Friday Tour Group
Full tour details · Season 2025–2026
About the Friday Tour Group
The Friday Tour Group (FTG) is a friendly, informal group of people who share a love of culture, history, and the extraordinary city of Paris. We have been exploring together for many years, and our community grows a little each season. From September to June, we visit museums, galleries, gardens, and hidden corners — always with an expert guide, always with good company.
Regular Members
200€ per year. Sign up for all tours! Regular members enjoy free or reduced entry on most tours and have priority booking for all events.
Waitlist Members
60€ per year. Includes all video tours free of charge. Waitlist members may join any walking or museum tour if a place becomes available, at a higher per-tour fee.
Guests
25€ per tour or video. Guests may join us up to once per season, after which they are warmly invited to become members.
Meeting Time Protocol
We have two times: MEET and START. Please arrive by the MEET time so we can begin promptly at the START time.
Costs & Payment
Tour costs cover guide fees, entrance fees, and any group charges. Payment is made in cash at the meeting point on the day of the tour.
Tour Limits
Each tour has a maximum number of places. Sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis. A signed-up place is a commitment.
Video Tours
Video tours take place on Thursdays via video conference. Meet at 16h45, start at 17h00, finish at 18h15, with questions until 18h30.
Co-Directors & Day-of Contact
Paul GAVORA 06 73 31 98 92
Lee HUBERT 06 75 06 61 99
Our Guides
The Friday Tour Group is privileged to work with some of the finest guides in Paris — historians, artists, archaeologists, and passionate experts who bring the city to life.
Mary Bartlett
A lifestyle and hospitality consultant with over 20 years of experience living in Paris. Drawing from her background in French social customs and gastronomy, she specializes in the "Art of the Table" and the history of French entertaining.
Debbie Baron
An expert in French gastronomy and the concept of terroir, Debbie is the director of Domaines & Terroirs. She works directly with traditional producers to master the history, production, and classification of French artisanal foods, with a primary specialty in French cheeses.
Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff
An art historian and educator who earned her BA and MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Founder of Art Historical London and a specialist in 17th-century Dutch Baroque art, the self-portrait, and the history of the art market.
Chris Boicos
A professor of art history (MPhil, Courtauld Institute; Sorbonne), founder of Paris Art Studies and director of Chris Boicos Fine Arts. Specializes in 19th- and 20th-century European art, contemporary curation, and modern architecture.
Oriel Caine
Co-founder of Paris Walks, guide-lecturer with a Master's in History, Art History & French Literature. Co-author of Paris Then and Now. Specializes in the visual history of the city from the medieval period to the present day.
Pascale Chauvel
A practicing artist and museum guide with a BAC in Arts from the Ecole du Louvre. She has worked for 25 years as a guide in the Parisian national museums, notably the Musée d'Orsay, and paints in pastel, oil, watercolour and ink.
Thomas Emery
Degrees in geography and history with a passion for architecture. A national tour guide since 2008, working for French National Monuments. Fields of interest include ancient history and 19th- and 20th-century art.
Noha Escartin
Born in Egypt, Paris resident for 35 years. Studied Egyptology and Physics at AUC, then specialised in Simultaneous Interpretation and Art History. Also teaches at universities including CNAM, Cergy and Nanterre.
Dr. Sandra (Sandy) Gogel
Founder of La Source Parisienne, an antique consultancy. PhD from the University of Chicago. A recognized expert in antiques and art, known for insider-led visits to the Hôtel Drouot auction house.
Mary Ellen Gogel
Artist and amateur historian, Paris resident for several decades. Contributor to cultural programs at the American Cathedral and Library. Expertise in religious architecture, Gothic history, and the evolution of writing and manuscripts.
Ellen Hampton
PhD historian, author, and former Sciences Po lecturer. Author of Women of Valor: The Rochambelles on the WWII Front. Specializes in the social history of WWII, the French Resistance, and women in military history.
Thierry Heil
Licensed guide for over 15 years in Paris and throughout France. A specialist of Paris who combines little-known areas with important historical and cultural facts. Also organizes study abroad programs and first-class stays for international universities.
