- A few words about us
Welcome to Paris.
Bonjour!
As travellers ourselves, we founded Boutique Bike Tours to offer unique experiences that share Paris and Versailles with you, as friends, rather than guides.
Versailles and Paris have been home for over 20 years, Stu practically grew up in the Versailles grounds! We are deeply passionate about France, travel, history, food & cycling.
Paris & Versailles have a way of capturing the hearts of all who visit & we hope you’ll love it too!
What Matters to Us
Wow Factor Experiences
We only create experiences that showcase the very best. Here's to breath-taking, immersive & engaging experiences that become life long memories.
We Love Travel
We believe the greatest travel memories are filled with connection, laughter & meaningful interaction. While the 5 star reviews are great, it is your individual experience that matters - every time.
We Love What We Do
You’ll get a sense of that the minute you speak to us. We are nerds about everything France and are proud of it.
We are Selective
And unapologetically so - in the experiences we create & the team we choose. You won’t find standard, large group, follow the flag tours here.
We Are All About The Good Times
Whether you’re getting together for a special occasion, enjoying a honeymoon, or gathering friends and family for a holiday to remember, you can count on us - so that the good times are great times.
Customer Service is Everything
From the first moment you reach out to us to the very end of your time in France (& hopefully even beyond!) we are all about epic customer service.
#1 Paris Outdoor Activity 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021
The TEAM
We started with a simple goal – to work with not only the very best certified guides but great people. Today our team is comprised of fun PhD, MA-level scholars & specialists of their fields, all-natural teachers and storytellers excited to share the very best of France, their knowledge & local recommendations.
Stu
Niki
Nicolas
Lola
Clara
Iryna
Pascal
Founder
Stu
British Stu’s adventurous spirit and passion for travel has seen him travel around the world. Following years as a historian, teacher and guide he founded Boutique Bike Tours to offer something unique to those visiting Paris.
Known for his delivery style and local knowledge, Stu claims to not be a tour person despite being a licensed professional guide able to guide you inside all monuments, museums, as well as skip the lines. Having lost patience with lines and large crowds many years ago all our tours are designed to avoid them!
In the winter he continues to live the dream as a ski coach in Europe, America & Japan.
Top Tip: Do not spend your vacation standing in lines, following the crowds. There is always a better way!
Favourite Tour:
Founder
Niki
Office Manager, Kiwi & Food Lover
Niki, the adventurous Kiwi is the engine that keeps Boutique Bike Tours running, if you are lucky you may see her leading a tour with us now and again, otherwise she is the voice on the other end of the phone.
Between seven years of back to back winter seasons as a snowboard instructor in Japan, the United States and New Zealand, Niki studied paramedicine. She has been working as a paramedic in London and now Boutique Tours has an experienced, Paris-based paramedic of its own.
Top Tip: ‘Flâner’ – the word that encapsulates frenchness.
To truly discover Paris you must become a flàneur- to wander aimlessly through a city, to be at once part of a place and on the outside– is a concept so French that the word has no English equivalent.
Favourite Tour:
Head Guide
Nicolas
Licensed Guide, Quintessential Frenchie
Nicolas is originally from Lyon, the home of true French gastronomy as he proudly reminds us. Having travelled throughout the world, learnt English in Australia & led tours all over France he now calls Paris home. Combining his passion for guiding and cycling Nicolas is an expert in all things Versailles and the ultimate entertainer.
Top Tip: Visit Lyon ‘the home of French gastronomy’
Favourite Tour:
Guide & Writer
Lola
Masters in Literature, History of Art & History
Lola was born in the heart of Paris, on Ile de la Cité, in the same room as both her mother & grandmother. Growing up with a French mother & American dad cultivated her curiosity for the world & led her to pursue her undergraduate in California, studying literature, history of art, history, and cinema before returning to Paris.
You will often find Lola at one of the cafés along the Canal Saint Martin, sipping on a glass of white wine, either book in hand, or chatting away her partner in crime Pascal.
Top Tip : Whenever you see an open door, make sure to peek inside. Paris is filled with secret gardens and courtyards, and you never know what gem you might uncover with just a little bit of curiosity.
I have probably tasted every croissant in Paris (my favourite right now is from Boulangerie Utopie), so if you need any advice for your next food-driven adventure, I’d be happy to help!
Favourite Tour
Licensed Guide
Clara
Always on the road between Paris, Versailles and Normandy, Clara is a Grand Paris expert that likes to wander off the beaten path to capture the charm and poetry of urban life in the historical “Paname”. When she is not thrift-shopping, she will be found reading the news on the terrace of a café on La Butte aux Cailles or sunbathing on the banks of the Seine, glass of rosé nearby!
If you get to explore Versailles with Clara, you may be lucky enough to come across both her mother & her grandmother! Versailles is home to Clara’s grandmother & is where her mother has spent much time as a guide herself – no doubt proud of her daughter following her passion too!
Top Tip
Have a break from your new parisian routine join us to explore Versailles or Giverny (where Monet lived and painted the waterlilies), both easily reachable by train. To have a taste of country life without leaving Paris, go explore village – such as Butte aux Cailles and the Cité Florale in the 13th arrondissement !
Favourite Tour
Licensed Guide
Iryna
Licensed Guide, Linguist Extraordinaire
If you wanted to hear the story of Versailles in nine different languages, Iryna could do that in her sleep. There’s always one person over qualified for the job and our Belarussian linguistic and licensed guide fits the bill. Born in Belarus, Iryna spent her first years in France in Arras, delving into and sharing the military history of France.
Now based in Paris, Iryna is passionate about music, travel, literature, dance and has an insatiable appetite for learning. Her endless knowledge coupled with humour and a smile are the perfect mix for discovering the rich history of France.
Favourite Tour:
Tour Guide, Sommelier
Pascal
Tour Guide, Sommelier
French name, but not French, so perhaps it was destiny that brought him here! Born in Poland but raised in the US in a family of passionate winemaker’s. Pascal considers human connection, good food and wine to be the best things in life. We are delighted to have our very own Sommelier in the team. When not running tours Pascal is always out discovering more Parisian secrets to share on his tours.
Top Tips : If I had anything to say for those visiting France, it would be to not be shy and to whip out what French you know! You’ll find that a simple “bonjour” and “merci” go a long way.
Be hungry, always, and ask your guide for places to eat!
Favorite Tour :