Explore Paris and Futuroscope

Take a short coach tour of the major sights ending at the Eiffel Tower. You will then enjoy a scenic 1-hour river cruise along the Seine. 

After lunch you can be dropped off at Place de la Concorde and walk through the Tuileries Gardens to the Louvre.   

Take dinner near Arc de Triomphe with a visit to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Stroll down the Champs Elysees before returning to your hotel. 

Spend the full day at Futuroscope with dinner included.

Leave hotel in the morning for the return journey. Time permitting you could visit a hypermarket or a chocolate factory en route to Calais. You will then take your crossing back to the UK. 

You cannot fail to miss the Arc de Triomphe which stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. Your group will learn that it honours those who fought for France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and is inscribed with the names of all French victories and generals on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. One very historic moment happened three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919, marking the end of hostilities in World War I, when Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane under the arch’s primary vault.

The Musée du Louvre is one of the world’s largest and most visited museums in the world where your school can see The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. It is a central landmark of the city and a historic monument in Paris, France. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace and exhibits approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace and during the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation’s masterpieces. The Louvre Pyramid was completed in 1989 and the second phase of the Grand Louvre plan, the Inverted Pyramid, was completed in 1993.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, built between 1160 and 1260, is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and is one of the most well-known church buildings and visited by many school groups from around the world. It is a medieval Catholic cathedral and consecrated to the Virgin Mary. It stands out because of its pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttress; its enormous and colourful rose windows; as well as the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration; one of the world’s largest organs and its immense church bells. It holds many examples of Gothic, Baroque, and 19th-century sculptures and a group of 17th- and early 18th-century altarpieces remain in the cathedral’s collection. Some of the most important relics in Christendom, including the Crown of Thorns, a sliver of the true cross and a nail from the true cross, are preserved at Notre-Dame.
Unfortunately, while undergoing renovation and restoration in April 2019, a fire broke out in the attic beneath the cathedral’s roof. The cathedral sustained serious damage, including the destruction of the flèche (the timber spire over the crossing) and most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling.

One of the biggest science museums in Europe, Cite des Sciences has many activities for students and is a great place to visit. The Cité specialises in the promotion of scientific and technical culture and its goal is to spread scientific and technical knowledge among the public, particularly for youth, and to promote public interest in science, research and industry. Attractions include a planetarium, a submarine, an IMAX theatre and special areas for children and teenagers. The most interesting features of the ”bioclimatic facade” are the three greenhouse spaces, ‘Les Serres’. Each of these stand 32 metres high, 32 metres wide and 8 metres deep and were the first structural glass walls to be constructed without framing or supporting fins.

Your group can enjoy a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower and Paris from the 210 metre skyscraper, Tour Montparnasse, which is located in the Montparnasse area, Paris. Constructed from 1969 to 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011, when it was surpassed by the 231-metre Tour First. The tower was designed by architects Eugène Beaudouin, Urbain Cassan, and Louis Hoym de Marien and built by Campenon Bernard. In September 2017, Nouvelle AOM won a competition to redesign the building’s façade.

Your school group can discover the most breath-taking Parisian views from a boat on a Seine cruise. Hop aboard a magical 1-hour cruise on the Seine in a glass canopy boat by day or night. You could even choose to have your lunch or dinner on board. Your group will be able to pick up interesting facts about the landmarks as you pass along iconic Parisian landmarks, with the help of dedicated audio headsets that you can tune in and out of at your discretion, over the course of your cruise. If you choose the illuminations cruise you will witness the Eiffel Tower glimmering in the dark.

Be a bit more adventurous and travel the 20 kilometres to visit The Palace of Versailles, a royal chateau dating back to the seventeenth century that is now open as a museum. Your group will learn that it was the principal royal residence of France from 1682, under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. The palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous for the ceremonial Hall of Mirrors, the jewel-like Royal Opera, and the royal apartments; for the more intimate royal residences the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon are located within the park; the small rustic Hamlet created for Marie Antoinette; and the vast Gardens of Versailles with fountains, canals, and geometric flower beds and groves, laid out by André le Nôtre. The Palace was stripped of all its furnishings after the French Revolution, but many pieces have been returned and many of the palace rooms have been restored.

Situated on the left bank of the Seine River, The Musee d’Orsay is an art museum housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. Internationally renowned for its opulent collection of Impressionist art, the Musée d’Orsay also displays all Western artistic creation from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography.

Stade de France is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the eighth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national football team and French rugby union team for international competition.

The Centre Pompidou is a complex and was designed in 1977. It has been an immense success, rapidly becoming one of the most popular cultural venues in the world and one of the most visited monuments in France. During the 70’s and 80’s, it staged highly influential exhibitions that made major contributions to the history of 20th-century art  and the collection of the musée national d’art moderne grew considerably and  it became a world leader in the field of modern and contemporary art. 1992 saw the creation of a department of cultural development, responsible for a programme of live performances, film screenings, lectures, symposia and debates. The fusion of the modern art museum and the centre for industrial design laid the foundations for an architecture and design collection that in twenty years has become one of the most impressive in the world.

