Haussmannian Paris private walking tour review: the walk that ends at the Camondo
My verdict: if you came to this site because you wanted to see the Musée Nissim de Camondo and found it closed, this is the booking I would make. Two hours, private, with a live guide, from the Opéra along boulevard Haussmann to Saint-Augustin, the Musée Jacquemart-André and Parc Monceau. You finish a few minutes’ walk from the Camondo gate. It rates 4.9 from 12 reviews, and twelve is a small number, so read that score as “everyone so far was pleased” rather than as a crowd verdict.
What it is
A walk about the rebuilding of Paris under Haussmann in the 19th century, told along the streets he cut. It starts at the Opéra Garnier, follows boulevard Haussmann past Galeries Lafayette, reaches the church of Saint-Augustin, passes the Musée Jacquemart-André on boulevard Haussmann and ends in Parc Monceau. That last stretch is the point for a Camondo reader. The Monceau plain was carved into building plots in the same decades, and the Camondo brothers arrived from Constantinople in 1869 to build on two of them, at 61 and 63 rue de Monceau. The history of the house picks the story up from there.
The group is private, meaning your party and the guide, which changes the character of a walk like this. You can ask why the boulevards are that width, or stop in front of the Jacquemart-André for as long as you like. The guide meets you at Métro Opéra in front of the Café de la Paix carrying a red canvas tote bag, which is a better identification system than most.
Usually included
- Two-hour private walking tour
- Live guide in English or French
- Route: Opéra Garnier, boulevard Haussmann, Galeries Lafayette, Saint-Augustin, Musée Jacquemart-André, Parc Monceau
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Entry to the Musée Jacquemart-André or any other building
- The Camondo house itself, which is closed
- Transport back from Parc Monceau
What the reviewers say
Twelve reviews, and I am not going to pretend that is a data set. What is there is consistent. Claudia, from Germany, called the guide “very competent” and said she “learned a lot about urban planning”, which is exactly what the walk is selling. Leonor, from Belgium, named her guide, Tina, as “very friendly”. An Australian traveller wrote of a “fantastic tour with a very knowledgeable and passionate guide”. Nobody has complained about anything yet, which with twelve reviews means little except that nobody has complained yet.
My own view, from walking the end of this route most mornings: the last twenty minutes are the best. Saint-Augustin to the park through the streets of the plain is where the Haussmann story stops being about boulevards and starts being about who moved in. If your guide is willing, ask to finish at the rue de Monceau side so that you pass the Hôtel Ephrussi at number 81 and the Camondo at 63 on the way to the gates.
What works
- The only one of the five listings that reaches the Camondo quarter
- Private, so the route can bend towards rue de Monceau if you ask
- Live guide rather than an app, in English or French
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, so book and watch the weather
Worth knowing
- Only 12 reviews; the 4.9 will move as more arrive
- You will see the Camondo from the pavement, and nothing more, until the end of 2029
- Two hours on foot, no café stop included
- Ends at Parc Monceau, a métro ride from where it started
Book a late-afternoon start between April and October. The park stays open late in those months, and you can stay on after the guide leaves: the Naumachie colonnade, the Ledoux rotunda at the Courcelles gate, and the Camondo garden wall on the west side. The Parc Monceau page has the short version of what you are looking at.
Who should book it
Anyone who had the Camondo on their list and wants to at least see where it is, in context, with someone who can explain the quarter. Couples and families who prefer a private guide to a group of twenty. People staying near the Opéra who want an afternoon that ends in a park rather than a shop.
Who should not: anyone who wants to be indoors looking at 18th-century furniture, who should read the Decorative Arts ticket review instead; and anyone whose interest is the Camondo family’s history rather than their street, who is better served by the Jewish history walk. If you would rather do the quarter unguided, around the museum has a half-day plan.
Other listings to consider
Same institutionParis: Museum of Decorative Arts Ticket and City Audio Tour
Small groupParis: Le Marais & Montmartre Jewish History Walking Tour
60+ museumsParis Museum Pass: 2, 4, or 6 Days
Frequently asked questions
Does the Haussmann walk go inside the Musée Nissim de Camondo?
No. The house has been closed since 4 August 2024 and no tour can enter it before the works finish, targeted for the end of 2029. The walk ends at Parc Monceau, which the Camondo garden opens onto, so you can see the house from outside.
Where does the tour start and how do I find the guide?
At Métro Opéra, in front of the Café de la Paix. The guide carries a red canvas tote bag. From the end point at Parc Monceau, Métro Monceau on line 2 is at the boulevard de Courcelles gate; how to get there covers the quarter’s stations.
Is 4.9 from 12 reviews a reliable rating?
It is a good sign and a small sample. Every review so far praises the guide, and none marks the walk down, but twelve bookings is not enough to promise anything. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before limits the risk. The reviews hub explains how I read GetYourGuide scores.