Paris

Paris 1920: Lost Generation Writers of the Left Bank (Small Group Walking Tour)

Paris, France

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

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.

Private 'Lost Generation' walking tour of the Left Bank in Paris
See places where renowned 20th-century artists once gathered
Visit important locales around Boulevard St. Germain and Luxembourg Gardens
Have more flexibility on a private tour

What's Included

Local guide
A tablet is used by the guide to present photo & video documentation, and for reading excerpts of works from each author

Transportation to & from meeting point
Food & beverage not included

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

57 Rue Lacépède, 75005 Paris, France
Meeting point is in front of the Café la Contrescarpe, on the Place Contrescarpe

Start time

02:00 PM

End point

Le Select
99 Bd du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris, France
We end the tour in 1 of two possible locations - - one of the famed cafés of Montparnasse (Le Select, La Rotonde, Le Dome...) - Harry's NY Bar near the Opera

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please note that I have been vaccinated (5x)
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

23 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 23 reviews

Great tour. Highly recommend.

Suzanne_G, Apr 2024

Great tour. Lots of interesting information from an well-informed guide. Very happy overall with the tour, though more time could’ve been spent on Gertrude Stein in my opinion.

A literary Tour de Force

Sabine_D, Nov 2023

We are a bookclub from Munich and had a wonderful tour with Ellen telling us all about the Lost Generation writers of the 1920s in Paris. She is super knowledgedable and had a great sense of humor. Highly recommend this tour with her. But beware you will end up with a long list of books and authors afterwards that you will want to read.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

What kind words ! It was my pleasure to be your host !!!

Wonderful tour!

Hannah_S, Nov 2023

Wonderful tour! So fun to see where icons of the Lost Generation lived, loved and created. Ellen was very knowledgeable. Appreciated all of the context and information shared, along with the questions she answered. Really special tour, highly recommend!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

It was my pleasure !

Take the tour

Matthew_S, Jun 2023

The guide for this tour was great! She was very friendly, willing to accommodate our interests and abilities, and very knowledgeable on the writers of this generation. The tour did go over the scheduled time limit, but it was very interesting and informative. The only thing I would have liked would be a brief itinerary in advance, as the tour began with a drink and short lecture in a cafe, and my wife and I had gotten a cool drink in a cafe right before the tour started, as we anticipated walking for the entire time. The cafe breaks were a welcome rest, though!

So informative

Janice_R, May 2023

Ellen was so knowledgeable, and I found the tour very informative. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with knowledge, or an interest in learning about the Lost Generation.

Response from Host, May 2023

Many thanks !

Great tour guide really...

Denelle_T, Mar 2023

Great tour guide really fantastic. we loved the detail and the personalization. thank you. we would do it again.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Many thanks ! It was my pleasure.

This is a wonderful trip....

Ningchuan_P, Jan 2023

This is a wonderful trip. Ellen is so knowledgeable that she tells us a lot of stories about the literature in Paris. The trip is about 4 hour, but it goes so quickly because we are immersed into the trip.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you ! It was my pleasure. And apologies for going over the time.... it was because I gave you a little extra by taking you to the church & through the Luxembourg Gardens.

Fun tour of Paris writers

Annamarie_K, Jan 2023

Being fans of Paris 1920s, Ellen’s tour was fun, informative and memorable. She highlighted her descriptions with video of the famous writers…. Highly recommend.. She is an expert!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Many thanks ! It was my pleasure.

Exceptional tour—a must-book!

Kelly_W, Nov 2022

We had an absolutely wonderful time with Ellen on this tour. I am currently completing a literature PhD and have an article on Djuna Barnes coming out soon, and I found Ellen to be both incredibly knowledgeable and well-read. Her historical knowledge is excellent, and I found her treatment of Gertrude Stein to be particularly compelling and well-done. She also adjusted the tour’s ending for us, giving us a video of the lesser-known writers of the Lost Generation instead of a focus on Ezra Pound, who neither of us was particularly interested in learning more about. Another great perk: she has the most adorable dachshund, Axel, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to hold him!!! I cannot recommend this tour enough.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Many thanks ! It was my pleasure !!!

This was really a...

Brooke_P, Sep 2022

This was really a disappointing tour. It was very slow and dry. You essentially just see the outside of apartment buildings that authors used to live in while the guide reads excerpts that go no deeper than Wikipedia. Standing and walking with no breaks for 3 hours (even though it's Paris - how easily could you incorporate a historic café into a literature tour?). What was the most frustrating was that as the tour progressed it became very obvious that the guide had not even read hardly any of the books/authors that she mentioned and she was no literature lover.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Dear Brooke, I am terribly sorry that I disappointed but I gave you ample opportunity during the tour to comment & express yourself. I asked numerous times if everything was alright, if there was anything that you were unhappy with, and you kept saying that the tour was fine. I am happy to adapt my tours to each person's needs but you were unwilling to express those needs. I also offered to do a break so we could sit down in a café, but you refused and insisted that we keep walking. It is also untrue that I have not read the books I discuss - or that my tour is based on Wikipedia. All of my material is thoroughly researched and documented, and I ask - do the audio excerpts & archived visuals exist on Wikipedia ?? Of course not ! They came from my research on each author. It is true that I do not go in-depth on each author - I cover too many authors to do that in a 3-hour period. I must choose the most pertinent details of their lives, so it might seem that it was not deep. But I can assure you that it is not the case. All in all, I must insist on the fact that you consistently refused to express your misgivings during the tour. If you truly believe everything you just wrote - if you refuse to admit that I gave you ample opportunity to let me know you were unhappy with the tour, if you also refuse to admit that I offered to do a break in a café, then I will refund your money for this tour. I am dismayed at your review and your unfair comments, but will refund you if you truly feel that my tour rated only 1-star.

