Explore centuries of history, from royal tales to hidden secrets, in a fun and exciting adventure for the whole family!
Destination
Paris, France
Category
Off The Beaten Track
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
Français, English
Included
Private guide
Excluded
Entrance tickets are not included: I think it is much more practical this way. They are easily accessible on site and it is very rare that there is a queue!
8 reasons to book this tour
Last standing Parisian fortress
The biggest keep of Europe
One of the biggest medieval building in the world
One of the most beautiful Gothic chapels
A place full of stories, epic, sometimes terrible, but excit
off the beaten track and away from the crowds
very easy to access from the center of Paris with metro line
Right next to the fantastic Bois de Vincennes
What you can expect
( tour in process pictures I cant update the pictures yet )
I've recently moved near this incredible place, and I’d love to take you on a journey through its fascinating history...
At the end of the 14th century, Paris faced the many challenges of the Hundred Years' War. King Charles V no longer felt safe in the old palace on Île de la Cité. As a result, he decided to make bold changes: building a new wall around Paris, renovating the Louvre fortress, constructing the Bastille, and eventually creating the magnificent Château de Vincennes.
Remarkably well-preserved despite its tumultuous history, this castle has played many roles – from a royal fortress and palace during Paris’ darkest days in the Middle Ages, to becoming a notorious prison. It housed political prisoners, including the famous Nicolas Fouquet during the reign of Louis XIV, guarded by none other than the legendary musketeer, d'Artagnan. The castle also served as an arsenal and a strategic site during the last Napoleonic battles.
I can't wait to share all these thrilling stories with you...
The castle has undergone recent restoration work, including its royal chapel – a stunning example of Gothic architecture.
After the tour, you’ll have the chance to explore the charming town of Vincennes, with its delightful floral park and the beautiful Bois de Vincennes.
If you have any other requests, feel free to ask! I guide tours all around Paris and its museums.
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Lucien.
Meeting point
Meet at Château de Vincennes - Paris to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
meeting point
we meet in front of the gate of the castle, just outside of the metro exit
discovery of the fortress
We discover the surroundings of the fortress, the big gate and the history of the place
purchase tickets
We take tickets at reception
dungeon crawl
The biggest part of the tour: we explore the central part of the castle, the central tower. It is the largest medieval tower in Europe!
Discovery of the royal chapel
A chapel inspired by the holy chapel of the island of the city. A magical place.
Military archives
let me tell you the story of the last defendant of the fortress in front of the building of the current French military archives
goodye
it will be already a lot of history and things to see!
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
I can personalize this tour for you
I can personalize this tour for you
Tell me your preferred date and group size
Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Lisa🇺🇸 United States
5 October 2024
Lucien is a charming Parisian guide. We reserved two tours with him and he was prompt with communication, forgiving when I asked for a change of plans last minute and accidentally navigated to the wrong meeting point… twice! His “off the beaten path” tours are worth your time! He provides a unique experience of what most tourists would miss out on. He is delightful, funny, enthusiastic about his work and very knowledgeable. We saw several large tour groups on our journey and I kept thinking how glad I was that we booked a personal experience instead. If you’re hesitating… don’t! Do check on the weather, dress accordingly and prepare ahead for a 2.5 hr walking experience you won’t regret. The value of the experience for the price is worth every penny. Thank you Lucien! Captivating and Witty
Marina🇺🇸 United States
16 August 2022
This is the first tour my family and I arranged as our introduction to Paris. We were informed by Lucien that it was a tour mostly overlooked, but that he was pleased we did, because this is a part of Paris that has so much history! He was right! What a terrific and memorable time we had! Lucien was not only very knowledgeable, but witty and has a great sense of humor! I highly recommend this tour for everyone, young and old, and ask for Lucien!A Must See Tour- Belly of Paris!
Shelby🇺🇸 United States
18 July 2019
Lucien showed us around Lea Halles and was very passionate about the area. He is well versed in history and combined the right amount of history with all the sights we saw. Thank you Lucien. Highly recommend his tours!Very Informative!
