In this workshop you will practise a short, polite exchange at a ticket desk or information point. You will learn how to ask whether a guided tour is available and whether it is in English, how to ask what time it starts and how long it lasts, and how to make clear that you want a guided tour rather than an audio guide. Each French example is a short recorded line. Listen, repeat, and then use the lines in the three tasks below. You can play both roles with the audio, so check your answers with the success criteria after each task.
Asking if a guided tour is available
Start with a polite greeting and a simple question. The line «Est-ce qu'il y a une visite guidée en anglais ?» means 'Is there a guided tour in English?' The phrase 'Est-ce qu'il y a' is the usual spoken way to ask 'is there'. The word 'visite' means 'visit' or 'tour', and 'guidée' means 'guided'. Together, 'visite guidée' is a tour led by a person. If you also want to know the language, add 'en anglais' at the end. Practise saying the whole line slowly, then at a natural speed. When you hear the answer, listen for 'oui' or 'non' at the beginning. In the recorded exchange, speaker A asks «Bonjour, est-ce qu'il y a une visite guidée en anglais ?» and speaker B answers «Oui, il y a une visite guidée en anglais à quinze heures.». Notice that the answer repeats the key words and adds a time. You do not need to invent new phrases; you can simply listen for the words you already know.
Asking about the start time and duration
Once you know a guided tour exists, you can ask when it starts. The line «À quelle heure commence la visite guidée ?» means 'What time does the guided tour start?' The question word 'quelle' agrees with 'heure', and 'commence' means 'starts'. To ask how long it lasts, use «La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?», which means 'How long does the guided tour last?' The phrase 'combien de temps' means 'how much time' or 'how long'. In the recorded exchange, speaker A asks «Très bien. La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?» and speaker B answers «Elle dure une heure environ. Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.». The answer 'Elle dure une heure environ' means 'It lasts about an hour'. The word 'environ' means 'about' or 'approximately'. Listen for the number and the word 'heure' in the answer. You can also use the shorter form 'Elle dure combien de temps ?' if the tour has just been mentioned, but for this workshop practise the full line «La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?» first.
Guided tour or audio guide?
A guided tour is led by a person, while an audio guide is a recorded device. To make your choice clear, use «Je voudrais une visite guidée, pas un audioguide.», which means 'I would like a guided tour, not an audio guide'. The phrase 'Je voudrais' is a polite way to say 'I would like'. The word 'pas' makes the sentence negative, so 'pas un audioguide' means 'not an audio guide'. In the recorded exchange, speaker B says «Elle dure une heure environ. Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.», which includes 'Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide'. This means 'It is not an audio guide, it is a guide'. Listen for the contrast between 'audioguide' and 'guide'. The recorded lines are enough to make your meaning clear.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Est-ce qu'il y a une visite guidée en anglais ?
Is there a guided tour in English?
ess keel yah ün vee-zeet gee-DAY on on-GLAY
À quelle heure commence la visite guidée ?
What time does the guided tour start?
ah kel URR koh-MAHNS lah vee-zeet gee-DAY
La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?
How long does the guided tour last?
lah vee-zeet gee-DAY dür kom-byun duh ton
Je voudrais une visite guidée, pas un audioguide.
I would like a guided tour, not an audio guide.
zhuh voo-DREH ün vee-zeet gee-DAY, pah zün oh-dee-oh-GEED
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, est-ce qu'il y a une visite guidée en anglais ?
Hello, is there a guided tour in English?Oui, il y a une visite guidée en anglais à quinze heures.
Yes, there is a guided tour in English at 3 p.m.Très bien. La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?
Great. How long does the guided tour last?Elle dure une heure environ. Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.
It lasts about an hour. It is not an audio guide, it is a guide.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange at the ticket desk
Imagine you are at a ticket desk. You want a guided tour in English. The staff member is ready to answer. Use the recorded lines to build a short exchange.
Your task: Play the role of the visitor. Say the line «Est-ce qu'il y a une visite guidée en anglais ?» to ask if there is a guided tour in English. Then, after a short pause, say «À quelle heure commence la visite guidée ?» to ask what time it starts. Finally, say «La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?» to ask how long it lasts. You can repeat the lines until you feel comfortable.
Choose the right reply
You will hear a recorded answer. Your job is to choose which question it answers. This practises listening for key words like 'heure', 'dure', and 'audioguide'.
Your task: Listen to the recorded line «Oui, il y a une visite guidée en anglais à quinze heures.». Does it answer the question 'Is there a guided tour in English?' or 'What time does the guided tour start?' Then listen to «Elle dure une heure environ. Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.». Does it answer 'How long does the guided tour last?' or 'Is there a guided tour in English?' Write your two answers.
Recall the lines with correct roles
Now test your memory. You will recall the recorded lines and decide who says them: the visitor or the staff member.
Your task: Without looking back, say the line that means 'Is there a guided tour in English?' Then say the line «Je voudrais une visite guidée, pas un audioguide.». After that, listen to «Bonjour, est-ce qu'il y a une visite guidée en anglais ?» and «Oui, il y a une visite guidée en anglais à quinze heures.». Who is the visitor and who is the staff member? Say your answer aloud.
Common questions
What is the difference between 'une visite guidée' and 'un audioguide'?
'Une visite guidée' is a tour led by a person, a guide. 'Un audioguide' is a recorded device you listen to on your own. The recorded line «Je voudrais une visite guidée, pas un audioguide.» makes this clear: it means 'I would like a guided tour, not an audio guide.' The line «Elle dure une heure environ. Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.» also contrasts them: 'Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.'
How do I ask what time the tour starts and how long it lasts?
Use «À quelle heure commence la visite guidée ?» to ask what time it starts: it means 'What time does the guided tour start?' Use «La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?» to ask how long it lasts: it means 'How long does the guided tour last?' In the recorded exchange, speaker A asks «Très bien. La visite guidée dure combien de temps ?» and speaker B answers «Elle dure une heure environ. Ce n'est pas un audioguide, c'est un guide.» with a duration.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask for a guided tourChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's French into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr