With your expert guide, begin your tour through this converted Beaux-Arts train station. Inside, explore the artistic movements that led up to Impressionism and its colorful works. See Manet’s scandalous Luncheon on the Grass and Renoir’s Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette. Discuss with your guide the artists who preceded the Impressionists, like Millet and 'the Gleaners,' as well as those who followed, such as Post-Impressionist artist Van Gogh, whose Bedroom in Arles is on display. And, of course, check out works by the father of Impressionism himself, Claude Monet, including his famous poppies. Learn about the art evolution and personalities that went into creating the Impressionist movement, and understand why these seemingly simple works were so revolutionary at the time. By the end of your tour, you'll have learned about techniques used by the artists, seen both the highlights and lesser-known gems of the Orsay, and admired the beautiful architecture of the museum itself.
After the Museum we will take a private car and a short break to then discover the history of Montmartre, as we will climb the butte or hills - starting at its base where the Moulin Rouge’s windmill still spins slowly. Wind up the hill and its cobbled streets flooded with charm to discover the houses of artists like Van Gogh and Picasso who called Montmartre home. At the summit, enter the gleaming white basilica of Sacré Coeur, and score a spectacular photo op of Paris from one of the city’s highest points. Lovers of the film Amélie, will feel at home in this district, where much of the movie was filmed. Continue to explore Montmartre's highlights that generally include - Moulin Rouge, Sacré Coeur Cathedral (with time allowed to explore inside as well), Place Dalida, Moulin de la Galette, Vincent Van Gogh’s house, The Artists’ Square, and Amélie Café. Consider an evening tour option and catch a sunset over the city if you’re lucky (depending on the season).
Montmartre will start by heading towards the infamous Moulin Rouge, a cabaret known for its entertainment for a diverse public, and for being a source of inspiration for international artists like Auguste Renoir.
Next we will see Van Gogh’s house on Rue Lepic, the home of the artist and his brother from 1886.
Next we will walk through Place Dalida, a square of Montmartre dedicated to the French music icon Dalida. To this day many fans and tourists visit this secluded square to pay tribute to the French icon.
You will then have a stroll past the Jardin Sauvage de St-Vincent, a sloping piece of land which the gardeners of the city decided to leave in its fragile state to observe the ecosystem, biodiversity and wild plants. It is overridden by elderberry trees, ivy and colonies of wild insects.
From here, we will make our way to Le Clos Montmartre, a hidden vineyard tucked away in the little streets behind the Sacré-Coeur, and one of the last remaining vines in central Paris.
We will then make our way to what is known as Le Lapin Agile, a cabaret known as the home to the Montmartre Bohemian set until 1914, and whose sign remains a memorable symbol of Montmartre.
Following on, we will make our way to the infamous Basilica Sacré-Coeur, a Roman Catholic church completed in 1914 and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The interior of this beautiful church contains one of the world’s largest mosaics, which depicts Jesus Christ.
After this we will pass by the Place du Tertre, a square only streets away from the Sacré-Coeur. With its many artists setting up their easels here each day, the Place du Tertre serves as a reminder of a time when Montmartre was the mecca of modern art.
Next you will pass by what is known as the Espace Dali, a museum with around 300 original artworks. It is a permanent exhibition devoted to Salvador Dali and his sculptures and engravings.
We will then see the Bateau-Lavoir, one of the most famous places for artistic creation in Montmartre. From 1889 it was principally known as an artist’s residence and represented a place to live and discuss for many painters, writers, actors and art sellers.
You will also see La Maison de Dalida, the house in which the icon lived between 1962 and 1987. Located on 11 Bis de la Rue Orchampt, it is known as the location where Dalida committed suicide in 1987.
Excellent tour of museum Dec Orsay. Danial really explained the art a spent time showing and contrasting various artists. This was a small group o 5 people and was a super tour. On the Montmartre part of the tour we had Daniel all to our selves. We took the metro and had dinner in an excellent resturant then we toured the church and headed down to the end at Moulin Rouge. An amazing experience
Absolutely enjoyed managed to run a very educational and fun exploration. Grade works.
Sunday was our guide. She was so much fun and we learned so much.
Francesca was knowledgeable, friendly and animated making it easy to listen to all the information she provided. She made the art come alive.
As a solo traveler an informed, friendly, engaging guide will make my day. Manu meets all of the criteria.
Francesca was great. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly reccomended. You can’t miss this experience
Our guide was VERY knowledgeable and passionate about impressionist art and artists. Great personality and energy. The Orsay was packed with tourists but he glided us through the musee with ease. Wonderful afternoon. I learned a lot.
very good trustworthy experience very knowledgeable guide who made the experience enjoyable
Nice, personable and informed
Excellent experience with Adrien C. on the d’Orsay museum tour through Babylon Tours. He mentioned this was actually his first time leading this specific tour — which makes what he delivered even more impressive. Rather than a walk-through of highlights, Adrien built a narrative across the collection that connected individual pieces into a coherent, rich story. His artist knowledge and fresh perspective made the entire museum feel alive. Don’t hesitate to book this guide. The kind of guide who elevates a museum visit into something you’ll remember. Highly recommend.
