2.5 Hour Walking Tour Of Père Lachaise Cemetery From Paris

This was one of the most interesting and enjoyable walking tours my wife and I have ever taken. Max was well versed and knowledgeable about the history of the cemetery and the grave sites. He was very informative and kept us entertained with his insights. I highly recommend Max as a guide and thank him for his time during our tour of Père Lachaise cemetery

We echo what everyone else has said in reviewing this guided tour. Max is well versed in global history, the history of the Pere Lachaise cemetery as well as the history of the people buried there. He is a true storyteller and hence a joy to walk through this very special place with. Highly recommended.

This tour of Pere Lachaise exceeded expectations. Highly recommend for insight and history you may miss on your own. Max had thoughtfulness with my slow walking pace and yet very thorough. Excellent value.

It was a very informative and interesting tour with Max.He showed us the famous graves but also the quirky ones and beautiful ones.He gave the history of France through the discussion of the graves and their occupants.He went overtime to 4 hours but it was worth it. I highly recommend him.

This was an absolutely extraordinary tour of such a wonderful cemetery. Max was truly an outstanding tour guide and went above and beyond. Tour started at 10AM and didn’t end until nearly 1:30. All main aspects and highlights were covered plus many other cemetery memorials. Max was super knowledgeable, friendly, spoke at a great volume making it personal and easy to hear. Max is a true historian and offers a ton of information. His pace was excellent and was easy to follow. Really provided an in depth look at this amazing place. Highly recommend - 5 stars all the way!

Max Wolf was a fantastic guide. Perfect English. Guides these tours as a hobby and his extensive knowledge and love for this magnificent cemetery were obvious. I plan on asking for him specifically when I return in the future. Amazing experience!

Our guide was very knowledgeable and very personable. Wonderful experience!! Would highly recommend!

A fine exploration of the cemetery and the history of France; we were a small group with only a few graves in mind but we got a marvellous sense of the place and how it has changed over time. Highly recommend for English speakers.

Max Wolf did a wonderful job with our tour. We were all English speakers and, as he was as well, he was very easy to understand. He was also sensitive to moving at the pace of our small group. The tour was very informative…both for the cemetery and French history. I recommend him highly.

We really enjoyed max and his extensive knowledge of the cemetery. I had gone previously, and found this tour to be much more informative and fun. Highly recommend.

Absolute fantastic. Max knew so much about the history of not just the cemetery, but the history of France. He would give us fully background on all the people who we visited in the cemetery so I really learned a ton. He made sure to ask who in particular we were interested in and helped me track down the graves of multiple painters I was interested in seeing. A great visit and guide!!

Max was generous with his time and knowledge. He knows the cemetery like the back of his hand and is passionate about the subject matter. He took extra time to show my nephew the graves of Proust and Moliere after the tour officially ended, even though he did not tell Max at the beginning of the tour that he would like to see them. Max knows the history and is a natural storyteller and a genuinely nice human. Don't miss his tour, it was a highlight of our ftip to Paris.

We had a wonderful time with Max at Pere Lachaise. He is a great story teller and we learned a lot about the famous, infamous and not so famous. A huge bonus is his knowledge of the different nooks and crannies of the cemetery. Would definitely do this again

We had a great cemetery tour with Max - he had so many interesting stories to tell, and was happy to personalise our tour. A very relaxed and fun experience - we could never have learnt so much from a brochure. Thanks Max!

Excellent, thorough, and detailed guided visit through Pere Lachaise cemetery with a charismatic and knowledgeable guide. Max's walking tour gave us a very clear picture of the ethos that framed the founding of the cemetery and took us to a splendid range of tombs both in terms of the scale of the memorial and the nature of the individual/family being memorialised. Lovely to have such a small group and we certainly got value for money from Max who was very generous with both time and insights. Couple of tips - do take advantage of the periodic water stations (the spring water was very good) and do make time for the plaques at the crematorium - a very impressive building we could only briefly brush past. To consider - the cemetery is very large and is located on rising ground. It may not be practical to try to fit in everything into a single visit. Perhaps pick a focus, limit the amount of walking on one day, and plan to visit again for the rest. I think by the end all of us were ready for refreshment at the cafes beyond the gates.

