Dream Trip to Paris: Inspired by Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Classical charm radiates through Paris’ beautiful cityscape sprinkled with elegant bistros, majestic monuments, and artistic creations. You will be able to experience it all after you land on French soil and you are whisked to your selected accommodation.

You may have some time to explore Paris on a private, guided tour if you choose. Your resident local guide can you show the Left Bank, with the grand Eiffel Tower, lively Latin Quarter, the artistic Montparnasse and aromatic Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and then the Right Bank with trendy Marais, the hilly Montmartre, the dramatic Arc de Triomphe and more, ending at colorful Jardin des Tuileries, the most beautiful park in Paris.

If the timing is right, stop by Marché aux Fleurs Reine Elizabeth II, the flower market having been open since 1808. A vibrant and beautiful space full of flowers and plants, perhaps select the perfect flower to awaken your senses as you explore the city.

In Paris, a dress is only the beginning as you do as Mrs. Harris did by exploring the city's highlights. Spend the morning on a visit to the markets where fresh produce and baked goods sprinkle tabletops from one end to the other. Your guide will lead on a discovery of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to enjoy refined regional specialties, including chocolate, macaroons, caramel au beurre sale, cheese, flavored olive oil, truffled salt, and so much more.

If you choose, you can spend the afternoon climbing to the summit of the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1889 to celebrate the French Revolution’s centennial year during the Exposition Universelle at the Champs de Mars, a visit to the Eiffel Tower captures why it is a must-do on any first trip to Paris.

Paris is an art hub of the world, home to a remarkable collection of masterpieces derived from some of the greatest artists who ever lived. Like Mrs. Harris’s experience in Paris, viewing the works as they reside on the walls of the iconic Louvre Museum can teach you one of life's greatest lessons, that the journey can be more illuminating than the destination.

Within its walls, your guide will lead you to evocative pieces that are usually only seen in films and heard about in stories. The enormous catalog of artwork will require an extensive day of fascinating discovery as your knowledgeable guide shares the histories and legends of priceless treasures from the Mona Lisa to the Venus de Milo.

Should you choose, you may like to enjoy a night out at the world’s most iconic cabaret, the Moulin Rouge. Immerse yourself in the music, the dancing, the feathers, and the sparkle with a customized evening out.

Royalty exudes from the chateaus of France, but Versailles embodies grandeur, historical opulence, and the essence of dreaming big.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the palace can be explored by walking through the gardens, cycling the winding trails, or accompanied by a guide through the elaborate halls and galleries. You can choose your preferred style of a guided tour to explore the landscaped gardens, courtyards, and the jewel-emblazoned chambers of the palace's main galleries.

Your guide will uncover the dramatic heritage that harkens back to the reign of Louis XIV. Witness the endless gilded adornments in the Hall of Mirrors, the regal decor in the king’s chambers, and the thunderous spouts of the garden’s eclectic fountains.

The day will be yours to spend at your leisure. Step into the narrative of the Musée d'Orsay for a picture of what Paris looked like before the 1900s. With glimpses of breathtaking artwork from the likes of Monet to Van Gogh, you can step back in time within the galleries. Another option would be to explore Montmartre, a symbol of a bohemian way of life, and visit Sacré-Cœur Basilica, the highest point of the city.

For another view of French artistic perspective, the Museum of Decorative Arts captures the expression of design with over 150,000 fashion pieces. Representing dreams of the most beautiful gowns in the world, you can find works by Balenciaga and Dior on display in a space drafted by famous architect Gaton Redon.

You might choose to spend the evening on the Seine River at a boat-restaurant offering a high-end French cruise. Your view from the water will lend a new perspective of the bridges and monuments of the city while enjoying the boat with a magnificent piano, vintage decorations, and a stunning staircase.

French cuisine has taken centuries to perfect, and each new ingredient adds an extra layer of exuberance that you can learn, cook, and taste. Today, you can choose to be guided by a professional chef on a stroll to a local food market followed by a delightful cooking class.

Create a collection of the country’s finest dishes, from starters to desserts, within an elegantly decorated Parisian apartment. Perhaps you learn the secrets to making tartelettes or fill the kitchen with the aromas of fresh onion soup. No matter the results, when you taste the dish, nothing else will matter.

Painting and performing are pivotal components of Parisian culture, and you will be delighted by the incredible work and performances as you tour Monet’s house in Giverny. Peer into the life of the discreet art collector and visionary creator where the artist drenched canvases in impressionist techniques, which are still preserved in the very places he would have painted masterpieces. Sitting in the countryside, you will see the direct inspiration for some of his timeless works.

The world in Paris will awaken with you, bursting with energy from the moment the sun rises. You can see all types of Parisians following the morning aromas to delightful places that help start the day, whether with fresh coffee, buttery pastries, or lively markets. You will cherish these last minutes in Paris before your private transfer meets you at the hotel and escorts you to the airport for your flight home.

You will carry home with you the dream of the French capital accentuated by the beauty, adventure, and charms of art and culture in all its expressions.