Paris Christmas Illuminations and Local Festivities Private Tour
Recommended by 100% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Paris, France
- 3 to 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
During the Holiday season, experience the festive magic of Paris on this private tour. Accompanied by your guide, explore diverse sites and Christmas-spirited neighborhoods as you navigate on foot and by private transportation. Discover top landmarks at their most festive including the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Champs Élysées. Observe Galeries Lafayette’s famed Christmas window display and visit the rooftop (subject to availability); ride the Ferris wheel at a holiday market (ticket at your own expense); and indulge in seasonal snacks and mulled wine or some rich hot chocolate.
- Cover more ground by exploring Paris from a chauffeured vehicle and on foot
- Admire Paris beauty from a different perspective with a ride on it's famed Ferris wheel (own expense)
- Indulge in seasonal snacks and mulled wine (or soft drink) at a holiday market
- Hassle-free tour with Paris hotel pickup and drop-off included
Why Travellers Choose This Tour
Enjoy panoramic city views from the top of the Ferris wheel and a free warm drink.
What's Included
- Professional Local guide
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off (within Paris city limits only)
- SnacksSeasonal sweets
- Alcoholic BeveragesHot Spiced wine (Must be 18 and over)
- Coffee and/or TeaIf under 18: hot chocolate to keep you warm (or any drink of your choice)
- Private transportationTaxi / Uber
- Your Ferris wheel ride (20€ per adult / 12€ per child) - Your guide's ticket is includedEUR20.00 per person
- Galeries Lafayette are closed on Dec 25 and January 1. Holiday market and Ferris wheel are open.
- No pickups outside of Paris city limits (NO Airports, NO Disney)
- Optional gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
If you do not see your hotel on this shortlist above, please add your hotel name and address information for pick up, gladly offered within Paris city limits. IMPORTANT: We DO NOT offer pickup at or near Paris airports (CDG, ORLY, BEAUVAIS). We DO NOT offer pickup near DISNEYLAND area. We DO NOT offer pickup nowhere outside of Paris. If your hotel is in this situation, we suggest that you book a transfer service to a meeting point in Paris where the tour will start. Any airport pickup request will be automatically cancelled. Your pickup time: • November - Monday to Sunday: 5:30PM • December & January: 5PM • Exceptionally, December 24 (Christmas' eve) and 31 (New Year's eve) at 3:45PM
Start time.5:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Jardin des Tuileries
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Place Vendome
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Champs-Elysees
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travellers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years in France. Under 18, soft non-alcoholic drink will be substituted to mulled wine or any light alcohol beverage
- Wear warm clothes! It is winter in France...and Christmas :-)
- Wear comfortable shoes
- This tour is maintained rain or shine
- Galeries Lafayette are closed on December 25 (Christmas day) and January 1 (New Year's day). These two days, only the outdoor displays are availalble. Also, the holiday market and Ferris wheel are open
- Galeries Lafayette decorations may be taken down after New Year's eve. Yet, the Paris illuminations and CHristmas market is still up until January 7.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 47 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
This is the best thing we booked on our holiday. Milan is an amazingly knowledgeable host, telling us interesting bits of history everywhere we went. We loved the storefronts, the terrace view, the light displays, the tree inside Galleries Lafayette and everything! Hiring a private tour was a bit of a splurge for us but worth every bit. We felt like we got an excellent tour. My daughters (22 and 12) both raved about it.
Milan was terrific. We saw so much of Christmas in Paris and we got to see some unique sights. Highly recommend.
Very knowledgeable and personable.
Made him wait for us due to traffic getting to our meeting place, but we were very well taken care of.
This was a great tour seeing all the Christmas lights in Paris. Milan was a great guide and took us everywhere we wanted to go and then some. I would definitely recommend this tour and guide.
This was an excellent tour that surpassed our expectations! Our guide, Milan , met us at our hotel with a bottle of champagne before we started off. We began at Galleries Lafayette and ended with a ferris wheel ride at a Christmas fair and carnival near the Louvre. And everything in-between! Paris was all lit up even more than usual because it was Christmas. Milan took us to all the highlights as well as off the beaten paths.
Milan was very knowledgeable and informative and easy to understand and communicate with.
And our tour lasted almost 2 hours longer than advertised!
Milan was an excellent guide and we highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! As your guide, I was delighted to share the magic of Paris during the Christmas season with you and take the time for it.
