This tour is a must for those visiting Paris! And I believe you should take the tour earlier on in your visit. I have been on the tour twice and I have learned a lot on both tours. The tour starts with meeting the guide and the tour group at a local cafe. While at the cafe, we received historic information, breakfast and Navigo cards to catch the public transit for the tour for the day. After finishing at the cafe, we went out on our way! The guide took us around to very popular AND not so popular locations giving us lesser known facts about those locations. The tour was very insightful and for my 2nd with my niece, she can't stop talking about Josephine Baker! One issue that occurred the 2nd time around which didn't occur the 1st time was getting my confirmation details for where to meet for the tour. I ended up having to call the tour company the night before in which she sent me an entire packet of details immediately as well as explained how to get there from my hotel. read more

Sadly, my review is similar to others. I was very excited for the possibility of going on this tour and getting a better understanding of the black experience in Paris. Unfortunately, I had to cancel as I was no longer able to go on my trip to Europe. I contacted them on July 15th letting them know and requesting a refund. My tour was on September 8th and so I was well within the appropriate window for a refund. After emailing several times, I received the following on July 24th: "Apologies Mme McNeal, I'm responsible for processing your refund. I'm returning to Paris tomorrow morning. Please give me until end of this week to get your refund to you! Amicalement, RIcki Stevenson Black Paris Tours" I emailed several times after that on July 22nd and August 2nd and still have no refund and no response. It is really disappointing and I am writing hoping that they will do better in the future. Luckily, I had only paid for one person and the financial hit wasn't drastic. read more

Great tour! If visiting Paris, you should carve out some time and do this tour. We really enjoyed it. read more

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This is an update to a previous review. After speaking with Ricky she was very apologetic regardong the matter. She refunded my money from the tour and we both agreed that there were mistakes on both parts. I am happy to say she was pleasant and eager to help. I encourage others to reach out to Ricky if there are any issues regarding your order. I hope to visit Paris again soon and look forward to seeing the historic black part of the beautiful city. read more

After booking the tour, you'll get a very detailed email with an overview of the tour, helpful tips, and the meeting point. One of the best tips was to purchase a Navigo which gives you access to the transit system for a week! Our tour guide Miguel was great! During orientation 2/11/19 at Cafe Latéral over a croissant and hot chocolate I learned proper etiquette (always say Bonjour, tip is included at restaurants so you can just leave 1 or 2 euros to name a few), the history of many African Americans that were either long time visitors, performed, or lives in Paris for an extensive period of time, and learned about the Arrondissment map. I stayed in the 12th. During the tour we stopped at various locations and were given a brief history, which also made it easier for me to navigate through Paris after the tour. We started at Arc de Triomphe and ended at a park, I forget the name but it was near the shackles monument to Dumas. Be prepared to walk, I was exhausted after the tour, but it was well worth it! I purchased the full day tour, but opted to cancel the second portion because I was too tired. Two days later, I get an email that I was getting a credit for my unused portion, wow! That was an unexpected but pleasant surprise, thank you! I was so wrapped up in taking in everything, I didn't take many photos. read more

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My friend, Tresa William took this tour last year she highly recommend that I book this tour with Ricki Stevenson. My first time in Paris, I spent the day all round Paris learning the History. Miguel, the tour guide had a lot of knowledge about all the places we visited. Never realized that black people made such an impact on Paris culture. I have a better insight of France and French culture. We also learned about the strong relationship between French culture and Black culture. I have new lenses on viewing Paris. Little Africa had dinner and Ricki surprise us! I enjoyed listening about her life journey and I shared with her mines. I enjoyed the other tourist and their stories. I strongly recommend this tour for History & learning to get around Paris. Ricki, thank you for taking us around Little Africa and all your suggestions. read more

