ACDS Goes to Paris!

Join ACDS as we head to Paris! See it with fresh eyes, and live la vie parieisenne through immersive, interactive experiences covering everything from language, art, history, and fashion to engineering and urban planning. You will return from this trip exhilarated by an immersive understanding of French life and unforgettable memories.

 

PROPOSED ITINERARY

Day 1 — Saturday, April 29 — DEPARTURE

  • 3:25pm — Depart from SFO

Day 2 — Sunday, April 30 — Classic Paris (The Right Bank)

  • Arrive into Paris CDG at 11:15am, and take a transfer bus to our central hotel. And we’ll beat the jet lag by walking our way through Paris today!
  • Lunch in a Parisian café along the Seine river in front of Notre Dame, the physical and symbolic heart of Paris.
  • Walking tour of the Ile de la Cite, the physical and symbolic center of Paris, an island in the middle of the Seine River.
  • Learn the stunning stories behind landmarks like Notre Dame, Hotel de Ville, the Bastille.
  • Walk the grand avenue of the Champs-Elysées, and finish at the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
  • In the evening we’ll go to a French market to shop for a picnic dinner at sunset on the Champ de Mars, in front of the Eiffel Tower. There’s nothing more Parisian to don on a lovely spring evening.
  • We’ll finish this first day ascending to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Day 3 — Monday, May 1 — Student Paris (The Left Bank)

  • The Latin Quarter. We’ll see French middle schools, high schools, universities and learn about the educational system in Paris.
  • Learn about French food by visiting the Rue Mouffetard — a charming, classic French market street.
  • Luxemburg Gardens.
  • Today we’ll visit Les Invalides, which served as the scene for several key events in French history, and houses Napoleon’s Tomb.
  • Dive deep into the Paris Catacombs.
  • Dinner
  • Sunset boat cruise

Day 4 — Tuesday, May 2 — Foodie Paris

  • After two days of the most iconic sites of Paris, it’s time to get a little … different!
  • Unique experience: a French chocolate making class experience!
  • Learn about the unique shops and stories of the Rue du Bac – a street of hidden gems that tells the story of Paris. Students will have the opportunity to order crepes or other French treats at a café.
  • We’ll make a visit to the Museum of Chocolate and learn the French traditions of this treat
  • Lunch in a Parisian apartment, cooked by a local! Learn about Paris life and food from a local.

WEDNESDAY May 3 – Day 5 — Royal Paris

  • We’ll spend the morning at the Louvre Museum, old palace of the kings
  • We’ll see the area’s opulent architecture, like the Palais Garnier Opera House
  • Palais-Royal Gardens & Tuileries Garden
  • Charming Square du Vert-Galant
  • Wander through the floors of the Galleries Lafayette department store

THURSDAY May 4 – Day 6 – Hip Paris

  • Paris isn’t just a historical town, it’s a bustling, living and breathing city. From fashion to street art to more residential neighborhoods, today we’ll focus on contemporary Paris and what Parisians are doing today to transform the city.
  • Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood tour
  • Included Street Art Tour & Workshop. Street art in certain neighborhoods has become a real thing.
  • Oberkampf & North Marais boutiques & galleries
  • Belleville neighborhood

FRIDAY May 5 – Day 7 — Artistic Paris

  • We’ll finish the trip focusing on what Paris is most often known for: the artists who have lived and created in the city.
  • Experience the Musee d’Orsay, completing our lesson in art history by looking at modern and contemporary art, including the famous Impressionists.
  • Walking Tour of Montmartre, including the Moulin Rouge
  • Sacré-Cœur Basilica, including an optional climb to the top
  • Farewell Dinner

May 6 – Day 8 – Return Home

Depart Paris CDG for a direct flight to SFO.

WHAT's INCLUDED

  • Full time, 24/7 French-fluent Tour Guide
  • High quality, central, clean hotel in safe neighborhood.
  • Breakfasts & multi-course French dinners
  • Trip Protection Plan included
  • Individual Customized Payment Plans
  • Roundtrip Airfare
  • All transportation while on tour

About YOUR group leader

Your guide will be Mitch Bach, the co-owner of TripAdventures. He has 20+ years experience taking student groups around the world, including nearly 10 trips with ACDS. Mitch speaks fluent French, having lived and studied in Paris for 8 years. He was a local tour guide in the city, and has B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Paris-Sorbonne. He loves sharing his experiences as a young student with a new generation of travelers, and uses his connections in the city to provide an exceptionally unique and immersive travel experience.

The TripAdventures Difference

  • 100% Customized Tour
    We don’t believe in cookie cutter. Every trip is tailored to what your school wants to experience, and we go out of our way to make your trip something you can’t get elsewhere.
  • Authentic, local experiences
    Not just photo stops and sightseeing. Transformational, authentic experiences. We travel like a local: we’ll take trains, ferries, walking the streets, and eat like a local. You won’t be tourists.
  • Better Quality, Better Price
    Central hotels. We don’t cheat on quality by staying an hour away from the cities, and yet we can offer a better price because we don’t spend any money on marketing. We run on word of mouth based on our quality, which means your money goes to the trip, not to office space and glossy brochures.
  • 20+ Years of Leading Tours
    Our entire team is made up of experienced travel professionals who love what they do, and that shows in the tour.

Important Details, please read

  • Enrolling is easy! Click on the “Reserve Your Spot” button and submit your deposit. Please note, the deposit is non-refundable. Clicking the booking link will initiate your choice of a payment plan or pay in full.
  • We encourage you to pay by bank transfer, which is extremely easy to set up. The tour price is based on paying directly from your bank; paying by credit card will incur an extra 2.9% fee (charged by the processor).
  • Please take a moment to read our booking terms and conditions.
  • We are committed above all to the health and safety of your student, and will follow all local and national CDC guidelines for travel.

 

Preferred Travel Protection Plan

  • We offer travel insurance as part of travel protection plans from our partner TripAssure.
  • To cover you for the unforeseen, we encourage participants to purchase travel insurance, which may include benefits for trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed connection, travel delay, medical expense/emergency evacuation, baggage and personal effects, baggage delay and more. 
  • Covid-19 and its various strains are treated the same as any other Sickness under the travel protection plan.
  • TripAssure offers the Basic, Deluxe Plan and Deluxe Plus Plan options. Familiarize yourself with the
    contents of each plan to ensure to get the one that best suits your needs. 
  • The travel protection plan that includes “Cancel for any reason” coverage must be purchased within 21 days of enrollment with your deposit.

Base Trip Cost

$3,999
$200 deposit