Tour Details
- Duration
- 2.5 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
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- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Latin Quarter
- Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood
- Île de la Cité
- Pont des Arts
- Tuileries Garden
- Place de la Concorde
Photos & Highlights
- Let a local expert start your trip off right with tips and tricks on how best to enjoy the city
- Get your bearings, learn how to navigate the city locate all of the essential monuments and neighborhoods of Central Paris
Select a date
Tour Description
You are full of wonder at finally experiencing the legendary city that is Paris, but wondering how to start exploring. That’s where this highlights tour to the City of Light comes in. A 2.5 hour experience to welcome you to Paris and provide the context you crave - you’ll dive into history, sites both on and beyond the beaten track, language, and even food, whetting your cultural appetite and receiving the keys for deeper exploration on your own.
Experts
"Engaged our teens"
"Georgia was wonderful! She engaged our teens and the tour was a great intro to Paris."
-Michelle A.
-Michelle A.
"Worth every minute"
"Simply superb tour with an expert view on this aspect of Paris. Worth every minute of it!"
-Mary Anne D.
-Mary Anne D.
"Secrets and inside information"
"Andres is great, you can see that he knows Paris very well and he is happy to share all his little secrets and inside information with you."
Daniela M.
Daniela M.
You’ve always dreamt of Paris, and after ages of anticipation and planning, you are finally here. You step out of a taxi for the first time and you are struck by all of the sites, sounds, and smells of the City of Light at once–the elegant architecture, the echo of church bells in the distance, the unforgettable scent of a freshly-baked baguette wafting down the cobbled street.
You will meet your local expert on the enchanting Île Saint Louis, an island in the heart of the city. From here, you will begin an unforgettable walk through essential neighborhoods and past inimitable monuments. From Île Saint Louis to Notre Dame Cathedral, through the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, you’ll be charmed by the picturesque streets and historic cafés on every corner. You’ll want to taste all of the treats in all of the shop windows, and luckily for you, your local expert may know just the spot for a touch of indulgence!
You’ll continue on, crossing the Pont des Arts, through the courtyards of the Louvre Museum, and down through the Tuileries Garden, where Parisians often stop for a mid-day sunbath. You will end your visit with a fitting finale: an unforgettable view of the Seine as it stretches onwards towards the Eiffel Tower.
As Hemingway said, “Paris is a feast”, so why not treat yourself to the perfect introduction with a local expert?
- Île Saint-Louis - island in the Seine, the historic heart of the city.
- Île de la Cité - neighboring island, home to Notre Dame Cathedral.
- Notre Dame (exterior only) - cathedral that demonstrates the mastery of the Gothic style. Admire the impressive restoration works following the 2019 fire.
- Latin Quarter - bustling neighborhood, home to the Sorbonne and many charming cobbled streets.
- Saint-Germain-des-Prés - the Latin Quarter's sophisticated sister, stomping grounds for many renowned thinkers and writers.
- Pont des Arts - scenic pedestrian bridge spanning the Seine. A perfect place to pause and admire the riverbanks and monuments lining the river.
- Tuileries Garden - the gardens of the Louvre Museum, a popular place to walk, run, or sit and read (or people-watch, a French national sport).
- It is your first time in Paris, and you want to get your bearings, learn how to navigate the city, and be able to locate all of the essential monuments and neighborhoods.
- You want the requisite introduction to the city, but still want time to wander on your own after your Paris highlights tour.
- You’d like tips and tricks for your stay in Paris, and want them to come from a local resident.
- You want to fall in love with Paris for the first time or for the tenth!
Transportation
Can I be picked up from my hotel?
For our private tours, you can request a transfer service from your hotel for an additional cost. The car service will pick you up at your accommodation and drop you off at the meeting point of the tour, where you will meet your expert. Please leave a note when booking your tour if you would like to request a transfer.
Additional Trip-Planning Resources
- For more information on planning your travels to France, take a read through our Context Stories.
- Don’t forget to come prepared with some comfy but stylish walking shoes
Will I see all of the major monuments on this tour?
Paris is a large city with a generous number of famous landmarks. It is nearly impossible to see everything in 2.5 hours, but you will see a fair few! Your expert will be glad to give you all of the info you need to head toward major sites not visited on this tour, such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, or Sacré Coeur at the end of your time together.
Will I visit the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre on this tour?
Our introduction to Paris covers the beautiful and intriguing neighborhoods and monuments in the heart of the city. The Eiffel Tower is located a bit further afield. If you are interested in this itinerary but would like to continue onward to visit the Arc de Triomphe and view the Eiffel Tower with a Context expert, check out our Paris in a Half-Day Tour.
For clients wishing to get an introductory overview of the city and continue on to experience the highlights of the Louvre, take a look at our Paris in a Day Tour.
For clients wishing to get an introductory overview of the city and continue on to experience the highlights of the Louvre, take a look at our Paris in a Day Tour.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.
Is this tour wheelchair-friendly?
This tour takes place entirely outdoors in the heart of Paris; therefore, stairs & entryways are not a problem. Paris sidewalks are, however, very narrow and often uneven. The streets are often cobbled or difficult to navigate in certain kinds of wheelchairs.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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194 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Lily was an excellent guide on our Welcome Tour to Paris. In just a few hours, she introduced us to the origins of Paris, its history, and layout. We walked all over the Latin Quarter, Saint Germain, over the bridge to the area of the Lourve, the Palais Royal and its gardens. Lily gave us great suggestions, not only for the lunch after our tour, but for many places to eat and drink near our hotel (all great choices). Lily clearly knows Paris, having lived in the city for many years. Her enthusiasm makes the tour fun. She also took time at the start to ask what we had seen and what made the most sense for our particular tour.
Highly recommend.
Mary
Jul 3, 2025
Lily was excellent. Very knowledgeable and connected very easily with our children. I highly recommend Lily for any tour of Paris.
Brian
Jun 29, 2025
This tour really focused on cathedrals and chapels, outlining the architectural developments of medieval to renaissance buildings still visible in the area. Though we had tried to steer to conversation to contemporary issues that our college-aged group would gravitate toward, including insights into what makes Paris viable to young people who move to the city after studying, how life here as a working artist school etc. the focus really returned to life in the 1500s.
Gloria
Jun 28, 2025
