Paris travel, French culture, Paris Shopping Tours, Paris hotels, French food, Paris restaurants, Your Great Days in Paris

Guests will arrive Charles de Gaulle airport and transfer via shared vans to hotel and check in to hotel. Tour commences at 12:00 with a welcome and orientation by your leader, Sally Peabody, President of Your Great Days in Paris, in the hotel lounge. Today, we will explore notable Tea and Chocolate treasures in and around Saint Germain des Prés. **If guests wish to arrive in Paris on Friday, April 4, or earlier, we will arrange for the extra night(s) of hotel at your expense.

We’ll start our tour with a walk down the Rue de Seine. We’ll stop at one of Paris’ premier patisseries, and also at the shop of a master chocolatier. Next, we will explore the rue de Seine/rue de Buci market streets, stopping in small gourmet shops for artisanal oils, regional French wines, and more. You can pick up a sandwich or salad at one of the many shops for an alfresco picnic on the Vedettes de Pont Neuf one-hour Seine Cruise. We will walk to the Pont Neuf and take our Seine Cruise.

We’ll cap off the afternoon with tea and patisserie at the St. Germain salon of the venerable Mariage Fréres tea firm. As we walk back to our hotel, we’ll show you other small, characterful, tea salons in this great neighborhood.

Dinner: Bouillon des Colonies or comparable gourmet bistro.

Day two: Sunday, April 6. A Day in the Marais

The Marais is one of the most historic, arty and lively neighborhoods in Paris. After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll start our day with a visit to the Richard Lenoir marché volant, one of the largest and liveliest Paris Sunday markets. While there is an astonishing selection of fresh and prepared food, you can also shop for jewelry, leather goods, scarves and more. We’ll enjoy a walking tour of this wonderful neighborhood, with a visit to the venerable Mariage Fréres original Marais shop. We’ll stop in at Les Ruchers du Roy, a tiny specialty shop chock-full of an extensive selection of unusual honeys and quality tisanes. We will also stop in selected small chocolate shops in the Marais. You may wish to enjoy a felafel or other gourmet street-food along the rue de Rosiers for lunch on your own.

Dinner: gourmet bistro Mon Vieil Ami, 69 rue St. Louis en Ile.

Day three: Monday, April 7 Exploring St. Germain Day

The 6th arrondissement is full of fine tea and chocolate temptations. We’ll start the day with breakfast at the hotel then begin our walking tour. First, we will stop at a patisserie famous for green tea eclairs and mille-feuilles flavored with tea. Then, we will visit the shops of chocolatier Christian Constant and the boutique of a second master-patissier/chocolatier with a gorgeous selection of temptations. We’ll walk via the rue du Cherche Midi with a stop at Lionel Poilane’s famed bakery, and at La Maison du Chocolat.

Lunch at L’Artisan des Saveurs tea salon
Afternoon, shopping along the quintessential Paris shopping street, the rue de Bac, including a stop at M. Chapon’s chocolate boutique. The rue de Bac is lined with sweet small shops for fashion, food, design, items for daily (Parisian) life and more. We’ll also visit the astonishing block-square Grand Épicerie of the Bon Marché department store.

Dinner on your own. We’ll provide an extensive list of suggestions near the hotel and are happy to advise guests on great bistros, winebars and restaurants anywhere in Paris.

Day four: Tuesday, April 8 Tea, Chocolates and All Things Gourmet Around Madeleine

We will begin this day with breakfast at our hotel. Then, we will go to the Madeleine quarter via bus or metro.

Today we will taste premium first flush Japanese green teas with Carol Neigar of Chajin, and visit the world famed gourmet and tea shops that cluster on and around the Place de la Madeleine, including Laduree, Fauchon, Hediard, Betjeman and Barton. We’ll have lunch in the tea-room at prize winning artisanal chocolatier Jean Paul Hevin and then enjoy a stroll through the Tuileries gardens and up the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.
Dinner on your own.

Day Five: Wednesday, April 9 Palais Royal/rue Montorgueil/Galleries Vivienne

We’ll start this central-Paris day with breakfast at our hotel. Next, we will enjoy a morning stroll up the rue Montorgueil, one of Paris’ best market streets. Among the many top food shops there are, of course, terrific stops for chocolate and patisserie.

We’ll walk or metro over the to beautiful Galleries Vivienne, a classic 1890’s passage couvert, to enjoy lunch at Á Priori Thé, a beloved tea salon. Galleries Vivienne is also home to excellent small fashion and wine shops. Next, we’ll walk through the beautiful Palais Royal, enjoying the gardens and exploring the shops under the historic arcades.

Later in the afternoon, we will stop for tea at La Maison de Trois Thé, a world-class tearoom and shop featuring fine, even rare, Chinese and Oolong teas, owned by tea master Madame Yui Hui Tseng.
Dinner on your own. Note, the Louvre is open late on Wednesdays.

Day six: Thursday April 10: Montmartre/Rue des Martyrs/”So-Pi”

We’ll begin the day with breakfast at our hotel.
This day will highlight off-the-beaten path tea and chocolate treasures. We’ll stop in a beautiful, tiny confiserie full of the best chocolates and candies from all over France. This is the only Paris source for the luscious Bernachon chocolates from Lyon. And the shop sells other superb, often unusual, chocolates and candies as well as teas from a small but well-chosen selection.

Next we’ll enjoy a walking tour of Montmartre, one of Paris’ most charming ‘village’ neighborhoods. We’ll stop for a light lunch in one of the cafés around the place des Abbesses, (not included in tour.) Then, we’ll walk down the rue Lepic, with its windmills and food shops to the trendy and typique rue de Martyrs shopping street that runs through the heart of the hip “So-Pi” quarter (south of Pigalle) and then stop for tea and a pastry at Les Cakes de Bertrand, a beautiful little shop that features fine teas, innovative cakes, and chocolates.
Dinner at Le Reminet or other gourmet bistro in the Latin Quarter or St. Germain.

Day seven: Friday, April 11 Final day, free day
Begin the day with breakfast at our hotel.

Sally will be available for suggestions for shopping, museums, cultural, other tea venues, a day trip to Versailles, or whatever guests choose to do on their own. (Custom touring or admissions not included in the tour).

Final dinner together at Le Perraudin, La Ferrandise or other gourmet bistro.

Day eight: Saturday, April 12
Breakfast & Transfer to Airport

Tour ends following breakfast. Guests depart to airport via vans for flights. Please note, if you would like to extend your stay in Paris we will assist in arranging an extended stay at our hotel, pending availability of rooms.

Join our April 2008 Tea... Chocolate... Paris Tour now

***Please note: This itinerary will involve a substantial amount of walking and use of public transportation. Our daily plans may be changed at any time by the tour leader to facilitate scheduling tastings, meals or other activities. And, we strongly advise guests to purchase travel insurance.


			sally@yourgreatdaysinparis.com Your Great Days in Paris LLC