Photos: Giò Terra (Terragio67), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Pline, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Giò Terra (Terragio67), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Pline, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Two palaces built for one world's fair
Your local guide
Thomas Caron
View profile
Highlights
- Two palaces built in under two years
- A glass roof built for a single world's fair
- A free public courtyard most visitors miss
- Buildings meant to be temporary, still standing
- 1900's fair, still visible along the avenue
About this tour
This session covers two buildings built for the same event, the 1900 World's Fair, starting outside the Grand Palais's glass roof before reaching the free courtyard garden of the Petit Palais across the avenue. Thomas explains how both were built in under two years yet have lasted well over a century. The walk contrasts their scale while showing what they share.
Thomas opens outside the Grand Palais with a short sound check. He walks across to the Petit Palais courtyard, answering questions about both buildings' construction as they arrive, and sends a short summary once the call ends.
It suits anyone interested in world's fair architecture or nineteenth-century engineering. It also works well as a stop between the Champs-Élysées and the river.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Paris before heading out.
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Grand Palais exterior 21 min
From the avenue facing it, the camera holds on the Grand Palais's glass and iron roof, and Thomas explains how it was built in under two years for the 1900 World's Fair.
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Petit Palais courtyard garden 21 min
Inside the Petit Palais's free public courtyard, the camera takes in the small garden and colonnade, and Thomas points out how this smaller building has stayed a genuinely free museum since it opened.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Paris: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Soupe à l'oignon and Le Marais, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Paris time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Paris, showing you Grand Palais exterior and Petit Palais courtyard garden live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk both buildings' exteriors live with my phone.
Times shown in Paris time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 13 Nov · 8 seats left From 22,00 €
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