REVIEW · PARIS
Paris: Montmartre Drawing tour with a local artist
Book on GetYourGuide →Operated by iN ARTS · Bookable on GetYourGuide
Turn Montmartre into paper, one sketch at a time. This 3-hour drawing tour guides you through the hillside’s artistic lanes with a local instructor, using real landmarks like the Sacré-Cœur area and the Bateau Lavoir to spark what you draw.
I like the small group setup, because you actually get individual eyes on your work. I also love the materials + sketchbook package, since you’re not hunting for supplies while you explore.
One thing to consider: the teaching style can lean toward technique and corrections. If you want zero guidance and just total freedom, you may find that more structured approach a little much.
In This Review
- Key things you’ll notice on this Montmartre drawing tour
- Setting up at Place des Abbesses, with stool and sketchbook ready
- Walking the Montmartre route: vineyards, Sacré-Cœur views, and artist hangouts
- Drawing exercises at each landmark: technique without stealing your fun
- Weather-proof sketching, including cozy café backup plans
- Materials and the foldable stool: why the setup is part of the value
- Price and value: $93 for 3 hours, with kit and coaching included
- Who should book this drawing tour in Montmartre (and who might not love it)
- Should you book this Montmartre drawing tour?
- FAQ
- Where is the meeting point?
- How long is the tour?
- How big is the group?
- What language is the instructor?
- What drawing supplies are included?
- What should I bring?
- What happens if it rains or gets cold?
- Is transportation included?
- Can wheelchair users join?
- What is the cancellation and payment policy?
Key things you’ll notice on this Montmartre drawing tour
- Start at Place des Abbesses: the meeting point is right in front of the metro entrance for line 12, so you can orient fast.
- You bring home a sketchbook: each person gets one, so your day has a real souvenir beyond photos.
- All drawing tools are included: pencils, markers, watercolor, and a foldable stool for comfortable breaks.
- Exercises happen at landmarks: the walk is planned around recognizable artistic stops like Sacré-Cœur, Bateau Lavoir, and Moulin de la Galette.
- Weather doesn’t shut it down: if rain or cold hits, drawing activities shift to a cozy café along the route.
- Small group means real attention: limited to 10 participants, with individualized advice in English and French.
Setting up at Place des Abbesses, with stool and sketchbook ready
You meet your instructor at Place des Abbesses, just in front of the metro station entrance for line 12. That matters more than you’d think. Montmartre can feel like a maze the first hour, and a clear, obvious start point helps you focus on the art instead of on where to stand.
The welcome is simple and practical. You get a sketchbook right away, plus the drawing materials needed for the session. In other words, you do not arrive empty-handed with a half-remembered plan to buy a pencil later. The kit includes items like pencils, markers, and watercolor, and each participant also gets a foldable stool, which is ideal when you want to sit for a moment and actually look.
Because the group is kept small (up to 10), your instructor can adjust guidance to what you’re doing. If you’re new to drawing, you’re not being tested. If you’ve drawn before, you still get prompts that push you to see more carefully—shape, light, and edges—without turning the whole thing into an exam.
Practical tip: wear comfortable shoes. This is a walking tour, and Montmartre means uphill slopes and uneven ground at times. Also dress for the weather; the route continues in rain or cold, but you’ll be happier if you’re warm and not swearing at your jacket zipper.
You can also read our reviews of more tours and experiences in Paris.
Walking the Montmartre route: vineyards, Sacré-Cœur views, and artist hangouts
The route is built around the idea that Montmartre’s art history is not just behind museum glass. You move through the neighborhood and draw while you learn how artists worked, gathered, and transformed ordinary streets into something worth studying.
You’ll pass by the vineyards of Montmartre. Even if you don’t know your way around the hill, vineyards give you an easy subject: patterns of vines, uneven textures, and long lines that guide your eye. It’s a great warm-up for observation because the visuals change as you move.
From there, the tour routes you toward the Sacré-Cœur area. Think of this stop as a chance to translate a dramatic skyline into a sketch without overworking it. The value here is not copying a postcard perfectly. It’s learning how to capture the feeling of the place with quick drawing exercises and paced techniques.
Next comes Bateau Lavoir, which is tied to the area’s artist studio culture. Stops like this are useful because they connect place to practice. You’re drawing while the instructor explains the district’s famous creators and the kinds of artistic energy Montmartre became known for. That background makes your sketches more intentional—your lines feel less random because you understand why the setting mattered.
Finally, you end up around the Moulin de la Galette area. This is one of those spots where you can practice choosing what to emphasize. You’ll likely be asked to focus on a certain part of the scene (for example, big shapes, light areas, or details), rather than trying to reproduce everything. That’s how you stop feeling stuck and start finishing drawings.
A small drawback of doing Montmartre on foot is that you’re always balancing two things: looking for composition and watching where you’re stepping. The tour helps by keeping you in a working pace, but you still want to be sure-footed enough to enjoy it.
Drawing exercises at each landmark: technique without stealing your fun
The best part of this experience is the rhythm: walk, then draw, then learn a little, then draw again. That’s what keeps it from becoming a sightseeing slog where you only pull out your sketchbook once, near the end.
Your instructor builds the session with drawing exercises and creative activities along the way. Because the group is small and you get individualized advice, you’re not stuck doing the same exact thing as everyone else. The goal is to make the objectives reachable regardless of skill level. In plain terms: you get prompts that let beginners participate without feeling behind.
You also have multiple mediums available—pencils, markers, and watercolor—so you can experiment. That matters in Montmartre, because different scenes ask for different approaches. A light sketch in pencil can help you structure a view. Markers can emphasize outlines and contrast. Watercolor can soften and suggest atmosphere when you don’t want harsh edges.