DO IT! It's marvellous!

Sam_e, Jul 2022

We had such a wonderful time - the tour was fascinating and not tiring to walk even though we covered lots of amazing spots. We went at a leisurely pace and got to appreciate and absorb everything without feeling rushed. Ellen was not only lovely, but extremely knowledgable and could answer all of my questions en route. She had put together a beautiful presentation filled with photos, audio clips, poems and great historical facts shown on her tablet, which added to the whole experience. She also went above and beyond to make recommendations for places to eat, things going on in Paris, sent us an English map for the flea market that we were going on the next day and told us about her other tours after our tour ended! Honestly, I could not recommend her enough and will be sure to do another tour with her next time I'm in Paris! Thank you so much Ellen - this was my favourite day in Paris. Love, Sam and Jude.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

I am overwhelmed by your review, I cannot express my heartfelt thanks deeply enough. It was my pleasure to share my love of Paris & its history, and to get to know you both for a short while. Please do come back soon !

Experience Midnight in Paris during this Literary Tour

Laura_C, Jul 2022

This tour was a highlight of my two months in Paris. Ellen was so warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. Her presentation and information about the writers and the places they lived in 1920s Paris made them come alive. Her enthusiasm for the subject has inspired me to go back and reread some of these great works. Anyone who has brushed up against these writers (and anyone from an American high school likely has), this tour is not to be missed.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Many thanks for your lovely review !

Informative tour for fans of famous literary figures and artists in Paris 1920s.

Roberta_S, Jul 2022

Ellen went into detail about the historical figures related to this tour, such as books they wrote, complicated relationships they had, and the book, People Behaving Badly about the real- life human drama behind Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. She also taught us something not so well known: Gertrude Stein was a collaborator with the Fascists who occupied and controlled France during WWII.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thank you for the review ! It was my pleasure to be your host.

Remembering the Lost Generation

Melissa_F, Jul 2022

I really enjoyed this tour as a fan of the Lost Gen. Ellen had so much knowledge to share and we saw a lot of locations that were home to key people from the era.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Many thanks ! It was my pleasure !!

Interesting and...

Rae_M, Jul 2022

Interesting and informative. We enjoyed seeing Paris through the history of these famous authors. She knows her stuff!

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Many thanks for the lovely review ! It was a pleasure meeting you !

An illuminating examination of the literary web connecting early 20th century Paris

Sandra_M, Mar 2022

Ellen's depth of knowledge and passion for the subject matter was obvious after the first few minutes. We had the pleasure of listening to Ellen's thoughts on literary behemoths Joyce, Hemingway and Fitzgerald and a very honest appraisal of Stein. Myself and my wife would recommend Ellen's tour to family and friends hoping to learn more about Paris and in particular the literary revolution of the 1920's.

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Thank you ever so much for the lovely review ! It was my pleasure to be your host !!

Amazing tour!

Hlne_D, Mar 2022

An amazing guided tour through the Rive Gauche on the steps of the writers of the lost generation. Ellen was very enthusiastic and shared with us her knowledge and passion of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, etc. I offered the tour to my mum who is passionate about this era and authors, and she was delighted. I myself left the tour with a desire to read more American novels!

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Many thanks for this lovely review! It was my pleasure to be your host.

Walking with Left Bank Writers

Musa_H, Feb 2022

Ellen’s tour features a collection of writers, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein. She also highlights lesser-known women writers, such as Anaïs Nin and Alice Prin. Unearthing the lost stories of these writers, Ellen recounts the history of the Left Bank, connecting present-day Paris to the post-war, roaring 20s. Stopping at the original Shakespeare & Co., she speaks of Sylvia Beach’s publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Strolling through the Luxembourg gardens, she recites Ezra Pound’s “A Girl.” Using an iPad presentation to enhance the experience, she uses photographs, audio recordings and videos to bring the past to life. Ellen’s enthusiasm and expertise inspired me to learn more about expatriate artists in Paris. After the tour, I stopped at the new Shakespeare & Co. on Rue de la Bûcherie to browse the books. Thank you, Ellen, for an exceptional tour!

Response from Host, Feb 2022

Oh, what a lovely review.... many many many thanks ! I am very grateful. It was my pleasure to be your host, and I am pleased that you enjoyed the experience! Come back soon !