Paris · FOOD & DRINK
Good food & drink experiences fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Board a Bateaux Parisiens sightseeing boat at the Eiffel Tower for a one-hour Seine cruise with open-air and glass-enclosed seating. Use the audio guide in 14 languages, then collect a freshly made Nutella or sugar crêpe at Trocadéro, any time from 10 AM to 10 PM.
“Large capacity fit on the boat. Inside or outside depending on preference. Crepes were yum too! Super service”
Choose Montmartre or Notre Dame for a 3.5-hour food walk with up to 12 people. Expect macarons, bread, cheese, cured meats, pastries, wine, and a secret dish, with guides such as Matthew, Gaspard, and Aicha adding food and neighborhood stories.
“Coco was our guide and she was terrific. Engaging, entertaining and very informative and she made the experience feel very special.”
Leave central Paris at 7 a.m. for a 12 to 13-hour Normandy tour capped at eight people. Walk Omaha Beach, enter German bunkers, visit the Overlord Museum and American Cemetery, then taste local cider. Guides such as Bruno, Will, Etienne, and Augustin have brought the day to life for many visitors.
“This was a wonderful tour. Our guide was tirelessly helpful and kind. She was truly special. We saw Omaha beach, the American Cemetery, Point du hoc, a lovely cider tasting, a lunch in town, and the museum. So much value in one tour. I highly recommend and I am so grateful to have taken this tour.”
Take a one-hour evening Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower, choosing indoor seating or the open upper deck. See Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and illuminated bridges with audio commentary in up to 14 languages, then collect a fresh waffle or crêpe at Trocadéro.
“It was a lovely experience! We really waited for the right time to board the boat. It didn’t dissapoint us.”
Start near the Moulin Rouge and climb Montmartre through cafés, bakeries, artisan shops, Place du Tertre, the Wall of Love, and Paris’s only vineyard. Small groups visit eight tasting stops for cheeses, cured meats, macarons, chocolates, pastries, and wine, ending at Sacré-Cœur.
“Great experience tasting lots of Paris foods. Some that we would have never got through the line on, but they were able to bypass it luckily. We are big walkers, and we enjoyed all the experiences along the way. Highly recommended, but you do need to be mobile. The tour guide was exceptional!”
Walk through the Marais with an English-speaking guide such as Dave, Juan, Toma, or Arturo, stopping at eight food shops and restaurants for 11 tastings and two half-glasses of wine. Expect a full meal, neighborhood history, and a moderate walk in a group capped at 10.
“Our tour guide Toma was engaging and made the tour fun. She took us to unique locations, and we sampled so many different foods. Quality food at quality places. Don’t hesitate to book!”
Spend 13 hours exploring Chambord and Chenonceau from Paris, with self-guided castle visits, two hours for lunch in Blois, and a complimentary wine tasting. Your English-speaking guide, such as Dee, Jasmina, or John, adds stories and practical tips between stops.
“It was a good experience, very enriching on a historical level and especially for the tips given by the tour guide, except that the wine tasting experience was the least important for the title of the tour that I expected”
Spend about three and a half hours with a private English-speaking guide in Montmartre, sampling cheese, bread, pastries, crêpes, macarons, chocolates, cured meats, wine, and a secret dish. Guides such as Matthieu, Rita, and Baptiste bring local food and neighborhood stories to life.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Rita. We learned so much about the food of France and had a delicious experience on top of it! I would definitely recommend this tour without reserve”
Walk Le Marais with a guide such as Gabriel, Olivia, Etienne, or Pinky while tasting croissants, bread, cheese, wine, croque monsieur, falafel, macarons, chocolate, and a secret dish. The 3.5-hour tour caps groups at 12 and mixes food with neighborhood history.
“This experience not only allowed me to taste the best croissant and macaroon, but also learned a good amount of interesting French history”
Spend about three hours walking through Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the Marais with a local guide, tasting French pastries, chocolates, bread, cakes, and sometimes ice cream. Guides such as Josie, Luis, and Gilles have led especially engaging tours, though the exact shops and tasting mix can vary.
“Our guide was fantastic. Great with the kids and adults. Very generous with her knowledge and enthusiasm. Absolutely a highlight of our trip to France!”
Walk through Paris’ Le Marais with a guide such as Kevan, Lola, or Pierre, stopping at up to 10 food shops and markets for cheese, bread, cured meat, wine, chocolate, macarons, and street food. Expect about 3.5 hours of walking, tasting, and neighborhood history in a group of no more than 10.
“The food was very good, a nice tour of le marais and our guide Kevan was very nice, funny and knowledgeable.”
Spend about 3.5 hours walking from the Moulin Rouge to Sacré-Cœur while eating your way through Montmartre. A local English-speaking guide leads a small group of up to 12 to pastry, cheese, wine, boeuf bourguignon, macaron, and crêpe stops. Come hungry and wear good shoes.
“Medium group up to 10, kid friendly. Can walk from location to location while guide gives significant history of the area.”
Spend about three hours walking uphill through Montmartre with an English-speaking guide such as Salma, Nora, Betsy, or Lily. Taste oysters, wine, pâté, aligot, cheese, chocolate, citrus jam, and macarons, then finish at Sacré-Cœur with views over Paris.
“My spouse and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Betsy was a great tour guide - knowledgeable, personable and easy to understand. Montmartre is a unique district that is a must see. There were 8 in our group which is a nice, manageable size. There were many wonderful tastings - the combination of tastings and sightseeing through the district was just right. Betsy gave a lot of history of the area which was very interesting. There was a wide variety of tastings ranging from chocolate croissants (our favorite - never ever have we had a croissant on that level) to oysters (not something we eat but the shrimp option we had…”
Meet at Vedettes de Paris beneath the Eiffel Tower at 6:30 pm for a 75-minute Seine cruise, three Champagne tastings, and live commentary. A sommelier explains the wines and Paris sights as you pass the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Grand Palais, and the illuminated Eiffel Tower. Upgrade for a take-home premier-cru Champagne.
“Really enjoyed the small group and our sommelier was informative and friendly. The group was friendly and interactive.”
At Ô Chateau near the Louvre, you’ll spend about two hours tasting six French wines, including Champagne, with an English-speaking sommelier. Expect practical lessons on terroir, appellations, labels, and tasting technique, plus bread and optional cheese or charcuterie.
“This was a great overview of the wine regions of France. My wife added the charcuterie option and I added the cheese option for a mixed plate (the host staff recommended this). Plenty of bread and water available. Our host was informative and spoke English very well. We also enjoyed meeting our fellow travelers. Great experience! -- We recommend that you start your trip to France with this tour.”
Pick a monument, a quarter or a table.
