Life, Art, & Culture in Paris's "Golden Age”
April 19-26, 2026 (space available!)
Co-hosted by Susan Heinrich of Midlife Globetrotter
& Giulia Bernardini of Wonderfeast
If you’ve dreamed of taking a guided tour of Paris, imagine a week in the city of light, hosted by a professional historian.
The Belle Époque, Life, Art & Culture in Paris’s “Golden Age”, is an immersive week-long journey exploring French art, history, culture, and cuisine, guided by art historian Giulia Bernardini, and travel writer Susan Heinrich.
They have curated a special itinerary to to show you the best of Paris — famous attractions and lesser-known gems. Your week in France includes a day trip to Normandy to visit Monet’s Garden at Giverny and the beautiful city of Rouen.
Soak in the delights of Paris with a small group (maximum of 12) of like-minded, inquisitive travelers, while the daily details are taken care of by Giulia and Susan.
Stay in chic comfort at the award-winning boutique Hôtel Signature St. Germain des Prés (4*), ideally located on the left bank, at the intersection of the sixth and seventh arrondissements.
Itinerary Highlights
• Daily seminars and tours given by Giulia, and local guides, as we explore Paris
• Gourmet cooking class and lunch
• Day trip to Giverny and Rouen in a private minibus
• An aperitif in the home of a Parisian host
• A Seine river cruise at sunset
• Eiffel Tower visit
• Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral
• A Visit to the Stunning Luxembourg Gardens
• The Belle Époque splendor of the Palais Garnier Opera House
April 2026 tour price from $5637 (double occupancy).
Full pricing details are found further down.
Exploring Paris Together
Enjoy mouth-watering French cuisine at some of Susan and Giulia’s favorite restaurants, take a private cooking class, cruise down the Seine at sunset. Take a day trip to Normandy to see Monet’s garden in Giverny and visit the charming city of Rouen, and its famous Cathedral.
Visit the iconic Musée d’Orsay, and lesser-known gems such as Marmottan Monet, Rodin, and Montmartre. Thanks to Giulia’s vast knowledge and passion, art works will be brought to life with stories of the individuals who changed the face of the late nineteenth, and early twentieth century, in Paris and beyond.
In museums and monuments, brasseries and cafés we’ll see and learn how the artists, architects, photographers, musicians, and collectors of the Belle Époque built the foundations for twentieth century modernism.
Paris Spring 2026 Tour - Inclusions
• 7 nights in a four-star hotel in the charming and central Saint Germain neighborhood
• breakfasts daily, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners
• Private transfer from the Paris Airport to our hotel
• Champagne welcome reception
• Admission to all museums and attractions listed in the itinerary
• Transportation during scheduled activities, including a private minibus for our day trip
• Fully guided tour with Susan and Giulia
• A guide to our Paris favorites for time spent on your own, or future trips
• Recommended Reading List by Giulia
Exclusions
• Flights
• Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
• Alcohol beyond what is served at included events
• Airport transfer at the end of the trip (Susan will assist guests with arranging taxis)
• Medical & cancellation insurance (Required)
Meet Your Hosts
Giulia Bernardini is an Italian-American instructor of humanities and art history. Multi-cultural and multi-lingual, her passion for the art, architecture, and literature that she teaches – and for travel and gastronomy – comes from an early desire to understand the cultures she encountered growing up in Europe.
Giulia studied art history at Mount Holyoke College, the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and received two master’s degrees in art history and in museum studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006. She continued at CU Boulder as a senior instructor in their Humanities Program until 2023. Giulia is also a regular guest lecturer at the Denver Art Museum on Italian, French, and early 20th-century modern art. She has lived in Paris, Rome and currently Boulder, Colorado.
Her hope is that this tour can satisfy your appetite for art history, travel, food, and friendship – the most delicious things in life.
Susan Heinrich is a Denver-based writer, originally from Toronto, Canada. Her writing career began in daily journalism as a reporter with Canada’s National Post; she later pivoted to freelance writing while raising her sons. Travel writing has long been her passion.
In 2020, Susan launched “Midlife Globetrotter,” a website and community to help women follow their travel dreams to new places. She is passionate about redefining midlife as a period brimming with opportunity. Some of Susan’s recent solo adventures have included a safari in Botswana, and attending French-language school in Lyon, France. Paris is her favorite city — she adores French art, culture, food and wine.
Susan and Giulia met at an event celebrating French Impressionism at the Denver Art Museum. Over a subsequent lunch, the idea for this Paris tour was born.
