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Best French Revolution Tour: Paris through a history lens
Updated 14 April 2025 by Leyla Alyanak — Parisian by birth, Lyonnaise by adoption, historian by passion
The French Revolution (sort of) did away with the monarchy and ushered in the concept of republic. We studied it all in school, but in Paris, everywhere we turn, we see reminders of the Revolution in street and subway names and in everyday life. Here are four guided tours to help you relive the Revolution's major moments.
Many visitors to Paris are fascinated by the French Revolution, which lasted a decade from the storming of the Bastille to the rise of Napoleon. Paris is full of revolutionary reminders, such as the Conciergerie (where Marie-Antoinette spent her final weeks), the Concorde (where the guillotine was set up), and the Bastille.
The tours I describe below will guide you through the most fascinating segments of Parisian revolutionary history, a period during which much good and much evil happened.
These tours are short, under three hours. They're perfect if you want an escape from regular sightseeing, if you want to delve more deeply into French history, or if you have a few free hours during your visit.
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Top French Revolution tour in Paris for history lovers:
The French Revolution changed France forever. Not only did it unseat the monarchy, but it swept away feudalism and weakened the stronghold of the Catholic church, leading to anarchy and a complete social breakdown.
On the positive side, it heralded new ideas of freedom, gave opportunity to commoners, abolished slavery and foresaw women's rights. All these changes were so profound they are still being felt in France today.
To save you some research time, here are my top 5 recommendations for a French Revolution tour. Paris will never look the same for you!
1. US and French Revolution with General Lafayette
Are you from the USA? If so, you'll be fascinated by the close links between Paris and Washington during the Revolution. They were friends, foes, and friends again, in a series of political two-steps that would affect the history of both nations.
This is one of the most loved Paris revolutionary tours and is called a "hidden" tour for a reason: it takes to sites that other tours do not normally include, including a private estate that contains a cemetery with several important graves – and a focus on General Lafayette, who played such an important role in both countries.
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2-3 hours
✔︎ Fascinating look at US involvement in the French Revolution
✔︎ Visit of a private cemetery
✔︎ Visit the site of a former guillotine
✔︎ Small group, maximum 10 people
While much of what you'll see will resonate if you're American, you'll be just as fascinated if, like me, you're a French history buff who wants to go beond the obvious.
For example, you'll learn all about the guillotine, initially designed to be humane but perverted to silence opponents of the Revolution during a period of history known as "La Terreur", the terror, which you'll uncover during your walk.
But I think I'll stop here or you'll have nothing left to learn from the tour!
"My tour guide, Milan, was truly exceptional in providing fascinating information and insight about the French and American revolutions. He avoided simplistic explanations and really gave a feel for how complicated circumstances were."
－Michael B.
"Our guide was so knowledgeable about French history and showed us sights we wouldn’t have found on our own."
－Stefanie C, USA
"Our guide, was so knowledgeable about French history and showed us sights we wouldn’t have found on our own."
－Barbara P.
"Best tour ever!"
—Khloe G.
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2. French Revolution Tour: Relive July 14th, 1789
Discover the roots of the French Revolution on this small-group walking tour through the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, one of Paris’s most politically charged neighborhoods in 1789.
You’ll visit key sites like La Folie Titon, where revolutionary pamphlets were printed, and the discreet Passage de Lhomme, once home to the city’s skilled artisans and agitators.
The tour traces the dramatic hours leading up to the storming of the Bastille, celebrated today as France's national holiday, with a clear account of the day that changed France forever. With a maximum of 12 participants, the experience is personal and detailed, bringing context to well-known events and introducing lesser-known corners of revolutionary Paris.
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1.5 hours
✔︎ Run by knowledgeable French Revolution guides
✔︎ Relive July 14th hour by hour
✔︎ Small group tour
The French Revolution isn't as straightforward as it might seem, so having a historian interpret its facts for you is incredibly useful.
The revolution was the culmination of a complex set of events which laid the foundations of France as we know her today. Grasping how the Ancient Regime (monarchy) gave way to popular rule will go a long way towards helping you understand the underlying culture of France.