Frank
1 April 2019
We did 2 tours on two different dates including the Le Maraise district on Monday and the Latin Quarter on Tuesday. Lucien is a true walking encyclopedia of history, local landmarks and current events. We even asked him about several obscure historical events and he knew them all and was prepared to discuss them in detail. Full Marks. Refreshing. History Buffs Rejoice
Tess🇺🇸 United States
18 March 2019
When we visited Paris we did two walking tours with Lucien. He has a great amount of knowledge on history and did a good job showing us the Latin Quarter and part of La Marias. I would recommend him for a tour. walking tour with Lucien
Sheri🇺🇸 United States
20 November 2018
My husband, 14-year-old-daughter and I have been to Paris several times, and always stay in the Les Halles area, near Rue Montorgueil. While we love this area for its local atmosphere, small shops and wonderful restaurants, we realized that we didn't actually know much about its history. The Belly of Paris/Les Halles Tour was great! Lucien, a former school teacher, may be one of the most enthusiastic guides we've ever experienced, and went out of his way to not only answer any question we asked, but to tell us multiple stories related to the question. His knowledge of history extended not just to dates and kings and revolutions, but to what life was like in this historical section of Paris - although, a note for people with young children, history can be a little rough and tumble at times, and you'll leave the tour understanding the many forces, good and bad, that shaped life in Les Halles across Paris' long history. In the end, we learned much about Les Halles and life in this wonderful district throughout the ages. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to know more about the real life of Paris. Thanks, Lucien!A Wonderful Look at a Real Part of Paris
Naomi
21 February 2025
We had a fantastic private tour with Lucien who brought the bloody and brutal history of Paris to life with spell binding stories. He is a passionate story teller who loves his home city and I recommend everyone to take this unique tour. Lucian is a character with a great sense of humour, you will not be disappointed! He is happy to adapt the your to your needs as a group. A wonderful memorable experience for our family! Highly recommended private tour
Erika
8 February 2025
Lucien guided us through Paris from the Louvre to Versailles with ease. He had thought of every detail and made us fall in love with France.
He is extremely professional with excellent communication starting from our first message until the end of our tour. He provided recommendations for our entire stay, not just during the tour.
We highly recommend Lucien!Lucien was the best part of our visit!
Ning
19 January 2025
The Paris Saint-Oeun flea market can be overwhelming! In fact, my husband and I have bern there many times. Our tour with Lucien made all the difference! He’s smart and interesting as well as flexible. He helped us find a beautiful, hand-carved statue of the Virgin Mary … even though his speciality is a market overview rather than finding specific items. Wonderful tour! Flea Market with Lucien!
Deborah🇫🇷 France
13 January 2025
Great time walking around the flea market with Lucien. He was patient and filull of knowledge. Convivial and enthusiastic
Johann
8 January 2025
Great, fun, informative tourGreat tour of the Louvre
Cheyenne
7 January 2025
I absolutely LOVED my medieval tour with Lucien. He is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Felt like I was exploring Paris with a friend. I will 100% book more tours with him in the future. Highly, highly recommend. Lucien was INCREDIBLE
Gina🇭🇰 Hong Kong
5 January 2025
We booked Lucien for our visit to the Lourve, and we definitely found the right person! We were late and Lucien was able to get us in quickly which was amazing! He was very enthusiastic about everything in the Lourve, our 2.5 hours tour was way too short! Lucien gave us a very interesting and informative tour which was exactly what we were looking for! My daughter is 11 years old and she thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Lucien was very easy going, he was happy to show us the sections that we were more interested in (which was not in the itinerary). We highly recommend Lucien and will definitely book another tour with him for our next visit. Merci beaucoup Lucien!Fantastic guide!
Gibran🇺🇸 United States
27 December 2024
Lucien gave my family and I a wonderful tour of the Orsay Museum. He is knowledgeable and makes the tour engaging. Would definitely recommend. Wonderful guide
Sandra Cheryl🇵🇭 Philippines
24 December 2024
We absolutely loved our walking tour with Lucien.
He was engaging, thoughtful, accommodating and informative.
Christmas Reunion in Paris
daniellespiegel
23 December 2024
Wayne🇳🇿 New Zealand
22 December 2024
Lucien was a fountain of knowledge and catered for our family group of diverse ages by the information he shared. We may have walked over 7kms but it was an easy stroll filled with laughter and sightseeing.Fun and knowledgeable
Iris🇺🇸 United States
5 December 2024
Lucien was very knowledgeable and friendly and was quite passionate about French history. However, we thought we would be provided with more past and current Jewish life in Paris. This was just a very small part of the tour. We also expected more time in the Marais. Jewish Tour
Karen🇺🇸 United States
29 November 2024
We enjoyed this tour with Lucien. It’s fun for us to learn the history of the cities we visit and Lucien did a great job of that. He was also happy to answer our questions about life as a Parisian and had a quiet sense of humor as well. Thank you, Lucien!Enlightening Tour
Ted🇺🇸 United States
23 November 2024
Lucien knows French history better than anyone I've ever met in the states. Fun and smart - great tour - he's passionate about France! Smart & Educational
Mark
18 November 2024
Lucien is an excellent guide and tour leader. Our topic was La Commune de Paris de 1871 - slightly off the beaten path. Lucien is knowledgeable about the history and able to relate it to the actual locations where it happened. I would strongly recommend Lucien for anyone looking for a tour firmly grounded in research and facts. excellent tour
David
16 November 2024
It was an incredibly miserable day with rain and cold and Lucien turned it around for us. He was incredibly knowledgeable, funny, charming and the perfect guide. We would highly recommend him.
