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How to Choose the Best Tours in Paris (Reviewed by Experts – 2025)
Sean Finelli
After running tours here for years and exploring the city ourselves, we’ve put together a guide to help you choose the right Paris tours for 2025—based on real experience, not guesswork. Yes, it’s slightly biased because we run a tour company, but you can take this practical advice and purchase tours from us or another operator.
In our experience, there’s no better way to truly understand Paris than with a guided tour. Having led and taken countless tours ourselves, we know firsthand that a great guide can transform a simple visit into a rich, memorable experience. Plus, skip-the-line access saves valuable time (and sanity) in this busy city.
In our opinion, museums like the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay are too overwhelming without a guide who knows their way around. The guide also provides a ton of context and makes things more memorable. I recommend popular museums like the Louvre and Orsay, but lesser-visited museums like Jacquemart, Carnavalet, etc, are all great options if you want a great experience. In these situations, you might want to overlook the quantity of reviews and lean into a bespoke experience.
From my experience, a day trip to Versailles is an absolute must, as it’s economical to do and close to Paris. Beyond that, the Loire Valley is one of the best ways to experience France’s royal history beyond Paris.
Having battled the lines ourselves, we can promise you: a guided Eiffel Tower or Catacombs tour with privileged access is worth every penny. These monuments would be #1 in any other city, but take a back seat to the Louvre and Versailles.
Every city in Europe has its own food culture as well as its own rules to dining. It could be something small, like “No milk-based coffee drinks after 11 am in Italy,” or something more important. Did you know that Parisians will get offended often if you show up at their restaurant without a reservation? A food tour in Paris can serve as an orientation to what foods to eat, this always varies city-by-city, as well as the cultural norms. Best done on day one!
Paris is very spread out. Luckily there is a comprehensive metro system. That said, when the weather is nice and the sun is out it’s great to see the city from the streets itself. Good news is there are a lot of local operators who have great options. Here are some of our favorite sightseeing tours by foot, bike, segway, and more!
After guiding tens of thousands of travelers, our advice is simple:
Are you short on time? Prioritize “skip the line” tours.
Want to avoid crowds? Semi-private tours are your friend.
Foodie at heart? Trust us—a food tour will blow you away.
Love history? Versailles, Louvre, and Normandy are non-negotiables.
Like flexibility? Go for a private guide to shape your own day.
Final Thoughts
Paris isn’t just a place—it’s an experience. After years of running tours here and countless personal visits, we can confidently say: the right tour doesn’t just show you Paris—it makes you feel Paris. Choose wisely, and this city will capture your heart the way it did ours.
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!
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Comments (6)
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.