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France
Paris and Provence 2 - Overview
August 22 - September 1, 2024 

August 22 - September 1, 2024
11 Days / 10 Nights

This tour starts and ends in Paris

$5,980 per person/ double occupancy
$1,680 optional single supplement
$460 additional nights in Paris, double or single room (including airport transfer)
Includes all fees and taxes

SPACES AVAILABLE

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE 
  • 5 nights in a boutique Paris hotel, in the Eiffel Tower neighborhood
  • 5 nights in an elegant Provencal villa in St. Remy
  • 10 breakfasts, 7 dinners, 5 lunches, chocolate and wine pairing session - traditional French or vegetarian menu, including drinks
  • Private airport transfers on arrival, group airport transfer on departure, round trip TGV train between Paris and Avignon and all transportation in France
  • Professional local guides and an experienced bilingual Tour Director
  • All sightseeing fees and admissions
  • All guides', drivers' and restaurants' gratuities
  • Cultural activities, sights and attractions as per itinerary
     
NOT INCLUDED

Additional/optional costs may include: optional single supplement, early hotel check-in, porterage, optional travel insurance, meals not included in the itinerary, optional activities not included in the itinerary, optional Tour Director's gratuities, telephone charges, room service, mini bar charges, laundry, personal expenses. 

The tour cost does not include airfare to and from the tour’s location.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Dining at elegant Parisian restaurants
  • Touring Versailles Palace
  • Visiting Monet's Waterlily Gardens in Giverny
  • Louvre's masterpieces private tour
  • The Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle
  • Impressionist collection at Musee d'Orsay
  • Gourmet culinary walk
  • Dinner cruise on the Seine River
  • Chateau de Chenonceau 
  • Chateau de Chambord 
  • Staying at an elegant Provencal country villa
  • Colorful Provencal village markets
  • Provencal cooking class
  • Roman city of Arles
  • Culturally rich city of Avignon
  • Visiting Pont du Gard
  • The art of chocolate and wine pairing
  • Wine estate picnic in the vineyard
  • Van Gogh's heritage in St. Remy and Arles
  • Les Baux de Provence
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine appreciation experience
Testimonials 

The whole tour from start to finish was the best experience! But the highlights were the tours of the Castles, the Pont du Garde, the light show in Baux, the cooking class in a private villa, and the picnic that ended up in the vintner's cellar because of the Mistral winds. - Robbie from British Columbia

France was a great tour. I had been to Paris briefly several years ago but learned so much more on this trip. I especially loved visiting Provence. The itinerary was varied and kept my interest. The restaurant choices gave a good flavor of the country and the quality of meals was excellent. Accommodations were perfect. There was enough free time for me to explore on my own but not so much that I was at loose ends. France was my 6th tour with Sights & Soul. There has been a different Tour Director for each tour and I loved them all. All were professional and well-versed in group dynamics. On each tour I appreciated personal attention and consideration of group needs/wants. I have high expectations now for future tour directors. - Patricia from California

Absolutely amazing! France is a delight for the senses: magnificent food, wine, and scenery. I would check it off my bucket list but plan on revisiting Provence. C’est tres bon!!! - Patricia from Virginia 

I thought we had a wonderful variety of activities with the option to take additional downtime if needed. It was very memorable. And thanks for the wonderful pictures Teresa took that were posted for us. Even our photos were included! – Patricia from Alabama

It was wonderful. The Seine diner cruise, vineyard picnic, Monet’s Garden and tour guides were wonderful. The cooking class was wonderful. Chef Giles was well-prepped, put us all to work beautifully, and it was a great meal. I’m looking forward to receiving the recipes. – Kathryn from California

There were so many best things! Food, art, Quarry, Provence accommodations, and the cruise on the Seine. Loved the whole thing. – Karen from Arizona

Enjoyed the location of the Eiffel Duquesne Hotel. We could sit out front with a bottle of wine and people watch and enjoy the sights and styles of the French. Very convenient to reasonable cafes, 24hours store, Eiffel Tower, metro, Rue de Cler, shopping etc. I must also commend Melissa in Paris. She is very knowledgeable, a great tour guide. I’m so glad I chose this tour. I thoroughly enjoyed it and Marlene was such a pleasure. Thank you Sights and Soul!! Your tours are first class and I appreciate that. P.S. Loved the Vamoos app. Although I didn’t use it for maps (I will next time), I used it for a quick reminder of the itinerary, flight info and member info. I found I referred to it a lot throughout the tour. – Alice from Pennsylvania

The cooking class was really great and seeing the Pont du Gard in person – have seen in movies but in person it is better! – Jane from Washington

The Paris and Provence tour was beautiful. For me, I loved the dinner in the Eiffel Tower and going up to it. I had been to France many, many years ago and didn’t remember much. The tour exceeded my expectations, as Sights and Soul always does. It was magical, and Marta was an amazing tour leader. She is patient, understanding, knowledgeable and fun. – Tiffany from Wisconsin

The small group format is perfect for navigating places and having a personal experience. The tour was well organized with a variety of activities. Lodging and meals were just right and provide big bang for the buck. Marta was perfect: watchful, interesting & interested, prepared and organized. – Diane from Washington

