Old Lille A discovery for every group!
Old Lille
On this must-see tour, you’ll discover the city’s emblematic monuments, including the Palais Rihour, the Vieille Bourse*, the Opera House, Notre-Dame de la Treille Cathedral*, etc. Take the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere of this city renowned for its art of living.
* Visit the cathedral and the Vieille Bourse according to opening hours.
Interested in the ‘Old Lille’ tour? Mention it in your quote request.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2h or 3h
Old Lille and the Hospice Comtesse museum
Immerse yourself in Lille’s most charming district, where architecture, pretty stores and museums will seduce you. Stroll along its cobbled streets and small squares, discovering the city’s heritage, history and art of living through its most beautiful sites and monuments.
At the end of your visit, you’ll discover the old hospital founded in 1237 by Countess Jeanne de Flandre. The Hospice Comtesse* offers its visitors works evocative of Lille’s past: objects from daily life, carved wood, earthenware, furniture and paintings.
* Open Mondays from 2 pm to 6 pm and Wednesdays to Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2h or 3h
Gourmet Old Lille
Follow your tour guide through the narrow streets and historic squares of Old Lille. Enhance your visit with a tasting of the famous Méert waffle*, an unmissable delicacy, and/or, for beer lovers, a tasting of regional beers**. A guided tour that combines historical and culinary discoveries, for a complete immersion in the soul of Old Lille.
Visit the cathedral and the Vieille Bourse according to opening hours.
* Maison Méert closed on Monday mornings
** Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2h or 3h
Everyone on stage!
Experience Lille’s history through its most emblematic personalities with this role-playing game. Accompanied by a tour guide and script in hand, you’ll take on the role of one of the great figures who shaped the city’s development: Philippe le Bon, Vauban, Louis-Marie Cordonnier, Louise de Bettignies.
It’s a fun way to discover the city!
25 people maximum
Duration: 1h30
Old Lille and Euralille 1
Take part in an enriching experience, where past and future meet. The historic lanes of Old Lille gradually give way to the resolutely modern lines of Euralille 1, embodying the city’s contemporary vision.
A discovery that reveals how Lille has metamorphosed into a 21st-century city.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Express tours! in 1h
Around the Grand Place
The heart of the city, the Grand Place is a favorite meeting place for the people of Lille. Let yourself be carried away by the whirlwind of styles and colors of the buildings surrounding the square, observe the remarkable details of the Vieille Bourse* and be enchanted by the Goddess fountain, the emblem at the heart of this space.
* Visit the Vieille Bourse according to opening hours.
25 people maximum
Duration: 1 hour
Old Lille, from the Palais Rihour to the Îlot Comtesse
Fall under the spell of Old Lille and discover the secrets of its history and heritage. Discover the most emblematic buildings, from Place Rihour to the îlot Comtesse.
25 people maximum
Duration: 1 hr.
Euralille 1
Explore Euralille, a project that has redesigned an entire district of the city by calling on the great contemporary masters of architecture and urban planning. A testament to its cross-border scope, this forward-looking site stands like an “architectural fracture” at the gateway to the historic city. Immerse yourself in Euralille’s first era, where a dynamic business center, housing, shops, a park and lively public spaces come together.
25 people maximum
Duration: 1 hour
From the Grand Place to the Porte de Paris
Departing from the Grand Place, this tour offers a blend of old and new. As you walk up one of its oldest streets, to the Porte de Paris erected to the glory of Louis XIV, you’ll discover the Church of Saint-Maurice*, the luxurious hotel that brought the Hospice Gantois back to life, and the Town Hall with its belfry. Finally, plunge into the heart of a dynamic and lively district, around the Gare Saint Sauveur train station.
* Subject to opening hours and religious services.
25 people maximum
Duration: 1 hour
Coach tours
Lille through the centuries
Board your coach for a journey through the eras that have shaped Lille. Discover the city’s history, from its Flemish origins through the Burgundian and Spanish periods, to its metamorphosis into a major French metropolis. With the guide’s help, discover the traces of the city’s expansion and the evolution of its architecture.
Standard-size bus with sound system recommended, not included in the price.
The itinerary of the tour will be adapted according to the traffic plan in force at the time of the visit.
Duration: 2 hours
Admire the architectural and cultural diversity of the city’s different districts from your coach, and explore Vieux-Lille and its cobbled streets on a pleasant stroll. Passing by the Îlot Comtesse and Notre-Dame de la Treille Cathedral, let us guide you through the history and authenticity of the old town.
Standard-size sound coach recommended, not included in the price.
The itinerary of the tour will be adapted according to the traffic plan in force at the time of the visit.
For groups of 30 or more, a 2nd guide is required for the walking part of the tour.
Duration: 2h or 3h
Immerse yourself in Lille’s fascinating history as you explore a frontier city marked by its fortified past. Let us guide you from the Noble Tour, a Burgundian vestige, to the Square du Réduit, witness to the French conquest, to the Royal Gate of the Citadel, testimony to the genius of Vauban. A tour of historical charm and architectural discoveries awaits you.
Standard-size sound coach recommended, not included in the price.
The itinerary of the tour will be adapted according to the traffic plan in force at the time of the visit.
Duration: 2 hours
Follow in the footsteps of the city’s industrial past. Long known for its industry, Lille turned the corner to modernity at the turn of the century, while preserving the traces of its manufacturing past. Your guide will show you the former textile factories, breweries, union halls and workers’ housing that have been transformed over the last thirty years. An experience that reveals the city’s resilience and the creativity with which this heritage has been rehabilitated.
Guided walking tour. Please bring suitable footwear.
