Stroll in France with Friends: Paris, Bordeaux and Dordogne

At your arrival at the airport, your private driver welcomes you and drives you to your accommodation in central Paris.

Drop off your luggage and check-in. 

To start your 11-day vacation with your friends, you have a "rendezvous" with the Iron Lady in the afternoon: Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket (timed entry tickets, no guide).

No one could imagine Paris today without it. But Gustave Eiffel only constructed this elegant, 320m-tall signature spire as a temporary exhibit for the 1889 World's Fair. Luckily, the art nouveau tower's popularity assured its survival. Lifts ascend to the tower's three floors; change lifts on the 2nd floor for the final ascent to the top. Energetic visitors can climb as far as to the 2nd floor via the south pillar's 704 stairs (no pre-booking required).

Rest of the day at leisure.

Join your local expert guide and treasure hunter to discover a hidden part of the city: the stunning Covered Passages (small group / approx. 2.5 hours). 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!

Just as you finish, make your way to the Marais district (a historically Jewish district of Paris) for a cheese and wine tasting in a Parisian cellar. 

The French know that wine and cheese are made for each other. Treat your taste buds to this perfect pairing at a cheese cellar beneath the streets of Paris. Taste seven different French and Swiss cheeses accompanied by wine chosen to complement the aged flavors, plus bites of baguette and fresh fruit. A professional cheesemonger will guide you through the tasting (small group / approx. 3 hours). Evening at your leisure.

Be ready and in good shape today for your Versailles Bike tour (small group / aprox. 8 hours). 

After reaching the guide and the rest of the group in Paris central, you'll take the train to Versailles, then hop on bikes to explore the beautiful town & favorite food market. Every stall of this quaint and quintessentially French marché tempts, with its fresh-baked pastries, crêpe stands, organic produce, cheese and wines - the things that we all love the most about France! 

The rest of the morning is spent exploring the inner Royal Grounds, Gardens, Fountains, inside Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet and the Trianons, with a few hidden secrets along the way.

Then take an invigorating break with an authentic French picnic lunch by the Grand Canal, overlooking the spectacular Château. Post picnic you skip the infamous line at the Château to explore the State Rooms, King's bedroom & famous Hall of Mirrors. After a bit of time on your own to take the last pictures of this historical landmark, you take the train back to Paris center. 

At the beginning of the evening you’ll travel back in time, and explore the Scandalous side of Paris on an original walking tour (small group / approx. 2.5 hours). From the Palais Royal to South Pigalle, your guide will tell you risqué stories and anecdotes that feature a cast of sensual and glamorous characters.

After a slow start, you’ll be picked up after breakfast to the train station.

The high speed bullet train TGV now takes just 2 hours to get you to Bordeaux. You’ll be picked up and taken to your centrally located hotel.

2000 years of history and not a wrinkle! Bordeaux, the world-wide wine capital, has seen much of the 18th century areas of the city listed as World Heritage by UNESCO. And for a good reason: it is the town with the most protected buildings in France (363), just behind Paris! Its historic center focuses indeed an exceptional architectural heritage: The Grand Theatre, the Place de la Bourse and the entire facade along the quays, as well as the Chartrons district; the birthplace of the wine trade in Bordeaux.

Your first experience is a mid-afternoon walking tour. The walk highlights the most famous Landmarks in Bordeaux (small group/approx. 2 hours). You’ll be met by a top local guide, and set off.  Of course, you will discuss the Grand Theatre located in the heart of downtown; the monument to the Girondins, fountains, the role of architecture in this 18th-century city; the Place de la Bourse built by King Louis XV and rue St. Catherine the “main street or high street” since Roman times.  All the while don’t hesitate to get some trending restaurant or bar ideas from your guide.

Evening at leisure to explore a city known for it’s excellent outdoor terrace eating.

Spend the morning exploring Bordeaux on a Food and history tour (private /approx. 2 hours). Stroll the old city streets, visit the famous Capucins Market, taste local specialties, and dive deep into local legend. With over 2,000 years of history, there's something to see around every corner. Explore the city center. You can choose to do the tour either by foot, on bikes, Segway’s, or electric scooters.

In the afternoon, learn How to make the traditional ‘canelé’ cake (private / approx. 3 hours), an indelible part of Bordeaux and Aquitaine’s culinary heritage. Choose cannelé or canelé; both spellings are correct. Parallel fissures score the cylindrical circumference of each canelé, evoking a vague memory of the Devil’s Tower rock formation in Wyoming. The crackly yet rubbery outer crust has a color between molasses and dark brick, while the golden honeycombed interior tastes like custard and rum.

It tastes even better than it sounds… bon appetit!

Enjoy a contrasted and dense day including the discovery of two beautiful landscapes of the Bordeaux region, the stunning Arcachon’s bay and the famous vineyards to the Medoc region (small group / approx 9 hours).

In the morning, you drive to the Atlantic coast. Climb the Pyla's Sand Dune, the biggest Sand Dune in Europe! Savor an oyster's tasting at a local producer with a glass of white wine. Share a nice moment of conviviality overlooking the bay!

Drive back to Bordeaux and enjoy a quick picnic in the center of Bordeaux.

