Tour Details
Duration
2.5 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Marché d'Aligre
- Marché Beauvau
- Various specialty shops around Marché d'Aligre
Photos & Highlights
- Be hosted by a food expert as they share the real tastes of French local market food and wine
- Unique, personal tours for the intentional traveler
Select a date
Tour Description
What better way is there to experience a bit of French local life than spending the morning at the market? Often overlooked by tourists and much coveted by locals, Marché d’Aligre boasts an array of items from flowers to fruits, produce to pastries, with just about everything in between.
During this Paris market tour, you will hop from stand to stand in the company of your local host. They will introduce you to shopkeepers, give you the history behind various French delicacies, and show you how to order some of the best specialties around. You might taste some treats along the way while stocking up on others in preparation for a small end-of-tour picnic. Should you choose, you can wash it all down with a glass of French wine.
You’ll leave this food tour with both a newfound knowledge of local eating habits, as well as a belly full of tasty treats. But more importantly, you will have spent the morning living a truly French experience, as the local market traditions are alive and well in this part of the world.
- You want to live, eat, and drink like a Parisian for a morning
- You want to learn how to pick out the best produce, including cheese, charcuterie, and products, from any French market
- Cheese and charcuterie–learn how to find the best!
- Pastries and produce–discover what Parisians typically pick up when they head to the market.
- Wash it all down with a glass of wine (alternatives available for non-drinkers).
- These tastings are generous and should replace a meal, but you are in Paris, why would you want to skip a meal?
- You will be visiting local establishments that are often family-run, hours and availability may vary.
- Dietary restrictions should be shared in advance to possibly adapt the tour. This tour can be adapted for gluten or dairy allergies. It would be doable as a vegetarian, but we do not recommend this tour for vegans.
- If you are looking to learn more about Paris before your visit, check out our online lectures.
- Bathrooms are available at the covered market
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Wheelchair accessibility
- The market and surrounding areas are wheelchair accessible
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Service Dogs
- Service dogs are allowed in the market and surrounding areas.
- For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.
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Can I participate in your small group food walks if I have food allergies?
Yes. If you have any specific allergies/intolerances, please indicate these in the notes section when you are booking,g and your expert will do their best to accommodate.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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248 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.
I am now back in the US and I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you and Context Travel for the fantastic experience I had on the Market to Bistro tour this week. It was amazing and Alisa, the tour guide, was so very knowledgeable and had all of these fun facts to share that just came so natural to her and it did not at all feel like a scripted tour!
We shared a little picnic of the days purchases and it was so lovely. I felt like the tour was very personable and intimate - just 4 ppl in total - and I would not want to have it any other way. Honestly, with all of the trips I have taken to Paris, I have to say that I have never learned so much about the French Culture than I did that day. I highly recommend a tour guide like Alisa who is an expat and we could relate to her and did not feel intimidated to ask her questions. She really knows her craft and was more than willing to share info and facts beyond the market stuff which was so helpful and interesting.
Thanks again and I cannot wait to share my experience to our guests!
Alley
Reviewed on:
Aug 27, 2012
The historical aspect of Parisian markets was good. Many store holders were still on vacances and so it didn't have the buzz that you like from markets. we only visited the one site so it was all or nothing.Some variety would have been nice
Paul
Reviewed on:
Aug 25, 2012
We felt the "walk" could have had more substance - there was food sampling but we felt for the price we could have sampled more food and have had a longer walk and learned more. I believe we walked for just over an hour and the value was not what we expected. e.g. we likely did not spend the food budget of 7 Euros per person (I thought the walk was supposed to be 2.5 hours but maybe I am wrong?).
The docent was very sweet and kind - she booked a dinner for us at a nice restaurant and gave us good information about restaurants in Paris. We felt her presentation skills could have been improved as well as she could have likely shared more about her knowledge of food.
Overall the experience was different and "fine" but we would not say it was worth the cost at all.
Lynn
Reviewed on:
Aug 10, 2012