This tour was very disappointing. Our guide Ricki provided approximately 1 hour of true historical content on an 8 hour tour! She was 45 minutes late and we sat at the cafe where we met for more than 2 hours while she asked everyone to introduce themselves and she offered negative commentary on where each of us was from. When we finally left the cafe, the tour was so slow that we covered 3 blocks in 3 hours which included a stop at a currency exchange. We spent 45 minutes at the Metro waiting for her to buy tickets for a group when she should have done that in advance. Total waste of time. And then she stopped for a snack in the metro with no regard for the amount of time she had already wasted. I was done when she took us on 3+ buses to get to dinner and didn't seem to know what stop to get off which caused us to walk even further. She was a lovely and refined host but this is really not a tour for someone looking for mostly historical information. We only hit 2/10 places listed on her website. She spends hours telling you about how to behave in Paris as if everyone is a child and has never traveled which I found very condescending. I would have been happy to spend the time if the content had been worth it. read more

The tour with mms Stevenson and her lovely daughter, DeeDee was the highlight of this trip to Paris. It was incredible learning about the contributions that Blacks and others had made to this rich culture! To experience little Africa and hear how this community has thrived was so enlightening. The meal that we had at the African restaurant was by far one of the best experienced! I would recommend this trip to ANYONE visiting Paris. The knowledge and information shared offers a significantly different perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed the bus tour because it allowed us to see, hear and experience more! Thank your Rickie, DeeDee and Brian for a most delightful opportunity! read more

This experience was so enriching and personalized to a point that Ricki took me to a tea house after I described the label from the tea I enjoyed the night prior. I was especially inspired by this tour as I retraced the steps of several of my muses (Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Frederick Douglas and, of course, Josephine Baker). The architecture was awe inspiring, but I found the finite historic details to be the most empowering. Our tour guide, Ms. Ricki, made me feel like a family member as she was caring, compassionate and fun. This tour is a must do for anyone traveling to Paris. Be sure to add this to your itinerary. Oh and p.s. Ricki referred us to an awesome restaurant/piano bar on our last night in town -- we had the time of our lives! Tres magnifique!!! read more

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I booked the full day tour. Visiting Little Africa was my favorite part of the tour. I absolutely loved this stop. As an African American, it was nice to see other people that looked like me. I just wish that we had more free time in this area. I would have loved to be able to shop and look in various shops. Overall everyone was extremely nice on this tour. As a solo traveler I felt safe and very comfortable. The tour guide, Miguel was also really nice and was willing to answer any questions. The full day tour consist of a lot of walking but you get several breaks. I would definitely book this tour again and I truly enjoyed this experience :) read more

We enjoyed the tour, all of the information and historical significance as well as the descriptions of the monuments. We toured with a great group of friendly people. Our tour guide Nawo was so knowledgeable and sweet. Time well spent. read more

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Still no refund from this company. We are Out of $650. Daily calls and emails without a response are just poor business etiquette. Try Le Noir Paris Tours for more professionalism. read more

You will be VERY DISAPPOINTED! She is very unprofessional and unorganised! I tried to make arrangements with her in advance to no avail. Promised me that tour would be available, after several phone calls and emails assuring me that tour was available, just to find out that less than 24 hours before booked date, that she had overbooked! At this point she stop answering phone. Do yourself a favour and find another tour! read more

I have been to Paris numerous times dating back to 1972. I thought I knew Paris. Well I was wrong. What a great exposure to the Best City in the World. The tour was eye opening on so many levels. I highly recommend the tour and Ricki. Bon Chance!! read more

This tour with Ricki Stevenson was absolutely fantastic. I would take it again and again. I was in Paris as a solo traveler (my first euro trip) and had been looking forward to taking this tour for a few years now, ever since I heard about it on the Steve Harvey Show. It was one of the best things I did while in Europe. Not only did she enlighten us with the true historical insights of Paris and France at large, but she also related it back to world history as well, since we all know everything is a domino effect. She also taught us about Paris in a contemporary sense -- including salutations, our lodging locations, and how to get around on public transit so we wouldn't get lost. It was an awesome introduction to the city and if you can, I suggest taking this tour on the earlier end of your time in Paris so you can put the information to good use. It was lovely walking around the city, knowing the why behind the what and also learning the true significance of the monuments, the city, and its inhabitants throughout history -- mostly the things they never want you to know because it doesn't fit the ideology of the status quo. I also like how she gave us an opportunity to get souvenirs -- really really good ones. It was also great meeting people from different places -- mostly fellow Americans. The African spot we stopped at for lunch was really good and cheap as well. And I loved the way she mixed touring the busy/popular sites in Paris with the little-known areas like the DuMont statues and Little Africa. It was truly spectacular and I really wish it had lasted a little longer -- maybe even a few days, because I feel like she had more to learn and Ricki had more to teach. Even hearing her personal story as to how she arrived in Paris and decided to stay was amazing and inspiring. The information and tips were limitless. She reminded me a lot of my aunts from home and she, her daughter DeeDee and her other worker Blessing were extremely personable, friendly, and very helpful -- if I every return to Paris, I will definitely reach out to them again -- maybe for tea at Mariage. I enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level as well. My only complaint is that I wish she had sold the Black Paris Tour t-shirts on site. Her daughter DeeDee modeled it so well, I wanted to buy one on the spot. But it was so much information, and so many places to hit on the schedule that I believe we ran out of time. I would do it again. read more

