Paris Essentials

Paris Essentials
Marvel at the stone buttresses of the Notre Dame Cathedral, explore the vast exhibits housed in the Louvre, enjoy a crêpe au chocolate in the shade of the Eiffel Tower, and bargain hunt with chic Parisians in the trendy boutiques on the Champs-Élysées.
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Day 1 Overnight flight to France (Paris)
Day 2 Bonjour Paris
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Paris city walk
Île de la CitéNotre-Dame CathedralÎle St. LouisLatin Quarter
Dinner in Latin Quarter
Details: Paris city walk
This city was made for walking. Stroll grand boulevards with sweeping views of the city, pristine parks with trees planted in perfect rows, and narrow streets crowded with vendors selling flowers, pastries and cheese. Then head to the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine, to see Notre Dame Cathedral. Please note Notre Dame Cathedral is currently closed due to fire damage.
Details: Notre-Dame Cathedral
View the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Work began in 1163 on a spot that had been a holy shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.
Day 3 Paris Landmarks
Paris guided sightseeing tour
Arc de TriompheChamps-ÉlyséesEiffel TowerChamp de MarsÉcole MilitaireLes InvalidesConciergerieTuileries GardenPlace VendômeOpera House
Optional  Versailles guided excursion (pre-book only)  $100
State ApartmentsHall of MirrorsGardens of Versailles
Details: Paris guided sightseeing tour
What's that huge white arch at the end of the Champs-Élysées? The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Your licensed local guide will elaborate on this, and other Parisian landmarks. See some of the most famous sites, including the ornate, 19th-century Opera, the Presidential residence, the ultra-chic shops of the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, and the gardens of the Tuileries. You'll pass the Place de la Concorde, where in the center you’ll find the Obelisk of Luxor, a gift from Egypt in 1836, and the Place Vendôme, a huge square surrounded by 17th-century buildings. Spot chic locals (and tons of tourists) strolling the Champs-Élysées. Look up at the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. See Les Invalides (a refuge for war wounded), the École Militaire (Napoleon's alma mater), and the Conciergerie (the prison where Marie Antoinette was kept during the French Revolution).
Details: Tuileries Garden
Tuileries was originally the name of an old tiles factory. Yet, in the sixteen century, the queen of France, Marie de Medicis, ordered to build a castle with a long French garden at this place. Parisians used to call this new building the Tuileries Palace. During three centuries the garden was exclusively reserved for the court and the King. During the nineteen century, the Tuileries palace became the residence of Napoleon I, Louis XVIII, Charles X, Louis-Phillipe and Napoleon III. In 1871, Parisians burnt down the castle of Tuileries, during the last French Revolution and the insurrection of Paris.However, the garden kept its 17th-century design and became a popular place, always crowded in summer time.
Day 4 Louvre
Details: Louvre visit
The world's largest art museum, the Louvre is housed in a Medieval fortress-turned-castle so grand it's worth a tour itself. You walk through the 71-foot glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei and added in 1989, and step into another world--one with carved ceilings, deep-set windows, and so many architectural details you could spend a week just admiring the rooms. The Mona Lisa is here, as well as the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory (the headless statue, circa 200 BC, discovered at Samothrace). The Louvre has seven different departments of paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and antiquities. Don't miss the Egyptian collection, complete with creepy sarcophagi, or the collection of Greek ceramics, one of the largest in the world. (Please note the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.)
Details: Fragonard's Perfume Museum visit
Since 1926 Fragonard has been creating perfumes by combining traditional craft methods with the most modern production techniques. In the heart of Paris, just a few steps from the Opéra, you can explore one of two fascinating museums: a 19th-century town house and a theatre dating from the turn of the 20th century. A miniature factory composed of 19th-century copper distilling apparatus demonstrates methods for extracting raw materials. In both museums' boutiques, you can find some original and exclusive gift ideas (Perfumes, eaux de toilette, creams, soaps and natural products). www.fragonard.com
Details: Crêperie dinner
Tonight for dinner, enjoy a speciality from the Brittany region of France: crepes. Creperie restaurants are very popular in Paris and you will be able to choose from the variety of toppings (ham, cheese, egg, peppers, spinach, cream--or a combination!) to create your favorite savory crepe (called "galette") before you enjoy a local favourite: a sweet crepe served with chocolate, fruit or jam.
Day 5 Loire Valley
Optional  Loire Valley châteaux guided excursion  $215
Château de Chambord photo stopChâteau de Chenonceau visitChâteau d'Amboise visit
Details: Château de Chambord photo stop
Note that due to ongoing renovations, scaffolding will partially cover the château façade until Spring 2023.
Day 6 Flight home from Paris
Tour Includes:
  • Round-trip airfare
  • 4 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms
  • Dinner daily
  • Full European breakfast daily
  • Full-time services of a professional tour director
  • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
  • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
  • 1 Paris Métro carnet
  • Tour Diary™
  • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
  • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

We are better able to assist you with a quote for your selected departure date and city over the phone. Please call 1.888.378.8845 to price this tour with your requested options.

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3602.00 total fee
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