Thank you for choosing my tour, and I'm thrilled that I could help make your Paris visit so memorable!
Bonne annee!
Milan
Excellent experience! Our tour guide, Milan Milet, was extraordinary! Very knowledgeable and took us to the best places to see all the Christmas lights and displays.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your wonderful review! I'm truly delighted that you enjoyed the Christmas lights tour. As your guide, it brings me great joy to share my knowledge and showcase the most enchanting holiday displays our city has to offer. I strive to make each tour special, and I'm grateful that you found the experience excellent. Thank you again for joining my tour and for taking the time to share your kind words.
Well the crowds were overwhelming! So why that’s a negative it’s also a positive as everyone wants to be there ! Our guide Milan Melet was well knowledgeable and a ton of fun . I have been to Paris before so we shared our knowledge and he opened my eyes to some details I missed on past trips. If you want a memorable trip request Milan!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! You make an excellent point about the crowds - it's true that while they can be challenging, they're also a testament to Paris's enduring appeal. So, I'm delighted that I was able to enhance your experience, and that I took you back to the correct hotel ;-)
Bonne année!
The most amazing nighttime tour that took us from the front windows of Printemps and Galerie Lafayette to the sky deck where we arrived just in time for the Eiffel Tower to light up. Milan, our guide , was knowledgeable and a congenital host to the city of lights. He had lived in the U.S. and his English is impeccable. When we expressed interest in Chanel and Dior. He took us an amazing journey to see their houses decorated in a unique and beautiful style! So many good pointers from Milan! A five star host!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with great details! From Nashville to Belleville, I look forward to seeing you again.
Happy Birthday to Katie and Happy Holidays y’all!
Would recommend to all. We came specifically came for Christmas and exceeded our expectations! Made our Christmas. Milan was wonderful
Response from Host, Dec 2024
You are so welcome! Merci beaucoup! It was a pleasure to help make this tour special and easy to you and your husband.
Happy Holidays !
Milan was a wonderful guide! My husband and son had never been to Paris before, and Milan managed to show them/us so many of the major sites and views in a short time. He also took family photos of us in front of various light displays. And he gave us helpful information on Normandy, which is where we are headed after Paris. Well worth the money!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Merci beaucoup, y'all! It was such a pleasure for me too.
How was the Petit Palais? I hope you enjoyed it as it a true gem of a museum, too often overlooked.
And I'm glad that my helpful tip about Normandy made the difference.
Happy Holidays!
Milan
Milan is an amazing guide. If and when we go back we will call him. He meet us at our hotel to start our adventure. For us first time in the city he explained the history while see Christmas lights around Paris.
Our guide Milan Melet was excellent! His English was superb, his knowledge of Paris was outstanding. We enjoyed every minute of our tour.
Donna and Dale Nichols
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Bonjour Donna and Dale,
I remember that I had thanked you here. But for some reason, I don't see my answer anymore. Anyway! Let's remedy to this as I want again to thank you for your great review and your lovely company last Christmas season. I am so happy that I made your day a memorable one. Pleasure is shared. Anytime again!
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Paris Christmas light tour. Milan was wonderful and so knowledgeable about all the sites we visited. Paris is magical in December and we are so happy that we chose this event! Thanks again, Milan!
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Bonjour Pat and Ray
Merci beaucoup for your sweet and warm review after you chose to feel the magic of Paris Christmas season in my company. And thank you for the great apartment tip! Long life to Cotton Doux moments :-)
Gratefully.
This was the best Christmas light/night tour we have been on. Milan Melet was an excellent host and tour guide. The tour was part walking, Metro train and taxi. We saw many fabulous light displays, Christmas markets and of course the main attractions in Paris including the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe at night. The lights on the Champs Elysees avenue were beautiful. Milan allowed us plenty of time to take pictures and was extremely patient. He was very knowledgeable providing interesting facts about the places we visited. And as a side note, he provided a tour in 2022 for the Travel Host (Donna Farizan) of the NBC Today Show which can be seen on YouTube (NBC Donna Farizan Paris). Finally, he is an extremely personable and kind individual that did everything possible to ensure we had a wonderful experience and he succeeded!! AA++ John S.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you so much John and Kathryn
We truly had a great time! And it was quite fun to see how much you were excited by using the metro :-) A great evening with a well fixed last drink to end it nice and cozy.
I usually don't give a 5 star rating but our tour guide Milan
did such an excellent job showing my wife and I the Parisian Christmas scene.