Sights and Soul is the most detailed and organized travel company I have used. All accommodations and attractions are well researched – top notch! I can’t wait for future tours. Going to Paris was a dream of mine since I took French in high school. Sights and Soul helped fulfill that dream well beyond my expectations. Thank you for a wonderful experience! – Melissa from Ohio

Marlene was amazing! Her personality is so engaging, and she is well versed in the arts and history. Thank you for organizing a wonderful trip. – Kathleen from Ohio

The tour was spectacular. We were able to see all of the history and magic of Paris with the ease of knowing that our tour guide had us in the best hands. She went above and beyond to show us the hidden treasures of Provence. It was all breath taking. – Kaeli from Arizona

I loved this trip! The more meals included, the better I like it, especially French meals! The tour leader was very knowledgeable about France, organized, cheerful and enthusiastic. – Linda from Massachusetts

It was more than I imagined it would be. Exploring Provence with Marlene was exceptional and meeting other women in the tour was great. Everything was just delightful! I truly loved staying at Mas des Carassins, it was exquisiteand the staff was terrific. Thank you! – Theresa from New York

Marlene was knowledgeable, caring, had a can-do attitude and was always smiling. She truly is a gem. I also want to say thank you to all our other tour guides and bus drivers who made all our excursions go so smoothly. I would recommend Sights and Soul to anyone interested in traveling with a group and if the opportunity arises I would love to travel with you again. – Lois from New York

It was a phenomenal experience – exceeded my expectations by 100%! We couldn’t have had a better guide or local tour guides. The “extra experiences” Sights and Soul offered – a vineyard picnic, cooking with the chef, were over the top.
Nina from South Carolina

Thank you to all the Sights & Soul Travel folks for producing this amazing experience in France!! And a special Thank You for being very responsive to our needs. Your care & concern for your clients & staff shine through all you do. See you again on the adventure trail. – Mary Ann from Pennsylvania

I really enjoyed the wine tasting and picnic in the vineyard, but meeting 12 amazing women was the best! Becky was awesome. She took time to get to know all of us & went out of her way to make our experience the best it could be. – Jackie from New Jersey

I cannot say enough about how much my daughter and I enjoyed our tour to Paris and Provence with Becky as our guide. The trip was beyond all expectations, it was truly more than Olivia and I could have imagined. If we had tried to see France on our own, we never would have explored so much diversity or met such fabulous locals and seen so much of what France is known for. It was a pleasure to have met women from all over the States and share stories and lots of laughter. I cannot wait to take my next trip with my daughter, Hannah through your fantastic travel company. – Karen from New York

Enjoyed all of it. Great value for money. We saw a lot and the guide in Provence was superb. Accommodations - terrific. – Liz from Victoria, Australia

Great trip! The guides in Paris and Provence were exceptional. – Carol from Connecticut

We took a dinner cruise in Aix our last night and after dinner went to the outside top deck where they had beautiful music playing and the shoreline lit up by the boat. There were so many fireflies, it was like sparks flying. A French child sang a song that our guide taught me before. You could see the city lights. It was magical. – Janet from the Netherlands

 I am writing to express the wonderful time I had on my recent Provence tour. It was a trip to remember for the ages. The guide was very accommodating to our every need -- she added a few side trips that we expressed an interest in, which was a feature not usually expected on a tour. Thank you for the opportunity to join this superb tour, and for selecting such competent guides. The itinerary was excellent and I will certainly try to join another of your tours in the future. – Carolyn from Nova Scotia

The trip to France was wonderful. This was my first experience traveling on a tour and I would like to say that it was delightful. As you predicted, the other travelers were great and we all got along. The guides were knowledgeable about the region and added little extra side trips that were a complete delight. I think everyone would agree that the hotel in Provence was our favourite place to stay. The rooms were interesting and very well equipped, and the food and ambience were good. A bonus was the interest and congeniality of the innkeepers. The size of the tour was also perfect as it allowed us to have a small vehicle and also created a nice familial atmosphere in the group. As you can tell, I really enjoyed the experience and will consider your tours again in the future. – Linda from Nova Scotia

I have traveled around the world with many different companies & Sights+Soul is right at the top with staff, itinerary, experiences and value. There were so many peak experiences in France that it is impossible to pick one, but if pressed it would be the “amazing” Becky! – Mary Ann from Pennsylvania

I just wanted to send you a quick email and let you know what a great trip and experience the France trip was for me.  From my initial decision to select your company for the trip to everything since then, it has been one of the best travel decisions I've made.  I also wanted to let you know that Becky Ballering is a wonderful tour guide - she made the experience so easy and fun for all of us.  Thanks to you and your team at Sights and Souls!  I hope to travel again with you in the future. – Marilyn from Texas

The tour exceeded my expectations. Paris and the Provence was a beautiful experience and Becky was always  kind, thoughtful and considerate. Her help in every instance was much appreciated by myself and everyone else on the tour. – Betty from Manitoba

