Paris Time Machine English Walking Tour: Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo, Marais & Medieval Paris (105 minutes)
by Quentin Dubourg
Choose from 1 available option
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.€8Overview
This English walking tour lasts one hour and forty-five minutes and covers several key locations in Paris related to Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo, the Marais district, and medieval Paris. The tour begins near Notre-Dame Cathedral, where the guide explains the cathedral’s history and its connection to Victor Hugo. The group then visits Victor Hugo’s former residence. The route continues through the Marais district, known for its medieval houses and secret courtyards. Along the way, participants see wartime marks such as cannonballs and bullet holes on buildings. Stops include the Jewish Memorial De La Shoah and the Hotel de Sens, a medieval building with a cannonball embedded in its wall. The tour passes through Village St-Paul, an area with quiet streets, historic churches, and local cafés. Fragments of the medieval city wall built by King Philippe Auguste are also shown. A visit to the Renaissance courtyard at Hotel de Sully is included. The tour ends at Place des Vosges, the oldest planned royal square in Paris. The guide shares local tips, cultural insights, and jokes throughout the walk. Umbrellas and a list of Paris recommendations are provided. The tour also offers the chance to meet other participants from around the world. The itinerary includes stops at Paris City Hall and a memorial dedicated to the 2015 attacks, highlighting both medieval and modern aspects of the city. The entire route covers about 105 minutes of walking and commentary, presenting a time-machine-like experience through Paris’s history and neighborhoods.
Highlights
What's included
Itinerary
4th Arr. - Hotel-de-Ville
The tour begins near Paris City Hall, a building that has witnessed revolutions, fires, and reconstruction throughout the city’s history.
10 min
Modern Memorial
The group visits a quiet memorial dedicated to Paris’ resilience following the 2015 attacks, discussing the spirit of modern Paris and local café culture.
10 min
Medieval Houses
Curved medieval houses hidden among modern buildings demonstrate Paris’s origins as a small village.
5 min
Memorial De La Shoah
This stop focuses on Jewish history in Paris, linking medieval times to 20th-century events within today’s neighborhood context.
10 min
Hotel de Sens
Participants see one of Paris’s most impressive medieval buildings, which still bears a cannonball lodged in its wall from past conflicts.
10 min
Local Pétanque Spot
The tour visits a location where Parisians often play pétanque; if no players are present, the group can join in themselves.
10 min
Village St-Paul
This small area within Paris features quiet streets, historic churches, and local cafés, showing a more intimate side of the city.
5 min
Medieval Wall Remnants
Fragments of the wall built by King Philippe Auguste illustrate how Paris developed from a fortified town to a capital city.
10 min
Hotel de Sully
Visitors enter a hidden Renaissance courtyard and secret passage that remain largely unchanged, noted as a favorite shortcut by the guide’s mother.
10 min
Place des Vosges
The tour’s last major stop is this royal square, the oldest planned one in Paris, established under King Henry IV.
5 min
Victor Hugo’s House
The walk concludes in front of the home where Victor Hugo lived, linking back to the Notre-Dame Cathedral where his famous novel is set.
10 min
Meeting point
Meeting Point: In front of the main entrance of "Hôtel de Ville" (the Paris City Hall). We will meet on the large square (Parvis de l'Hôtel de Ville), I'll be standing right in the middle of the square. How to spot me: I'll be wearing a beret and holding a notebook.
End point
We finish the tour in front of Victor Hugo’s house! You’ll end the tour in the heart of several lively Parisian neighborhoods, with plenty of great restaurant options for every budget and taste.
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.
Additional info
Paris Time Machine English Walking Tour: Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo, Marais & Medieval Paris (105 minutes)
by Quentin Dubourg
Choose from 1 available option
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.€8Overview
This English walking tour lasts one hour and forty-five minutes and covers several key locations in Paris related to Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo, the Marais district, and medieval Paris. The tour begins near Notre-Dame Cathedral, where the guide explains the cathedral’s history and its connection to Victor Hugo. The group then visits Victor Hugo’s former residence. The route continues through the Marais district, known for its medieval houses and secret courtyards. Along the way, participants see wartime marks such as cannonballs and bullet holes on buildings. Stops include the Jewish Memorial De La Shoah and the Hotel de Sens, a medieval building with a cannonball embedded in its wall. The tour passes through Village St-Paul, an area with quiet streets, historic churches, and local cafés. Fragments of the medieval city wall built by King Philippe Auguste are also shown. A visit to the Renaissance courtyard at Hotel de Sully is included. The tour ends at Place des Vosges, the oldest planned royal square in Paris. The guide shares local tips, cultural insights, and jokes throughout the walk. Umbrellas and a list of Paris recommendations are provided. The tour also offers the chance to meet other participants from around the world. The itinerary includes stops at Paris City Hall and a memorial dedicated to the 2015 attacks, highlighting both medieval and modern aspects of the city. The entire route covers about 105 minutes of walking and commentary, presenting a time-machine-like experience through Paris’s history and neighborhoods.
Highlights
What's included
Itinerary
4th Arr. - Hotel-de-Ville
The tour begins near Paris City Hall, a building that has witnessed revolutions, fires, and reconstruction throughout the city’s history.
10 min
Modern Memorial
The group visits a quiet memorial dedicated to Paris’ resilience following the 2015 attacks, discussing the spirit of modern Paris and local café culture.
10 min
Medieval Houses
Curved medieval houses hidden among modern buildings demonstrate Paris’s origins as a small village.
5 min
Memorial De La Shoah
This stop focuses on Jewish history in Paris, linking medieval times to 20th-century events within today’s neighborhood context.
10 min
Hotel de Sens
Participants see one of Paris’s most impressive medieval buildings, which still bears a cannonball lodged in its wall from past conflicts.
10 min
Local Pétanque Spot
The tour visits a location where Parisians often play pétanque; if no players are present, the group can join in themselves.
10 min
Village St-Paul
This small area within Paris features quiet streets, historic churches, and local cafés, showing a more intimate side of the city.
5 min
Medieval Wall Remnants
Fragments of the wall built by King Philippe Auguste illustrate how Paris developed from a fortified town to a capital city.
10 min
Hotel de Sully
Visitors enter a hidden Renaissance courtyard and secret passage that remain largely unchanged, noted as a favorite shortcut by the guide’s mother.
10 min
Place des Vosges
The tour’s last major stop is this royal square, the oldest planned one in Paris, established under King Henry IV.
5 min
Victor Hugo’s House
The walk concludes in front of the home where Victor Hugo lived, linking back to the Notre-Dame Cathedral where his famous novel is set.
10 min
Meeting point
Meeting Point: In front of the main entrance of "Hôtel de Ville" (the Paris City Hall). We will meet on the large square (Parvis de l'Hôtel de Ville), I'll be standing right in the middle of the square. How to spot me: I'll be wearing a beret and holding a notebook.
End point
We finish the tour in front of Victor Hugo’s house! You’ll end the tour in the heart of several lively Parisian neighborhoods, with plenty of great restaurant options for every budget and taste.
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.