A short history of Paris

Paris in the Antiquity : Lutetia

Paris started as a Celtic settlement of the Parisii tribe around 250 BCE.
The Romans conquered it in 52 BCE and called it Lutetia.
The Roman amphitheater known as Arènes de Lutèce is still visible today.

Medieval Paris (5th to 15th Century)

Clovis I is the first King of the Franks and he made Paris the capital city of the French kingdom in the late 5th century.
Paris became an important center of learning with to the founding of the University of Paris Sorbonne in the 12th century.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral began construction in 1163.

Renaissance and Wars of Religion (16th Century)

Paris was caught in religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572 was one of the bloodiest chapters in its history.
Eventually the king of France Henry IV who was a Protestant converted to Catholicism to end with religious wars and began rebuilding.

The Sun King and Absolutism (17th–18th Century)

Louis XIV moved the royal court to Versailles in 1682 to control the nobility but Paris remained culturally dominant.
This was the Age of Enlightenment. Great thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot changed the way people viewed power and reason.

French Revolution (1789–1799)

Paris was the heart of the Revolution.
One of its most iconic events is the storming of the Bastille on July 14 1789.
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined at the Place de la Révolution (now Place de la Concorde).

19th Century : Empires and Upheaval

Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor in 1804 in Notre-Dame.
Paris went through more revolutions in 1830 and 1848 leading to short-lived republics and empires.
Under Napoleon III Baron Haussmann modernized Paris with the construction of wide boulevards, sewers, and parks.

Belle Époque and Bohemian Paris (Late 19th to Early 20th Century)

This was a golden age of culture: Moulin Rouge, Eiffel Tower, Impressionist art, cafés in Montmartre.
Paris became the capital of the arts with masters like Monet and Rodin.

World Wars (20th Century)

WWI: Paris was spared destruction but deeply affected.
WWII: Nazi-occupied from 1940–1944. The city was liberated in August 1944 thanks to the French Resistance and Allied forces.

Modern Paris

Post-war Paris grew into a cosmopolitan global city.
Major student protests in May 1968 nearly overthrew the government.
Today Paris is a symbol of culture, fashion, democracy, and resilience.

Guided tours in Paris

Let the city reveal its secrets with a guide by your side. Visit Paris with the official tour guides of Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Unforgettable experiences await in Paris’s must-see neighborhoods like Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées, Versailles, the Latin Quarter, Le Marais, and the Grands Boulevards.

A Day in Paris with Your Private Guide

Your private certified guide will meet you anywhere in Paris and take you on a custom tour using public transport.

With your guide’s help you’ll navigate the metro and buses to explore all the Paris landmarks you wish to see.

You could visit the Louvre, then Montmartre, then the Eiffel Tower all in one day.

Book your private tour guide in Paris

Guided tour in Montmartre

A village within the city where art touches the soul: Montmartre.

Montmartre is the most famous hill in the world and the highest point in Paris with the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, the Wall of Love, street artists, vineyards, and historic windmills that have stood the test of time.

Visit the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, a politically and culturally significant church built in 1870.
Follow your private tour guide through Montmartre’s origins, back to the 19th century when artists lived the bohemian life and spent their nights at the Moulin Rouge.

Discover countless surprises in Montmartre—let your guide lead the way!

Guided tour of Château de Versailles

After surviving an assassination attempt at the Louvre as a child Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles to gather and control his court in one place. It was also to show he was the one true king: the Sun King.

Follow your private guide through the jewels of the Palace of Versailles. Learn how the king and his court lived and what a typical day or royal celebration looked like.

Guided tour from the Eiffel Tower

A symbol of Paris the Eiffel Tower wasn’t originally meant to last. In fact it was supposed to be dismantled after the 1900 World’s Fair.

Ride the elevator to the summit with your private guide. Hear the fascinating story of the tower and how it’s stood strong through the centuries.

From the top Paris is at your feet. Your guide will point out landmarks and tell the story of the city’s development through history.

Guided tour of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées

Visit the Arc de Triomphe and climb to the rooftop with your private guide. From the center of Place de l’Étoile take in the sweeping view of the Champs-Élysées.

After touring the Arc de Triomphe your guide will walk you along the legendary Champs-Élysées.

In Greek mythology “Elysian Fields” means “city of virtuous souls.” Created in the 17th century by Catherine de Medicis the avenue is now the fourth most expensive in the world and home to luxury shops and grand hotels.

Guided tour in Notre-Dame and the Latin Quarter

Your private guide invites you to discover the fully restored Notre-Dame Cathedral after the devastating 2019 fire. Construction began in 1163 and lasted over two centuries.

The cathedral played a major role in French history, from the arrival of Christ’s Holy Crown in 1239 to Napoleon I’s coronation in 1804.

Continue the tour on Île de la Cité to visit the 13th-century Sainte-Chapelle and finish in the heart of the Latin Quarter.

Guided tour in the Louvre Museum

Formerly a royal residence the Louvre is now the largest art and antiquities museum in the world.

Join your certified guide through the museum’s most beautiful rooms. Don’t miss the famous Mona Lisa and Saint John the Baptist among the first paintings acquired by King Francis I.

Continue into the Grand Gallery showcasing the greatest European schools of painting.

With over 1000 rooms your guide will tailor the visit to your personal interests.

Guided tour in the Marais District

Join your private guide for a walk through Le Marais. It is one of Paris most historic neighborhoods.

Once a marshland the area was occupied by artisans and workers in the Middle Ages. In the 19th century new communities arrived including Ashkenazi Jews and after WWI Chinese immigrants.

Place des Vosges is a must-see in the heart of Le Marais. The entire square has been a listed historic monument since the 1960s.

Guided tour in the cemetery of Pere Lachaise

Père Lachaise is Paris’s largest inner-city cemetery and one of the most famous in the world.

Designated both a natural site and a historic monument it’s home to many extraordinary graves including those of Oscar Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, and Jim Morrison.

Follow your private guide on a unique pilgrimage through this 44-hectare haven of greenery where the dead tell their tales.