Destination Guides

CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Seine River Cruise
A tour along the River Seine will offer students the chance to see most of Paris’ sights and institutions from the river. A commentary is available in English to explain the history and background of the attractions.

Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
This ultra-modern science museum at La Villette consists of Explora, the permanent show which is based on the themes of ‘Space, Life, Matter and Communication’. There are interactive exhibits on language and communication, the opportunity to be a weather reader, explore optical illusions and 3D images.

Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Resort Paris with its new Walt Disney Studios is perfect for a one or two-day visit. Walt Disney Studios explains the behind the scenes magic of film, television, animation and entertainment.

Val d’Europe
Situated one RER Stop from Disneyland, Paris Val d’Europe is a shopping centre that has a wide variety of shops and eateries.

Bowling Mouffetard
Bowling is a great way to keep students entertained in an evening. In the heart of Paris, you could challenge the student’s competitive and cultural spirits in one visit.

Sacre Coeur
With its distinctive white dome, the Sacre Coeur sits proudly next to Montmartre. The dome offers incredible views over Paris.

Notre Dame
Arguably the most stunning gothic cathedral in the world, and undoubtedly the most famous. Conceived in the 12th century and completed in the 14th, the now iconic cathedral was the very heartbeat of medieval Paris. Notre Dame’s dramatic towers, spire, stained glass and statuary are nearly guaranteed to take your breath away.

Tour Montparnasse
At a height of 210 metres, the Tour Montparnasse towers look over Paris. From its panoramic roof terrace, you can see as far as 40km in clear weather. With spectacular views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, this is a great visit for photos.

Eiffel Tower
Probably the most famous of all the Paris landmarks. The Eiffel Tower majestically overlooks all of Paris. This visit can easily be combined with a cruise on the Seine as the starting point for Bateaux Parisians is at the foot of the Tower. There are three levels which can be accessed by foot or by lift.

Eiffel Tower Behind the Scenes
A qualified English speaking guide will take you to the engine room which still controls the lifts and explain this fascinating system still in working order today, to the old bunker a few feet underground where the history of the tower will be told and on the technical gallery situated under the first floor from where you will be able to admire the view over the square, 57 metres above ground.

Parc Astérix
This theme park is based around Asterix and friends, it includes white knuckle rides and a dolphinarium.

Arc de Triomphe
At the end of the impressive Champs Elysees, this famous landmark was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 as a tribute to his victories. Accessed by a subway, there is also an excellent view from the top.

Guided Sightseeing Tour of Paris
A sightseeing tour of Paris will offer the opportunity to see all Paris’ main attractions including the Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées, Sacré Coeur and Notre Dame. These tours can also be tailored to your specific requirements.

 

ART & DESIGN

Musée de Louvre
The most visited museum and one of the largest museums in the world, admire the Louvre’s collection of masterpieces, including the Venus de Milo, the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Mona Lisa, the Raft of the Medusa, and the Galerie d’Apollon as you discover the scale and splendour of the Louvre whose collections span the centuries.

Musée d’Orsay
Situated on the left bank of the Seine, this former train station was converted to a museum in 1986. The museum is probably best known for its extensive collection of impressionists and post-impressionist masterpieces by painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh.

Centre Pompidou
The national centre for art and culture in the heart of Paris is focused on modern and contemporary creations, where the visual arts rub shoulders with theatre, music, cinema, literature and the spoken word.

Musée Marmottan
The Marmottan holds the largest collection of the impressionist movement founder Claude Monet, as well as over 300 paintings from the impressionist and post-impressionist.

Musée d’Art Moderne
Dedicated to the modern and contemporary art movements through the 20th and 21st century, the museum’s collections contain more than 8,000 works from artists like Pablo Picasso, Henri Ma6sse, Jean Metzinger and Fernand Léger.

Picasso Museum
The collection comprises over 5,000 works and tens of thousands of archived pieces. For its quality and scope as well as the range of art forms it encompasses, this collection is the only one in the world to present both Picasso’s complete painted, sculpted, engraved and illustrated works and a precise record through sketches, studies, drafts, notebooks, etchings in various stages, photographs, illustrated books, films and documents of the artist’s creative process.

Maillol Museum
An exceptional museum formed by Dina Vierny, a former model for Aristide Maillol. It houses the drawings, engravings, paintings, sculptures, decorative art of Maillol as well as Vierny’s own private collection of the masters of French naive art including work by Henri Rousseaum, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso.

Quai Branly
The newest of the major museums in Paris, Musée du Quai Branly features the indigenous art and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. A selection of objects from the museum is also displayed in the Pavillon des Sessions of the Louvre Museum.

Musée Rodin
Dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, the collection includes 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs and 7,000 objets d’art. Housed within the Hôtel Biron Musée Rodin, it contains most of Rodin’s significant creations, including The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell.

Musée de l’Orangerie
Another museum dedicated to impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. It is the permanent home for eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet, as well as works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Alfred Sisley, Chaim Soutine, and Maurice Utrillo.

Musée les Arts Decora
An accumulation of works from textiles and furniture to modern advertising and toys spread across three different sites in Paris.

Maison Européene da la Photographie
Designed to make the three fundamental photographic media easily accessible to all, MEP offers numerous commented visits, conferences and films cycles in relation to the exhibitions. The hotel houses a photographic restoration and conservation workshop too.

