What to do on Your Next Girls’ Night (or Weekend) Out in Paris

Paris has an immensely varied range of outing offerings, from museums to cultural sites, restaurants to concerts, but when we meet up with our friends, it almost always ends up being over a drink or meal. What if you were to add a more unique aspect to your next girls’ night out in Paris? Change up the routine or commemorate a special occasion by bringing together your copines over a workshop, tour, tasting, or event organized by inspiring female entrepreneurs.

Women-Themed Tours

Gather a few of your favorites ladies together to learn about some of the most fascinating women who left their mark on Paris by joining a Women of Paris tour. The company was founded in 2016 by London transplant Heidi Evans with the objective of honoring and creating more awareness of the achievements of women and their influence on Paris.

It now offers three different tours: The Essential Walk, taking place around the Latin Quarter and Saint Germain; The Sugar and Spice Walk, combining the history of literary women with some delectable treats; and their newest tour, the Drama Queens Walk, held in the Opéra district and exploring the heroines of the Parisian stage. They have a regular calendar of group tours which you can take with a few amies,or private tours for larger groups which can also be customized.

Bag Painting Workshop with Parisian Designer

Bag designer and writer Kasia Dietz provides the opportunity for you to try your hand at her craft during her bag painting workshops.

The half-day workshops teach participants techniques on designing wearable art, including their own custom reversible tote bag to take with you at the end.

The workshops can be complemented by macarons, brunch, or beauty treatments, a creative and fun activity that includes a memorable souvenir of your friendship. Kasia also does fashion and flea market tours, also a nice complement to the bag painting workshops.

Confidence-Building Through Burlesque 

Moving across the world, having children, changing careers, and trying to best adapt to life in a foreign country are just some of the hurdles expats in Paris may face, big challenges which can deal a blow to self confidence. This is why local burlesque artist Babette de la Butte has launched a new workshop entitled Be Bold with Babette.

Through a range of exercises, reflection, and yes, basic burlesque moves, the workshop empowers each participant to reconnect with their confidence, sexuality, body, and mind. Something much more than entertainment, this is a fun and motivating way to bond with your friends while working on personal development and self-esteem. Babette also leads other cool workshops revolving around burlesque, which you can view here.

Sweet Tooth Strolls 

There’s no better way to treat yourself and your friends then by taking a gourmet pastries and chocolate tour in Paris. Founded by Canadian Lisa Rankin, Flavors of Paris offers a variety of food-related tours, but their Sweet Tooth Stroll is particularly tempting.

The tour takes guests around the Saint Germain area’s best sweet spots, where you can try an exciting array of viennoiseries, caramels, chocolates, and candies. She has a regular calendar of group tours, or if you book a private tour it can also be customized to finish at a tea salon for a café gourmand or a glass of champagne.

Wine Tastings, Tours, and Socializing

Wine is an integral component of French gastronomic culture and learning more about it doesn’t have to be a stuffy or overwhelming experience, particularly within the right context, like during one of the experiences offered by Girl Meets Glass.

Created by certified wine and spirits expert Tanisha Townsend, the company offers private wine tasting and tours, but also a range of other great social events, like annotated apéro dégustation evenings held in cool venues around the city and which include sampling wine paired with small plates. They are an enjoyable way to learn about wine in a relaxed environment and possibly even make some new friends. Follow her Facebook page to stay up-to-date on future events or learn more about her tours here.

Champagne Master Classes and Networking

If champagne is more your thing then Delectabulles’ offerings are for you. The company is a result of longtime Canadian expat Cynthia Coutu’s joint passions for people, wine, and travel, brought together here through monthly champagne master classes and separate networking events. These are only open to women and she serves exclusively champagne by female winemakers. This stems from the observation that men and women have a different approach to wine tasting.

Cynthia also endeavors to promote and support women winemakers in a male-dominated industry. Her activities bring both of these together beautifully in fun and practical workshops and events. Her small group master classes are held in a private room in a wine bar and involve tasting five different sparkling wines and a cheese pairing, whereas her networking events take place in a private home, have a special guest, and a more relaxed ambiance to sample excellent champagnes and meet new people. See her upcoming events here.

Written by Lily Heise for HiP Paris. Looking to travel? Check out Haven In for a  fabulous vacation rental in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long-term or buy in France or Italy? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates.