Why CityAppTour?
Explore a city in 1 day
Stories from local guides
Pause whenever you want
Affordable
Stress-free navigation with audio guidance
English guide
The Eiffel Tower pierces the Parisian skyline while centuries of revolution and romance echo through the grand boulevards designed by Baron Haussmann. This city of light captivates with its blend of architectural masterpieces and intimate café culture, where history unfolds at every corner.
With our self-guided tours in Paris, these stories come alive through your headphones as you wander past Notre-Dame Cathedral or through the charming streets of Montmartre. Local voices reveal the secrets behind Paris's most famous landmarks while you set your own pace, lingering over that perfect croissant or photograph whenever inspiration strikes.
Besides our audio guides, there are many other ways to discover Paris. Here are some suggestions that can enrich your visit:
Best Time to Visit
Paris shines from April to June and September to October when the weather is mild and the tourist crowds are thinner. Spring brings flowering chestnut trees along the boulevards, while autumn bathes the city in golden light perfect for photography during your Paris walking tours. Summer offers longer days and vibrant street life, though August sees many locals on vacation with some small businesses closed.
Getting There
Paris is well-connected by high-speed trains from major European cities and has two international airports (Charles de Gaulle and Orly). Once in the city, the extensive metro system is the fastest way to travel between neighborhoods. Consider purchasing a Paris Visite travel pass for unlimited public transportation. For the best tours in Paris on foot, comfortable walking shoes are essential as many historic areas feature cobblestone streets.
Opening Hours and Holidays
Most museums in Paris close on either Monday or Tuesday, so check schedules before planning your self-guided tours in Paris. Shops typically open around 10 AM and close by 7 PM, with department stores staying open later. Many restaurants close between lunch and dinner (roughly 3-7 PM). National holidays like Bastille Day (July 14) and May 1st see closures of public buildings, though major tourist sites often remain open.
Comfort on the Go
Paris is best explored on foot, so wear comfortable shoes that can handle cobblestones and occasional hills, especially in Montmartre. Carry a water bottle as public fountains (Wallace fountains) throughout the city provide free drinking water. Weather can change quickly, so a light jacket or umbrella is advisable even in summer. For exploring hidden gems in Paris, a portable phone charger is essential for using map apps and your audio guide all day.
Local Customs and Etiquette
Begin interactions with "Bonjour" (hello) before asking questions, even if you don't speak French—this simple courtesy goes a long way. When dining, keep hands visible on the table, not in your lap. Tipping is not required as service is included in prices, though rounding up the bill for good service is appreciated. Parisians value their privacy, so keep voices moderate in public spaces and on public transportation during your Paris sightseeing tours.
Four days is the ideal minimum for a first visit to Paris. Day one: the Eiffel Tower, the Champ de Mars and the Musée d'Orsay. Day two: Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Marais and a walk along the Seine. Day three: the Louvre and the Tuileries. Day four: Montmartre, the Sacré-Cœur and the backstreets of the 18th arrondissement. A fifth day opens up Versailles, the Père Lachaise or the Canal Saint-Martin neighbourhood.
Plan around 2 to 2.5 hours for the walking tour through Paris's historic centre. The route covers Notre-Dame and the Île de la Cité, the Marais and the Place des Vosges, the Seine riverbanks, Sainte-Chapelle and the key streets and squares of central Paris — all at your own pace.
A CityAppTour audio tour lets you explore Paris entirely at your own pace. You can linger at Notre-Dame, sit at a café, browse a market or detour down a side street whenever you want — without a group schedule. No booking required and the tour works offline from the moment you download it.
Free walking tours exist in Paris but rely on tips — typically €10–15 per person. CityAppTour offers a consistent, fully researched route at a fixed price that you can start the moment you arrive, on any day and at any time.
Paris is the only European capital where the city itself — its streets, its river, its arrondissements, its café culture — is as much the attraction as any individual monument. The UNESCO-listed banks of the Seine stretch 37 kilometres through the city. Paris has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world. And the French concept of the flâneur — the art of purposeless urban wandering — was invented here, because Paris is a city that rewards being lost in.
The most iconic walking route in Paris follows the Seine from the Eiffel Tower to Notre-Dame — about 6 kilometres along the river banks that are themselves a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Promenade Plantée (the elevated railway-turned-park in the 12th arrondissement) is Paris's answer to New York's High Line. The Coulée Verte runs above the rooftops for 4.5 kilometres. For neighbourhoods, the Marais from the Place des Vosges to the Centre Pompidou is the best single district walk in the city.
CityAppTour routes are built by content makers who have actually walked the city, researched local history and gathered input from people who know the place well. For Paris, that means going beyond the obvious to tell the full story — the medieval island that became a capital, the Gothic cathedral that took two centuries to build and was nearly lost, the river that shaped a civilisation, and the side streets where Paris still belongs to the Parisians.
Yes, the tour works fully offline after downloading. Download it on Wi-Fi before you travel and you have access to all audio, maps and points of interest throughout the day without using any mobile data.
Yes — Paris remains one of the great cities of the world and rewards every visit, whether it's your first or your tenth. The concentration of world-class art, architecture, food and street life in a walkable, well-connected city is unmatched. The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame are obvious starting points, but Paris also rewards those who simply walk — through the Marais, along the Seine, up Montmartre or through Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The city is always more than its landmarks.
The five unmissable experiences in Paris are: standing beneath the Eiffel Tower at dusk before the hourly light show, walking through the Marais to Sainte-Chapelle and the Île de la Cité, visiting the Louvre and spending real time with the Winged Victory and Venus de Milo (not just rushing to the Mona Lisa), climbing Montmartre to the Sacré-Cœur for the view, and sitting at a classic brasserie with a café crème and watching Parisian life go by.
The tour is written for adults, with content on French history, Gothic architecture and Parisian culture. Children aged around 12 and up generally follow along well. Younger children can enjoy the walk — the scale of Notre-Dame, the views from the Pont Neuf and the street life of the Marais tend to hold the attention of visitors of all ages.
Yes, the tour can be shared with the people you are travelling with. Check the app for the current sharing options and any available group discounts.
