Private Tour Musée d’Orsay and Saint-Germain-des-Prés Neighborhood
Why a private tour of Musée d’Orsay and Saint-Germain-des-Prés together? Because we believe that this is an optimum combination for those who are interested in arts and architecture. The tour is done by a fully licensed guide who is passionate about Art and History who will make you travel back in time from the 19th-century French revolution in painting to the 6th century early Merovingian middle-age.
Scuplture representing famouse painter Eugène Delacroix in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Delacroix is a strong link between the two parts of the tour: Musée d’Orsay and Saint-Germain-des-prés. Jardin and palais du Luxembourg too as it was where was housed the “living artists museum” ancester of musée d’Orsay.
Private Tour Musée d’Orsay and Saint-Germain-des-prés neighborhood Essentials
- +/- 4-hour walking tour in English
- From 190 € for 1 to 2 people + 50 per extra person
- Really private tour (your party only 6 people max.)
- Flexible time schedule
- Not available on Mondays & Tuesdays
- Postgraduate (MPhil) certified French national guide
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Your Private Tour Guide in Paris
Certified French national guide
BA, Magna Cum Laude, Heritage Developpement & Preservation from Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers
Postgraduate from Paris Dauphine-PSL University
Why a Private Tour of Orsay Museum and Saint-Germain-des-Prés Together?
Because Orsay Museum and Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood which are probably the most famous Paris left bank (“Rive Gauche“) attractions are conveniently situated beside each other. So this is a good idea to join them together.
Also because you will discover that they are many links between Orsay museum and the Saint-Germain-dès près district in the streets, in the Saint-Germain-dès-Près and Saint-Sulpice churches, and till the Luxembourg garden at the end of the tour.
The Musée d’Orsay tour is not only about arts it is also about civil architecture as the Germain tour is not only about sacred architecture but also about art.
And last, because our Licensed guide lecturer is history and history of arts passionate he will do his best to share with you his passion of Paris.
Discover the 19th-century french revolution in art in Orsay and the spirit of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in a single 4 hours private tour!
How the Private Tour of Orsay Museum & Saint-Germain-des-Prés Works?
Organization of the Tour
The tour is organized in two parts
- 1. A Musée d’Orsay Tour
- 2. A Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood Tour
- The duration of the tour is equally split between both parts of the tour.
- Tour start at Orsay Museum.
Spirit of the Tour
As all our guided tours the route of the Orsay & Saint-Germain-des-Près private tour is optimized to maximize your time with your guide. Meaning :
- Optimized tour route
- Adaptative tour route (flexibility in case of any obstacle)
In such a four hours private tour flexibility and adaptability are the main ideas. So your guide will be happy in function of your wishes to adjust :
- The relative duration of the two parts of the tour
- Content of the two parts of the tour
Just ask your guide.
Musée d’Orsay Tour Part Content
The Orsay museum part of the tour is designed to give you a solid overview of the French painting from 1848 to 1914 and is organized in three parts :
- Before Impressionism
- Impressionism
- After impressionism
You will see master pieces of the most famous painter of the period as Delacroix, Ingres, Courbet, Millet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Gauguin.
You can find more information about the content of the Orsay part of the tour on our dedicated Orsay Museum Private Tour page.
The main difference here is that we normally insist more on Eugène Delacroix because of the strong link with the second part of the tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
View The main hall of the Orsay Museum. The Orsay is a former train station which has been transformed into the world-famous museum it is now at the end of 20th century. The main hall is dedicated to sculpture meanwhile paintings are installed in lateral rooms where they are protected from direct daylight. Impressionist paintings are installed on the last floor of the museum.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés Tour Part Content
The walking tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés is quite flexible. It can be basically oriented in two ways:
As a dense architecture and history of art tour mostly based to Saint-Germain and Saint-Sulpice churches.
Or more as an open stroll to catch the atmosphere of the famous left bank (rive gauche) district.
The tour can normally include the next themes which can be more or less extended depending on your interests.
Some of the Best Views of Paris Monuments along the Seine River
- Orsay Museum facade
- Le Louvre
- Bouquinistes etc.
and more.
View of the seine river from the left bank
Delacroix Related Places
- Delacroix last house in place de Fürstenberg
- Delacroix Master pieces in Saint-Sulpice church
Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey Church
- History of the abbey of saint Germain-des-Prés
- History of the abbey church from merovigian period till most recent archeological escavations and impressive restaurations.
- Newly restored 19th century Flandrin master pieces on the wall of the church
- Architecture of one of the most famous Romanesque and early gothique construction.
Saint-Sulpice Church
- History of the biggest church in Paris after Notre-Dame cathedral
- Neo-Classical, Classical and Gesuitic architecture
- Know why there is no pediment in Saint-Sulpice facade
- Know what is the Saint-Sulpicien Style
- Link of the church with one of the most famous city of North America.
There is also plenty of master pieces in the church not only by Delacroix but also by many others as famous sculptor Pigale from whom was name the famous “Place Pigalle“.
Literary Cafes
Places frequented by famous artists as Prévert, Hemingway, Sartre, Picasso, Camus, Zhou Enlai, Joyce, Maurras etc., as :
- Café de flore
- Café des deux magots
Palais and Garden of Luxembourg
- History since Queen Marie de Medicis
- Place of the former royal collection of painting
- History of the “Musée des Artistes Vivants” (Museum of living artists) ancester of the Orsay Museum
More Point of Interes
- Marché Saint-Germain
- House of famous architect Victor Baltard
- Hôtel de Fürstenberg, hôtel Mahé de la Bourdonnais
- Art nouveau building etc.
- Place where was living painter Fantin-Latour who painted the Musée d’Orsay group portrait with himself, Delacroix, Manet etc.
Tour End
Tour normaly ends somewhere around Luxembourg or even around pantheon depending of what was done or not before.
More Arts Private Tours in Paris
- introduction tour to Le Louvre Museum.
- Louvre French painting tours from the 16th to the 19th centuries
Things to know before Booking
Meeting Point
Two options outside or inside the museum
Access: line 1 station Palais Royal
Attention Points
- Tour is on foot.
- Prices do not include transportation, food, drinks or any other extra services.
- Museum tickets: two option tickets may be included or not.
- Tour duration & content are purely indicative, they may vary due to contingencies.
- Entrance in churches is never waranty
Book Your Musée d’Orsay & Saint-Germain PrIvate Tour
Choose below your tour: You will then be asked : -> choose the number of people, date & hours of visit -> after our validation-> pay on line.
Orsay & Saint-Germain-des-Près Private Tour
Extended tour (4 hours)For 1 to 2 people + 50 € for any extra person
A group of maximum 6 people exclusively yours
English language
Tickets not included
Saint-Germain-des-prés bell tower. The four lower levels were built around the year 1000. The church is an exceptional example of romanesque and early gothic architecture in the heart of Paris. In the lower foreground is a sculpture by Picasso © Broaden Horizons.