The highlight of my 40th bday trip to Paris was the Black Paris Tour. My only regret is not doing the tour on our first day in Paris. Rickie and her daughter Dee Dee really rolled out the red carpet for us. Rickie is like a walking history book and by the end of the day our group felt like long lost family. After the tour, she invited us out to a local Jazz club and introduced us to several of her friends and we literally hung out all night. If you're interested in black history, this is a must do while in Paris. There is a lot of walking and standing so wear comfortable shoes and bring water. read more

Ricki was late for the morning meet! We wasted several hours talking and that could have been shorter. The tour consisted of public transportation which you will be responsible for. Her website said 'bus tour" and "walking". We assumed private bus. For 125 euros this could have been arranged. During the tour, we visited some sites. Most of which you stood outside of the building and was not allowed to enter. She spoke of Josephine Baker but did not visit the grave site. We traveled to a park to sit in the front and listen to her speaking. Not once did we venture into the park to see what she spoke of. It was as if we were not allowed. Ricki took us to her favorite spots...the tea room; the chocolate store (which was overly priced); the market (all white owned); the African restaurant for a late lunch (the food was good but we did not know we had to pay for this, her website never said) and we walked through Little Africa (I wished we could have done our shopping there instead of the white market). I expected much more from this tour. A brochure, a pamphlet, something for us to review what she was saying. Anything for me to read on further and pass on to my kids/friends/family. I did several tours while in Paris. Learning about the Black presence in the past was fantastic but I also wanted to know about Black presence now. Where are the Black people now? From all the struggles in the past, did we make a difference that we are standing in the present? read more

This tour was way overpriced and a complete waste of money. This tour is supposed to be given by Ricki Stevenson and when we arrived in Paris, we were surprised to find out she was on vacation and we would have a new tour guide.The tour information on the website says walking and bus tour, which makes you believe the tour will be given by a private bus. In addition, I thought it would be a group of us. Well that was not the case! On the day of our tour, we met our tour guide (who was very new- 3 weeks) in a cafe. And surprise!! the three of us (I, my wife and mother in law) were the only ones going on the tour that day. And to make matters worse, the bus meant public transportation and the metro to get around. This meant that we also had to pay more money for our tickets and transportation to get around on the tour. We were shocked and had no idea this was the case as my mother in law is partially disabled and walks with a cane. We paid 100 Euros a piece, so almost $500 to be escorted by public bus transportation to the Arc de Triomphe, the church where Josephine Baker's funeral was held, to stand outside a theater where Josephine Baker performed, and another statue. We had no special access to any place and were taken to locations to just look at something and listen to our tour guide and look at paper photos that she showed us. The tour guide, would show us printed paper photos of famous black Parisians or Americans who visited Paris and tell us about their history. Needless to say it was very elementary, most stuff which you probably already know, and you could save yourself a lot of hours and money by just buying a book and visiting these places on your own. To end the tour, we were taken to a restaurant in the Little Africa section of Paris to have a meal. The food was decent, but on top of paying 100 Euros a piece, we had to pay for our meal that we shared with the tour guide (she paid for her portion and we paid ours). Again, this is just another way for them to direct business to their friends who I am sure give them a kickback for bringing people there to eat all the time. Again, we had no special access to anything as part of this tour. It was as if we paid $500 to have someone walk us to a few places and look at them. There was absolutely no value in this tour and it was the biggest waste of time and money we spent in Paris. Do not go on this tour! It is not worth it. I wish there was some way I could get my money back, but since I tried that and was completely dismissed by the owner. I will have to settle for warning others about this severly disappointing tour. read more

