Choose one of these excellent excursions to enhance your trip to the City of Love.
Paris is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, bursting with incredible art, cuisine, wine, and history. To make the most of your visit to the City of Lights, it is best to rely on the advice of a few locals due to the abundance of attractions there. U.S. News identified some of the best tours in Paris based on feedback from tourists and industry professionals. Each one offers insider information, secret alleyways, intriguing histories, and distinctive experiences that will ensure that you never forget your time spent in Paris.
Unknown Food Tours French: Montmartre
With Secret Food Tours, explore and stroll around the Parisian eating scene like a local. Dessert comes first (c’est la vie!) on this three-hour tour of one of Paris’ most attractive and vibrant arrondissements. Along the way, you’ll pick up baguettes, cheeses, meats, and crêpes from neighborhood speciality stores and learn more about Parisian cuisine and customs from your local guide. When your bag is filled, the guide will direct you to a fantastic picnic location where you can enjoy your harvest while sipping on some wine pairings. Reviewers adore the knowledgeable and engaging tour instructors, as well as the historical anecdotes and local knowledge. Adult tickets start at 99 euros (about $104), with reductions available for youths and young children. For a premium, an improved drinks package is offered. Various hours are available for daily tours, depending on the day. Additionally, Secret Food Tours offers strolls through the Marais and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, two other Parisian districts.
Hidden Paris Bike Tour by Bike About Tours
A guide leads you on side streets to both well-known and obscure locations throughout Paris during the three and a half-hour cycling tour with Bike About Tours. Guides tell stories from history and culture as they go. The Bastille, Place des Vosges, Jardin des Plantes, and the Paris mosque are just a few of the attractions. Reviewers commend the guides’ knowledge and enjoy exploring a variety of places at their own pace. Tickets start at 45 euros ($47) for adults and 20 euros ($21) for kids under the age of four. Everyday at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., tours depart. Additionally, the business provides cycling tours of Versailles.
The Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour of Paris
With the Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour, you may design your own own Parisian journey. Ten stops near tourist destinations, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, and the Grand Palais, are served by double-decker, open-top buses. An 11-language prepared audio tour is available on every bus. If you decide to go the entire route, you will spend two hours and fifteen minutes on the bus because it normally makes stops every fifteen to twenty minutes. Every day from 10 am to around 6 pm, buses run. For a one-day pass, tickets start at 42 euros (about $44) for adults and 22 euros (approximately $23) for children; reductions might be available if you reserve online in advance. Reviewers laud the affordability and convenience of the bus, although some express dissatisfaction with how frequently it is packed. Big Bus also provides night trips, two-day passes, and combo tours with river cruises.
Charms and Secrets of Paris
The Paris Charms and Secrets tour is perfect for you if you enjoy a fantastic yarn, a well-kept secret, or a long-forgotten historical narrative. A guide will ride an electric bike with you through the city on this roughly 12-mile, four-hour trip, including stops at some of Paris’ most well-known landmarks. Learn about the lore surrounding Élysée Palace, the debates surrounding the Eiffel Tower, and the intriguing history of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Reviewers adore the insightful guides and the original tales. The first tour costs 59 euros, or roughly $62 USD. Every day at 9, 2:30, and close to 8, tours leave.
North Marais Food Tour with Paris By Mouth
Book a seat on the North Marais Food tour offered by Paris By Mouth for a close-up look at one of the city’s trendiest and most picturesque neighborhoods. Up to eight people can join this 3 1/2-hour tour to make it more intimate. The first half of the tour will take you to some of the most prestigious bakeries, cheese shops, pastry shops, and charcuterie stores in the area. The tour’s second stop is a wine shop where a seated sampling with wine pairings is offered. A favorite among reviewers, Paris By Mouth’s guides are seasoned food writers, chefs, and food enthusiasts. Each participant’s ticket starts at 125 euros, or around $131. Children are welcome even though the tour is intended for adults, although the business advises against bringing kids under the age of 12. The excursion is offered several times a day. Tours of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the southern Marais, and the Left Bank are also offered by Paris By Mouth.
Paris Tours Retro – Classic Retro
On the Retro Classic tour of Paris, climb into the classic sidecar of a skilled motorbike driver and ride through the city with views of the Champs-Élysées, the Eiffel Tower, the Champ de Mars, and more. Local tour guides will tell fascinating tales and offer an experience that is unlike any other. Reviewers gush about the excitement of the sidecar ride and the local knowledge. There is a two-adult maximum, and tickets start at 99 euros (approximately $104) for 40 minutes. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., tours leave every 30 minutes on a daily basis. The company now offers 90-minute tours and a ride across Paris at dusk if you enjoyed your first sidecar experience (with a Champagne tasting, naturally).
