Make The Most Of Your Trip By Exploring Paris
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This optional trip will allow you to visit some of its most famous sites, and gain more from your cultural adventure in Europe. There's no need to know any French for this trip, but if you do learn French at school this will provide great opportunities to practice!
Sunday
We will depart Cambridge in the morning and reach Paris by early evening, where we will go for dinner. After dinner we will visit the nearby Seine River and Notre Dame cathedral - which sadly we can no longer go inside due to the 2019 fire.
Notre Dame
Monday
We visit the picturesque Montmartre area of Paris, climbing the hill up to Sacre-Coeur where you may explore the many cafes, souvenir shops and art in the area. We head on to the Trocadero to enjoy fantastic views of the Eiffel Tower, before climbing to the top and having a picnic beneath it. We then enjoy a boat cruise along the Seine before returning to our hotel.
| Time | Paris - Monday |
|---|---|
| 10:30 am | Depart |
| 11:30 am | Reach the top of Montmartre, go inside Sacre-Coeur |
| 12:30 pm | Lunch in Montmartre |
| 2 pm | Meet outside Sacre-Coeur to move on |
| 2:30 pm | Reach the Trocadero |
| 4 pm | Start climbing the Eiffel Tower |
| 6:30 pm | Get food for a picnic under the Eiffel Tower or dinner nearby |
| 8 pm | Boat cruise |
| 9:30 pm | Return to hotel |
| Time | Paris - Monday |
Sacre-Coeur
View from the Trocadero
The Eiffel Tower
Tuesday
We take a break from historic buildings for a day out at Disneyland Paris!
| Time | Paris - Tuesday |
|---|---|
| 8:45 am | Depart |
| 10 am | Arrive at Disneyland Paris for its opening |
| 11 pm | Light and Fireworks Show |
| 11:30 pm | Regroup outside the Eurostar station to go home |
| Time | Paris - Tuesday |
Disneyland Paris
Space Mountain
Disneyland fireworks
Wednesday
We start the day by visiting the oldest part of Paris and Notre Dame Cathedral. Construction began in 1163 and is one of the most famous buildings in Catholicism, holding the purported Crown of Thorns beneath the building. Sadly due to the 2019 fire we are still unable to go inside, but we will view it from the outside. We will then walk down the river to the Louvre, the most popular museum in the world (with good reason!). After a few hours exploring the Louvre we will walk up the Champs-Elysees ("The most beautiful avenue in the world") to the Arc de Triomphe, before going back to our hotel.
| Time | Paris - Wednesday |
|---|---|
| 11 am | Depart |
| 11:20 am | Get to Notre Dame. Walk around it. |
| 12 pm | Walk to the Louvre |
| 1 pm | Go inside the Louvre |
| 4:30 pm | Meet under the Pyramid. Walk up the Champs-Elysees. |
| 6 pm | Reach the Arc de Triomphe. |
| 7:30 pm | Dinner near our hotel |
| Time | Paris - Wednesday |
Notre Dame
Inside the Louvre
Outside the Louvre
Arc de Triomphe
Thursday
We go to the majestic Palace of Versailles, seeing the famous Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War I, and exploring the extensive gardens and fountains. We then visit the Musee d'Orsay to see some of the most famous impressionist art in the world, before visiting the former home of Auguste Rodin where his most famous sculpture The Thinker is placed, then going round the corner to Les Invalides, tomb of Emperor Napoleon.
| Time | Paris - Thursday |
|---|---|
| 10 am | Depart for Versailles |
| 12 pm | Get into Versailles |
| 1 pm | Meet outside, get lunch |
| 2 pm | Depart for the Musee d'Orsay |
| 3 pm | Get to the Musee d'Orsay |
| 5 pm | Meet at the exit to walk to the Rodin Museum |
| 5:15 pm | Reach the Rodin Museum |
| 5:30 pm | Meet at the exit to walk to Les Invalides |
| 5:45 pm | Get to Les Invalides. See Napoleon's tomb. |
| 6:15 pm | Meet at the exit to walk to the Champs de Mars. |
| 7 pm | Return to hotel |
| Time | Paris - Thursday |
Palace of Versailles
Starry Night Over the Rhone
Hall of Mirrors
The Thinker
Friday
We leave bright and early at 7 am to get to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for flights home.