Our itinerary in Paris was everything we hoped it would be! Sara took the time to create exactly what we were looking for - a mix of culture, history, and food - that made my husband, my 12-year old and myself all smile. Sara stayed in touch with us during our trip to make sure everything went smoothly. The guides selected for us were absolutely excellent and we had the same guide more than once, to build off of the relationship we already established. Our itinerary was easy to follow and...
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Our itinerary in Paris was everything we hoped it would be! Sara took the time to create exactly what we were looking for - a mix of culture, history, and food - that made my husband, my 12-year old and myself all smile. Sara stayed in touch with us during our trip to make sure everything went smoothly. The guides selected for us were absolutely excellent and we had the same guide more than once, to build off of the relationship we already established. Our itinerary was easy to follow and was the perfect mix of days filled with walking then offset by days with a bit of travel outside of Paris. And our hotel was a great match with thoughtful and friendly staff and centrally-located. Thank you, Sara...you made out dream trip a reality!
Hotel Review
Charming boutique hotel with warm & friendly staff. Our room was quiet and relaxing. Breakfast was excellent...try the house-made yogurt! In the heart of the city, we were within walking distance of many great sites. Highly recommend!
Authenticity & Character
I love that there were only two rooms on our floor - when you open up the window, you get the most lovely birdsong!
Location
We walked EVERYWHERE from our hotel!
Staff
The staff are wonderful - friendly and genuine
Cleanliness & Comfort
We had a triple room and were very comfortable.
Activity Reviews
Evening Eiffel Tower Tour
Paris
Having expedited access was SUCH a good thing, as lines get long at the tower! 5:30 was a perfect time for a guided tour - it wsd still very warm, but not too hot. And seeing the city from above was a perfect way to start our vacation and get a sense of where everything is...the Paris cityscape is everything you imagine it is :)
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
We met at a coffeeshop that was a 5 minute walk from the tower. Couldn't have been easier!
Notre-Dame Cathedral & Sainte-Chapelle
Paris
Saint-Chappelle is absolutely breath-taking! If you want to understand the power of stained glass as an architectural element of the cathedral experience, SC is one of a kind!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Roberto was an absolutely excellent guide - so thoughtful and knowledgeable! He went out of his way to bring stories and extra books to help our 12-yr old daughter have a fantastic experience. I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed learning from and exploring with Roberto!
Day trip to le Mont Saint-Michel
Paris
This is a long drive from Paris but absolutely worth it - there is not another experience like this!!! Le Mont Saint-Michel is unlike any other location in France!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We really liked Sarah - who is originally from the region and could add a layer of "living history" and remembrance to our experience!
Transport
We went with one other family - the van was a great size and very comfortable!
Pastry & Chocolate tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Paris
This was SUCH a great experience! There are so many shops to choose from and many are so exclusive, it's hard to explore them in a meaningful way. This tour added to our understanding of the culinary values and pride of French chocolate and pastry making....and we dearly LOVED all the amazing tastes of this tour!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We can 't say enough about Roberto - he clearly loves providing French culinary experiences (and has a collection of over 1500 cookbooks himself!). His depth of knoweldge and respect for the French traditions and innovations in chocolate and pastry made this an exceptionally fun experieince!
Perfume workshop in Paris
Paris
What a fun, informational and unqiue experience in Paris! We learned so much from the master perfume maker who led our session! Our 12-year old daught had a fantastic time with us, and we all have a fantastic souvenier from our trip. We also learned a lot!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The owner of Candor actually led our session - his passion and charm made the 2-hour experience absolutely delightful!
Château de Versailles & Giverny
Paris
Giverny has my heart - the gardens were exception and Monet's house so meaningful to visit! Our guide gave an exception session of storytelling and information on our trip to Giverny, which added a wonderful layer of meaning. Versaille - in all it's grandeur - blew our 12-year old daughter's socks off :) And once again, our guide gave a wonderful guided tour that helps you understand the purpose and impact of all the oppulence,
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide had an exceptional level of knowledge....it brought both sites to live in a meaningful way.
Transport
Our bus driver was warm and friendly and the coach was very comfortable.
Market Visit & Cooking Class in Chef's Apartment
Paris
This was an absolutely lovely experience in Paris - especially on our last full day. Chef Marthe is so warm and genuine. And her passion and wisdon related to ingredients and French cooking was wonderful to experience. The trip to the open market and the selection of foodstuffs led to all sorts of wonderful stories about food and farming in many regions of France. And our cooking session in Marthe's appartment was a wonderful way to learn more about food, family traditions, and Marthe's previous restaurant...all within the ambience of a true Parissienne apartment.
Quality of Experience
The authenticity of it all was so appreciated!
Food
The meal we all prepared together was fantastic! The chicken dish was a recipe from Chef Marthe's grandmother. And the zuchinni cerviche? Well....my daughter does not like zuchinni and she LOVED this dish! Everything was amazing. And had such special meaning for us. And Chef Marthe sent us the recipes so that we can make them again.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
I so enjoyed our time with Chef Marthe. I would have loved to share a bottle of wine with her and here more of her stories!
Transport
Walking the neighborhood and hearing about the various markets and stalls in Paris added another layer of appreciation of Paris as a living city.
Our guide Anja made our first-ever trip to the Louvre a wonderful experience! The Louvre is so massive and overwhelming...the thoughtfulness by which Anja selected works for us to see and spend time with was amazing. And she built layers of connection and comparison between the works so that we could get a whole other layer of appreciation. No matter what aspect of the collection we asked about, Anja was a master of knowledge and so passionate about the works. I have a background in Art HIstory, and I was so impressed by her agility and depth of caring about the role the Louvre plays in the cultural history of not only France, but all of civilization.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
I can't say enough about the depth of Anja's art historical knowledge and - more importantly - passion and how that helped us connect with each piece we saw, in a VERY busy and chaotic environment.
Lifestyle tour of the Marais
Paris
We loved strolling through the Marais district with our guide Roberto! He brought the history, culture and contemporary moments of the Marais to life for us....and shared some Parisienne off-the-beaten-path gems, too!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Roberto tried to tailor the experience of his tours to each group he works with. So for us, he paid particular attention to our 12-year old daughter, to make sure she had a great time too. SO incredibly thoughtful!
Lifestyle tour of the Marais
Paris
We loved strolling through the Marais district with our guide Roberto! He brought the history, culture and contemporary moments of the Marais to life for us....and shared some Parisienne off-the-beaten-path gems, too!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Roberto tried to tailor the experience of his tours to each group he works with. So for us, he paid particular attention to our 12-year old daughter, to make sure she had a great time too. SO incredibly thoughtful!
Local specialist: Sara Farhi
