Day 1: Arrive, settle in, welcome dinner in Paris
Day 2: Full day at Versailles: palace, gardens, Tennis Court
Day 3: Retrace July 1789 to the Bastille, free afternoon
Day 4: Conciergerie, Notre-Dame exterior, Panthéon, group dinner
Day 5: Louvre in small groups, Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon’s Tomb
Day 6: Chambord, Blois, and a free evening in Tours
Day 7: Chenonceau and Saumur, surprise finale, farewell dinner
Day 8: Coach to central Paris, onward travel

Guests arrive independently in Paris and make their way to the group hotel near the Panthéon. There are no scheduled activities during the day, allowing time to travel, settle in, or explore the surrounding neighbourhood at your own pace.

In the evening, the group comes together for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Over a three-course meal with drinks included, this is an opportunity to meet fellow travellers, discuss the week ahead, and ease into our journey together.

Today is devoted entirely to Versailles, the heart of the French monarchy. With a specialist guide, we spend the day moving through the palace complex, including the State Apartments and the surrounding grounds.

Inside the palace, time is taken to examine how authority was displayed and exercised at court. Outside, we explore the gardens and the Tennis Court, situating Versailles not only as a royal residence, but as the centre of French power on the eve of revolution.

The morning is spent retracing the key events of July 1789, as unrest in Paris gave way to open rebellion. On foot, we follow the sequence of events that culminated in the storming of the Bastille, moving between sites on the Right Bank that played decisive roles.

We visit locations including the Palais Royal, the Hôtel de Ville, and the area of the former Bastille, using the streets themselves to reconstruct how crowds gathered, authority fractured, and control slipped from the hands of the crown. Time is taken at each stop to situate what happened there, how quickly events unfolded, and why these places mattered within the wider revolutionary crisis.

The afternoon is left free, allowing time to rest, explore Paris independently, or pursue personal interests. Suggestions will be provided for those who would like ideas for how to spend the afternoon.

The day begins at the Conciergerie, one of the most important surviving sites of revolutionary justice. With a specialist guide, we explore the former prison complex, including Marie Antoinette’s cell, and examine how the building functioned during the Terror as countless prisoners passed through its walls on their way to trial and execution.

Time is also taken to understand the Conciergerie not only as a revolutionary prison, but as a much older institution embedded in the life of Paris, including its earlier role as a royal palace and centre of administration.

Remaining on the Île de la Cité, we continue on foot for an exterior visit to Notre-Dame, situating the cathedral within revolutionary Paris and its changing relationship with religion and authority. A break for lunch follows, with time to eat independently nearby.

In the afternoon, a licensed local guide leads a visit to the Panthéon. Here, we examine how revolutionary France chose to commemorate itself, moving between the resting places of figures such as Voltaire and Rousseau and those of later revolutionary figures. The contrast between punishment and commemoration provides a powerful counterpoint to the morning’s sites.

The late afternoon is left free before the group comes together again in the evening for a shared dinner.

The morning is spent at the Louvre, with visits conducted in small groups of no more than six to allow for a considered and intimate experience of the museum. Working with local specialists, the itinerary has been shaped to focus on selected works that illuminate the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods, alongside some of the Louvre’s most recognisable masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa.

After a self-directed lunch break, the afternoon turns to Napoleonic Paris. We explore the Arc de Triomphe, examining its symbolism, reliefs, and the complex history of its construction across successive regimes. From there, we continue to Les Invalides to stand before Napoleon’s Tomb, one of the most imposing and carefully choreographed monuments in the city.

Time is then left for those who wish to explore the Invalides Museum independently. Housed within a former military complex, its Revolutionary and Napoleonic collections are among the most significant in France.

The day begins with travel south from Paris into the Loire Valley, marking a shift in both landscape and perspective. Our first stop is the Château de Chambord, one of the most distinctive royal residences in France. With its scale, symbolism, and ties to Leonardo da Vinci, Chambord offers insight into how royal authority was imagined and displayed before 1789.

Time is also taken to explore Chambord’s later history, including its connections to the Bourbon dynasty. Closely associated with the family during exile, Chambord represents not only royal ambition, but the long afterlife of monarchy following repeated revolutions.

From Chambord, we continue by coach to Blois. After time for lunch independently, a guided tour introduces the city and its layered history. Closely tied to the French court, Blois shows how royal authority functioned and fractured outside the capital.

In the late afternoon, we travel on to Tours, where the evening is left free to settle in, explore the city, or dine at leisure.

The day begins with travel through the Loire Valley to the Château de Chenonceau, one of the most striking and unusual royal residences in France. Set directly across the River Cher, the château offers a very different expression of power and patronage, shaped as much by women at court as by kings. Time is taken to explore the château and its setting, as well as its distinctive history in the twentieth century.

From Chenonceau, we continue by coach to Saumur. After lunch independently, a guided tour introduces the town and its role during the revolutionary wars of the west. As the furthest advance and greatest success of the Vendée insurgents, Saumur offers a clear view of both resistance to the Revolution and the limits of republican power beyond Paris.

The afternoon includes a final shared activity designed to mark the closing day of the tour. Details of this experience are reserved as a surprise.

In the early evening, we return to Tours for a final dinner together, bringing the journey through revolutionary France to a close.

The tour concludes with a transfer from Tours back to Paris, with drop-off at Gare du Nord at around midday. From there, guests continue their onward journeys independently. Gare du Nord train station is well connected to the Paris Metro and RER networks, and provides straightforward access to major international rail services and airport connections.

William Clark
The tour is accompanied throughout by William Clark, creator and host of Grey History: The French Revolution & Napoleon. William personally designed the itinerary and will introduce each day’s themes and key places.

Licensed local guides
At major sites, visits are led by licensed local guides selected for their expertise. These specialists provide in-depth tours at places such as Versailles, the Louvre, the Conciergerie and the Panthéon, with William alongside the group throughout.