The Best of London and Paris: A Tale of Two Cities

Orientation, 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with a Group Leader who will accompany us throughout the program and deal primarily with logistics. There is also an Instructor who will conduct lectures and field trips and serve as an information resource on program-related topics. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

We will enjoy a 3-course plated and served meal in the hotel dining room with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

At leisure to unpack, relax, and prepare for the program ahead.

In the hotel dining room, we will enjoy a breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water, and fruit juices.

We will depart the hotel by motorcoach for a panoramic overview of London’s many monuments and most famous sights. Our Instructor will discuss the city’s history, as well as its architecture throughout the ages. Our journey will conclude at the Victoria & Albert Museum. This museum houses the world’s largest collection of decorative arts and design, holding some 4.5 million objects from all over the world. After an introduction to the museum by our Instructor we’ll have some time for independent exploration of its galleries.

At a local pub, we will have a 2-course plated and served meal with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, or you may wish to join them on a discovery walk to further explore London.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

At leisure to relax or further explore London.

Hotel buffet.

We will continue our exploration of London as we board a motorcoach and head to Kensington Palace, the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Princess Eugenie. We’ll be able to explore Queen Victoria’s bedroom, George I’s staircase, and the spectacular King’s Gallery, among other fascinating snippets of history. The palace was also home to Princess Diana, and there remains a selection of her famous dresses in the Royal Ceremonial Dress collection. Here we will be treated to a very special lecture by Ken Wharfe, former head of security to Princes William and Harry and Personal Protection Officer to Princess Diana. The lecture will explore his relationship with the family right up to the time of her tragic death.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

Free time.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We’ll board a motorcoach for a field trip to St. Paul’s Cathedral, an unmissable silhouette on the London skyline and often considered to be Christopher Wren’s architectural masterpiece. It has been standing in its current form since 1711 and its tranquil interior is majestic in its Baroque splendor. Our Instructor will take us through its turbulent and fascinating history as we explore its magnificent three-domed structure. From St. Paul’s, we will travel to Britain’s National Gallery. This vast repository of artistic treasures contains classic pieces by luminaries such as Da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Van Gogh. Our Instructor will provide an introduction, followed by time for independent exploration.

At a local restaurant near the National Gallery, we’ll have a 2-course plated and served meal with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Free time.

At a local restaurant close to the hotel, we’ll have a 3-course plated and served meal with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

After returning to the hotel, the rest of the evening is at leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will transfer from the London hotel to the St Pancras train station, where we will board the Eurostar train for our journey under the English Channel. We’ll ride through the countryside of southeast England before travelling through the Channel Tunnel. Upon its completion in 1994, the tunnel became the first fixed link between Britain and continental Europe.

Aboard the Eurostar train, we’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose food and drinks from the dining car.

Upon arrival in Paris, we’ll meet our French Instructor — a licensed professional “Conférencier”— who will provide expert commentary on field trips as we explore Paris together. From the train station, we will go by motorcoach to l’Île de la Cité for a walking field trip. Île de la Cité was originally occupied by the Iron Age Parisii tribe. Legend says they claimed their name from Prince Paris of Troy. It became a prominent settlement in Roman Gaul as Lutetia and later capital of the Merovingian dynasty. Today, it is home to some of Paris’s most iconic sites including the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, and Cathédrale de Notre Dame. The Sainte-Chapelle, one of the glories of Gothic architecture, was started in 1239 by Louis IX and completed less than a decade later. Originally part of the royal palace of Capetian monarchs, it was built to house religious relics Louis IX acquired from the Holy Land. Due to its slender columns and flamboyant architecture, being inside the upper church gives the feeling of being inside a jewel box. The Conciergerie rises out of the Île de la Cité’s western bank. The seat of the medieval kings of France, it was expanded and fortified under Louis IX and Philip IV in the 13th century. During the French Revolution, it became a prison where many spent their last days while awaiting the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette. Though rebuilt throughout the 19th century, numerous parts remain from medieval times, including the Hall of the Guards. Notre-Dame Cathedral was conceived in 1160 by the Bishop of Paris who wanted a much grander edifice than the existing Merovingian building. Construction began in 1163 and was not completed until 1345. Damaged and restored a number of times — including the disastrous fire of April 2019 — it remains one of the largest and finest examples of Gothic architecture anywhere. We will be able to admire the exterior. We'll continue by motorcoach to the hotel to check in.

