Ile de la Cite – 3 hours walking tour to discover Medieval Paris and Gothic Style

Ile-de-la-Cite, the little island dominated by the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the spire of the Sainte Chapelle, is the cradle of the Paris. Even if today we know that the first settlement was probably located outside the nowadays city limits, Ile de la Cite is still considered the heart of the city, the symbol of its Roman and Medieval times. It is a unique place where it is still possible to read the history of Paris from the beginning to the XXI century.

Follow me in this tour back in time and I will bring back for you Medieval Paris, with its churches (yes, plural!), districts, legends and traditions. We will walk around Notre Dame Cathedral to see how Parisians are working on the church to save it after the fire. I will show you where to take the best photo of this incredible building that survived 8 centuries! We will wander in the Latin district, following narrow streets to visit Saint Severin Church and reach the Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie, two of the most famous landmarks in Paris. The Sainte Chapelle is a jewellery box made of stained glasses while the Conciergerie, with its imposing walls and the clock tower, went from former Royal Palace to frightening prison sadly known during the French Revolution.

The tour is designed to be a walking tour and distances between the different landmarks are quite short. However, if you have any doubt about walking around please feel free to contact me and I will figure out the best option! Please note that there is an elevator to get to the Sainte Chapelle but the one in the Conciergerie is NOT always working and the Conciergerie building unfortunately is not wheelchair friendly.

ITINERARY

• Meeting point in front of Hotel de Ville (or at your hotel on request)
• Notre Dame Cathedral (outside only – from the closest position available)
• Latin district (with a little stop for coffee and “choux”)
• Saint Severin church (outside and inside if not closed for service)
• Sainte Chapelle (inside)
• Conciergerie (inside)

PLEASE NOTE that Saint Severin is a working church so it may be closed for mass or service and a proper attire is always required (so ladies bring with you a pareo or a scarf in summer!). SKIP THE LINE: we will have skip the line tickets for Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie BUT there may be a line for security control and that line cannot be skipped.

PRICE: 200 euros per tour (1 to 6 people) plus admission tickets (15 euros per adults – free admission for young visitors under 18 years old or 26 years old if EU citizens). I will book and buy the tickets on your behalf or you can buy them online directly on the museum website. If you are planning to buy the Paris Museum Pass please let me know!