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Île de la Cité Tour: Paris History Unveiled
4.7
252 Ratings
Paris
Immerse yourself in the history and beauty of Paris with a guided tour that includes a visit to the stunning Sainte-Chapelle, a stroll through the medieval quarter, and a scenic Seine river cruise. Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!
Immerse yourself in the history and beauty of Paris with a guided tour that includes a visit to the stunning Sainte-Chapelle, a stroll through the medieval quarter, and a scenic Seine river cruise. Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Pont-Neuf - Begin the medieval Paris walking tour along the Seine at the city’s oldest bridge.
- Conciergerie - Proceed to the Conciergerie, the oldest surviving section of the Palais de la Cité. Once a royal residence for French kings, it became a prison during the French Revolution, famously housing Marie Antoinette. Enjoy a guided tour with…
- Pont-Neuf - Begin the medieval Paris walking tour along the Seine at the city’s oldest bridge.
- Conciergerie - Proceed to the Conciergerie, the oldest surviving section of the Palais de la Cité. Once a royal residence for French kings, it became a prison during the French Revolution, famously housing Marie Antoinette. Enjoy a guided tour with pre-booked tickets to explore this remarkable piece of French history.
- Sainte-Chapelle - Bypass the queues and enter to admire the breathtaking stained glass windows. Visiting in the afternoon ensures a more tranquil experience after the crowds have dispersed. The guide will provide intriguing insights into the chapel’s history and the importance of its artwork.
- Ile de la Cite / Ile Saint-Louis - Wander through winding cobblestone streets, discovering the tales and learning about the poets, philosophers, and artists who contributed to Paris’s reputation as the City of Light.
- Shakespeare and Company Bookstore - A highlight of the walking tour is the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, featured in numerous films.
- Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris - As you near the iconic Notre-Dame, the guide will transport you back to the time when this magnificent cathedral—France’s official point zero—was constructed, offering a glimpse into a very different Paris. Although the tour covers only the exterior due to current restrictions on group access inside Notre-Dame (set to reopen for group tours in June 2025), the guide will offer tips for visiting the interior independently. Be among the first to witness Notre-Dame since its reopening after the 2019 fire. Before concluding the tour, the guide will provide tickets for a one-hour Seine River cruise, featuring live commentary and breathtaking views of Paris’s architectural marvels from the water.
What's Included
- Local English-speaking guide
- Ticket for Seine River cruise
- Skip-the-line ticket for Sainte-Chapelle
- Skip-the-line ticket for Conciergerie
- Local English-speaking guide
- Ticket for Seine River cruise
- Skip-the-line ticket for Sainte-Chapelle
- Skip-the-line ticket for Conciergerie
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Notre-Dame ticket
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Notre-Dame ticket
Additional Information
Despite its small size, Île de la Cité boasts a captivating history. This guided walking tour, led by an expert local guide, will introduce participants to the landmarks and legends that have shaped Paris. Enjoy skip-the-line access to the stunning Sainte-Chapelle and explore the historic Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was once imprisoned,…
Despite its small size, Île de la Cité boasts a captivating history. This guided walking tour, led by an expert local guide, will introduce participants to the landmarks and legends that have shaped Paris. Enjoy skip-the-line access to the stunning Sainte-Chapelle and explore the historic Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was once imprisoned, allowing you to step back in time. Marvel at the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral from the outside and discover the remarkable restoration efforts underway. Conclude the experience with a picturesque Seine River cruise, providing a fresh perspective on the City of Light.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- Some galleries of the Île de la Cité monuments may close without prior notice, or select pieces may be removed for restoration or loan. In this case, your guide will make an appropriate substitution.