Edward
4 November 2024
Lucien took my two teenage sons on his tour. Both are studying Napoleon for 'A' level. They were riveted by the experience, finding Lucien to be an informed, amusing, engaged and engaging guide. He brought a touch of quirkiness, which kept them amused, and even sent them a list of links to Napoleon-related films afterwards. Thoroughly worthwhile experience. First class tour with a real enthusiast
Peg🇺🇸 United States
30 October 2024
Although we had communicated in advance that we were going to be late, and called Lucien several times while we were en route, asking him to please wait for us, he did not wait. He made a judgment that there would not be sufficient time for a good tour. We believe it was up to us to decide if a shorter tour was still worth it. We had paid in full for three hours of his time, and we expected at least the remaining hour and a half. We are very disappointed that he did not wait for us. We have requested a partial refund. Sorry - were unable to connect with Lucien
Leslie🇳🇱 Netherlands
28 October 2024
We really enjoyed our Paris WWII Resistance tour with Lucien. He is clearly passionate and knowledgable about the subject and we enjoyed getting to know him a bit. Fantastic!
Kathy
11 October 2024
Lucien was awesome to work with. Even before we arrived in Paris he was very responsive, gave us lots of recommendations for purchasing tickets ahead of time and great dinner spots.
Once we met up with Lucien he was full of Paris history. We loved getting to hear stories and learn as much as we did and we never felt overwhelmed it was the perfect amount of detail. We also visited a basque restaurant for lunch with Lucien and the spot did not disappoint.
As our day winded down he even taught us how to use the metro. If we come back we will 100% be booking with him again.10/10 would highly recommend
Lisa🇺🇸 United States
4 October 2024
Lucien was an absolutely brilliant guide. We booked two tours with him (Latin Quarter and Les Halles originally). Not only was he gracious when I made an error on both days about where we would meet, he even agreed to change the tour to fit our needs at the last minute. Lucien had a playful wit, lovely countenance and he is very knowledgeable about the “off the beaten path” history of Paris. Our first tour was in the Latin Quarter, which gave us a depth of ancient Parisian charm. I can’t recommend him enough. Thank you Lucien!Truly Delightful
Lyn
4 October 2024
We joined Lucien for a 3 hour tour , “The Liberation of Paris” on a cold morning in the Luxembourg Gardens. We enjoyed Lucien’s commentary & insights & found him to be delightful & knowledgeable.A morning with Lucien in Paris
Colleen
3 October 2024
Lucien was very knowledgeable. We had a great time! Only correction: 3 hours was about 30 minutes too long.Liberation and resistance
Annette
1 October 2024
I thought I knew a bit about Mont Marte, having visited a few times before, but Lucien brought so many new perspectives and stories. He obviously likes his job, which comes across in his story telling and enthusiasm for the area. It was really well paced. He is funny, interesting and great at managing a mid to large sized group. I took two initially-resistent teenagers and they loved it. A highlight of our Paris trip. Highly recommend. Please make sure you approach him about payment - he is a bit shy to ask for a tip. Seeing Mont Marte through new eyes
Mary🇺🇸 United States
24 September 2024
We enjoyed our tour with Lucien. He is very knowledgeable about French and European history, which he wove into stories about the places we visited. We have a better understanding of the link between the architecture and monarchies in Paris. If you enjoy history and period stories, Lucien will provide a very enjoyable tour. Exploring Paris
Meg🇺🇸 United States
21 September 2024
We had a great tour! We enjoyed weaving through the city and learning about the history behind buildings and statues we otherwise would have just walked by. Lucien was also funny and engaging, we liked his little personal stories as much as we liked Napoleon’s! So many hidden gems in plain sight!
Taylor🇺🇸 United States
19 September 2024
We absolutely loved our tour with Lucien. One of the people in our group was a history buff yet we all found the tour fascinating. Lucien is SO knowledgeable about not only WWII but history in general. We had such a great time and would definitely book with Lucien again.Fascinating tour with a fantastic guide!
