Paris Latin Quarter Exclusive Guided Walking Tour
Description
With a exclusive guide, take a 2.5-hour walking tour of one of Paris’ oldest and most iconic neighborhoods—the Latin Quarter. You’ll start by the Notre Dame Cathedral (Exterior Only) before making your way on foot to the playground of French students and the Lost Generation. Sights include the Panthéon and Luxembourg Garden. Select a morning or afternoon departure time when booking.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Once at the meeting point, you will start your tour by exploring ile de la cite, the oldest settlement in Paris. Once known as Lutetia, this former Roman city was the predecessor of present-day Paris, from which the city grew outwards.
From here, you will see the infamous Notre Dame Cathedral (Exterior Only) – the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, distinguished for its size, antiquity and architectural interest.
You will then pass by the Saint-Michel fountain, a monumental fountain commissioned by Haussmann, under Napoleon III. It depicts the archangel Michael vanquishing the Devil, evoking thoughts of the battle between Good and Evil.
Next we will head towards Shakespeare and Company, a bookstore unlike any other. Just minutes from Notre Dame, it is arguably one of the most famous bookshops in the world where literary types from the Beatnik Generation would find a home through the 1950s and 60s.
Following on, you will see the Melkite Greek Catholic parish church, Saint Julien le Pauvre, one of the city’s oldest religious buildings.
You will also see the Roman Catholic church of Saint Séverin, one of the oldest churches that remains standing on the Left Bank and which continues to be used as a place of worship.
After this, we will head towards the Musée de Cluny, also known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages. This museum is partially constructed on the the remnants of the third century Gallo-Roman baths and houses famous collections from the 1st to the 15th centuries.
Next we will head towards the infamous Sorbonne University, a college that became the epicentre of knowledge. The history of the Sorbonne is closely linked to that of the creation of the French university.
We will then head towards the Pantheon (Exterior Only), a building originally built as a church dedicated to St Genevieve, but now functions as a secular mausoleum, containing the remains of notable French citizens such as Voltaire and Rousseau.
We will then go to the beautiful Luxembourg gardens, situated on the border between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter. The gardens, inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence were created in 1612 upon the initiative of Queen Marie de Medici and cover 25 hectares of land.
If we have time, we will see the church of Saint-Éienne du Mont, which contains the shrine of St Geneviève, as well as the tomb of Jean Racine.
We will also pass by the Wall of Philip August, the oldest city wall in Paris. The wall was built during the struggles between Philipp II of France and the Anglo-Norman House of Plantagenet, as the French King ordered a stone wall to be built in order to protect the French capital before leaving for the Third Crusade.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Notes: The tour route may be affected by national celebrations. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an alternative route still being able to see all the highlights on the tour. In these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. No large bags or suitcases are allowed during this tour. We recommend comfortable shoes, a bottle of water, umbrella in case of rain and hat during summer. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some can’t be visited from the inside.
- IMPORTANT RE: WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY **Wheelchair friendly tour is only available as a PRIVATE TOUR (if you chose the "SEMI-PRIVATE TOUR" option, you will not be able to have a tour or a refund)**
- This tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
Reviews(219)
Our guide, Georgia, was one of the most knowledgeable tour guides we’ve ever had, and we’ve been on many tours. Our 2.5 hour tour of the Latin quarter was as much a history lesson as it was a sites tour. If we were staying longer, we would sign up for another of Georgia’s tours. We could not recommend this tour, and Georgia, more highly. Thank you Georgia!!
Wonderful complete and interesting tour with Jay. He was very knowledgeable and helpful - after the tour we were confident to do more exploring of this unique neighborhood.
We had an amazing private tour of the Latin Quarter with Alasdair. From the very start, he was incredibly engaging and brought the neighborhood's rich history to life. He perfectly blended famous landmarks with hidden, local gems that we never would have found on our own. It never felt like a boring history lesson; it felt like exploring the city with a knowledgeable friend. Thank you for the local dining recommendations. Highly recommended! Russell & Jason
Maria S was a fantastic and extremely knowledgeable guide. My husband and I loved learning about the history and current events of this arrondissement. Some of the site stops were typical for Latin Quarter and some were hidden stories/gems we would never have found on our own. Maria S was also well organized - sending confirmation messages and even a map pin to find her.
This was a great tour covering the history of the Latin Quarter, from Roman ruins up through the jazz clubs of the 1920s. Our guide, Eden, was wonderful. She brought us all through the neighborhood, from the Seine all the way through to Luxembourg Gardens. She explained the history of the area and how each site we visited played a role in shaping the culture of the Latin Quarter and of Paris. If you are staying on the Left Bank I recommend booking this tour early in your stay; the information and context you’ll get from it will serve you well for the reminder of your time in Paris.
We had a very good and nice trip with a very nice and friendly guide. Jay, our guide, was very entusiastisk and had a big knowledge to Parisian history. We can warm recommend Jay as the best guide.
Eden really knows how to make a tour both fun and informative. I originally booked with my husband but he couldn't go so I went solo. Had a great time. Whether you are solo or with others, Eden can make your day.
Alisair was an awesome guide for many reasons. He was British so his English was good. He had studied theater so his witty way of describing places and events was very entertaining. And he was very conscious of the fact that the temp was in the 90’s so he sought out shade and places to sit quite frequently, which was good since 4 of the 6 in the group were in our 70’s. As I think others have noted, this tour does not go inside Notre Dame so I also booked the Notre Dame and City Center tour which allowed for 20 minutes inside the cathedral. Both were different and well worth it.
Vibrant tour guide and lots to learn about! Beautiful architecture and memorable stories. Tour guide named Georgia was lovely
Excellent discussions of Latin Quarter, Left Bank and 5th Arrondissement! The background of the development of Rome in early days brought the tour to life! Georgia provided an entertaining and informative tour!
