Guides are the cornerstone of any tour. They can ‘make or break’ a visit to any city. We are so excited about the quality of guides that work for Discover Walks.
Adele
Walking tour guide Adèle’s ultimate goal in life is Cannes film festival ; )
After graduating from a Masters in Management and working in a few companies in Tokyo and New York, she came back to Paris to follow her dreams as an actress.
She has performed in a few plays and films, so it would not be too surprising if she proudly let you know during the Montmartre tour that she was once in a movie with Nicole Kidman (not in Moulin Rouge though!).
Adèle is passionate about the arts in Paris and she loves passing on her enthusiasm to visitors attending her shows – er, tours!
Alexis is a born and bred Parisian who lives at the foot of Montmartre, the beautiful hill were the impressionists once lived.
An accomplished linguist, Alexis studied Nordic languages at the Sorbonne university. He then became a full time tour guide to reconcile his passion for talking endlessly about Paris with his need to constantly uncover new hidden secrets the City of lights has to offer.
During his tours, if you ask him where to find the latest techno event or the best falafel in Paris, you won’t regret it!
When he is neither working nor dancing in the capital’s hottest clubs, you can find Alexis in the gardens of the Swedish Institute enjoying a coffee and a cinnamon bun.
Born and raised Parisian (a real and proud left banker !), Salomé is all about culture, food, and sarcastic French humor. You want enjoy a real Parisian experience, out of the beaten path ? Well, Salomé is passionate about her city’s secret spots.
A fine meal for less than 10 euros ? A hidden concert venue in an abandoned factory ? The one-million view over the city ? Ask her, and she will know !
With a name like “ Sean ” it’s difficult to pretend you’re a pure born and bred Parisian. Born in Chicago, Sean arrived in France when he was 6 years old. At school he was regularly called “Jean”, because the french just couldn’t pronounce his name correctly !
Living on the eastern slopes of Montmartre, Sean studied film in Paris, and works as a technician on movie sets. And a part from being a movie buff, he’s also passionate about history and will love to tell you all about the secrets of the city of lights.
As far as hobbies goes, he’s in a theatre group in English, and he definitely uses that for his tours : as an entertainment, first and foremost !
He might not be a Parisian by birth, but he sure is one by adoption. He’s at home here, with such a wonderful access to culture, movies, music and art, which he’ll tell you all about with enthusiasm.
Going back to the states ? Not likely. Sean would miss the food too much ! He just can’t live anymore without his baguette, red wine and cheese !
“Astrid is a true “Parisienne” ! She was raised in the 15th arrondissement a neighborhood at the foot of the Eiffel tower. (When she was a kid, she liked to think that the Eiffel Tower was dedicated to her, knowing the shape looks like a big “A”…). After finishing her scholarship at the Bilingual School of Paris, she finally managed to move in a much more central neighborhood : So-Pi (meaning South Pigalle… ) a new trendy area where you can discover many restaurants and cocktail bars with free-gluten food and organic wine !!
For a long time she actually didn’t like Paris because as a tomboy, she thought it was too pretty and not wild enough. But then she became passionate about Art History that she studied at the Sorbonne, and she realized at what point she was lucky to come from a city with so many museums and historical monuments ! Now, her goal in life is to pass on her love of culture and arts in Paris, either by guiding or by filming ! “
Colin loves to travel, but every time he comes back to Paris, he feels even deeper how much he loves his city. He’s fond of Literature, which he has studied in the famous Sorbonne, and therefore sees Paris through the eyes of all the famous writers who lived here. For that reason, the Notre-Dame and Latin Quarter tours are his favorite: he will always be happy to tell stories and make Quasimodo or Cyrano de Bergerac come to life again.
He has acted on stage since his childhood and can be all the characters of a story at a time; he also knows a lot of French poetry by heart and will be happy to recite some to those who want to listen to the musicality of his mother tongue.
Stéphane was born in Paris, raised in the 17th district, and now lives in the 12th district. He fell in love with the City studying geography at the Sorbonne University situated in the Latin Quarter. Since then, he has never lost his passion for Paris.
Stéphane also loves to travel and live abroad. He went to the North Cap hitchhiking, experienced a raft down the Danube River, took his studies and worked in China and taught French in Kyrgyzstan. Nevertheless, he eventually always comes back to the Parisian river banks, streetsand cafés that he would miss so much while being abroad.
Stéphane is a professional French language teacher for foreigners. He is also keen on learning about other cultures and sharing cultural and historical knowledge with Paris visitors from all over the world. Needless to say that he is fond of the history and geography of Paris, in particular, and that of France, in general. This is why every day he keeps on learning new things about Paris to provide you with more fascinating details and tips about the City of Love.
If you prefer understanding things by visualizing them on a map, please do not hesitate to ask Stéphane. He will be more than happy to show you a great number of Paris-city maps that he keeps on the shelf…
Margot
Margot is a young Parisian delighted by sun lights on Paris’ charming buildings; she loves wandering in the little streets and discover new fancy places – especially nature friendly places.