We especially enjoyed seeing the Christmas windows and the inside of Galeries Lafayette, the mulled wine and ferris wheel ride at the Christmas Market(reminded me of an amusement park) and seeing the lights on the Champs Elysees
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you so much, Michael ! It means a lot that you have written this 5 star review as an exception. Cheers - santé - with mulled wine. Merci !
Milan was an amazing tour guide and made sure we saw everything! He’s very knowledgeable about all things Paris. From the start of our tour until the end we had the best time! If you are looking for a fun way to experience Paris during the holidays- this is the tour to do!
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Jen & Dana
Thank you so much *** Merci beaucoup
for a fun time shared.
Enjoy Paris and the Holiday season !
Amitiés,
Milan
Milan was absolutely fantastic !!!! This tour was incredible!! Milan took us to see all of the gorgeous decorations all over Paris. He took tons of pictures of us (at our request)-Milan had so much energy and it was clear that he loved being a specialty tour guide. He knew just about everything about Paris ! He answered all of our questions and we feel like we learned so much about Paris -both past and present. It was freezing outside, but Milan didn’t seem to notice. He took us all over the outdoor Christmas markets, to city hall, Place Vendôme, Avenue Montaigne, the Champs Élysées and more. He even personalized the tour based on our specific requests. Milan was just amazing. This tour was a major highlight of our trip. If you will be in Paris during the holidays, this tour with Milan is a must! You will absolutely be delighted. The next time we travel to Paris we can’t wait to take another tour with Milan. He is a rockstar. Thank you!
We had a wonderful evening in our guide’s company checking out a plethora of Paris holiday decorations, both on foot and by taxi. Our host (Milan) was very friendly, had great stories to share about Paris history and took us to places we could not have visited on our own in a single evening (or at least not very easily). This was a private tour and we were very well taken care of…highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see Paris by night at the holidays. Money very well spent!! 🎄
We were taken to beautiful areas in Paris. Great tour by Milan! We loved it. He explained everything with details
This was by far one of the best tours we have ever done! Milan was a fantastic guide and he was able to keep us all engaged for the duration of the tour! Even the teenagers!
Milan felt like a friend of the family and we were sad when the tour ended as Milan went out of his way to ensure we saw everything we wanted too and more.
This is not a job for Milan, this was more than that, it was obvious the passion and love Milan had for Paris which transferred to my family and we now speak very highly of Paris.
If you are in Paris then we would 💯% recommend this tour!
Thank you Milan from the Nicholson’s
Our guide, Milan, was well versed in French history and local Paris venues. His enthusiasm lifted the four of us and greatly added to our appreciation of our surroundings. Three cheers for Viator and Milan!
I had such an amazing tour with Milan! My friend got sick at the last minute so I was solo & had seen alot of the Christmas lights already. Milan adjusted the tour to include other highlights of Paris that I was interested in along with some of the amazingly beautiful lights I hadn't seen before. He is a wealth of knowledge about Paris and it's history. I thoroughly enjoyed everything we did & there's just too many highlights to mention. I would highly recommend booking this tour with Milan & definitely tell him your interests so he can include narrative about those subjects. I can't wait to go back to Paris & book another tour! Thank you!!!
Milan, the guide, was excellent. He has a passion for history and he provided so much context to the many sites we visited. He was a super pleasant guy and I enjoyed my time with him.
We had a fantastic time! Milan, our guide, knew so much about everything & we saw some amazing sights! Gorgeous Christmas lights and displays. He allowed us to change up the agenda slightly and we had so much fun with him. Highly recommend the tour & Milan!
Milan was EVERYTHING and more that I didn’t know that I needed. He was very informative, pleasant and funny! My first time to Paris and he made it EPIC!!
Milan was a terrific guide and we got to see so much and we learned a lot about the history of the places we visited. We do hope another ferris wheel replaces the one we went on as it will no longer return. The Christmas windows in the shopping centers were a highlight of the tour. Take this tour it will be well worth it! Heads up, it is a mostly walking tour so make sure you are warm and ready for a little winter rain.
Wonderful experience. Milan was an amazing tour guide. We got to see so much of Paris in a short amount of time. I highly recommend any tour with Milan.
Despite the city's cancellation of their usual Christmas Village, Milan from With Love From Paris Tours did a marvelous job. Shops, touring downtown, and of course chocolate. It was truly like an outing with old friend. Highly recommend.
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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