Whether it’s your first time or fiftieth, France seduces the senses unfailingly. In a land where quotidian country life is as alluring as the glamor of the City of Lights, the French know how to live and we keep going back for a lesson. No other city balances the attraction of the timeless and the contemporary with quite the same sense of style as Paris. And while we’ll always have Paris, there is an entire culture with dozens of regions to discover–from harvest in the Loire, or Savoie in the snow, to the wild coast that stretches from Brittany down to Biarittz. With connections spanning connoisseurs, gourmands and beyond, we arrange unique experiences for our members throughout the country.
Perfume in Provence
In and around Grasse in southern Provence, a confluence of sun, soil and climate nurture jasmine, roses and orange blossoms that make this medieval town the world’s perfume capital. Here, you can meet with the owner of a fifth-generation perfumery estate whose clients once included Queen Victoria and who now supply products to Dior.
In the villa’s laboratory, you’ll learn the process of fragrance production and make your own blend, picking and mixing essences, and selecting top, heart and base notes.
From there, it’s a short drive to Cannes, where you can take a 1930s boat to explore the coastline of the Estérel Massif. Stop at a small island where a priory of Cistercian monks live among an abbey and cultivate a vineyard and olive grove using traditional techniques. Sample their wines and olive oils during a degustation lunch before walking through the grounds to an ancient fortress.
Wade off the docks of Brittany with a local oyster farmer in search of briny Belon oysters, one of the region’s finest delicacies.
Take a private after-hours tour of the Louvre with one of the museum’s curators, followed by dinner beneath the masterworks of its great halls.
Sip the highly coveted wine varieties of Alsace along the Route des Vins with a leading French sommelier.
A Movable Feast in Paris
Picnics are one of the great democratizing traditions in Paris during spring and summer, when residents unfurl tablecloths onto river banks, parks and gardens to set down baskets, baguettes, charcuterie and champagne.
Create your own picnic with a celebrated Parisian chef who leads you through the finest boucheries, boulangeries, and fromageries of the French capital to give insight into artisanal products and illuminate the long culinary history of the city itself and its enduring legacy in everyday life.
Afterwards, make for a verdant hillside in Parc des Buttes Chaumont to enjoy your picnic overlooking the city’s patchwork sprawl of rooftops and boulevards, and the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in the distance.
Travel with Prior
Our regional and cultural experts design bespoke travel itineraries to match our members’ interests.
We take care of the logistics, unlock access to unique experiences, and provide 24/7 support while you travel.
Whatever inspires your imagination, contact one of our Travel Designers to bring your ideas to life.
