Paris French Revolution History Walking Tour (English, Max 8 People)

Start at Place de la Bastille
and walk in the footsteps of the French Revolution

The tour begins at the July Column on Place de la Bastille, where the fortress stormed by protesters in 1789 once stood. Learn why this event was so important and why the Bastille was a powerful symbol of the monarchy. Then head to Square Henri Galli to see stones from the Bastille fortress found by workers in 1899 during construction of Paris's first metro line.

Hear about the causes of the Revolution along the Seine, at the Hôtel de Ville and Notre-Dame

Walking along Quai des Célestins and Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, discuss the political and social causes of the Revolution, including the influence of Enlightenment thinkers such as Diderot and Rousseau. At the Hôtel de Ville, hear about the building's medieval origins, how it burned during another popular uprising, and how Robespierre turned from an idealistic leader into a tyrant of the Reign of Terror.

At Notre-Dame Cathedral, learn about the Revolution's anti-clerical character, how the cathedral was turned into a Temple of Reason and then a Temple of the Supreme Being, and how it was preserved thanks to Victor Hugo.

Meet Marie Antoinette at the Palais de Justice and the Conciergerie

At the Palais de Justice and the Court of Appeal, hear about the Revolutionary Tribunal once housed here and its most important trials, including that of the French royal family. At the Conciergerie, learn about the conditions in which its most famous prisoner, Marie Antoinette, spent her final days, her cell and her trial, and see the gate she passed through before her execution.

Look back on the end of the Terror at Place de la Concorde

Following the itinerary past the Institut de France, the Assemblée Nationale and Les Invalides, the tour ends at Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine stood during the Reign of Terror. Trace the square's transformation from Place Louis XV to Place de la Révolution and today's Place de la Concorde.

※ Sights are visited from the outside only.
※ The itinerary is for reference and may change depending on local conditions.