Private Experiences and Tours in Paris
Who doesn’t love Paris? As Audrey Hepburn said, Paris is always a good idea!
When creating our offering we had two objectives: design experiences that ALL visitors will adore (even those who have been to the City of Life multiple times) and create an environment where our guests live the Parisian culture, even if it’s only for a few hours!
Below are a few examples of our private experiences. We’d be delighted to tell you about the other…more unique experiences!
The Art of French Sauce Making
Who doesn’t want to impress their friends with homemade French sauces? Learn to make three versions: for fish, meat, and another for a dessert. Of course, you will learn to prepare the actual fish/meat/dessert as well! After your hard work, relish in your success with a three-course lunch or dinner, complete with champagne and wine. (Note: 7 people max)
Available Year Round
4 hours
French Market Tour and Cooking Class
Act like a true Parisian as you tour the local market to select ingredients for your lunch! Return to the chef’s kitchen to learn how to prepare a traditional French meal. Enjoy the four delicious courses with wine and champagne. (Note: 7 people max)
Available Year Round
5 hours
Croissants and Pain Au Chocolate
When you think of croissants, France probably comes to mind. But did you know that they actually originated in Austria? You will learn the secret to making this buttery viennoiserie pastry. Your chef will pre-make the dough (it’s a two-day process) so you can immediately roll it out and bake the croissants. While they are in the oven, you will learn each stage of the croissant preparation process.
Available Year Round (Except weekends)
2 hours (priced at 4 hours due to prep)
Soufflé Class
Who gets nervous when they hear the “s” word? Thinking soufflés are way too complicated and only for advanced chefs? Well, guess what? They are easy to make and require absolutely no previous cooking experience! You will make both a sweet and a savory soufflé (guests can choose preferred flavors in advance, if they wish). You will also make chocolate fondant pots. No question, these are must-have skills to impress your friends when you get back home!
Available Year Round (Except weekends)
2 hours
If the Choux Fits
Choux dough is the foundation of countless sweet and savory pastries…from eclairs to profiteroles to cheese gougers. In this class you will master choux dough and use it to create one sweet and one savory pastry.
Available Year Round (Except weekends)
2 hours
Family Cooking Class (Great for Children!)
A fabulous experience for children (as young as 6-years-old) to learn how to prepare an entire French meal with their parents. (It’s also a great opportunity fo them to step out of their comfort zones to broaden their palates!) The four-course menu is designed based on a child’s food preferences and sense of adventure. As such, each cooking experience is unique. (Note: If children are under 12, 4 children max. If children are teenagers, 7 people max. Also, the child’s actual responsibilities will vary based on age.)
Available Year Round
4 hours
Chocolate Sculptures
If you’re looking for a fun challenge and you love chocolate, this experience is for you! Enjoy a private masterclass with a chocolatier to gain an in-depth understanding of how chocolate is made, where it comes from, and how to be a discerning taste tester. You'll visit several of Paris's top chocolatiers, tasting their creations as well as seeing some incredible edible works of art. Return to the chocolate workshop inspired to try your hand at creating your own chocolate masterpiece!
Available Year Round (except for January, August, and days when weather surpasses 35 Celsius.)
2.5- 4 hours
Family Chocolate Making Workshop
A great opportunity for families with children as young as 5-years-old to make one of their favorite sweets together - chocolate! Each family will work together as a team to create and decorate a beautiful 3D hollow chocolate item. In addition, they will make chocolate lollipops and French chocolate discs, called mendiants, decorated with toppings of their choice. Of course, each family will get a chance to taste some professionally made chocolates, and take home their personal creations!
Available Year Round (except for January, August, and days when weather surpasses 35 celsius)
1 hour
Private French Pastry Class
If you thought you could only get French Pastry at a specialty bakery, think again! Now, you can learn to make even one of the most complex pastries from a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef. This class is about YOU…and what you wish to create! (Note: 6 people max)
Available Year Round
2 - 2.5 hours
Family French Pastry Class (Great for Children!)
