Paris Literary Tour

You’ll be greeted at the airport by your guide, who will then get you transferred to your hotel. Once you’ve had some time to unpack and relax for a bit, you’ll meet up for an orientation stroll around your Paris neighborhood, followed by dinner at a local restaurant where you’ll discuss the upcoming literary trip!

You’ll start your day on Rue St. Germain-des-Près, the Left Bank haunt of many a literary figure, and you’ll start where Hemingway did when he first came to Paris. Your guide will show you the Hotel l’Angleterre where the author stayed with his first wife Hadley Richardson, conveniently located near the cafes and bars he loved to frequent along with his Lost Generation mates F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein. Next, it’s time for a coffee at Les Deux Magot, a famous gathering spot for Paris’ literary elite including Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone Beauvoir. As you sit at a tiny table sipping your cafe au lait, you can contemplate the fact that Hemingway wrote this very cafe into The Sun Also Rises.

Wander along the Seine until you reach the acclaimed bookstore Shakespeare and Company. Hemingway famously smashed a vase there upon hearing of a bad review, and legend has it that Henry Miller “borrowed” books that he never returned. Although the shop has since been relocated here from its original location, the bookstore is nonetheless a treasure for bookworm ex-pats and locals alike.

From there you’ll cross the nearby bridge to the Île de la Cité, home of the Notre Dame cathedral, which tragically caught fire in early 2019. It’s currently under renovation and thus closed to visitors. But it’s nonetheless worthwhile to admire the 800-year-old structure from the outside and contemplate the history it has witnessed over the centuries. Next, stroll to the end of the island at Pont Neuf, literally “New Bridge,” but which is actually the oldest standing bridge across the Seine. Consider along the way as you admire the view of the city and watch the people sunning themselves along the banks of the river Seine that this island was the original founding spot for what is now Paris back in 250 B.C.!

It’s back to Rue St. Germain-des-Près for an outstanding dinner at one of a multitude of fine restaurants, and perhaps a nightcap at one of the many bars and cafes lining the bustling street.

Literature and art are of course hopelessly intertwined, and you can’t take a trip to Paris without seeing the Louvre. This awe-inspiring museum sets the bar for museums around the globe and is as impressive from the outside as it is from the inside. You’ll want to spend a minimum of half a day here, and that could easily stretch to a full day as you catch glimpses of world-renowned pieces around every corner, like the Venus de Milo and da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, as well as vast collections of Egyptian, Roman, and Greek antiquities. Don’t forget to pay tribute to the creator of the museum’s iconic glass pyramid, the architect I.M. Pei, who passed away in May 2019.

Once you’re able to tear yourself away, how about a nice stroll through the neighboring Jardin des Tuileries, a broad, sweeping 17th-century formal garden featuring huge open spaces and a number of statues. Then your knowledgeable guide will lead you just a few blocks away from the gardens to the Hotel Louvre Marsollier, where Oscar Wilde famously stayed after being released from the Reading Gaol in England where he had been imprisoned for gross indecency. Wilde’s tenure at the hotel was short-lived, however; he was soon kicked out for not paying his bill.

Next you’ll head over to the nearby Opera de Paris in the Palais de Garnier, a stunning, ornate building well worth a visit and a chat about The Phantom of the Opera, which was set here. Afterward, there are plenty of nearby options for dinner.

Today you’ll head back to the Left Bank for a visit to another of Hemingway’s haunts, the gorgeous Jardin Luxembourg. This park was originally built in the 17th century as part of the former royal residence, the Luxembourg Palace. Hemingway is said to have surreptitiously killed pigeons here to feed his family during hard times, hiding the birds in his son’s pram. Many a down-and-out writer and artist – perhaps not quite so desperate – has passed time here admiring the beautifully laid-out gardens and jotting notes.

Next it’s over to nearby 27 Rue de Fleurus, the former home of Gertrude Stein. The apartment she had there was known simply as “27,” and featured her famous “salons” where literati would gather and discuss the important issues of the day. Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas had an impressive collection of art, including pieces by Picasso, Cezanne and Matisse as well. Although the apartment is unremarkable today and in private hands, passing by there is an important touchstone on any literary tour of Paris, as it was in some ways the birthplace of the Lost Generation.

After lunch, it’s time to pay homage to a number of literary figures at the nearby Montparnasse Cemetery. It houses the remains of Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone Beauvoir and many other giants of literature, and is a good place to spend some quite contemplative time.

Finally, it’s time to head over to the Eiffel Tower. Your guide will steer you toward a nearby restaurant for dinner, because you’ll already have tickets to ascend the tower at night, to take in the spectacular view of the lights of the City of Light after night has fallen. See if you can spot the neighborhoods and arrondissements where you’ve already been!

One of the oldest continually operated theaters in the world, La Comédie Française dates back to 1680 and is a must-see on any literary tour of Paris. Home to the nation’s top actors over the years, the theater has also put on the works of playwrights including Balzac, Moliere, Racine and Zola. The theater, often referred to as “the House of Moliere” is housed in an exquisite building alongside the Jardins du Palais Royal, where you can enjoy a nice stroll afterward.

Then it’s up to Montmartre, the famously bohemian quarter featured in the film Moulin Rouge. Visit the nearby Musée de la Vie Romantique and you can see an entire floor devoted to writer George Sand, aka Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin. She was one of the most prominent women novelists of the 19th century, and just as well-known for shaking up staid Paris life with her fiery relationships, open bisexuality and cross-dressing.

Finally, it’s time for dinner and a show at – you guessed it – the Moulin Rouge! This amazing haunt of artists and literary figures like Toulouse-Lautrec and Colette still features cabaret theater in the style of the belle epoque era and is a great place to spend an evening.

Today you’ll start on the Left Bank again, deep in the Latin Quarter which was home to so many writers and artists. Your guide will take you first the Odeon Theater, constructed in the 17th century, near where James Joyce stayed in a hotel on Rue Corneille when he first arrived in Paris. Next it’s over to the Pantheon, an awe-inspiring mausoleum housing the remains of a plethora of important figures in the history of France, including Voltaire, Jean Rousseau, Victor Hugo and Emile Zola.

After, stop off at the nearby Polidor cafe for lunch, where Joyce and his compatriots spent time during the Lost Generation years, and later was frequented by Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller.

Next, you’re off to the Champs Elysees, home to not only high-end boutiques and shops but also the Champs-Elysees gardens, an expansive green space in the heart of the city, housing theaters, gorgeous hedges and more. Further up the street, you’ll get to the Arc de Triomphe, the breathtaking arch that overlooks a point where 12 avenues radiate outward. Climb the stairs to the top to view a gorgeous Paris sunset, then top off your trip with dinner and a discussion with your new friends about all the literary history you’ve encountered here.

It’s time for a croissant and a cafe, and then good-byes all around as you are transported to the airport and home. Just remember, you’ll always have Paris – along with the new friends and memories you’ve created in this magical city!