Touring the City of Lights

Today you’ll arrive in the cosmopolitan city of Paris, France. Once you land, your guide will take you to your hotel. You’ll have a short time to unpack your things before your guide leads you on a quick tour of the neighborhood around your hotel. You can explore this afternoon before joining your group for an authentic French meal on your first night of international travel in the City of Lights. 

This morning your tour of Parisian sites will begin bright and early. First, your guide will lead you to the Eiffel Tower. This famous Paris landmark took two years to build and served as the entryway to the World’s Fair held in Paris in 1889. The group will ascend to the top of the tower for an unparalleled view of the city.  Next, the group will spend some time exploring the Arc de Triomphe, another of the city’s iconic landmarks. From the Arc, you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore the Champs-Elysees, including its cafes, theaters, restaurants and high-end stores. 

Your third day in Paris will be spent touring some of the city’s famous religious sites. The group will start at Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the most visited landmarks in the city. Construction on the cathedral began in the 11th century and lasted for 200 years. Sadly, fire struck the building in 2019 and it is closed for renovations, but it’s still worth a visit to view the outside of this iconic masterpiece. The group will also visit two other beautiful churches in the city – Sacre-Coeur and Sainte-Chapelle.

After lunch, the group will gather for a tour of Pere Lachaise Cemetery, the biggest cemetery in the city and home to more than a few famous residents including Oscar Wilde, Honore de Balzac, Moliere, Marcel Proust and Jim Morrison. The final tour of the day will be of the Parisian catacombs which contain the remains of more than 6 million former residents of the city. 

You’ll get an early start this morning for a full tour of the Louvre. The Louvre is the largest museum of art in the world. It contains more than 38,000 items in its numerous exhibits. It’s also one of the most popular spots to visit in the city, receiving more than 10 million visitors a year. 

After a light lunch, the group will head to Les Invalides for the afternoon. The network of buildings was commissioned by King Louis XIV as a permanent home for wounded and aging soldiers returning from the war. It is now an expansive military museum with an impressive exhibit space spanning hundreds of years of French military history. 

After a quick croissant and cafe au lait, the group will head out by train this morning for a trip to the Palace of Versaille. The palace was also the brainchild of Louis XIV who envisioned massive renovations to a royal hunting lodge that would make the location more suitable to royal living. Versailles served as the epicenter of his reign and was the official home to many members of French royalty. You’ll tour the more than 2,300 rooms of the palace in the morning, and have the afternoon free to roam the palace gardens which are impressive in their own right. 

This morning the group will have time to explore the Marais, one of the most famous neighborhoods in Paris. Here you’ll find bars, restaurants, cafes, local shops, plenty of places to do some people-watching as well as some of the oldest commercial and residential buildings in the city. The group will then move to Place des Vosges, where you’ll spend the afternoon at the oldest square in the city. You’ll have dinner in this part of the city in one of the local restaurants with the rest of your tour group. 

It’s been a whirlwind week in Paris visiting many of its most famous sites. There is so much to do in this city, that it’s impossible to cover everything in one visit. The time has come for you to say “bonjour” until you return. Your guide will collect you from your hotel and accompany you to their airport for your departure.