A great introduction to French pastry making for children! In this class designed specifically for kids, easier pastries are the focus enabling the whole family to get involved. Choose from four different treats (pastry choice also depends on the child’s age). (Note: 6 people max. Children must be at least 5 years old)
Available Year Round
1.5 hours
Shopping Tour for the At-Home Chef
Stroll along the ancient, cobblestone street that led to the old covered farmers market of Les Halles, lined with cafes, food stands and Paris's oldest pastry shop. Shop at nearby kitchen supply stores where professional chefs buy their supplies. Wander through the aisles of a luxury food hall filled with the finest French food products. Finish off your adventure with lunch at one of the market stalls, or at a nearby restaurant.
Available Year Round
3.5 - 4 hours
Food Tour in Le Marais
Marvel at the magnificent grand mansions, see where royalty used to play, as well as the former home of playwright Victor Hugo. Wander through the historic Jewish district and sample some melt-in-your-mouth Kosher chocolates, and taste cheese and sausage from a mom-and-pop shop specializing in products from the Auvergne region of France.
Available Year Round (except for mid-July until end of August)
2.5 hours
Food Tour in Saint Germain
Explore the intimate covered farmers market that boasts of some of the best food products found in Paris. Sample a flight of cheese, carefully selected and prepared by the cheesemonger. Visit a boutique to taste and discover French olive oils and a variety of food products from Provence. End your journey at a charming cafe with one of the best cafe gourmands (a dessert with a sampling of little pastries and coffee) to be found in the neighborhood.
Available Year Round (except for mid-July until end of August)
2 .5 hours
Champagne and Food: Pairing Workshop
We normally drink champagne to celebrate special occasions, but did you know that it also is a very food-friendly sparkling wine? In this pairing workshop, your certified champagne educator will explain why champagne is great with certain foods, as well as what factors influence the taste (and price) of a champagne.
Enjoy tasting 5 different champagnes that illustrate different grape varieties, terroirs and winemaking methods, and then pair them with different foods. You will learn which style of champagne you prefer and why, and what type of food pairs the best.
Available Year Round
3 hours
Champagne and Food: Gastronomic Picnic in the Vineyards
Take a day trip to the amazing region of Champagne! Travel with a certified champagne guide where you will learn the history of champagne, the recent harvest challenges as well as the rules and regulations grower face. Experience a private cellar tour and champagne tasting at a small female-owned organic winery. Enjoy a very special lunch: a three-course gastronomic picnic paired with three different champagnes at another female-owned winery! Learn about different grape varieties and other factors that affect the aromas and flavors of champagnes, as well as why certain champagne styles pair better with certain foods. (Please note, there will be extensive walking, in some cases through vineyards.)
Available Year Round (except Sundays)
10 hours
Wine Bar Crawl
You’ve heard of pub crawls…well, we’re offering an even more exciting journey! Visit Parisian wine bars (all within comfortable walking distance) with a certified wine educator who enjoys making wine knowledge accessible to all! In addition to tasting delicious nectars, you will learn about wines from different appellations (wine regions) in France, and more specifically, what are the flavor profiles for each region. Note: Minimum 2 people, maximum 6.
Available Year Round
2.5 hours
Inside French Culture: Dinner, Wine and the Art of Conversation
Join an American woman and her French husband for an authentic dinner party at their Parisian home. While enjoying a delicious 5-course French meal (you choose the menu) with high-quality paired wines, your hosts fill you in on all the dos and don’ts when attending a French dinner party! Taxi service is included to take you back to your hotel at the end of the evening.
Available Year Round (Weekend nights preferred)
8-11+pm (Starting time is flexible)
Maximum of 6 guests
Art
CSI Louvre: Murder, Mysteries and Mortality
For centuries, death has inspired artists to create some of the most dynamic works of art ever made. Explore mortality as interpreted by artists from Classical Greece and Ancient Egypt through to the mid-1800s. A certified art guide will also introduce you to some of the Louvre's most powerful yet less well-known pieces.
Available Year Round
2 hours
History
Private World War II Tours
Explore the fascinating hidden history of wartime Paris. Our guide, who is widely considered an expert on Nazi Paris, leads a variety of private tours on the occupation and the “secret war” fought by the French resistance.
