In a nutshell
- This guide covers 9 of the best Paris tours, split into 4 categories: classic walking tours, boat rides, sightseeing rides, and themed special tours.
- First-time visitors are best served by a classic walking tour, a Seine boat ride, or a sightseeing ride — all give you a solid overview of the city and its highlights.
- Special tours — like the ghost tour or the street art tour — are perfect if you want to dig deeper into a specific side of Paris.
- Short on time? The 1-hour Seine boat ride fits into any schedule and is a classic Paris experience you won’t regret.
Private Paris Walking Tour with a Local Guide
- Start: Location of your choice
- Duration: 2 – 6 hours
- Language: German, Spanish, English, French
What do you need to know? The private Paris walking tour is fully customizable and takes you through the neighborhood around your hotel in Paris. Your local guide comes to you and explains everything about the sights, restaurants, and even supermarkets and the Paris Metro.
Is it worth it? Absolutely — there’s no better tour for first-time visitors. You get to know Paris on foot through the eyes of a local, pick up all the insider tips and tricks, and come away with a great first overview of the city.
Book the private Paris walking tour online
Boat Tour on the Seine
- Start: Port de la Bourdonnais near the Eiffel Tower
- Duration: 1 hour
- Language: Audio guide in 14 languages including German
What do you need to know? The Seine is as much a part of Paris as the Eiffel Tower. On this boat tour, you cruise along the river for one hour and see some of Paris’s most iconic landmarks from the water — including Notre-Dame and the Louvre.
Is it worth it? Totally! A Seine boat tour is always a great idea — and in Paris it’s seriously beautiful. Slowly drifting past the Île de la Cité with Notre-Dame Cathedral rising above you is genuinely impressive. And at just one hour, it fits easily into any sightseeing day.
Book the Seine boat tour online
You can find more Seine boat tours here:
Walking Tour Through the Artistic Neighborhood of Montmartre
- Start: Place Saint-Pierre
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Language: English
What do you need to know? You really shouldn’t miss the artistic neighborhood of Montmartre on any visit to Paris. Expect winding alleyways, historic residential buildings, and street artists around every corner.
Is it worth it? Definitely! On the guided walking tour through Montmartre, you’ll learn everything about the neighborhood and the artists who once called it home. Montmartre has some lesser-known spots that many tourists walk right past — this tour makes sure you don’t miss any of them.
Book the Montmartre walking tour online
Paris City Tour by Bicycle
- Start: Place de l’Hôtel de Ville
- Duration: 3 hours
- Language: German, French, English, Italian, Spanish
What do you need to know? On this Paris bike tour, you pedal around the city for three hours on comfortable city bikes with plenty of stops along the way, passing many of Paris’s top attractions. The routes between highlights often take you off the main tourist trail.
Is it worth it? Don’t worry — there’s no Tour de France pace here; it’s a nice, relaxed ride. Especially in spring and summer, you can cover a whole lot of ground in just one day. And honestly, this is the best way to cycle through Paris safely.
Important: Unfortunately, children under 13 are not allowed to participate in the Paris bike tour.
Book the Paris city bike tour online
You can find more tips on cycling here:
Lunch Tour in a Glass-Roof Bus
- Start: At the Arc de Triomphe
- Duration: 2 hours
- Language: Audio guide in 9 languages including German
What do you need to know? On this food tour in a glass-roof bus, you take in major landmarks from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre while being served a four-course meal by a master chef. Tables seat up to eight people, and you choose your menu before departure.
Is it worth it? Sightseeing simply doesn’t get more comfortable, more delicious, or more luxurious than this. While you enjoy the finest French cuisine, you have a continuous 360-degree view of Paris and its landmarks. The value for money is seriously unbeatable!
Book the Paris lunch tour in a glass-roof bus online
Paris in a 2CV – The Citroën Duck Tour
- Start: Location of your choice in the city center
- Duration: 1 hour
- Language: German, French, English, Spanish, Italian
What do you need to know? The Citroën 2CV has achieved cult status in Paris. And you can have one of these classic French cars take you on a completely private ride through the city. The driver even wears a beret — how fun is that!