Allow your school group to discover the Paris Story, a film that will take you on an astonishing journey through the history of the world’s loveliest city. For nearly an hour you are whirled through the history of Paris, along the centuries from the founding of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Lutetia to the present day. Explore behind the scenes of the most famous Parisian landmarks, and learn their amazing secrets. Students and view amazing aerial imagery captured by the famous photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand which is projected on a wide screen. Be immersed in the ambience of Paris in a unique, surprising, entertaining and informative cinematic experience.

Your group could enjoy a 45 minute experience and watch how chocolate is made in this artisanal chocolate factory in France and discover how it is manufactured directly from the cocoa bean. The chocolate factory of Beussent-Lachelle produces its own couverture chocolate by working the best beans, mainly coming from Ecuador where they have their own plantation, and also from Madagascar and Sao Tome. All the steps are done by the craftsmen of the chocolate factory, from the choice of the beans to their roasting until the conching.

Your group can visit Nausicaa, which is a magnificent aquarium, and the second most visited attraction north of Paris (after Parc Asterix). There are more than 36,000 fish and other marine creatures to discover, ranging from microscopic plankton to large sharks, making this an attraction that appeals to all ages. The centre is well laid out, with information in English as well as French, which is especially a great help for school groups. The exhibition starts with information on plankton and then moves on through studies of all sorts of salt water fish and sea mammals – the colours and varieties of fish are huge. Among other exhibits there is a beautiful tropical lagoon, a shark tank and the opportunity to see sea-lions.

The Musée Picasso is an art gallery dedicated to the work of the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and is an ideal visit if your students are studying Art. The museum collection includes over 5,000 works of art which include: paintings; sculptures; drawings; ceramics; prints; engravings; and notebooks. It also holds tens of thousands of archived pieces from Picasso’s personal repository, including the artist’s photographic archive; personal papers; correspondence; and author manuscripts. A large amount of items were donated by Picasso’s family after his death, in accord with the wishes of the artist, who lived in France from 1905 to 1973.

If your school is on an Art tour, they could visit The Espace Dalí, which is a permanent exhibition in France devoted to Salvador Dalí’s sculptures and engravings. The museum has around 300 original artworks and this collection features three-dimensional sculptures of Dalí’s best known surrealistic paintings. The collection exhibited is part of the Dali Universe collection and features sculptures such as: ‘Space Elephant’; ‘Alice in Wonderland’; ‘Moses and Monotheism’; ‘Memories of Surrealism’; ‘Don Quixote’; etc. Your group could experience the creative workshops especially designed for children, to give them the opportunity to become familiar with Dalí’s art. Adjacent to the museum are two more art galleries to visit: the Galerie Dalí and the Galerie Montmartre.

The Monet Museum is a must see venue if your group is learning about different forms of Art as they will be able to discover how Monet gained much of his inspiration from his gardens and believed it was important to surround himself with nature and paint outdoors. Allow your group to explore both of the gardens which are divided into two distinctive parts, a flower garden called Clos Normand in front of the house and a Japanese inspired water garden on the other side of the road. In the water garden you will find the famous Japanese bridge covered with wisterias, other smaller bridges, weeping willows, a bamboo wood and above all the famous ‘nympheas’ which bloom all summer long. You will be enthralled by Monet’s artistic vision of a garden, with its thousands of flowers in straight-lined patterns, which transformed his garden into a living open air painting. Your group will recognise many of his famous paintings as they wander the gardens.

Your group will discover that this memorial is Canada’s largest overseas National Memorial specifically dedicated to Canadians who died in France and Belgium in WW1, especially those who were killed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. It commemorates more than 11,000 Canadians who have no known grave.

While your group is in Paris, visit The Sacré-Cœur Basilica which is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. It is a popular landmark and the second most visited monument in Paris. It stands at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. The basilica was designed by Paul Abadie and construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914. The basilica was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.

The Philharmonie de Paris is a cultural institution in Paris, which combine spaces all dedicated to music. If your students are studying music then this is a must visit destination while in Paris. Your group will discover that it is composed of concert halls, exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, educational services, restaurant and bars. The main buildings are all located in the Parc de la Villette at the north-eastern edge of Paris. At the centre are two symphonic concert halls; the Philharmonie 1, which holds 2,400 people and opened in 2015; and the Cité de la Musique which opened in 1995 and renamed Philharmonie 2 when Philharmonie 1 was built. Cité de la Musique consists of an amphitheater, a concert hall that can accommodate an audience of 800–1,000, a music museum containing an important collection of classical music instruments dating mainly from the fifteenth- to twentieth-century, a music library, exhibition halls and workshops. Mainly dedicated to symphonic concerts, the Philharmonie de Paris, also present other forms of music such as jazz and world music.

