Paris: Covered Passages Walking Tour & Seine Cruise Option

What Paris looks like when you step off the main streets

You walk through five hidden covered passages in central Paris with a local guide who explains the architecture and history at each stop. The tour includes a shuttle for transportation and covers Galerie Vivienne, Passage Choiseul, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy, and Passage Verdeau. You can add a one-hour Seine river cruise ticket valid for a year, redeemable whenever you return to Paris.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Paris covered passages

• Visit Galerie Vivienne
• Walk through Passage Choiseul
• Tour Passage des Panoramas
• See Passage Jouffroy
• End at Passage Verdeau
• Optional Seine River cruise from Eiffel Tower
• Pass by Notre Dame Cathedral
• Pass by Petit Palais
• Pass by Musée d'Orsay
• Pass by Eiffel Tower

The experience

"Wait, there's a whole street under here?" That's what most people say the moment you walk into Galerie Vivienne, and honestly, it never gets old. The glass roof floods the passage with light, the ornate tiled floor catches your eye, and suddenly you're not in modern Paris anymore. You're in the 1820s, when these covered walkways were where Parisians actually shopped and lingered. Your guide starts here, at this neoclassical passage that's been a national monument since 1823, and already you're seeing the city the way locals do, not the way postcards show it.

From Galerie Vivienne, you move through Passage Choiseul: over 600 feet of sunlit shops under a glass roof that feels both delicate and solid, the kind of architecture that makes you look up without meaning to. Then comes Passage des Panoramas, the oldest covered passage in Paris, built in 1799, where the guide points out the elaborate details in the ironwork and tells you why these passages mattered so much to Parisian fashion and daily life. Passage Jouffroy comes next, narrower and quieter, with its own glass and iron framework, and if you're into oddities, there's a wax museum tucked inside. The walk finishes at Passage Verdeau in the Grands Boulevard area, where antique dealers and vintage curiosities line the walls: the kind of place where you could spend an hour just browsing if you had the time.

The whole covered passages walking tour moves at a steady pace through the 2nd Arrondissement, and your guide handles the navigation so you don't have to think about where you're going. If you want to extend the day, there's an optional one-hour Seine river cruise you can add on: the ticket's good for a year from your tour date, so you can use it whenever you want. The cruise starts and ends at the Eiffel Tower and passes Notre Dame, the Petit Palais, and the Musée d'Orsay, which is a completely different way to see the city if you've already walked the passages and want to sit down for a bit.

What’s included

Your tour includes a local guide who leads you through all five covered passages, a Paris shuttle for transportation between stops, and access to Galerie Vivienne, Passage Choiseul, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy, and Passage Verdeau. You can optionally add a one-hour narrated Seine river cruise ticket, valid for one year, which departs and returns at the Eiffel Tower and passes landmarks including Notre Dame, the Petit Palais, and the Musée d'Orsay.

Options for this experience

2 options

Covered Passages Private TourGuide in English · 16 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:30Private tour for a group of up to 8

Private tour including a cruiseGuide in English · 10 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:30Cruise plus private tour

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to Saturday16 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by ExperienceFirst

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Paris beyond the main landmarks and prefer a guide to navigate the passages and explain their history. The shuttle handles transportation, so you don't need to figure out the Metro or manage luggage between stops.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4).

What's included in the tour?

A local guide, Paris shuttle transportation, and access to all five covered passages. The optional Seine river cruise is a separate add-on with a ticket valid for one year.

Can I add the Seine cruise to my tour?

Yes. The one-hour cruise begins and ends at the Eiffel Tower and passes Notre Dame, the Petit Palais, and the Musée d'Orsay. Your ticket is valid for one year from your tour date, so you can use it anytime.

Which passages do we visit?

Galerie Vivienne (built 1823), Passage Choiseul, Passage des Panoramas (built 1799), Passage Jouffroy, and Passage Verdeau in the Grands Boulevard area.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed on the tour.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation?

No. A Paris shuttle is included with your tour for convenient transportation between the passages.

Can I use the Seine cruise ticket on a different day?

Yes. If you add the cruise option, your ticket is valid for one year from your tour date, so you can redeem it whenever you want.