Paris in Revolt: A French Revolution Walking Tour
We trace the French Revolution and its legacy in central Paris, from the Palais Royal and Tuileries Gardens through Place Vendôme to Place de la Concorde and the Assemblée Nationale, addressing Napoleon, Haussmann and the Paris Commune along the way.
Basic Information
Total time
2h
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
Place Colette Nearest public transport: Place Colette (Théatre de la Comédie Française, Théatre du Palais Royal) metro station; Rue Saint-Honoré metro station
Additional info
☂︎ This tour is organised by Walkative Paris guides. Look for the guide with the yellow umbrella.
❗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
What would Paris be without the Revolution?
Think of Bastille Day, France’s most important holiday. Hear the stirring sound of La Marseillaise echoing through the boulevards. Picture the words Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité carved into stone on public buildings. These aren’t just slogans—they’re the heartbeat of a city forged in fire, blood, and bold ideas. Paris stands apart among the greatest cities – not just as a symbol of beauty and power, but as the birthplace of revolution. A place where the impossible became inevitable, where ordinary people toppled monarchs, and where ideals became weapons. This spirit of resistance became part of the city’s identity.
The French Revolution didn’t just change France—it changed the world. What began on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille, erupted into a decade of upheaval. Kings were overthrown, heads rolled, and a Republic emerged from the rubble of the Ancien Régime. The Revolution tore through every corner of society—destroying old hierarchies, redefining justice, and challenging the very notion of divine rule.
But it didn’t stop when the guillotine fell silent. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, exporting revolutionary ideals across Europe at the tip of a bayonet—only to crown himself Emperor in the very capital that had dethroned a king. In 1871, the Paris Commune rose up in defiance of a crushing defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. For 70 days, workers, artists, and radicals took control of the city, aiming to build a more equal world. Though it was violently suppressed, the Commune ignited imaginations across the globe—from Karl Marx to modern-day revolutionaries.
The legacy of these events reshaped not only France, but the very foundations of modern democracy, citizenship, and human rights. What began as a cry for bread became a battle for dignity. The French Revolution was not just a historical event—it became a force. And that force still pulses through the veins of Paris today.
As Victor Hugo once wrote: “Rome may be more majestic, Venice more beautiful, London richer – but Paris has the Revolution.”
Join us and walk the streets where empires crumbled and a new world was born. Hear stories of courage, betrayal, and transformation. Witness the turbulent century that reshaped France and reverberated across the globe—from the Bastille to the barricades, from guillotines to the birth of human rights. On this 2-hour journey, we’ll uncover the truths behind the symbols, the people behind the ideals, and the city that continues to live and breathe its revolutionary past.
Highlights
- 1
Robespierre's House
The former residence of Maximilien Robespierre, infamous architect of the Reign of Terror.
- 2
Madeleine Church
A temple Napoleon built to glorify his army, now a consecrated Catholic church.
- 3
Place de la Concorde
The Revolution's execution square where the guillotine claimed King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
- 4
Assemblée Nationale
The seat of French democracy, a symbol of the Republic born from revolution.
- 5
Palais Royal
Where Camille Desmoulins's speech ignited the storming of the Bastille.
- 6
Tuileries Gardens
Site of the former royal palace, stormed by insurgents and burned to the ground.
7Place Vendôme
Square where the Paris Commune toppled Napoleon's column, a symbolic act of defiance.
Map
Place Colette Nearest public transport: Place Colette (Théatre de la Comédie Française, Théatre du Palais Royal) metro station; Rue Saint-Honoré metro station
