City Essentials: First Day • 3 hours 5.0 (142)

Kickstart your trip to Paris

The perfect 3-hour experience for your first day in Paris. Get oriented and gain tips from your host to make the most of the rest of your visit.

Note that most shops and grocery stores close on Sundays so instead plan to visit a local food market or tick-mark a few main attractions off your list

What makes this experience special

Key highlights

  • Learn how to navigate Paris like a local as you explore two of the most famous districts in Paris – Le Marais and Bastille
  • Shop for clothes and Parisian treats at a historic covered market
  • Discover museums, architectural splendors, and swift history lessons of the French Revolution!
  • Get the best introduction to the city (with more insider knowledge to be gained over a glass of wine at a local haunt)
  • Ask your host any questions about Paris, so you can make the most of your trip!

What to know before you go

Here’s everything you need to know before your day unfolds.

3 hours
Fully tailored to your preferences
English Other languages may be requested

What’s included

Private and personalized experience
3 hours with a host
Walking experience
Hotel meet-up (available on request for central location)

What’s not included

Food and drinks
Tickets to any attractions
Transportation costs
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting point

Your hotel/apartment or any other central location

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience

What to bring

  • We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a light bag for your essentials.
  • Public transport may be used during the experience - please bring a travel card or small amount of cash for fares.

How your day could unfold

A flexible, unscripted experience designed entirely around your interests. Your host will adapt the day based on what excites you most

What you’ll do

You’ll join your local host in exploring two of Paris’s most famous districts, and get a practical crash course in navigating the city like a pro. See real-life scenes of the Paris you’re picturing in your head: cobbled streets? Medieval architecture? People drinking espressos at sidewalk cafes? Check, check, and check. In Le Marais, when you’ve got your fill of historical buildings and stunning galleries, you’ll learn how locals shop at traditional market Marché d'Aligre. There’s no better power snack than a perfectly silky crêpe before making your way to Bastille for a lesson in French Revolution history and the ways of the bobo: Paris’s “bourgeois-bohemian”, who can be spotted shopping for locally made garments in eastern Bastille.

1. Select a date
2. Select start time
3. Tailor your experience
Answer a few quick questions to help your host craft the perfect day tailored to you.
1. What’s your preferred hosting style?
2. How would you like the pace of your day?
3. What’s your walking comfort level?
4. Are you celebrating something special?

Real Stories, Real Connections

See our hosts and guests creating memories

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What travelers think of this experience

Lesley, Feb 2025

Pascal was great! He listened carefully to what we wanted to see during our tour of Paris and accommodated our specific needs. It was very helpful that he started the tour at our hotel in central Paris. He was very knowledgeable and pleasant company. Thank you Pascal for a wonderful, brief overview of Paris. Also thank you City Unscripted for excellent, responsive customer service.

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Catherine, Feb 2025

I throughly recommend this private tour. We only had two days in Paris and wanted to use our time as efficiently as possible. Our tour guide, Come, was excellent and we felt that we had seen and learnt a lot on the 3 hour tour.

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Catherine, Feb 2025

I am so glad I booked a private tour for 3 hours. We only had 2 days in Paris and having a private tour meant that we did so much more than we would have been able to by ourselves. Come was very personable and knowledgeable and I would thoroughly recommend him.

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Nathalia, Feb 2025

Hristo was a wonderful tour guide who took us to places off the beaten path. We had a group of two extremes: four who had been to Paris several times and one who was visiting for the first time. He was very patient with my elderly Mom and made sure that we were comfortable and found bathroom breaks along the way. We saw a side of Paris that we’ve never seen and we loved it! Hristo was a fantastic guide!

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Cyrus, Feb 2025

Covering the main landmarks Friendly and flexibility in terms of approach to covering the sites

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Nathalia, Feb 2025

Hristo was a great communicator and tour guide. We got to see the non-touristy side of Paris and enjoyed walking around to see some hidden gems.

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