Available Year Round
3.5 - 4 hours
Private Tea Party with Marie Antoinette
In the heart of Versailles, enjoy a private one-hour tea party with a Marie Antoinette actress (in full costume), who shares unique history, gossip, and scandals of the court! Enjoy freshly-made pastries including a variety of cookies, cakes, tarts, and meringues (history of each provided by the Cordon Bleu chef creator), along with tea and a glass of champagne. Note: Minimum of 4 guests, maximum 6
Available Year Round
1 hour
Fashion
Fashion Week
For style mavens, we offer Fashion Week experiences when the fall and spring collections are unveiled! We can secure fashion show tickets as well as invitations to private events. These experiences are tailored to the clients' interests.
Available During Paris Fashion Weeks in February and Late September
Private Designer Visit and Fashion Show
Much like the fashion shows of the 1960s, you can participate in intimate viewings of styles from up-and-coming designers in their workshops. Of course, you can try on the couture as well as have your own private photography session!
Available Year Round (except August)
Get Dressed by a Parisian Designer (For women)
Meet one of Paris's leading local designers at her Haut Marais boutique and discover what Parisian fashion really means…from the way it's designed to the way it's worn. You'll have time to try on clothing and discover what looks most flattering. Prepare to be dressed by the designer herself! You'll walk away with a new understanding of timeless Parisian fashion, and maybe even a new wardrobe.
Available Year Round (except for August)
2 hours
Learn About Fashion Design From a Local Designer
Discover one of Paris's most unique and timeless fashion labels while learning about the process of designing. The designer himself will introduce you to the history of the brand and take you on a journey of designing a collection, from initial sketches to final production. Any and all of your questions about fashion design will be answered.
Available Year Round (except for August)
2 hours
Strike a Pose
Enjoy a private tour of the Galliera Fashion Museum, exploring the origins of France as the fashion capital of Europe. Dive into the rich history of French fashion from Versailles to Vuiton and learn about the crucial role fashion has played in feminism through the centuries. After the museum, visit Avenue Montaigne, France's answer to Rodeo Drive. As you wander down this iconic street, your guide will illuminate the lives of the city's iconic designers from Charles Worth to Coco Channel.
Available Year Round
2 hours
GARDENS
giverny.org
Impressionist Gardens Around Paris - Claude Monet
Visit the home and gardens of the world’s best-known Impressionist painter, Claude Monet in the village of Giverny, where he spent 43 years. Monet often said his garden was his finest masterpiece. With a horticultural expert, enjoy an intimate look into the life of Monet the gardener as well as Monet the painter.
Available early April – late October, not available on Mondays
Half-day
© THOMAS GARNIER
The Gardens of Marie Antoinette and Josephine
Both women loved gardens and made several contributions to botany and garden design. Marie Antoinette introduced a new garden style to Versailles when she recreated The Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet. While Josephine, who was born in Martinique, wanted to recreate the tropical eden she left behind. Throughout her life she worked with the best botanists in France and England growing her collections and acclimating many new species to France. With a horticultural expert, you will visit Josephine’s home and garden at the Chateau de la Malmaison following by the gardens of the Petit Trianon and Hamlet created at Versailles for Marie Antoinette.
Available Year Round, Wednesday - Sunday
1/2 day
Religion
Catholic Churches in Paris
Paris has over 200 Catholic churches, including two cathedrals. Each is unique, from its architecture to its heritage. With a certified guide, explore a selection of these to understand the true importance of these buildings and what they say about the city and the people who built and used them. Discover architectural techniques, features and styles that define French Catholicism and how these incredible buildings can be seen as a microcosm of France.
Available Year Round
3 hours
How Religion Influenced Paris
Paris has a history of being in the eye of the storm of religious change. Since first established as a Christian country over 1500 years ago, France has constantly seen shifting tides of religious tolerance and tension, from persecution to actual war, from religious acceptance to protection for religious freedoms. Each period has left a lasting visual reminder on Paris’ architecture, politics and culture. With a certified guide, explore some of the most iconic monuments to discover their connection to the city's religious heritage.
Available Year Round
2 hours
The Seine always offers a special setting to create some of life’s most precious memories. Our partners have different size boats…ideal for a special engagement proposal all the way up to a large family gathering.
And we also can book a Parisian apartment for those clients who prefer more private accommodations.
