In the morning after breakfast, spend the day free at leisure to explore Paris. Perhaps you may want to head on one of our optional tours.
Overnight in Paris
Optional: Paris by Night Illuminations Tour and Moulin Rouge Show with a glass of Champagne (5H)
Available: Daily
Your Paris by night experience starts with a sightseeing tour, which takes you past the City of Light’s most popular landmarks including the Arc de Triomphe and Ile de Cité. On board either a 50-person coach or an 8-seater minivan, depending on the option selected when booking, travel through the twinkling city to admire it in its illuminated glory. Start at a central departure point (coach tour) or with pickup at your hotel (minivan tour) and take off down Paris’ tree-lined avenues dotted with bustling cafes. Pass by Place de la Concorde, Place Vendome and Place Pigalle, and see the Opera House, La Madeleine Church, the Champs-Elysées, Rue Royale, the Trocadero, Les Invalides, Chatelet Square, and the Eiffel Tower. Then head up to Montmartre, where the Moulin Rouge stands proud with its iconic windmill lighting up the lively neighborhood. Take a seat and settle in with a provided glass of Champagne while ‘Feerie’ begins. This French revue features 100 artists, including 60 dancers known as Doriss Girls, who take the stage in glittery feathered costumes. They dance the cancan on vibrant sets that include moving staircases, swings and an aquarium. When the show is over, you are returned to your original departure point.
Optional: Paris Catacombs Skip the Line Tour (5H)
Available: Except Sun & Mon
Dig deep into history with an underground Paris Catacombs tour. Learn why the bones of more than six million people were deposited under the city in a complex maze of tunnels that you need a guide to navigate. Meet your knowledgeable guide at street level and prepare for this guided tour of the Paris Catacombs. Head down 130 steps to reach the intricate network of tunnels and follow your guide through what can be a confusing labyrinth. Hear stories about how the Paris Catacombs were built as a massive underground cemetery, housing the bones of roughly six million people since the 18th century. Paris' dead were moved en masse from existing cemeteries to the Catacombs from 1786 to 1788. By the early 19th century, the Catacombs had already started to attract tourist attention. You have plenty of chances to ask questions of your guide as you walk through the tunnels. It's a unique opportunity to see the side of Paris most people miss. After touring the Catacombs, the tour comes to an end back at street level when you climb back up the stairs where you started the tour.
Optional: Versailles Palace Guided Tour with Gardens and Fountains Show from Paris (5H)
Available: Daily except Monday
Meet your guide for the Versailles tour in central Paris. Climb into the comfortable air-conditioned coach for the drive to Versailles. The Palace of Versailles was originally built as a relatively modest hunting retreat for Louis XIII in 1623, but his successor—Louis XIV—expanded it and turned it into the symbol of luxury and extravagance that we know today. The palace we see today was completed in 1710 and remains one of the most famous palaces in Europe. When you arrive, walk past the queues with your guide thanks to your skip-the-line access. Follow along as your guide walks you through the Royal Apartments where the King and Queen of France, Louis XIV, and Marie Antoinette once spent the majority of their time. Visit the apartments of the Dauphin and Dauphine—the heirs apparent to the throne. See the various drawing rooms, private studies, and bed chambers where the royal family once lived, and imagine what life might have been like for them in the 17th and 18th centuries. Continue to one of the most photographed parts of Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors, built in 1678. Look around as your guide explains its most important features. The Hall of Mirrors leads from the Royal Apartments to the Salon de la Guerre and the Salon de la Paix. At the conclusion of your palace tour, enjoy some free time to explore the gardens at your leisure. Walk through the perfect gardens, studded with statues and sculptures, and admire the incredible fountains. On Saturday nights in the summer, those fountain displays are set to music that dates from the time of Louis XIV’s court for a memorable visual and auditory experience. After your free time in the Versailles Garden, rejoin your guide at the appointed location to climb back into the coach for the return drive to Paris.
Optional: Paris Cooking Class including 3-Course Lunch & Wine (6H)
Available: Daily except Monday
Meet your instructor at a cookery school in central Paris (59 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine) to begin your class. Start with a croissant and a cup of coffee or tea before heading to an open-air food market near Paris' Latin Quarter, where you'll pick up the ingredients for your meal and taste some cheese with your instructor. Begin by planning your 3-course lunch menu, which includes an appetizer, main, and dessert course. Then, get started under the watchful eye of your instructor. As you prepare your meal, pick up tips and gain insight into traditional French cooking techniques. After two hours in the kitchen (and a glass of wine or two), head to the dining table with your fellow cooks. Sit down to the delicious meal you’ve prepared and enjoy half a bottle of white or red wine. You'll also learn the fine art of pairing food with wine. Before leaving, you'll receive electronic copies of your recipes so you can recreate the dishes at home.
Optional: Loire Valley Day Tour Chambord and Chenonceau plus Lunch at a Private Castle (12H)
Available: Daily except Monday
Visit two of the most renowned castles in the Loire Valley—aka French château country—on a day trip from Tours. Château de Chenonceau and Château de Chambord are known for their Renaissance architecture and picturesque riverside settings. With a knowledgeable guide, enjoy views from little-known panoramic spots, and hear historical details and amusing anecdotes about the French kings and other nobles who have lived here. As a bonus, enjoy a relaxing lunch away from the crowds at a private, family-owned château.
