Spend a delightful afternoon learning one of France’s favorite pastimes —Pétanque! Get an introduction to the rules of this beloved game of ‘boules’ (balls) from your local guide, and practice your throwing techniques in a friendly game against other tour participants. Enjoy a glass of French wine during the match while soaking up the lovely surroundings of Dauphine Gardens for a true Parisian experience.

Take part in a 1.5-hour match of Pétanque, a form of French boules, in Paris’ Dauphine Gardens
Learn about the history of this popular French game from your friendly host
Play boules as the French do -- with a glass of wine in your hand!
Discuss strategy with your teammates and try to make a winning move known as faire un carreau
Discover the complex rules of the game!

What's Included

Boules game
2 glasses of wine
Soft drinks
Snacks
Local guide
Equipement: boules, cochonnet

Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

36 Bd de la Bastille
36 Bd de la Bastille, 75012 Paris, France
Meet your guide at 36 boulevard de la Bastille, outside "café de la presse". Your guide will be wearing a Discover Walks' pink vest. The closest metro station is Bastille (line 1, 5 and 8).

Start time

05:30 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Pétanque originated in France and is played in villages across the country, as well as throughout Europe. Learn to play this classic game of ‘boules’ (balls) in the beautiful surroundings of Dauphine Gardens, near Paris’ Pont Neuf bridge. Meet your guide and teammates here, where you’ll get an introduction to the rules of the game.

The action of Pétanque revolves around throwing metal balls toward a wooden ball called the cochonnet. Try to land closest to the cochonnet and knock your opponent’s balls out of the way. Play a match against other tour group members while your guide provides tips and instruction on technique.

Enjoy the leisurely game in true French style, accompanied by a glass or two of wine in hand and snacks (included, or a soft drink if you prefer). After the 1.5-hour lesson and match, you’ll have a new skill that you can practice in villages all throughout France!

Pont-Neuf

This is where we meet - in downtown Paris. Louvre, Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter are all in sight.

3 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Place Dauphine

Place Dauphine is a pedestrian-only plaza. It is lined with chestnut trees. Perfect for boules - and for our "apéritif" pre-dinner drinks.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Must be 18 years of age to drink alcohol
Wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Reviews

4.5

11 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-7 of 11 reviews

Thoroughly good time

Rick_J, Jun 2020

Our instructor, Patrick, was personable and knowledgeable, and he was a very good teacher. We had a thoroughly good time. It was well worth the price. Now my buddy and I feel comfortable going to the Luxembourgh Gardens or anywhere else and asking to join a pétanque game.

I scheduled this for my husband to...

Judy, Jul 2017

I scheduled this for my husband to experience Petanque but was a little disappointed as it felt like a college student grabbed some items out of his closet and met us to play Petanque. He wasn't expert and even though our group was small 6 people he did not have the correct amount of equipment to play the game with. He also got confused on some of the rules and a young girl who had played the game with her French class one of the guests kept us in line. It was nice, but not great. I would recommend that instead you take a couple of bottles of good wine, some cheese and bread to the Petanque pitch in Luxembourg gardens and bribe your way into a game there.

Rafael, our parisian guide, was as...

Steven P, Sep 2014

Rafael, our parisian guide, was as charming and as friendly as could be. We were, however, disappointed because we had expected to learn more about the rules and strategy of the game as outlined in the tour description. It was a very enjoyable experience in a lovely square on a perfect summer evening, but we didn't learn what we were hoping to from the experience.

We really enjoyed learning how to...

Julie Ann G, May 2014

We really enjoyed learning how to play pétanque in a lovely Parisienne park whilst drinking Rose.

Absolutely marvellous. This was the...

Janette J, Jun 2013

Absolutely marvellous. This was the highlight of our trip to Paris. Paul was excellent and made the activity so much fun. Great afternoon learning to play as well as having a glass or two of wine. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would recommend it as a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Felt as though we were playing with a group of friends experiencing the French way of life.

Cannot rate this as our guide did...

Esther T, May 2013

Cannot rate this as our guide did not show up at the time or place we were given in the re-confirmation call our hotel made for us. Big disappointment.

SO much fun!

Peter_M, Sep 2021

We had so much fun with Stan! We had never played pétanque and loved learning the rules and strategy and finally trying to play. We did improve over time ... maybe it was the wine! We will definitely do this again on our next visit. Nous nous sommes tellement amusés avec Stan ! Nous n'avions jamais joué à la pétanque et avons adoré apprendre les règles et la stratégie et enfin essayer de jouer. Nous nous sommes améliorés avec le temps... c'était peut-être le vin ! Nous le referons certainement lors de notre prochaine visite.

Explore Similar Things to Do

Attractions in Paris, France

Help Center Customer Care Privacy and Cookies Statement About Viator News Viator blog

Terms & Conditions