A bit about me: Hamish Hastie

Guiding you through Paris with passion and five years of local expertise.

My name is Hamish Hastie, I'm 26 years old and I'm from the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland. I've been living in Paris since 2021 and fell in love with the city well before that. As a child, I spent a lot of my summers in France, especially in Brittany, but I always had a passion for Paris. I started learning French at the age of 10, with the help of a family friend. This set me in good stead throughout high school, where I excelled in the subject and became fascinated with French history, art, literature, music, theatre and cinema. The last two were especially important; I also acted in plays at school and in the community in Edinburgh, eventually going on to star in the BBC children's show Logan High alongside a talented ensemble cast. In 2017, I started studying French and Russian at the University of Edinburgh, taking most of my courses on cinema and art history. In 2019, I took part in an exchange programme taking me back to Paris, where I studied art history at Université Paris Nanterre for a semester and later to Moscow, where I studied museum curation at HSE. In 2021, I received a First Class MA Honours with Distinction in French and Russian Studies. While pursuing my studies in Edinburgh, I worked as tour guide and tour administrator, showing visitors the beauty of the city and other sites in Scotland, such as Loch Ness. This experience, as well as my work as an actor, taught me about the importance of storytelling and engaging audiences.

In 2021, after completing my degree, I moved to Paris and started studying theatre at the Cours Florent. Already knowing the city well and having a background as a tour guide, I supported myself by giving tours of various sites which did not require the prestigious tour guide licence (carte de guide-confériencer) - this included taking visitors outside Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day Beaches in Normandy and the castles and vineyards of the Loire Valley. I also toured inside Paris at the Eiffel Tower, Père Lachaise cemetery and giving neighbourhood tours. This work led me to learn more about the city, about France and about what people appreciate from a guide. When I wasn't acting, I read more about history and art. After a year and a half's experience and jumping through various hoops, the French Ministry of Culture accepted my application for a guiding licence at the start of 2023, giving me the status of guide-conférencier and allowing me to guide inside museums and listed national monuments. I finished my acting studies that same year and have been guiding full-time since then; mainly in museums and monuments, but also outside in Paris' vibrant neighbourhoods.

Languages are a great passion of mine. I have always offered tours in English and French, and in 2025, I started offering tours in Spanish, having studied the language at schools in Mexico, Argentina and across Spain through the years. This has become a key part of my work and I now confidently offer all of my tours in the language of Cervantes. I also speak Italian and Russian to B2 and B1 level respectively, though I do not feel confident enough to give tours in either; however, I can happily correspond with you in these languages and if looking for guide, I can get in contact with one of my trusted colleagues.

I have a true passion for being a tour guide, which has only gotten stronger as I've gained more experience. I've helped people fulfil lifelong dreams of going to the Louvre and experiencing some of the most famous artworks the world has to offer; I've arranged tours that finish off with a proposal in front of the Eiffel Tower; and I've seen people cross everything off their bucket list with their families. I am wanderlust at heart and have taken plenty of tours when I travel to new places, which has taught me even more about the importance of creating memories and making the most of your time at a destination. Following tours around the world and being trained by colleagues in Paris who have been in the business for decades has also shown me that having a live, professional guide is so important for truly getting to know somewhere. While the internet is excellent for getting ideas, a guide helps bring a destination to life with local expertise, extensive knowledge of local history and importantly, a good dose of humour. That is the energy I strive to bring to my tours and I would be honoured to help create memories with you and your group.

Instead of focusing on high volume tours, on this site you will find personalised, private experiences which are tailored to you and your party. Over the course of my career, I have worked with people and groups from across the globe, all with different requirements. Whether you're a solo traveller who wants to make the most of a layover, a school group looking to learn about French history, a couple looking for something more romantic or a multigenerational family on a bucket list trip, I am here to help you get the most out of your trip to Paris and will happily come up with a plan that suits what you're looking for.

For more information or to book a tour, feel free to fill out the contact form below. You can also send me an email at hamishinparis@outlook.com or a WhatsApp or text message at +33752089556. Feel free to reach out and to follow me on social media at @hamishinparis on TikTok and Instagram. I will get back to you as soon as I can.