Private guided walk, one party only
Paris, the river and the two islands: a private walking tour
Paris, Paris and its region
Guided by Erwan
A half day on foot from the two islands the city started on, down the Seine past the Louvre and the Tuileries, to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Private group, no vehicle, one continuous line through the centre.
- 3 hours on foot
- 5 to 6 km
- Private group, up to 10 people
- Guided in English
- Flat, and easy going
- Smooth pavement for most of the way, with cobbled stretches on the islands and along the lower quays
City walk
190 EUR
for your group, up to 6 people, for 3 hours
- 40 EUR for each extra hour
- 20 EUR per person, for participants 7 to 10
- 90 EUR for the guide to stay at your table, their own cover included
- 30 percent deposit at booking, balance before the walk
- Free cancellation up to 7 days before the walk
The walk
Paris is walked badly by most people who visit it, and not for lack of time: they spend it crossing the city between famous buildings. This walk does the opposite. One continuous line through the middle, from the islands to the Eiffel Tower, where everything that matters stays within sight of the water.
The route follows the Seine downstream because the city grew that way. The islands came first, the palaces came after, and the iron tower came last, at the far end of the line, which is where the walk finishes. Five to six kilometres, flat, on pavement throughout, with stops long enough to sit down, ask questions and take photographs.
The group is yours alone. No strangers joining, no headsets, no umbrella held in the air. One to six people are covered by the price, ten at the very most. The half day keeps to the islands and the river; the full day, which takes in the Left Bank and ends at sunset in Montmartre, is sold as a walk of its own.
What you see along the way
- The quays of the Île Saint-Louis, the quietest place in the centre to start a walk
- Notre-Dame from the square in front of it, where Paris began
- The view from the Pont des Arts that explains why the city started on the Île de la Cité
- The courtyards of the Louvre, where the palace is a building again instead of a queue
- The Tuileries read as a corridor rather than a garden, and the Marly horses at the Concorde gate, with the Eiffel Tower lined up behind them
- The Pont Alexandre III, then the river bank to the foot of the Eiffel Tower, reached on foot rather than out of a metro
Would you rather taste Paris than tour it? See Le Marais, a food walk: a private walking tour of Paris
This walk is for you if
- You would rather understand one part of Paris properly than photograph six landmarks
- You want a guide who answers your questions, not a recorded commentary
- You are travelling as a couple, a family or a small group of friends
- You have half a day between two trains, or a free morning or afternoon
- You like walking, and you would rather cross the city on foot than under it
Look elsewhere if
- You want to be taken inside the Louvre or a museum: this walk stays in the streets, on the bridges and in the squares
- You are looking for a cheap seat on a shared tour: the price is per group, not per person
- Five to six kilometres on hard pavement, with few places to sit between stops, is not comfortable for everyone in the party
- You want Montmartre and Versailles as well: there is no vehicle on this walk, and Montmartre is where the full day ends
Good to know
What the price covers
- A private guide, for the whole walk
- A route adjusted on the day, to the weather and to your pace
- Answers as you go: which tickets are worth it, where to eat, what to do after
- The guide's own meal, if you take the table option
- Monument and museum tickets (the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, the towers of Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower)
- Meals and drinks, each guest settles their own
- Personal spending
- Metro tickets and getting to the meeting point
Where you meet
Once the booking is confirmed, the exact meeting point is sent as a pin on Google Maps, with walking directions from the nearest metro stations and a phone number you can call or message on the day. It is always on the route itself, never somewhere you have to double back from.
What to bring
- Shoes you can spend hours on hard pavement in
- Water and a hat in summer: the Tuileries and the quays have long stretches with no shade
- A warm layer and something windproof from November to March, because the river is colder than the street
- A card or a little cash, for a coffee or something to take away along the way
- Your own ticket for the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle or the top of the Eiffel Tower if you plan to go inside or up afterwards
If plans change
Free cancellation up to 7 days before the walk
See the full conditions
- Cancelling 7 days or more before the walk: free of charge, and the deposit is refunded in full.
- Cancelling less than 7 days before the walk, and 48 hours or more before it: the deposit is retained.
- Cancelling less than 48 hours before the walk: the full price is due.
- One reschedule is free of charge, provided it is asked for 48 hours or more before the walk.
- If the weather makes the walk unsafe or genuinely unpleasant, the choice is yours: reschedule, or a full refund.
Questions people ask
No, it is for the group. The price covers one to six people for the whole walk. From the seventh participant onwards, a supplement per person is added, up to a firm ceiling of ten people.
Yes. The half day follows the river from the islands to the Eiffel Tower, which is enough to leave with the centre in order in your head. The full day starts in the Marais, crosses to the Left Bank through Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter, and ends on the hill of Montmartre at sunset, with a real break in the middle. It is sold as a walk of its own. If it is your first time in Paris and you have the day, take the day.
Yes. Book your slot for the tower, tell us the time when you book the walk, and the start is set so that you reach the foot of it with a few minutes to spare. The ticket itself is yours to buy, on the official site.
Yes. This route is the one that explains the city fastest, which is why it is the one written here, but Montmartre, the Left Bank or the Marais on its own work just as well over a half day. Say so when you book and the route is set before the day.
In English. Erwan guides this walk from the meeting point to the last stop.
Light rain is not a problem, and the route has enough arcades and covered passages to wait it out. If the weather makes the walk unsafe or genuinely unpleasant, you choose between rescheduling and a full refund.
The route is flat and there are benches on the islands and in the Tuileries, but it is five to six kilometres of hard pavement. Say who is coming when you book: the distance is cut and the stops are lengthened accordingly, and a pushchair works, with some patience on the cobbles of the islands and the quays.
Walks are sold by MYWAY SAS, the operator behind Collectif My Way, of which we are a member: registered with Atout France under number IM059190009, it is the company that enters into the contract with you. Its financial guarantee is provided by Groupama and its professional liability is insured by Generali IARD.
Tell us your dates
Write with the dates, how many of you there are and what you would like to get out of the walk. You will get a straight answer about whether a guide is free, and the price for your group.
Ask about this walkGuided by Erwan
Drawn to wide open spaces, I am the team’s nature specialist. A former guide at Mont Saint-Michel and trained ecologist, I know France through its trails and hidden landscapes. I design grounded trips for you, where nature discovery meets local history.