Paris in depth

Meet your private guide for a tour of the Opéra Garnier. Built in the 19th century, the grand building is an imposing structure which represents France's empirical power. It became doubly famous as the inspiration for the novel and subsequent musical The Phantom of the Opera. From here, walk to the nearby passages couverts (covered passages). Built during the same period as the Opera, these bustling alleys were intended to provide clean and sheltered shopping areas. Today, they are home to authentic little cafés and restaurants, as well as boutiques. After a lunch break, meet your private driver and guide for a tour of the best of Paris's Right Bank, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Montmartre.

Today, your private guide will meet you at your hotel for a tour of two world-renowned museums, the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. Beginning with the Louvre, your guide will help you skip the line and navigate this palace-turned-museum, ensuring you see the museum's most renowned pieces, including the Mona Lisa. After a brief lunch break, you'll walk through the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries and make your way to the Musée d'Orsay. Once a major train station, this distinctive building is now a museum that features works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists.

This morning your private guide walks with you through the cobbled streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris's 6th arrondissement. Explore a handful of chocolate and pastry shops and taste a selection of delicacies. Later, meet your private guide and walk to the two islands in the heart of Paris, Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis. On Île de la Cité, you will discover the Gothic cathedrals of Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle before continuing to the quiet, residential Île Saint-Louis to admire views of the Seine and wander along streets lined with cafés and boutiques.

With your private driver-guide, make your way outside of Paris to the resplendent Château de Fontainebleau. This former hunting lodge has undergone numerous transformations over the centuries, most notably under the direction of François I in the 16th century when it became an opulent palace. With your guide, explore the grounds and expansive gardens. After lunch in the village of Barbizon, travel along the country roads to Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, the château that inspired Versailles. Your private guide will escort you through the furnished apartments, grand hall, stables and gardens.

Enjoy a full day at leisure. Paris is a walkable city and welcomes exploration on foot. You can have a picnic lunch at the Luxembourg Gardens or take a walk to the Eiffel Tower. You can also visit any museums you might have missed, such as Musée Rodin, the Picasso Museum or the Centre Pompidou, which are all easy to see on your own. Later this evening your private driver picks you up for a tour of Paris's best-loved monuments illuminated at night, including the Arc de Triomphe, the illustrious Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the Place de la Concorde and the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles for a few minutes every hour on the hour.

Say goodbye to Paris today as you depart by private car for the airport.