A Romantic Break in Paris and Love at First Sight in Colmar

After arrival and collecting your bags, you’ll be picked up by a private driver.  

However well you know Paris, you’ll still find something new to discover. Home to magnificent architecture, grand boulevards, arresting art, jewel-box bakeries, fancy boutiques and cutting-edge fashion, Paris is also small enough that you can explore it on foot – and getting lost is half the fun.  After checking in, today is a day for yourselves with a light schedule.  We will reserve tickets to the Orangerie.  This is of course the stunning museum which once sheltered orange trees in winter, and now houses a collection of Monet, Cezanne, Picasso and others. It’s the perfect relaxed, cultured way to start your romantic stay. 

The afternoon is at your leisure, and we suggest you turn to our personalised roadbook for some cultural ideas and quality places to dine.     

After breakfast, stroll to your nearby foodie class. 

The humble Baguette is the iconic staple of daily life in France. Come and join a top baker and learn how to create results as close as possible in your own home kitchen and bring the 'boulangerie' to 'chez vous'! The class (small group) takes three hours, and the chefs will share their secrets as they guide you through the kneading, shaping and creation of your dough. You'll learn not only how to create La Baguette but also the infinite possibilities of the Fougasse - the French artisan bread that can be filled with an endless variety of delicious ingredients.  During the workshop, you will make your own selection of French breads.

The afternoon is free for you to digest, before meeting up with a top guide. 

At the beginning of the evening you’ll travel back in time, and explore the scandalous side of Paris on an original walking tour (small group / approx. 2.5 hours). From the Palais Royal to South Pigalle, your guide will tell you risqué stories and anecdotes that feature a cast of sensual and glamorous characters.  You will discover some of the most notorious and luxurious brothels of the Belle Époque and early 20th Century and will learn how these places operated. The tour will finish at an exquisite former maison close decorated in velvet, where you’ll sip a cocktail and soak up the early 20th Century atmosphere.

The rest of the night is yours. 

This morning you meet a local guide (a history fan) and explore some of the hidden corners of Paris. 

Join your local expert guide and treasure hunter to discover a hidden part of the city: the stunning Covered Passages (small group / approx. 2.5 hours). Frozen in time since the 1800s, these glass-roofed & paved arcades were originally created for the nobles to enjoy a stroll and a little shopping away from the dirt and the rabble of the streets.

Today, Parisians still love to explore them and get lost looking for a hidden brasserie, a one-of-a-kind bookstore, or an offbeat art gallery. Relive those elegant days by discovering the city’s most beautiful Passages! Needless to say, you’ll hit the lovely gardens and courtyards of the Palais Royal, a secret haven for knowledgeable locals that can’t be missed!

Just as you finish, make your way to the Marais district (a historically Jewish district of Paris) for a cheese and wine tasting in a Parisian cellar. 

The French know that wine and cheese are made for each other. Treat your taste buds to this perfect pairing at a cheese cellar beneath the streets of Paris. Taste seven different French and Swiss cheeses accompanied by wine chosen to complement the aged flavors, plus bites of baguette and fresh fruit. A professional cheesemonger will guide you through the tasting (small group / approx. 3 hours).

Evening at your leisure.

After being picked up, and then taking the train into Alsace, you’ll arrive in picturesque Colmar.

No part of France can compare when it comes to the warm welcome travelers and wine lovers receive when they visit the vineyards and picturesque villages here. The capital of the Alsace wine region, Colmar looks for all the world as though it has been plucked from the pages of a medieval folk tale. Your hotel will nearly certainly be in the alley-woven heart of the old town. 

Make your way to the nearby canal system that rings the old city. Meet your boatman (or woman) and hop aboard a flat-bottomed boat and discover the picturesque district in the heart of Colmar’s old town. "Little Venice" owes its splendor to a peaceful river: The Lauch. During the tour your private boatman guides you past the half-timbered houses where you can enjoy the serenity and abundant vegetation of the Maraîchers’s district. Let yourself be carried along the water and enjoy this exceptional way to discover an alternative view of Colmar (private / approx. 1 hour).

Take the evening to explore the local foodie scene. Alsace cuisine is distinctive compared with that of the rest of France, and pairs perfectly with the characteristic wines produced here – riesling, gewürztraminer, sylvaner and pinot noir. 

Make your way after breakfast to meet your guide for this full day tour (private / approx. 9 hours).   

Head along the wine route and visit the picturesque village of Turckheim. The colorful Renaissance houses and cobblestone streets reveal this place as a typical and very beautiful Alsatian village. You will be taken to a winemaker to experiment the traditional methods of local winemaking and of course, to taste the results, before arriving at a farm for lunch. You will enjoy a traditional marcarian meal - a multi-course meal that has developed over the centuries to become the favorite cuisine of locals and visitors. The Marcaire are farmers who raise dairy cattle for the production of munster cheese.

After lunch, you will have time to relax and admire the breathtaking views as you are driven along the ridge route. You can admire the Vosges mountains, as well as magnificent views of the lakes and thatched roofed houses. Then, you will stop at a goat farm where you will attend the milking. To end this day, you will enjoy a goat cheese tasting and of course munster cheese!

Your return to Colmar early evening via the Munster Valley will allow you to enjoy once again the view of its green hills and its abundant vineyards.

Greeting and meetup with your driver- guide for another day out (private / approx. 9 hour).

First up you’ll visit of Mittelbergheim, a village with the reputation to have been ranked 2nd in the show "favorite French village" in 2018.  Visit of a medieval castle.  

You'll then hit the wine route and enjoy a tasting at a winemaker.  Visit of Andlau, its alleys and bucolic corners (this one was also 2nd on the show "favorite French village" but in 2014).

Back on the wine route, you’ll take a break in Dambach-la-ville. Finally, you will visit Ribeauvillé and surroundings in an original and sporty way (if you dare).  

Return to Colmar with your guide where you will spend the night again. 

Make the short walk to the station, and take the train to Strasbourg. It takes hardly half an hour.

Once there, take your time to find the meeting spot for your tour!  History seeps through the twisting lanes and cafe-rimmed plazas of Grande Île, Strasbourg's Unesco World Heritage–listed island bordered by the River Ill. These streets – with their photogenic line-up of wonky, timber-framed houses in sherbet colours – are made for aimless ambling.

Eventually find your local foodie guide, and discover the city in a fun & informative way (small group / approx. 3 hours).  Taste some of the best gastronomic produce in the region, many of which are unique flavours – coming from the French and Germanic cultural heritage!  Your guide will show you lovely fresh white asparagus, local foie gras, juniper flavoured sauerkraut, pies made from local berries, smocked mountain hams, colourful Quetsche plums, breads of all shapes, to delicious cakes and pastries, our local produce are known all over France.

Today will be market day in Strasbourg (we’ll make sure your itinerary fits). Stroll through the pedestrian narrow lanes of the historical center and reach the market. Follow your guide as you are introduced to some of the local food as well as traditional Arts & Crafts.

Take a train back to Colmar at the end of the day and make your own way to the station.

Pickup by the driver and transfer to the train station. 

You will take a train (perhaps two) to CDG airport near Paris and be on your way home.  We can organise transport to many other places too.