This was an amazing tour. Max took the time to ask us questions to understand our likes and interests. From there he customized a tour that would most interest us. Max has a real passion for the history of this cemetery and the people in it. He takes you to the sites of the people that shaped France and the history. If you ever are in Paris and want to experience a tour of the Pere Lachaise please look for Max. You will glad you did.

We really enjoyed our tour with Max! He will customize your tour based on what you are most interested in (ie art & symbolism, French history, famous people, etc). Highly recommend.

My partner and I reserved a tour with Max Wolf and I can’t say enough wonderful things about him. Even though we arrived early, we were unfortunately dropped off on the wrong side of the cemetery, got completely lost trying to find the meeting place for the tour and even after many panicked phone calls to Trip Advisor, we missed meeting Max at the correct time/place. HOWEVER, he was extremely gracious and was willing to meet us the next morning (on his own time, no less!) to give us an amazing tour of the cemetery. He clearly loves the place and its history. His passion and deep respect showed in every wonderful, detailed story he told us about the people laid to rest there, the sad, the heart-breaking, the funny, the historically important and the “merely” human. He has a clear vision of how the historical movements through time revolve around and impact the land and the people of Pere LaChaise cemetery, and he’s very articulate in explaining how they are interwoven. We were VERY lucky to have had him as our guide to this amazing place. Thank you soooo much Max.

Max was an outstanding tour guide and very knowledgeable. We never felt rushed at any point, and he was easy to speak with and understand. He was patient with all of our questions throughout the tour. The amount of knowledge that he has memorized is amazing ! Our tour ran longer than planned (because of our fascination with the cemetery), and Max never tried to rush us along. He was also kind enough to cater toward our requests. I highly recommend booking him for your tour of Pere Lachaise - you will not be disappointed. It is obvious he is passionate about his craft, and he has a great sense of humor!

This is a unique, magnificent experience -- a history tour of epic proportions. Max, the guide, weaves in a fascinating odyssey of human adventures and misadventures. Along with all the ultra famous landmarks, we discover lesser known eccentrics, achievers, warmongerers, and artists. The cemetery is beautiful, and the stories bring the whole place, ironically, to life. Max is funny, thoughtful, attentive, and also tailors his tour to include any preferences you may have (musicians, artists, politicians, etc). All in all, stunning. Next time we're in Paris, we'll be going back for a part two...

Max went above and beyond to make this a fantastic tour of Père Lachaise. What was supposed to be a 2.5-hour tour, to my curiosity’s delight, became 3.5 hours (with an enjoyable break). There were just two of us, and Max took the time to understand what interested us and tailor the tour accordingly — making it wonderfully personalised experience. Highly knowledgeable about the cemetery’s history, he shared fascinating stories and anecdotes, taking us from famous graves to lesser-known paths. With the intrigue and revelations continually flowing, Max’s passion, knowledge and upbeat style did a great job of bringing this place of death to vibrant life. We only stopped because the closing bell rang! I came away more informed, even more curious, and would, without hesitation, take another tour with Max.

Our guide, Max, was fantastic. He lead us all over the cemetery with fantastic stories, insights, and humour. He was prepared to endure the tour met our criteria and took time to talk to each of us about what we thought or saw. I highly recommend Max!

Our original guide was no longer available on the day we had booked, so he offered either to reschedule the tour or to have it with another guide he recommended. Since all our other days in Paris were already planned and we had other tours booked, we chose the recommended guide. Unfortunately, our expectations for the tour were quite different. We were interested not only in seeing the graves of famous people, but also in understanding who they were, why they were important, and their place in French and European culture. Simply saying that this is where Honoré de Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Molière or Édith Piaf is buried did not give us much. We were travelling with our 12-year-old son, to whom many of these names meant absolutely nothing. We ended up explaining ourselves who Oscar Wilde, Balzac and Molière were and what they had written. We also felt that the guide was more interested in telling sensational or unusual stories, while what interested us most was the cultural and historical side of Père-Lachaise: the people buried there, their work, their significance and the stories that explain why they are remembered today. So perhaps it was simply a mismatch of expectations. Père-Lachaise is an extraordinary place, and we would have preferred a tour focused much more on its cultural history and the people who made it such an important part of Paris.

We had a guided tour of the cemetery in Paris with Max yesterday, and it was an amazing experience. Max was a fantastic guide with an incredible amount of knowledge about the cemetery and the many famous graves. He shared fascinating stories and historical background in a very engaging and entertaining way. My son and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour from start to finish. If you’re visiting Paris and are interested in history, culture, or simply want a unique experience, I highly recommend this tour with Max. It was one of the highlights of our trip!

