Pros and cons of morning vs afternoon Paris by mouth tours

I’m not sure it really matters … it is just personal preference. If it were me, I’d probably choose the afternoon and plan to do some sightseeing in the morning. I’d decide whether there is anything else you want to do that first day and then decide what time works better for you.

I would advocate 10:30 (option) for a couple reasons. It concludes around 14:00-14:30, affording time to recuperate* at the hotel for a bit, ahead of any Saturday Nt events or performances you may be considering within your 5-day visit. Second, the month of June can be surprisingly warm, and the morning tour should be settling into the picnic/tasting finale at an indoor (hopefully air-conditioned) wine merchant around 12:45, before outside temps may begin to get uncomfortable. Lastly, there's a LOT of food sampled on these tours, much of it 'rich' in content (cheeses, charcuterie) ... combined with several glasses of wine following ~4-5k steps. When we did their North Marais tour, we couldn't imagine having someplace to go (i.e. returning to a favorite stop) directly afterwards. It was *nap-time!

When we did their North Marais tour, we couldn't imagine having someplace to go (i.e. returning to a favorite stop) directly afterwards. It was *nap-time!

That is why I would choose the afternoon. I would skip dinner and just head for an early evening back at the hotel. If I were eating and drinking from 10 to 2, I wouldn’t feel like doing anything else that day. :)

My tour took place during cool weather (more than 10 years ago). All of our tastings were inside.

I did the Left Bank food tour last Saturday at 10:30. That time slot worked for me as I was leaving on Sunday. I was able to enjoy the food tour and then walk to the Marais area to finish up sightseeing and shopping without stopping for lunch. One of the pastry stops on my tour was actually award winning croissants from the market close to our meeting place.

Years ago I did a Paris food tour with a competitor of Paris By Mouth (and really enjoyed it!). Looking at Paris By Mouth, the itinerary sounds similar to my experience, so here's my two cents. I was full by the end of my 11:45am tour, and fortunately the guide have us little bags for the macarons and chocolates, which wound up being dinner! Didn't feel the need to eat anything more that day. If I had to decide between the 10:30am or the 3:30pm tours, my calculation would be when do I eat breakfast/lunch and do I stay up late enough to be hungry for dinner after the food tour. Also, looking at the reviews on Paris By Mouth, I didn't see anyone saying they were stuffed or hungry afterwards, so I'd guess you'd get a meal's worth of food, which would replace lunch. So, do you like to eat lunch early or late in the day? That's how I'd decide. And yes, I think food tours book up early, so I'd make a reservation as soon as practical.

Thanks everyone! I am leaning towards booking the morning tour, resting up mid day at the hotel, and heading out again later in the afternoon (maybe go to see the lighting of the flame at the arc de triomphe). We did a morning food tour in Rome (taste of Testaccio) and that worked out really well. Now I have to see how to fit together my other “must sees”…