Paris: The City Experience

7 or 9 days

Paris, extension to Normandy

Program designed to: Immerse yourself in French culture—its food, language, history and art—by living like a local in the fabled City of Light. Enjoy carefully curated experiences that take you to iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and must-see museums like the Louvre. We also take you off the beaten path to connect with Parisians in authentic neighborhood shops, bistros and cafes.

Highlight: Gain a deep appreciation for the fabled City of Light: Paris’s 17th-century streets were the first to be lit in Europe; its 18th-century philosophers ushered in the Age of Enlightenment.

🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.

Image displaying map describing the itinerary of the Paris: The City Experience tour

Day 1: Fly overnight to France

Day 2: Paris

Meet your Field Director at the airport

🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of the Latin Quarter, so named because the language was once commonly spoken by the Sorbonne students that populated the area

See Notre-Dame Cathedral, known for its sculptured facade, stained-glass rose windows, and seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings

Enjoy dinner in the Latin Quarter

Day 3: Paris

🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Paris

With your expert local guide you will see:

Place de la Concorde, a major public square
Champs-Élysées, an elegant boulevard packed with high-fashion boutiques
Arc de Triomphe, a monument honoring those who fought for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair and an iconic symbol of Paris
Hôtel des Invalides, a grand hospital commissioned by Louis XIV

Take a guided tour of Versailles, where Louis XIV hosted his royal court to reign in their power and prevent their political rise

With your expert local guide you will see:

State Apartments of the King and Queen
The lavish Hall of Mirrors which depicts political successes on its vaulted-ceiling murals
Meticulously landscaped gardens and dozens of ornate fountains

Enjoy a scenic view of Paris as you sail along the iconic Seine River

Day 4: Paris

Explore art from around the world at the Louvre, home to over 35,000 objects including Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa

🔹 Guided learning: Take part in a French language lesson and cultural activity

Day 5: Paris

Visit the Fragonard perfumery and see the process of French perfume, from harvesting, to bottling, to the role of master noses

Add this in-depth excursion:

🔹 Cultural engagement: Eat with locals

Cultural exchange meets culinary adventure. Join a local Parisian family and enjoy a meal prepared for you by a local in their own home.

Day 6: Paris

🔹 Independent exploration: Spend the afternoon exploring Paris on your own

Take a walking tour of Montmartre

With your Field Director you will see:

Place du Tertre, an artistic center of France, and see street artists
Sacré-Cœur Basilica, a white-domed basilica that marks the highest point in Paris

Enjoy dinner in Montmartre and explore the district has long been a haven for artists

Day 7: Depart for home

Add 2 more days

Day 7: Paris • Normandy

Travel to Normandy, the backdrop for the largest seaborne invasion in history

Take a guided tour of Normandy

With your expert local guide you will see:

Pointe du Hoc, the 320-foot cliff scaled by Allied troops to suppress the German attack
American Cemetery, where nearly 10,000 American soldiers are buried
Arromanches, another key battleground

Day 8: Normandy • Paris

Visit the Caen Memorial, dedicated to reminding visitors of the fragility of peace

Travel to Paris

Enjoy dinner in Paris

Day 9: Depart for home