Bike Tour of Versailles by Blue Fox Travel
There is no better way to explore the 2,000-acre Versailles estate than on a bike tour with Blue Fox Travel. With a skip-the-line pass included in your ticket, spend approximately eight hours viewing the royal grounds, which feature the Magnificent and Petit Trianon chateaus, Marie Antoinette’s private estate, and the grand palace. The conquests of Louis XIV, commonly known as the Sun King, the controversies surrounding Louis XV, the French Revolution, and Marie Antoinette are among the events of French royal history that are covered by tour guides. The tour departs every day at 8:30 a.m., barring Monday. Adult tickets cost about 100 euros (or $105), while children and teenagers under the age of 17 pay about 85 euros (or about $90). Train travel to and from Paris is included in the tours. Reviewers adore lazily riding the grounds and gush about the guides’ knowledge of the area as well as the picnic lunch that includes goods from a nearby farmers market. In addition, Blue Fox Travel offers nighttime cycling excursions of Paris and its key sights.
Floating Barges – River Cruise
On this seventy minute boat ride from Bateaux-Mouches, take in views of Paris from the Seine. Prerecorded commentary is played throughout the voyage and gives historical context for a number of sites that may be seen from the river, such as the Musée d’Orsay, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Conciergerie, and the Eiffel Tower. Reviewers laud the distinctive vantage point and reasonable admission pricing and advise taking a night trip to take in the city lights. Others complain that it was difficult to hear the remarks. The price of a ticket for an adult begins at 15 euros, or about $16, and that of a child between the ages of 4 and 12 starts at 6 euros, or about $6. Children under 3 cruise for free. Boats leave every hour from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from April to September, and then every 30 minutes from 1:30 to 10:30 p.m. There are numerous daily departures from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from October to March. There are also lunch and dinner cruises offered.
Urban Adventures in Paris: Gourmet Marais
Explore the lovely Marais neighborhood of Paris with a local tour guide and a selection of French goodies. The Gourmet Marais trip offered by Paris Urban Adventures takes you around the Marais’ well-preserved (and incredibly trendy) neighborhood. You will learn about the area’s history and hear interesting anecdotes throughout the about four-hour trip while admiring Marais’ prized architecture. Stops to nearby shops for sampling of pastries, cheese or charcuterie, wine, and French liqueurs go along with the storytelling. Reviewers laud the guides’ knowledge and entertainment offerings, as well as the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Prices for participants aged 6 and up start at roughly $95 per person. Free admission is available for children under the age of five as long as they taste food off their parents’ plates. The tour departs at 3 p.m. every day except Sunday. Additionally, Paris Urban Adventures provides many private trips as well as tours of bohemian Paris.
Martin and Friends’ Walking Tour of Paris
Join Martin Muda and his buddies, who are all Paris locals, on a tour for a genuinely unique experience with a passionate local. On the three-hour walking tour, Muda or one of his tour guides will take you to some of the city’s most beloved locations while telling tales that bring the city’s past and lore to life. Reviewers laud the tour guides’ attention to detail and each trip’s individualization as well as their professionalism. For departures at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., tickets cost 50 euros (about $53); for departures at 6 p.m., they cost 100 euros (about $106). You can contact us by using the website. The business also provides electric bike rides and nighttime walking picnic tours.
Versailles Bike Tour by Fat Tire Tours
Allow Fat Tire Tours to take you on a ride if you want to experience Versailles in all its splendor. A guide will take you through the open market at Versailles so you can buy a picnic lunch before viewing the Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon as well as the estate gardens on this full-day (about 8 1/2 hour) tour. A skip-the-line pass to the palace and an audio guide are also included in the tour. The bicycles and tour guides are very popular with the tourists, who also enjoy the grand views of the Paris landmark. All tours leave before 9 a.m. on Tuesday through Sunday. The cheapest tickets cost 99 euros, or about $110, and include round-trip train transportation from Paris; however, market purchases are not included. Along with guided walks and Segway rides, Fat Tire Tours also provides a variety of biking tours in Paris and the surrounding area.
Europe‘s NEW Montmartre Walking Tour from SANDEMAN
With the aid of SANDEMANs NEW Europe, take a stroll around one of Paris’ most well-known and lovely neighborhoods. The Moulin Rouge and the steps leading to Sacré-Coeur are two of the most famous landmarks in the neighborhood that you will pass by during this 2-and-a-half-hour tour. As tour guides tell tales of Montmartre’s great artists, musicians, and other notables, like Van Gogh and Picasso, you’ll recognize streets featured in paintings and movies. Visitors laud the guides’ knowledge and suggest the tour to anyone who enjoy art history. Every day at 5 o’clock, tours are offered in both English and Spanish. Adult tickets begin at 16 euros (about $17), while student tickets start at 14 euros (about $15). The business offers tours of the Latin Quarter and a free walking tour of the city’s major sights if you want to see more of the area.
