Find out how to be polite – and where to party: tours offer enhanced travel experiences in France

“Our motto is: ‘turning tourists into travellers since 1998’. Our travellers are all ages, races, nationalities, some Paris regulars, most first-time visitors.”

So boasts Ricki Stevenson, founder of Black Tours Paris, which takes visitors away from the obvious sights and instead on a journey through the capital’s Black history. 

Recent figures showed France enjoyed a record year for tourism in 2024, welcoming more than 100 million visitors and continuing its run as the top destination in the world, but combatting overtourism is becoming a key challenge.

Taking a tour can allow visitors to peek behind the curtain of life in France, immerse themselves in a particular subject, and meet locals for a more authentic perspective on the country. 

“Americans especially need to take tours that allow them to do more than eat, shop and go to museums and sites. 

"Tours that force them to interact with the locals, their history and culture. Tours that give them the keys to easier exploration of the city,” says Ms Stevenson.

“We created Black Paris Tours to immerse travellers in Paris history, culture, how to navigate the city, use of mass transit, how to be polite, change dollars, avoid pickpockets and where to party!” 

Anyone can become a guide

The largest network of professional tour guides, the French Federation of Licenced Tour Guides, has more than 1,500 members. 

These are regulated guides (guides-conférenciers) who must be used at sites such as state museums or historic monuments. 

General guides (guides touristiques) are not regulated in France, meaning there are many thousands who set up small touring businesses, sharing their passions with visitors. 

Tapping into these can have huge benefits, according to Traci Parent of French Detours.

“Especially for first-time visitors, a tour can be a stress-free way to get an overview of the country. You’ll have someone handling the logistics, smoothing over language barriers, and curating experiences that might take you weeks to plan on your own,” she says. 

In terms of choosing the perfect tour, Ms Parent advises considering the following:

• Pace – do you want to see as many cities as possible, moving every couple of days? Or would you rather settle into one place for a week and explore in depth?
• Focus – do you want a broad overview of France, or to dive deep into a specific region?
• Group size – some tours have 40-plus people on a coach, others are smaller groups or
• even private.
• Level of activity – will you be happy walking eight miles a day, or do you prefer something more leisurely?

The sheer diversity of France means travellers can easily tailor a tour to their interests. 

“From culinary and wine tours taking in the food markets of Provence, Champagne cellar tastings or truffle hunting, to cycle tours following a stage of the Tour de France or exploring the Loire valley, and art and history tours discovering Van Gogh’s Arles or the World War Two history of Normandy” the list is endless, says Ms Parent.

Tours can be “as structured or as flexible as you like” she adds: “Some run for a day, others for one to two weeks. I once offered a “shopping and sight-seeing” tour of Provence for a group of 10 ladies. 

"Anything is possible!” 

Even in the tourist capital of the world, Paris, it is possible to get off the beaten track.

Paris Greeters was set up to pair visitors with volunteers for free walks around their neighbourhoods. 

“It's an authentic discovery, as if you were visiting a friend,” says Jean-Claude Simhon, president of Paris Greeters. 

“In conventional tours, you receive information but it's generally difficult to ask too many questions, to stop somewhere to have a coffee or to buy something in a shop. [But] with a Greeter, the walks are done in small groups, maximum six people, and the Greeter adapts his tour to you.

“Each tour is unique and depends on the Greeter’s personality and that of the visitors.”