Private tours in Paris.
The capital of France — and of light, fashion, gastronomy and art.
Paris, in a nutshell.
Paris sits on the river Seine in the Île-de-France region, in the north-central part of the country. With over 2 million residents inside the périphérique and 12 million across the metropolitan area, it is France's political, cultural and culinary capital.
The city is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral outward from the Louvre like a snail's shell. From the medieval lanes of the Marais to the Haussmannian boulevards of the 8th, Paris layers two thousand years of history into walkable neighbourhoods.
Key facts about Paris
- Country
- France
- Region
- Île-de-France
- Founded
- Circa 250 BC by the Parisii Celtic tribe
- Population
- ~2.1M (city) / 12M (metro)
- River
- The Seine — 37 bridges within the city
- UNESCO sites
- Banks of the Seine (since 1991)
What to see in Paris
Eiffel Tower
Built for the 1889 World's Fair by Gustave Eiffel — 330m tall, 7 million visitors a year.
Louvre Museum
The world's most visited museum. Former royal palace, home to the Mona Lisa and 35,000 works on display.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Gothic masterpiece begun in 1163, reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire restoration.
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
The artists' hill — Picasso, Dalí, Van Gogh and Modigliani all lived and painted here.
The Marais
The medieval Jewish quarter turned design district — narrow streets, hôtels particuliers, the best falafel in Europe.
Sainte-Chapelle
13th-century royal chapel with 15 stained-glass windows holding 1,113 biblical scenes.
Musée d'Orsay
A Beaux-Arts railway station turned museum — the world's largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings.
Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Élysées
Napoleon's triumphal arch crowning the world's most famous avenue. Climb 284 steps for a 12-avenue starburst view.
Palais Garnier
The 1875 opera house that inspired Phantom of the Opera — Chagall ceiling, gilded foyer, real underground lake.
Le Marché des Enfants Rouges
Paris's oldest covered food market (1615), tucked in the Haut Marais. Moroccan, Lebanese, Italian, French stalls under one glass roof.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
44 hectares of cobbled lanes and tombs — Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, Chopin and Proust all rest here.
Canal Saint-Martin
A 4.5 km canal lined with iron footbridges, hipster cafés and bouquinistes. Best Sunday walk in the 10th arrondissement.
Tuileries & Place de la Concorde
Le Nôtre's royal garden running from the Louvre to the obelisk where Marie-Antoinette met the guillotine.
Le Quartier Latin & Panthéon
The student quarter since 1253 — Sorbonne, Latin lectures, and the neoclassical Panthéon where Voltaire, Hugo and Marie Curie are buried.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Sartre and de Beauvoir's old café district — Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots, antiques galleries and the oldest church in Paris.
Catacombs of Paris
20 km of tunnels 20m below the city, holding the bones of 6 million Parisians moved here in 1786.
How to reach Paris
- Two main international airports: Charles de Gaulle (CDG, 30 km north) and Orly (ORY, 18 km south). Beauvais (BVA) handles low-cost flights and is 85 km north.
- From CDG: the RER B train reaches central Paris (Gare du Nord) in 35 min for €11.80. Taxis are flat-rate: €56 to the Right Bank, €65 to the Left Bank.
- From Orly: the new Line 14 metro reaches Châtelet in 25 min for €10.30. Flat-rate taxis: €36 / €44.
- By Eurostar from London: 2h15 to Gare du Nord. By TGV from Brussels (1h22), Amsterdam (3h20), Lyon (2h00), Marseille (3h15), London (2h15).
Local transport
- The Métro has 16 lines and 308 stations — nowhere in Paris is more than 500m from one. A single ticket is €2.15; a 10-pack (carnet) is €17.35.
- Navigo Easy card (€2 once) loads carnets digitally and is the cheapest way to ride. For visitors, the Navigo Découverte gives a full week unlimited for €31.60 (passport photo required).
- The RER (regional express) covers Versailles, CDG airport, Disneyland and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
- Vélib' bikes (€5/day) and Lime e-scooters are everywhere. Paris is now extensively bike-laned and very walkable — a Right Bank to Left Bank crossing is 25 minutes on foot.
- Uber and Bolt work citywide. G7 is the official taxi app. Avoid driving — parking is brutal and the centre is increasingly car-restricted.
What to know before you go
- Best months: May, June, September, early October. Avoid August — half the city closes for holidays.
- Most museums are closed one day a week: Louvre on Tuesday, Musée d'Orsay and Versailles on Monday, Centre Pompidou on Tuesday. Plan accordingly.
- Free museum entry for everyone on the first Sunday of each month (Louvre, Orsay, Rodin, etc.). EU residents under 26 are free year-round.
- Tipping is not expected — service is included by law (service compris). Round up if you liked it.
- Greet shopkeepers with 'Bonjour' on entering and 'Au revoir' on leaving. It is the single biggest unwritten rule of Parisian etiquette.
- Tap water is safe and free — ask for 'une carafe d'eau' in restaurants instead of paying for bottled.
- Pickpockets work the metro line 1, the Eiffel Tower lawn and around Sacré-Cœur. Keep bags zipped and in front of you.
Paris FAQ
Private tours in Paris
Iconic ParisPrivate Eiffel Tower Tour — Summit Access
4.9A fully private Eiffel Tower experience with elevator access to the summit and a dedicated guide who meets you at street level.
Art & HistoryPrivate Louvre Museum Highlights
4.9A skip-the-line private tour of the Louvre's masterpieces, led by an art historian who tailors the route to your interests.
Art & HistoryNotre-Dame Cathedral Interior Tour
5A state-certified licensed guide takes you inside the reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral, with optional Sainte-Chapelle interior visit.
WalkingÎle de la Cité & Notre-Dame Walking Tour
4.9A private walking tour of the medieval island where Paris began — Pont Neuf, Conciergerie, Sainte-Chapelle and the reopened Notre-Dame.
Food & WineLe Marais Food Tour — 6 Tastings Included
4.9A private food crawl through Le Marais with six fully included tastings — substantial enough to replace lunch.
WalkingMontmartre Walking Tour
4.9A private walking tour of Montmartre — Moulin Rouge, Picasso's Bateau-Lavoir, Van Gogh's house, the I Love You Wall, Sacré-Cœur.
Food & WineWine Tasting in Montmartre — 5 Wines, Cheese & Dessert
4.9An expert-led private wine tasting on Place du Tertre — 5 French wines, cheese and charcuterie board, traditional dessert.
City HighlightsParis Top 3 — Notre-Dame, Louvre & Eiffel Tower
5The complete Paris day: Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower with skip-the-line everywhere, private transfers, specialist guides at each site, and lunch included.
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