Joe🇺🇸 United States
15 September 2024
Lucien's passion for Paris and its history certainly came through as he provided my group of 11 with a wonderful walking tour of Saint Germain, the Latin Quarter, and Ile de la Cite!Fantastic!
Chris🇬🇧 United Kingdom
8 September 2024
This guy is brilliant. So energetic, knowledgeable and engaging.
We had an incredible three hours. We learnt so much
Highly recommended A genuine enthusiast
Bridget🇺🇸 United States
28 July 2024
Lucien is a very knowledgeable tour guide. We had a great experience on his tours in Paris. We enjoyed the Latin Quarter tour immensely. Paris is such a big city, focusing on a smaller area was a treat.Great tour focused on history
Daniel
22 July 2024
Lucien put together a bespoke tour for me on short notice that exceeded my expectations by a significant margin. He tied Paris' geography, its architecture and history together to reveal a compelling story about its culture (what it is to be French, then and now) that's missing from all the texts I've read - something that only a native Frenchman could do. Book one of his tours, tell him the bucket list sights you want to see, but save some time for him to show you some of the related, but less well known sights you didn't know you needed to see to fully understand why your bucket list things make Paris, Paris, and France, France. Lucien was punctual, professional and articulate - you won't be disappointed.Dig deep into what makes France, France.
Deanna🇺🇸 United States
18 July 2024
Lucien was absolutely the best guide - informative, knowledgeable, funny, helpful tips about Paris, knew history behind the great works of Art. I had recent fracture of back and was not sure how much I could do- He found a great stool, carried it and sat me up front near paintings while he told my family all the great stories behind paintings such as Liberty Leading the people. He showed us unexpected things and let us skip a few famous crowded exhibits we did not want - in other words tailored his tour to our requests. Absolutely A+. Outstanding Tour of the Louvre with Lucien
Steve🇺🇸 United States
26 June 2024
We loved our tour of Les Halles with Lucien. He was funny, insightful, and a great companion to explain the fascinating history of this quartier. Superb local historian
Marie Andree🇨🇦 Canada
1 June 2024
Lucien est un guide très intéressant et très compétent. Quelle belle visite du quartier Latin nous avons eue! Assez intense sur le côté historique, comme nous le souhaitions! Nous avons appris plein de nouvelles choses et apprécié chaque moment. À réserver sans hésiter!Excellente visite
Alexi🇺🇸 United States
23 May 2024
Absolutely wonderful experience. Lucien was able to include several of the sites and museums that we were hoping to visit. He also gave us instructions on which ones were best to do on our own so that we were able to optimize our time together. Recommended an excellent lunch spot as well. My husband could’ve spent the entire week walking thru Invalides with Lucien! Overall, couldn’t have had a better day and so grateful that we found Lucien.Personalized tour of Paris with Lucien
Peter🇨🇦 Canada
30 April 2024
Lucien is a passionate storyteller who weaves family stories into the modern history of Paris and France during the period of liberation. He is enthusiastic about these topics and a friendly and engaging guide. His English cadence is similar to the rapid French manner of speaking and he might benefit from slowing down a bit…but he has so much to convey in a short time!!! All in all, a good personal tour with a mix of history and some insight into modern French life. Midern History
Ajit🇶🇦 Qatar
19 April 2024
Lucien is a storehouse of history and stories of Paris. We were on a tight schedule and Lucien helped us beat the queue and he guided us through the various exhibits without ever making it feel hurried. When we return we now know (thanks to Lucien) exactly where we need to spend time at the Louvre. I would highly recommend Lucien.
Patricia 🇺🇸 United States
17 April 2024
We did a WWII French resistance tour with Lucien. His grasp of the history and the specific details were incredible. His deep knowledge and preparation was quite evident. Also, his ability to relay it to us was great. There is no way we could have done this on our own. Definitely a value added tour and worth the money. I give him the highest praise. Lucien was fantastic!
Reina
23 March 2024
Lucien est un vrai passioné de l’histoire de Paris! Merci! Top!
