Paris Occupation History WWII 2 Hour Walking Tour
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Paris, France
- 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Paris’ most famous areas take on new meaning once you learn about the city’s wartime history. This small-group walk uses rare archival photographs to compare occupied Paris directly with today's streets, tracing daily life under German control from 1940 to 1944. Cover nine stops across the city center, from Place de la Concorde to Square Louvois.
- Cover nine sites across Paris without having to plan your route
- Visit historically pertinent sites you might have otherwise missed
- Ask questions freely in a small group, without competing with a large crowd
- Choose a morning or afternoon start time to suit your schedule
What's Included
- Admission Fee - Admission fee
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Strasbourg StatuePl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France
The guide will send you a message the day before, which will allow you to get her contact details. She will be there before the meeting time to welcome you just below the statue. She will be wearing a black cap.
End point
- Cour Carrée75001 Paris, France
Itinerary
1
Place de la Concorde
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Le Meurice
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Ritz Paris
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Place De L'Opera
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Palais Berlitz
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Square Louvois
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Town Hall of the 2nd arrondissement of Paris
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Rue De Rivoli
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 75 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Diane_C, Sep 2026
Marteaux was extremely knowledgeable on the subject. She presented it in an enjoyable format. She had photo info also. This was the best tour I have ever been on. I am very interested in history. My husband was is not and he also gave it a five star rating so impressed with our guide..
Karolynn_H, Sep 2026
Margo was a great guide. She is French and very knowledgeable about the Nazi occupation as well as relations between France & the US. Answered all questions and provided stops in shade and with seating. I highly recommend!
Raphael_C, Sep 2026
Margaux was a great guide! She sent me a WhatsApp message to confirm the booking, and then when I got slightly lost getting to the meet-up point, called me to guide me there.
Margaux has a real passion for her subject - Paris under Nazi occupation during 1940-44. She does not shy away from issues that may be uncomfortable: the nature and extent of French collaboration with the German occupiers, and the Vichy regime’s efforts to match or even outdo the Nazis sometimes in deporting Jews.
Given the tour’s limited timeframe of 2 1/2 hours or so, the walk takes place around a couple square miles. You get to see some of the buildings where the German high command took over (such as Le Meurice Hotel, the HQ of the German military governor), a small monument in a park to the Jewish children from that neighborhood who got deported, and a French government building that was liberated by the resistance in August 1944.
For anyone with an interest in WWII history and the role of France and Paris in it, this tour will increase your interest and make you want to study it more after getting home.
Carlyn_D, Aug 2026
Our WWII Occupation tour with Margaux was one of the highlights of our trip to Paris. Margaux was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, and she brought the history of occupied Paris to life as we walked through the city. We learned so much about the German occupation, the French Resistance, the persecution of Paris’s Jewish community, the liberation of Paris, and the stories behind places we otherwise would have walked right past. She gave us historical context without ever making it feel like a lecture and was wonderful about answering our questions. After the tour, we found ourselves noticing Paris differently because we understood more of the history behind what we were seeing. If you’re interested in WWII history, I highly recommend this tour and Margaux!
Robert_P, Aug 2026
The subject matter was very interesting for WWII history buffs and Margaux was an outstanding docent.
Jennifer_G, Aug 2026
This was AMAZING!!! Our guide, Margaux, was very informative. We learned so much about the French living under the German occupation during WWII. She was very accommodating for our family of 3 kids ( ages 16, 14, and 11) and our two grandmas. The kids had a great time asking questions and later commenting on how much they had learned!
TH_H, Jul 2026
We have a wonderful time!! This is a great 2.5 hour tour that will teach you about the Nazi occupation.
David_B, Jul 2026
Terrific tour with Margaux who was able to capture the broad context of the war and occupation as well as the day to day reality and individual stories of courage and resistance.
S_N, Jul 2026
We booked this WW2 walking tour for a Wednesday morning and there were about 8 people in total on our tour. Tour was an independent guide (1533 walks - historic Paris tours) via Viator.
Margaux, our tour guide, was friendly and well organised. She messaged us the day prior with all the relevant information and we found the meeting point easily. Please note, the start and end point are different, but well documented in the message.
The tour commenced at 1030am and finished just before 1pm.
Margaux led us around various places connected with WW2. She gave a well balanced account of the occupation, the collaboration and the resistance. She also had a tablet with her to show us photos and maps etc from the time which was really useful to aid our understanding.
Margaux was happy to answer any additional questions we had and looked after us all well.
We would thoroughly recommend Margaux and this tour to anyone interested to learn more about this era in Paris.
Christi_L, Jul 2026
Margot was an excellent guide! She was funny, engaged the whole group, very knowledgeable, and obviously loved history! Highly recommend!
Ada_P, Jul 2026
This is an excellent tour for those interested in WWII, the French Resistance and the liberation of Paris. Margaux is a delightful tour guide and history lover, and provided us with lots of interesting facts. The two hour walking tour went very fast. I highly recommend this tour.
Hiba_M, Jun 2026
Super informative and history heavy for people who want to learn more about French history. Margaux was super friendly and informative!
Timothy_M, Jun 2026
Highly recommend this tour if you’re interested in World War II France, specifically, Paris, including Nazi takeover, what it was like living in Paris during that time and the Resistance.
Our tour guide Marguax was very knowledgeable. I especially enjoyed seeing the old photos as we stood in front of the same buildings today as she explained the history and importance of them.
I appreciate that she kept us well informed of the meeting time and place.
Kenneth_K, Jun 2026
I enjoyed the tour. The guide had a wide range of knowledge interlaced with photos and places related to Germany occupation of Paris.
Ange_B, May 2026
The tour was amazing! Would throughly recommend if you are visiting Paris, was so interesting to walk in the footsteps of history
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you! Walking through the same streets, standing in the same spots, there's nothing quite like it to make history feel real. So glad it resonated. Hope you'll be back in Paris soon!
Sharon_B, Apr 2026
Margaux was a lovely, knowledge, fun and friendly guide. So much information, pictures and hidden steps to discover. The time flew by in the most enjoyable way
10/10 rating!
From $52.06
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