From Bohemian to Bourgeois: A Walking Tour of St Germain and the Latin Quarter

Want to learn more about Paris’s artistic roots? This guided walking tour through the Latin Quarter and St Germain des Prés – the old stomping ground of Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison – is the ideal starting point. While the last of the starving artists have been driven to the outskirts (the area is more bourgeois than boho these days), the presence of the creatives who once roamed these parts lives on through the little pokey bookshops, famed cafes, and gardens they left behind. You’ll discover all these spots and more on this three-hour jaunt through the area. But it’s not all hopeless romantics and literary legends. At its heart, this tour is a veritable smorgasbord of history and culture, tracing these ‘hoods from Roman times all the way to the Revolution and beyond. Isn’t it about time you ticked this part of town off your bucket list?

About your guide 

On Paris Urban Adventures tours, city sights come with a side of personality. The company’s guides have joie de vivre by the bucketload, and it’s catching. Whether it’s exploring secret sides to Paris or sampling snails at a local cafe, you’ll have a grand old time with this crew by your side.

Here’s the plan…  

Meet your guide outside the Panthéon. After a quick meet and greet and a wander around the Latin Quarter, you’ll make your way to the 17th-century Jardin du Luxembourg – adored for its lush lawns, chestnut groves and epic palatial backdrop. Then, you’ll trod along to St-Germain, a neighbourhood that, despite astronomical housing prices, still retains its artistic charm. Here, you’ll stumble upon eclectic cafes, traditional coffee houses, pokey bookshops, and lively street markets, and see buildings where celebrated creatives thought up some of their best works.

After a stroll by the River Seine, the group will park up at a traditional wine bar, where you’ll dig into a charcuterie board (think cheese, salty cured meat, and rich pâtés), and sample a fine French wine too. Fancy a game of pétanque? If you and your group are so inclined, your guide will show you how to play this popular boules sport in a charming, quiet square. May the best sportsperson win…  

Then it’s on to St-Michel, one of the more energetic (okay, hectic) parts of town. Your tour draws to a close just outside Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s always nice to end on a high, right?