Yen🇺🇸 United States
21 March 2024
Among our family of four, there is a WW2 history nut, a recent college grad (humanities), and a current college student --- we were all pleasantly surprised by the high quality and depth of Lucien's tour. Lucien gave us great background and context as we walked around the sights in Paris relative to WW2. Lucien's English is superb and his enthusiasm is wonderful. Wow! Enthusiastic and super knowledgeable
9khnq7w2mg🇺🇸 United States
7 January 2024
My daughter and I visited Paris in December and we had the best tour of the Louvre with Lucien. He's so knowledgable and friendly! I think it's the best way to experience what is otherwise an overwhelming museum. We saw the highlights and they were wonderful, but we really enjoyed discovering some of the other artwork. Without Lucein, we would have missed them for sure. Thank you Lucien!Best Louvre Tour
Laura
16 November 2023
I booked Lucien for a general history tour of the Latin Quarter, firstly, he was super efficient in answering questions and connecting prior to the tour. He was on time and prompt to start the tour, and was such a lovely personable person, passionate about history and of the area with a great sense of humour. I enjoyed my tour with him so much that when I go back to Paris, I will book another with him. Thanks, Lucien! A great local personal tour!
Anna🇨🇭 Switzerland
6 November 2023
I would definitely recommend Lucien as a guide in Paris, as he is a charming parisien, who will let you know the most interesting details about the city, and its history. Also, Lucien will show famous places, as well as hidden sites that only locals would now. Not to mention individual approach that Lucien offers, as he had considered our wishes. We had a wonderful time, as we also had pleasant conversations. Next time we are in Paris we will definitely have a tour with Lucien again.
xxxxxx
31 October 2023
Lucien had a great sense of humour, a strong intellect and command of his subject. Highly recommended.
Lucien even sent me messages after the event recommending background films to help understand the period.Napoleons Tour - a proper history lesson!
Withlocals experiences
are always
Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.
More about me
*I advise you to contact me before making a reservation to be sure that I am available.*
My name is Lucien and I have been a professional guide since 2017 . I have been a school teacher for a short time before, I wanted to continue to share my passion about history and nice things... and now I am a "guide conferencier" : I am an licenced guide and I can guide you in museums and everywhere you want in Paris.
I can guide you to the Louvre for exemple or to the other museums in Paris ( as long I prepared them).
I would certainly like to tell you everything I know about the history of Paris! In fact, it will be hard to stop me.
I like to say I am in a typical parisian : big mouth, complains a lot but of course eventually very charming.
I prefer to talk about Paris behind the postcard : the reallity of a life in a complicated city, the complex history of my country...And I won't be very good if you are only looking for fancy things and fashion!
I am more specialized in the medieval center: I can do tours like the Île de la Cité; the Latin quarter ; Les Halles; Le Maris ; Saint Germain des Prés, Montmartre; a bunch of other stuff. . . But I also like to go to the flea market in St Ouen (I live nearby).
I can guide you in the Louvre, and the Invalides and I can prepare other museums if you have a specific request.
Please send me a message if you want information about a visit.
If you request a personalized tour, I will be happy to prepare something for you!
I do all my sightseeing on foot. I don't have a vtc license: please don't ask me to drive you! But if you really want I can find a private driver, but I think that in Paris the best is always to walk during my tours.
I am happy to adapt my work to children but I am not a babysitter. I'm not a personal shopper, but I'll be happy to recommend some places. I'm not really a foodie, but I know a lot of delicious restaurants and can recommend a lot.
I am a professional full time freelance licenced guide : I am very proud of my work. I really try to do the best I can for the guest and to personalise everything I can. This is why I prefer sometimes to refuse to do a tour if I don't have time enough to prepare or if I realise I won't be good for the subject that is requested!
Important detail: Withlocals lets the guide decide what to do in this situation so I commit here to respect what I write here:
- in case of delay of the client I would like to be very clear, I do not wait more than 30 minutes without having received news and any refund will be refused.
- if you notify me of your delay it is imperative to do it by the chat of Withlocals, or by sms (preferably by whatsapp), in any case in writing.
I can adapt if it is possible and do not worry I always look for a solution: the tour can be shortened, or even rescheduled later.
However I no longer accept situations like saying : "we arrive in a few seconds"... and letting me wait more than an hour (it is very specific but it happened to me several times). The guide is not going to wait indefinitely, it is a question of respect.
In case of absence on my part, the client will be entitled to a full refund of course. This is a rare situation but I always prefer to cancel a tour if I am sick or too late rather than the client having a bad time.
I am freelance, which means that I can have a transport problem, be sick, or have made a stupid mistake in the program.
And I am much better at organizing myself to be completely honest!
In case of a problem on my part I always try to contact the client in advance, first on the withlocals chat, then by text or whatsapp, then by making a call.
When I can't come I always try to get a replacement for me with a competent guide that I trust. When a replacement is possible the tour will not be considered refundable.