Visit the Le Grand Rex with your school group and explore this famous cinema and concert venue in Paris with its luxurious decoration and its enormous main auditorium, which is the largest cinema theatre in Europe. Each April it holds the ”Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival” and in December, the aquatic-themed event called, ‘Féerie des eaux’ which features 1200 on-stage jets of water. It is an atmospheric theatre and the main auditorium features a starred ceiling and fairy-tale decorations on both sides of the screen, including water features. The cinema’s external facade, features large neon signs and an art deco style tower.

The Île de la Cité is a main attraction for school groups visiting Paris. It’s one of two remaining natural islands in the Seine within the city. It is in the centre of Paris and three main tourist sights sit on the island, namely: Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris dedicated to Saint Étienne; Louis IX’s Sainte-Chapelle (1245), built as a reliquary to house the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross, and the Conciergerie prison, where Marie Antoinette awaited execution in 1793. The land between the two has been filled by the city’s Prefecture de Police, Palais de Justice, Hôtel-Dieu hospital, and Tribunal de Commerce. At the north and west of the island can be seen some preserved 16th-century canon’s houses. The Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation, a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from Vichy France to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War, is located at the upriver end of the island.

Take your students to visit the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which is considered to be one of the most recognisable avenues in the world. It runs between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. It is well known for its theatres, cafés, luxury shops, the annual Bastille Day military parade, and as the finish of the Tour de France cycle race. The lower part, from the Place de la Concorde to the Rond-Point, runs through the Jardin des Champs-Élysées, a park which contains the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Théâtre Marigny, and several restaurants, gardens and monuments. The Élysée Palace, the official residence of the President of the French Republic, borders the park, but is not on the Avenue itself.

Your tour will enjoy Rue de Rivoli, which is one of the most famous commercial streets in Paris, which includes some of the most fashionable shops in the world. It is named after the battle of Rivoli which was one of Napoleon’s early victories against the Austrian army in 1797. Spreading through the heart of Paris, this street includes many famous landmarks including the Louvre Palace; the Tuileries Gardens; Place de la Concorde; the gilded statue of Joan of Arc; Place des Pyramides; and Place Vendôme, with its Vendôme Column surmounted by the effigy of Napoleon Bonaparte. Just behind the opera house can be found the famous one mile arcaded facades and the largest department stores, such as the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

If your group is fascinated by art, then this is a must see as Montmartre district is primarily known for its artistic history. Set in the charming hilltop is a former artists’ village once inhabited by Picasso and Dalí, and home to the domed Sacré-Cœur basilica. Your group will be stunned by the sweeping views of the city from its steep, winding streets. The famous Moulin Rouge cabaret is just below this area and there are plenty of places to eat along the edgy Lamarck area. Many artists lived in, had studios, or worked in or around Montmartre during the late 19th and early 20th century, including Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Suzanne Valadon, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, and Vincent van Gogh. Montmartre is also the setting for several hit films.

While your group are visiting the Montmartre’s Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, they could also visit the Place du Tertre square which is only a few streets away. It sits near the summit of the city’s elevated Montmartre quarter and was once the heart of the prestigious Benedictine Montmartre Abbey and has thrived through the centuries. Place du Tertre was opened to the public in 1635 as Montmartre village central square. From the end of the 18th century until World War One, the whole Montmartre Boheme could been seen here: painters, songwriters and poets. With its many artists setting up their easels each day for the tourists, the Place du Tertre is a reminder of the time when Montmartre was the mecca of modern art. At the beginning of the 20th century, many painters including Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Maurice Utrillo were living there. The Musée de Montmartre is the former home and studio of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Suzanne Valadon, and the L’Espace Salvador Dalí is a museum principally dedicated to the sculpture and drawings of Salvador Dalí. Both can be found near Place du Tertre.

Allow your students to discover a truly different kind of Educational Experience at Futuroscope which combines pleasure and learning. It is one of its kind in Europe with more than 60 hectares of landscaped grounds. Don’t miss the Auquafeerie show by Cirque du Soleil which is a great ending to a memorable day. Your group can experience some extraordinary voyages and dive into fun, festive and fantastic atmosphere of the park! ‘L’Extraordinaire Voyage’ reinvents the voyage of Jules Verne around the world and allows your students to step aboard an incredible machine and take flight to experience the sensation of being lighter than air. They can enjoy the most advanced cinema experience in the world at the ‘Kinemax’ with IMAX Laser 4K. Also enjoy ‘The Raving Rabbids Time Machine’; ‘Arthur’, the 4D adventure; ‘Dance with the Robots’ and the ‘Aerobar’, a dizzying experience somewhere between the earth and sky.

Personal experience and close interactions with these locations can help students understand the subject and put it into perspective.

A trip can make a students engage with a subject and become more positive about a subject.

Students will work together in an unfamiliar environment and rely on each other for help.

Educating through a school trip can create a better understanding of a subject with hands-on learning. Students are engaged, enthusiastic and observant.

Students can practise their language skills when exploring this fascinating country.

Inspire students with interactive science attractions on this tour.