I would give this tour 1 star, except I like the idea of going on black history tours and the general experience was worth it although extremely expensive. I also like supporting the Diaspora. However, the tour guide is a bit of mess. Let me explain, I booked the tour online and received instructions, on a restaurant where to meet. I showed up at the restaurant and met another couple who was scheduled to go on the tour too. We waited at the meeting place for over an hour and the tour guide -- Ricki -- never showed. It turns out the couple was a part of a larger tour and the larger group was meeting the tour guide at a hotel location in a completely different part of Paris. We never would have known that, but the other tour participants called their friends who were also to take the tour. And I was extremely annoyed that she assumed I was with this larger group, even though I was not. She insisted that when one books the tour persons are told to call. I booked the tour the day before and received an email confirmation. Her poor management skills renders her to be fairly incompetent at customer service. I complained to the tour guide and she comped me a bad lunch at a restaurant that would have been over priced anyway. I was unimpressed with the tour guide's knowledge of current events and Parisian history. I asked her specific questions about blacks in Paris including census counts, and she could barely form a coherent answer. Don't expect an expert. Despite the expense of the tour, we did travel to Josephine Baker's home and drove around Paris; probably the same cost in a taxi. We drove through the neighborhoods where James Baldwin and Richard Wright supposedly lived and the 'black' arrondissement -- Little Africa. I never would have gone to those areas given where my hotel was. That said the tour was extremely expensive. I hope that other black expatriates in Paris start tour companies to provide competition to this one. Hopefully, it would improve the quality of tours and provide better rates. read more

Tour is way overpriced for what's delivered. We each paid close to a $100 for the "Two-Thirds Day Tour," yet what we received was equivalent to a basic walking tour, which most cities in the U.S. offer free. Tour consisted of two parts: Two hours of introductions in a café. Three hours of walking through Paris and standing outside buildings in which Josephine Baker, Gordon Parks, and others lived, worked, etc. The two-hour introduction part was unnecessarily long and could have been amended to allow for more time exploring Paris. The walking portion of the tour consisted of points of interest being pointed out by Ms. Ricki, who seemed knowledgeable on past achievements of African/African-American. but missed the mark in discussing current contributions. We had no access to the buildings we visited, instead we stood outside of buildings and in a theatre lobby which again for the cost, we should have visited sites in which visitors were permitted to enter. There were occasional jaunts on public transit, which is an additional cost. And a visit to Little Africa (a current hub African/Afro-Parisian culture) seemed as though, it would have automatically been included with our tour, and not an additional fee. As mentioned above, Ms. Ricki is knowledgeable on the numerous past influences that Africans/African-American have had on life in Paris and around the globe. She shows a keen interest in Josephine Baker's life, as well as others such as Gordon Parks, James Baldwin. There were things I learned about Paris, that I hadn't known until taking the tour. Yet, there are adjustments that are needed. And for those reasons I cannot recommend this tour, until modifications are made to what is currently offered. read more

A WONDERFUL TOUR OF PARIS AND BLACK PARIS" "We returned from our extended vacation and started reflecting on everything: The places we visited, the things we saw. It was all so overwhelmingly wonderful! But of all of our travels, Paris stands out the most! A couple of days in Paris really wasn't enough time to see it all. Thank God for your Black Paris Tour! There is no way we could have seen so much on our own... starting on day 1. We all agree that your tour was a lot of fun, very educational and the highlight of our trip! It made us want to return to Paris! THANK YOU SO MUCH! " 3 gal pals from Los Angeles read more

I have been using and referring clients and friends to Ms Stevenson's tours for years and have never heard one complaint from my friends. We just returned last week with a group of 28 and they are still on a cloud as it was truly a highlight of their Paris trip. The initial info sent by Black Paris Tours to all interested parties indicates clearly that it is a walking/city bus tour. However, with large groups it can totally be done by private bus at an additional expense of course. It's a pity Mr. H did not get an opportunity to meet Ms Stevenson because he would have found that she is not only warm, wonderful and charismatic but quite an historian and a knowledgeable expert in the field of African Americans in Paris. read more

