This is a private tour. You will be picked up from your hotel or any address in Paris centre and travel around the city in a traditional French Citroën 2CV car, ‘Blue, white and red’ in colour. Open-top in summers and see-through roof in winters, the 2CV allows you an exceptional panoramic view of the Parisian monuments. A far cry from the conventional formula, your multilingual driver/guide will share with you his knowledge on the city and some interesting anecdotes. Your experienced driver/guide knows each and every corner of the French capital and will be able to tell you all sorts of anecdotes. You will drive past the following popular historical landmarks of the city:
• Avenue des Champs Elysees: It is the most prestigious and broadest avenue in Paris. You will come across cinemas, cafes and luxury specialty shops among others lining the street. Interestingly, it is the second most expensive strip of real estate in the world (after New York City’s Fifth Avenue) with rents as high as $1.25 million a year for 100 metre square of space.
• Arc de Triomphe: It is one of the most iconic of all French monuments. Standing 51 metre high and 45 metre wide the Arc De Triomphe affords some of the finest views over Paris, from the Champs Elysées toward the Louvre, over the Place de la Concorde and La Grande Arche de la Défense.
• Trocadero: It is a station of the Paris Metro from where you can enjoy stunning views of the Eiffel Tower.
• Eiffel Tower: Constructed between 1887 to 1889, it is a 325-metre high iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside Seine river in Paris. It is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognizable in the world, named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel.
• Champs de Mars: It is a 240, 000-square-metre garden and one of the most popular leisure places in the capital with a vast collection of flowers and trees, and a puppet theatre for children. The place is 200 years old and was used for military trainings in the 18th century.
• Ecole Militaire: It consists of a central pavilion with two wings added under the Second Empire, as well as a courtyard of honour.
• Les Invalides: It comprises the largest single complex in Paris including: Musée de l'Armée, Musée des Plans-Reliefs, Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération and L'Eglise de St-Louis-des-Invalides.
• Pont Alexandre III: It is a beautiful arch bridge that spans river Seine connecting the Champs Elysees quarter, the Invalides quarter and the Eiffel Tower quarter, regarded as the most ornate in Paris.
• Petit et Grand Palais: It is a beautiful building with an impressive glass roof, spectacularly lit up in the night. It is an impressive example of early 20th century Art Nouveau, a style of art characterized by highly-stylised and flowing designs with floral motifs.
• Place de la Concorde: It is one of the major squares in Paris, at the eastern end of the Champs Elysees. At the centre of the square sits a giant Egyptian obelisk.
• Opera Garnier: The opera building was designed for Napoleon III by architect Charles Garnier.
• Pyramided u Louvre: It is one of the finest museums in the world and is home to thousands of classic and modern masterpieces. The museum has over 35,000 works of art including paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Cezanne among others.
• IIe de la Cite: A small island in the heart of the city, it is regarded as the cradle of the Parisian civilization. It was here that the Parisii tribe lived.
• Notre Dame: The Notre Dame cathedral is a gothic masterpiece located on the IIe de la Cite. It has always been the religious centre of the city.
• Quai des Grands Augustins: It is a wharf that bares the name of an important convent established in the 14th century and is the oldest in Paris.
• Musee d’Orsay: This beautiful museum is located in the old Orsay railway station and is dedicated to all forms of artistic expression such as painting, sculpture and photography.
After sightseeing in Paris, you will be dropped back to your hotel or accommodation.