Rue Montorgueil at Christmas

The holiday season is fast approaching and it’s one of the best times in Paris. The festive spirit abounds, particularly on the city’s market streets, bustling with Parisians preparing for their holiday feasts. If you will be traveling to Paris during the holidays, we have some excellent new culinary, perfume and shopping tours, ideal for this time of year. There are also some superb exhibits up through January, however, we recommend booking ahead to not miss out! Not returning to Paris yet and looking for the perfect holiday gift ? Offer them the gift of Paris through our holiday gift certificates. 

Rue Mouffetard in Paris, Gerd Eichmann / CC

Special Culinary Tours

We have launched a new food tour around Les Halles, the former location of Paris’s central fresh food market. Although the market buildings have since been demolished, the area is still one of the city’s food hubs. Our tour includes the history of the district and an exclusive experience at a ‘bean to bar’ chocolate store. For groups of less than ten, we also offer a private tasting with famed French chocolatier, Jacques Genin, combined with a culinary walk of the open air market at the Rue Montorgueil.

Marie-Antoinette piece montée by Molly Wilkinson

Culinary Tour + Special Marie-Antoinette Cake

In partnership with Molly Wilkinson, cordon-bleu trained pastry chef, a visit to Versailles can finish with a tasting of the cakes that Marie-Antoinette would have loved, like the above piece montée. Ask us for further details when booking!

L’Officine Universelle Buly, historic parfumerie visited on our perfume tours

Perfume Tour and Workshop

Our 4-hour perfume tour focus on how flower gardens have supplied the perfume industry for centuries. We visit two historic perfumeries in the Marais and then clients attend a perfume workshop where they can make their own perfumes.

Holiday Shopping Tour

For the Christmas season, we have developed a special tour dedicated shopping in Paris. Our tour begins at the Palais Royal visiting boutiques in this chic neighborhood.  We continue to the Passages, the covered streets of the nineteenth century. We then stop for tea in recently re opened Samaritaine, an art nouveau temple of luxury on the Seine.

Botticelli Exhibit at Musée Jacquemart-André

Noteworthy Exhibition Tours: Winter 2021-2022

Botticelli, Artist and Designer – Musée Jacquemart André: This exhibition showcases 40 works by the celebrated Renaissance artist and is combined with a tour of the Jacquemart André house museum’s impressive collection of works by Italian and French masters. Exhibit on through January 24, 2022.

Edmund de Waal interventions at the Musée Nissim de Camondo

Letters to Camondo – Musée Nissim de Camondo: Author of The Hare with Amber Eyes, Edmund de Waal has curated special interventions at the Musée Nissim de Camondo linked to his new book, Letters to Camondo, a collection of imaginary letters from de Waal to Moise de Camondo. Camondo, a wealthy Jewish banker designed his house museum in memory of his son, Nissim, but de Waal’s exhibition evokes another commemoration, one to the entire family who perished at Nazi war camps during World War II. Our tour of the exhibit and museum is followed by a visit to the Parc Monceau, one of Paris’s oldest parks which borders the museum. Exhibit on through May 15, 2022.

Holiday Gift Certificates

Do you have a friend or family member planning a trip to Paris and are looking for the perfect holiday gift? Consider gifting them a certificate for one of our tours. These can be purchased for a specific tour or for a credit towards the tour of your giftee’s choice, valid for any bookings made until December 31, 2022. Contact us here for further details.

We are wishing you and your loved ones a safe and joyful time over the holidays!

Best wishes,

Susan Taylor-Leduc & the Picturesque Voyages Team