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The birth of modern medicine: Paris, France

Contact an expert to book or discuss this tour

Email us to book or discuss

Phone +44 (0)20 7593 2284

20 July 2025 - 5 days for £2,557 per person


Discover the foundations of the modern science of medicine in Paris, where the ‘Paris School’ of hygiene and hospital teaching flourished. From mummified écorché figures to bone-lined catacombs, the early history of medicine is sometimes gruesome but always fascinating. Travel in the company of historian, Richard Barnett.

During this tour, you will be introduced to key figures including Louis Pasteur who pioneered the first vaccines, Rene Laennec whose stethoscope is a symbol of medical professionals still today, and Marie Curie – the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and still the only person to win the prizes in both Physics and Chemistry.

The tour will cover the churches administering the first hospitals, through to medical developments during the French Revolution and the great wars, to Paris’s role as the leading European centre of 18th century medicine, France has a long and varied history of medical discovery.

You will be accompanied throughout by Richard Barnett, who taught the history of science and medicine at UCL, Cambridge, and Oxford. He is also a broadcaster and poet

  • Reinventing the hospital in Revolutionary Paris
  • Romantic science and evolutionary anxieties at the Jardin des Plantes
  • Citizens, sewers, and test tubes: Louis Pasteur and germ theory

In addition to the wealth of medical history covered by this tour you will enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the architecture and gardens of these two beautiful cities. 

In partnership with Kirker Holidays.


DAY 1: ARRIVE IN TO PARIS AND ENJOY THE FIRST TALK FROM RICHARD BARNETT

Welcome to Paris. You can either join the group journey from St Pancras, London by Eurostar to Paris or meet your fellow travellers at the four-star Mercure Sorbonne Hotel. There are no planned activities until the evening, so if you arrive early, Paris is an amazing city to explore.

In the evening, meet with you tour leader and fellow guests. Enjoy the first of your lectures from your tour expert, Richard Barnett who will be talking on reinventing the hospital in Revolutionary Paris. Afterwards, you will enjoy a dinner together at a local Parisian restaurant.

DAY 2: THE MUSÉE CURIE, THE PANTHEON AND THE MUSÉE D’HISTOIRE DE LA MÉDECINE

This morning you will meet your expert local guide for a walking tour on the Left Bank, starting at the Musée Curie, a fascinating museum devoted to the history of radiation therapy.

You will continue to the Pantheon, the great mausoleum of the French great and good - including the lead-lined tomb of Marie Curie herself. After lunch you will visit the Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine, which houses an impressive collection of rare surgical instruments from the 18th century onwards including Rene Laennec’s first stethoscope.

In the evening Richard will present a second talk focusing on the romantic science and evolutionary anxieties at the Jardin des Plantes ahead of tomorows visit. 

 DAY 3: PITIÉ-SALPÊTRIÈRE, SALPÊTRIÈRE CHAPEL AND JARDIN DES PLANTES 

This morning, visit Pitié-Salpêtrière, originally a gunpowder factory, it was converted into a hospice by Louis XIV and became a psychiatric research centre where Jean-Martin Charcot pioneered work on hypnosis and hysteria. Jean-Martin's lectures were attended by figures like Sigmund Freud. You will see the Salpêtrière Chapel, built by Bruant around 1675 and considered one of his masterpieces, before walking the short distance to the Jardin des Plantes, one of the world’s foremost botanical gardens. Founded in 1626 as a royal garden of medicinal plants, it still covers 68 acres with 23,500 species of plants and one of the world’s finest herbariums. Meet an expert from the Botanical School and explore alpines, a rock and rose garden and the rainforest house.

There will be time for lunch in the restaurant and in the afternoon you might wish to visit one of the adjacent natural history museums, including the Gallery of Mineralogy & Geology, the Gallery of Palaeontology or the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, which houses 7,000 taxidermy specimens. 

DAY 4: MUSÉE FRAGONARD D'ALFORT

This morning, visit the astonishing Musée Fragonard d'Alfort. Founded in 1766 by the anatomist Honoré Fragonard, this museum is now part of the Veterinary School of Paris (one of the world's oldest) and it has a unique collection, including a startling room of his original écorchés, mummified anatomical studies ranging from a dissection of a human arm used as a teaching tool, to the gruesomely theatrical Horseman of the Apocalypse.

There will be free time in the afternoon to explore Paris. 

This evening, Richard will give his third talk on citizens, sewers, and test tubes: Louis Pasteur and germ theory.

DAY 5: RETURN HOME FROM PARIS

There will be some free time in the morning before departing to the train station for your onward journey. If you would prefer, our partner Kirker Travel can also arrange flights home or extend your holiday in the south of France.

Contact an expert to book or discuss this tour

Email us to book or discuss

Phone +44 (0)20 7593 2284

Highlights

  • Discover the the rich heritage of medical advancements, groundbreaking discoveries, and historic hospitals in Paris.
  • Explore Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital's historical buildings, including its neoclassical chapel.
  • Visit the Jardin des Plantes, one of Paris' most beautiful and historically significant gardens, serving as a hub for both natural beauty and scientific discovery.
  • Enjoy talks and walking seminars from the accompanying expert, Richard Barnett.
  • Spent time at the Musée de l'Histoire de la Médecine, which holds one of the oldest and most extensive collections of medical instruments in Europe.
  • Visit the Musée Curie, a small but significant museum dedicated to the life and groundbreaking scientific work of Marie Curie and her family.
  • Maximum group size - 22 people. 

Meet the expert

×îÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Richard Barnett

Richard is a historian, broadcaster and poet. He taught the history of science and medicine at UCL, Cambridge, and Oxford, and received one of the first Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowships. His books include Medical London (with Mike Jay, 2008), The Sick Rose: Disease and the Art of Medical Illustration (2014), and Wherever We Are When We Come To The End (2021). He has contributed to documentaries for BBC2, BBC4, Radio 3, Radio 4, ITV, Channel 4, NPR, PBS, and China Central TV, and has written for the London Review of Books, the Lancet, the Spectator, the Natural Death Handbook, and many scholarly journals.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • Four nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis.
  • Services of a dedicated tour leader throughout.
  • Talks and walking seminars throughout.
  • Three group dinners.
  • Arrival/departure group transfers.
  • Tickets to all the stated museums and gardens.
  • 24-hour support.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

  • Travel insurance
  • International rail or air journeys (these can be arranged as part of the tour package, please ask).
  • Private transfers.
  • Single supplement - £679

HOW TO GET THERE

This tour begins and ends in Paris. Please speak to Kirker Holidays who can offer flight advice and book flights for those travelling from the UK. 

If you would prefer not to fly, they can look into Eurostar/TGV train journey options for you.

PACE AND PHYSICALITY

A lot of the itinerary requires walking between the city’s sites, and you may encounter cobbled streets and stairs in certain locations. As such, a moderate level of fitness is required with ability to walk a total of approximately 3 hours each day.

SOLO TRAVELLERS

All of our tours, cruises, expeditions and weekenders are perfect for solo travellers. If you want your own room, you will need to pay a solo supplement of £800 for this tour. 

Accommodation

Mercure Paris Sorbonne

A four-star boutique hotel near the left bank of the Seine, opposite the Sorbonne University, amongst the trees of the Quartier Latin and Saint-Germain des Prés. It's just 5 minutes walk from Notre Dame. A cosy contemporary hotel that makes an ideal base for exploring Paris.

×îÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.