Skip the Line: Boutique Bike Tours’ Versailles Food & Palace Bike Tour
Allow Boutique Bike Tours to take you on a ride and let you meander through the Versailles gardens if you want to get away from the city. Guides lead the way across the expansive estate during a nearly eight-hour trip before pausing for a picnic lunch with food that was acquired from the local market. After lunch, you’ll bypass the line at the well-known palace to tour Versailles’ interior spaces. Reviewers appreciate the relaxed pace, packed day of activities, and helpful direction. Tickets start at 134 euros (about $142) for adults and 97 euros (approximately $103) for kids ages 5 to 17, with admission for kids under 4 being 37 euros (approximately $39). Typically, tours start on Tuesday and continue through Sunday. The business also offers a nighttime boat and bicycle tour of Paris.
Legendary Tour: 2CV Paris Tour
Allow 2CVParisTour to take you for a spin in a Citroen 2CV, a vintage French automobile, if you’re searching for an unforgettable and individualized drive through Paris. As you ride through the streets of Paris for two hours, take in sights including the Arc de Triomphe, Luxembourg Gardens, Palais de l’Élysée, Église Saint-Sulpice, and more. The historic automobile experience and the enjoyable guides are highly praised by reviewers. The tour’s tickets cost about 140 euros (or about $155) each car, and beverages can be purchased for an additional cost. Daily departure times for tours vary. You may also sign up for tours of nearby castles and ones that include picnics if you simply cannot get enough of the vintage vehicle experience.
City Wonders: Underground Tour of the Paris Catacombs
With City Wonders, you can take a two-hour tour of the underground portion of Paris, which is home to approximately 6 million skeletons in a system of tunnels, crypts, and tombs. With a small party, you can skip the wait and visit the Port Mahon gallery, the Sacellum Crypt, the Quarryman’s footbath, and Gilbert’s Tomb on this Paris Catacombs trip. You will hear historical narratives from knowledgeable tour guides throughout the journey. Reviewers love the skip-the-line access and the amusing guides, and they suggest this experience instead of a self-guided tour. Tickets are roughly $105 for adults and $100 for kids between the ages of 4 and 14. A number of tours leave each day. Traditional above-ground excursions of the Louvre, Versailles, Notre-Dame, and the Eiffel Tower are also offered by City Wonders.
Half-Day Giverny Monet’s Gardens Tour from Paris with City Vision
A guide will walk you through the famous painter Claude Monet’s life during this five-hour tour of his Giverny house and garden. Some of his most cherished pieces, such as “Irises” and “Water Lilies,” were inspired by his garden. While some reviewers caution that the business can be unorganized, others praise the vistas and expertise offered by tour guides. Each ticket costs roughly 80 euros, or about 85 dollars. Daily tours typically depart at 8:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. The organization runs other additional excursions, including ones to Normandy, throughout Paris and the rest of France.
Murals XXL Street Art Tour of Paris
Murals XXL, part of Street Art Tour, offers free access to some of the largest works of art in the city. A knowledgeable guide takes visitors on a tour of the city where they can see modern artwork made by some of the most well-known and skilled muralists in the world, including Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada and Obey. Tuesday and Saturday are the days for tours, which take slightly over two hours. The path is also open to people with reduced mobility. Reviewers adore the intimate knowledge and agree that the tour shows nuances (and murals) that are frequently missed. A person’s first ticket costs 24 euros, or about $25. In addition to other possibilities, Street Art Tour Paris also provides trips in Montmartre and Belleville.
Louvre and Orsay Museum Tours by Babylon Guided Combo Tour with Skip-the-Line
On this five and a half hour trip, see Greek sculpture and well-known works by masters including Renoir, Monet, da Vinci, and Van Gogh. Guides will regale you with tales of art history as you wander the halls of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Additionally, you will skip the lengthy queues at the attractions. Visitors laud the guide’s expertise and value the small groups (no more than eight people can go at once). From Wednesday through Saturday, tours depart at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tickets for adults start at 199 euros (about $210), with reductions available for kids. Museum admission is included in the fees. Additionally, Babylon Tours offers excursions to the Rodin Museum, the Musée de l’Orangerie, and private excursions to the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay.
Segway Tour with XL Tours
You’ll pass by some of Paris’ must-see attractions throughout the two-hour tour, including the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero Gardens, and the Musée d’Orsay. Additionally, Bel & Bel Segways, which are modeled after the well-known Vespa scooters, will let you travel in style. Travelers endorse the tour, praising the operators’ directions and the attractiveness of the Segways. Every day at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m., tours are offered. A rider’s first ticket costs 60 euros, or around $63. A minimum age of 12 is required for participation. E-bike excursions of the city are also offered by XL Tours.