The Best Black Paris Tours, Depending On What Kind Of Paris You Want To See

Paris is one of those cities that has been written about so much that it can start to feel like there’s nothing new to say.

The Eiffel Tower. The Louvre. The Seine. The croissants. The striped shirts…

But then there’s another Paris. The Paris of James Baldwin writing in cafés, Josephine Baker dazzling and disrupting the stage, African and Caribbean students debating politics on the Left Bank, Black artists shaping modernism, and neighborhoods like Château Rouge and the Goutte d’Or doing what Paris has always done best: becoming something new in real time.

That Paris is not hidden. But you do have to know where to look.

And if you’re visiting the city and want to understand Black history, Black culture, and the African diaspora in Paris beyond the usual tourist script, a Black Paris tour is honestly one of the best ways to do it.

The good news? There are several strong options. The slightly annoying news? They’re not all doing the same thing, which means the “best” Black Paris tour really depends on what you want: deep history, a full-day cultural immersion, neighborhood life, a private scholarly walk, a broader citywide introduction, or a Montmartre tour that gives you the famous hill with a much deeper backstory.

So, to save you from opening 47 tabs and then giving up and booking the Louvre again, here’s a breakdown of some of the best Black-focused tours in Paris and who each one is best for.

Prices and details can change, so check the current listing before booking. Paris loves a plot twist.

The Quick Version

Not sure which Black Paris tour to book? Here’s the cheat sheet:

• AfroNomadik, A Day of Exploring Black Paris — €179:  Best for a full-day multi-neighborhood experience that connects Black history, food, neighborhoods, bookstores, and present-day culture.
• Entrée To Black Paris, An Introduction — €75:  Best for a scholarly Left Bank intro focused on African American writers, artists, and intellectuals in Paris.
• Le Paris Noir, Pioneers of the Left Bank — €23:  Best for French-speakers who want an affordable, historically serious Black Paris walk through the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
• Discover Montmartre & Black Stories With A Local — starting at €40:  Best for seeing Montmartre’s famous sights through Black history, empire, religion, nightlife, and art… with me as your guide 😄!
• Little Africa, Made in Goutte d’Or— €142: Best for contemporary African diaspora culture, fashion, food, textiles, makers, and neighborhood life.
• Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours — €180:  Best for a broad, citywide introduction to Black Paris across multiple neighborhoods, with a separate mobility-conscious option. 

Best Full-Day Experience: AfroNomadik — A Day Of Exploring Black Paris

If you want the most immersive “make a day of it” option, AfroNomadik’s A Day of Exploring Black Paris is the one to look at. Full transparency: I’m friends with the owner! But that means I’ve seen how much effort and passion has gone into making this tour what it is. And its reviews speak for themselves.

This isn’t just a two-hour walk where you hear a few stories and then wander off in search of lunch. It’s a roughly six-hour experience that moves through several parts of the city, so it’s a great way to get to know multiple parts of Paris. It connects literary history, Black-owned businesses, cafés, bookstores, restaurants, neighborhoods, and contemporary Black Paris.

The route begins at Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and includes stops connected to Présence Africaine, La Rhumerie, Pigalle, the Goutte d’Or, and BMK Paris-Bamako. So you’re not just learning about Baldwin or Baker in the abstract. You’re physically moving through different parts of the city and seeing how Black Paris is both historical and alive right now.

The big “but” here: this is a physically active day. This is a walking tour so expect your step count to be high! So if you have mobility issues, this might not be the tour for you. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and be honest with yourself about your walking tolerance.

Best for: travelers who would like to see multiple neighborhoods in Paris, people who like full-day cultural immersions, visitors who want history plus food/neighborhood/business context.

Book it: AfroNomadik — A Day of Exploring Black Paris

Price as of this publishing: €179

Best Scholarly Intro Walk: Entrée To Black Paris, An Introduction

If you want the “professor with receipts” version of a Black Paris tour, look at Entrée to Black Paris. Founded by Dr. Monique Y. Wells, Entrée to Black Paris is one of the most research-driven tours in this space, with experiences focused on Black history, culture, and diaspora presence in Paris.

Their scheduled tour, Entrée to Black Paris: An Introduction, is a more accessible way to experience their work without booking a private group tour. It’s a 90-minute English-language walk on the Left Bank focused on African American writers, artists, and intellectuals who lived, worked, and found inspiration in Paris. The current listing is €75 per person, with a maximum of 9 guests, so it still has that intimate, discussion-friendly feel.

One thing to know: this is a focused walking tour, not a leisurely wander. Guests are expected to walk the full route at a moderate pace, and the listing notes there are no shopping or restroom stops. If you want something more private or custom, Entrée to Black Paris also offers deeper private tours, including Black history in and around the Luxembourg Garden.

Best for: travelers who want a smart, research-heavy introduction to Black Paris, especially African American writers, artists, and intellectuals on the Left Bank.

Book it: Entrée to Black Paris — An Introduction

Price as of this publishing: €75

Best Tour Given in French: Le Paris Noir — Pioneers Of The Left Bank

If you’re in Paris to practice your French and want a Black Paris tour that is historically serious, focuses on one area of Paris, and is really affordable, Le Paris Noir’s Pioneers of the Left Bank tour is probably the strongest all-around choice. Led by Kévi Donat, the tour is held in French and focuses on the Black presence in Paris through history, politics, art, literature, and culture, with a route through the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Expect names and themes like Négritude, jazz, anti-colonial movements, literary cafés, and the kind of historical context that makes you realize how much gets flattened in the standard Paris story. I’ve taken this tour and loved how much Afro-Caribbean and African history it touches on.

