Paris Art Tour. Paris museums, Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Giverny, Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle, Musee des Thermes et de l’Hotel Cluny, Picasso museum, Chartres, Picasso museum

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Les Invalides from Pont Alexandre III. Photo by John Osaki.

An 8-Day Art-focused Itinerary
Best time to travel: Spring & Fall

You can organize this Paris trip for your own private group. See our Private Trips page for more information.

Immerse yourself in the art and history of Paris! Live in a Parisian neighborhood and feel the heartbeat of one of Europe’s great cities! The Louvre and a wealth of other museums—including the Orsay, Picasso, and Rodin Museums—will be "in your backyard." Take your time and explore their vast and exquisite collections. Architectural masterpieces like Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle are woven into a centuries-old cityscape. Daytrips from Paris will let you experience the medieval cathedral at Chartres, and Claude Monet’s home at Giverny. Sip a café au lait; stroll down a shaded allée; feel the chic of the Champs Elysées! Paris is a city like no other!

I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did to make this trip one of the most enriching experiences of my life. Paris has been wonderful! I will always have a treasure box of these memories. Thank you for helping me to fill it.

--JILL BOGLE

Notre Dame de Paris.

Day 1
Overnight Paris
Dinner included
Enjoy an afternoon walking tour of the Ile de la Cité, the ancient core of Paris, with visits to Notre Dame and the Gothic masterpiece of Sainte Chapelle. In addition to seeing Notre Dame, a masterpiece of 11th and 12th century Gothic architecture, we will contemplate its literary and historical associations (Victor Hugo’s Quasimodo and the coronation of Napoleon and Josephine). Sainte Chapelle, built c. 1248 to house the Crown of Thorns after the Sixth Crusade, is a gem of the later Gothic style known as Rayonnant ("radiant"). Stroll along the Seine and through the Latin Quarter, and enjoy dinner together.

Louvre. Photo by Amy Osaki.

Day 2
Overnight Paris
Breakfast included
Visit the Louvre and spend a day sampling its rich and diverse treasures. Begin with an architectural history of the building itself, stopping to look at Claude Perrault’s 17th century east facade. Then pass into the Square Court which is the work of the Renaissance architect Pierre Lescot. Continue to I.M. Pei’s 71 foot high glass pyramid. In two sessions—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—we will explore such diverse masterworks as the Stele of Naram Sin from Mesopotamia, the Venus de Milo from ancient Greece, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa of the Italian Renaissance to David’s Neoclassical Oath of the Horatii. Lunch today is on your own in the museum’s cafés.

We loved our trip! Our deepest appreciation to you for providing the opportunities to enjoy breathtaking sights, scrumptious food and libations topped with lots of laughter that enabled us to have that "unique" Paris experience we were searching for.

--BARBARA ALSOP

Day 3
Overnight Paris
Breakfast included
Visit two of Paris’ "house museums." The Musee des Thermes et de l’Hotel Cluny is a fabulous example of medieval domestic architecture and houses a collection of art from the Middle Ages. Among the many treasures in the museum is the tapestry of the Lady and the Unicorn. Later, visit the Musée Cognacq-Jay, a 16th century house with a collection of 17th and 18th century paintings including works by Boucher, Chardin, and Fragonard.

Day 4
Overnight Paris
Breakfast & lunch included
Travel to Chartres and its great medieval Cathedral of Notre Dame, one of the spiritual centers of Western Christendom. This is the first of the great medieval cathedrals to exploit the architectural innovations that made it possible to open up walls into large windows filled with radiant stained glass. After lunch in Chartres, take advantage of the opportunity to explore the winding streets of the town clustered around the cathedral.

Day 5
Overnight Paris
Breakfast and lunch included
Travel to Giverny to visit Monet’s home and the museum dedicated to the American artists who were drawn here. Monet lived in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926. Savor a gourmet 4-course lunch before returning to Paris.

Monet's Garden at Giverny. Photo by Amy Osaki.

This trip was everything I dreamed of. I’m so in love with Paris I ache to return!!

--GAIA SWAN

Day 6
Overnight Paris
Breakfast included
A day at your leisure. Explore museums, or just relax and fall under the spell of Paris.

Cafe Beaubourg, Paris. Photo by Amy Osaki.

Day 7
Overnight Paris
Breakfast included
Spend the morning in the Musée d’Orsay. A converted Belle Epoque train station houses one of the world’s greatest collections of French Impressionist art. Encompasing art from 1848-1914, the Orsay’s collections includes work from the Barbizon School (Corot and Rousseau), the Realists (Courbet, Daumier), the Impressionists (Manet, Monet, Morisot, Renoir), and the Post-Impressionists (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat). In the afternoon, wander through the Rodin Museum housed in an 18th century mansion. Here is the largest collection of Rodin pieces anywhere in the world including the Burghers of Calais, the Gates of Hell, and The Thinker.

Musee d'Orsay. Photo by John Osaki.

Day 8
Overnight Paris
Breakfast & dinner included
Pay a visit to the Musée Picasso, which boasts a collection embracing all the master’s styles. A farewell dinner caps off your art adventure in Paris! Your lodging tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning are included.

Les Invalides. Photo by J. Osaki.

Other Details about this Trip
Meeting and Departure Point: Paris, France
Accommodations: Eight nights in a small hotel in Paris. All rooms with private bath.
Notes: Ideal for those seeking an in-depth experience with magnificent art and the architectural heritage of Paris. Graduate credit from Portland State University possible.

We had a great time, and a lot of that was just the experience of ‘living’ in a Paris neighborhood, eating locally, buying beignets at the bakery, watching the people go by...

--LYNN TITUS

Other Resources

Visit the Orsay Museum's website.

Set off on a virtual visit to the Louvre.

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