Marché Rungis (Rungis Market) is the World’s Largest Fresh Produce Wholesale Market:
© Marché International de Rungis
For the foodie, Paris has always offered the opportunity to visit lively neighbourhood food markets where all kinds of wonderful foods are on display. If, like me, you enjoy visiting Paris markets and finding out about the seasonal food in Paris, there is now the opportunity to visit a fresh produce wholesale market. The Marché Rungis (Rungis Market) supplies metropolitan Paris with fresh produce and is believed to be the largest fresh produce wholesale market in the world.
About Marché Rungis
Rungis Market is located in the southern suburb of Rungis, about 7.0 km from Paris. This wholesale market occupies a staggering 232 hectares of building space and there are some 1,200 companies operating at Rungis, providing work for 12,000 employees.
The market is organized into six groups of fresh produce – dairy products, fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, horticulture and cut flowers, meat, gourmet and other edible produce. Each of the produce halls has different operating hours and opening days. Every day, up to 26,000 vehicles deliver all kinds of fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and flowers to the Rungis market site which then find their way into the local Paris markets, restaurants and supermarkets.
So if you’ve ever wondered where the food in Paris comes from, this one wholesale market alone supplies over half the fresh seafood consumed in the French capital, 45% of Paris’ fruit and vegetables, 35% of its meat and 50% of the flowers that decorate Parisian homes and businesses.
Visiting Rungis
© Marché International de Rungis
Up till recently Rungis Paris was off-limit to the public. But now, foodies and tourists alike are able to take a guided tour of the Rungis Market on the second Friday of each month.
This tour is not for those who object to early morning starts – the pickup from Paris is at 5:05 am! At €80 per person, it is not cheap either, but the tour cost includes transport to and from the Paris city centre and a guided tour around the fresh produce halls where you’ll be able to see the food merchants in action. The visit ends at 8.30 am with a traditional market breakfast which is included in the tour price.
For more information about visiting Rungis Market and booking the tour, visit their website at www.visiterungis.com.
Address:
Marché Rungis
1 rue de la Tour
BP 316
94152 Rungis cedex
Take Better Digital Photos eBook
Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook
If you are booking a tour, look at the Rungis market web site and book through there, For native English speakers, Ask for the tour guide called Nico, He is Dutch, speaks English and French both perfect and has worked in the market for 20 years, He tailored our tour to what our interests are and knows everybody in the market.
Hi Martyn,
Thanks for sharing your tip about Nico and the Rungis market tour. We will be in Paris in a few months time and look forward to doing the tour.
Kind regards,
Helen
Thanks for this information. I recently contacted Visite Rungis for a tour for 2 people in early January. I have been quoted a rate of 350 Euros which does not include transportation to and within the site.
We really want to see Rungis but that seems quite steep? I understand there are also group tours?
Any information you can provide would be very helpful. Thanks
Hi Ken, as you can see from the Rungis website, their group tours only run on the 2nd Friday of every month and then again they need a minimum of 25 people for the tour to run. I believe the 350 Euros that you have been quoted is for a private tour with one of their authorized guides.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any tour company that offer this trip. You could try contacting your hotel concierge and get them to make enquiries on your behalf.
Season’s Greetings,
Helen
Hi, I have contact details for the guide that showed us around He did say if we come again to call him as we’ll as working for the market he has a registered tour company, Incan pass them on if you wish
Hi Martyn, if you can share the contact information for Nico, that would be very much appreciated. As you can see, Ken is very keen to visit Rungis and any assistance you can provide would be appreciated.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi, He can be contacted on, truernietnico@gmail.com or 00 33 (0) 676004278
Thanks very much Martyn and all the best for the holiday season.
Wishing you many travel adventures for 2013!
Kindest regards,
Helen
Thanks everyone
Ken, let me know how you go with booking a tour through Martyn’s contact. If you do make it to Rungis, I’d love to hear of your experience there.
All the best for 2013 and have a great time in Paris!
Kind regards,
Helen