That said, the coaching style can be more directive than some people expect. One downside that can happen is that you may receive frequent feedback focused on technique and corrections. If your personal goal is casual sketching for enjoyment—just capturing what you see without refining it—consider mentally switching to the mindset of using the prompts as optional tools. You can still draw your surroundings, even if you get suggestions about how to hold your lines or approach an object.
In other words, this is not a pure self-guided art walk. It’s an instructional workshop walk, and you’ll get more out of it if you like that structure—even if you’re just there to play.
Weather-proof sketching, including cozy café backup plans
Montmartre is weather-sensitive. One minute you’re fine, the next you’re dealing with rain or a cold snap. The good news is the tour is maintained in bad weather, and drawing activities shift when needed.
The key detail: if it’s raining or cold, especially in winter, the drawing exercises happen in a cozy café along the route. That’s a big quality-of-life advantage. You don’t lose half your session scrambling for shelter. You also don’t stop learning because the weather changed.
This also affects how you should pack mentally. Bring your comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothes, but don’t panic if you didn’t dress perfectly. The instructor’s job includes keeping the workshop flowing and getting you drawing again quickly.
If you’re worried about the sky changing your mood, you can treat this as a plus. Rain can flatten shadows and make the scene softer, which is often a good moment to practice watercolor washes or simplified shapes. The café setting can also help you slow down and focus on composition without wind and glare.
Materials and the foldable stool: why the setup is part of the value
A lot of Montmartre tours give you a narrative. This one gives you tools to turn the narrative into something you can hold.
The materials are loaned during the workshop, and each participant gets a sketchbook. That means you’re not paying extra later for supplies. It also means your instructor can plan exercises around specific mediums, instead of guessing what everyone brings.
The foldable stool is a small thing, but it’s a big deal for comfort. Drawing often means sitting, leaning, or getting your perspective steady. When you can sit, your lines improve because you’re not rushing your body. You’re giving your eyes time to work.
You also get personalized advice, which is where the coaching becomes practical. The instructor can suggest what to try next based on what you’re drawing and how you’re drawing it. That kind of feedback can help you avoid common beginner traps—like overworking tiny details or trying to draw everything at once.
One thing I’d watch for: if you dislike structured critique, you may feel your sketchbook turning into homework. If that’s your personality, lean into the creative parts: experiment with markers and watercolor, do quick studies, and let the day be a practice session rather than a performance.
Price and value: $93 for 3 hours, with kit and coaching included
At $93 per person for a 3-hour small-group session, the price is easier to judge when you look at what’s included.
You get:
- a sketchbook to take home
- drawing materials loaned during the workshop (including pencils, markers, watercolor)
- a foldable stool
- individualized advice in English and French
- a planned route through major Montmartre spots tied to the art community
Without those inclusions, a similar experience would often cost you more in rentals or supplies plus a separate instructor fee. Here, you’re buying a ready-made workshop experience: someone provides the subjects, gives exercises, and equips you to make the art on the spot.
The one cost you should expect on your end is transport to and from the meeting point. The tour itself starts at Place des Abbesses, near metro line 12, but you’ll need to plan your own way there and back.
For the value side, the biggest win is the “small group” factor. Up to 10 participants means you’re not blending into a crowd. If you like guidance, it’s a good investment. If you prefer fully independent roaming, the structure is less necessary—and you might feel like you’re paying for supervision.
Who should book this drawing tour in Montmartre (and who might not love it)
This is a great fit if you want Montmartre with a purpose. If you enjoy hands-on activities, or you want your sightseeing to result in something you made, this tour is tailor-made for that.
You’ll likely enjoy it if:
- you want to learn basic drawing habits through real places, not generic worksheets
- you like experimenting with multiple mediums
- you appreciate individual advice in a small group
- you’re okay with light structure and exercises that help you finish drawings
It may not be ideal if:
- you want totally free, hands-off drawing with no technique focus
- you get frustrated by frequent corrections (even kind ones)
- you need wheelchair access, since the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users
One more practical note: the instructor can switch between English and French, and the format is designed to work for mixed language comfort levels. Still, if you have strong language preferences, choose the session language that fits you best.
Should you book this Montmartre drawing tour?
If you’re the type who likes doing rather than just looking, I’d book it. The combination of a take-home sketchbook, loaned materials, and guided drawing exercises turns Montmartre into a creative day you can remember beyond photos.
Skip it if your idea of fun is sketching without coaching and you dislike structured critique. In that case, you might be happier doing a self-guided Montmartre walk and using your own art setup.
But for most people, this hits a sweet spot: you get art instruction, you cover key Montmartre sites like the Sacré-Cœur area, Bateau Lavoir, and Moulin de la Galette, and you get a weather-ready plan so the day doesn’t get derailed.
FAQ
Where is the meeting point?
You meet just in front of the entrance of metro station line 12.
How long is the tour?
It lasts 3 hours.
How big is the group?
The tour is a small group limited to 10 participants.
What language is the instructor?
The instructor teaches in English and French.
What drawing supplies are included?
Drawing materials are available during the workshop, including pencils, markers, and watercolor, plus a foldable stool and a sketchbook for each participant.
What should I bring?
Bring comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.
What happens if it rains or gets cold?
The tour continues in bad weather. If it rains or it is cold, especially in winter, drawing activities are done in a cozy café along the route.
Is transportation included?
No. Transportation to and from the activity start and end point is not included.
Can wheelchair users join?
No. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.
What is the cancellation and payment policy?
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later (book your spot and pay nothing today).