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
Location
Equestrian Statue of Henri IV
Place du Pont Neuf
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets in front of the equestrian statue of Henri IV, 15 Pl. du Pont Neuf, 75001 Paris, France.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(252 Ratings)
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Richard_j
May 8, 2025
Adam, our tour guide was... - Adam, our tour guide was exceptional. Fun, engaging and extremely informative. I would DEFINITELY recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Richard
May 7, 2025
Unexpected pleasures - I only bought the tour because I couldn’t get tickets with the time I had left in Paris. Was I ever surprised and pleased with the decision. The tour guide was so good at keeping us together and on time. AND she was very knowledgeable. I learned sooo much more with the guided tour than if I had done this on my own. There are of course audio guides that can help, however, if you have questions, and our group had lots, you learn so much more by the active conversations. An unexpected bonus, we were given a Seine boat tour coupon from Vedettes du Pont Neuf. I would not have done a river cruise on my own, too touristy, so I thought. I was wrong. I think this was the best ever multi lingual tour guide-ever. You can always tell if you are missing something when one language or the other takes more time, this was not the case. I loved the views of the major sites from the water. Stunning. All in all the St. Chapelle tour was fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_b
May 6, 2025
Excellent tour of Notre Dam Saint Chapelle and the Conciergerie! - The stained glass windows of Saint Chappelle are spectacularly beautiful. The tour of the Conciergerie is immensely interesting and engaging. It is disappointing that tour groups aren’t available for the interior of Notre Dam until the summer of 2025 but visitors can stand in line to get inside the church on their own and I highly recommend you do that separately. The line moves very quickly so even if it seems long you should be able to get in fairly quickly. Even with just the exterior of Notre Dam included in this tour, it’s an excellent choice and I highly recommend it
Review provided by Viator
Erwinb969
May 5, 2025
Informative & Congenial Tour - Excellent tour & tour guide. Our guide was very informative, humorous & gracious! Basically a real pro!
Learned a lot about French history & the importance of the Ile de la Cite. Great introduction to the heart of Paris!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stanley_c
May 4, 2025
Team Adam from the Bostonians - Adam was awesome. He was very knowledgeable. We learnt alot from Adam. Adam gets his tour patrons involved with the tour by asking question. I would highly recommend him for any of your Paris tours he is involved in. Thanks
Review provided by Viator
Barbara
May 3, 2025
Great Paris Tour - Team Adam! - Excellent tour guide Adam filled the tour with interesting historical facts, thoughtful insight, and a great sense of humor. One of the most interesting tours we’ve ever taken in our years of travel. Far exceeded our expectations, and would take any tour Adam was giving.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N269cplm
May 3, 2025
Team Adam - Adam was absolutely amazing Best tour guide I’ve ever had. He taught us so much about medieval history and architecture in France. So much fun and interesting Thanks Adam. Laurraine n Stuart
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Royce_b
May 3, 2025
Fascinating medieval tour! - This was very informative and completely fascinating! Tina was an excellent guide as well. She was warm, funny and very knowledgeable. She kept it interesting. We could never have learned all of this if we had tried to go on our own, having a guide to bypass the lines was a huge plus as well!
Review provided by Viator
Wx2000
Apr 29, 2025
An exceptionally good guide. - Avi was an exceptional guide. Knowledgable, patient, funny, and very personable. He also handled “curve balls” deftly as two people on our tour only spoke Italian (they booked the wrong tour). Avi, who is also fluent in Italian, accommodated them without slowing down the tour for English speakers.
I wish all of the guides we’ve had over the years had been as good as Avi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D5087zlandrewp
May 5, 2025
C'est la vie - Adam is a smart, talented guy that could do great things. That's why it's a disappointment that I feel compelled to give such a low rating.
... but this was a tour involving churches. The churches are mentioned in the title of the tour. It was not enjoyable to here consistent blasphemous phrases throughout the first hour of the tour I stayed for.
He could have said his peace at the beginning, by saying you won't be getting a thoroughly "Christian" tour, and proceeded to just focus on the architecture or something. His point would have been conveyed, and that would have been that.
Usually, when a person is very combative with an idea, there is something there they felt hurt by for once loving. Hopefully Adam will return to the church someday. But if not starting with that, then start by holding your tongue a little.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