Amazing! Learn, know, grow... Ricki is a fabulous tour guide. I will do this tour again :)

We totally enjoyed this tour with Ricki. She is so knowledgeable and the tour was a perfect introduction to Paris in general, and to the Black presence in Paris in particular. Our tour was totally by bus, and we had many opportunities to leave the bus and observe the various locations . Ricki knows Paris! read more

The tour was a good idea but we did not get the experience that I expected. For example we were taken to mostly white owned businesses such as a chocolate and tea store when we could have spent time in the Black Africa area and markets that were nore reflective of black businesses. Also we never got to the cemetrary for Josephine Baker, we went to a park we entered throught the gates, sat and listened to Ricki speak about Lansgton Hughes but we never saw the park. She was late for the tour, then had stop at a market so she could get a coat. I don't feel I received a true historical perspective of black contributions in Paris and for the hours we spent being scolded about keeping quiet etc. so as not to offend the French people I found offensive since we did not experience on our own any issues with the French or anyone else. Her fees are outrageous given we paid for our own transportation, our own food and yet I took other tours that were less money, better managed the tour guides were professional, paid for the train rides, bycicles, had actual information they handed out about the tour and things we were going to see. We received none of that from Ms. Stevenson. She made no arrangements to actually get us into museums, events etc. The only good thing was the food we ate at the Senegalese restaurant and the people we actually met that were part of our tour who were smart and informative and knowleageable about history. read more

AWESOME! Ricki Stevenson was our guide and she is just wonderful. It was the perfect way to kick off our visit to Paris. We were with a great group of people. We learned so much on this tour and honestly will travel different from this point forward. Madame Ricki offered excellent advise for Americans visiting Paris. She offered far more than just the tour. She is a wealth of Parisian knowledge. I highly recommend this tour to anyone. Take it early in your stay. We had a full day with the group and enjoyed an amazing group lunch when it was all over. Kudos to Black Paris Tour! The best. read more

This was the absolute best part of my trip to Paris!!!! A girlfriend and I took a trip to Paris and Ricki Stevenson's Black Paris Tours was educational, cultural and fun!!! The tour we took was a walk and ride tour. We got to see things up close and personal. She is very informed and informative!!!! When I return to Paris I will absolutely do the tour again! I learned so much and I felt very connected to the African Americans that found refuge there( racial equality and respect) during the time(s) that they couldn't get in in the USA. We got to see the REAL Paris from a cultural perspective. Historical facts and forgotten tidbits on Alexandre Dumas, Josephine Baker and a whole list more (she gave us a list of the notable African-Americans who visited or spent time on Paris). I fell in love with Paris and I was grateful to experience the history and education about those African-Americans that spent time there...and with Black Paris Tours!!! Ricki is fluent in french and gave excellent customer service. It was a transformational and awesome experience. read more

Travelers beware. I have seen reviews from Trip Advisor and Yelp and I don't believe all are from real people. Ricki is dishonest is some of her statements. She is not sending the emails she states in her responses and it is apparent that the tours are better when she is actually doing the tour herself. Most of the critical response are a true picture of what I experienced. For the price you pay, this tour should include a trip to the black museum, lunch and bus fair. It's unfortunate that she doesn't take a few cues from crtical responses and improve this tour. I will not recommend it to anyone. I wasted a day. read more

I had an AMAZING AMAZING tour with Ricki! I am a college student that was in Paris for a month studying and took Ricki's tour just before I left. I wish I had taken the tour sooner because she showed us so many hidden, treasures and unique places. I loved having her as our walking tour guide. She provided very interesting stories and made the journey around town very easy by having us take the bus along with walking. It was great to be able to sit on the bus and view all the beautiful buildings while Ricki talked about them. If you go I would wear very comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking, as well as a camera to capture the memories. If you are deciding between a full or half day, you should do the full day! (You are sure to regret it because you will miss out on more great stories and places.) Ricki is so knowledgeable about Black history in Paris. You will not find any sort of tour like it, she makes it so personable and is just a joy to be around! The experience is one of a kind!! I cannot praise Ricki or this Tour enough or this Tour. It is a MUST when traveling around the beautiful city! read more