Today is all about the glamor that makes Paris Paris, as you honor Parisian shopping culture with a walking tour of the city’s famous seasonal window displays, complete with a visit to the opera house.
In the evening, a special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner is prepared for you.
Included excursions designed to enhance your journey:
Paris Opera & the Haussmann Displays
In a city that celebrates art & culture, the Palais Garnier is a must-see. This historic venue for opera and ballet is close to another celebration of classic Parisian artistry: the fantastic window displays of the Haussmann fashion district. Hosting the Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, and more, this district is an iconic shop year-round, but the holiday season offers something special. View installations that engineers, sound designers, and a team of creatives work on over the course of a year to dazzle during the Christmas season.
Nights Out: Festive Lights of Paris
Paris calls upon her most talented lighting designers to create spectacular holiday illuminations throughout the city in an event called "Paris Lights up Paris." This evening, you'll take a scenic drive past some of the capitals most festive displays. Traveling along the Right Bank, you pass a number of the 37 bridges that dress up the Seine in a dazzling array, from the oldest, the Pont Neuf, decorated with grotesque figures, to the most stunning, the single-arched Pont Alexandre II, with its elegantly sculpted art nouveau nymphs, winged horses and lamps. After turning around the pink granite obelisk and the gilded fountains at Place de la Concorde, the famously fashionable Rue de Rivoli comes into view. Then you'll see the two most famous theaters in Paris at each end of the majestic Boulevard de lOpéra: the Comédie-Française (French National Theater), where the French classical repertoire is performed, at the south end, and, at the north, the Palais Garnier, which hosts the National Opera and Ballet companies. The sophisticated Place Vendome is distinguished by the bronze-wrapped Vendôme Column, topped by a statue of Napoleon as a Roman emperor, and by posh designer salons, five-star hotels and fine jewelers. Tonight the enchanted square unveils illuminations of shimmering crystal effects that match the precious bejeweled ornaments displayed in the shop windows. Your illumination tour comes to an end at the Place du Trocadéro, where you'll have a view of the city's signature landmark, the Eiffel Tower and its delightful, dynamic light show.
