London and Paris

First time visitors and repeat travelers alike will enjoy this tour that brings together two of Europe's most enticing cities: London and Paris. Begin with four nights in London. During flexible private touring, discover London's discreet charms—heritage architecture, private gardens, and exclusive boutiques. Visit some of the world's great museums, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Museum, Tate Modern, and National Gallery, or smaller museums such as the Sir John Soane Museum, the Freud Museum, Courtauld Gallery or the William Morris Gallery. Perhaps trace London's history at the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Fleet Street and Lincoln's Inn Fields. Stroll through the city's parks, or walk along narrow streets lined with mews homes. Have a pint in a cozy pub, and sample traditional and "new" British cuisine at bustling markets and fine restaurants. A day will be spent out of London at the destination of your choice. Options include Greenwich, Bath, Stonehenge, the Cotswolds, or lunch at a gourmet manor home such as Cliveden or Le Manoir aux Quats Saison.

After London, transfer to Paris by high-speed Eurostar train. First time visitors and repeat travelers alike will be seduced by the architectural beauty, artistic richness and culinary savoir-faire of Paris. With your own private guide and driver —sophisticated experts who will share the very best of Paris with you—explore Paris according to your interests.

There are endless possibilities: Get lost in the Louvre. Walk among the centuries-old mansions and small art galleries of exclusive Ile St-Louis. Visit the Ile de la Cite to see the stained glass windows of exquisite Ste-Chapelle. Tour the city's most evocative neighborhoods, taking in colorful markets, specialty boutiques and food shops, gardens, and the most interesting cultural attractions. Montmartre, for example, still resonates with the footsteps of artists who lived and painted there. Walk the backstreets of this "village within Paris," then climb the steps to Basilica of the Sacre Coeur to see magnificent mosaics inside and panoramic views outside. Nearby, visit the last vineyard in Paris. Explore Le Marais, famous for its hotel particuliers, private mansions once belonging to kings, noblemen and courtesans. Wander through the old Jewish quarter to the Place des Vosges, the oldest and still one of the city's most beautiful squares.

Walk through Place Vendome and the Place de la Concorde. See the emergence of Modern art—from Naturalism through Symbolism—at the Musee d'Orsay. Admire the Rococo splendor of Opera Garnier. Dine at the Eiffel Tower. Visit Napoleon's extravagant onyx tomb and the Hotel des Invalides. Stroll the Latin Quarter, stopping for coffee at a local cafe before enjoying the Luxembourg Gardens. Visit the Centre Pompidou, home of the collection of National Museum of Modern Art.

Shop at the city's most exclusive boutiques along Rue du Faubourg, St. Honore and Rue Royale. Browse the stalls of the bouquinistes (second-hand book dealers) along the River Seine. On the Left Bank, rest at cafes made famous by poets and philosophers, and stop in the church of St-Germain-des-Pres. With an expert, hunt for French antiques at flea markets. Spend several hours enjoying a degustation gastronomique at a leading restaurant. Or, buy fresh baked bread, rich cheese and ripe fruit and have a romantic picnic in the park.

One day, enjoy a private excursion out of Paris to the destination of your choice. Perhaps visit the opulent palace and extensive gardens of Louis XIV's Versailles, followed by a memorable lunch in a local village, then a visit to Giverny to admire the house, gardens and lily ponds where Monet lived and painted in his final years. Alternatively, spend the day touring the chateaux of the Loire Valley, exploring Champagne, or visiting historic attractions in Normandy.