Paris Historic Centre Walking Tour: From Notre Dame to the Louvre
Introduction to Paris—its history and culture along the Seine: we walk from Île de la Cité to the Louvre and Tuileries, tracing events from the medieval era to modern times. Highlights include Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, Pont Neuf, and the Louvre, ending with a Tuileries view toward the Eiffel Tower.
Basic Information
Total time
2h 30m
Language
English (check the calendar for availability)
Price
„Pay what you wish” tours do not have a fixed price. It is up to you to evaluate your guide’s work and reward it. Some people give 10€, others 50€ depending on their satisfaction and abilities.
Meeting point
Hôtel de Ville, outside the metro at exit 5, next to the Paris Tourist Office. Please look out for a yellow umbrella!
Additional info
☂︎ This tour is organised by Walkative Paris guides. Look for the guide with the yellow umbrella.
♿️ Tour suitable for people with reduced mobility and strollers
❗Our tours run no matter the weather. High or low temperatures, rain or snow is not a reason for us to cancel our tours. We are always here for you. The only reason for cancellations are extreme weather conditions (like heavy storms…), guide's sudden sickness or no minimum number of people (5) to run the tour, but we will always let you know using the data you provided during registration for the tour.Booking rules
Booking is obligatory. Our pay as you wish tours are designed for individual travellers and small groups. We don’t accept parties of more than 7 people on them. If you travel in a party of 8 or more (school groups, bigger groups of friends etc.), please choose a paid option of 18€ per person or book a Private Tour. For more information on the latter, please contact us.
About the tour
Elegant and monumental 19th century boulevards, medieval churches, the world’s best art museums, unbeatable spirit of its inhabitants and a delicate (or perhaps quite pronounced!) sense of superiority, that’s Paris! Welcome to the world capital of class, elegance, fashion, love, art and amazing cuisine! Occupying this spot continuously since the 17th century!
But Paris wouldn’t be all that without its history. Established on a marshy land surrounded by the river Seine by the brave Gallic tribe of Parisii, taken in a bloody battle by the mighty Roman Empire. It became a capital of the Franks in the 6th century and soon grew to be the political, economic, religious, and cultural (with the second-oldest university in Europe, la Sorbonne) centre of France. With a population of 200 thousand people, Paris was the most populous city in Europe in the medieval ages. Torn by wars with external enemies and internal religious massacres, with time it experienced a true explosion in the field of science and philosophy, becoming the very centre of the Enlightenment movement. Fed on new ideas, but most of all on extreme poverty and inequality, its people found in them the power to overthrow the royal regime, which ended up in the monarchs being finally guillotined. This in turn opened the way for Napoleon seizing power in the country and way, way beyond! People of Paris were (and are!) known for revolting so often that in the 19th century in order to prevent them from doing so a new city was built with wide boulevards, aqueducts, sewers and parks to both appease them and… make it harder to build street barricades. The symbol of its modernization became the Eiffel Tower constructed for the 1889 Universal Exposition, which Parisians hated and protested for decades, only to love it in the end.
On top of all the architectural, cultural and spiritual marvels of the city there is something you simply cannot miss – the wonderful food and wine which can be the sole reason for visiting Paris and France! So, before you go and have a picnic in one of the splendid city gardens, indulge in all the fromage, baguette and wine you can have, join our tour to get the perfect introduction to the incomparable Paris! Hear the stories of Quasimodo, Napoleon and Hitler and learn about their connections to the city of love and light. Hear stories about the most daring art theft in history (yes, we are talking about the Mona Lisa), love, desire, and revenge. Get to know Paris at its finest!
Highlights
- 1
︎Hôtel de Ville (Paris City Hall)
The iconic medieval Catholic cathedral, a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture.
- 2
Notre-Dame Cathedral
A stunning royal chapel renowned for its extensive 13th-century stained-glass windows.
- 3
Sainte-Chapelle
Former royal palace and notorious prison during the French Revolution.
- 4
Conciergerie
The oldest standing bridge across the river Seine, dating back to the 16th century.
- 5
Pont Neuf
The world's largest art museum and a historic monument, home to the Mona Lisa.
- 6
The Louvre
A beautiful public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.
7Tuileries Gardens
Paris's magnificent city hall, the seat of the city's administration since 1357.
Map
Hôtel de Ville, outside the metro at exit 5, next to the Paris Tourist Office. Please look out for a yellow umbrella!