Becky did a superb job but it should have been called a foodies tour. From selecting each lunch item as we walked the Latin quarter, to the numerous wine, chocolate and tapenade tastings, the cooking class with a one star Michelin chef and lunch in a vineyard I felt I was in a dream and didn't want to wake up.  In addition, our seats at the Moulin Rouge were excellent. Even the rain cooperated. Thanks to everyone who made this tour a huge success. – Lori from Missouri

The trip was fantastique, magnifique, and way exceeded my expectations. The French were pleasant and helpful, the food phenomenal, the activities were educational, exciting, and I enjoyed every minute. Becky deserves a great amount of credit for herding us  around a foreign country, keeping us organized and happy. Marlene was a fabulous tour guide. She has so much knowledge and was fun to be with.  It is hard to place things in 1st or 2nd place but one of my most favorite experience was the picnic at Eddie Feraud's vineyard. Everything else is just a different shade of 1st place! It was a long 28 hour trip back home but worth every minute. I look forward to my next trip with Sights and Souls. – Connie from Oregon

I had a wonderful time and finally understood why girls like summer camps. – Kathy from Vermont

Love it! Love it! Love it! I love traveling with your groups, will always. You choose the most talented tour leaders (patient), food, attractions, all are 1st class all the way, down to transportation. I will never travel with another group.– Dean from Texas

It was a trip of a lifetime. I wake up every day thinking I may have dreamed it. It was perfect in every day. Kimberly from New Hampshire
This was my first all-women’s tour and I loved that, plus the small group. It was great to stay in one place for 5 nights and have everything so well arranged.
–  Sandy from Tennessee

The tour was well balanced to cover all interests, well organized for peace of mind and the women in the group were fabulous traveling companions. – Karen from Florida

Considering this was my first European vacation, I had the greatest experience and now I want more. We saw a lot of the country given the fact that it was only 10 days. I loved every minute of it. The ladies were great and Becky was fabulous. – Theresa from Ontario

I loved it totally! Having a very small, compatible group was great and gave us lots of flexibility. I liked only having two different hotels as this made the tour more relaxing. – Linda from Nova Scotia

Tour Director: Marlene Boyer

Visiting France is always unforgettable, and this journey will be even more so: we'll first tour Paris, ancient and modern, funky and elegant, the unforgettable City of Light. We'll get to know and love Paris, as we see Notre Dame, the Sainte Chapelle, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Louvre, enjoy the opulent Versailles Palace, and the colorful Giverny of Monet's Impressionist paintings. We can shop for flowers at neighborhood markets and for haute couture at Galleries Lafayette, as we acquire a new sense of style. We'll create lifelong memories, as we sample the world's best cheese and best chocolate during the gourmet Paris walk, take an elegant dinner cruise on the Seine and dine at a legendary Parisian restaurant. We'll also venture out to the Loire Valley to bask in the stunning architecture and the medieval mysteries of its chateaux: Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise. After the excitement of Paris, we'll travel to Provence, and experience French country living at its best. We'll get immersed in the unhurried appreciation of Provencal countryside during our stay at a classic Provencal villa, enjoying French cuisine, wine and history, while connecting with new, like-minded friends. 

The Paris and Provence Tour is a feast for all senses. We'll enjoy the unforgettable aroma as we walk through a field of lavender, relish in the taste of olives and country wines, and learn to pair wine with chocolate, as we hum to music spilling from sidewalk cafes. We'll follow in the footsteps of both Romans and artists in Arles and dance on the bridge of Avignon. We'll walk by the vineyards, cypress trees, stone bridges, and quaint villages that inspired Picasso and Van Gogh and chat with shopkeepers at outdoor Provencal markets.

  • We'll spend 6 days in the Left Bank boutique hotel in Paris and 5 days in an elegant country villa in Provence.

  • In Paris, we'll explore the highlights of the city, take a gourmet culinary tour, a dinner cruise on the Seine River, enjoy a private tour of the Louvre, and dine at elegant Parisian restaurants. We'll visit Monet's Waterlily Gardens in Giverny and the Versailles Palace, touring the Royal Apartments, Marie-Antoinette's Estates and admiring the "dancing waters show" performed by dozens of fountains in the Versailles gardens. We'll spend a day in the Loire Valley, admiring the cheateaux of Chenonceau, Chambord and Amboise.

  • While in Provence, we'll explore the Provencal village markets, tour the renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape wineries and enjoy a picnic on an ancient wine-growing estate, spend a day learning to cook Provencal dishes, learn to pair wines with chocolate and to use the right olive or walnut oil. We'll visit Pont du Gard, stroll among the historical riches of Avignon and fall in love with Arles.

  • Throughout the tour, we will dine in carefully selected gourmet restaurants, allowing for the fullest appreciation of French cuisine. We'll enjoy the sophisticated French and Provencal cuisine and wines throughout the tour.

Click on the image to enlarge the map

WHAT MAKES THIS TOUR SPECIAL
  • Accommodation in an elegant, boutique hotel in Paris
  • Staying at a Provencal villa in St. Remy
  • Upscale restaurants and a la carte dining, including wine
  • Knowledgeable and passionate local guides
  • Exclusive experiences, not available to larger groups
  • A small group of maximum 16 women
  • Experienced and bilingual Tour Director
  • No forced shopping