She is always glad to share them and has tons of food tips to give during the tours!
Passionate about history, Simon gets easily fired up talking about the old streets of the Latin quarter.
Raised in the fancy 16th arrondissement, he knows Paris like the back of his hand and is always prompt to brighten up his tours with some well-chosen anecdotes (and jokes!).
Want to learn how to be an insider more than insiders themselves and get a taste of Parisian humor?
Simon is the City guide you need
Born in a half-french and half-german family, Alice spent her early childhood in Jordan and Morocco before moving to France. She is convinced that mixing cultures is truly enriching. That’s
why she loves Paris: a cosmopolitan city where you meet people from everywhere !
Paris is a big city, but full of cosy areas. In one word, it is magic : even after years spent taking strolls in this city, there are still spots yet to be discovered !
Alice passionately studies philosophy at the Sorbonne University and loves learning new things.
She knows a bunch of funny stories about French famous people, and makes her tours funny as well as enriching. If you want to discover Paris with a local who will show you both the historical and the trendy Paris: here she is !
Take part in one of her Latin Quarter tour and you will do more than just getting in touch with the spirit of this area: you will become a true left-banker!
Benoit’s goal ? He wants to become a great TV producer ! After graduating from a Masters in Management and working in two major TV companies in Paris he has decided to run for himself and to launch his own company.
A great adventure and a lot of work, nevertheless he still has the time to make you discover Paris ! Because he loves this city and really enjoys meeting new people.
Born in Paris, she studied philosophy and ancient languages (Greek and Latin) at the University La Sorbonne.
After numerous travels, she came back to this city she loves the most… for its atmosphere and of course its restaurants !
Fond of Ashkenazi restaurants and pastries from all over the world, she enjoys the melting pot of influences that make Paris so unique.
The elegance “à la parisienne”, the way of life so relaxing and yet so energetic… all this makes the undefinable secret of Paris.
Born in Paris, yet at home anywhere, Manuel has lived in London and New York, from which he got his trademark jewfro.
His extensive travels (just ask him his stories about his cycling trip from Beijing to Tokyo or the time he had to hitchhike across the Bulgarian border at night) have led him to better understand different cultures and be curious about other people’s ways of life.
Though he loves wandering, he’s always come back to his one true love: the City of Lights. There’s something about these macarons and croissants he just cannot resist…
Lucien holds a Master in History, and is passionnate about spreading his knowledge of the many revolutions that occured in France.
His other passion is sports, especially football : he is a regular at the Parc des Princes football stadium. Among his favorite parts of Paris, the Latin Quarter (of which he is a frequent guide) is where he was born, raised, and hopes to live in again some day.
“ an awesome guide with an impressive amount of facts and stories (…) I completely enjoyed it & highly recommend him as a guide”.
Paris is very cosmopolitan, and Lorraine is very, very Parisian in that way – always hanging out with the international crowd. Name what country you come from, the odds are Lorraine has been there.
By contrast, Lorraine lives in the most private, non-touristy part of town… the back alleys of Notre-Dame, right along the river Seine.
“On your every visit to Paris, do not miss the river banks at night” is her heart-felt advice to every visitor.
When Auguste isn’t thinking too much for his own good, he’s usually writing the next great screenplay. Beyond the walking cliché of the aspiring screenwriter, he is also an environmentalist at heart, a cat-loving vegetarian, an amateur architect and 3D modeler, and a shower singer.
He has his membership card for the official diplomatic archives.
He can go from discussing Henri Bergson’s philosophy to his quest to find the best guacamole in Paris (which he is fairly certain he has found) in a matter of seconds. He’s lived in Minneapolis for three years. It was very cold.
When you join Eva, ask her about what it was like growing up in a ‘banlieue’ neighbourhood in Paris. Or about the musicals she is so crazy about – she has starred in her university productions of Mamma Mia and Grease.
Eva likes showing off Paris so much that if you’re lucky she may even dance and sing her way through her tours with you.
Saint-Germain-des-prés is the area Eva calls home, and she is especially fond of the Evening River Tour – for its good singing spots, perhaps?
” Pure breed Parisian, Thibaut has learnt the art of persuasion in Paris’ infamous Political Institute. He grew up at Odéon, right next to the Latin Quarter, which has obviously always been his favorite tour.
He his totally crazy about music, especially the electronic scene, and will be delighted to help you to find your way to the finest record shops and the most underground venues of the city !
Feel free to converse with him in spanish as he always enjoy very much showing off about his knowledge of the Mexican savoir-vivre. “
Quentin has never stopped wandering in the streets of Paris. He thus found in walking tours the perfect way to deal with his endless admiration for his birth city.
After having graduated in law and philosophy, he turned to professional illustration, that he practices alongside his work as a tour guide.