Ingrid Held
Graduate of the Ecole du Louvre (Greek archaeology) and Master's in Art History from the Sorbonne. Worked over 10 years at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs as a lecturer and researcher, now a freelance guide and historian.
Lee Hubert
Paris resident since the 1970s. Official guide for the Wallace Fountains Society, long-time volunteer and community organizer. Specializes in the stories behind Parisian landmarks and the literary history of the city's neighbourhoods.
Eric John Kaiser
French-American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born and raised in Paris. Six studio albums; performed at the Smithsonian, De Young Museum, and Solidays festival. Lectures on Francophone music at Portland, Oregon, where he now lives.
Amy Kupec-Larue
30 years living and working in Paris. Guided the NY Botanical Garden and Garden Club of America on tours through French gardens. Permanent member of the Bagatelle Rose Commission since 2009. Author of the Great Trees of Paris map.
Jacky Libaud
Expert in Islamic garden history and Paris parks guide for the City of Paris since 2001. Founder of "Balades aux Jardins" with 66 different visits through parks and neighbourhoods of Greater Paris. baladesauxjardins.fr
Ken Nesbitt
Retired Canadian Air Force officer with a Master's in war studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. Has spent 18 years in Europe providing guided tours of historical battlefields and lectures on military history.
Brad Newfield
French-American historian, Paris resident since 1994. PhD in History from UCLA. Specializes in Franco-American relations, the American Founding Fathers in Paris, the French Revolution, and American expatriate writers on the Left Bank.
Lynn Rainard
Retired professor of history specializing in US political and cultural developments. Expertise in French-American exchanges and 20th-century political history. Has presented a Café Lecture on French-American relations in Paris.
Mervyn (Merv) Rothstein
Veteran journalist, 30 years as writer and editor at The New York Times (chief theater reporter). Contributor to Playbill for over three decades, Tony Awards Nominating Committee member. Specializes in performing arts history and cultural journalism.
Elaine Sciolino
Celebrated author and former Paris Bureau Chief for The New York Times. Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. Author of The Seine: The River that Made Paris and The Only Street in Paris. elainesciolino.com
Christopher Spence
Licensed guide, 26 years in Paris. One of the main guides for Paris Walks; presents virtual talks with London Walks. Writes on Paris history for newspapers and appears in documentaries. Keen amateur fossil hunter.
Jean-Manuel Traimond
Native Parisian, giving tours since 1990. Published author whose works include a Naughty Guide of the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, a history of erotic art, and essays on religion and social history. A true man of letters.
Xenia Ventikou
Art History and Art Conservation graduate (Greece and London). Former sculpture conservator at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Trained Guide-Conférencier National; joined the Musée des Arts Décoratifs team to share the stories, details and secrets of their collections.
Volunteering: The Heart of FTG
Help us write the next chapter.
Every tour you attend is made possible by members like you.
It's easy to get involved and most people help out in small ways:
- Welcoming newcomers
- Helping with attendance
- Sharing transportation tips
- Inviting guests to join
Other steps take a bit more time — like helping to plan a tour.
If you are enjoying spending your Fridays with FTG, one of the most meaningful ways you can contribute is by helping to plan one or two tours a year.
It sounds daunting — but it's not.
- You will work with an experienced guide who tells you everything you need to know.
- You'll fill in a simple online template.
- You'll have a mentor — an experienced planner to walk you through the process.
- No French required! Our guides speak English and most reservations are done online — easy!
You're never on your own — and there's no long-term commitment.
Even planning a single tour makes a real difference.
Why It Matters
Right now, all the planning and coordination is handled by a small team of volunteers. They do it willingly — but when more members get involved, even occasionally:
- the group stays active and varied
- the workload is shared
- planners and organizers get to step back and simply enjoy a Friday like everyone else
A Shared Effort
Remember, there isn't a formal organization running in the background — FTG is something members keep going together.
That might mean arriving early for a tour to help out, or planning a visit.
Think about taking the next step.
Talk to the planner of your next tour or send an email to express your interest today.
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