Some Examples of Private Guided Tours

Café hopping, expatriate style! Visit the celebrated haunts of Henry Miller, June Mansfield, Anais Nin Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Man Ray, Kiki de Montparnasse, Picasso, the Fitzgeralds and many of the other colorful charcters that peopled the streets of Paris in the roaring 20s. Your tour will take you to 27 Rue de Fleurus (the home of Gertrude Stein), Bricktops in Montmartre, Rue de la Huchette (well-known for its brothels), Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, and of course, the cafés: Café de la Rotonde, Les Deux Magots, the Dome, La Coupole, la Closerie des Lilas… you’ve read it, now it’s time to live it!

Wind in and out among the charming streets of this artistic neighborhood and discover its famous bars, theaters, galleries, shops and ethnic bakeries. Stroll through the Marché Ste-Caitherine with its secret fountains, and take a breather in the Place des Vosges. For the end of your visit, choose between a tour of the Musée Picasso (art by Picasso), the Musée Carnavalet (historical pieces) or a trip to Victor Hugo’s house on the Place des Vosges. (certain museums subject to availability. Please contact us with the day you’d like to take this tour.)

Choose from one of Paris’ three most famous museums, The Louvre, The Musée d’Orsay, or the Pompidou Center. Your professional guide will give you a guided tour of the departments of your choice, and if you have time left at the end of your tour, he or she will take you on a walking tour of the area your museum is in. You may choose to have your guide meet you in your hotel lobby or we could arrange a meeting point by the museum of your choice. Transportation will be by foot, metro, bus or taxi. Don’t forget- art and art history students enter French museums free of charge! Bring along your student card!

If you’re passionate about history, this is the tour for you! Throughout the course of the day, you will visit the site where the Tennis Court Oath and the Declaration of the Rights of Man were signed, reinact the fall of the Bastille and the September massacres as well as visit the favorite haunts of the Jacobins and the Sans Culottes. Just about as close to the real thing as you can get! (transportation by foot, metro, bus or taxi). Lunch in a very French, very un-bourgeouise, bistro near the Latin Quarter. (2 courses and one bottle of wine included)

Your very own chauffeur and professional guide will meet you in your hotel lobby at 10h. And then you’re off to the Rue Etienne Marcel where you will find a host of unique boutiques (Barbara Bui, Cacharel, Paul + Joe, le Shop) before lunching at the very fashionable Barbara Bui café near Les Halles. (2 courses and one bottle of wine included) Afterwards, you will head to the neighborhood of St. Honoré where you can check out the upscale boutiques, Paris’ first concept store, Colette, as well as the luxurious jewelry shops around the Place Vendôme. Then it’s time to see and be seen at the Budda Bar (one cocktail included), before heading up the Champs Elysées for the Grand Finale. No lugging your packages around either- you can leave them with the chauffeur! (these tours can also be customized around antiquing, flea markets, booksellers, fine china, whatever you fancy…..)

Avoid the crowds at Notre Dame and take a step inside a host of churches, chapels, mosques and synagogues that even some Parisians have never seen. Over the course of the day you will visit Saint Chapelle with its famous stained glass windows, St Etienne du Mont (15th century), the Russian Orthodox church of Paris, the Miraculous chapel (19th century), the Synagogue des Ecouffes and the Buddhist compound in the Bois de Vincennes. Lunch in the Grand Mosquée de Paris.

A great idea, especially for Sundays when many things are closed in Paris. Discover the Musée d’Ennery with over 7000 objects from China and Japan, the Museum of French monuments with its eerie statues and sculptures, the Jacquemart-André museum with wonderful art from the 18th century, the Gustave-Moreau museum for its fantastic symbolist collection as well as the museum of the Police. Lunch at Georges on the top of the Pompidou museum. (certain museums subject to availability. Please contact us with the day you’d like to take this tour.)

Make sure to skip the hotel breakfast on the day you take this scrumptous tour! Your morning starts off early with a discriminating tour sure to please the international tastebud; Japanese pastries on the Rue St Florentin, Jewish pastries in the Marais, Arabic sweets and mint tea in the Grand Mosquée de Paris, with the grande finale at La Durée on the Rue Royale for a degustation of Paris’ finest macaroons. (any purchases made not included)

Once again, forget the hotel breakfast, you’ll need an empty stomach for all the gastronomic adventures in store for you this day! Your tour begins at Fauchon and the Maison de la Truffe where you can sample and purchase the world’s finest truffles and foie gras. Afterwords, a hearty meal of wine and cheese at the renowned restaurant l’Androuet. A digestive walk after lunch will lead you to Berthillon, the most famous ice cream store in Paris. End your day at the foundain of chocolate at the Maison du Chocolat. Take advantage of this tour to take care of all your gift buying! (any purchases made not included)

(change text) Discover the Palace of Versailles (30 minutes outside Paris) and the history of the “Sun King”. Visit the State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors on your own. You can hire a recorded commentary device for your visit. Entrance ticket included. No need to wait in line. Royal French architecture and interiors at their most glamorous. Can be combined with a morning introductory tour of Paris

Your chauffeur and professional guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the charming village of Chartres. After exploring the famous cathedral with its world renowned stained glass windows, time to stroll around the village before lunch in a typical French bistro featuring regional specialties. (2 courses and one bottle of wine included). After lunch, you are off the Versailles for a guided visit of the Sun King’s Palace. Return to your hotel around 19h.

(change text) About three hours outside of Paris, take an emotional journey through the region of Normany to visit the sites where the allies fought to reconquer freedom. Your guide and chauffeur will take you to visit the Pegasus Bridge, the Caen Memorial, the Pointe du Hoc, the American cemetary, Omaha Beach and the Arromanches. Lunch in a charming crêperie. (2 courses and a bottle of wine included).