From Paris to the Best Regions of Champagne and Wine

Bienvenue and welcome to France. 

Upon arrival in Paris, take your private transfer to your hotel where you can check in and unwind. You then have the afternoon free to explore on a self-guided tour.  

To start your 11-day vacation with friends, we always recommend the Seine for your first day. It is an easy place to get your bearings and enjoy the world go by.  

Overcrowded tourist hotspots are still worth visiting if you’re smart about it (ask us), but there are some worthwhile alternatives. Take the Mona Lisa: The Louvre has 35,000 artworks worth seeing that aren’t blocked by selfie sticks. Try Rue de Marseille and the nearby Canal Saint-Martin, an area popular with young Parisians for its bars, boutiques and concept stores, as opposed to the Champs Elysees. Of course, we recommend some quintessentially Parisian experiences that’ll never get old: a stroll next to the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and sitting down for a meal at one of the City of Love’s many brasseries.

Take the morning to explore near your hotel and then meet your guide nearby for a 19th century covered passages tour (private/ approx. 2 hours): Join the local expert guide and treasure hunter on our 2-hour tour to discover a hidden part of the city: the stunning Covered Passages. Frozen in time since the 1800s, these glass-roofed & paved arcades were originally created for the nobles to enjoy a stroll and a little shopping away from the dirt and the rabble of the streets.

Today, Parisians still love to explore them and get lost looking for a hidden brasserie, a one-of-a-kind bookstore, or an offbeat art gallery. Relive those elegant days by discovering the city’s most beautiful Passages! Needless to say, you’ll hit the lovely gardens and courtyards of the Palais Royal, a secret haven for knowledgeable locals that can’t be missed!

Afternoon in Paris to explore at your own pace.

Your guide will meet you at the hotel and help you use the public transport to St Ouen. This market (and tour) is only on the weekends, and is sometimes closed in August. Paris Flea Market tour (private / approx. 3 hours):

Did you know northern Paris is credited with having invented the flea market centuries ago? That’s why we’re not messing around, taking you straight to the source at the famed markets of Saint-Ouen. But where’s the good stuff hiding? Your carefully selected treasure hunting specialist will lead you to the best vendors and helping to hone your vintage shopping skills. Revel in an antique shopper’s fantasy, complete with historic French paraphernalia, vintage clothing, old books, distinguished furniture, home furnishings and much more. A feast for the eyes and the imagination awaits! 

You'll love this leisurely journey back in time amidst a treasure trove of Paris nostalgia. Learn secret treasure hunting tips and bartering tricks from a local pro and leave with a charming glimpse into the most classic of Parisian pastimes.

Your guide will leave you to explore even further, or accompany you on the short journey back to Paris if time remains. 

Make your way to the nearby car rental agency. Pick up your rental car and experience real French country roads on your journey to the champagne region with your friends.

The journey to Reims (approximately 1.5 hours’ drive and 150kms) takes you past the start of the wine growing region of Champagne.   

One of the largest Cities of Art and History in France, the city owes its fame to the cathedral, which saw so many coronations of the Kings of France, and of course to champagne, as the city is the headquarters of many of the largest champagne houses. Note that the cathedral, the Palais du Tau, the Abbey and the Basilica of Saint-Remi are all classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.

You will meet a top local guide at a central meeting point in Reims for a Private walking tour of Reims (private / 3 hours). 

This 3-hour private tour is an ideal way to explore the many facets of the “City of Kings”. Thanks to your expert guide, the historical and cultural heritage of Reims will be revealed! You’ll spend over an hour visiting the Reims Cathedral, a masterpiece of 13th-century Gothic art. 

Drive the short distance to Epernay at the end of the afternoon and check in. Epernay is the self-proclaimed capitale du Champagne and home to many of the world’s most celebrated Champagne houses.

Morning at leisure to enjoy the hotel and its surrounds, before and Afternoon tour to Epernay & Family growers (private / approx. 4.5 hours).

Kick off your sparkling day with a drive through the gorgeous Avenue de Champagne and dive into your favorite Champagne houses’ history. Let the historical village of Hautvillers and its captivating church take you back in time. Take a few minutes to show gratitude to the Monk Dom Pérignon for his fortuitous discovery and admire the breathtaking view on Champagne’s UNESCO-listed World Heritage vineyards.

Visit the southern flank of the elegant Montagne de Reims while your guide points out the particularities and peculiarities of the region: Why are our vines planted on steep slopes? Why is our subsoil made out from such a pure chalk?

Break through the exclusive cellars of a family run boutique winery. Tour the traditional press and vat room as your host details the traditional “Champagne method” also called the “Méthode Champenoise”. Appreciate several tastings of their personal production and acquire further knowledge and expertise on the finest Sparkling wine!  Finish your effervescent afternoon with a last stop by another Champagne tasting place where you will be able taste and compare various cuvées.

