Walking on the streets of Paris
Paris sightseeing : Paris is made of 20 arrondissements or districts. We could offer lots of walking tour within each district. However, there are 3 majors sightseeing you shall do specially if it is the first time for you in Paris. Feel Paris Hearbeat !
The most iconic districts
Among 20 subdivisions of Paris, there are below 3 majors sightseeing or walking tour. However, each district of Paris has its own beauty and story. In addition, Paris offers so many amazing activities and experiences such as shopping made in Paris, dinning in gourmet restaurant… Note that you cannot do it all but you shall choose what speaks the most to your heart. Have a look at what to do in Paris.
Saint Germain Paris sightseeing
St Germain is located in the 6th district of Paris, close to the Latin Quarter. Nestled in the heart of Paris, this chic and trendy neighborhood has always been the place for Parisian intellectual life. There are full of books shops, cafés, art galleries, luxury boutiques. You can visit the epicenter of St Germain, from the metro Saint-Germain-des-Prés line 4. Nearby, visit the Saint Germain des Près church, the oldest church of Paris, with a bell tower of the sixth century.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés has its literary and intellectual soul since the 17th century. A whole lot of intellectuals like the Encyclopedists gathered at the Procope which still exists at 13 rue de l’Ancienne Comédie. In France, the central doctrines of the Enlightenment philosophers were individual liberty and religious tolerance, in opposition to an absolute monarchy and the fixed dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. The main leader of this mouvement was Voltaire.
After World War I, the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district became the place of intellectual and artistic Parisian life with young artists, such as Hemingway, Picasso, Giacometti, Brecht, Marguerite Duras, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. They strolled at the café Les Deux Magots or the Café de Flore. The existentialist philosophy coexisted with American jazz, in the caves of the rue de Rennes. The reputation of Saint-Germain-des-Prés has attracted since the early 1970s international tourism that has gradually transformed the area favoring the establishment of luxury shops.
Montmartre Paris sightseeing
Montmartre is located in the 18th district of Paris, a large hill on the right bank. Just over a century ago, Montmartre hosted a perfect storm of artistic creativity and avant-garde thinking. Located on the highest hill of Paris, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is the emblematic monument of Montmartre hill. The inspiration for Sacré-Cœur’s design originated on 4 September 1870, the day of the proclamation of the Third Republic, with a speech by Bishop Fournier attributing the defeat of French troops during the Franco-Prussian War to a divine punishment after “a century of moral decline” since the French Revolution. The site is very touristy but offers a pleasant environment marked by cabarets and by artists such as Suzanne Valadon, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Marcel Aymé, Dalida, Edith Piaf… but also by the catholic faith with Saint Pierre de Montmartre church from the 12th century.
Montmartre hill was covered with orchards, vineyards, thatched cottages, about 30 windmills and its Royal Abbey of the Benedictine Religious of Montmartre. Nowadays, its spirit is the one of a village named the rooftop of Paris, being the highest point from the natural ground at 130.53 meters or 426 ft. This beautiful bohemian neighborhood is full of history and famous artists from writers, singers, dancers to painters. You may catch those free spirits here. Every year in October, you have the Montmartre Feast of the harvest to celebrate an authentic Parisian wine.
Le Marais Paris sightseeing
Le Marais is located in the 4th district of Paris. The Marais, very close to Notre Dame, holds its name of a former swampy zone occupied for the XIIth century. Nearby, Le Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville or BHV, officially The BHV Marais since 2013, is a non-specialized department store (do-it-yourself, woman child man fashion, beauty, bookshop, arts of cooking, …) based in 1880 by Xavier Ruel. It is situated in Paris, street of Rivoli, in the 4th district, in front of the City hall but, also occupies several other nearby buildings. At the same time, you can see the city hall, the seat of the municipal institutions for the XIVth century, and the witness of many events which marked the history of France since the French Revolution, as the proclamation of the Third Republic in 1870 and the speech by Charles de Gaulle August 25th, 1944 during the Liberation of Paris.
Today, this district is one of the most frequented by the capital. It possesses numerous museums (Picasso museum, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Musée Carnavalet,…). The visit of the square (place) des Vosges constitutes the highlight of a stroll. Victor Hugo, author of the hunchback of Notre Dame, used to live here. During summer, Parisians enjoy to relax and take sun bath on the grass, reading a book or having drinks in one of its cafés.
La rue des Rosiers, epicenter of the Parisian Jewish community, is to discover. Around, you have synagogues, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme (Mahj) and the Shoah Memorial. The Marais abounds in fashion shops of designers and luxury rue des Francs-Bourgeois and rue Vieille du Temple, in restaurant addresses, delicatessen boutiques around Saint Paul, in art galleries with la Galerie Perrotin, world top contemporary art gallery. The Marais is also the biggest LGBT district of France.
Ask for a tailor-made itinerary with a private tour guide. There are plenty to do among the 20 districts of Paris for each profile. You choose we create personalized tours according to your aspirations. In addition, we offer custom made Paris Tour Package, all inclusive.
Custom Made Private Tour Guide
| Taxes included | Number of people | Duration | Custom Made Private Tour Guide Paris |
|---|---|---|---|
| From 250 Euros | Up to 6 persons | 3 hours | Personalized private tour guide with hotel pick up |
| From 450 Euros | Up to 6 persons | 5 hours | Personalized private tour guide with hotel pick up |
| From 150 Euros | Per person | 2 hours | Museum private tour by a licensed guide |
