Paris is one of the world’s most visited destinations due to the combination of great food, interesting culture, and many attractions to visit. That said, which attractions in Paris require a tour? This article details the top tours in Paris that you should definitely consider on your next trip to the city of light.
Pro Tip: It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Create a browser folder and bookmark this post along with our dedicated guide to Paris to help you plan your trip. Also, see our best Paris tours and how to visit Paris in a weekend.
The Best Paris Tours To Take and Why
Visiting the City of Light is on many people’s bucket lists. It has something for all interests from opulent palaces to museums full of the world’s most important artwork and internationally recognised cuisine to delight all foodies.
Not far from the city, you’ll also find gorgeous countryside and famous wine regions to explore as well as the D-Day landing beaches of Normandy for WWII history lovers. Discover the best Paris tours and day trips for a memorable trip that will bring you closer to this wonderful part of the world. Take a look at these popular tours and find the one that’s perfect for you!
9. Castles and Wine Tastings in the Loire Valley Day Trip
One of my favorite things to do in Europe is explore the countryside. This is because the architecture is amazing and the agriculture is heavily focused on wine, which together make for a beautiful experience.
I also love having countryside lunches. They tend to be hearty, warm, and full of wine! The Loire Valley is famous for castles and amazing dry white wines. Everyone knows Champagne and fears the price tag that goes along with it, but the white wines of the Loire Valley carry more bang for their buck!
Our day trip to the Loire Valley not only explores an amazing castle but also includes a stop at a vineyard for a wine tasting. It will make for an incredible memory you will hold dear for the rest of your days!
Highlights:
12-hour day tour
Explore the beautiful Loire Valley
Visit fairy-tale castles Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau
Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Paris Guide for more resources.
8. Private Tour of Musée d’Orsay
When people think of Paris, they tend to think of the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, and for good reason. Both attractions are epic! That said, the Musée d’Orsay would be the number one museum in almost any other city on Earth if it wasn’t in Paris.
This is because the museum is full of amazing artwork and is itself a living piece of history. It used to be a train station before it was converted to Paris’ home for Impressionism. While taking a private tour of any museum is a luxury, a private tour of Musée d’Orsay is even more amazing. Why?
The museum doesn’t get the same crowds as the Louvre and the paintings demand an explanation. They are all very beautiful and recognizable, but Impressionism is best explained through a lens into the artist’s life—something that a local tour guide does best in an intimate experience like a private tour.
Highlights:
2-hour tour
Private tour with skip-the-line tickets
Explore the biggest collection of Impressionist artwork in the world with an expert guide.
From “Saving Private Ryan” to stories from our ancestors, Normandy is famous for great sacrifices of brave men in the face of tyranny. Today, you can visit different beaches from Omaha to Pointe du Hoc to pay respects. The beaches of Normandy where World War II was viciously fought has been kept as it was, down to bullet holes, craters, and cannon shells.
Our Normandy day trip of D-Day landing beaches visits Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc, and even a Cider brewery—the region’s specialty. Normandy is famous for the production of cider beer and you can’t drive through the area without stopping for a tasting. The day trip is most definitely long—14 hours in total—but if you have an extra day and are passionate about WWII, it’s well worth the time.
Highlights:
14-hour tour
See the charming Normandy countryside
Visit the Utah Beach Museum
Cider and calvados tasting and tour
Visit Pointe du Hoc and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer
If you’re looking for amazing food, Paris is one of the best places to visit. There are more Michelin restaurants in this city than in any other city on Earth, and a local food tour is a fantastic way to experience Paris’ local food scene.
Le Marais Local Food Tour (Incredible Deal!)
Le Marais is the nerve center of gastronomical delights, which is why our Le Marais food tour is one of our most popular experiences. It’s also one of the only food tours in Paris to include oysters and a sit-down dinner! Enjoy a walking tour of the melting pot that is Le Marais, Normandy oysters and champagne, falafel street food in the Jewish Quarter, and a beef bourguignon dinner at a local restaurant.
Super Expensive Food Tour
You’ll have the opportunity to taste amazing French delicacies and, if you dare, our Super Expensive Food Tour awaits. Enter the ultimate Parisian fantasy and taste some of the best and most unforgettable food the city has to offer. In this high-end food and wine tasting experience, indulge in pre-dinner cocktails at L’Hotel, a blind caviar tasting, a juicy roasted duck dinner prepared by Alain Ducasse’s team of world-class chefs, and more.
Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Paris Guide for more resources.
5. Explore the Champagne Region on a Day Trip
If you’re looking for a day trip to remember—and you’re a fan of champagne—then a trip to the Champagne region is a must. The French countryside is waiting to take you on a culinary journey from wine cellars to champagne houses and a tasty spot for lunch.
This tour includes stops in the cities of Reims and Épernay where you can see the famous Reims cathedral and explore Dom Perignon’s final resting place in the Benedictine monastery in Épernay. Your day in the countryside will be unforgettable.
The Catacombs are a labyrinth that can only be seen a few months of the year, which is why lines to get in can be up to 5 hours long. Although the Catacombs are hundreds of miles long, only one mile is open to the public.
Why are skeletons stacked up in intricate designs below Paris? Where did these skeletons come from? Why are there 6,000,000 of them? Discover one of the great mysteries of Paris without spending long hours waiting outside in a Paris Catacombs tour.
