Let yourself be guided by our “City of Art and History” speaker guides! Essential visits not to be missed to discover the best of the city.


Duration: 1h30 - Price: from €12 A guided tour of the landscape and monumental dimensions of Marmoutier Abbey and a discovery of the archaeological remains. Surrounded by a cliff, in a meander of the Loire, the site of Marmoutier stands out for its tranquillity and picturesque character. It was on this site, occupied since ancient times, that Saint Martin founded a small hermitage in the 4th century, which rapidly developed into a prestigious abbey of considerable influence. Restored and maintained until the French Revolution, the abbey was partly demolished in the 19th century. Since 1981, the City of Tours has owned the hillside and adjoining land where most of the old buildings that have survived are located. Every summer, the site hosts a programmed archaeological dig, which you can discover on this tour. This tour has been awarded the Ville d'Art et d'Histoire label.


Duration: 2h - Price: from 7€ Discover Tours in a whole new light with this night-time guided tour along the ‘Parcours Lumière’. Take a new look at the city as night falls. The ‘Parcours Lumière’ highlights Tours by magnifying its monuments and natural spaces. The streets of Vieux-Tours, the timber-framed houses of Place Plumereau, the Basilique Saint-Martin, the Tour Charlemagne, the Grand Théâtre... the urban landscape reveals a different face as you take this tour. A not-to-be-missed opportunity to discover the city in a different way! This tour has been awarded the Ville d'Art et d'Histoire label.



Duration: 2h - Price: from 7€ From the founding of Tours in the 1st century to the flourishing of the Renaissance, discover the city through the key dates in its history under the guidance of a tour guide. The city of Tours was founded in the 1st century on the left bank of the Loire. In the Middle Ages, two distinct areas developed: one built around the Cathedral, the other around a huge collegiate church dedicated to Saint Martin, the Châteauneuf area, also known as Old Tours. Tours was the royal capital from 1440 to 1520, and at the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the Renaissance, almost all of the city's residences were rebuilt. From this flourishing period, the town inherited a homogeneous collection of old houses and religious buildings, which you can discover on this tour. This tour has been awarded the Ville d'Art et d'Histoire label.

Duration : 1h30 - Price : 15 € Total immersion in 13th-century medieval Tours Rediscover Tours guided by Mahaut, the intrepid daughter of a Crusader militiaman. Embodied by your tour guide in period battle dress, explore together a city with a rich past. Soak up Tours' dual identity, with the bishop reigning over his cathedral to the east and the spiritual and economic blossoming of Martinopole to the west. As the bells ring out, feel the dust of the streets and the energy of the pilgrims converging on the sacred relics of Saint Martin. Discover how money, faith and steel wove together the fabric of this vibrant era. Mahaut breaks the shackles of medieval stereotypes about the role of women while fiercely protecting her city's treasures. Join her as she wields the sword of knowledge through the medieval streets of Tours!