Heather's Secrets of Paris Tours
Private, custom tours...break away from the herd!
- A Different Kind of Tour
- Benefits of Private, Custom Tours
- What Makes Secrets of Paris Different
- How It Works
- Prices & Payment
- Custom Travel Planning & Itineraries
- Tour Theme à la Carte Menu
- Paris Tour FAQs
- Tour Client Testimonials
Washing fresh fruit from the market at a park fountain for a picnic beside the Seine, August 2010. (Thanks to tour client Justin Knight for the photo)
A Different Kind of Tour:
It’s not what you see, but how you see it
Tourists have been coming to Paris for hundreds of years to enjoy the city’s historic monuments, gourmet cuisine, rich culture treasures, and luxury boutiques. They take photos, visit museums, cruise the Seine, and walk the winding streets. But looking is not experiencing, and seeing is not understanding. Heather’s Secrets of Paris tours were created to help visitors break away from the shallow, mass-market tours that offer no context and little insight into what really makes Paris one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
Whether it’s your first trip to Paris or your fifteenth, Heather will show you a side of the city you’ve never seen before in her friendly and relaxed tours. She’ll not only guide you through some of the most charming, hidden corners of the city, but will also shed new light on the most famous -- yet often misunderstood – monuments of Paris.
The city’s rich history is always fascinating, but many guests also appreciate learning about modern French culture, the latest nightspots, what it’s like to study or live in France, or even how to use those mystifying hand-held showers often found in Parisian hotels! As an American living in France for over 15 years, Heather is also a bit of a cross-cultural ambassador, giving you a better understanding of the real Paris, not just the postcard-perfect city seen on glossy tourism office brochures, nor the politically-skewed impression of France often portrayed in the press. Secrets of Paris Tours are educational, entertaining, eye-opening, and – most importantly – fun!
Benefits of Private, Custom Tours
- Hell is other people. A private tour means that you don’t have to “share” your guide with anyone else. Private tours are interactive, more like a discussion than a lecture. You get Heather’s full attention. You get to ask as many dumb questions as you want. She’ll take as many photos of you posing in front of the Eiffel Tower as you want. And you don’t have to find the “meeting place” because Heather will meet you right at your hotel or rental apartment.
- You’re in Charge. All Secrets of Paris tours are customized to fit each client, not our own rigid agenda. That means the itinerary for the day was designed around your interests, budget and energy level. Custom tours are adaptive, flexible and easy-going. The pace is as fast or slow as you want, and at any moment you can decide to stop at a café, pop into a boutique, drop by the pharmacy for tissues, or have Heather take you on a detour to feed a sudden French pastry craving.
- Caveat Emptor! Once you’ve experienced the level of service, freedom and personal attention that come with private custom tours, you’ll never be able to join the herd again.
At the Marché aux Puces (flea market) in St-Ouen, October 2009.
What Makes Secrets of Paris Different
- You get more than just a tour guide. Heather also helps you plan the rest of your stay in Paris with dining, sightseeing, and nightlife suggestions. She’ll help you figure out the best way to manage your time wisely, what places need reservations and where you can just show up. She can answer questions about everything from WiFi access and what to pack, to currency exchange and the best way to get from the airport into Paris.
- You get a reality check. Heather is not your “Yes Man”. She’ll give you her honest assessment of your “must see” list, helping you whittle down and prioritize the many recommendations you’ve surely pieced together from websites, guidebooks, TV shows and helpful friends and family. Her job is to make sure you avoid the overhyped restaurants, tourist traps, and time wasters. Your vacation should feel like one. Heather happily encourages all of her clients to spend their mornings people-watching from their local sidewalk café instead of trying to cram four museums into one day.
- She wrote the book. So many tour companies don’t tell you who your guide will be, or you have no way of verifying if they know what they’re talking about. Heather has been a professional travel writer since 1999, and she is a regular contributor to the Michelin Green Guides, Fodor’s Guides, France Magazine, and easyJet inflight magazine. You can find her authored travel guides on Amazon.com, or get an idea of her style and expertise by reading her free monthly Secrets of Paris Newsletter.
How It Works
- In the initial emails we ask a few questions to find out a bit about you, what you’re looking for in a tour, and when you’re coming to Paris. Looking for inspiration? See some tour themes here.
- Once we’ve agreed on a tour date and the online deposit is made (via PayPal), we send you a detailed questionnaire to fill out to help give us a better understanding of your interests.
- We then go back and forth to fine-tune an itinerary for the tour, either by email or phone. Heather will answer any questions you might have about choosing a hotel, restaurants for special occasions, and any other issues that need advance planning like excursions outside Paris.
- Before you arrive in Paris we reconfirm the exact meeting time and place, contact info while you’re on the road, and any last-minute preparations.
- The day of the tour Heather will meet you at your hotel lobby or rental apartment for the start of the tour. Unless you have requested a car & driver, you’ll be getting around on foot and metro/bus (Heather provides metro passes).
- Rest stops and a lunch break are scheduled into the full day tours, but not included in the price. You will have several options to fit your budget, tastes and whether or not you want to sit or eat on the go (ie: crepes, falafel, baguette sandwiches).
- At the end of the full day tour Heather provides you with a map of where you walked, Seine River Cruise vouchers, and any sightseeing, shopping or dining recommendations for you to use during the rest of your stay. The tour can finish where you choose, either back at your hotel or apartment, at a shopping area, at a café, etc.
Pastry class, February 2010.
Prices & Payment
- Full Day Walking/Metro Tours (8 hours)
o 1-2 adults: €600
o 3-4 adults: €800
o 5-6 adults: €1000
* Digressive rates for multi-day tours
- Half Day Walking/Metro Tours (4 hours)
o 1-2 adults: €300
o 3-4 adults: €400
o 5-6 adults: €500
- Museum tours (2 hours with a licensed specialist)
o 1-2 adults: €200
o 3-4 adults: €250
o 5-6 adults: €300
- “Tag Along” Reconnaissance Tours (2-3 hours)
o 1-2 adults: €150
o 3-4 adults: €200
o 5-6 adults: €250
o 1-6 adults: €150
- Optional Car & Driver Add-On Fee
o 1-3 adults: €350/day
o 4-6 adults: €450/day
** Inquire about excursions outside Paris or groups of more than six adults.
Price includes: 19.6% Value Added Tax, metro/bus passes during the tour, Seine River Cruise vouchers, museum/monument entry fees, and your guide.
Price does not include: Food, drink, or souvenirs purchased during your tour.
The Deposit
A €50-€200 deposit is required to reserve any tour date and begin the planning process. You will be sent the link for the online payment via PayPal. Note: you do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal’s credit card payment system.
** Deposits are non-refundable unless your guide cancels the tour.
Payment Balance
Final payment of the tour balance can be paid in advance online before you arrive in Paris, or in cash the start of the tour (preferably in an envelope, merci). Note: It is usually not possible to make online payments using PayPal if you are outside your own country (for fraud prevention), so please be sure to pay the balance before leaving home if you do not want to pay in cash.
Custom Travel Planning & Itineraries
Heather can also provide customized travel itineraries, self-guided tours, neighborhood orientation guides, and pre-trip research to help make your trip go as smoothly as possible. Rates vary, starting €150. Send details of your request to Heather for an estimate.
** 10% of all tour fees go to the French food bank, Restos du Coeur **
