Top 15 History Tours in France

1.Paris: Louvre Museum Entry with History of Mona Lisa

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 2,823 reviews · 1 day · from $74Our pick

Review of the Louvre entry with Mona Lisa introduction, priority access, practical tips, price value, meeting point, and self-guided freedom.

“What it says on the tin. Was worth the cost since tickets were sold out the day we wanted to go, but if you’re the type to arrive at 9am anyway the lines at the Louvre are normally not long enough to justify a skip the line ticket at this cost. Certainly worth it later in the day. Our guide gave some great historical facts about the building and collection on our way in.”

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2.Paris: Dark History and Ghostly Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,000 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Explore Paris after dark on a two-hour walking tour of executions, Templars, haunted landmarks, Notre Dame legends, and eerie local lore.

“The tour was great. It will take you around Notre Dame stopping at roughly 6 to 8 times to tell stories. I found it interesting as the stories were not all about the distant past. Some stories were of the recent past. Photos shown at the sites were also used to help give the stories a 3rd dimension. This tour is for you if you want something darker and off the beaten path.”

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3.Vieux Lyon Cultural & Historical Walking Guided Tour (English)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 942 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $6Best value

Review of Lyon’s affordable Vieux Lyon walking tour, covering traboules, silk, food, resistance history, practical tips, and value.

“So informative, full of history and tips for a great stay, including culinary tips and places to go strolling.”

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4.Bordeaux: Historic Center & Chartrons District Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 709 reviews · 3 hours · from $42

Review of Bordeaux’s 3-hour bike tour through the historic center, Chartrons, and Darwin, with e-bikes, local stories, and canelée tasting.

“This was an excellent tour that I'd highly recommend! The guides were very knowledgable on the city. They made sure to take us on a route with lot's of shade to account for the hot sunny day. Overall would recommend!1”

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5.From Strasbourg: Best Of Alsace Historical Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 633 reviews · 10h 30m · from $147

Visit Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Colmar on a scenic Alsace day trip from Strasbourg with multilingual audio.

“This is a must do trip from Strasbourg. It was very nice and the guide was very informative. We had plenty of time to enjoy Colmar and the castle is a must see. I really recommend this day trip.”

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6.Toulouse Food & History Tour with a Chef (in English)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 503 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $133

Taste Toulouse through seven chef-prepared stops, from chocolatine to sausage, while Alex brings the city’s stories to life.

“What an amazing way to learn about Toulouse and eat great food along the way. Big thanks to you Alex. My husband, children and I had a fantastic time exploring your city. Your passion kept us all so engaged and we are far more knowledgeable about your wonderful Toulouse.”

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7.Small-Group Full-Day Tour of Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune Vineyards and Beaune Historical District

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 364 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $161

Review of a small-group Burgundy wine tour from Dijon, with Premier Cru tastings, vineyard views, Beaune free time, and practical booking tips.

“A small tour and overall with 2 stops and the wineries were good. The only thing is I wish we learned more about the wine and history and area.”

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8.Bordeaux: Top Landmarks & Historic Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 346 reviews · 2h 30m · from $42

See Bordeaux’s grand squares, river bridges, Chartrons, and historic gates on a relaxed 2.5-hour small-group bike tour.

“Suzana, a breath of fresh air , friendly, pleasant & easy to listen to . A wealth of interesting information without bambuzzling us, rode at a safe pace that we felt comfortable with. She loves her job and so we loved our time spent with her . Best spent money . Padraig & Marita Ireland”

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9.Le Marais/Paris – The Historic, Trendy, Jewish, LGBT district

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 341 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $48

Explore Le Marais with a lively English guide, from Place des Vosges to Jewish and LGBT landmarks, historic mansions, food shops, and local streets.

“We enjoyed the walking tour very much. Our guide Eric was engaged, kind, and knowledgeable. Thanks for a great afternoon.”

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10.From Nice: Historic Train Ride & Alps Villages

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 312 reviews · 11 hours · from $200

Ride the historic Alpine train from Nice to medieval villages, local lunch, Baroque art, and optional hikes through forests and sandstone cliffs.

“We really enjoyed the tour. William knew lots of interesting facts that made the trip come to life. I recommend this tour.”

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11.Strasbourg: Guided Historical Neighborhoods Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 275 reviews · 2h 30m · from $35

Explore Strasbourg’s squares, Neustadt, Petite France, and cathedral with a lively local guide on this small-group walking tour.

“Our guide was very knowledgeable of the history of Strasbourg. His presentation was professional and along with his wonderful sense of humor made for a very enjoyable 2.5 hours!”

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12.Paris City of Fashion History Private Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 221 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $107

Explore Paris fashion history with a private expert guide, from Palais Royal and Chanel to Place Vendôme and Rue Saint-Honoré.

“Ivo was incredibly knowledgeable and interesting. Highly recommend this tour for anyone with a love of fashion and fashion history. One of the best tours we’ve had.”

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13.2-Hour Walking Tour of the City’s Iconic Sights and History

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 207 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $17

See Bordeaux’s grand squares, monuments, and old streets on a two-hour bilingual walking tour with a licensed local guide.

“The docent who lead the tour was fantastic! The only complaint we have is that he spoke 80% of the time in French and we speak English so we missed out on a lot of details.”

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14.History of Paris City Center w/ Notre Dame Semi-Private 12ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 194 reviews · 2 hours 40 minutes (approx.) · from $59

Review of Babylon Tours Paris’ small-group walk from Notre Dame to Place de la Concorde, with history, sights, practical tips, and value advice.

“Fabulous tour. Our guide, Tamari, was incredibly knowledgeable and amenable to our interests. As we leisurely walked through Notre Dame and the city center, we learned about the history, culture and architecture of beautiful Paris. Highly recommend this excursion.”

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15.Bordeaux’ Best Boulangeries & History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $72

Taste Bordeaux’s finest boulangeries while exploring its monuments, old quarters, and lesser-known corners on a relaxed three-hour walking tour.

“amazing tour, really passionate guide, and takes you to some really cool places with a lot of historic insight and wonderful food”

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