Heading to Paris ? You could book a tour of the Louvre or a guided experience of the Eiffel Tower. But if you're looking for something a little..
.. different, the following tours will allow you to experience the City of Light in a whole new light.
Want to see ALL of the city's landmarks, but you're short on time? Hop in the front seat of an old-school Citroen thanks to the team at 2CV Paris Tour and get driven around to all the top sites, from the Louvre and the Arc du Triomph to the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. READ MORE: Here are 12 things to do in Melbourne that cost less than $12 The perfect way to get your bearings (it's best to book the tour for the beginning of your trip), our money is on their three-hour Grand Paris Tour (priced from €270/$450) even though a range of tours is on offer. When it comes to Paris, much of the attraction is stomach-related, so it makes perfect sense to go underground and explore its intestines.
The Paris Museum of Sewer s is quite possibly one of the quirkiest ways of seeing a different side of the city, going deep below those pretty cobblestone streets and getting a behind the scenes on the history and construction of the Parisian sewers. The guided tour takes around an hour, but there's also a museum to browse up top. Priced from €120 ($202) for groups of seven to 15 people.
READ MORE: Eating in Paris: 7 must-try bites (and where best to enjoy them) You've seen all the tourism heavy hitters, so now what? For those who'd like to explore the city's charming back streets and local neighbourhoods (and perhaps maybe cycle off some of those pastries while getting the lowdown on their hidden stories, Bike About Tours offers a wonderful 3.5 hour Hidden Paris Bike Tour which takes in secret gardens, Roman ruins and hidden passageways, priced from €45 ($75). It's not all about hidden treasures of course; the tour operator also has options for family tours as well as a mouthwatering Taste of Paris tour.
Looking at art in Paris is hardly groundbreaking stuff, but for those tired of indoor schlepping around galleries and museums, Street Art Tour Paris offers a wealth of tours checking out street art around the city, such as the two-hour Feminist Street Art Tour . On the tour, one of the operator's specialists in feminism will take a group of between four to 16 participants around the streets of the Butte-aux-Cailles neighbourhood to discuss the movement for equality between men and women, plus check out the artwork to support the moment. The tour is priced from €25 ($42) per person.
Let's face it, you didn't come to Paris for the salad, so why not go hard on all the buttery, sugary goodness Paris is famous for? Meeting the French has tours for every occasion, and of their foodie tours, one we can really get behind is their three-hour Saint-Germain-des-Prés Pastry and Chocolate Tasting Tour . Walking around the pretty arrondissement (and gazing at all of those window displays), you'll be checking out all the top patisseries and chocolatiers, stopping every so often for a tasting (or if you like, a purchase). Be ready: the tour offers no less than samplings of at least three pastries, five chocolates and a ridiculous amount of freshly baked bread.
The tour (capped at eight) is priced from €134 ($225). Paris has been the darling of filmmakers for decades, the city quickly earning the reputation as the most filmed destination on the planet. Sure, you could curl up at home to watch the likes of Amelie, Midnight in Paris and Julie & Julia, or you could come to Paris and book a tour with Cine Balade , an operator invested in showcasing the city's top film locations.
They offer youth tours, virtual tours and those with a neighbourhood focus, but the Montmartre Movie Tour (where so much of Amelie was filmed) is a favourite. The two-hour tour will take you to all the top filming locations with a ticket price of €23.85 ($40).
Once you've emptied Paris, it could be time to turn your attention elsewhere, perhaps somewhere some 40 minutes outside of the city centre. Why not book a tour to La Vallée Village , an outlet centre where over 120 prestigious fashion brands are represented? You'll travel by air-conditioned coach which will drop you off at the entrance and at the end of the day, pick you - and your many, many bags - up again..
