--- title: "Paris Time Machine: Hidden Gems Walking Tour (Tips-Based)" lang: en alternate_de: https://guidekin.com/de/france/paris/tours/paris-time-machine-hidden-gems-walking-tour-tips-based/ type: tour city: Paris country: France price: 4 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.98 reviews: 279 duration_minutes: 105 languages: [en] free_cancellation: "true" rank_in_category: 5 of 54 (Walking Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-10-01 data_updated: 2026-10-03 canonical: https://guidekin.com/france/paris/tours/paris-time-machine-hidden-gems-walking-tour-tips-based/ --- # Paris Time Machine: Hidden Gems Walking Tour (Tips-Based) **Guidekin's take:** Explore Paris through street-level stories on a walking route focused on corners beyond the museums. Umbrellas and a list of local recommendations are included; this is tips-based, so the booking price is separate from the tip you choose at the end. 4.98 from 279 reviews at €4 per person for 1h 45m. In our comparison: #5 of 54 in Walking Tours, by rating weighted by review volume (table below). ## Overview Paris has 2,000 years of history and most visitors never see it. It's not in the museums, it's hidden in the streets. Whether it's your first or fifth time in Paris, this tour is the perfect introduction to the city. This is a tips-based tour. Secure your spot and decide what it was worth at the end! ❤️ We’re a small team of passionate Parisians who came together to show you these corners! This is a walking tour, not a standing lecture! The tour is carefully paced to keep you engaged from start to finish. ✅ We'll take you where others don't go: - Cannonball and bullet marks from revolutions still visible on the walls - The people who shaped Paris: WWII resistance fighters, revolutionaries, kings and emperors - Hidden gardens, and medieval houses - Street art is everywhere in Le Marais! ✅ We'll share our favourite spots: Restaurants / Bars / Hidden corners * Jokes included at no extra charge ## Before you book - Meeting point: Look for the white umbrella! - Starts 10:30, 14:00, 16:30: 3 departures a day - Strollers OK: infants accepted **Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point ## Key facts - Price: from €4 per person - Duration: 1h 45m - Rating: 4.98/5 from 279 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Operator: Quentin Dubourg - Group: Shared tour - Guide languages: English - Start times: 10:30, 14:00, 16:30 - Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket - Price checked on Viator: 2026-10-01 ## Reviews 4.98 from 279 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor. 100% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 279 of 279. - 5 stars: 274 (98%) - 4 stars: 5 (2%) - 3 stars: 0 (0%) - 2 stars: 0 (0%) - 1 star: 0 (0%) ### What reviewers say Reviewers praise the humour and lesser known Paris sights; some mention feeling cold after dressing too lightly. **Praised:** - Humorous storytelling makes Paris history easy to follow - Lesser known streets and sights that visitors say they would miss alone - Guides keep children and teenagers engaged with relatable stories - Personal recommendations for places to eat and explore afterwards **Complaints:** - Some mention being underdressed for cold weather on the walk Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2025-09-27 to 2026-09-30); last checked 2026-10-03. ## What's included - Umbrellas - A few jokes - A list of recommendations in Paris - New friends from all over the world ## Itinerary 1. **4th Arr. - Hotel-de-Ville** (10m) - Paris’ City Hall stands as a witness to revolutions, fires, and rebirth. 2. **A peaceful place of memory, dedicated to the resilience of Paris after the 20...** (10m) - A peaceful place of memory, dedicated to the resilience of Paris after the 2015 attacks. Here, we talk about modern Paris. Its spirit, its cafés, and the way life always returns to the streets. 3. **Hidden between modern façades, these curved medieval houses remind us that Pa...** (5m) - Hidden between modern façades, these curved medieval houses remind us that Paris was once a small village. 4. **Memorial De La Shoah** (10m) - A powerful stop that connects medieval Paris to the stories of the 20th century and today’s living neighbourhood. 5. **Hotel de Sens** (10m) - One of the most impressive medieval buildings in Paris, still marked by a real cannonball stuck in its wall 6. **A true slice of local life** (10m) - We’ll see Parisians playing pétanque and if they are not here, we'll play ourselves! 7. **Village St-Paul** (5m) - A small village within the city, where quiet streets, historic churches, and local cafés show a softer, more intimate side of Paris. 8. **Fragments of the medieval wall built by King Philippe Auguste reveal how Pari...** (10m) - Fragments of the medieval wall built by King Philippe Auguste reveal how Paris grew from a fortified town into a global capital. 9. **Hotel de Sully** (10m) - Step into a hidden Renaissance courtyard.. a secret passage that feels frozen in time. My mother’s favorite shortcut 10. **Place des Vosges** (5m) - Our grand finale: the oldest planned royal square in Paris, created under the reign of Henry IV. 11. **We finish the tour in front of Victor Hugo’s house, after beginning it at Not...** (10m) - We finish the tour in front of Victor Hugo’s house, after beginning it at Notre-Dame — the setting of his most famous novel. ## Schedule - Runs: daily - Departures: 10:30, 14:00, 16:30 - Schedule last checked: 2026-10-01 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. ## Meeting point Look for the white umbrella! - Face the main entrance of the City Hall in the large open square. The guide will be waiting on the left side of the main façade. - By metro: Hôtel de Ville station, just outside of exit 5. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ____jB1u5kcRBdN9qCle5gU Ends: We finish the tour in front of Victor Hugo’s house! You’ll end the tour in the heart of several lively Parisian neighborhoods, with plenty of great restaurant options for every budget and taste. ## Good to know - Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller - Service animals allowed - Public transportation options are available nearby - Suitable for all physical fitness levels ## Compared with other Walking Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #5 of 54** | €4 | 1h 45m | 4.98 (279) | shared | | [Paris City Center Free Walking Tour (Tip-Based)](/france/paris/tours/paris-city-center-free-walking-tour-tip-based/?format=md) | €3 per group | 2h 15m | 4.97 (2147) | shared | | [Montmartre District and Sacre Coeur - Exclusive Guided Walking Tour](/france/paris/tours/montmartre-district-and-sacre-coeur-exclusive-guided-walking-tour/?format=md) | €55 | 2h 30m | 4.98 (418) | private | | [Paris Highlights: Half Day Private Walking Tour](/france/paris/tours/paris-highlights-half-day-private-walking-tour/?format=md) | €350 per group | 3h | 5.0 (206) | private | Ranked #5 of 54 in Walking Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €1 to €225, median €55; typical length 2h 15m. 13 of 54 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Full list: https://guidekin.com/france/paris/walking-tours-paris/?format=md ## More in Paris - All Paris tours: https://guidekin.com/france/paris/?format=md - This page as HTML: https://guidekin.com/france/paris/tours/paris-time-machine-hidden-gems-walking-tour-tips-based/ Filters, the full catalogue and the URL contract for this city: https://guidekin.com/france/paris/?format=md