Paris Secret Covered Passages & BNF Oval Room Walking Tour
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 3 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Discover 19th-Century Paris & Its Secret Arcades Step off the tourist trail to explore Paris's hidden covered passages and the world's first luxury arcades. On this 3-hour walking tour, uncover secret history, stunning architecture, and enjoy an included gourmet drink break. Galerie Vivienne & Palais-Royal (35 min) Meet your local guide at Place du Palais Royal. Discover Galerie Vivienne’s glass domes, mosaic floors, and luxury boutiques. BNF Oval Room (40 min) Step inside the BNF Richelieu’s magnificent Salle Ovale, a grand reading room under an 18m glass ceiling. Café Verlet Break (30 min) Relax at Paris’s oldest coffee roaster (est. 1880) with a €10 drink budget included per guest. Secret Arcades & Wrap-Up (75 min) Explore Passage des Panoramas and Passage Jouffroy’s vintage shops. Finish at Square Louvois with top insider tips! Nearest Metro: Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre (Lines 1 & 7).
Inclusions
What's included
- Historical and cultural insights
- Local Professional guide
- Walking tour of covered passages
- Visit of BNF Richelieu Oval Room (free access only)
What's not
- Museum entry tickets (BNF exhibition areas NOT included)- To be paid on site
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Tips and gratuities (optional)
Itinerary
Meet your guide on the sidewalk at the corner of Place des Victoires and Rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, with the equestrian statue of Louis XIV in view. Please arrive 10 minutes early. Your guide will be holding a Reevoria Travel sign. Do not wait at the statue in the middle of the square.
Explore one of Paris’s most beautiful historic covered passages, Galerie Vivienne. Walk beneath its elegant glass roof and admire its original mosaic floors, ornate architecture, and charming boutiques. Your guide will share stories about 19th-century Parisian life and the famous figures who have been connected to this iconic passage. There will also be time to take photos beneath the central glass rotunda.
Step inside one of Paris’s most spectacular libraries, the historic BnF Richelieu. Discover the elegant Cour d’Honneur before entering the magnificent Oval Room, a breathtaking reading room topped by a soaring glass roof. Take a moment to admire the architecture and atmosphere of this historic library while your guide explains its fascinating history and role in Parisian cultural life. Please note: the Oval Room is an active reading space, so visitors are asked to remain quiet and keep phones on silent. Photography is permitted without flash.
Enjoy a relaxing Parisian café break at historic Café Verlet or a comparable nearby café. Choose a coffee, tea, hot chocolate or other available drink, with up to €10 per guest included in the tour price. Additional purchases are at your own expense.
Explore one of Paris's oldest covered passages, dating back to 1799. Discover its fascinating history, vintage shopfronts and traditional boutiques while learning how these arcades became fashionable destinations for Parisians.
Continue through Passage Jouffroy, celebrated for its elegant iron-and-glass architecture and nostalgic atmosphere. Discover its unusual shops and its connection to the famous Musée Grévin.
Stroll through historic Parisian streets and discover hidden architectural details before reaching Square Louvois. Admire its elegant fountain, learn about the former opera house that once stood here, and finish with your guide's recommendations for exploring Paris.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Palais Royal – Statue of Louis XIV, Place du Palais Royal, 75001 Paris. The nearest metro station is Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre (lines 1 & 7).
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 10 travellers
- Operated by
- Reevoria Travel
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Paris
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 4664 experiences we list in Paris.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Paris
Paris pairs grand boulevards and riverside monuments with café terraces, art collections of global stature and neighbourhoods that feel like villages.
The Seine runs through the heart of the city, past the Île de la Cité with Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle, the long façade of the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay in its former railway station. Downriver, the Eiffel Tower rises over the Champ de Mars, and the Arc de Triomphe crowns the Champs-Élysées.
Top-ranked sights in Paris: Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, 4th Arrondissement.
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