The Paris Most Visitors Never Find

Our guide, Ellen Williams, has spent four decades learning this city at street level. What she knows can’t be Googled. She’ll take you into the market streets where Parisians shop, the cafés where they linger, the hidden courtyards most visitors walk right past.

At NextTribe, we believe this stage of life — 45 and beyond — is exactly the moment to say yes to more of it: real neighborhoods, real conversations, a Paris that rewards women who are serious about travel, not just photo ops. We’ll eat at handpicked restaurants, duck into lesser-known museums, and wave at landmarks like the Louvre and Notre Dame along the way — without ever standing in their lines.

We travel by bus all week and aim to leave late afternoons open for you to explore on your own or just enjoy a glass of wine in the garden. We’ve run this trip six times. Every time, our goal is the same: replace Paris anxiety with confidence, context, and a reservation you’d never have found alone.

We have easy, interest-free payment options.

~ Small groups — women 45+ ~ Solo travelers welcome

~ Guided by a Parisian at heart ~ Aging boldly since 2017

Paris alone can feel like a lot. With the right guide and the right company, it’s a stress-free joy.

You won’t be the only one. A good number of the women on this trip travel solo. You’ll land among women in exactly the same boat, by design.

A host who’s one of us. Ellen isn’t a 25-year-old with a clipboard. She’s a woman who knows this city intimately and makes sure no one gets left on the sidewalk.

A pace built for connecting. Group days, shared meals, and free afternoons — friendship happens here without you trying.

Rooming made simple. Travel solo with your own room for a single supplement, or let us know and we’ll match you with a roommate from the group.

1. Paris without the overwhelm—the logistics, the navigation, the “what do I do first?” are expertly handled. You arrive; we take it from there.
2. The insider version: Ellen’s four decades of knowledge opens doors that guidebooks can’t. You’ll be visiting the Paris that Parisians love.
3. The neighborhoods most tourists never reach—Montmartre’s quieter back streets dripping with charm, the genteel Nouvelle-Athènes quarter, the historic Marais in its full, unhurried beauty.
4. A calibrated balance of structure and freedom. We move as a group for the best of it; you have time on your own for the rest.
5. The food and wine. Paris is not subtle about this, and neither are we.
6. The shopping. (OK, this is extra). Most of our travelers love strolling through the boutiques that Ellen knows so well. If you’re not a shopper, tell Ellen and she will suggest other activities for you.

Ellen really tuned in to making sure she knew what everyone was hoping to do and see and making sure we accomplished those goals. Can I just say FUN? We had so much fun! Walking the streets of Paris with someone who knows it inside and out and genuinely LOVES the city was the best…. And I came home with 12 new friends from all over the country!

-Evalina Barth, California

We landed in Paris as strangers but concluded the trip as friends. It is hard to explain how well the group coalesced. We enjoyed learning about each other, sharing experiences, and looked out for each other. I have been to Paris many times, experiencing this trip with a lovely group was really at the top of the list.

–Elise Shapiro, Illinois

This trip was everything and more I had hoped for. I wanted to leave the trip not just having “seen” Paris but really experiencing it.

–Delcy Brockman, Arizona

Do I need to come with someone? Not at all. Plenty of NextTribe travelers come solo, and this group bonds fast.

Will we see the major monuments? We’ll pass many of them — the Eiffel Tower, the Opéra, Musée d’Orsay— but we won’t stand in their lines. Ellen is happy to help you plan a monument visit during free time, or before or after the trip.

What’s the pace like? We travel by bus and aim to be back at the hotel by 4pm most days, so you’ll always have time before dinner to explore, rest, or wander on your own.

Will I know anyone? Probably not going in. Almost certainly yes by day two. It happens on every single trip — that’s not marketing, it’s just what this kind of travel does.

What’s the weather like? We run this trip in May, when the city is in bloom, the weather is fair, and the sun doesn’t set until almost 10pm.

What’s included? Accommodations, all your dinners in fabulous, hand-picked Parisian restaurants (lunches and breakfasts too), ground transportation, guided neighborhood walks, and Ellen throughout the week. International flights are not included.

What if I need to cancel? Full refund up to 90 days out, except for your deposit, which can be applied to a future trip. We highly recommend travel protection insurance, and can point you toward options.

More questions about this or any other trip? Click here to schedule a phone call with Jeannie Edmunds, COO of NextTribe.

Ellen Williams has been traveling to Paris for forty years and has written three guidebooks to the city. That’s not a credential—it’s a way of life. Her knowledge of the city is encyclopedic and her enthusiasm for it is, frankly, contagious. She’ll be the first to tell you that Paris rewards curiosity more, and she has made it her particular mission to make sure you leave this trip with an authentic relationship with the most beautiful city in the world. You’ll feel like you’ve really seen Paris.

Assisting Ellen on this trip is her partner Jack Kassel. It’s not normal for us to have a man taking part in a trip, but one thing we’ve learned at this age is to open our minds a bit to other possibilities. Jack is a kind, nurturing man who is completely fluent in French and handles most of the logistics. This frees up Ellen to do her thing. Sometimes, the best person for the job is a man and Jack certainly makes that case.