Paris in Springtime

Day 1 | Monday 16 March
Arrival
Following individual travel arrangements to Paris, join the tour leader for a mid-afternoon orientation tour of the local area. In the evening we’ll enjoy welcome drinks and dinner at Le Train Bleu, the fine dining restaurant at the Gare de Lyon, whose majestic, thematic rooms representing the cities and regions of France were created for the Universal Exhibition in 1900. Overnight Paris (D)

Day 2 | Tuesday 17 March
Palais, Places & Passages
After a talk in our hotel this morning we begin our Paris adventure with a walking tour through the elegant Palais Royal precinct. Originally built for Cardinal Richelieu, the Palais was the childhood home of Louis XIV and the venue for lively parties thrown by the Regent, Phillipe d’Orléans. Strapped for cash in 1781, Phillipe subdivided the site, creating one of the first purpose-built shopping promenades. There’s time to explore the chic boutiques in the beautiful Belle Epoque arcades before lunch in a charming local bistrot. We then stroll down the Avenue de l’Opéra to Palais Garnier for a tour of this opulent and extravagant 19th-century temple to music, adorned with gold leaf, coloured marble, and artworks commissioned from the leading artists of the time. Overnight Paris (B, L)

Day 3 | Wednesday 18 March
Musée D’Orsay
When the Gare d’Orsay was built in 1900, painter Edmund Detaille declared that the railway station looked like a palace of fine art. How appropriate then that one of Detaille’s paintings is now part of the exceptional collection of 19th-century art in the building that was beautifully recreated as the Musée d’Orsay, opening in 1986. After a talk in our hotel this morning we make our way to the museum where we have a tour of the collection highlights before lunch in the elegant, frescoed restaurant on site. The afternoon is reserved for any special exhibits featured in the museum’s spring program, or more time in the permanent collection. Overnight Paris (B, L)

Day 4 | Thursday 19 March
The Marais | Performance I
This morning we take a guided walking tour through the Marais. The chequered history of this fascinating district saw it transform from swamp to royal precinct. It then fell out of favour and into decay before being reborn first as an active Jewish community, and finally the fashionable, bohemian heart of Paris. Thanks to its aristocratic past, the area has retained many of its grand mansions, or hôtels particuliers, most now repurposed as exceptional museums. We visit the Musée Carnavalet, whose comprehensive display charts the history of Paris through to 1789, before a light lunch in our tour leader’s favourite bistrot. There is also the opportunity to visit other sites such as the elegant Musée Picasso before returning to the hotel. Tonight we will enjoy our first performance (schedules permitting). Overnight Paris (B, L)

Performance I
Venue: To be advised
Program: To be advised

Day 5 | Friday 20 March
Musée Marmotten Monet - Paris Between the Wars
After a talk this morning we make our way to the Musée Marmottan Monet on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne. Once the hunting lodge of the Duke de Valmy, then home to collector Paul Marmottan, the lodge now houses an extraordinary collection of Impressionist works, established with bequests from Doctor Georges de Bellio, an early supporter of the Impressionist movement, and Claude Monet’s son and heir Michel. Here we’ll see many of Monet’s later works such as the monumental water lily canvases, beautifully displayed in a purpose-built room. After a break for lunch we transfer to nearby Boulange Billancourt, a smart area west of the centre of Paris, where we visit the Musée des Années Trente, an often-overlooked gem which champions the fine, decorative, and industrial arts of the 1930s. The excellent, wide-ranging collection includes paintings and decorative arts from the period. Overnight Paris (B)

Day 6 | Saturday 21 March
Marché aux Puces
Today is at leisure if you wish to relax near the hotel or accompany your tour leader on a stroll around one of Paris’s famous flea markets. Known as the Marchés aux Puces, these markets first appeared in Paris in the 18th century, located just outside the gates of the city to avoid paying fees and taxes. Still found around the périphérique, the ring road which separates the city from the suburbs, the markets sell quality second-hand goods. The Marché aux Puces de Vanves, today’s destination, is one of the smaller and easier to navigate flea markets, tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. Expect to find eccentric furniture, vintage collectables and quirky curiosities - some of which should fit in your suitcase! Overnight Paris (B)

Day 7 | Sunday 22 March
Musée Nissim de Camondo
The beautiful Musée Nissim de Camondo, a sumptuous residence built by wealthy banker Moïse de Camondo to showcase his astonishing collection of 18th-century furniture and objets d’art, is our destination this morning. On his death in 1935, Moïse bequeathed both house and contents to the French state in honour of his only son Nissim, who was killed in action in WWI. After our visit we walk to the lovely Parc Monceau, a genteel oasis established in the late 18th century by Phillippe d’Orléans, cousin to Louis XVI. Painted by Monet and beloved by Berlioz, the park’s informal layout in the “English” style makes it a popular destination for an afternoon promenade. The afternoon is at leisure before we meet again this evening for dinner at a restaurant close to the hotel. Overnight Paris (B, D)