Had a great first time tour of Père Lachaise cemetery. What a treat with Max. Very knowledgeable, personable, and would have kept going had the cemetery not been closing! So many stories! Highly recommend visiting the beautiful, sprawling cemetery with Max. Wear your good walking shoes. Lots to see and history to learn.

Wow! What a fantastic guided tour of Pere Lachaise cemetery. The establishment of the first individual burial sites in Paris was intimately related to the history and politics of the French Revolution. Max was very knowledgeable , and we were able to ask lots of questions. There were also lots of fun facts learning about the more unusual grave sites. Well worth it. Thank you Max for expanding our knowledge of French history and culture, and all the interesting stories. Marian and John Shaw, Australia

Max is the perfect tour guide! We ended up having a private tour as we were the only ones who booked that day. He made sure we saw all the graves on my list as well as other lesser known ones. All the sites he showed us had such interesting and informative stories. Max is so personable and knowledgeable! He gave us an extra 45 minute tour and would have gone longer, but we had a lunch reservation to go to. He made sure we got a taxi after the tour. Amazing morning spent on our last full day in Paris!

Pere Lachaise cemetery is a wonderful distillation of Paris: contemplative and wild, beautiful and crumbling, a place where anything goes. And Max Wolf is the perfect person to show it to you: he’s full of history and stories, and makes it all fascinating and enjoyable; truly an expert on the subject and very well-informed. Very highly recommended.

My wife and I spent a week in Paris in June (in the heat!), and this was an absolute highlight of our time there. We've wanted visit this iconic cemetary for some time, and our experience with Max as our guide exceeded our expectations. He contacted us before the tour telling us exactly where and where it would start and finish, including photos so we knew exactly what to look for. I identified Max from his photo as soon as we approached the start. From the outset he was engaging, wonderfully friendly and personable, and very keen to make this tour unique for us. He asked us our general interest in Pere Lachaise, any specific tombs or graves we wanted to see, and was very keen to personalise our experience. He knows the cemetary like the back of his hand and carefully guided us through it, highlighting a lot of really interesting sights, annotated with his amazing knowledge and research. We saw all the key places that we all know about, but so much more too. This was as much an engaging social history of France as it was a walking tour, really brought to life (no pun intended). But it was also highly accessible and comfortable. Max is such a friendly, authentic and passionate guide. He does this as a hobby and it's so clear how much he wants others to enjoy what he clearly does. I highly recommend Max!

Max went above and beyond during our walking tour of Pere Lachaise. He was an excellent guide and told us many interesting stories about the history of Paris, of France and the cemetery and about some of the famous residents buried there. Great tour - highly recommend! I also liked that from time to time he pointed out tombs of ordinary people, all with touching storied behind.

I had been here several years prior and seen several iconic graves… however my tour with Max was one of the best things I’ve done in Paris. Too many grave sites to mention but Max's knowledge is superb. He asked me what interested me and for the next 3 hrs we circled the graves with terrific explanations and assoc stories. Give him a call and book a tour …you won’t be disappointed.

We had a wonderful time on our tour with Max! He was extremely knowledgeable, kind and engaging with our group of adults and children. This is something my mother has been wanting to do for ages and Max made it the best experience possible. We had grandparents, parents and children on our tour and we were all engrossed in the history of this amazing site. I didn’t realize how large and tricky it would be to navigate without a guide, thank goodness we booked in advance. Thank you Max for being an amazing guide!

Could not have been a better tour. Instead of walking from spot to spot and giving a spiel, and then walking to the next spot, Max talked continually from the beginning to the end. The amount of information at his disposal was simply amazing. Could have spent the entire day with him.

This tour with Max was a highlight of my recent trip to Paris. I highly recommend it for all English speakers wishing to visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Max’s knowledge of the Cemetery and graves is monumental (if you’ll excuse the pun) and he shares this in an informative, but engaging and sometimes most entertaining manner. He is flexible as to which graves to show you (he emailed before the tour to enquire about any graves of particular interest). However I was mostly happy to leave the choice to him. And what an eclectic mix it was. The most interesting graves were for people I had never heard of, but after hearing Max’s account, I wish I had known the deceased. Max is very knowledgeable about Paris and French history, and a big strength of the tour was his ability to place the life of the deceased within the context of French history and society, in an interesting and captivating manner. Max is very personable and engaging. His directions for meeting up were crystal clear, and afterwards he gave very good advice about the surrounds and places to lunch. Given the quality of Max’s tour, I regard it as very good value. You won’t be disappointed.

