Paris, Champagne, Chateaux Food & Wine with a Chef

Upon arrival at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, your Premier Tours & Travel Tour Leader will greet you before escorting to your accommodations in the heart of Paris for two nights.

Take time to settle in before connecting with your Expert Hosts and fellow travelers to enjoy a leisurely introduction to the City of Light with an afternoon cruise on the Seine.

This evening a Welcome Dinner will introduce you to the authentic flavors of France while getting acquainted with your fellow travelers and Expert Host.

*Premier will provide you with the recommended arrival window for the group. Please consult with us in advance of purchasing your flight.

Discover the character and culinary spirit of Le Marais on a leisurely walking experience with a local guide. Begin at the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris’s oldest covered market, where a selection of tastings offers an introduction to the neighborhood’s vibrant food culture.

Continue your French adventure with a panoramic exploration of the City of Light, featuring some of Paris’ most iconic landmarks and neighborhoods. Continue on foot through the historic center, discovering the architecture, culture, and stories that have shaped one of the world’s most beloved cities.

The balance of the day will be yours to explore Paris at leisure.

Depart Paris this morning and travel east toward the celebrated Champagne region. En route, pause in Meaux, home to one of France’s most treasured cheeses, Brie de Meaux. Discover the history and craftmanship behind one of France’s most iconic cheeses, Brie de Meaux, through a tasting that offers a delicious introduction to the culinary heritage of the French countryside.

Continue through the rolling landscape of northern France to Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit, your home for the next six nights. Settle into your countryside villa and take time to relax and enjoy the peaceful setting before gathering this evening for a special Welcome Dinner prepared by your guest Chef, an inviting introduction to the days of food, wine, and discovery ahead.

Begin your exploration of Champagne in Bouzy, one of the region’s celebrated Grand Cru villages, where vineyards climb the slopes surrounding this picturesque community. Recognized for generations for the quality of its terroir, Bouzy is particularly renowned for Pinot Noir, which gives the village’s Champagnes their distinctive character and is also used to produce the area’s celebrated Bouzy Rouge. Here, Champagne is deeply connected to the landscape, the families who cultivate it, and the generations of vignerons who have shaped its identity.

Enjoy an intimate introduction to the world of a Grand Cru Champagne producer, with a visit and tasting offering insight into the vineyards, cellar, and traditions behind the wines. Arrangements are being made to visit the shop of a renowned family-owned farm and producer of escargots, where Champagne country’s celebrated terroir extends beyond the vineyards, to select some escargot for the villa this evening.

Enjoy time at leisure in Bouzy, with the opportunity to browse the village’s small Champagne boutiques and tasting rooms, shop for bottles to take home, or settle into a local café or restaurant for lunch. This evening, gather at the villa for the first of several memorable Chef-hosted dinners, with your Expert Host bringing the flavors of Champagne to your table.

Reims is a city where French history reaches well beyond its vineyards and cathedral; in May 1945, it became the setting for another defining moment in European history, when Germany’s unconditional surrender was signed at the headquarters of the Allied forces, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

Upon arrival, enjoy a brief guided introduction to this elegant city, including the magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral of Reims in the charming historic center that reflects the city’s rich heritage. For centuries, the cathedral was the setting for the coronation of French kings, making Reims one of the most important cities in the story of the French monarchy.

Following enjoy a guided visit of Halles Boulingrin, Reims’ celebrated covered market, where local producers and artisans fill the stalls with seasonal specialties, cheeses, charcuterie, breads, and other regional delicacies. Enjoy the market at its most inviting, sampling Chef-selected local specialties with a glass of Champagne as you experience the rhythm of daily life in the city.

Turn your attention to Champagne itself with a visit to a historic cellar. Descend into the cool underground world where bottles rest and mature, gaining insight into the traditions, terroir, and craftsmanship behind one of France’s most celebrated wines, followed by a tasting.

Return to the villa in the late afternoon with time to relax before gathering around the table for another Expert Host dinner, prepared especially for your group.

