Tours, excursions

How do the tours work?

Museum and monument tours usually last 1½ hours, plus a ½-hour of free time.
The walking tours range from 2 hours (like our Covered Passages tour) to one day (D-Day Landing Beaches).
All of our tours are easy on the legs, and are available to ages ranging from 5 (scavenger hunts) to 90 (tailored tours).

Can I book a private tour?

All our tours are available for private bookings. This may change the rates, however. In order to best address your needs, just send us the details of your request via the quote request form.

Can the whole family come on the tours?

Paris on the Way offers tours that are tailored specifically for different age groups, but if you want a tour that's suitable for the whole family (like a scavenger hunt), our guides would be happy to propose a private one for you.

What are the departure times and locations?

- Departure times are detailed on the voucher that we send you.
Most are scheduled for 9 a.m.
- Departure or meeting locations are at the museum or monument of the visit. Or at your hotel (at an added cost).

Are meals included in the daylong tours?

This can be arranged, so please include it in your request.

What is included in the tour price?

The tour price includes the services of your tour guide as well as the entrance fee to the museum or monument. It does not cover transportation.

Will we have to wait in line at the monuments?

No, our tickets allow entry to the monuments directly, without waiting in line. Occasionally, however, even with direct-access tickets, museums and monuments may require some waiting.

Can I take pictures inside the museums?

Photos without flash are allowed during museum visits, except when otherwise indicated. Your guide will confirm this information at the beginning of the tour.

Are animals allowed?

No animals are allowed on the buses, or during the tours or excursions.

What if I have bags with me?

Major museums provide cloakrooms where you can check bags and coats free of charge. Coats, umbrellas, backpacks and small bags/luggage are accepted. However, voluminous bags, suitcases, objects of value (cameras, money, IDs, check books), food, or beverages will not be accepted.
An exception can be made for strollers: at the Louvre, for instance, they are allowed in the galleries, or can be checked at the cloakroom.
Keep in mind that during periods of increased security measures, the cloakrooms at some museums and monuments may be closed.

Booking, payment procedures

How do I pay?

By money transfer to the Paris on the Way bank account, and soon (in 2014) on our website.
Once we receive the payment, we send you a voucher that you give to your guide on the day of the tour.

How do I book?

You can book on our website, via the quote request form.
We will then send you a quote. Once we receive the required deposit, the booking is confirmed.

How far ahead of the tour should I make the booking?

The booking must be made at least 15 days before the tour.

How do I cancel or change my booking?

By email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This may incur a cancellation or modification fee.

Questions about Paris On the Way, Practical info, Miscellaneous

How do you choose your guides?

All of our guides are professional, qualified tour guides. We have met all of them and have evaluated their services during a tour prepared by them.

What if we want to visit a neighborhood in Paris or a museum that is not offered on your site?

We offer a wide range of tours (over fifty!) but they are not always featured on our website. So send us your request – most likely, it will be on the official list of guided tours of the city, even though it may not actually be on our website.

We'd like our guide to accompany us during all or some part of our stay here - is this possible?

Of course. We can arrange to have your guide accompany you during the entire length or part of your stay. Guided visits, shopping tours, a taste of traditional restaurants, a glimpse of the nightlife...our guides will help you discover all the magic of Paris, acting as your tour guide during visits to museums and monuments, and as your group leader on longer trips.

How many people make up a group?

A group ranges from a minimum of 7 to 10 to a maximum of 20 to 30 people, depending on the site or venue. Group visits are subject to special requirements: specific times and days, advance booking, and, depending on the galleries or nature of the exhibitions, are limited to a certain number of people.

How can I find out if a site offers access to disabled visitors?

Our website features details on accessibility and amenities offered at the sites, at the bottom of each presentation.

What are opening times for museums and monuments?

In general, museums are open from 9 or 10 a.m. to around 5 or 6 p.m. Some of them stay open until 8 or 9 p.m. Days when they are closed are usually Monday or Tuesday. A few of them, mostly major monuments, are open 7 days a week, and can be visited up until 11 p.m. or midnight.
Opening hours are usually extended between April and October, or between May and September – sometimes only in July and August.
Lastly, many museums and monuments are closed on public holidays, in particular 1 January, 25 December and 1st May.

Can tours be tailored specifically for our group?

If the range of guided tours offered for groups does not meet your expectations, it is indeed possible for a group made up of people with similar profiles, or interested in the same subjects, to visit a museum or monument independently: to do so, you must be a minimum of 7 people, hire the services of a qualified guide who is aware of your requirements, and book with the relevant sites ahead of time.

What is the "right to speak" (“droit de parole”) at a museum, monument, or château?

It means that you have been granted official authorization to visit a site, museum, monument or château, for the purpose of a guided tour led by a professional from the outside. The "right to speak" can be applied to tours for groups or individuals, and can be either free of charge or at a cost, but in any case it is always mandatory and strictly regulated. It literally means the right to vocal expression out loud at the site visited.
Those eligible include curators, teachers with their students, guide interpreters (both national and regional) and lecturers holding a professional card delivered by the French Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The "right to speak" is valid only for the duration of the visit. Every site, museum, monument and château has its own policy and regulation regarding it.

Paris, City of Light?

Every night, 276 monuments, buildings, churches, fountains, bridges and canals are lit up in Paris. So take advantage of the illumination of these magnificent sites – enjoy a magical exploration of the city starting at the Tour Eiffel, queen of the city of light!