About Annie Sargent’s Île de la Cité self-guided GPS tour
The Île de la Cité is that special place where Paris was born. Join me on this tour as we explore the city’s origins from a small settlement along the Seine River to one of the most wonderful cities in the world.
So much happened in the Île de la Cité! We start with the love-lock bridge, move on to King Henri IV and the terrible demise of his murderer, the story of the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, the Sainte Chapelle, as well as the story of Quasimoto and the beloved Notre Dame Cathedral.
This is the perfect tour for Francophiles who want a taste of French history while enjoying a glorious stroll along the heart of Paris.
Directions to the starting point
This tour starts at the corner of Pont des Arts and Quai François Mitterrand. This is on the Louvre side of the Seine River or where the Pont des Arts meets Quai François Mitterrand.
If you’re not sure how to find this, the easiest is probably to go to the Louvre-Rivoli metro station on line 1 and exit the metro station (there is only one exit at this station). When you’re at the top of the stairs of the metro station, don’t cross any street yet. Look around for only building that takes up the whole block and is set back from the street. That’s the Louvre. You want to walk with the Louvre to your right until you get to the Seine river, then take a right and walk along the river until you get to the first bridge. The Pont des Arts is the only pedestrian bridge in the area, you can’t miss it. That’s where I’ll start talking to you!
More Tours by Annie Sargent
Le Marais | Montmartre | Saint Germain des Prés | Latin Quarter
Why Tour Paris with a VoiceMap GPS Tour
Self-guided tours have a lot going for them! Here’s why Annie loves writing them and taking them:
The tour is ready when you’re ready. No need to reserve anything! Is that café calling your name? You can stop and resume the tour at will. You can close the app, reopen it and it will remember where you left off.
Bad knees and you can’t take stairs? Sit on a bench, listen to the audio and move on to the next part of the tour!
You won’t need phone data in Paris because you’ll download the tour at home. You can also take the tour virtually (audio only) at home and then take it again for real when you get to Paris.
Annie’s tours are updated every now and then because even in a timeless city like Paris, things change! And when there’s a new version of a tour you’ve already bought, you’ll be able to get it for free.
Here’s How You Do It in Practical Terms
- Download the free VoiceMap App on your cell phone
- Purchase tours codes here to enjoy the substantial podcast listener discount.
Download the tours at home before your trip. To be extremely well prepared, you could also try it at home just so you can get familiar with the App. But the App is self-explanatory for most users.
You don’t need one tour per person if you’re willing to share an earbud or put the tour on speaker. That’s how all audio works on smart phones and is not a a limitation of VoiceMap.
How to get the new version of a VoiceMap tour you’ve already bought
The Ile de la Cité tour was updated in 2022. If you bought it in the past you don’t have to pay for it again, follow these steps to get the new version.
- Open the VoiceMap app and log in if it doesn’t recognize you automatically.
- At the bottom, tap on account, then choose the tour that you want to update and swipe left. That will delete the tour. You can’t get the new version of the tour if you still have the old one on your phone.
- So once you’ve deleted it, go to the purchased tab below your name and tap download. You have to confirm the download before it starts. Voilà, done!
About Annie Sargent
Bonjour, I’m Annie Sargent, tour guide and producer of the Join Us in France Travel Podcast. I love introducing new people to my favorite destinations in France. Because I’ve lived away from France for many years, I came back eager to re-discover my own country and the places where French history happened. And because I am French born and raised I can’t help but introduce a little bit of French culture into your visit. So, let’s get walking and enjoy this tour together!