Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Bastille
- Hôtel de Ville
- Place de la Concorde
- Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis
- Place des Vosges
- Marais
Photos & Highlights
- Clarifies the tangled timeline of the 1789 Revolution and those that followed while highlighting the vestiges of 18th century revolutionary Paris
- Led by an expert historian
Select a date
Tour Description
On the afternoon of July 14, 1789, a rebelling rabble laid siege to France's most hated fortress: the Bastille. Freeing the few remaining political prisoners, the mob began, stone by stone, dismantling the building that had come to symbolize the injustice of the old regime. This was the Revolution of 1789.
On this 3-hour French Revolution walking tour in Paris, we will discover the influences that contributed to this rebellion, forever transforming the country. Led by a local expert, we will visit some of the locations that provided the stage for key events during the period. Starting near the Place de la Bastille, the site of one of the more famous rebellions in history, you will walk on the same roads as the revolutionaries and deep dive into the historical context of the period. As you wander through the nearby Marais, your expert will give you insight into daily life during the period, including giving you color on class tensions that sparked the uprising.
Stopping in front of the Hôtel de Ville, Paris' city hall, a symbol of the government, you will learn how its central square became a key location in each subsequent revolution. It was even set alight by revolutionaries during the Commune of 1871. You will visit several squares that played host to the horrific and infamous guillotine, and speak about its enduring image and influence throughout history. Ending at the most well-known home to the guillotine, Place de la Concorde, you will have time to discuss the impact of these historical events on politics, society, and culture in France today.
Stopping in front of the Hôtel de Ville, Paris' city hall, a symbol of the government, you will learn how its central square became a key location in each subsequent revolution. It was even set alight by revolutionaries during the Commune of 1871. You will visit several squares that played host to the horrific and infamous guillotine, and speak about its enduring image and influence throughout history. Ending at the most well-known home to the guillotine, Place de la Concorde, you will have time to discuss the impact of these historical events on politics, society, and culture in France today.
Emerging with a clearer understanding of how the Revolution of 1789 indelibly transformed French society, you will leave your tour having done a true deep dive into a subject that has had global repercussions throughout history.
Choose this tour if…
- You are a self-confessed history nerd. This tour dives deep into the period of the French Revolution, and the important places and people of the time. This tour is for those clients who come to Paris hungry to learn!
- You have taken other focused subject matter tours with Context and are hoping to expand your knowledge to a new time period.
- You are planning on visiting Versailles during your time in Paris. What better precursor to visit Marie Antoinette’s country home than by learning all about the circumstances around the revolution?
Experts
- Place de la Bastille
- Hôtel de Ville
- Place des Vosges
- Le Marais
- Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis
- Place de la Concorde
Transportation
Can I be picked up from my hotel?
We can arrange a private transfer from your hotel for this tour. Our car service will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the meeting point, where you will meet your Context expert. Please reach out or leave a note at the time of booking if you would like to add this service for an additional fee.
Additional Trip-Planning Resources
- For more information on planning your travels to France, take a read through our Context Stories.
- If you are looking to learn more about French history prior to a visit, check out our online lectures.
Do we visit the Carnavalet museum with this itinerary?
We will not be visiting the museum on our tour, but we do encourage you to visit on your own after the tour. The discussions we have on our tour will provide context for understanding the Carnavalet's revolution rooms.
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?
We cover extensive territory on this tour, some of it by public transport. Not all metro stations in Paris are wheelchair accessible. Please contact us if you have mobility concerns; we will be happy to advise if this tour will be appropriate for you.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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375 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.
This tour was a great disappointment. The docent was very focused on the facts. Instead of bringing the history to life, she made it deadly boring. She had no sense of the group and had no understanding the people were losing interest. If someone asked a question, she was much more interested in providing the next fact on her list.
Maybe if there were some historical sites to visit, it would have been less of a lecture. We left the tour early and strongly considered asking for a refund.
I would recommend that you accompany this docent on a tour to help her become a better listener, teacher and storyteller. She could have made the history come alive instead of trying to prove her knowledge. Too bad.
Meryl and Randy Moss
Meryl
Reviewed on:
Feb 28, 2018
Thibaud C, our guide, warned us that this was the first time he did this tour. It went well over the expected time, but he asked us repeatedly if it would be okay and we said yes. He said he would be looking at how to streamline the tour but, honestly, everything was so interesting, I have no idea what he would cut. Perhaps it would have been nice to spend some time sitting in a warm cafe or other building while the chronology is discussed at a half-way point in the tour. This may help with older people. My in-laws are not in the greatest physical shape. They did okay on this tour, but I could see it being a real challenge for some others to stand and walk outside for so long. That said, our guide was funny, engaging, and had a masterful grasp of the subject. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and would recommend this tour to anyone else. I think most people who sign up for such a tour would be happy to get the extra time and explanations of the history.
Diana
Reviewed on:
Feb 20, 2018
I thought Cecile L. was good, very chatty and fun but clearly well informed, good at answering our challenging questions! I felt for her at times, as a few of the places we stopped were very busy and noisy, and I think one of the more elderly members of the group had difficulty hearing at times - I don't know if it might be possible to move a few metres to get away from the traffic and crowds. The only thing I would maybe suggest about the tour would be that it would be good to set it up at the beginning with a summary of the situation in France pre 1789 to give people like me, who don't know a huge amount about the Revolution, a bit of background. AND I think a proper introduction would have been useful, along with an idea of where were going to go, although not easy to do right next to that very busy roundabout. That might help to link the various sites we visited too.
Alan
Reviewed on:
Nov 23, 2017
