Paris Covered Passages Walking Tour

Did you know Paris has half-hidden covered streets filled with shopping and culinary treasures, some of them dating as far back as the 1700s? They’re known as Paris’s covered passages. Your local guide will take you on a dazzling tour of five of these magical arcades, sharing their secrets, history, design, and the best places to shop and dine, of course! We begin at the Galerie Vivienne, a neoclassical-style covered passage dating to 1823. It’s now a national monument filled with luxury boutiques. After the Galerie Vivienne, we’ll explore the Passage Choiseul where over 600 feet of sunlit shops gather under the stunning glass roof. Don’t forget to look down and glimpse the ornate tiled floor. We’ll continue our tour at the Passage des Panoramas, the first covered walkway of Paris, built more than 200 years ago. Here you can admire its old-fashioned charm and ancient architecture. Your guide will point out the best artisanal shops and eateries as you stroll along the scenic passage. Next up, the Passage Jouffroy presents a narrow frame for shoppers to navigate, accented everywhere with glass and iron. It even houses a small wax museum that your guide will introduce you to. We’ll end our tour at the Passage Verdeau, where antique dealers and vintage curiosities crowd the walkway. At each of these stops, your guide will direct your attention to details you might otherwise miss, fascinating pieces of history, and the story behind how these many covered passages in Paris found their way to the capital of fashion.