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Galerie Vivienne

Galerie Vivienne: Our most recommended tours and activities

Paris: Iconic Neighborhoods Guided Walking Tour

1. Paris: Iconic Neighborhoods Guided Walking Tour

Choose one of five Paris districts to visit on a guided walking tour, each one steeped in history and filled with fascinating places to explore. Join your guide as they take you to the heart of your chosen Quartier and tell you all about its history, art, architecture, cuisine, fashion, and more. Le Marais: History and Fashion Discover the hidden treasures of Le Marais and find out why this district is a favorite amongst hip Parisians. Come see where history and architecture rub shoulders with hip boutiques, cool cafes, and gourmet eateries. Montmartre: The Artists' Quarter Visit the charming Parisian district of Montmartre with a local guide. Discover the Montmartre of Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh. See where artists lived, drank, danced, and painted, exchanging their paintings for food and art supplies. Saint-Germain-des-Prés: Intellectuals and Jazz on the Left Bank Join your guide as you dive into the fascinating past of this iconic Left Bank neighborhood. Hear captivating stories about Saint-Germain-des-Prés, once home to literary geniuses, rebellious students, and revolutionaries. The Latin Quarter: Literary Legends in Bohemian Paris Discover the vibrant and eclectic Latin Quarter on a guided walking tour. Stroll down cobblestone streets lined with quirky bookshops and lively cafes, see the Sorbonne, and admire the mighty Pantheon. The Covered Passages: Hidden Treasures and Chic Shopping Explore a lesser-known side of Paris and see hidden treasures often missed by other visitors. Discover the delightful covered passages filled with tiny boutiques and cafes, and learn about the best places to shop and grab a bite to eat in the city.

Paris: Covered Passages Audio-Guided Walking Tour

2. Paris: Covered Passages Audio-Guided Walking Tour

Stroll through centuries with an audio-guided tour of the Palais-Royal gardens and the city’s historic covered passages. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, to explore at your own pace. Begin at the gardens of Palais-Royal, to discover the story of this fashionable meeting place. Continue to the covered passages of Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas, and Passages Jouffroy. Learn how these places battled to attract customers and pass iconic locations, including the oldest chocolate factory in Paris, a wax museum, and the former Paris Stock Exchange.

Paris: Covered Passages Walking Tour

3. Paris: Covered Passages Walking Tour

Explore Paris’s covered passages: half-hidden covered streets filled with shopping and culinary treasures. Take a dazzling guided tour through 5 of Paris’ magical arcades, some of them dating back to the 1700s, and learn their secrets, history, and the best places to shop and dine. Begin at the Galerie Vivienne, a neoclassical-style covered passage dating to 1823, now a national monument filled with luxury boutiques. After the Galerie Vivienne, explore the Passage Choiseul, where over 600 feet of sunlit shops gather under the stunning glass roof. Be sure to look at the beautiful, ornately tiled floor. Continue the tour at the Passage des Panoramas, Paris' first covered walkway, built more than 200 years ago. Admire its old-fashioned charm and ancient architecture. Your guide will point out the best artisanal shops and eateries as you stroll along the scenic passage. Next, the Passage Jouffroy presents a narrow frame for shoppers to navigate, accented everywhere with glass and iron. It even houses a small wax museum that your guide will show you. At each of these stops your guide will direct your attention to details you might otherwise miss, fascinating pieces of history, and the story behind how these many covered passages in Paris found their way to the capital of fashion. The tour ends at the Passage Verdeau, where antique dealers and vintage curiosities crowd the walkway.

Paris Right Bank 2-Hour Private Walking Tour

4. Paris Right Bank 2-Hour Private Walking Tour

While the Left bank has always been associated with universities, the arts, youth culture, and free and forward thinking, the Right Bank was the seat of French power. Authority emanated from the royal court and had a significant impact on the character of its surroundings. A 2-hour walk on the Right Bank is a very different experience compared to a visit to the Left Bank, which is home to the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain. As you take in the buildings of the Right Bank your guide will compare the way authority was shown in medieval times with the manner in which it was demonstrated in the neoclassical period. You won’t only dwell on the official aspects of this area, however. You’ll also visit sites that have seen a change from their original purpose and acquired some interesting, unexpected functions and fame. Principal sites visited on the tour include the Cour Carré, Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Comédie-Française, Rue Saint-Honoré, Palais-Royal, Galerie Vivienne, Rue de Rivoli, Place Vendôme, and the Tuileries.

Paris: Belleville and Le Marais Private Walking Tour

5. Paris: Belleville and Le Marais Private Walking Tour

Experience the best of Paris on foot with your own personal local guide during this private walking trip to the city’s must-see sights and neighborhoods. Visit Opera Garnier, the Louvre Museum, Belleville, Canal Saint-Martin, the Marais, and more. On this guided walk through the city, you’ll get to explore characteristic Parisian neighborhoods away from the tourist tide, accompanied by your own local guide. Visit the hipster quarter of Belleville and walk through its graffiti-filled streets. Then, explore the so-called old Paris, the Marais District, with its charming cobblestone streets, imposing gates, sumptuous hôtels particuliers (grand townhouse), and secret gardens. Get to know one of the trendiest quarters of the capital, the cradle of the Parisian avant-garde and also a refuge for contemporary art. Make your way along the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin, the perfect walking place for pedestrians, which has become an unmissable meeting point for Parisians, away from the tourist hustle and bustle. Relax and enjoy a coffee in a classic Parisian café. Later, enjoy one of the most memorable panoramic views of Paris from the rooftop of the famous Galeries Lafayette. Lose yourself in the Galerie Vivienne, one of the most emblematic-covered arcades in Paris. Before the end of your tour, stop to admire the Opéra Garnier and the Louvre Museum, one of the most prestigious in the world. 

Paris: Covered Passages Walking Tour and Puzzle Game

6. Paris: Covered Passages Walking Tour and Puzzle Game

Go off the beaten path and explore a different side of Paris with a puzzle game and walking tour. Discover the history of the city's covered passageways as you play detective for an afternoon, solving riddles and uncovering clues to crack the case. Meet your host to collect your booklet and clues and learn the story behind your outdoor escape game adventure. Then, put on your detective hat and set out to solve a murder. From Grands Boulevards to Palais Royal, follow in the footsteps of Herbert, a mad genius who was murdered just a few days ago. Thankfully, Herbert has left behind clues in a tourism booklet. Now it's up to you to decipher the hidden messages and help the police crack the case. Begin in Passage Verdeau, where antique stores are lined with bustling bars and bistros. Then, enter the very popular Passage Jouffroy, home to the famous wax Museum Grévin. Your investigation continues inside the oldest Passage in Paris, Passage des Panoramas. Then, head to Galerie Vivienne, located a short walk from the breathtaking Palais Royal Garden, where our host will be waiting and where you'll solve the final riddle and complete the challenge. 

Other Sightseeing Options in Galerie Vivienne

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What people are saying about Galerie Vivienne

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 294 reviews

It’s a very nice way of getting to know more about the city! Our guide was very friendly, passionate and interesting to listen to. She also explained things when we had questions outside of the official points of the tour. I only wish there was more time between the tours. Our guide had to rush to start a new tour on the same day. We barely had time to say “thank you”.

Julian was an excellent guide and very attentive to the needs and questions of the group, quite knowledgeable of the Marais and goings-on in Paris.

Wonderful walking tour, highly recommended. You see a lot more this these local walking tours by just wondering by yourself

Ariane was an excellent guide around St. Germain-des-Pres, supplementing our walk with pictures of SGdP’s past

Our guide, Joanna was fabulous! Learned so much about Paris history.