France
Aventure en Famille à Paris: The City of Light With Your Family
Program No. 20814RJ
Bienvenue! Experience the best of Paris with your family as you weave your way through awesome neighborhoods, discover iconic landmarks and even learn to speak a little French.
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At a Glance
Spark your love of adventure in the City of Lights with your family! Get swept up in the magic of the glittering Eiffel Tower and explore one of the most iconic cities in the world together. Be the first group to find the Mona Lisa on a fun scavenger hunt through the Louvre and hear the story behind the hunchback of Notre Dame at the cathedral where it all took place. Learn to “parle un peu français” (speak a little French) practice your culinary skills while creating your own chocolate at the chocolate museum. Alongside your family, experience the magic Paris before waving “au revoir” to France at the tip top of the Arc de Triomphe.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to 3 miles daily over varied terrain; some stairs. Extensive use of Paris Metro.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn the basics of French before putting your skills to the test by ordering your dinner in French!
- Soar to the highest point in Paris, La Tour Montparnasse, to see incredible views of the entire city, including the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.
- Strike a pose as you and your family get your portrait painted by an awesome French artist in Montmartre.
General Notes
This is a Family program for participants, their adult children and grandchildren ages 9 and up. Current Events in Paris: Due to the fire at Notre Dame, the cathedral is closed to visitors. Road Scholar programs that visit île de la Cité will be able to see the outside of the cathedral, but we will not be able to go inside.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Emmanuel Sarnin
Emmanuel Sarnin was born in the historical district of Le Marais, Paris and graduated with a degree in art and communication. He has lived in the U.S., the UK and Spain where he curated art exhibits. He returned to Paris in 2000 and since then has been working as a group leader and professional photographer, combining his passions for art, architecture, travel and meeting new people. He loves sharing anecdotes, discussing unique life experiences with visitors from diverse backgrounds and giving travel photography advice.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Emmanuel Sarnin
View biography
Emmanuel Sarnin was born in the historical district of Le Marais, Paris and graduated with a degree in art and communication. He has lived in the U.S., the UK and Spain where he curated art exhibits. He returned to Paris in 2000 and since then has been working as a group leader and professional photographer, combining his passions for art, architecture, travel and meeting new people. He loves sharing anecdotes, discussing unique life experiences with visitors from diverse backgrounds and giving travel photography advice.
Caroline Buizza
View biography
Caroline Buizza was born and raised in Lyon, the capital of French gastronomy. After completing her master’s degree, she became a teacher in Europe. Through her teaching experiences, she decided that her purpose was travel education. Therefore, she went back to school to become a certified group leader. She loves French history, art and culture and she takes pride in sharing her country's wonderful heritage with adventurous groups.
Suggested Reading List
(21 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Aventure en Famille à Paris: The City of Light With Your Family
Program Number: 20814
Markets of Paris
An in-depth guide to the best markets in Paris. Dive into the heart of French culture and navigate the markets like a local with maps, tips, and handy phrases.
The Hotel Majestic
The most famous fictional detective in France, Maigret, tackles a case in the heart of Paris.
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's modern fable, enshrined in the hearts of many. First published in 1943, it tells of a naïve extraterrestrial who wanders from planet to planet, learning wisdom as he goes.
The Flaneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris
A 'flaneur' is a stroller, a loiterer, someone who ambles through city streets in search of adventure and fulfillment. Edmund White, who lived in Paris for sixteen years, wanders through the streets and avenues and along the quays, into parts of Paris virtually unknown to visitors and indeed to many Parisians.
The Food & Wine of France: Eating & Drinking from Champagne to Provence
Behr seeks out the best of French food, in encounters from Champagne to Provence, to tell the stories of French artisans and chefs who work at the highest level. He shares what he learns from these experts on French traditions and how to best enjoy this food.
My Life in France
The touching and famous story of Julia Child in France, where she learned to cook and fell in love with French cuisine, all in her own words.
How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City
A captivating history of the growth, design, and planning of Paris, telling the story of how the modern city came to be.
All the Light We Cannot See
Two stories of adolescents in World War II, of a blind French girl and a bright German boy. Emotionally gripping and engagingly told.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
A story told through stunning hand-drawn images of a young orphan and clock-keeper living in the walls of a Parisian train station.
Murder in the Marais
Literate and thrilling, with a strong sense of the geography and flavor of Paris, the first in a series of mysteries starring Aimee Ledoc shows off the French-American detective's wit and wile. The series continues with Murder in Belleville (FRN562), Murder in the Sentier (FRN563) and many more.
The New Paris
Move past the clichés and learn about what makes up Paris today. Explore the open-minded sensibility, diverse populations, and hidden corners of The New Paris.
Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light
A history of black Americans who settled in Paris, France, from 1900 to the present.
The French Impressionist
Rosemary, 15 years old, is in France on her own for the first time on an exchange program. What an adventure!
A Traveller's History of Paris
A fast-moving, short survey of French history with a focus on Paris from its foundation, through the heady days of revolution and up to modern times.
Edible French: Tasty Expressions and Cultural Bites
French food-related idioms are explained and delightfully illustrated in this playful meditation on the French language.
The Secret Life of the Seine
After losing his Paris apartment, Rosenblum, a born storyteller, takes to a houseboat moored on the Seine. The result is this entertaining tour of the places and people he encounters during his explorations along the river.
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris
Australian critic and writer Baxter draws on his second career as a literary tour guide in his adopted city for this witty memoir, laced with terrific tales.
A Moveable Feast
A treasure for anyone interested in Parisian cafe society and its luminaries circa 1925. Hemingway includes sharp portraits of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Maddox Ford and others who idled on their way to greatness.
Paris Pratique Par Arrondissement
This pocket atlas contains detailed maps of every neighborhood in Paris, as well as details about bus and metro stops.
F is for France: A Curious Cabinet of French Wonders
An alphabetized catalogue of quirky French culture and history tidbits.
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.