Your LivTours Paris Bike Tour will depart from the Opéra neighborhood and lead straight into the historic Île de la Cité for stunning views of Notre Dame Cathedral. From this southern angle, you will get to see the Gothic church’s iconic flying buttresses, which were an architectural breakthrough at the time. Your guide will tell you about the current progress on Notre Dame’s restoration as you continue pedaling through the picturesque Île Saint-Louis.
On the next leg of your tour, you will take a scenic ride along the Seine River toward the confusingly named Pont Neuf. As your guide will explain, this “New Bridge” is the oldest on the Seine dating back to the 17th century. Next, enjoy a trip through the sprawling Jardin des Tuileries, which is nearby the world-renowned Louvre Museum. Once you have taken a few pictures outside the Louvre’s pyramid, hop back on your bikes for a ride down Rue de Rivoli to the Place de la Concorde. Your guide will explain how Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI lost their heads in this square during the French Revolution.
Next, check out the ornate exteriors of the Petit Palais and Grand Palais, both of which now serve as prominent art galleries. As you continue, you will get a chance to ride over the lovely Pont Alexandre III as you head toward the gold-domed Les Invalides military museum. From Les Invalides, your guide will lead you to the Champ de Mars for a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower.
After taking plenty of pictures with the Eiffel Tower behind you, it’s time to begin your journey back to Île de la Cité. On your second journey along the Seine, keep your eyes peeled for the award-winning Musée d’Orsay. Your guide will tell you how this 19th-century train station became one of Paris’s most celebrated art museums. You will also get to see the outside of the Monnaie de Paris, which has been minting coins since at least the 800s AD. Before ending your tour, literature buffs should ask for directions to the nearby Shakespeare & Company bookshop, which played a significant role in Modernist literature.