Covered Passages Tour
Hidden galleries from the 19th century: mosaic floors, glass roofs and the Paris of before the great boulevards.
And of course, the passages are about more than just history. During the walk, you’ll also discover the passages as they are today, along with tips for great places to eat, have a drink, or continue exploring after the tour.
What to expect
History and the Paris of today
The Paris before the boulevards
How the world's first shopping centres came about and what remains of them today.
Hidden galleries of today
The passages few tourists know, with their shops, cafés and quiet atmosphere.
Tips for the rest of your stay
Where to have lunch, a drink and keep exploring in this part of Paris - even in the rain.
Is this tour for you?
Who this walk suits
This walk is for you if you want to see Paris as it was before the great boulevards.
This tour is for you if...
- You love 19th-century architecture and hidden corners
- You are looking for a route that is largely sheltered - ideal in the rain
- You want to discover the Paris most visitors skip
Maybe less suitable if...
- You mainly want to see big, famous monuments
- You expect a route in the open air
Before department stores and boulevards, Paris had her passages: covered shopping streets with glass roofs, where you could walk and shop dry and sheltered. They were the world's first shopping centres - and the direct model for the department stores that later displaced them.
We begin in the Jardin du Palais-Royal, the ancestor of all passages, and walk through the city's most beautiful gallery (Galerie Vivienne, with its mosaic floor and oldest bookshop) and its rival Galerie Colbert with the great glass dome. Then the longest passage (Choiseul, 190 metres), the oldest still standing (Passage des Panoramas from 1799) and Paris's first heated passage (Jouffroy, with the Musée Grévin and the Hôtel Chopin). We end in the quiet, antique Passage Verdeau.
The passages tell the story of 19th-century Paris: from gas lighting and shopping culture to the writer Céline who grew up here and the philosopher Walter Benjamin who studied the galleries. Especially suitable for a rainy day - you walk almost entirely sheltered.
Highlights
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The Jardin du Palais-Royal: the ancestor of all passages (1780s)
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Galerie Vivienne: the most beautiful passage, with its mosaic floor and oldest bookshop
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Galerie Colbert: the rival with the imposing glass dome
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Passage des Panoramas: the oldest passage in Paris (1799)
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Passage Jouffroy: the first heated passage, with the Musée Grévin
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Sheltered walking: this route works well in the rain
Practical info
- Meeting point
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rue Vivienne - Jardin du Palais-Royal (Métro Bourse)
3
- End
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Rue du Faubourg Montmartre (Métro Grands Boulevards)
8 9
- Distance
- 3 km, flat
- Duration
- about 2 hours
- Languages
- Max group size
- 8 people
Choose your language when you book.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of the walk.
- Info
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- Walks leave on time, so arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before departure.
- In the confirmation email you will find the exact starting location and how to easily recognise your guide.
- Depending on the specific tour, a minimum number of participants is required for a tour to run. If this minimum is not reached, the tour may be cancelled and you will receive a full refund.
Frequently asked questions
Tours generally go ahead in the rain. Paris is well worth a visit even without sunshine. In exceptionally bad or unsafe weather we may adjust the route or cancel the tour. If that happens, we will of course get in touch with you.
The price of the tour includes your guide, but excludes any entrance tickets for museums, monuments or other sights that charge admission. If we visit a place on a tour that requires entry, we clearly mention this in advance on the relevant tour page.
Some churches and other sights are free to enter. Depending on the route and circumstances, we can briefly step inside without you needing a ticket.
Yes, children are welcome. Whether a particular tour suits young children depends mainly on their age and interests. That is why each tour page gives more information about the character and intensity of the walk. Unsure? Feel free to contact us.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing suited to the weather. We walk through Paris and stop regularly along the way.
Please also note that on some tours we may step inside a church. There are no entry fees, but visitors are asked to dress appropriately. Please cover your shoulders and knees if you expect to enter a church. Shorts or a skirt just above the knee are generally fine, but very short clothing or bare midriffs are less suitable.
The passages are covered shopping galleries that emerged mainly at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. With shops, cafes, glass roofs and often beautiful decoration, they formed a new kind of public space in Paris. They were the forerunners of modern shopping.
Yes. That is exactly what makes them so interesting. Some passages feel almost like a time capsule, while others still house shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses. During the walk we therefore look at both their history and their role in the Paris of today.
Yes, in fact especially then. A large part of the route runs through the covered passages, so you are largely sheltered. It is one of the best ways to discover Paris on a rainy day.
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€39
about 2 hours