He likes about Paris the same things he likes to show in his drawings : back streets, wonky houses and hidden nooks where life in expressed in its most natural and spontaneous way.
Louise is an expert of French literature and she loves showing Paris as she experiences it in the romantic novels she reads. Like Hemingway, she considers Paris as a “moveable feast”, and she lives and studies in Saint Germain des Près, in ordre to pursue Sartre and Beauvoir’s shadows. But to her opinion, the master in literature is Victor Hugo, and that is the reason why she holds the Notre Dame Cathedral so dear to her.
Louise is found of wandering in Parisian gardens at the end of the day, because it inspires her. Studying history and international law, Louise can speak Italian and can recommand you the best French chocolate confectionner, as she is a real gourmet.
If you look over in box #5 at the Garnier Opera House, you might see two eccentric characters there: the phantom of the Opera and… our city guide William.
His two passions are performing arts and French history, and I would bet my ready money William will wind up a theatre stage director sooner than later. After all, he has already been caught rehearsing and dancing in the giant hallways of the Sorbonne.
For now, William delivers very personal, sophisticated walking tours, where he delivers his vast knowledge in his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style.
Justine is fond of saying that in order to experience a city you need to pay attention not only to the landmarks, but also to the everyday life. That may be an elegant excuse for justifying Justine’s two passions – Paris and food. Crepès, macaroons, cheese. If you run into Justine during your stay, she will probably be eating somewhere, or talking about what she ate or is about to eat.
Being fairly well-travelled (with a preference for Asia and Australia), Justine likes to point to what makes Paris so unique – on her tours you quickly want to move to Paris.
Of all the members of our team, Virgile has the most powerful voice. If you are running late for his famed tour of Marais, you will likely hear him as far back as the Eiffel Tower.
Now on his tour Virgile will also give you tips for finding your way around when he is not with you. Virgile is an art history buff and a huge fan of photography, always in the know about the latest expos and up and coming artists.
What he likes most about Paris? Architecture and the city’s secret history, both aspects he is always willing to share with his (soon enraptured) visitors.
Candice is, many people say, the quintessential Parisian. For she has traveled many places, and visited many cities, yet she is convinced the best, most beautiful, most worthy of everyone’s attention, is – Paris of course!
Candice is also very political – should anything surprise you about French politics, if anyone can explain it, it is Candice.
At Discover Walks we keep asking ourselves one and the same question: just how does Olek know this? And that? And this again? It might help that Olek collects master’s degrees – one in comparative law, another in law history, and yet another in bio-chemistry. Oh, did I mention that Olek speaks fluent Polish?
In short, don’t expect Olek to give you a quick, dispassionate introduction about the Opéra, Notre Dame or the Sacré Coeur – he has studied and observed everything Paris-related in depth! (and he is VERY talkative, too).
When he has time, Olek dances the night away (salsa? nooooo! forro, says Olek!) and he eats all the cheese-cake he can find. He shares with Churchill a secret about living well – “Sports. No sports”.
Tour guide Charlotte was actually born in the district of Montmartre – a claim few people can make!
Charlotte’s pet subjects are contemporary art and fashion. She is, in her own words, “very right bank” – you’ll understand what she means the minute you joint her free tour.
Charlotte, who has lived in Sydney in the past, is moving to Milan in a few weeks – tips are welcome.
Eva Tapiero completed all her law studies in the very heart of Paris at La Sorbonne. She would enjoy the Luxembourg garden and the cafés of the Latin Quarter every day.
She is a real traveller (she lived in London, Bologna and Jerusalem) and loves going away only to come back to Paris.
Eva’s passions are literature, theatre and people from all over the world. Don’t hesitate to ask her where to go to catch a play, an opera or a ballet.
Before she started leading free walking tours Maris was a publisher in Saint-Germain. Naturally she has now also become… a Paris guidebook author! Her latest publication is About Paris in Summer (in French – learn French quickly!).
When she is not sitting at a café in the Latin Quarter, or looking at the spire of Notre-Dame from her window (some people are luckier than others!), Marie can be seen walking around Paris – or leading a walking tour, Montmartre – from Moulin rouge to Sacré coeur free tour in particular.
Beware, Marie “will have you wanting to live in Paris within 15 minutes.” If you join one of her tours, she will welcome you as friends and make you feel at home, but at the end of the day she will put a curse on you: “You’ll fall deeply in love with the city”.
On her walking tours likely to treat you to some singing – she is our expert-in-residence in French chanson – and a stage performer in her own right. She is also a bottom-less source about Edith Piaf, Aznavour and Joséphine Baker.
Marion was actually born on the French riviera – but soon realized that as a performing artist she would fare better in Paris.
In the city of light she seems to have a flair for the districts with soul – she has lived in Montmartre and near jardin des plantes. Our Montmartre Walking Tour and Le Marais tour are her specialties.
As a guide she is especially well-versed in the artistic and cultural Paris. And always keen on sharing jokes.