and you’ll fall in love with the home-cooked ratatouille of Paris.

One of France’s most famous recipes, Coq au Vin features wine-braised chicken served alongside ingredients like mushrooms and bacon. Across the country you will try many regional versions of this comforting dish, which translates fittingly to “rooster/cock with wine”.

French cuisine celebrates both savory and sweet ingredients, not just in the form of croissants. Find true street-food joy in the popular dessert of crêpes, with strawberries, Nutella, bananas and lemon curd just some of the toppings loved by locals and travelers alike. Or, try the national specialty crêpes Suzette with orange zest and caramelized butter.

Best food in Paris

Our Paris holidays are filled with the legendary Parisian cuisine, and we’ll show you all the best places to try your French favorites from fresh croissants to delicate desserts.

What to pack for Paris

French phrasebook

It’s a good idea to learn some common French phrases before arriving in Paris, and the locals are sure to appreciate your efforts to learn their mother tongue.

Camera & extra SD card

Paris is full of soul-stirring moments you’ll want to capture forever, so be sure to pack a few extra SD cards for all those special snaps and videos.

Comfortable shoes

Whether you’re wandering through the Louvre, or strolling along the River Seine, you’ll need a comfy pair of shoes on your Paris tour.

Formal wear

If you want to hit the town in Paris with a Moulin Rouge show or a night at the opera, be sure to bring a glamorous outfit to fit in with the chic locals.

All-weather clothing

Paris is known for its unpredictable weather, with rain one day and sunshine the next. It’s best to pack both warm and cooler layers so you’re prepared for everything.

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London & Paris

About this tour.

From cosmopolitan London to romantic Paris, cross the English Channel via train and take in the best of these iconic cities. Take a walking tour to Westminster to see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and witness the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Personalize your stay in Paris by choosing to savor a thrilling dinner and cabaret show at the Paradis Latin theatre or indulge in a traditional brasserie dinner before sliding into the backseat of a retro Citroën classic car for a drive through the city’s chic boulevards. Dine at the Eiffel Tower and cruise the River Seine at night.

Your Tour Includes

• 2 Handpicked Accommodations
• 4 Choice on Tour Options

Included Highlights

• Buckingham Palace
• Covent Garden
• Eurostar Train

Your Tour at a Glance

7 Breakfasts

Travel Style

Customize your tour.

$2,057.00 pp

Optional Excursions

Starting at $65.00

Activity Level

• Level This Tour

For specific details about this tour's activity level and other info to know before you book your trip, click here.

Extension Style

Travel styles, highlights and inclusions.

Must-See Inclusions:

Embark on a tour of London with a local expert.

Cross the English Channel aboard the Eurostar Train.

Cultural Experiences:

Take advantage of a full day of leisure in both London and Paris.

• Cruise along the Seine against a backdrop of Paris' glittering skyline.

Discover London on a walking tour to Westminster and see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Culinary Inclusions:

Enjoy London’s culinary renaissance at a dinner featuring contemporary British cuisine.

Savor an exclusive dinner at the Eiffel Tower, featuring delicious cuisine and breathtaking views.

• Choices on Tour
• Arc de Triomphe
• Eiffel Tower Dinner
• Seine River Cruise

Book with Confidence

* With Insurance Purchased

• *No Hassle Refunds
• Traveling Well Safety
• No booking fee, *no change fees
• Top Rated Travel Protection

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Getting Prepared

Know before you go, travel tips, enhance your tour.

Pre and Post Tour Extensions

• Choice On Tour

Unique Experience

Cultural Experiences

Enhance Your Trip

• Tour Extensions

In Paris, you have the choice between 2 activities. Your first choice is to gain an overview of the French capital during a panoramic bus tour. With your local guide, take in the most iconic sights of Paris such as the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Place de la Concorde. OR, join a local expert on a walking tour. Travel like a Parisian as you hop on Le Métro bound for the hilltop neighborhood of Montmartre and its iconic Sacré-Cœur basilica. Explore the winding streets, home to classical painters and cultural provocateurs and learn the history of this artistic village in the heart of Paris.

In Paris, you have the choice between 2 evening activities. Your first choice is to cross into the Latin Quarter for an eventful dinner at the legendary Paradis Latin,* the city’s oldest cabaret theatre, complete with wine, champagne and a captivating show. Your second choice is to explore Paris’ culinary scene during a traditional brasserie dinner, before sliding into the backseat of a retro Citroën classic car for a drive through the city’s chic boulevards. * The Paradis Latin show features some tasteful nudity and may be considered unsuitable for children - consult your Tour Manager.

Extend your stay in London with a 2-night pre extension. A locally guided walking tour begins by on the London Underground tube before you explore along the River Thames discovering the iconic buildings of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern Gallery and Shakespeare’s, ending at the food stalls of Borough Market. An included ticket to the Tower of London lets you peek into the city’s storied past independently uncovering the secrets of this 11th-century fortress. Spend ample free time exploring the best of London.

• Overnight Flight
• You’re on your way to London, where you will arrive early and enjoy an additional 2-night stay to explore your way.
• Arrive in dynamic London, a sophisticated, historic city metropolis with a timeless style of its own. The day is yours to explore independently.
• Navigate the city with a local expert. Using your included Oyster card, hop on the famous underground Tube. Take a walking tour along the River Thames, where you will see St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern Art Gallery and Shakespeare’s Globe. End at Borough market, London’s premier Food Market, dating back over 1000 years. You will love independently strolling the small, specialty produce stalls and sumptuous street food traders. Enjoy the afternoon to further explore the city.
• See London your way today! Be sure to take advantage of your included ticket to the Tower of London to peek into the city’s storied past and uncover the secrets of this 11th-century fortress. Later today meet your fellow travelers to start your tour.

Would you like to end your vacation with an additional with a 3 Night Amsterdam Extension?

Step into the formal world of the British Monarchy when you visit the stately and expansive Windsor Castle. His Majesty King Charles III uses Windsor as both a private home and as a Royal residence where formal duties of state are performed. Windsor’s 1,000 rooms comprise the largest inhabited castle in the world. It dates back to the 1070s, when William the Conqueror built the original wooden structure, now replaced by the grand stone edifices. Explore one of Britain’s most visited historic buildings, its precincts, and the State Apartments, which house a delightful collection of Royal art treasures. Enjoy time for lunch in the quaint town of Windsor before heading back to London. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the castle that houses so much British history and lore is not to be missed!

Enjoy an interesting visit to the incomparable Palace of Versailles. The palace and gardens of Versailles reflect the extravagant tastes of King Louis XIV, the "Sun King." On this excursion, travel by coach to Versailles where your local guide will recount the history of the palace and lead you through the various rooms of the State Apartments. Of particular interest are the Queen's bedchamber and the famous Hall of Mirrors. You then have leisure time to explore the incredible gardens, some of the most famous in the world, which took over 40 years to complete.

Join us for a guided tour of the world-renowned Louvre Museum. Begin your exploration of the museum by entering through I. M. Pei’s famous Louvre Pyramid, a magnificent glass pyramid rising out of the courtyard of the Louvre. A local expert will provide commentary as you venture through the countless masterpieces that line the halls of the museum, including the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa.

Cruise along the Seine against a backdrop of Paris' glittering skyline.

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Leonardo royal hotel london city, crowne plaza paris-republique, need more information.

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