Greetings
I've been to Paris a number of times, but this time I'm taking two friends who have never been. I'd like to do several walking tours as they have requested it as a good way to learn about the area. Since I've never taken any tours in Paris (just used Rick's book), I'm looking for recommendations. I've checked Trip Advisor etc. but thought this community might have some specific recommendations! I'm looking for walking tours. (Not food tours or a river tour.)
Thanks
Terri
I like this one for a tour of the Le Marais: https://www.withlocals.com/experiences/france/paris/le-marais-tours/
Frommer's 24 Paris Walks book has some great self guided tours; we particularly liked the architecture walk in the 16th. You can find it on line used.
There are lots of other good Paris Walks books. There is one that is a deck of 50 cards with curated short walks -- you can put several together. We would pick a church or park or other area we hadn't explored and then get the cards adjacent and use them to explore the area.
I've done a number of walks with Paris Walks (www.paris-walks.com ) that have been excellent.
I particularly enjoyed the Paris during the Occupation and Liberation walk and have done it twice. Once a friend and I wanted to do the Knights Templar walk but it wasn't given during the time we were there so we arranged for a private walk thru the company. I've also enjoyed walks thru the Marais and Montmartre with them.
Thank you for these suggestions!
hey hey Terri
here's a couple sites to check out:
airbnb/experiences/paris
click tours and sightseeing scrolling down to see what walks they offer
discoverwalks.com
click paris. there are free tours and private tours
parisperfect.com
5 wonderful walks in paris
parisjetaime.com
click attractions, click walks
localers.com
wander tours in paris
gpsmycity.com/paris
womenofparis.com
have a great time and knowing your friends will enjoy paris, surroundings and it's beauty. been a few times with my good friend. her favorite city and she's french basque from near saint jean de luz.
aloha
Pam,
Those Paris Walks tours look very interesting at a great price. I wouldn’t mind doing the liberation and Hemingway Latin Quarter.
Lulu, I've done both of those, lol! The Hemingway tour was really good as well! I had Christopher for that one and he took us in to a number of small walled gardens. Very cool! I can't promise that happens with every guide and that was also pre-Covid. If you are interested in Hemingway, do read A Moveable Feast before you travel. It's a memoir and he often talks about specific streets and other spots where he hung out.
Thanks so much everyone! This is super helpful. And Annie--I love your guide!
+1 re ParisWalks. We took several of their tours (a few years ago) and they were excellent.
Somebody else mentioned a Hemingway guided tour. There is also a book titled 'Walks in Hemingway's Paris' that describes a number of sites specific to that author's Paris sojourn, but also sites pertinent to many of his ex-pat contemporaries. It's interesting how much the paths of all these individuals crossed.
I think Paris must be the most written about city in literature. Granted, you and your friends aren't likely to have time to read some of the great books set in Paris, I'll recommend a few anyhow. 'Cousin Bette', by Balzac, details a walk that the eponymous character takes from the Right Bank to the Left that takes in a lot of sites. I managed to trace most of the route on a map of Paris. 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo is a great dense tome, but gives a great picture of Les Halles and the Marais neighborhoods during the June Uprising of 1848. He describes a number of streets that the militants erected barricades on. 'Pere Goriot' by Balzac provides a vivid description of the area below the Pantheon in the 19th Century.
There are oh so many more examples to provide, should you be interested.
I did a free Paris walk a couple of years ago that was very good, until……After a couple of nonstop hours she said, ”Well, this is where I head back.” I was pretty much clueless where we were except on the edge of a huge park and over 2 hours of all new scenery. I had assumed we’d make a loop and I would know how to get back to my apartment. My phone maps weren’t working (an Orange sim that never did work, another story) so I made it back with her verbal directions. The moral: know where you’ll end before you leave. I privately gave them feedback and they were very apologetic. I lived to tell about it:)
I have to admit that reading the glowing reviews for Paris walks has me totally confused. I have given them two shots. One was the Resistance, it's hard to make resisting the Nazi's sound boring but my guide accomplished it. 2nd was a literary walk, somewhat better but.....not near as good as the quality you get from London Walks for example. Now both of these were post covid and my understanding is that they have a LOT fewer guides than they used to so... (Pre covid I did their special fashion walk and LOVED it)
I have used private guides and had a much better experience but don't want to appear to be "selling" so...
A friend and I had a wonderful experience with Paris Greeters back in 2014. A lovely retired attorney showed us around her neighborhood and explained things like the history of artisans who built buildings and furniture there. She took us into buildings and inner courtyards we would've otherwise walked right past. I think we were together for 2-3 hours with a break at a local café. We were matched based on a short questionnaire about our interests.
The organization pre-dates most similar ones offering experiences with locals (I believe). I've recommended it to friends and family and always get good feedback.
Every Paris Walks tour I have taken has been excellent. I usually try to take the neighborhood walks.
Try the Secret Food Tours in Montmartre, we all loved it. Come hungry because you’ll be eating a lot. Our guide Pierre was not only super knowledgeable but also hilarious, he really made the day.
I have done 4 Paris Greeter walks over the years and agree with the other poster that mentioned them. My experiences are all pre Covid. We haven’t used them on our 2 trips post Covid but we arrive next month and will be there for a month so I hope to do another walk with them as well as with Paris Walks.
Another vote for Paris Walks.
I’ve done a couple of them and had excellent knowledgeable guides both times.
I particularly enjoyed the walk through Montmartre.
I’ll be looking at them again for my visit this Fall.
