Montmartre Walking Tour, A Journey Through Art and History
Description
During our walk through the streets of Montmartre we'll see iconic monuments like Moulin Rouge and Sacre-Coeur and we'll walk in the footsteps of legendary artists like Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh who lived in the area between the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th. We are new on Viator but have been guiding people for 5 years on airbnb experience with a rating of 4.98 out of five over more than a thousand reviews. You'll discover not only one of the most beautiful and unique neighborhood of Paris but also it's unique history where art, religion and politics mix together. It's a perfect way to discover Montmartre or rediscover it with fresh eyes as we'll take you through unbeaten paths away from the big tourist crowd. It's ideal for families as well as lonely travellers. The tour is made by a true parisian who has lived in Montmartre several years and studied history and history of art. We focus on immersive storytelling and interactive tours limited to ten people.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll pass by the entrance of the Moulin Rouge to talk about it's history and see the beautiful painted panels that are on the side of the entrance.
We'll stop by the entrance of the building where Vincent Van Gogh lived in Paris at his brother's Theo
We'll pass by the Bateau-Lavoir, legendary artist residency where lived some of the most famous artists of the beginning of the 20th, including Pablo Picasso.
From the Place Dalida we'll see the beautiful view of the Rue de l'Abreuvoir, considered as one of Paris prettiest streets.
We'll pass by the Maison Rose, restaurant created by an artist model at the beginning of the 20th. Very famous picture spot.
The clos Montmartre is one of the two remaining vineyards in the city of Paris
We'll stop by the Lapin Agile, oldest cabaret of Paris still in activity where many artists used to go
We'll pass by the musée de Montmartre, where artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir used to live to share a story about the female artists of the Belle-Epoque.
We'll end the tour at the back of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, talk about it's architecture and the tragic story of it's creation.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(7)
Excellent! It exceeded our expectations. Learned so much about the history of Montmartre, the artists, and the evolution of the Impressionism Art movement. Highly recommend!
If you are considering this tour, don't hesitate! Our guide, Arthur, has researched and curated the most fascinating history of Montmartre, interspersed with little known stories about the the impressionist painters who lived there, mostly in poverty, passionately painting plein air in spite of being rejected by critics and the public.
Very good visit to Montmartre with Arthur, very interesting guide and very friendly. He brought his knowledge, humor and good humor to this tour a little unusual, avoiding places too touristy.
This was a fantastic walking tour! Arthur was so knowledgeable about the artists who lived and painted in the Pigalle/Montmartre area between the late 1800's and turn of the twentieth century. He provided a great mix of history, colorful stories about the artists, and the evolution of painting movements from impressionism to post-impressionism to cubism. We really appreciated that he designed the tour in a way that hit the major landmarks while avoiding the insane tourist crowds that flood the area. His English is excellent and he welcomed questions. I sometimes experience "tour guide envy" when I hear other guides nearby giving what seems like a more interesting tour. That was definitely not the case here -- I felt very lucky to have picked Arthur for this experience.
Very nice experience. We knew before hand about the different periods of art. But there were definitely stories that were told that we would never have known unless you really studied for it. One particular story about a saint made us look for that saint for the rest of our stay in Paris. Turning our trip into a fun game of “where is Waldo”. We really liked that the group was small making it easier to hear what was being said and room to ask questions. The walking pace was nice making it feel you were strolling around with short stops here and there.
This was one of the best walking tours I've ever done, and I've traveled a lot. Arthur was a fabulous story teller and did a wonderful job balancing info about the history of art in Paris and Montmarte with the interesting personal stories of the artists themselves. I really learned a lot on this tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was a thoughtful guide too, asking our group whether we preferred sun versus shade, providing stops where we could sit for a bit, and pausing his presentation when a pigeon pooped on my foot and I needed to run into a bathroom to wash. I also really appreciated his acknowledgement that some of the artists he talked about were horrible misogynistic men, and I appreciated his inclusion of women artists in his storytelling. Arthur was funny, engaging, and entertaining, and his tour is a highlight of my weeklong trip to Paris. Thank you Arthur! (I originally posted this review on a different platform a few days ago. I just went there to send the tour info to a friend who is visiting Paris in a couple weeks, and noticed the tour is no longer listed on that other platform. I did a google search and found Arthur here now, so I figured I'd give him his first review here since he was so excellent. I just visited a week ago, so it's still a very current review! :)
Our guide, Arthur, was very knowledgeable about art history and the history of Montmartre. He presented the information in a fun and interesting way, providing pictures of the works of art that he was referring to on his IPad as we journeyed from place to place. Even the art novices like myself and granddaughter were fasciated by the stories and information. We both learned a lot and highly recommend this tour!
