Good Outing
Paris, France

Walking tours

Walking tours in Paris

A walking tour gives you Paris at street level, with someone to explain it. The most comfortable months are April and June to September, with highs around 73°F (23°C) and about 8 rainy days a month.

Photo: Yann Caradec from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0

Paris neighbourhoods

The city's main districts, a good way to choose a route or a theme:

1st arr.
The Louvre, the Tuileries Garden and the Palais-Royal.
2nd arr.
Covered passages from the 1800s and the Rue Montorgueil market street.
3rd arr.
The upper Marais: galleries, the Picasso Museum and the covered Marché des Enfants Rouges.
4th arr.
Notre-Dame, Île Saint-Louis and the Place des Vosges.
5th arr.
The Latin Quarter: the Panthéon, the Sorbonne and Jardin des Plantes.
6th arr.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés cafés and the Luxembourg Gardens.
7th arr.
The Eiffel Tower, the Musée d'Orsay and Les Invalides.
8th arr.
The Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and luxury shopping.
9th arr.
The Opéra Garnier and the big department stores.
10th arr.
Canal Saint-Martin and the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est.

How to pick a good walking tour

  1. Free tours are paid in tips at the end. Paid tours cap the group size and usually go deeper into one theme.
  2. Wear shoes you can walk in for two to three hours, often on cobbles or hills.
  3. Book an early start in hot months. Guides keep to the shade, but midday streets still bake.
  4. Pick one theme (old town, food, history, street art) rather than a tour that tries to cover the whole city.

Paris month by month

Averages for Paris, 1991–2020.

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F (°C)46 (8)48 (9)55 (13)62 (17)68 (20)74 (23)78 (26)78 (26)71 (22)62 (17)52 (11)46 (8)
Low °F (°C)38 (3)38 (3)42 (6)46 (8)52 (11)58 (14)61 (16)61 (16)55 (13)50 (10)43 (6)39 (4)
Rainy days10910998788101011
Sunset (15th)5:21 pm6:10 pm6:55 pm8:41 pm9:25 pm9:56 pm9:50 pm9:07 pm8:05 pm7:02 pm5:11 pm4:54 pm

Questions

When is the best time for walking tours in Paris?

April and June to September. Expect highs around 73°F (23°C) and about 8 rainy days a month. The least comfortable months are January and December.

Where can I book walking tours in Paris?

The tours above book on Viator. Compare group size, duration, what is included and the cancellation terms before you pick one.

More things to do in Paris

Everything to do in Paris, France

Walking tours in other cities

Walking tours in every city