Max was a fantastic guide. As a history lover, I appreciated his depth of knowledge about the cemetary and Paris. Max will tailor his presentation to the interests of the visitor. One can tell he truly enjoys his job. Highly recommend.

Absolutely fantastic experience! Walking and talking with Max was one of the true highlights of our trip. The tour was relaxed, engaging, and full of fascinating insights that brought everything to life. Max is an exceptional guide — incredibly knowledgeable, warm, and endlessly patient with our questions. The conversation flowed naturally, the stories were captivating, and we felt genuinely cared for throughout the experience. If you’re looking for a guide who combines deep knowledge with kindness, ease, and passion, look no further. We can’t recommend Max highly enough! And Max - we will take you up on the offer of a repeat when we return!

Exceptionally personable and knowledgeable guide. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon rambling through Pere Lachaise cemetery and learning so much - not just about the famous/infamous residents but some history of Paris and greater Europe.

Max was a wonderful guide!! He was very knowledgeable and showed all the hidden gems that might otherwise be overlooked.

Wonderful experience! A great tutor. I will definitely reach out again...no question.

Fantastic tour due to the guide Max. He is knowledgeable, delightful, fun and warm. Highly recommend Max. You won’t be disappointed.

Our guide, Max, was delightful. His enthusiasm and genuine interest in Pere LaChaise and its endless stories was contagious. He responded to our interests, showed us unique and fascinating monuments and memorials, told us great stories about the cemetery itself and the people and families buried there, and combined humor with seriousness. It is clearly a labor of love for Max to show people his discoveries. I wholeheartedly recommend taking a tour with him.

Our tour guide Max was incredibly knowledgeable about nearly every tomb and even more so about story behind, which made our experience at Père Lachaise truly unforgettable. It’s definitely one of those tours you’d happily do again!

Max , the tour guide is a Scot who has lived in Paris for years and made a hobby of exploring and learning about Père Lachaise Cemetery. He was one of the best guides I’ve ever had. He told wonderful facts and stories about the famous, infamous and regular people buried there. I also learned a lot about French history. I was fascinated for the full 2.5 hours. He also provided great communication. I highly recommend this tour.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery was high on my list and I read many, many reviews on various guides before selecting Max Wolf. I understand why people raved about him. He was excellent! We had a wonderful 2.5 hour tour with Max and wandered all around the cemetery winding here and there amongst the tombs and headstones. This was in early April so all the trees were green and some were flowering. Beautiful. We heard a lot of history, some amusing stories, and details about many of the famous and some not so famous people buried there. Max could answer every question we asked. Prior to our tour, Max asked if there were any tombs in particular that we wanted to see and he made sure we saw them. Some that we saw: Colette, Heloise and Abelard (my request), Jim Morrison, Chopin, Marcel Marceau, Edith Piaf, the memorials for the victims of WWII, and many more. I highly recommend Max for this walking tour and will sign up again with him for Pere Lachaise the next time I am in Paris. I am sure that it will be equally as entertaining and informative the second time around. Thank you Max.

The tour was fascinating, interesting and educative. I fully understand, that there in no way to get everything about cementary during the tour, therefore acknowledged our guide selection what to tell and what to show. Keep in mind - the tour is walking one, so, you might be a bit tired at the end.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon with Max—there’s so much we learned during the tour. Père Lachaise Cemetery is absolutely stunning, and this is definitely not your run-of-the-mill experience. Max is happy to tailor the tour to your interests, which made it feel especially personal and engaging. Ours was a very small group of 4 which was perfect. One of the best things we’ve done in Paris!

Max was a pleasure to be with and catered to everyone’s interests! He was super engaging and knowledgeable and we learned so much!

Great tour. Max is extremely knowledgeable, personable and witty. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.

Max was awesome, pure and simple. He has incredible enthusiasm for the history of the people buried here. It rained, hailed, and I kid you not, they closed the cemetery early (either because of the hail or some kind of governmental situation) so Max treated all of us to coffee. One of my favorite couple of hours of my 3 week vacation. Great experience.