Today reveals two of Champagne’s most evocative destinations, beginning in Hautvillers, the picturesque hilltop village overlooking the vineyards of the Marne Valley and forever associated with Dom Pérignon. Visit the historic abbey church and the tomb of Dom Pérignon before strolling through the village’s charming lanes, recognizable by their traditional wrought-iron trade signs. Pause at a scenic viewpoint to admire the sweeping panorama across the vineyards and the Marne Valley.

Upon arrival to Épernay, a guided tour and tasting in a boutique cellar awaits. Following, enjoy lunch at leisure or spend a little time to exploring Épernay.

Reconnect with the group for a brief guided overview of the Avenue de Champagne, the magnificent boulevard lined with grand Champagne houses and historic residences. Discover Épernay’s rich heritage, from its celebrated Champagne houses and royal patrons to its liberation by General George Patton’s forces on August 28, 1944.

Tonight, your Expert Host prepares another convivial dinner, bringing together the flavors and wines of the region in the relaxed setting of your Champagne home.

Today is intentionally unhurried, giving you time to enjoy the pleasures of your countryside setting. After breakfast, spend the day at leisure at the villa — linger over coffee, relax in the gardens, enjoy the company of your fellow travelers, or simply savor a slower rhythm after several days of exploration.

Discover another of Champagne’s regional treasures Morilles (morels). Enjoy a special visit from an acclaimed farmer of morels in the Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit area, offering an introduction to the cultivation and culinary tradition of morels. The world of morels will become the inspiration for a hands-on culinary experience alongside your Expert Host.

This evening, gather once again around the table for a final Chef-hosted dinner at the villa, celebrating the flavors, friendships, and experiences of your time in Champagne.

Today, venture to Châlons-en-Champagne, a graceful city shaped by waterways, gardens, and more than 2,000 years of history. Once known as Catalaunum, the ancient Gallo-Roman city grew into an important medieval center of trade and pilgrimage. Discover its historic center with a local guide, where landmarks such as the Romanesque-Gothic Notre-Dame-en-Vaux and the majestic Saint-Étienne Cathedral reflect the city’s remarkable religious and architectural heritage.

Then experience Châlons from a different perspective with a leisurely boat ride along its canals and waterways, an integral part of the city’s history and identity. Enjoy time afterward to explore independently, browse local shops, or settle into a café for lunch and a taste of everyday French life.

Return to Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit in the afternoon with time to relax at the villa and enjoy your final evening in Champagne at leisure.

Bid farewell to Champagne this morning as you depart Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit and begin the journey toward Versailles. En route, pause in Château-Thierry, a historic town on the Marne River with strong connections to France’s medieval and literary heritage, as well as visit Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and the Belleau Wood battlefield and memorial.

Enjoy time to explore the town and gather for a crepe lunch before continuing west toward Versailles. As the landscape changes from vineyard country to the grand estates and royal landscapes of the Île-de-France, the journey offers a natural transition from the intimate world of Champagne to the grandeur that awaits in Versailles.

Continue to your accommodations near Versailles. Upon arrival, settle into your accommodation near Versailles, which evokes the landscapes that inspired the celebrated French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, whose luminous paintings immortalized the area’s tranquil ponds and wooded countryside. Your evening is at leisure.

Château de Versailles awaits today — the ultimate expression of French royal grandeur. What began as Louis XIII’s modest hunting lodge was transformed by Louis XIV into the extraordinary seat of royal power that came to symbolize the absolute monarchy of France.

Step into the world of French royalty as you discover the magnificent State Apartments, the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and the gardens that defined the splendor of the French monarchy.

Enjoy time at leisure on property to prepare for your departure to the USA this afternoon. This evening, gather for a memorable Farewell Dinner celebrating the friendships, flavors, and unforgettable experiences shared throughout your journey.

Au Revoir, France

Group transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for your return flight home, taking with unforgettable memories of France’s royal heritage, celebrated vineyards, and extraordinary culinary traditions.

Premier will provide you with a window for the departure transfer to the airport. Please contact us before booking your flights. If you choose to leave outside of that window, there will be a supplement applied.