Such a fantastic and interesting tour. Loved how our guide weaved quotes into the stories to help bring everything together.
Hemingway in Paris Tour: The Lost Generation
Walk Hemingway’s Paris and the creative world that inspired him
The Finer Details
During the roaring twenties, Paris was considered the cultural capital of the Western world. Artists and writers flocked to the city from far and wide, including celebrated American writer Ernest Hemingway. During this 3-hour Hemingway-focused Paris literary tour with a literature expert, we'll explore St. Germain, a neighborhood in the city's Left Bank that was once the epicenter of Paris' avant-garde. We'll learn about a wide range of artists, writers, and thinkers in Hemingway's circle including Fitzgerald, Picasso, Pound, Matisse, and the inimitable Gertrude Stein, whose modernist salon provided the gravitational pull for the entire movement.
Paris Literary Tour
Hemingway loved to walk. His strolls provided him with moments of reflection but also connected him with his community, which we will experience together as we trace Hemingway’s path across the Left Bank. We’ll begin our walk not far from where the young writer and his new wife, Hadley, first established a home on rue Cardinal Lemoine. Here, we will set the tone, immersing ourselves in the life of the expat writers of the era. In the early 20th century, this was a working-class area of the Left Bank's Latin Quarter, close to the bustling rue Mouffetard, and tucked in behind the Panthéon and the Church of St. Etienne du Mont (upon the steps of which Woody Allen’s hero waits for the midnight bell to toll).
Hemingway in Paris
Following Hemingway's path, we will continue our walk downhill, past the academic center of the city around the Sorbonne and towards the site of Sylvia Beach’s original Shakespeare & Company bookshop. A hub of Parisian literary life between the two World Wars, Beach's shop famously published James Joyce’s Ulysses for the first time in 1922. We may discuss Hemingway's friendship with Joyce, one of the many literary expats whom Hemingway knew and admired. In the area, we will also pass by some of the residences and other favorite haunts of the Fitzgeralds, Ezra Pound, or Ford Madox Ford.
"[Our guide had] a deep knowledge of Paris during the period that the Lost Generation was creating their mark on the world. We had a delightful tour and thoroughly enjoyed our morning learning about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein, and their lives on the Left Bank."
For more on Paris during the War, check out our Paris WWII Tour.
Take Aways
Crossing the Luxembourg Gardens, as Hemingway did on so many occasions, and time-permitting, we may make our way towards the infamous quartier Montparnasse. He would later establish his second home close to Montparnasse. The neighborhood was another hub of artistic life in the 1920s, with its many famous literary cafés all patronized by “Hem." Entering the café-lined streets, we will discuss the role of café life during the twenties, stopping to experience it for ourselves. Our walk may come to a close with a well-earned coffee at perhaps one of the most emblematic cafés of them all, the Closerie des Lilas. Here, we will take a moment to reflect upon the insights we have gained on our journey through literary Paris with Hemingway as our guide. We will emerge from the experience with a better understanding of Paris as a unique place at a particular time in history—home of the “lost generation.”
FAQ
Will I need to have read any of Hemingway's work to enjoy this tour? While we encourage you to read the work of Hemingway and the other lost generation writers, this is not a prerequisite for taking and enjoying this tour. Even if you are not familiar with his writings, join us to be inspired and foster a newfound appreciation!
Is this tour walking intensive, and/or wheelchair accessible? We do cover extensive territory on this tour. Please contact us with any questions; we will be happy to advise if this tour will be appropriate for you.
Meet the Experts
Where You’ll Go
From iconic landmarks to tucked-away local favorites, these are the places you’ll explore and experience firsthand with your Expert.
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Luxembourg GardensFormal gardens around the historic Luxembourg Palace.
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PanthéonNeoclassical monument honoring major French figures.
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Gertrude Stein's apartment building
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Rue Mouffetard
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Montparnasse
What’s Included As Standard
Here’s a look at what your tour covers, plus anything you’ll want to consider arranging separately, so you can plan with confidence.
Included
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English-speaking expert guideTours led in English, offering you unbroken understanding throughout.
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Intentionally sized groupsA smaller group means more time for conversations and questions.
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Tickets and entrance feesAll entry tickets included (unless clearly stated otherwise).
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HeadsetsHeadsets are included on tours that need them, so every word can be heard.
Not Included
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Food and drinkUnless booking a Food & Drink tour or tasting experience, refreshments are not included.
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Transportation to and from the meeting pointUnless noted, pre- and post-tour transport isn’t included - this service can be added by request.
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GratuitiesTips aren’t included, but we encourage tipping as a way to thank your guide after your experience.
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Hotel pickup or drop-offUnless noted, travel to or from accommodation isn’t included - this service can be added by request.
Where You'll Explore
Make the Most of Your Tour
Some helpful advice for getting the most from your experience, from practical prep to small on-the-day tips.
Dos:
- Wear comfortable footwear
- Check the weather and dress appropriately
- Bring a bottle of water (no glass)
- Feel free to ask your Expert anything
Don'ts:
- Bring firearms or weapons
- Bring sharp objects (e.g. knives, swiss army knives, switchblades, hiking sticks)
- Dress inappropriately to enter religious sites or sacred monuments
Any questions? You can always
contact us.
Don’t just take our word for it
As a bookshop owner I had high hopes of learning a lot of new information about the artists and writers that we remember of Paris in the 20's. Gil did a great job of taking us to all the historical homes and other places in the 5th and 6th arr., as well pointing out modern new areas featured in familiar shows and films. I wish there had been a little more background shared on each writer and artists mentioned, and their place/impact on the historical moment in which they lived.
Christina did a magnificent job guiding this tour, especially under difficult weather conditions (i.e. a driving rain!) She had an encyclopedic knowledge of not only Ernest Hemingway, but of all of the other literary and artistic figures of the 1920s and 1930s ( the Lost Generation)-where they lived, where they ate and drank and how they interacted with one another. As a lifelong student of Hemingway, I finally got to see all of the places described in A Moveable Feast due to Christina's efforts. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and admired her perseverance in the face of miserable weather. Her students are fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher!
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