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Offered languages
- English
Discover Paris’s historic covered passages on this expert-led 2-hour walking tour. Wander beneath glass roofs, admire intricate mosaic floors and explore elegant 19th-century galleries. Step inside bookshops, boutiques and antique dealers that bring the passages to life today.
Begin at the Palais-Royal, once home to Cardinal Richelieu and the young Louis XIV, where you’ll trace the origins of Parisian shopping culture and photograph Daniel Buren’s iconic striped columns. Continue through Galerie Vivienne, then follow the story of commerce past the Bourse and into Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau.
Learn how revolution and industrialisation reshaped the streets and daily life of Paris. New construction techniques, iron-and-glass architecture and a growing bourgeois class transformed where Parisians gathered, exchanged ideas and spent their money. From 1789 to the Belle Époque, uncover how periods of upheaval and innovation helped create the modern city.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet your guide beside the colorful glass-bead Métro entrance (Kiosque des Noctambules) at Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre, exit 5, opposite the Comédie-Française. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early.
The walk ends in Passage Verdeau, a historic covered passage with antiques, vintage prints, and collectors’ shops.
Itinerary
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1Domaine National du Palais-Royal
Explore the Palais-Royal arcades and gardens, learn how they shaped Parisian shopping and public life, and see Daniel Buren’s striped columns.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Galerie Vivienne
Step inside this elegant 19th-century gallery to admire mosaic floors, decorative storefronts and a soaring glass roof while hearing how shopping became a social experience.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Galerie Colbert
See the neighboring Galerie Colbert and its elegant 19th-century architecture when access permits; opening hours or private events may require an alternate route.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Place de la Bourse
Pause in the historic financial district to hear how commerce, speculation and the growing bourgeoisie reshaped this part of Paris. Exterior stop only.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Passage des Panoramas
Walk through one of Paris’s oldest surviving covered passages, known for restaurants, specialist shops and layers of commercial history.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Passage Jouffroy
Walk beneath the glass-and-iron roof and discover how industrial innovation and new building techniques transformed Parisian shopping arcades.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Passage Verdeau
Finish in this quieter passage lined with antiquarian dealers, vintage prints and collectors’ shops.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please provide a mobile phone number with country code. Your guide will contact you on the morning of the tour; for urgent matters, reply directly to that message.
- Arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before the 10:30 AM start. Latecomers may miss the tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The tour runs rain or shine.
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please provide a mobile phone number with country code. Your guide will contact you on the morning of the tour; for urgent matters, reply directly to that message.
- Arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before the 10:30 AM start. Latecomers may miss the tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The tour runs rain or shine.
- Access to individual passages may change because of opening hours, public holidays, private events or unannounced closures. Your guide will provide an alternative route covering the main themes and highlights where possible.
- This walking tour requires moderate fitness and is not suitable for guests with walking disabilities or wheelchair users. Luggage and coat storage are unavailable.
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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