Is it worth it? If you’re not in the mood for a standard city tour, riding in a 2CV is a genuinely fun alternative. Unlike a bus, the car lets you duck into Paris’s narrow side streets too — and you can pepper the driver with all kinds of questions along the way.
Book the Paris 2CV tour online
Dark History and Ghost Tour Paris
- Start: 1 Rue d’Arcole on the Île de la Cité
- Duration: 2 hours
- Language: English
What do you need to know? Beyond all the love and glamour, Paris has another side — dark, eerie, and full of stories. Legends, true crime, and ghost tales are all on the agenda for this tour.
Is it worth it? For fans of the creepy and the macabre, this guided tour through Paris at night is simply perfect. You’ll see the famous sights and hear the eerie stories that go along with them — plus you’ll learn all about the Templars and their secretive ties to Paris. Genuinely spine-tingling stuff!
Book the Paris ghost tour online
Guided Tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Start: Place Gambetta
- Duration: 2 hours
- Language: German, French
What do you need to know? Père Lachaise is the largest cemetery in Paris and world-famous. Some truly iconic names are buried here — including Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison.
Is it worth it? 100%! Père Lachaise is an attraction in its own right — a fascinating place packed with history. On a guided tour, you’ll visit the most important graves and the most beautiful corners of the cemetery. And unlike going solo, you’ll get some really great stories along the way too.
Our tip: If you love things on the darker side, this is truly the perfect Paris tour for fall!
Book the Père Lachaise guided tour online
Street Art Tour in Paris
- Start: Rue Villiers de l’Isle Adam
- Duration: approximately 2 hours
- Language: English
What do you need to know? On this street art tour, you walk through the colorful neighborhood of Belleville with a working artist and learn all about the Paris street art scene — and how this creative district came to be.
Is it worth it? This tour is especially great for art lovers and anyone looking for a genuinely alternative Paris experience. The Paris neighborhood of Belleville is less well-known, but it has some really cool photo spots and, as a bonus, a fantastic panorama over the city.
Book the Paris street art tour online
Free Paris City Tours
If you want to keep your travel budget low, you can also join free Paris tours.
Free walking tours — available in many major cities — are a great way to do exactly that.
Here’s how free walking tours work:
When you book, you don’t pay for a ticket — just a small booking fee (if any). Instead, at the end of the tour you can give your local guide a tip — depending on how much you enjoyed it and what you can afford.
Three great free walking tours in Paris are:
Essential Paris City Center Tour: a two-hour tour through the heart of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and Pont Neuf
Montmartre Free Tour: a 1.5-hour tour through the artistic neighborhood of Montmartre, including Sacré-Cœur
Trendy Marais Free Walking Tour: a 1.5-hour tour through the beautiful and historic Marais district
Frequently Asked Questions About Paris City Tours
Which Paris tour is best for kids?
For families, we recommend the private Paris walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide.
You’ll get tons of practical tips that make city travel with kids so much easier, plus a great first overview of Paris right from the start.
Children under 3 years old can join for free.
Alternatively, the 1-hour Seine boat ride is also a hit with kids — and children under 4 ride for free.
For even more ideas, check out our in-depth article Paris with Kids: the best attractions and our experiences.
Are Paris guided tours worth it?
Absolutely! A guided tour is great for getting a first overview of the city and for diving deeper into specific topics or neighborhoods.
Paris has so much to see that having a knowledgeable guide makes a real difference — you really can’t go wrong.
How much do Paris tours cost?
Prices depend on which tour you choose. Generally, you can expect to pay 20 to 70 euros per person.
Are dogs allowed on Paris tours?
Whether you can bring a dog depends entirely on the provider.
If the ticket details don’t mention it, we’d recommend reaching out to the provider directly before you book.
Paris city tour or Seine boat ride — which should I choose?
Honestly, both are great options. The advantage of the Seine boat ride is that it’s only about an hour, so it fits into almost any sightseeing schedule.
If you don’t have much time, go for the boat ride. If you’re spending a few days in Paris, a proper walking tour gives you a fantastic first look at the city.