Valid Wednesday to Sunday, subject to site opening hours and access authorizations.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2h or 3h (approx. 2.5 km)
Who is Narcisse? Quite simply the baby mentioned in the popular lullaby “Le p’tit Quinquin”, composed by Alexandre Desrousseaux in 1853. From the town hall to the eponymous statue, your tour guide will help you decipher this text, written in Ch’ti and illustrated throughout the town. A visit that will open a window on working-class life in Lille in the 19th and 20th centuries!
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Immerse yourself in one of Lille’s most flourishing eras, and admire the diversity of buildings constructed in the 19th century, including emblematic landmarks such as the Palais des Beaux-Arts, the Prefecture and the Maison Coilliot, a jewel of Art Nouveau. Each building tells its own story, revealing the cultural richness and architectural eclecticism that marked this pivotal period in Lille’s history.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hrs.
Leaving the Palais Rihour, take a stroll along a few downtown streets before skirting the Quai du Wault to the Parc de la Citadelle. Explore the esplanade, once a military site, now a popular place of relaxation for the people of Lille. Let your guide give you the keys to understanding this landscape, once dedicated to defense, now a true leisure area.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Enter the Saint-Sauveur district, one of the city’s most popular neighborhoods in the 19th century. Surrounding the town hall and its UNESCO World Heritage-listed belfry, you’ll be amazed by magnificent buildings such as the Marchiennes Abbey refuge, the Hospice Gantois and the Porte de Paris, a veritable triumphal arch in honor of the Sun King.
Subject to opening hours and building access authorizations.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Discover the elegance of the 18th century on this guided tour of the Royal Quarter. Loti, laid out and built after the French conquest, it creates a link between the city and its fledgling citadel designed by Vauban. The district is a treasure trove of architectural treasures, with its private mansions where the aristocracy and bourgeoisie of the 18th and 19th centuries lived between courtyard and garden.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hrs.
Treat yourself to a unique experience, where the contrast between Euralille’s avant-garde architecture and the green setting of the Jardin des Géants creates a perfect synthesis of urban space and nature. Join us for a tour revealing the many facets of Lille, from its contemporary architecture to its verdant corners.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Located in territory occupied by the German armies from 1914 to 1918, Lille and its inhabitants bore the full brunt of the restrictions associated with this military presence. The tour opens a window on the daily life of the people of Lille during the First World War, living under German rule, as well as on the Resistance, active from the start of the Great War.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Follow in the footsteps of the young Charles de Gaulle, who often came to Lille to visit his maternal family during his childhood. From the Grand Place, named after the General in 1944, to his birthplace* in the heart of Vieux-Lille, follow the streets and places where the people of Lille were accustomed at the turn of the 20th century, for their daily, religious and leisure activities.
* Visit to the Maison natale Charles de Gaulle not included in the price.
Walking shoes recommended
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
You can choose the “In the footsteps of Charles de Gaulle” tour and complement it with a visit to his grandparents’ recently restored home*, where he was born.
Visit to Charles de Gaulle’s birthplace included in the price, subject to availability. Closed on Tuesdays.
Walking shoes recommended.
Maximum 30 people per time slot
Duration: 3 hours
This tour is a fun and educational way to discover Lille, in which each student has a role to play. For the duration of the tour, each pupil receives an identity card enabling them to lend their voice to a character emblematic of the city’s history.
From cycle 3 (CM1 – 6ème), collèges, lycées
The tour ends on the square in front of Notre-Dame de la Treille cathedral: allow a quarter of an hour for a return trip to Place Rihour.
30 people maximum, including accompanying adults
Duration: 1h30
Designed for young visitors, this guided tour is an excellent way for children to learn how to find their way around the city and discover its key points. Armed with an illustrated educational booklet and accompanied by a tour guide, children explore the old town and decipher its many facets. Through history, architecture and anecdotes, pupils learn in a fun, interactive way.
20 people maximum
Duration: 2 hrs.
From the 15th to the 17th century, Lille was the object of much envy. From the Palais Rihour to the Grand Place, students will discover the history of a prosperous period right up to the French conquest.
This visit is particularly well-suited to illustrate the history curriculum, which focuses on the modern period.
25 people maximum
Duration: 2 hours
Cathedral, Vieille Bourse, Porte de Paris… Lille is home to many buildings with remarkable architecture. Let the tour guide tell your children about the city’s origins and history. In the second part of the tour, they’ll be given a mission: with the help of clues, they’ll have to find the Lille buildings that stand in their way.
Pedagogical, interactive and didactic, pupils can work on their discoveries in class, with an exercise adapted to their level.
This tour is designed for CP and CE1 (1h15), CE2, CM1 and CM2 (1h30).
25 people maximum
Duration: 1h15 to 1h30
Give your pupils an insight into the city’s past with this guided tour. A local illustration of the history syllabus, this tour allows young visitors to discover the daily life of the people of Lille during the First World War, as well as the lives of key figures in the local Resistance, such as Léon Trulin and Louise de Bettignies.
25 people maximum
Duration: 1h30
There’s nothing better than cruising around the city in the comfort of a convertible coach!
Equipped with a guided audiovisual system in nine languages*, the coach offers a panoramic view of the city’s main monuments, from its origins to its most contemporary districts.
The city tour can be taken privately, subject to vehicle availability and with no change to the itinerary. It is also possible to have a Tourist Office tour guide on board the coach.
* French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian
Departure and arrival: Lille Tourist Office – Place Rihour
37 people maximum
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Once you’ve climbed the first 100 steps, take the elevator (or walk for the bravest) to the top of the belfry… and enjoy a 360° tour of Lille and its surroundings, the Lys valley, and even the Flanders mountains on a clear day.
The refurbished belvedere will give you all the keys you need to understand the city’s development, from its origins to its contemporary metamorphoses.