Our tour of the Musée d’Orsay with Hugo Loyon was absolutely exceptional. Hugo is not only incredibly knowledgeable, but he also has that rare ability to bring art and history to life in a way that’s engaging, insightful, and never dull. He weaves fascinating stories about the artists, the time periods, and the masterpieces themselves, turning what could be an overwhelming museum visit into a captivating journey through Impressionism and beyond. What really stood out was Hugo’s passion—his enthusiasm is contagious. He tailored the experience perfectly to our interests, answered every question with depth and warmth, and helped us see famous works in a completely new light. I was initially disappointed when my visit to the Louvre didn’t work out (due to the heist), but in the end, I’m so glad it led me to the Musée d’Orsay—and especially to Hugo Loyon’s incredible tour. The Orsay hadn’t even been on my original list, but it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and enriching experiences of my trip. If you have the chance to visit the Musée d’Orsay or any Museum, book a tour with Hugo—you won’t regret it. And seriously, tip him well—he deserves it! -Lu & Law from Philly.
Our guide Joe was great. He was very knowledgeable and one of the best guides we have had while visiting Europe. Just as important, he was understanding of our mobility issues. We highly recommend him.
Tamari was knowledgeable, friendly, and had a passion for Paris and the Latin District. I recommend her tour for anyone interested in the marvelous history of art, literature, and culture in this acclaimed area.
Emily was knowledgeable and extremely interesting Especially in the details about the paintings. She knows her city very well and enthusiastically brings the history to life. I can’t recommend her highly enough.
My wife and I recently booked the guided tour of Montmartre. We are so thankful that we happened to get Tamar as our guide. She was friendly, funny, and very knowledgeable of the area, and it's rich history. We feel like we got a behind-the-scenes look at this beautiful area of Paris, where van Gogh, Picasso, Renoir, and others once lived. Job well done Tamar!
I've toured many museums throughout Europe and Hugo brought the art to life. Amazing wealth of knowledge and presentation. Best in Europe!
Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. She spent just enough time with us and was very accommodating. Would recommend her again.
We had a lovely three hour tour with our guide, Sunday! We are not very knowledgeable about art, but Sunday did a great job of sharing hers. It was extremely busy, but she navigated us through the crowds smoothly. Sunday even sent us some recommendations for restaurants to try! The tour was well worth the money and time.
We had a great experience visiting the museum with Hugo guiding us along the way. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the artwork and the artists and made the experience special and fun.
Marcelo gave us an amazing and incredible experience. We had a recommend now he made or trip to this museum fabulous. Thank you, Marcelo!
Sunday was on awsome guide! We loved the tour and found'it a good introduction on the world of 1800 painters. I will come back to Paris and visit more attractions.
Sunday was an extraordinarily gifted Artist guide. She led us through the Musee De Orsay as if we were the only guest inside. Her master of knowledge for this Impressionist tour, evident in the first moments of our meet up. She moved us from gallery to gallery amongst thousands, with ease unparalleled, and saved us valuable time to get the most bang for our dollar. She even gave us an extra 10 minutes of her time for fear of us missing a last painting by Van Gogh. You sensed she didn’t want us to miss out on any detail. Highly recommended without fail, you will walk away not just smarter but thankful for meeting her as she sets you on a journey of intellect to understand this great Impressionist Era. Bravo Sunday. Bravo. Mike and Family
The tour was SO good I did it twice! Once by myself and again with a friend from the Netherlands. I loved the interaction, the details I would have never known about the work, the politics and more importantly (to me) the life of the artist. Hugo is fabulous. Love his energy, his passion and the love for beautiful things.
Lili was an exceptional, knowledgeable guide who made our Musee de Orsay visit a delightful and interesting one. Then took us to Montmartre for another marvelous tour. She was very attentive to our needs and help us with recommendations for dinner. If in Paris again, will definitely tour with her again. Highly recommended.
Hugo was amazing! He was extremely knowledgeable about the art, but most importantly, he told a great story. He began with an introduction about the journey that we were about to take, connected every artist or piece of art to one another, and then told a great conclusion about everything we had seen.
Mathieu was our private tour guide. He was very knowledgeable of the gallery, era and art. He answered our questions very thoroughly and conducted the tour at our pace. I highly recommend the tour and Mathieu.
The museum did not disappoint. And the walking tour was a must do event. You see things that just walking the streets you would not notice
My wife and I recently visited the Orsay museum in Paris after not having been to Paris since our honeymoon 34 years ago. Though my wife is well versed in the arts, I am a 64-year-old CEO of a US based healthcare company with the museum attention span of a four-year-old-maybe 20 minutes! We met our guide Ivana promptly outside as promised and proceeded to begin what I prophesized to be a three- hour torture session. After the first thirty minutes, nothing existed in my life other than Ivana and her comprehensive and beautiful insight into the arts and Paris overall. Her manner was captivating and her knowledge was thorough yet presented in a simple enough manner for me to build upon. Her joy for sharing her intimate connection with Paris and its art history made me thirst for more. At the end of the short three hour seriously life changing experience, I told her I could have followed her for another nine hours that same day. We had subsequent tours that trip in Paris (Louvre, etc..) with other guides -all reasonably good but all paled in comparison to Ivana. It is my sincere hope to return to Paris and engage her once more to open my mind and heart to Paris and all it and she has to offer. Ivana thank you for having the passion to change my appreciation for something I have clearly been missing all my life. Best, Len Weiss
Miriam was amazingly educational and loved her style of presentation.coming back! Loved the exhibits and Monet is my favorite! So grateful for the experience!