Day 8 | Monday 23 March
Château de Chantilly
Joining our coach this morning we head north of Paris to the town of Chantilly where we visit the chateau, built in 1882 for the son of King Louis-Phillipe I, Henri d’Orléans, Duc d’Aumale. Exiled in 1886, D’Aumale was permitted to return to France once it was revealed that he had bequeathed the chateau, his extensive art collection and extraordinary library to the Institut de France. A noted collector and bibliophile, d’Aumale’s art collection includes works by Raphael, Van Dyck, and Delacroix and his library has over 17,500 volumes and illustrated manuscripts including the magnificent Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Following our visit we’ll have a break for lunch in the town of Chantilly before returning to Paris. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Paris (B)

Day 9 | Tuesday 24 March
Republic of Pleasure | Performance II
Following a talk this morning in our hotel, we make our way to Montmartre which has a fascinating and colourful story to tell. The site where the 3rd-century Christian bishop and martyr Saint Denis was believed to have been beheaded by the Romans, Mons Martyrium was also the birthplace of Parisian bohemia, cabaret and, arguably, of modern art. Our walking tour takes us through the winding, cobbled streets and up to the basilica of Sacré-Cœur then on to the Montmartre cemetery, whose famous residents include Dégas, Nijinsky and François Truffaut. After free time for lunch, we visit the Musée de la Vie Romantique, a charming museum devoted to the works of novelist George Sand and artists of the Romantic Period. The afternoon is at leisure before our evening performance (schedules permitting). Overnight Paris (B)

Performance II
Venue: To be advised
Program: To be advised

Day 10 | Wednesday 25 March
Notre Dame & Left Bank
Today we take a guided walking tour of the famed Rive Gauche, an area long associated with the Bohemian counterculture thanks to its proximity to the University of Paris. Our walk begins at one of Paris’ most iconic monuments, the cathedral of Notre Dame. Open once again following the catastrophic fire of 2019, the cathedral has been painstakingly restored by skilled artisans using similar techniques and materials to those used for its original construction in the 12th century. In a break from tradition, more than 100 artists were invited to submit designs for a new, contemporary stained-glass window in the cathedral, hopefully to be revealed in time for our visit. After a break for lunch, we make our way to the Musée Cluny where we can see some of the original items rescued from Notre Dame, replicated when deemed too fragile to return, along with a wealth of medieval treasures such as the lovely Lady and the Unicorn tapestry. Overnight Paris (B)

Day 11 | Thursday 26 March
Love & War |Performance III
August Rodin bought the 18th-century Hôtel Biron in 1908, using the residence as a home and studio until his death in 1917. He bequeathed his entire collection of sculptures and a number of significant paintings to the French State and the Hôtel was established as the Musée Rodin in 1919. Today the museum and surrounding sculpture garden offer an extraordinary insight into the sculptor’s life with many of his greatest works on display. We have time to explore the collection and enjoy lunch in the museum café before continuing to the Hôtel des Invalides, housing the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. Under a dome created by Jules Hardouin-Mansart for Louis XIV and regilded with 12 kilos of gold leaf for the Bicentenary of the Revolution in 1989, the Emperor rests in a magnificent red porphyry sarcophagus alongside many of France’s greatest military heroes. There is time to relax before our final performance this evening (schedules permitting). Overnight Paris (B)

Performance III
Venue: To be advised
Program: To be advised

(Photo: Dalbera - Flickr)

Day 12 | Friday 27 March
Orangerie & Musée des Arts Décoratifs
This morning we take a pleasant walk across the elegant Tuileries Gardens to the Musée de l’Orangerie. This collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art complements what we have seen at the Marmottan Monet and includes a further set of Monet’s magnificent Water Lilies, gifted by the artist in 1922. After a break for lunch we continue to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Occupying the west wing of the Louvre, and now often referred to by its fashionable acronym, MAD is dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of the decorative arts. This vast collection of largely European decorative arts dates from the Middle Ages to the present day, including furniture, fashion, ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles, toys and more. The fragile nature of many of the objects means that the museum stages fascinating, carefully curated seasonal exhibitions alongside the permanent collection. While your tour leader will help you navigate this extraordinary space, you may like to choose an area that particularly interests you to explore at leisure. Overnight Paris (B)

Day 13 | Saturday 28 March
Musée d’Art Moderne
Often overlooked in favour of the city’s more famous art museums, the Musée d’Art Moderne, or MAM Paris, holds an excellent and extensive collection dedicated to modern and contemporary art of the 20th and 21st centuries, including monumental murals and works by Picasso, Braque, Dufy, Matisse, Bonnard and Giacometti. Our visit this morning takes us through some of the collection highlights followed by free time to explore further. The afternoon is at leisure before we meet again this evening, making our way back to the Palais Royal for our farewell dinner at Le Grand Véfour, an opulent brasserie which first opened in the arcades of the Palais in 1784. Overnight Paris (B, D)

Day 14 | Sunday 29 March
Departure
Our tour ends after breakfast in our hotel. Transfers are available to Charles de Gaulle airport for those meeting departing flights. (B)