At a local restaurant, we’ll have a 3-course plated and served meal with wine, coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel, the continental breakfast buffet includes a wide variety of cereals, pastries, fruit, cheese, cold cuts, yogurts, with juices, tea, coffee, water, milk included.

We’ll travel with our Group Leader and Instructor by Metro to explore the spectacular Musée d’Orsay, on the Seine’s Left Bank. The Musée d'Orsay houses the world's largest collection of Impressionist art. The former Gare d’Orsay railway station, built in Beaux-Arts style for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, was refurbished, repurposed, and reopened as the Musée d’Orsay in 1986. The collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects show the tremendous diversity of artistic creation in the Western world from 1848-1914, showcasing remarkable works of the early modern era including the Impressionist, post-Impressionist, and Art Nouveau movements.

At the Musée d’Orsay’s restaurant, we’ll have a 2-course plated and served meal with a soft drink or glass of wine included; other beverages available for purchase.

We’ll take the Metro to continue our exploration of the wealth of Impressionist art exhibited in Paris, with a field trip to the Musée Rodin in the Hôtel Biron and its gardens. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) is considered one of the most remarkable sculptors of his day. In addition to some of the most important works by Rodin himself — including “The Thinker” — the museum also holds significant paintings by Monet, Renoir, van Gogh he collected. The seven acres of gardens around the 18th century mansion present Rodin’s sculptures in natural settings. We will be provided with personal audio devices for a self-directed visit.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will take the Métro to one of the city's many open-air markets; these markets display food from local farms and are an important part of French culture. During our field trip to the market, our Instructor will explain how food is part of French identity and talk about regional specialties.

At a local restaurant close to the market, we’ll have a 2-course plated and served meal with wine, coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

We will take the Metro to the Louvre, one of the largest museums in the world. Formerly the royal residence of the kings of France, the Louvre has been the dominant architectural presence in Paris since 1190, when King Philippe II had it built as a fortress. It expanded as new fortifications developed and was transformed into a royal palace in 1364. King François I began turning the medieval Louvre into a Renaissance palace in 1546. Renovations continued through the reign of Louis XIV, who was born there. After the “Sun King” abandoned Paris for Versailles, the Louvre became a royal art gallery. During the French Revolution, the Louvre was turned into a public museum. The controversial glass Pyramide was inaugurated in 1989. Our expert will teach us about the history of this palace and the artwork it displays. The Louvre’s unrivaled collection includes thousands of masterworks including Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and the statue of a goddess known as “Vénus de Milo” for the island where it was discovered in 1820. Note: Crowds may make it difficult to get a good look at some of the most popular works.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will go with our Group Leader and Instructor by Metro to Montmartre where we will gain insights into the lives of artists in Paris. We will see Place du Tertre — place of the hill — the popular center of Montmartre’s artists; Sacré-Cœur Basilica, built as an expression of national penance for France’s 1870 defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and consecrated in 1919; and many little side streets that inspired artists of the past and continue to inspire those of today.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

Free time. This would be a good opportunity to explore the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) neighborhood known as St. Germain des Prés. Once a gritty haven for artists, philosophers, and writers — many of whom frequented the famed Café Les Deux Magots or the Café de Flore — it has become an upscale neighborhood that still retains much of its historic ambience. It is also the home of Café Le Procope, the oldest café-restaurant in France (1686) that was a favorite — at different times! — of Voltaire, Danton, Hugo, Balzac, Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson.

At a local restaurant, we’ll have a 3-course plated and served farewell meal with wine, coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

We’ll round off our Parisian experience by boarding the motorcoach for a view of the famous city lights before returning to the hotel. Note: Depending on time of year, this drive will take place at dusk or night. It may not be dark enough to see city light vibrantly. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!