From the top of the Calais lighthouse, a child observes the city with a tourist map in hand, enjoying a unique panorama of the belfry, Notre-Dame church and the city rooftops.

Guided tour program 2026

Every summer, the guided tours offered by the Calais XXL Tourist Office are one of the best ways to discover our region in all its diversity. Maritime heritage, architecture, art, folk traditions, or street art: these summer events fully reflect the local spirit, blending local roots with open horizons.

Discover Calais with our guides

They're part of the Calais XXL DNA: guided tours are back this summer, eager to help you rediscover the city and its surroundings in a new light! Here, there are no set routes or academic lectures. Just fascinating detours between heritage and modernity.

Fifteen themed tours are offered, repeated weekly from June to September. Our expert guides will take you to areas usually closed to the public within the Citadel, along the seafront starting from Fort Risban, through the streets of Beau-Marais where street art has transformed the facades, and to Coulogne to explore the evolution of a village on the outskirts of the city. Each tour is led by a dedicated guide, limited to 25 participants, and designed to alternate between historical facts, local anecdotes, and unexpected perspectives on a region you think you know.

Calais Ville SNCF Train Station, the Imag'in Bus Station and the Street-At artwork by KogaOne

Online ticket office

Download the program

Monuments and fortified heritage

The city can be read in its stones, and our tour guides know how to make them speak. Stroll through the heart of Calais offers every Thursday in July and August a walking tour which links the Town Hall, the Belfry, the Notre-Dame Church and the Watchtower, with anecdotes that the commemorative plaques do not mention. 'Along the statues' This exploration continues with a look at the city's iconic sculptures, from Charles de Gaulle to the statue of Pluviôse, with a guide to unfold the story of each figure. The tour 'Rodin & the Six Burghers' She, for her part, takes the approach of comparing the new gallery of the Museum of Fine Arts and the monumental statue, in order to understand what the sculptor has slipped into these six silhouettes that the whole world knows from afar.

All tours

Person at the foot of Calais town hall finding their way using the Calais XXL Map.

Close-up view of the clock face of the Belfry of Calais Town Hall

Rare openings of exceptional venues

Four iconic heritage sites are opening their doors this summer, each with its own unique character.

The Grand Theatre of Calais

Le The Grand Theatre of Calais opens its doors In May and June, four guided tours are available. A jewel of the Belle Époque, its Italianate architecture can be explored in the company of a guide.

The Citadel

The Citadel gives access to areas usually closed to the public: powder magazine, bread oven, stables… for six dates in July and August, departing in front of the Porte de Boulogne.

Fort Risban

Le Fort Risban offers an open-air visit from the Major's Lodge, with a direct view of the Courgain Maritime and the port entrance: an observation post that has passed through the medieval fortifications to the most recent port facilities.

Fort Nieulay

Fort NieulayFinally, it is the subject of a free visit presented as part of the City of Art and History label: from the medieval bridge to the fort-lock imagined by Vauban under Louis XIV, via its German occupation, the site recounts the major stages of the defensive history of the region.

All special tours

maritime history

'Calais North: from the Middle Ages to the present day' takes visitors from the old fortifications to the Esplanade district, passing through the Courgain Maritime. Sylvie, a tour guide, recounts three centuries of urban development during this hour-and-a-half walk. The natural complement to this visit is 'At the heart of maritime history'Starting from the Major's Lodge at Fort Risban: Justine, a tour guide, retraces the city's enduring connection with the English Channel, from the time of the fishermen to the contemporary port facilities. visit to Fort Risban The event itself, scheduled for July and August, offers a direct view of the Courgain Maritime and the entrance to the port, from a defensive position that has survived several centuries of military strategies.

fort risban calais panorama port courgain

Photo of the Statue of the privateer Tom Souville and the blue and white flag of the port city of Calais.

Street art guided tours

Walking or cycling tours!

For the 6th edition of the Calais Street Art Festival, the Tourist Office is offering three tour formats focused on urban art. The walking tour led by ÉmilieA tour guide leads tours of the Fort Nieulay and Cailloux districts every Tuesday in July and August: among others, you might encounter Flow's artwork, recognized as the most beautiful mural in France in 2025 by Golden Street Art. Two bike tours complete the program: one towards the frescoes of Beau-Marais, the other in the Fort Nieulay area, with a different rhythm and point of view.

90 works to discover

Flow Graffiti's artwork: Samurai and dragon in Calais

Visits beyond Calais

Blériot-Plage and Coulogne

The program extends beyond the city center boundaries. A guided tour in Blériot-Plage Every Thursday evening in July and August, they offer a journey through the history of this coastal district, from its origins as a fishing hamlet, long before Louis Blériot took flight from here in 1909. In Coulogne, Corneille, a tour guide, recounts this history every Saturday from June to September. the evolution of a territory shaped by marshes, The canals and the conflicts of the 20th century, starting from the town hall. Two short formats, accessible for a day trip, which allow visitors staying in town to get out of the usual area without going far.

All the visits to discover

a family on the Coulogne cycle route along the Calais-Saint-Omer canal.

Louis Blériot stele in Sangatte commemorating the first crossing of the Channel by airplane.

Focus

All guided tour tickets available online

No need to go to the Tourist Office or wait until the last minute: all tours are available for online booking! Schedules, departure points, prices, number of places remaining: everything is there. It's also an opportunity to take your time choosing from all the tours offered and book with complete peace of mind.

Access the ticket office

View of the Calais XXL ticket office on a smartphone with a piece of street art in the background.