With one of our passionate guides, explore underground Paris and learn the macabre details of these 200-year-old ossuaries. They will explain the incredible history, artwork, and unique architecture for a memorable experience of Paris’ Catacombs.
A top day trip from Paris is certainly the Palace of Versailles, which is so astonishing that it will be easy to forget what century you’re in. As you stroll between rooms and chambers that re-define the meaning of “home,” you will even find that the toilets are opulent.
Kings and queens lived here and your guide will tell you about all their amazing stories right where they took place. There’s a reason Versailles has captured the attention of millions of visitors. Don’t miss your chance to see the almost indescribable Hall of Mirrors that’s adorned with gold, paintings, and chandeliers.
“We protest against the erection of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower,” was actually written in reaction to France’s most iconic monument in 1894. People were actually outraged by how ugly it was. Today, this 1,063-foot iron lattice tower still stands and attracts 7,000,000 visitors each year.
The long lines can be intimidating and a visit is considered an all-day event. However, our Eiffel Tower Night Tour is a romantic evening without the lines. The tour starts at dusk with a boat ride on the Seine.
As the sun descends, the Eiffel Tower lights up and sparkles. Enjoy this magnificent sight with a glass of champagne and then climb the tower to see amazing views of the city lit up at night. You can choose a tour that goes to the second level or the summit. We even have walking tours available if you prefer getting a little exercise in!
Whatever your preference, an Eiffel Tower tour with a river cruise is one of the best tours you can book in Paris. Families and couples alike claim it’s the highlight of their trip to Paris.
1. Take in the World’s Greatest Art Collection in Louvre Tours
The Louvre houses the greatest museum collection on Earth. It spans over 60,000 meters and boasts 380,000 works of art. You may find yourself overwhelmed with the sheer mass of visitors—15,000 people a day clamor to see the Mona Lisa alone. But there’s so much to see before you even reach her!
Louvre Tour
In our 3-hour Royal Louvre Palace Tour with Mona Lisa and Crown Jewels, you’ll skip the line to find out more about the mystery behind Mona Lisa‘s smile, discover other great works of art, and get up close and personal to the French crown jewels.
Late Afternoon Louvre Tour
Want to skip the line and see the Louvre with fewer crowds? In this 2-hour Louvre tour at closing time, see the Louvre’s most iconic artwork, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Coronation of Napoleon, Venus di Milo, and more with an engaging guide. It’s a great way to experience the museum in a short amount of time with the added benefit of fewer people to get in the way.
Private Louvre Tour
In our private Louvre tour, get skip-the-line tickets and 3 hours with a local art-loving tour guide who can tailor your visit to your preferences. Want more time with Greek statues? No problem. Our professional guides are true experts who bring the Louvre collections to life.
You’ll also bypass the lines so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and all the great works you can’t miss. These Louvre tours allow you to see the world’s largest museum with a small group, an expert guide, and at the time that works for your schedule.
Without a doubt, Paris is one of the best cities to take a tour. Yes, Paris is already a more expensive trip than some cities, but is it really worth skipping out on the chance to really understand the rich history of this famed city?
That’s what a local guide is here for. They’ll make sure you get to know the little tidbits about Parisians’ original feelings about the Eiffel Tower, and so much more. You’ll leave Paris with a new appreciation that is sure to make you want to come back again and again. Here’s what our clients say about taking a tour in Paris:
With a city as magnificent as Paris, it can be hard to find the perfect hotel at the perfect price. Explore the best hotels and places to stay in these incredible neighborhoods in Paris.
Sean is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He studied finance and statistics, but that is his "Dr. Jekyll" side! His "Mr. Hyde" is in love with travel, art, history, and culture. Sean has read libraries of historical text and believes that all internet content should come from books. A practice he follows!
Reader Interactions
Comments (6)
ASCHER TEICH
Paris is Paris is Paris, no other city can compare .
We might be biased, but it really is. You can either wander these amazing locations or monuments and not really know what’s so significant (or that you just passed the first painting by a world-famous painter), or you can learn so many incredible details and stories about these places and art. Tour guides truly do elevate your experience and make it more memorable.
Hello Brie, yeah, that makes sense. I also hate getting lost 😀 I have been looking around on your tours, and it seems that they are not customizable? Something like this https://gowithguide.com/france/paris
Our private tours can be customized within the museum or locations it already includes. So for instance, if you want more time in the Greek sculptures than in a room of impressionism, just let your guide know.
Paris is Paris is Paris, no other city can compare .
Paris is Paris is Paris, no other city can compare .I love Paris,love France but dislike the French…..And Iwas born and raise there………….
Is it worth it to get a tour guide, though?
We might be biased, but it really is. You can either wander these amazing locations or monuments and not really know what’s so significant (or that you just passed the first painting by a world-famous painter), or you can learn so many incredible details and stories about these places and art. Tour guides truly do elevate your experience and make it more memorable.
Hello Brie, yeah, that makes sense. I also hate getting lost 😀 I have been looking around on your tours, and it seems that they are not customizable? Something like this https://gowithguide.com/france/paris
Our private tours can be customized within the museum or locations it already includes. So for instance, if you want more time in the Greek sculptures than in a room of impressionism, just let your guide know.