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Explore Paris Small Group Tour
The Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre (or more accurately, the Mona Lisa seen from behind a crowd of selfie sticks), and the Champs Elysees … sadly, most visitors to Paris only get to see a few familiar tourist highlights. But get away from the crowds and you’ll discover the fascinating, gritty, and beautiful city that earns fierce loyalty from its locals and has entranced writers, artists, and visitors from around the world.
On our small group tour of Paris, we get to know the city beyond the tourist centres. Staying in self-catered apartments in one of Paris’s central arrondissements, we live like locals, shopping for fresh produce and flowers at one of Paris’s many local markets. Our program delves into the city’s history, art, and culture, with a mix of guided tours and day trips, and plenty of time for you to explore the city on your own. We have several themed days, focusing on literature, fashion, art, and history, including:
- Our first day is themed around the life and achievements of Napoleon, visiting the Arc De Triomphe and the Vendome Column; while the following day we visit the luxurious residence of his wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, the Chateau de Malmaison. Our tour also includes days devoted to the turbulence of the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution in France, and the French Enlightenment.
- We explore France’s literary history, with visits to sites associated with Denis Diderot, Victor Hugo, and Alexandre Dumas, while investigating the allure of Paris for American bohemians and writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Jim Morrison. We soak up the famous literary vibe of the 'left bank' of the Seine River, in the Latin Quarter and Saint Germain des Pres neighbourhoods.
- We see key works of art in some of Paris’s little-known galleries, and explore what makes Paris the world capital of fashion. We make a trip to Montmartre, where artists took inspiration from the demimonde at the Moulin Rouge.
- We see key churches, including Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle on the natural Seine island, Île de la Cité, and Sacre Coeur in Montmartre
- We also get out of the city on a day trip to Amiens, where we take a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage listed cathedral, and make a day tour of the Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte, a Baroque palace to rival the Palace of Versailles and the chateaux of the Loire Valley.
While other tours in Paris jump from tourist spot to tourist spot, this extended city tour is for travellers who wish to really get to know the 'city of light', spending time as a tourist and time as a local.
On our tour you will live like a Parisian, living in self-catered apartments, getting around the city by Métro and suburban rail, and shopping like a local in one of Paris's many markets. The markets of Paris go back a long way - the first market can be traced back to the 5th century AD, when the city was called Lutetia. Today, the city’s more than 90 active markets (69 of which are open-air) remain at the heart of daily life in the city. Food tour lovers will enjoy the Marché International de Rungis, the world’s largest wholesale food market (and the go-to of many a Parisian chef) and the upmarket Marché des Enfants Rouges, on a market site dating back to the 16th century. Markets also sell specialty goods, including flowers at the Marché aux Fleurs and books at the weekend Le Marché du Livre, while the city’s famous flea markets are the perfect place to search for antiques or second-hand designer goods.
While our tour includes several group dinners, we also give you several nights to yourself. Since you’re staying in a self-catered apartment, why not pick up some fresh produce and cook like a Parisian? Virtually all of the city’s village-like arrondissements has its own market, selling fresh produce, cheese, cured meats, and bread. Bear in mind that most open-air markets are open only on certain mornings: luckily, the offical website of the Visitors Bureau of Paris has a list of markets along with opening times.
Another highlight of our tour is the chance to soak up some of the subtler details of Parisian architecture, including the city’s many elegant arcades. Paris’s arcades - covered passages built within larger buildings or between two buildings, lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes - were built in the late 18th and early 19th century as a way for the city’s wealthy inhabitants to shop unencumbered by the dark, overcrowded city beyond. The first indoor gallery was constructed at the Palais Royal in 1786, and soon inspired similar walkways. The Passage des Panoramas, built in 1799, is a showcase of elegant 18th century architecture, while the Galerie Vivienne (built 1823) is decorated in intricate neo-classical decor. While in their heyday the arcades played host to a variety of shops, today, most are home to eateries, upscale boutiques, and antique sellers.
Explore Paris Small Group Tour Itinerary: a collection of in-depth experiences
While you're probably familiar with the Louvre Museum, the Musee d'Orsay and Marie Antoinette's hamlet, this tour takes you to twenty-two museums, galleries, and key places of interest in Paris, on a journey designed to go beyond traditional Paris sightseeing. Some of the museums and galleries we will visit include:
In order to provide a authentic experience, every tour guide is a long-term resident of Paris, with an in-depth knowledge of the city's history, literature, and art, so that our clients can benefit from their expertise.
For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right-hand side of this page.
Articles about France published by Odyssey Traveller
You may want to browse our country profile about France. Odyssey Traveller also publishes articles, designed for mature aged and senior travellers, to maximise your knowledge and enjoyment on your tour of Paris:
External articles to assist you plan your visit to France
Enjoy Odyssey's long stay city tours
This trip to Paris is one of Odyssey's specialty long-stay city tours, which allow our clients to live like locals in some of the great cities of the world. Our in-depth focus was inspired by Ina Caro's book, Paris to the Past: Traveling Through French History by Train, which inspired our first French History by Rail tour in 2012.
Since that first long-stay tour, we have added the following cities to our list:
There will be more long stay tours to follow, centred on the cities that our clients have indicated that they most want to return to explore further. If you've ever imagined living in Paris, Berlin, or Tokyo in a period of historical or cultural ferment, our tours are for you. Spend three weeks living as a local, and delve into all that a city has to offer.