Secret Covered Passages Tour in Paris

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. We enter into a chocolate shop that is the oldest in Paris 1761. The building is now protected. Here you can buy arguably the best chocolate in Paris.

   10 min

2. Named after its creator, Jean-Baptiste-Ossian Verdeau, the Passage was opened in 1846 as an extension of the Passage des Panoramas and the Passage Jouffroy. The gallery's originality lies in its high, fishbone-shaped glass roof. You car't leave without stopping at Ausmane, the elegant perfume house founded by Choukk Ausmane, A few steps away, the Keopi cafe with its refined gourmet specialities brings France and Korea together.

   15 min

3. The first of its kind to be built entirely of iron and glass, the Passage Jouffroy was built in 1847. Adjacent to the Musée Grévin, this busy passage was renovated in 1987. The signs of the past are still there, such as the Pain d'Épices, the very first toy shop in Paris, which dates back to 1849. Opposite this children's paradise, adults with a passion for retro elegance will find their heart's desire at Galerie Fayet, the last French manufacturer of high-quality walking sticks.

   15 min

4. Since 1929, the imposing painting by Germond has been enthroned in Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards' Belle Époque dining room listed as a historical monument

   Passes by

5. Built in 1799 by Jean-Louis Girard, this covered passage, listed in 1974, is considered to be the first in Paris. It is home to eight stamp shops and the gourmet Caffe Stern, a former 19th-century engraving workshop converted into an Italian restaurant in 2014. More unusual, Kimochi's sushi burger (the only one in France) is a taste experience not to be missed!

   15 min

6. France’s national library, holding roughly 42 million items as a central repository of national heritage, including books, manuscripts, prints, and multimedia.

   10 min

7. Built in 1823, the Colbert Gallery is located a stone's throw from its great rival, the Vivienne Gallery. This pretty covered gallery is the property of the National Library and, unlike other Parisian galleries, does not host any shops. Focused on culture, it is home to the National Institute of Art History

   5 min

8. Its history begins when the president of the Chamber of Notaries, Maître MARCHOUX, made known his wish to build the most beautiful and attractive gallery in Paris. A leading shopping space, where the Parisian elite could meet to stroll and have fun.

   5 min

9. The Palais-Royal became the property of the Orleans, the youngest branch of the Kingdom of France, in February 1692, when Louis XIV offered it to Monsieur, his brother. The palace garden was then open to the city.

   10 min

10. Historically, stock trading took place at several spots in Paris, including rue Quincampoix, rue Vivienne (near the Palais Royal), and the back of the Opéra Garnier (the Paris opera house).

    Passes by

11. (Closed on Monday) Is the national library and premier research institution of France, headquartered across multiple sites in Paris, with its main modern site in the 13th arrondissement

    5 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 26 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Paris

• Its from-price is 76% below the median of the 4664 experiences we list in Paris.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 906 of 4664.
• 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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