France
Independent Paris: People, Places, Culture
Program No. 10034RJ
Celebrate the grand culture of Paris on expert-led walks and independent excursions, reveling in architecture, world-class museums, famed cuisine and traditional open-air markets.
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 7 - Sep 15, 2024
Starting at
2,899Oct 5 - Oct 13, 2024
Starting at
2,899Oct 12 - Oct 20, 2024
Starting at
2,899DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jul 6 - Jul 14, 2024
Starting at
3,859Sep 7 - Sep 15, 2024
Starting at
3,889Sep 14 - Sep 22, 2024
Starting at
3,889Sep 20 - Sep 28, 2024
Starting at
4,049Oct 5 - Oct 13, 2024
Starting at
3,889Oct 12 - Oct 20, 2024
Starting at
3,889Nov 2 - Nov 10, 2024
Starting at
3,199Dec 7 - Dec 15, 2024
Starting at
3,199Mar 22 - Mar 30, 2025
Starting at
4,299Apr 12 - Apr 20, 2025
Starting at
3,779May 3 - May 11, 2025
Starting at
3,779May 10 - May 18, 2025
Starting at
4,299Jun 7 - Jun 15, 2025
Starting at
4,299Sep 6 - Sep 14, 2025
Starting at
4,299Sep 13 - Sep 21, 2025
Starting at
4,299Oct 4 - Oct 12, 2025
Starting at
4,299Oct 11 - Oct 19, 2025
Starting at
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9 days
8 nights
10 meals
7B 0L 3D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
9
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
From a table at a street-side cafe near the Sorbonne, you watch students excitedly discoursing, mothers shepherding children along the sidewalk, the life of a Parisian neighborhood unfolding before you. It’s just one moment in your independent exploration of the Paris behind the postcards. Stroll the grand boulevards, meet local experts who illuminate the city’s most marvelous treasures, compare the city’s diverse quarters and savor every new experience that crosses your path.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to five miles per day. Extensive use of the Paris Métro system, often accessed by stairs.
Activity level is based on included program elements.
You may enjoy a more leisurely version of this program, "Paris at a Slower Paris: Art & Culture in the City of Light" (#22235).
Independent City Discoveries
Learn with a Group Leader and enjoy educational programming while also getting substantial independent time to explore on your own. Most Independent City Discoveries include lectures, self-guided excursions and passes for public transit and museums.
What You'll Learn
- Be introduced by a local Road Scholar expert to life as a Parisian and explore the center of Paris.
- Examine and discuss the art of Paris at museums, gardens and an open-air market.
- Enjoy free time for independent discoveries or follow the Group Leader to intriguing corners of the city.
General Notes
Included in the program: Seven nights hotel accommodation, Métro and museum passes, all breakfasts, some lunches and dinners, escorted activities and optional field trips. Current Events in Paris: Due to the fire at Notre Dame, the cathedral is closed to visitors. Road Scholar programs that visit île de la Cité will be able to see the outside of the cathedral, but we will not be able to go inside.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Josephine Lurie
Jo Lurie has been a Group Leader since 1989. She has a passion for travel as that is when she is happiest. She speaks several European languages fluently and enjoys traveling through Europe with American participants. She has a strong affinity for France, Spain and Italy and can't wait to share her knowledge. She has extensive experience in ensuring that travelers' expectations are met and exceeded. In her spare time, she enjoys independent travel, listening to music and playing chess.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Josephine Lurie
View biography
Jo Lurie has been a Group Leader since 1989. She has a passion for travel as that is when she is happiest. She speaks several European languages fluently and enjoys traveling through Europe with American participants. She has a strong affinity for France, Spain and Italy and can't wait to share her knowledge. She has extensive experience in ensuring that travelers' expectations are met and exceeded. In her spare time, she enjoys independent travel, listening to music and playing chess.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Independent Paris: People, Places, Culture
Program Number: 10034
The New Paris
Move past the clichés and learn about what makes up Paris today. Explore the open-minded sensibility, diverse populations, and hidden corners of The New Paris.
How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City
A captivating history of the growth, design, and planning of Paris, telling the story of how the modern city came to be.
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
The Food & Wine of France: Eating & Drinking from Champagne to Provence
Behr seeks out the best of French food, in encounters from Champagne to Provence, to tell the stories of French artisans and chefs who work at the highest level. He shares what he learns from these experts on French traditions and how to best enjoy this food.
Murder in the Marais
Literate and thrilling, with a strong sense of the geography and flavor of Paris, the first in a series of mysteries starring Aimee Ledoc shows off the French-American detective's wit and wile. The series continues with Murder in Belleville (FRN562), Murder in the Sentier (FRN563) and many more.
Paris Pratique Par Arrondissement
This pocket atlas contains detailed maps of every neighborhood in Paris, as well as details about bus and metro stops.
The Secret Life of the Seine
After losing his Paris apartment, Rosenblum, a born storyteller, takes to a houseboat moored on the Seine. The result is this entertaining tour of the places and people he encounters during his explorations along the river.
The Flaneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris
A 'flaneur' is a stroller, a loiterer, someone who ambles through city streets in search of adventure and fulfillment. Edmund White, who lived in Paris for sixteen years, wanders through the streets and avenues and along the quays, into parts of Paris virtually unknown to visitors and indeed to many Parisians.
Markets of Paris
An in-depth guide to the best markets in Paris. Dive into the heart of French culture and navigate the markets like a local with maps, tips, and handy phrases.
F is for France: A Curious Cabinet of French Wonders
An alphabetized catalogue of quirky French culture and history tidbits.
The Hotel Majestic
The most famous fictional detective in France, Maigret, tackles a case in the heart of Paris.
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World, A Pedestrian in Paris
Australian critic and writer Baxter draws on his second career as a literary tour guide in his adopted city for this witty memoir, laced with terrific tales.
A Moveable Feast
A treasure for anyone interested in Parisian cafe society and its luminaries circa 1925. Hemingway includes sharp portraits of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Maddox Ford and others who idled on their way to greatness.
My Life in France
The touching and famous story of Julia Child in France, where she learned to cook and fell in love with French cuisine, all in her own words.
Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light
A history of black Americans who settled in Paris, France, from 1900 to the present.
A Traveller's History of Paris
A fast-moving, short survey of French history with a focus on Paris from its foundation, through the heady days of revolution and up to modern times.