Fondation Louis Vuitton
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is located next to the Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne, the famous park on the west side of Paris. It was created as a modern, contemporary art space presenting permanent and temporary art exhibitions across a range of disciplines. The project was conceived by the famous architect Frank Gehry.

 

HISTORY & POLITICS

Les Invalides – Army Museum
The burial place of Neapolitan Bonaparte, this former military hospital contains a variety of memorabilia relating to military history. The museum features a World War I exhibit that is particularly moving and a recently added World War II room.

Les Catacombes de Paris
Land was becoming increasingly scarce and cemeteries were becoming overcrowded so the government of the time made the decision to move the remains of the dead to the empty limestone quarries, freeing up the land for other use. The work was completed in 1860, by which time an estimated five to six million skeletons had been relocated. The tour is unsuitable for people with heart or respiratory problems, those of a nervous disposition and young children. Not accessible for persons with reduced mobility.

Saint Chapelle & La Conciergerie
Saint Chapelle is a royal chapel, located near the La Conciergerie. This intimidating military fortress later became a prison which is where Marie-Antoinette was held here during the revolution while awaiting her guillotine execution.

Château de Versailles
The palace, begun in the late 1600s, was the dream of Louis XIV and home of the French monarchy until the demise of the aristocracy. Famous sights include the Hall of Mirrors and the Apollo.

 

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation offers presentations on a variety of subjects such as AIDS research, third world education and homelessness. Groups can also watch a video on UNESCO’S work worldwide and tour the building. At the end of the visit, students are given the chance to discuss issues raised with a representative.

Fragonard Musée du Parfum
This visit provides an insight into the business strategy and marketing plan of the company, explained to you through a remarkable collection of perfume items. You can also discover the different techniques of perfume.

World Cup Stadium ‘Stade de France’
This tour allows students to see behind the scenes at this world-famous stadium. There is also the possibility of learning more about the sponsorship, marketing and the different demographics of their market.

Guided Tour of La Defense
Students will be taken on a specialised guided tour of Paris’ financial district in order to see how it works first hand. The tour lasts approximately 45-minutes and will give students an opportunity to experience Paris’ centre of commerce.

 

LANGUAGE & CULTURE 

Language Lessons
Orbit World Travel has contacts with language schools in Paris who can offer language lessons according to your requirements. Please contact us for more details.

Paris-Story– The guide will include the centuries of Parisian history, as you discover the joys and tragedies which have moulded the City of Light. Simultaneous translation in English is available at each showing.

Opéra Bastille
Opéra Bastille is Paris’ newest opera building opened in 1989. It is intended to be an ‘opera for the people’. This behind the scenes guided tour gives access to most parts of the complex, including the wings, stage and rehearsal areas and gives the students the chance to decide for themselves about the building.

Cinema Rex
Travel to the heart of moviemaking through this unique and interactive visit into the magical world of cinema. Take a trip backstage of the largest movie theatre in Europe – this action packed visit provides fabulous fun and entertainment for all.

Forum des Images
One of the most unique film collections in the world with over 5,000 hours of filmed material. Films from 1895 up to the present day in a wide variety of formats and genres: feature films shot in Paris, shorts from the early years of cinema and advertisements. All readily available, these works can be viewed on individual screens or several people at a time.

Lost in Frenchlation (French cinema with English subtitles)
Lost in Frenchlation offer private screenings of French films with English subtitles in a typical Parisian cinema to give groups the opportunity to learn about the French language, culture and style through one of the country’s most well renown arts. You can request movies relevant to the students’ curriculum and film-based educational questionnaires are offered with every screening.

Paris Theatre Shows
Inspire your students with a French play in a beautiful setting, amongst local Parisians. Each play is handpicked from a range of successful French shows from a variety of genres: French classics such as Cyrano de Bergerac, modern comedies such as Azzopardi’s Around the World in 80 Days, musical theatres such as Daguerre’s adaptation of The Magic Flute and more.

Opéra Garnier
An architectural masterpiece, the Palais Garnier is known worldwide. Discover this temple of opera and dance. Explore the great staircase, the foyers, the museum and the auditorium. The guided tours include a general visit of the theatre with a presentation detailing its history, its architecture and the different activities that take place within it.

 

FOOD & HOSPITALITY

Rungis Market
Students will be shown an audio-visual presentation and given a tour of the food halls. The market sells a wide variety of products including meat, fruit, vegetables, milk products, plants and flowers.

Chocolats Girard Workshop
Guided by a chocolate chef through his laboratory, you will discover all the steps and techniques of artisanal chocolate making. Hear about Girard’s history, the profession of a chocolate-maker and the use of specialised machines, over a hot chocolate.

Choco-Story (Musee Gourmand du Chocolat)
Discover the wonderful world of chocolate and its history of four millennia in this gourmet museum. This visit includes a film, a genuine chocolate-making demonstration, and a tasting.

Chocolaterie de Beussent- Lachelle
The visit shows the entire production process, from the raw material to the finished product. At the end of the tour there will be an opportunity to sample the chocolates and purchase the confectionery in the shop.

Food-related Walking Tours
A tour of local market streets where you can taste Parisian foods, cheese, bread, fruit, ham, pastries etc.