Your driver guide brings you back to your hotel in Epernay at the end of the day. 

In the morning, rise early and drive to Strasbourg. Park somewhere central, and then meet your guide and take on a Walking tour in the old town of Strasbourg (private / 3 hours). 

Discover the historic center of Strasbourg with your private guide. Let yourself be surprised by this short guided escapade with a local expert in the city of La Petite-France.

You will visit: Notre-Dame Cathedral, Krutenau, medieval Strasbourg, many museums and more. 

In the heart of Alsace, Strasbourg is also known for its regional gastronomy: foie gras, wines, chocolate and eaux-de-vie.

In both summer and winter, the most Germanic of French cities will astonish you thanks to the richness of its heritage, the quality of its museums and the incomparable charm of its historic center. If the half-timbered houses of the Petite-France, clichés of eternal Alsace, are impressive, the assets of Strasbourg far exceed this. Your private tour guide will add anecdotes, history and context to your understanding and enjoyment.

After the tour, and of course coffee or two, drive south to Colmar. 

Make your way to the river side and enjoy a Private boat trip on the canals of Colmar (private / 30 minutes).

Hop aboard a flat-bottomed boat and discover the picturesque heart of Colmar’s old town. "Little Venice" owes its splendor to a peaceful river: The Lauch. During the tour your private boatman guides you past the half-timbered houses where you can enjoy the serenity and abundant vegetation of the Maraîchers’s district.Let yourself be carried along the water, listen to your guide tell stories and enjoy this exceptional way to discover an alternative view of Colmar.

In the afternoon meet your local driver-guide and take on the Alsace wine route tour from Colmar (private / 4 hours). 

The oldest wine route in France, the famous Alsace Wine Route located between the plains and the mountains invites you to discover flowery villages, typical half-timbered houses with dazzling hues, and its famous cellars. Come visit the incomparable fortified villages built among the vineyards: Hunawihr and Riquewihr. This 4-hour trip from Colmar takes you to visit a winery followed by a tasting of Alsace wines, and an introduction and explanation of the work that goes into the production of wines.

Your driver guide brings you back to your hotel in Colmar at the end of the day. 

In the morning, meet your guide in the city center for a Tasting tour in the Munster Valley (private / 10 hours).

You will be taken to a winemaker to experiment the traditional methods of local winemaking and of course, to taste the results, before arriving at a farm for lunch. You will enjoy a traditional marcarian meal - a multi-course meal that has developed over the centuries to become the favorite cuisine of locals and visitors. The Marcaire are farmers who raise dairy cattle for the production of munster cheese.

After lunch, you will have time to relax and admire the breathtaking views along the Ridge Route. You can admire the Vosges mountains, as well as magnificent views of the lakes and thatched roofed houses. Then, you will stop at a goat farm where you will attend the milking. To end this day, you will enjoy a tasting of goat cheese and of course munster cheese!

Your return to Colmar early evening via the Munster Valley will allow you to enjoy once again the view of its green hills and its abundant vineyards. 

In the morning, make the three-hour drive southwest to Dijon. Check in to your hotel and eat lunch before your Walking tour of the city (private / approx 3 hours).

The walking tour of the historic center of Dijon to see all the highlights the city has to offer, including the Palace of the dukes of Burgundy, and other Medieval buildings and houses, Renaissance façades, hidden courtyards, the covered market and the famous owl, the emblem of Dijon...

Evening at leisure in the city. 

Your guide will pick you up at the hotel for a Full day wine tour in Cotes de Beaune and Cotes de Nuits (private tour / approx. 9 hours).

Start your day by a guided tour of the Hospices de Beaune.

Take a picturesque drive through the famous Villages of Pommard, Volnay and Meursault.  You will enjoy a tour and a wine tasting at a local domain in Meursault. The vines of the Chateau de Meursault are ideally situated and sheltered from the winds by the mountains on the west. The earth is rich in calcite and well drained, which gives the land all its wealth. 

After Lunch, transfer to Beaune for a tour and wine tasting at a local domain in the city centre of Beaune. Tasting of six wines… Founded in Beaune in 1880, Maison Joseph Drouhin’s cellars have spread from the historical Cellars of the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France in Beaune (12th-18th centuries) to the Moulin de Vaudon, an 18th Century watermill in Chablis. A rigorous attention to detail, self-imposed discipline, a desire to learn, a rigorous sense of values, passion and daring, are the qualities that have been handed down through the generations, together with the art of winemaking and a never ending search for quality.

Tour and wine tasting at Domaine Remoriquet in Nuits-Saint-George. Your driver-guide brings you back to your hotel in the early evening.

Drive north to CDG or one of the Paris airports before your departure (approx. 3.5 hours). Drop back your car at the airport before check in. 

Check in and depart.  

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