Discover Historic Parks and Explore Hidden Parisian Gardens

3 Hours

For more than 200 years the Palais Royal has been at the avant-garde of French society. Home to cardinals, princes and kings, the complex of buildings that surrounds a formal garden is a green haven in the center of the Paris. We follow in the steps of philosophers, revolutionaries, and entertainers who strolled the gardens and arcades of this exceptional site.

The garden arcades inspired the development of the 19th-century Passages—covered streets designed for easy shopping. We visit the elegant Passage Vivienne, the Passage de Panoramas, and the Passage Jouffroy.

We recommend pairing this tour with a visit to the Museum of the Bibliothèque Nationale

3 Hours

The Marais is one of the oldest and best-preserved neighborhoods of Paris. We begin at the Place des Vosges, the first royal square of its kind and learn how the architecture at this square influenced the town houses, such as the Hôtel de Sully. We continue along the Rue de Rosiers, the heart of the Jewish quarter, to visit the Jardin des Rosiers-Joseph-Migneret. We conclude at the National Archives located in the 18th century townhouse, the Hôtel Soubise, now surrounded by gardens designed during the First Empire.

We recommend pairing this tour with our art museum tours in the Marais.

3 Hours

Discover the historic center of the Left Bank, beginning at the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the famous cafés that surround this iconic square. We then stroll the storied let Bank neighbourhood including a stop at the Place de Furstenberg and the lively Buci market. We continue onto the Luxembourg Gardens, beloved by locals and tourists alike. This 25-acre garden commissioned by Queen Marie de Medici was essential to the development of the French formal style One of the highlights is the magnificent Medici Fountain.

3 Hours

The Tuileries is the oldest public garden in Paris. Founded in 1564 by Queen Catherine de Medici, it became the model for the French formal garden style. You will learn about the career of André LeNôtre, who was born and raised in this garden and renovated the site in the 17th century, before designing Versailles We combine this tour with our visit to the Orangerie Museum, our tour of the Hotel de la Marine or a walk to the Palais Royal gardens.

We recommend pairing this tour with either our Orangerie museum tour or our Hôtel de la Marine tour.

3 Hours

The gardens at Bagatelle were born from a gambling wager. The Comte d’Artois bet his sister-in-law, Queen Marie-Antoinette, that he could build a pleasure pavilion and gardens in less than three months. The gardens include formal parterres and an extensive English-style garden. They were expanded in the 20th century by Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier, who planted an extensive rose garden.

Bagatelle, one of the four botanic gardens of the city of Paris, has an exceptional collection of trees and flowers. Rare irises and roses bloom in late May and June.

3 Hours

Our tour starts at the former artists residence the Maison de Bel Air which has been converted into a museum. The house features a reconstituted studio of Suzanne Valadon, a model turned painter, who lived here with her son and fellow artist, Maurice Utrillo. After visiting the museum, we discover the ‘Renoir Gardens,’ which offer breathtaking views of the vineyards of Montmartre. We then stroll the winding streets of this still picturesque neighborhood stopping at Sacre Coeur with its spectacular views over Paris. Our expert guides will introduce to the rich history of this neighbourhood. Recommended for families; Please be advised that walking is a little steep in this area.

We recommend pairing this visit with our tour of the Orsay Museum.

3 Hours

The Parc Monceau is one of the most stunning examples of the picturesque-style gardens that survived the French Revolution. Commissioned by Louis XVI’s cousin, the Duc de Chartres, the garden’s winding paths and wide lawns are interspersed with fake ruins and a miniature pyramid that served as an ice house.  For those travellers interested in off the beaten path discovers, we stroll from Parc Monceau to the Square des Batignolles and Park Martin Luther king in this trendy neighborhood.

We recommend pairing this tour with either our Nissim de Camondo Museum tour or our Jaquemart André Museum tour.

3 Hours

Explore the fascinating story of the Jewish banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn, who dedicated his fortune to his splendid gardens.

In 1895, after working in Africa and Japan. Kahn planned a ‘jardin à scenes,’ four interconnected areas that would reveal great periods of garden history and reference his youth in Alsace. The museum is dedicated to his photographic mission —archives of the Planet—to document the world after WWI.

We recommend private transportation to this garden.

3 Hours

This walking tour brings us to the intersection of landscape design and urban renewal. Starting at the Butte Chaumont, we explore one of the greatest examples of the picturesque in 19th-century Paris. The 62-acre, crescent-shaped park, a former site of medieval gallows and gypsum quarry, now boasts bridges, hidden grottos, and a stunning rock formation.

Next we move to La Villette, the result of an international competition by the City of Paris to develop a modern park on the site of the former meat-packing district. The Park is now home to the Cité de la Musique (Christian de Portzamparc), a temporary exhibition hall, and Jean Nouvel’s Paris Symphony Orchestra building.

3 Hours

There are approximately 450 gardens in Paris. We can curate tours to the following venues upon request:

Botanical Gardens: The Jardin de Plants is the world’s renown botanical garden established in 1635. This is a family oriented tour that can include a visit to the Museum of Natural History or the zoo.

Modern Gardens: Promenade Plantée (precursor to the High Line in New York City); the Parc de Bercy, located at the former wine center of Paris; Gilles Clement’s Jardin en Movement, one of the first sustainable gardens at the Parc André Citroen.