Top France Literary Tours

Take a private walking tour of the Left Bank to discover the ‘Lost Generation’ of artists, writers, and jazz musicians who flocked to Paris between the two World Wars. See cafes and residences where the artists gathered, worked, and lived, including places inhabited by Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. Note that the bohemian Left Bank of the 1920s and 30s now is largely populated by high-end establishments.

Follow in the footsteps of Hemingway (and other members of the Lost Generation), visit the Paris landmarks that he frequented, and soak up the city’s history on this private walking tour. Meet your guide in the afternoon, and set off on foot: you’ll hear about Hemingway’s life and works, will see photos of his time in Paris, and discover highlights like the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, Harry’s New York Bar, and more.

On this 2.5-hour private tour, walk around the famous Père Lachaise, a cemetery in a park-like setting, and see the resting places of many celebrities. Stroll along tranquil pathways and stop by the headstones for Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jean Paul Sartre and others. Learn from your personalized guide about the writers, politicians and other remarkable personalities who lay buried within the beautiful stone walls, as well as the history that took place at the cemetery itself. This private tour accommodating up to 10 people is available in the morning and afternoon.

Unearth the secrets of Paris' largest and most famous 'city of the dead' on a small-group walking tour of the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Follow a guide to the final resting places of luminaries of art and music including Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde, and learn about unruly episodes of Parisian history that played out within the cemetery walls. Group size is limited to 10 for a more intimate and respectful experience at this hallowed landmark.

Flânerie (or city wandering) is a cherished rite of modern Parisian culture. But how does one wander à la française? On this self-guided audio tour, we focus on the in-betweens of Paris: we will walk the seam between the historically and culturally rich neighbourhoods of Belleville and Ménilmontant, and explore lesser-known neighbourhood gems, history, and culture. At the same time, this tour will teach you the art of flânerie: how to wander a city and read it like a storybook, or play it like a game, rather than simply choosing the straightest and quickest shot from one famous monument to the next. Your tour guide, Jennifer Solheim, is a French and Francophone literature scholar.

This tour will take you in the footsteps of the New Zealanders on the paved streets of Arras, down 20 meters deep tunnels beneath its magnificent squares; walking in trenches, and visiting moving WW1 sites in the Somme whilst learning all about the experience of the Kiwis on the Western Front.

Inaugurated in 1986, the Musée d'Orsay is located on the left bank of the Seine River in Paris. The museum is known worldwide for hosting the largest collection of Impressionist art! You will find, there, all the artistic creations of the Western world from 1848 to 1914 under one roof. After meeting your guide, you will get access to the Orsay Museum to take full advantage of a two-hour small group guided tour (6 guests per guide) for a more intimate and personalized experience. There, you will be able to admire the works of Gustave Courbet, Gustave Caillebotte, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Edouard Manet, and Claude Monet, and discover closely the dazzling colors of the most famous impressionist painters: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Paul Cézanne and many others! You will learn more about their history, as well as the artistic revolution they helped to launch in Paris. At the end of your visit, you will have the opportunity to spend more time at the Museum.