VIP Paris Tour: A Privately Guided Experience

The Seine River flows westward through the city and creates the unique area known as the Left Bank, situated on the southern half of Paris. The Left Bank once housed the writers, artists, and philosophers beloved today, such as Hemingway, Proust, Gertrude Stein, and Picasso.

Your guide meets you at your hotel and leads you over the bridge to Saint Germain des Pres to begin your gourmet exploration of a city known for its indulgent flavors of fashion and cuisine. The classic neighborhood overtakes blocks lined with art galleries, historic cafes, and designer boutiques. Restaurants set out tables on the street dividing the pathways.

On the nearby 20 rue Visconti, a cramped studio continues to draw fans of Monet and Renoir, eager to see the space the two master artists shared. Your guide leads you past the flower market where the scent of blossomed daffodils and roses sweeps past the buildings, and onto the cobbled passageway of Cour du Commerce St-André and the charming cafes lining the historic colonnade. You enter into Un Dimanche à Paris and settle into a sleek showcase of chocolates.

The owner comes from a long line of chocolatiers and features a chocolate shop, exhibition kitchen, tea salon and full restaurant just on the first floor. Your guide orders and a line-up of pastries arrives at your table. The aroma of rich chocolate and caramelized sugar fills the room. A pistachio macaroon sits next to a freshly filled mini éclair, flanked by a white chocolate mousse and chocolate peanut brittle-bar. You are hooked before you even take your first bite.

At breakfast, you savor the fresh baked croissants accompanied by tart raspberry jam. Your guide meets you in the lobby and escorts you through the city for a look into the depths of the Jewish and Christian histories of Paris. The Grand Synagogue of Paris was constructed in the latter half of the 19th century. Elements of Byzantine design radiate from the edifice. A large rose window adorns the top of the façade at the center of the engraved crowning arch. The French names of the prophets engrave the choir, and 12 stained glass windows symbolize the tribes of Israel, adding brilliant light to the interior.

The famous Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral stands at the center of the Ile de la Cite. The spires rise 300 feet over the ground below. You can hear the current of the Seine encircling the cathedral. Flying buttresses create a unique exterior resembling a skeletal structure. Mysterious gargoyles decorate the south side of the cathedral whose origins date back to the 12th century. As your guide leads you through the city explaining the wealth of religious culture spanning over a millennium, the contrasts between the religions fade and the beauty of the architecture, heritage, and traditions remain.

Today you crave the greenery of the countryside brushed with the artistic culture of Paris. After breakfast, your guide leads you out of the city to the charming village of Giverny, home to the painter Claude Monet in the 1880s. The celebrated impressionist settled into an enchanting countryside house constantly expanding upon his garden. Behind the painter’s studio is the preserved garden blossoming with radiant color. The treasured water lilies float across the pond underneath the arching Japanese Bridge. Natural sunlight washes across lilacs and lavender.

The bright purple blends into the greenery imitating the textured effect of Monet’s paintings. The aroma of roses drifts across the swelling water. A casual breeze rustles the dangling vines along the pond’s edge. There are few places more tranquil than the coveted gardens of a painting master in the countryside outside of Paris. Monet’s pink house contains reproductions of his work. Down the road is the Musée des Impressionismes. The museum changes its collection constantly to showcase the continued excellence of histrionic impressionists and the evolution of the genre.

Savor the morning like a Parisian, sipping on a hot espresso and watching the city spring to life in the morning. After breakfast, your guide meets you in the lobby and whisks you away to the unfathomable grounds of the Palace of Versailles, encompassing over 700,000 square feet. The palace began as a hunting chateau for King Louis XIII in the 17th century. A pebbled forecourt stands behind a lavish wrought iron gate. The extravagance of the palace radiates from every corner. Marble tiles pave the Marble Court from end to end, stretching beneath the gilded-edged rooftop of the palace.

When you reach the 17th century gardens, your guide leads you around the massive fountains and small tree groves. Decorated pools add a refreshing mist to the air. At the Apollo Fountain, the sun glints off the golden horses pulling the sun god’s chariot. The drama of the larger than life theater playing out in the fountain embodies the entirety of the garden: elegant, grandiose, full of light and life. The delightful aroma of oranges drifts from the Orangerie, Louis XIV’s collection of orange trees that once grew and thrived in the manicured verdant expanse. On Sundays the fountains spark with life, shooting water into the sky like a choreographed dance.

The morning casts its light through the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum and into the open lobby. After breakfast, you wind down the stairs of the museum entrance and make your way into one of the most famous museums in the world. There is a tangible quality to the eclectic history on display, from paintings to sculptures, Egyptian to Medieval artifacts. The old fortress grounds showcase the museum. The museum is 652,300 square feet with over 35,000 objects dating back to prehistoric times. Venturing into the lower levels shows you the stone base of the original structure.

With so many priceless works to see, from the Mona Lisa to the Code of Hammurabi, you gander at the map and visit the wonders exclusive to the Louvre collection. On display at the top of a double staircase is the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The statue was designed between 200 and 190 BC and made out of a fine-grained pure-white marble. It stands over eight feet tall with graceful wings outstretched, as in ready to take flight. You notice the elegance of the dressing draped across the statue’s legs showing movement in the stationary creation. The longer you spend in the museum, the more you wondrous the museum seems, in both size and display.

Outdoor café tables fill up with locals sipping their delectable frothy cappuccinos. Their dogs lay quietly underneath the chairs ignoring the flaky croissant crusts dropping to the floor. The aroma of blueberry tart drifts from the local bakery and calls to you. The day is at your leisure to enjoy the Paris of your dreams. You could return to the Louvre for more time with the classical sculptures, or wander through the Musée d’Orsay where Van Gogh’s Self Portrait hangs.

Opposite the Left Bank on the far end of the old city is the hillside of Montmartre, crowned with the pristine walls of Sacre Coeur. The backstreets of the hillside meander underneath maple-clad paths and avant-garde facades. The cable car runs from the base of the hillside to the second tier underneath the cathedral and overlooks the jovial children playing near the carousel. A multi-level fabric store stands on Marche St. Pierre vending intricate designs and plush textiles. Artists showcase their wares along the cobblestone streets in the shadows of the Byzantine domes stemming from the church. The Montmartre Museum has an atmosphere of a historic manor with a tremendous inner garden. The aroma from the Clos Montmartre Vineyard filters along the streets. The neighborhood elicits the Bohemian charm of the Belle Epoque overlooking the timelessness of the city.

On your final morning in Paris, you choose to indulge in the rich texture and buttery crusts of a chocolate croissant. The inside feels like a pillow, and the outer layer has an unforgettable crunch. You can even spread some strawberry jam over the pastry for a chocolate and fruity combination. You sip your espresso and find the slightly bitter flavor to balance the sweetness of your croissant. You can hear the city’s energy building. People enter the Louvre Museum. Boutique shops open on the Left Bank.

After breakfast, you say goodbye to Paris as your private transfer meets you at the hotel. You are escorted to the Charles de Gaulle International Airport for your flight home. You are filled with wonderful memories of Paris and spend the flight planning your return.

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