Hidden Paris: Discover Medieval Marais on a Walking Tour

Explore Marais and discover how tradition coexists with the vibrant LGBT community. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter and visit historic sites, indulge in a sweet treat from a local bakery, and uncover hidden gems away from the usual tourist paths.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Centre Pompidou - Join a local guide to discover the enigmatic charms of France’s capital on this enlightening Paris city tour. You’ll start your Paris tour in front of the Centre Pompidou, Europe’s largest modern art museum, nestled in an impressive contemporary building.
  • Le Marais - Located in the heart of Paris and best-preserved medieval area in the Marais, le Marais is one of the most visited ones in Paris.
  • Stravinsky Fountain - The Stravinsky Fountain is without any doubt the most one of the most photographed fountains. Do not miss to learn more about it and take some photos as well.
  • Hotel de Ville - The townhall of Paris (Hôtel de Ville) is a quite remarkable building but also historically rich. This is on the esplanade in front of it that medieval executions were carried out and that the first beheading with the guillotine took place.
  • Church of Saint-Gervais - Pass by the Saint Gervais church just behind the square, getting a glimpse of the beautiful inside interiors. Then it’s time to fuel up with a sweet treat. You’ll be treated to something a little different – a delicious meringue known as a ‘merveilleux.’
  • La Rue des Rosiers - Just a street away is Rue des Rosiers, the heart of the Jewish community. It’s a vibrant pedestrian street full of falafel stands and delicious Jewish-influenced delis.
  • Place des Vosges - From there we’ll move on to Paris’ oldest and certainly most beautiful square, la Place des Vosges, home of France’s national writer, Victor Hugo.
  • Place de la Bastille - From there, it’s only a short walk to our final destination, La Place de la Bastille, the. This is former prison that was captured on July 14, 1789, triggering the French Revolution. The area nearby is full of bars and restaurants, leaving you with plenty of options for carrying on with your evening in the City of Lights!
What's Included
  • Taste sweet local pastry
  • Spot the hidden squares, street art, and marvellous churches of Marais
  • Join Local English-speaking guide
  • Get tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay
  • Discover best-preserved medieval area in Paris
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Additional Food and Drink
Additional Information
  • This is a child-friendly tour. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge.
  • This tour is suitable for vegetarians, but unfortunately not for lactose free, gluten free and vegan customers.
  • Please note that this tour covers 2 km (1.2 mile) of walking.
Location
123 Rue Saint-Martin
Rue Saint-Martin
123 Rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris (opposite the Pompidou centre by the "Centre Culturel de Serbie"). Your guide will be holding a Paris Urban Adventures' sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(156 Ratings)
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Jay_m
Jun 23, 2024
Highly recommended - I was strangely the only one who signed up for this tour, so I'm lucky that it wasn't canceled! Since I speak a little bit of French, I asked my guide, who is originally from Colombia but who has lived in Paris for several years, if she would mind giving the tour in French. She gladly did so, and therein followed 2 hours of the most wonderfully informative tour. Thank you so much for the great experience!
Review provided by Viator
Colonelmann
May 22, 2024
Leisure tourism in its finest moment. - Our guide was a top notch historian with worlds of experience and education. Now when I wander around Les Marais I see everything differently. She opened my eyes and mind. I learned more in 2 hours than I might have learned in a French history semester. The comparison of medieval and modern with everything in between was fantastic. We saw places through passages and doorways my fellow tourists will just walk by, never knowing the secret history that lies behind. A simple 2 hour walking tour made me appreciate Paris even more. These types of tours are so important for the leisure tourist like myself.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rob_l
Feb 10, 2024
Highly Recommend - Camille was an amazing tour guide and shared amazing historic stories and local info! I highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Teresa_b
Dec 10, 2023
History and great wine - Cecelia was a fabulous guide who was very informative. She was very well informed. We loved this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Ian_j
Aug 29, 2023
Enjoyable Tour of Beautiful Neighbourhood - I very much enjoyed learning about the this area of Paris, which I have passed through before but never fully explored. Camilla our guide was very knowledgeable. The food and wine samples included were very nice and from local establishments that I would have unlikely to have found if it weren't for the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Dorina_r
Aug 28, 2023
Paris Insider Tour - I love Paris and this is my 3rd time visiting Marais. This time I decited to take a tour and I was really happy it did it. This tour not only gives you pastry, cheese and wine samples and tasting but gives you a very comprehensive history of this great Parisian neigbourhood. The guide was funny and engaging.
Review provided by Viator
Wyatt_k
May 13, 2024
Too much to see in too little time - Daniel was great! He knew so much about the history of the region. The tour felt really rushed. There was too little time in each place. In retrospect, we should have just gone to one of those three places.
Review provided by Viator
Ali_b
Oct 31, 2023
Interesting and delicious - We thought there would be more food stops along the way based on the description but we learned a lot about Paris history and Sarah was great!! We also loved the wine and cheese bar!
Review provided by Viator
Global25868698407
Sep 27, 2023
So-so - This did not live up to our expectations and paled in comparison to other tours we took. Nice tour guide with some interesting info. but we saw limited sites. Expected more info. about restaurants in the area and more tastings.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janina_r
Aug 7, 2023
Not a Food Tour - This is not a food tour. I just wanted to put that out there in case you thought this was. I thought it was and told my entire family not to eat because we would be stuffed. But again, this was not a food tour. It was a history tour with a few pastries and some cheese. I went with my family, including my husband and I, our 14-year-old son, and my husband's parents. It was pouring the entire tour. There were seven people on our tour. We went to three shops. The first shop was Pierre Hermé. There we got to choose one Macaron. We walked through this busy area in Marais and were told about the L'As du Fallafel or Mi-Va-Mi competing restaurants. I thought we'd get to try the falafel, but nope. There didn't seem to be much time to buy some ourselves as the tour quickly moved on. Then, we went to Maison Georges LARNICOL and had one La Kouignette. It was delicious. I went inside and bought a box of chocolate. Then, we went to this local wine shop. Because it was pouring outside, we opted to go inside. There was a strange smell in the shop. We were brought bread, water, and a plate of four cheeses (2 soft and 2 hard). One of the cheeses was a Brie. A man came out and explained the two kinds of wine he served; one white, one red. The only drink they had for our 14-year-old son was iced tea. My son does not drink tea, so he drank water. Afterward, the tour was over, and we all left to grab lunch.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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