"Great to see a different part of Paris and learn about a really interesting part of history from an expert." －Alex, UK
"The level of historical detail, the expertise of our guide, his professional background as a teaching academic!" －Martha, Australia
"Fantastic, very knowledgeable and enjoyable guide, great experience overall."
—Sean T., USA
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3. Paris French Revolution Small Group Walking Tour with a Local
Like the previous tour, this one focuses on the high points of the French Revolution. The itinerary, however, is different, with the previous tour focusing on July 14th, the Revolution's most meaningful day, and this one spreading out more broadly into history.
If you would like to visit revolutionary highlights in Paris and catch an overview of the country's history, this is the perfect tour for you.
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours
✔︎ See the sights where the most historic revolutionary events took place
✔︎ Understand how the Revolution shaped the Paris we know today
✔︎ Local expert guide on the French Revolution
From the Odéon Theater, where Beaumarchais’s Marriage of Figaro lit a revolutionary fuse, to the Cour du Commerce Saint-André, where the guillotine was first conceived, each stop highlights a turning point in the city’s turbulent march toward liberty.
You’ll explore the stories behind Robespierre, Danton, and Marat while standing in the very streets they once walked.
The tour combines major landmarks and hidden corners, from Pont Neuf to Place de Grève, once the site of public executions, a perfect street-level view of how revolution reshaped Paris.
"The guide was so well-informed and made each stop engaging and memorable. The small group setting was ideal for asking questions. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to see Paris from a historical perspective."－Mark A.
"The guide's passion for history was contagious, and the small group setting allowed us to delve into details we wouldn’t have gotten in larger groups. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to learn about the French Revolution while exploring Paris!"
—William M.
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4. Bike through history - including the French Revolution
Paris is increasingly becoming a cycle-friendly city, and biking tours are popular, serving up the city from a completely different perspective than you would get from a bus or on a walking tour of Paris.
Because you can go further on a bike than on foot, this tour is far-flung and will take you around to a number of sites you might not otherwise see.
While this isn’t a dedicated French Revolution tour, it does include several iconic Revolutionary landmarks, and it’s a lively way to experience Paris’s layered history.
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours
✔︎ See Paris from a different perspective
✔︎ Includes bike rental and helmet
✔︎ Multiple photo stops
✔︎ Small group tour (can be upgraded to private)
Over the course of half a day, you’ll cycle through the city with a knowledgeable guide, stopping at major sites such as the Place de la Concorde, where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette met their fate, and the former location of the Bastille, whose storming marked the Revolution’s violent beginning.
You’ll also ride past Les Invalides — once raided by revolutionaries for weapons —and other key points tied to the monarchy, the rise of the Republic, and the transformation of Paris after the Franco-Prussian War.
Along the way, you'll enjoy some of the city's newer cycling paths, and see many of the capital's major landmarks, all the while enjoying the freedom of being on two wheels and taking in the Parisian atmosphere.
"If you can ride a bike, you must take this tour while in Paris!" －Xavier H.
"Our guide was a wealth of historic information!" －Jillian M.
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If you're interested in French history and want to better understand those tumultuous years, Paris will appear different once you've taken a French Revolution tour. Many things – from street names to unusual habits or customs – will take on new meaning once you begin to understand some of their roots.
A good preparation for your tour are these unusual facts about the French Revolution, a fun way to uncover some of the stories behind France's history.
Suggested books about the French Revolution
If you're interested in the French Revolution, these books will provide not only an introduction but deep background in preparation for your tour:
- A New World Begins, by award-winning historian Jeremy Popkin
- The French Revolution, by Ian Davidson, with a fresh look
- Citizens, by Simon Schama, New York Times bestseller
- Twelve Who Ruled, by R. R. Palmer, who looks at the Reign of Terror
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Bonjour! I’m Leyla! I was born in Paris and now live in the bucolic mountain foothills of Eastern France between Lyon and Annecy.
I'm rediscovering my own back yard after years of living abroad in Canada, Spain and Switzerland as a journalist and a diplomat － and I'm loving every minute.
Passionate about history and culture, I’ve created Offbeat France to seek out my country’s mysteries and legends, less-traveled destinations, along with plenty of food stops and many castles － I am French, after all!
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