Paris and Bordeaux Gourmet Splendours

Begin your adventure in Paris by experiencing famous French hospitality with your private driver transferring you to your hotel in the city. The rest of the day is at your leisure, perhaps exploring the area around your hotel using the local tips provided. Afterwards, relax in an enticing sidewalk cafe with an aperitif like the French do, before dining at a recommended eatery to sample some of the mouthwatering French cuisine, perhaps something simple like steak frites or fine dining on exciting haute fare paired with the local wine. A walk along the Seine afterwards is a perfect way to cap off the day.

Spend the day like a local getting to know hip Le Marais. Explore it on foot after a classic breakfast like a croissant and café au lait, strolling over to Upper Marais which was transformed from working class factories to stylish shops and galleries. Meet a Master Cheesemaker at a renowned cheese shop for a tasting of cheeses from various regions paired with wine. Meet your local guide for a private walking tour through the streets, learning about the district’s past, before enjoying the afternoon to yourself to discover more, like the hidden gardens and quirky Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature.

After breakfast, your private guide will bring you to Montmartre to experience the Paris of old, filled with history, character and charm. This is also the place where many famous artists like Picasso and Van Gogh lived in the early 1900s, one of the city’s must-see neighborhoods. It offers a romantic glimpse of another time with a village atmosphere, and you’ll have time to sit down at a café, sipping wine to soak it all in. This even your private guide will bring you to the iconic Eiffel Tower with skip-the-line tickets, visiting both floors and marvelling at the stunning views from the top.

One of the best ways to get an authentic look at any city is by sampling its food, and even better, is a cooking class to delve deep into Paris’ food culture while learning how to prepare classic French fare. You’ll head to Les Batignolles, a lively Parisian neighborhood, meeting your host, a Paris local. Visit the market on the Rue de Levis to pick up fresh produce together before discovering the secrets of creating French dishes in the kitchen of your host’s quintessential Parisian apartment, finishing by enjoying the results and learning about your host’s life in this hip district.

It’s time to say farewell to Paris, taking private transfer to the train station for the 2-hour ride to the famous Bordeaux region, the world capital of wine. Your private driver will meet you upon arrival for transfer to your hotel and you’ll have the rest of the day at your leisure Enjoy exploring, perhaps visiting Place de la Bourse, the former Royal Square, with its elegant fountain and water mirror, and the 15^th-century gothic-style St. Andre Cathedral. This evening we recommend enjoying a quintessential Bordeaux tradition, a dinner with local delicacies paired with Bordeaux wine, followed up by a delicious dessert.

A small group visit to the Cité du Vin to learn about wine culture is a great way to begin the day, followed by a guided cruise through the Gironde estuary to learn about the heritage and wines of the Haute-Gironde. Enjoy cruising by the fortified towns of Bourg and Blaye with a stop for lunch with the winemaker at a Côtes de Bourg estate. You’ll be able to marvel at Blaye’s incredibly well-preserved citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site complete with moats, bastions, ramparts and underground passages, which all somehow managed to survive many sieges from the 5^th-century onward.

After breakfast, it’s time to explore the fabulous wines on the right bank, on Bordeaux’s eastern side, a region renowned for its Merlot grapes that produce world-famous wines. Begin at Grand Cru chateau in St. Emilion, enjoying tastings and demos on the winemaking process. Next, explore the UNESCO-listed village itself, a charming French village that dates back to medieval times with cobbled streets and an underground church built in the 12^th-century. Continuing to Pomerol, a highly respected red wine appellation, enjoy more wine tastings while gaining insight into what makes the soil and wines in this area so uniquely outstanding.

After eight days and seven nights indulging in delicious food and wine, with an in-depth look at the French culture, enjoy one last breakfast in Bordeaux and get ready to say au revoir, taking private transfer to the airport for your flight home. If you’d like to see more of France or travel elsewhere in Europe, be sure to reach out to our travel experts who can help you make it happen.