There are so many tours to choose from in Paris… Whether you want to be whisked off on your adventure by bike, boat, balloon, Segway or foot (I have yet to find a horseback tour, but I’m sure someone, somewhere is cooking one up), a tour exists to help make that dream come true.

Having that many options at your fingertips can be overwhelming. That’s why we make it our duty here at Haven in Paris to scour the city tirelessly for the very best tours to recommend to our clients. I’ve been lucky enough to meet more than my fair share and have compiled a list of four of my favorites, chosen because they are so original, in depth and because the people behind them are amazing characters themselves!

Musée D’Orsay (Manolo Blanco)

Time Travelers Tours

Sara Towle’s “Time Travelers Tour” StoryApp (downloadable to the iPhone) is one of the most original Paris tours I’ve experienced. This labor of love started out as a book geared towards children and has evolved into an fully interactive, fact-filled, historical adventure through Paris. The first tour in the series, “Beware of Madame la Guillotine”, reveals the stories behind the landmarks and personalities associated with the French Revolution. It’s perfect for adults and children alike (I had a great day out following the tour with my husband)!

You can download the Time Travelers Tour App for your iPhone here or here.

French perfume and a lovely hotel particulier - Bee.girl; Meredith Tucker

Chris Lomon – Secret Paris Shopping and Walking Tours

Chris specializes in bespoke walking and shopping tours of Paris. His love for the city and natural curiosity for everything it has to offer is evident. He’s practically an encyclopedia of addresses and historical facts and has a special knack for uncovering hidden gems and unlocking closed doors. During our tour, I mentioned my passion for architecture, and Chris promptly sweet-talked his way into a 17^th century Hotel Particulier nearby, which now houses government offices so I could take a peek at the amazing courtyard and marvel at a special floating stone staircase (he also filled me in on the sordid history of the hotel’s original owner, most intriguing!)

Contact Chris directly here

Gwenael Piaser

Context Travel

The wonderful people at Context Travel are the experts when it comes to in-depth tours in almost any category. Their guides are often graduate students or experts in their field, and their tours are distillations that will inform and expand your knowledge of art, history, architecture, food and wine. An evening spent on their “Musee D’Orsay and Paris in the 19^th Century” tour has forever changed the way I look at the art and artists of that era. Not only did I learn about the life and times of the epoch, I was also taught how to examine the works and give context to their creation. Now I walk through the museum with a smile on my face and the satisfaction that I know so much about the masterpieces housed in those hallowed galleries.

Contact Context Travel directly here

Juliette Satidi

Progressio – French Niche Fragrances Perfume Testing

Ok, this is more of a lesson than a tour, but since you get to visit some of the most exclusive perfume houses in Paris (and because it so darn fun), I thought I’d add it to my list of favorites. Progressio’s resident expert, Teresa, gives you a full history of the French perfume industry and the basics of scent construction before putting your nose to the test through a heavenly perfume “sampling.” There is also a short language lesson, which teaches you the French phrases and words that will have you shopping for perfume like a local.  My favorite parts though, were the visits to the specialty perfume houses of Paris. These beautiful little boutiques are filled with formulas so well crafted, they are like liquid works of art, and because many of the fragrances are only sold in these boutiques (you can’t find them anywhere else), they’re almost as rare!

Contact Progressio directly here

What about you? Do you know of any great tour services, or original ways to experience everything Paris has to offer?

Related Links

• For more recommended Paris service providers (tours, chauffeurs, concierge, massage, yoga…) check out Haven in Paris’ recommendations here
• Looking for a personal shopper, we love Linda Harrad and Lilye (Shopping by Lilye)
• For friendly Paris bike and segway tours with English-speaking guides, check out Fat Tire Bike Tours

Written by Ariel for the Hip Paris Blog. All photos by Michael Tucker. For our amazing rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany check out our website Haven in Paris.

When we launched ParisienSalon.com back in May 2009, we were hoping for a positive response. We got that and more. In fact, the feedback we received went well beyond anything we expected. One response we didn’t expect was, “When are you going to start doing tours in Paris?” So many of our wonderful readers asked this question, and we just didn’t know what to say. After all, there are so many great people already doing tours in Paris, and we  didn’t know what else we could possibly offer.

