Gourmet Marais
The best-preserved medieval area in Paris, the heart of the Jewish community, the centre of the gay scene — the neighbourhood of Marais is as eclectic as the gastronomic treats you’ll try on this tour! Get ready to eat, drink, and explore your way through the city’s gourmet charms!
Marais Food and Walking Tour Highlights
- Wander through the best preserved medieval neighbourhood in Paris
- Sample a selection of some of France’s best wines
- Indulge in plates of cheese or charcuterie and taste a creation from Paris’s most famed macaron chef
- Discover the centre of the city’s Jewish and gay communities
- Spot the hidden squares, tucked-away alleyways, and marvelous churches of Marais
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, two different pastries and the best macaron in Paris, a platter of French cheese or charcuterie and wine tasting.
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips and gratuities for your guide.
Schedule details
- Duration: 3-4 hours
- Meeting point: 123 rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris. Your guide will be holding a Paris Urban Adventures sign
- Starting time: 2.00 PM
- Ending point: Place des Vosges/Bastille
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Join a local guide to discover the enigmatic charms of France’s capital on this enlightening Paris city tour that pairs secret local hangouts with delicious food and wine — a winning combo!
You start your Paris tour in front in front of the Pompidou Centre and then move on to the Hôtel de Ville, the city’s town hall, on the square where public executions were once carried out. Learn about the horrible death of Robert-François Damiens, the infamous man who tried to assassinate King Louis XV.
We then move on to the little tangled streets of the Marais to spot beautiful medieval churches, corbelled houses, and narrow lanes. We also pass by an iconic bakery whose baguette was elected one of the best in Paris and we try our first pastry, a delicious meringue known as a ‘merveilleux.’
Next, we visit Rue Saint-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, one of the oldest streets in the Marais, and today the centre of the French gay scene. Learn how this part of city, once sordid, became synonymous with trendy Paris, and a shopping hub for fashionistas and the core of “bobo” culture. While we’re here, we stop and sample a delicious macaron from one of Paris’ most famous pastry chefs.
Just a street away is Rue des Rosiers, the heart of the Jewish community. It’s a vibrant pedestrian street full of falafel stands and delicious Jewish-influenced delis.
It’s then time to make a longer break at a local wine bar, where we get a wine tasting accompanied by some delicious French cheese and charcuterie treats.
To end this tasting celebration, we will take you to a fabulous chocolate store to try a butter-filled pastry, called Kouign Amann, a specialty from Brittany. Further on, we will finally discover Paris’ oldest and certainly most beautiful square, la Place des Vosges, home of France’s national writer, Victor Hugo.
From there, it’s only a short walk to Place de la Bastille, the former prison that was captured on July 14, 1789, triggering the French Revolution. The area nearby is full of bars and restaurants, leaving you with plenty of options for carrying on with your evening in the City of Lights!
Additional information
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, two different pastries and the best macaron in Paris, a platter of French cheese or charcuterie and wine tasting.
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature, and tips and gratuities for your guide.
Dress standard: Please wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring an umbrella for rainy days.
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of maximum 12 people.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We’ll see you at the starting point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of six and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of six are permitted to join this tour free of charge so long as they eat from their parents’ meals. Please note that a special, separate meal will not be prepared for them. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of six. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.
Local contact
Office phone number: +33 7 82 36 74 64
Email address: [email protected] -
Linda R. from South Africa travelled in October 2019:
We were met by the lovely Doina and spent an interesting 4 hours exploring the amazing Marais area, trying out a variety of tasty traditional French sweet treats,which included the best macrons in Paris. Doina shared her extensive knowledge of the area and completed the tour at a small wine bar where we enjoyed a variety of delicious wines, cheeses and charcuterie. Highly recommended!
Lárus Á travelled in Aug 2019:
Me and my wife visited Paris for the fourth time, but for first time we decided to join a guided tour in Paris. We decided to use Urbanadventures, as they offer local knowledge and a small group experience. Our tour was indeed small, as we were only four – so this was a very personal and friendly walk in the Marais district where we also visited the award winning Ice cream maker, and macarons maker, next to each other and as well we were given a taste of a savoury and crispy falafel – before we ended with some great wines and cheeses near Luis XIV square. Our guide, Ellen was full of knowledge about the architecture and the history of the area she walked with us. She also gave us good recommendations on where to go for dinner – we selected one of her recommendations and were very pleased.
Danielle T from USA travelled in Aug 2019:
When selecting what to do in Paris, it seemed obvious, one tour must address culture and food. We read some reviews and trusted we’d found a good match for us since we were staying in the same area. After three three weeks in europe, three other tours in two days with various guides, I can say, I was exhausted and ready for flying home the next day. Once this tour began though, I was sincerely smiling and SOOO GRATEFUL to end my holiday with a delightful group of travelers, walking quaint and curious streets, hearing truly interesting information and eating wonderfully tasty treats! The cherry on top was our guide(Emilie), she was absolutely authentic and a Parisian to boot! Loved her. The fact that she helped find me Gluten Free treats was also appreciated. If you have food allergies, call ahead and see what can be done because you’ll want to share in the fun!
John T. from the USA travelled in Aug 2019:
Rafael was terrific, with just the right blend of genuine enthusiasm and broad history for a group of visitors from another country. We spent a full afternoon walking through the Marais, and the tour allowed us to see both the neighborhood (and city) in a new light. Indeed, much of what we learned we hadn’t heard elsewhere. A nice mix of snacks during our walkabout, followed by a relaxing glass of wine together sharing stories. The right size group (5-10) also gives people a chance to visit with one another. Merci, Rafael!
Irina G. from USA travelled July 2019:
Ellen was the BEST! This was our first time in Paris and we wanted to see the really good stuff, not all the places stuffed full of tourists. Ellen (who is from Dublin!) has lived in Paris for many years and she took us on the absolute best walking tour around the most quaint and beautiful part of Paris, the Marais neighborhood. She told us about some of the really interesting history of Paris, took us out for the most delicious pastries we have ever tasted, enjoyed some amazing falafel with us, and we ended up our phenomenal tour at a local organic wine bar. It was the best thing we did while in Paris. We give Ellen an A+ and highly recommend this as a wonderful way to see Paris.
