Prime Paris Semi-Private Tour | Île de la Cité & Louvre Museum

Explore two of Paris’ most iconic historic sites on this comprehensive semi-private tour: Île de la Cité and the Louvre Museum – the former palace of the French Kings and Queens. Explore the heart of medieval Paris on the Île de la Cité – view the magnificent gothic architecture of Notre Dame from the outside – which was newly refurbished in late 2024 after a devastating fire in 2019 – to the Conciergerie, the medieval castle of the French monarchy, that was later their prison during the French Revolution. Your guide will make recommendations for lunch before enjoying a skip-the-line, in-depth tour of the Louvre – including masterpieces like the Mona Lisa.

• Experience an exclusive small group tour with just 6 people and expert guide
• Explore the heart of Medieval Paris: Île de la Cité
• Learn all about the magnificent Cathedral and the legend of Quasimodo from outside
• Hear about the dramatic trials and executions of the French Revolution
• Enjoy a skip the line in depth tour of the Louvre with the Mona Lisa

Your Paris Prime experience begins when you meet your expert, English-speaking guide who will lead you on a fascinating two-hour walking tour of Île de la Cité.  (The Island of the City).

The island, situated in the middle of the River Seine that divides the Left and Right Banks of Paris, is truly the original and Medieval heart of Paris thanks to the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral – which you will view from the outside- , the gothic splendor of the Sainte Chapelle, the infamous Courts of Justice where King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette were tried for treason, right next to the stunning building called the Conciergerie – a medieval castle that was home to the French monarchy, and became their prison during the French Revolution. But the island has a history stretching way back to before the Romans and is where a Gallic tribe called the ‘Parisii’ first settled during the Iron Age. 

You’ll learn all about the origins of Paris, from the Parisii to the Roman conquest and the rise of the French Kings during the middle ages – from Clovis King of the Franks to Charlemagne and the Carolingians, the Capetians, the Valois, the Bourbons, Robespierre, and the Revolution – and finally Napoleon. The island holds all the secrets to France’s past! 

After free time for lunch, you’ll next enjoy skip-the-line access and a fully guided in-depth tour of the Louvre museum. The Louvre is as much a symbol of Paris as Notre Dame. It was built to be a magnificent royal palace, home to many generations of French Monarchs. Today, it is arguably the most famous museum in the world – housing such masterpieces as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and the Hellenistic Venus de Milo. Your tour guide will show you opulent jewels worn by the Queens of France, an amazing collection of the French Romantics from Delacroix to Gericault, the masters of the Italian Renaissance from Botticelli to Da Vinci, Raphael to Caravaggio  – as well as the spectacular collections from Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. 

Your tour ends inside the Museum, where you can choose to continue or head directly out with a newfound appreciation for the incredible city you’re in.  

• Expert English-speaking guide
• Small group of max 6 people
• Walking tour of Île de la Cité
• View Notre Dame Cathedral from the outside
• See the Conciergerie from the outside
• Free time for lunch (not included)
• Skip-the-line tickets and tour of the Louvre
• Works like the Mona Lisa & Venus de Milo
• End inside the Louvre Museum

• 2nd Tier Eiffel Tower Add-on: The entry time will depend on ticket availability and is not guided—please keep your evening plans open as your tickets could be for any time between 4:30pm and 11:00pm.
  • If you are only available within a specific time range, please specify this in the “additional notes” box at checkout and we will do our best to satisfy your request. If it is not possible to get tickets within the specified time range, you will be fully refunded the cost of the add-on. Please keep in mind, these tickets are limited and so the more availability you give the higher chance you will be secured tickets.
• Please note: Entrance into the newly refurbished Notre Dame Cathedral is not included in this tour, you will see Notre Dame from the outside only.

All LivTours Semi-Private Group Tours are limited to 6 guests per tour guide. Our commitment to maintaining our uniquely tiny group sizes can sometimes be a little tricky, mathematically speaking. For example, we want to ensure that traveling families and friends can tour together so on rare occasions we may add one or two guests in order to not split groups. On that same note, you may also find yourself on tour with less than six people! We thank you for your understanding and flexibility.

Make your experience even more unique by upgrading your LivTours experience. Please note: add-ons are non refundable.

By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.