But one day, over a few glasses of wine in a Paris café, we realized that what we had been doing since our launch – offering insider access to the French capital – was also something we could easily build upon. We knew people, after all.

So, after months of head-scratching, brainstorming and strategising, we’re pleased to announce the birth of P.S. Privé. This “Paris experience company” will offer classes, workshops, excursions and special events in the City of Light.

Beginning the first week of July, P.S. Privé will offer cooking classes, food and wine workshops, style clinics, photography workshops and so much more. You’ll find that some of the same industry leaders we’ve written about at ParisienSalon.com will be leading our “experiences.” Professional chefs, sommeliers, photographers, fashion designers, stylists, magazine editors, writers, architects, educators … they’ll all offer unique ways to experience Paris (like a local), and offer amazing things that you can take home with you afterward.

P.S. Privé lets you find events on our calendar and by category. Best of all, you can book your event immediately, because we’ve partnered with Paypal to give you a secure way to pay online.

So visit us at www.psprive.com, and we hope to see you in one (or more) of our new Paris events very soon!

Related Links:

• Context Travel: boutique tours by experts in their fields
• Secrets of Paris private walking tours
• Delicious cooking classes from Promenades Gourmandes

Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out our website Haven in Paris.

Think back to that moment when you first landed in a foreign city and disorientation set in like a thick, heavy fog. If you were a girl or boy scout, maybe you could tell north from south, but buildings, perspectives, businesses and squares of sky blended together to form an impenetrable net of All Things Foreign. Armed with your map and your pocket translator you bravely approached passersby with questions ranging from the unavoidably inane (“Where can I buy a loaf of bread”) to the philosophically complex (“Where can I buy a good loaf of bread”). Animated discussions ensued, followed by an exchange of friendly smiles and you were left feeling more desperate than before because not only were you lost and hungry, you failed at survival challenge #2: communication.

Fear not! The Hip Paris team has just stumbled upon the aptly named “Rent a Local Friend”, an alternative tour service that sets you up with a friendly native to help you get over those first few moments of feeling like the city is an impenetrable mass of tourist traps and indistinguishable side streets.

I recently met with the lovely Mathilde, one of the Local Parisian Friends, for a little stroll through the Marais. Although I am familiar with the area, she knew to take me to Le Loir dans la Théière, an adorable tea parlor whose lemon tart sports an impressive 3-inch cloud of meringue. As we walked and chatted, she pointed out various boutiques to me based on what I had told her my interests to be, all of which I loved and made notes of for future reference. Although Mathilde grew up in Nice, her dislike of the metro and vow to cover the entire city on rollerblades helped her develop an intimate understanding of Paris’ quirks and hidden secrets. Depending on your personal inclinations, she might map out an itinerary for a weekend à deux, including romantic restaurants, picturesque walks and a conveniently situated florist; take you on a personalized tour of Montmartre’s non-touristy gems; or just help you pick out the perfect vintage bauble from her favorite outdoor craft markets.

In addition to tours, Rent a Local Friend also offers the option of creating custom itinerary booklets, thoroughly researched and neatly packaged for the modest sum of €25. Though you’ll miss out on the company of an actual native, we can’t really think of cheaper or more efficient way to really get what you want out of a foreign city, no matter what quirky or off-the-wall interests you may have. A fan of obscure heavy metal? Not a problem. If Mathilde can’t personally advise you on grungy punk nightclubs, she has her own set of local friends who can, and will, accompany you on your nocturnal treks.

Rent a Local Friend. Paris Tours: ½ day: €80, full day: €110. Booklets: €25.

Written by Geneviève Sandifer for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Our friends over at Context Travel are offering awesome discounts on some wintery walks this month. Tell them Haven in Paris sent you and get 15% off on these tours:

Photo: Erica Berman

So bundle up and hit the streets! To reserve your tour today, call +33.1.70.61.07.66 or email info@contexttravel.com.

About Context Tours: Context is a network of around 200 scholars and experts who lead walking seminars on a variety of culture-related topics. All walks are capped at 6 people, creating an intimate learning experience. To celebrate the holiday season, Context Paris is happy to offer clients of Haven in Paris a 15% discount on any of these walks taking place over the holidays.

Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Although Paris isn’t quite as bike-centric as Amsterdam just yet, bicycles have definitely become the hip and green way to get around. As Sarah pointed out earlier, the now-ubiquitous Vélibs’ have converted Parisians over to the scenic joys of gliding along tree-lined boulevards as an alternative to the soul-crushing rush hour metro.

www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/2489449704

But this picturesque approach to Paris isn’t just reserved for natives and those who are able to get their foreign cards to work in the Vélib’ machines. Fat Tire Tours, a bike-and-segway specific tour company, was among the first Paris-based tour groups to offer bicycle tours of the city. They are a friendly and entertaining way to see the city.

parisphotog.com

Rather than throwing obscure facts and dates at droopy-eyed, tired kids and their over-enthusiastic parents, Fat Tire guides are all about making sure everyone enjoys themselves. In fact, their motto is: “See more, less effort, more fun.” After a thorough orientation, you’ll be off on your comfortable bike (which you will ride almost exclusively on sidewalks) to glide by Paris’ monuments, boulevards, gardens and museums, led by guides who “are not only very knowledgeable, but also personable, entertaining and masters of group chemistry”.

Fat Tire also offers Segway tours (for a truly effortless run of the city), night tours, walking tours, wine tastings and day trips to the Normandy beaches and Monet’s garden. Check out their complete offerings here.

Written by Geneviève Sandifer for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Photos Erica Berman

Like many American ex-pats, Richard Nahem came to Paris to pursue a dream. Upon seeing the city for the first time twenty-five years earlier, he had vowed to live here someday. And after spending twenty years as a chef/caterer in NYC, Richard finally did what many Americans only dream of doing—he packed his bags and hopped a flight.

Since doing so four years ago, he has slowly built the “Eye Prefer Paris” brand, which includes his blog and Paris tour service. For first-time visitors to Paris, Richard’s tours offer a balance of background information and insider tips. His clients range from couples on vacation to packs of traveling girl scouts, and as a result, he customizes each tour to meet his clients’ needs and expectations. Each 3-hour tour costs 175 EUR (for a group of up to 4 people) and focuses on a specific Parisian neighborhood.

Photo Erica Berman taken on an Eye Prefer Paris Tour in 2008!

Last week, I tagged along on one of his tours of the historic Marais, where he led us to a hole-in-the-wall Israeli market, a shop with hand-crafted chocolates, a clothing store where every item is hand-dyed to order, the Jewish district near rue des Rosiers, and the breathtaking Place des Vosges, where we browsed through a quirky music shop full of antique instruments. While I have spent significant time in the Marais, Richard’s tour drew my attention to architecture, hidden courtyards and gardens, shops, and historical facts that I had never before stopped to consider. His familiarity with the neighborhood and its proprietors—many of whom greeted him by name—offered a unique lens through which to interpret the quartier, whose most interesting features are often overshadowed by the recent commercial development.

Photo Courtesy of Richard Nahem

As an ex-pat who came here in pursuit of a dream, Richard enjoys sharing “his” Paris with newcomers to the city.  From architecture and history, to shopping and design, to food and local cuisine, Richard’ easy-going attitude and unique perspective ensures that clients will uncover a Paris all their own.

http://eyepreferparis.com/

http://www.eyepreferparistours.com

How would you like to walk in a Parisian’s shoes for a week and live the good life? Now with French Links Tours’s customized art de vivre experience you can. Not only does French Links assist you in renting a fabulous furnished, air-conditioned apartment in central Paris, but we also equip you with an expert on food and wine, who can show you the best food markets in Paris, introduce you to the best wine shops, and provide you with all the tops on becoming a Parisian cook. With French Links Tours, you will be able to discover a selection of the best cooking classes in the city, and also learn how to shop for unique cookware, linens and antiques, as well as art galleries for contemporary French art and cutting-edge design.
With French Links Tours’ personal shopper, you will learn how to shop for clothes, accessories and makeup like a Parisian, and discover the secrets of French chic. Here is your chance to learn about the latest in French locally made fashions, as well as beauty. Here is your opportunity to have a totally “new look” that leaves you feeling both sophisticated and recharged with new energy.
This unique opportunity is ideal for couples and small groups of adventurous friends and family. For additional information, feel free to contact French Links Tours’ President Rachel Kaplan at contact@frenchlinks.com.