Summer in Tours + Paris: Program Excursions & Activities

While in Tours, our program includes several planned activities that help to familiarize students with the charm of the city and its regions, as part of the French Cultural Integration Workshop (FREN 119) held during the first two weeks. As such, participation is mandatory. We typically organize the following activities each year:

• A walking tour of Tours and its historic city center
• A group visit to Les Halles, a traditional covered market that sells local foods and wines
• A meeting with local French students preparing for the Grandes Écoles at the Lycée Descartes
• A local wine and cheese tasting

Since Tours has long been regarded as the perfect hub for exploring the Loire Valley and its famous châteaux and gardens, we also offer the following regional excursions:

• A visit to the wine cooperative in Vouvray (with wine tasting)
• A guided tour of an organic goat farm where they produce Appelation d’origine contrôlée cheese (with tasting)
• A guided visit of the towns Loches and Amboise and their châteaux
• A guided visit of the region’s largest château, in Chambord
• A day-trip to the château and gardens at Chenonceau

The second part of the program in Paris combines formal classes and lectures with mandatory visits to major political institutions, firms, and cultural sites inside and outside of Paris, such as:

• A guided tour of the Assemblée nationale
• A guided visit of the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, including a meeting with French diplomats and participation in a daily press briefing held by the Minister’s spokesperson
• A meeting at the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
• A guided tour of UNESCO
• A meeting at the Commission franco-américaine Fulbright
• A visit of the Hôtel de ville
• A guided tour of Handicap International
• Lecture visits to major cultural sites inside and outside of Paris (Versailles, Louvre, etc.)

All activities and excursions mentioned above are included in the program fee.