Best for: French-speakers who want a shorter tour and more French-focused view of Black history in Paris

Book it: Le Paris Noir — Pioneers of the Left Bank

Price as of this publishing: €23

Best For Black Montmartre: Discover Montmartre & Black Stories With A Local

Okay, so this is where I have to briefly break the fourth wall because this one’s mine! I created my Montmartre walking tour after living in the neighborhood for years and realizing that the version of Montmartre most people get is very cute, very cobblestoned, very “look, a painter!” — but that’s not the entire story.

Yes, Montmartre is the Sacré-Cœur, the vineyard, the Moulin Rouge, and all the postcard stuff. But it’s also a place where religion, empire, nightlife, art, and Black history bump into each other in surprising ways. The tour starts near the Clos Montmartre vineyard and moves through sites like Église Saint-Pierre, Sacré-Cœur and the former Le Grand Duc. So you get to see key sites of Montmartre, but also hear stories that the other guides aren’t telling, because most people don’t even realize there’s Black history on the hill! But I did WEEKS of research and found it.

This is a good tour if you want the Montmartre everyone comes to see, but with a deeper layer underneath. There is some uphill walking because, Montmartre insists on being a hill. So wear shoes that respect your ankles.

Best for: travelers who want Black history in Montmartre specifically, people who like neighborhood tours with a personal feel, visitors who want major Montmartre sights without getting the same generic “artists and absinthe” story again. And anyone who wants to get to know me 😄!

Book it: Discover Montmartre & Black Stories With A Local

Price as of this publishing: Starting at €40

Best For Contemporary Black Paris: Little Africa — Made In Goutte d’Or

If your interest is less “tell me which writer lived here in 1953” and more “show me the neighborhood, the shops, the textiles, the food, the people, the everyday culture,” then Little Africa’s Made in Goutte d’Or tour is probably your best fit.

Little Africa, founded by Jacqueline Ngo Mpii, focuses on African cultures in Paris, especially around the Goutte d’Or and Château Rouge area. This neighborhood is one of the city’s most vibrant African diaspora hubs — full of fabric shops, beauty supply stores, food markets, tailors, designers, spices, plantains, wax prints, and that very specific energy of a neighborhood that is constantly moving.

The tour is less of a chronological lecture and more of a neighborhood immersion. You may encounter artisans, makers, food tastings, design references, and the social geography of the area. In other words, it’s Black Paris as lived culture, not just Black Paris as history.

Best for: culture lovers, design/fashion people, food-curious travelers, repeat Paris visitors, anyone who wants contemporary African diaspora life more than a traditional history walk.

Book it: Little Africa — Made in Goutte d’Or (Click on Experiences in the top nav)

Price as of this publishing: €142

Best Big-Picture Orientation: Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours

Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours is one of the legacy names in this space, with roots going back to the late 1990s. If you want a broad, citywide introduction to Black Paris — less niche deep dive, more panoramic overview — this is the tour to consider.

The flagship tour is a full-day walking and city bus experience that covers a lot: Josephine Baker’s 1926 address, the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings site, Place de la Concorde, the church where Josephine Baker’s funeral was held, Parc Monceau, the Place of the Three Dumas, Montmartre, Little Africa, and more. So yes, it’s a lot. In a good way, if you want breadth.

The flagship tour involves a moderate amount of walking and public transport, and it is not recommended for travelers with serious mobility or medical challenges. But Ricki Stevenson’s company also offers a dedicated Honored Elders / Mobility Challenged option.

Best for: first-time visitors, people who want a broad citywide overview, travelers who like a full schedule, older travelers or groups who may want a mobility-conscious alternative.

Book it: Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours

Price as of this publishing: €180 for the full day tour, €55 for the mobility tour

So, Which Black Paris Tour Should You Actually Book?

Here’s my honest breakdown.

• If you want a tour in French, book Le Paris Noir — Pioneers of the Left Bank.
• If you want Black history in Montmartre specifically — the hill, the churches, the cabarets, the artists, the performers, the empire stuff, the beauty and the mess — book Discover Montmartre & Black Stories With A Local.
• If you want the best full-day experience, book AfroNomadik — A Day of Exploring Black Paris.
• If you want contemporary African diaspora culture, neighborhood life, textiles, food, and makers, book Little Africa — Made in Goutte d’Or.
• If you want a private scholarly deep dive, book Entrée to Black Paris.
• If you want a broad citywide introduction, book Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours.

So really, the best tour depends on what kind of Paris you’re trying to meet.

A Few Tips Before Booking A Black Paris Tour

• First, check the current schedule. A lot of these tours use booking platforms like ExploreParis, Viator, Airbnb, Rezdy, or direct inquiry forms, and schedules can change.

• Second, look closely at the walking requirements. Paris is beautiful, but she is not always gentle on the knees. Cobblestones, stairs, metro transfers, hills, and long walks are very much part of the experience.

• Third, think about whether you want history or culture. Of course, they overlap, but a Left Bank literary history walk and a Goutte d’Or neighborhood tour are going to feel very different.

• Fourth, don’t assume “Black Paris tour” means “African American Paris tour.” Some tours focus heavily on African American writers and performers. Others focus more on African, Caribbean, or contemporary Afro-Parisian communities. The best one for you depends on which story you’re most interested in.

And finally, leave room to follow your curiosity after the tour. If a guide mentions a bookstore, restaurant, street, memorial, café, or neighborhood that sparks something in you, go back. Sit with it. Walk around. Buy something. Eat something. Read the plaque. Then read beyond the plaque.

Because Black Paris is not one story. It’s not even one neighborhood. It’s an archive, a migration story, a beauty supply run, a jazz note, a political argument, a silk press in a hotel room, a plate of plantains, a line from Baldwin, a street corner in Château Rouge, and a café table where someone once sat down and decided to become themselves.