The Best Way to Get to Know Paris
The more you explore Paris, the more you discover. This fascinating city holds many centuries of history, some of the world’s most incredible artwork, and plenty of restaurants, cafes and streets that have been frequented by the greatest artists, poets, writers and thinkers of human history.
There are more intriguing stories and beautiful sites than you could discover in a lifetime, but if you want to get the best possible taste when you visit Paris, it helps to hire a private tour guide. With a private tour guide, Paris becomes so much more accessible and you’ll get so much more out of your visit.
Your guide will be able to curate a custom itinerary for you that will delight and fascinate you, enhancing your wanderings with information about the city’s history.
Reasons to Take Private Tours in Paris
When it comes to European tours, it’s easy to pick one that will allow you to gloss over the continent and visit as many prominent sites as you can. If you’re looking for a more intimate taste of a particular city, however, a private tour is the way to go.
Here are some of the advantages of unique Paris private tours when exploring the City of Light.
- Having a private tour guide is a much better experience than being on a large tour bus, because you will get one-on-one attention and won’t just be part of a large crowd.
- Your tour guide will take care of all of the hard work of researching where to go and planning your trip.
- You can tell your tour guide what you are interested in and they will plan a trip for you based on what you like.
- If your French isn’t very good, the tour guide can help translate for you.
- Your guide will also be able to recommend excellent restaurants and bars you should visit during your trip to the city.
- You’ll learn about the fascinating and complex history of Paris from someone who lives there and knows it well.
- You’ll be directly supporting the local economy and people.
- Your tour guide will be able to give you insider recommendations for excellent lesser-known places of interest.
- Sometimes your tour guide might know how to skip the line, so you don’t have to wait a long time in a queue to enter an attraction.
Which Landmarks Should You Take a Private Tour Of?
The best places in Paris for private tours are any attraction that has a lot of history behind it, such as Notre Dame Cathedral or the streets of Montmartre. Although these locations are beautiful at first glance, they become even more amazing when you visit with your tour guide and hear the stories of the past.
However, having a private tour guide is an advantage at any destination where you want to learn as much as possible about the attraction. With your private guide you will be able to ask as many questions as you like, whereas if you were in a group you would have to move on quickly to the next stop.
Visiting these historical sites of the world will grant you a new perspective on life. Walking through the history of these places is a surreal experience.
Where to Find Private Tours in Paris
So, if you want to hire a private guide during your trip to Paris, where can you find one who will offer you interesting insight and great service? Here are some tips for where to look:
- Tours by Locals is a great site for finding local tour guides in Paris. You can find tour guides offering everything from tours of the Louvre to day trip visits to the D-Day Normandy landing beaches and the Champagne region.
- You can also check out the listings for Private and Custom Tours on Viator.
- Be sure to read the reviews from the previous guests to get an idea of what to expect from the tour guide you are hiring.
- Any luxury private tours should have a website that outlines everything the tour covers, as well as contact details where you can find out more information.
- Check to make sure the tour guide speaks English!
- If you are traveling with kids, look for family private tours in Paris and a tour guide who has experience with children. It’s important they know how to make the tour interesting and engaging for young ones, or kids will become bored and lose interest.
Paris Tour Guides Worth Mentioning
There are many excellent tour guides in Paris, but some stand out from the crowd and offer a superb experience. Here are some of the best.
Anne C. is passionate about Paris, which comes across in her tour guiding. She takes guests off the beaten track and shows them the secrets of the major landmarks in the city. She tailors each tour to the personal interests of her guests and lets you explore at your own pace.
Gustavo Z. has an art history background, so he can offer a lot of interesting commentary when visiting museums. He doesn’t believe in rehearsed speeches… his guiding is more spontaneous and he treats his guests like a friend. (Plus, he has a museum guiding license so he can take you through the group entrance and you can skip the line.)
Celine P. has studied art history and tourism and has worked as a licensed guide and lecturer in France for 10 years, so she certainly knows her stuff! She can reveal the best parts of Paris to you, including paintings, museums, gardens, food and much more.