Then you drive through the "Chateau Route" of the Medoc. Arriving in a charming family-run estate (Chateau Lamarque, Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Chateau Siran...) you feel the intimacy and authenticity of a private chateau run by a passionate family for generations.

Then, enjoy a tasting class - Become a wine expert in 20min!

Later in the afternoon, visit a Great Classified Growth estate (Chateau Gruaud-Larose, Chateau Lagrange...). Visit the vineyards, the vat room and the cellars of one of the most prestigious chateaux of Bordeaux. Enjoy some explanations about their winemaking process, from the vine to the bottle.

Your driver-guide brings you back to Bordeaux at the end of the day. 

Start the day with a Saint-Emilion morning tour (small group / approx. 4.5 hours).

This tour is as much a wine and tasting tour as a cultural tour with the visit of the medieval village of Saint Emilion. You stroll in its little streets dating back from the 9th century and still perfectly preserved thanks to its classification at the UNESCO heritage list. The village is located at the top of a hill and offers breathtaking views on the surrounding vineyards. Be warmly welcome with a glass of wine at an elegant Classified Growth chateau (Grand Cru Classé in French) just outside the village. 

Enjoy a little and instructive walk in the middle of the vines. Take a tour of the cellars. Have a description of the winemaking process from the grape to the bottle. And most important…enjoy a tasting of two wines of the property inside the castle, while you also savor an aperitif made of local and fresh delicacies: bread, cheese, charcuterie, chocolate…

Then, leave the group and head to Dordogne and beautiful Sarlat la Canéda, (approx. 150 km /1 hour 45 minutes). 

A picturesque tangle of honey-colored buildings, alleyways and secret squares make up the beautiful town of Sarlat-la-Canéda. Boasting some of the region's best-preserved medieval architecture, it's a popular base for exploring the Vézère Valley, and a favorite spot for film directors.

Dive underground today on a historic tour of the Cave Paintings of Dordogne (small group / approx. 8 hours). Approximately 17,000 years ago, unknown artists created several cave paintings in the area, some of which are found in the Dordogne area. Explore these paintings, learn about the people who created them, and immerse yourself in the prehistorical times.  

Start the day in Les Eyzies de Tayac for a guided visit of the National Prehistory Museum, which opened in 2004. It possesses the world's largest collection of prehistoric artifacts, perfect for curious young minds to learn about and explore. 

From here, continue to Montignac to visit Lascaux IV Cave, a perfect reproduction of the original cave—down to the damp, dark, and muffled atmosphere. Inside, the cave employs a variety of set designs to bring the original cave to life for visitors. Displays, state-of-the-art interactive workshops, and immersive technology propel you back in time to the days of Cro-Magnon man.

End your day with a visit to Rouffignac Cave, where you can see original etchings and drawings. This cave was re-discovered in 1575 by François de Belleforest, who cites "paintings and animal traces" in his ‘Cosmographie Universelle’. The driver-guide brings you back to your hotel at the end of the day. 

Today you enjoy a full-day tour with a driver-guide to the Gouffre de Padirac and the village of Rocamadour (small group / approx. 8 hours). 

After a drive of just over an hour, arrive in Padirac. Experience a unique visit of one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena of the region as you plunge in an unexpected underground world. The flooded network of Padirac Chasm is the second longest in the world after those located in the Yucatan province of Mexico. The visit of this vertiginous chasm begins with a 75-meter descent via a lift before actually entering the cave system. Following the descent, enjoy a peaceful boat ride on the mysterious subterranean river. Then, disembark and walk along a path that takes you through large caves decorated with stunning gigantic limestone concretions. 

After the walk, you return by boat to your original departure point and take the lift back up to reach the outside world.

Then board the minivan again and head to the nearby village of Rocamadour. The whole site is topped off by the castle and its dungeon and the seven sanctuaries. The tour also includes the short visit of a local farm and a goat cheese tasting. The driver-guide brings you back to your hotel at the end of the day.

Start the day by visiting two of Dordogne's major castles (on your own, in self-drive):  Beynac and Castelnaud la Chapelle. Chose to explore them on your own, with a guide, or with the help of a VR tablet. 

Castelnaud dates back to the 12th century. Held by Cathar lord Bernard de Casnac at the beginning of the 13th century, ownership of the castle changed hands to Simon de Montfort in 1214 during the Albigensian Crusade. A new castle was built during this time, and the keep and curtain wall date from that construction. The castle was listed as a Historic Building in 1966, subsequently undergoing restoration to bring it back to its original glory. Since 1985, the building has housed the Museum of Medieval Warfare. 

From here continue to the 12th-century Château de Beynac, Perigord's best-preserved fortress. It perches high on a cliff, where it's watched over the Dordogne for the last nine centuries. From its ramparts, you can see the five great castles of the valley, as well as great swaths of the surrounding countryside. The castle is carved out from the cliff rock and offers tours of the grounds as well as the stone building.

Head down to town for lunch, then spend the afternoon on the water on a self-guided canoe trip. Choose from a variety of route options, from 3 miles (5 km) to 16 miles (26 km) on either the Vézère, the Dordogne, or both rivers. Opt for a relaxing paddle on quiet water or set your sights on some small rapids and exciting white-water.

In the morning you drive back to the airport of Bordeaux (approx. 220km / 3 hours). Drop off your car and take your international flight to your destination. Home sweet home !