The Best Of London and Paris

Flight from your preferred airport to London.

Welcome to Great Britain! Arrive in London and meet your TFT staff, who will join you for the remainder of your journey. After getting settled into your hotel in the heart of the city, we’ll take a walking tour of downtown London to familiarize ourselves with the main sights, including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, the River Thames, and of course Big Ben! Finish off the day with your very first taste of British cuisine at one of our favorite local pubs.

We’ll spend today enjoying some of London’s finest traditions, beginning with the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. From there, we’ll enjoy afternoon tea, featuring finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries. Next, we’ll take a walking tour of downtown London to familiarize ourselves with the main sights, including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, the River Thames, and of course Big Ben! After dinner, go on our unique “Blood and Tears Walk” to learn some darker secrets of London’s history.

The impressive Tower of London awaits today. Once home to some of England’s most notorious prisoners and now housing the Crown Jewels, this is a must-see and a student favorite! We’ll receive a guided tour from the Yeoman Warder guards at the Tower before crossing Tower Bridge (also known as London Bridge). After a delicious lunch in the always-busy Borough Market, we’ll explore the Southbank neighborhood and visit Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Top it all off with a ride on the London Eye, the massive Ferris Wheel that gives the best views over all of London!

On our final day in London, students will be given choices to visit what interests them most. We understand that student travelers have diverse interests and needs, so our staff do their very best to accommodate everyone’s must-sees. Readers of Sherlock Holmes can visit 221B Baker Street; Harry Potter fans can visit Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station; or they can walk in the footsteps of the Beatles at Abbey Road. After a visit to the eclectic Camden Market for some last-minute souvenir shopping, we’ll cap off our time in London with a show at the theater!

A leisurely train ride on the famous Eurostar train brings us from London to Paris. After getting settled into our new hotel, what better way to kick off our time in France than by climbing the Eiffel Tower? Admire the views of the whole city from the top of the world’s most famous building. For your first French dinner, we’ll visit one of our favorite traditional bistros.

Begin your first full day in the City of Light with a guided tour of the Musée du Louvre to see firsthand some of the world’s most impressive masterpieces. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch in the Tuileries Gardens and have some time to climb the towers of the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame. We’ll then have a bike tour through “hidden Paris”, which is always a student favorite! Cycle with our local guide through the Marais, past Bastille, across the Seine and to the ancient heart of Paris. Tonight, enjoy a traditional dinner of fondue and raclette in the Latin Quarter. Cap off this amazing day with a twilight river cruise down the Seine to see Paris lit up at night.

This morning, we’ll give the group their choice of which museums to visit. We understand that student travelers have diverse interests and needs, so our staff do their very best to accommodate everyone’s must-sees. Students can choose to visit the Musée d’Orsay, home to Post-Impressionist masterpieces by van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Signac, and more, or check out the modern art at the Centre Pompidou, where the museum itself is just as much a work of art as what’s within. In the afternoon, students will have their choice of exploring either the Luxembourg Gardens or the Père Lachaise Cemetery. The group will reconvene in the hip artistic neighborhood of Montmartre, where we’ll see the infamous Moulin Rouge and enjoy the view from the Sacré-Coeur Basilica before a fantastic dinner.

Take a short train ride out of Paris to the spectacular Château de Versailles, a hunting lodge-turned-palace. Our staff will teach students about the most important historical moments that have taken place here, including the reign of the Sun King, the French Revolution, the Treaty of Versailles signed in the Hall of Mirrors, and more. Stroll through the gardens and see Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet before picking up fresh lunch ingredients in the Versailles farmers’ market. After returning to Paris, climb the impressive Arc de Triomphe before having free time for souvenir shopping on the world-famous Champs-Élysées. Now’s the perfect time to buy macarons from Ladurée! We’ll celebrate the end of an incredible trip with an upscale final dinner at one of our favorite fancy restaurants.

Your TFT guides will accompany you to the airport and assist you with check-in for your flight. Wave goodbye as you head through security and sit back and relax on your flight home.

For teachers who are short on time, we can make this a 7, 8, or 9-day adventure! One of our expert trip designers will help adapt this itinerary to suit your specific needs. Contact us for more details.