Hugo did an amazing job. He truly loves what he does and very knowledgeable of art history. You go away with lots of information and knowledge.
Miriam was a wealth of knowledge & my wife &I were very happy with our tour. We would highly recommend her. Thank you Miriam!
We really enjoyed our afternoon! Our guide, Michele, was super friendly and very knowledgeable. His commentary was the perfect companion for touring the museum. We also really appreciated being able to decide when we were ready to head out of the museum to see Montmarte. Walking Montmarte was really interesting and we loved Michele's route to Sacré-Cœur away from the crowds. Would definitely recommend this experience!
This tour was a great way to see the Museum d'Orsay and Montmarte. Would definitely recommend! Our guide Michele was very friendly and knowledgeable. As a first time visitor to the museum, he gave us a quick history of art's progression to Impressionism and beyond with interesting anecdotes about the artists as well. We also really enjoyed the fact we determined how long to stay at the museum or go explore Montmarte and what to see there. It was a wonderful afternoon!
Eduardo was great!!! We absolutely loved his tour and his interpretations really helped us to understand all of the pieces.
We had Florent as our guide and he was amazing! I highly recommend him to anyone interested in a private tour! He was excellent in every way!
Hugo is the best! He is an absolute expert and made our private tour fabulous, fun and educational! Cannot wait to go back and meet Hugo at the Louvre!
Florent was incredible. He brought a ton of knowledge and excitement. He made it so interesting. Would love to have him as a guide again.
My wife and I were visiting Paris in April and we booked a Private Tour with our English speaking guide “Emma” for the Impressionist Exhibit at the Musee d’Orsay. Bottom line this tour with Emma is amazing and unbelievable - “5 Stars “ minimum. Emma is from the US and has lived in Paris many years - she also studied Art at the Louvre several years. She is extremely personable, knowledgable, communicative and obviously knows and understands the Impressionist artists on a level I’ve never experienced before. Imagine your tour with someone who actually knows the history, the artists and how they all interracted with each other - competitively, both in a good and not so good way. That’s Emma - Michele and I highly recommend her to anyone that wants to not simply do a tour, but wants the French experience to come to life. Jim
Achille was simply a fantastic guide. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic. And how lovely to avoid all the crowds. A must do.
Liliya was an excellent guide and it was a fantastic tour. Highly recommend. Extremely knowledgeable as expected but also very personable and made it very interesting with explanations of the history and politics surrounding the art.
I had visited Musee d' Orsay many many years ago and it was and still is my favorite museum. My husband had never been. We absolutely loved our tour and more importantly, our guide Belen. She was professional, knowledgeable and literally brought the artwork to life. We would highly recommend Babylon for their communication and expertise in providing their clients with an outstanding experience.
Out tour to the Musee’ d’Orsay was OUTSTANDING! Our tour guide was wonderful. Spoke excellent and easy to understand English, was very, very knowledgeable of each exhibit featured and many more when questions were asked. The tour was efficient, full of new knowledge, and most interesting. Would highly recommend anyone visiting Musee d’Orsay for the first time or even those who have visited before…lots of unknown information from trying to visit without a knowledgeable guide.
Belen was great. Very energetic and knew her stuff! If we return to Paris we will of course ask for a tour with her leading it.
We have done the private tour of the d’Orsay before and did it again yesterday. Both times were amazing and we learned to much. This time we had Hugo and he did such a great job walking us through the history of the academy to realism, Impressionism, and post-Impressionism. He was a wonderful story teller, was very knowledgeable and overall so enjoyable to be with for the tour! We are so thankful for our time with Hugo and the wealth of information that he has! Hands down one of our absolute favorite things to do in Paris and I’d do it again (for the third time)!
Florent was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I enjoyed the tour so much. The experience was enhanced with no doubt. I would recommend Florent anytime to any one. Thank you Florent.
Anatole was amazing both from a knowledge and from an educational perspective. Thoroughly recommend him. Fluent in English, French, and German.
Laurent was truly amazing Generally I am not a museum person but after this experience I believe I have been “ converted “ He brought this to life I would give six stars if I could Steve and Wendy ( and we are tough-from ew York!!)
Belen was such a wonderful guide‼️ although I grew up with a mother who was an artist throughout her lifetime…showing me the world through her eyes, Belen’s extraordinary enthusiasm and training changed forever my experience 🙏❤️ Merci beaucoup !
Mathieu was terrific! Deep knowledge and keen interest. Made for a great experience. Highly recommend.
It was an excellent tour. Our guide Hugo was fantastic: knowledgeable and animated. I learned so much! Highly recommend it
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