Tour Pricing (all prices in US dollars; taxes included)
Tour price depends on the room type selected. There are two room types available at Hôtel Signature Saint Germain des Prés; both available as a single or shared room. If you intend to come as a solo guest but would like to share a room to secure the double room rate, let us know. We will do our best to accommodate you, if interest from other guests allows.
Elegante Room, (135 sq ft) double occupancy. $5637
Elegante Room, single occupancy. $6859
Prestige Room, (325 sq ft), double occupancy. $6377
Prestige Room, single occupancy. $8355
Testimonials
Important Details
- The tour will have a maximum of 12 guests (plus guides).
- Our Belle Époque itinerary will involve significant daily walking, including stairs and along uneven cobblestone streets. It is necessary that guests are physically fit so they are comfortable with the trip pace.
- While the itinerary is designed to maximize what you experience during a week in Paris, there will be some free time. Guests are also welcome to skip a scheduled event or meal if they wish to rest or do something on their own.
- Flights should not be booked until you hear from us that the trip is confirmed. We will do this as soon as we have the minimum number of participants registered.
Why the Belle Époque (translation, “The Beautiful Era”)
Throughout the 1800s until the eve of the Great War, France experienced intense socio-political tension and transformation. Against a backdrop of imperial and republican struggles for power, Paris grew into a sprawling urban center of glittering cafés, concerts, elegant parks, and shop-lined boulevards populated by laboring and bourgeois classes with expendable income and leisure time, as well as often opposing ideas about modern society and politics.
Positing themselves as society’s cultural pioneers opposite the ‘academic tradition’ were the artists of the Parisian Belle Époque‘s avant-garde: the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Symbolist, Fauvist, Cubist, and Orphist, painters, sculptors, architects, musicians, and authors whose self-imposed task it was to translate this new state of modernity into their chosen media. It was a tumultuous and exciting period of transformation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this trip suited to me as a solo traveler? Absolutely, yes. The small group size guarantees that we’ll get to know one another as we share our adventure. Giulia is always very proud of the camaraderie and, often, lovely friendships that are formed on her trips. In addition, during unscheduled time, Susan and Giulia will take interested travelers to visit unscheduled sites, go shopping, or have an apéritif at one of Paris’ many cafés.
- I like time to myself. Will there be downtime or is every day fully booked? While we do have a couple of full days, most are planned so that you will have time to relax and digest all the wonders we’ll see. Also, keep in mind that this is your trip so you can elect to take a break from the planned activities whenever you like.
- I have dietary restrictions or allergies. Might this be a problem at meals? Not at all. Just let us know of any intolerance, allergies, or dietary restrictions so that we can accommodate you seamlessly throughout the trip.
- Will not knowing much about art and history make me feel lost or out of place? You needn’t worry! This tour is about much more than art. And your guides are passionate about ensuring that you’ll have a meaningful, enriching experience no matter how much exposure you’ve had to the history, art, and architecture of Paris.
- What if something comes up and I have to cancel? Can I get my money back? Per the Cancellation Policy below, you have 90 days before the trip start date to receive a full refund of any payment made. You should purchase cancellation insurance to cover your investment, beyond the refund window.
How to Reserve, Deposit & Refund Policy
How to Reserve
To secure your spot on the trip, email Giulia (giulia@wonderfeast.com) and specify which accommodation option you prefer at Hôtel Signature Saint-Germain-des-Prés. You will then receive an email with a registration form and service agreement to be completed and signed, and an invoice for a 50% deposit to guarantee your spot on the trip. We will send you a second invoice for the balance of the trip, minus the early registration discount, in February.
Cancellation Policy
- 100% of total trip cost is refundable up to 90 days before the seminar start date.
- 50% of total trip cost refundable if cancellation occurs between 89 and 31 days before trip start date.
- No refunds if cancellation occurs within 30 days of trip start date.
- Should trip be cancelled by Wonderfeast and Midlife Globetrotter, entire cost of trip paid by guest to date will be refunded.
À bientôt à Paris! See you soon in Paris!
Giulia & Susan
2 Responses
What a beautifully written post! I absolutely love how you’ve captured the essence of the Belle Époque era and its influence on women artists in Paris. The way you highlighted key landmarks and art movements that shaped the city’s cultural landscape during that time is so inspiring. I especially enjoyed learning about the pioneering women artists who helped define this period—they truly left a lasting impact on the art world. This journey through Paris offers such a unique perspective, and it makes me want to explore the city with a whole new lens. Thank you for sharing this fascinating piece of history!
Thank you, Amara. It certainly was a fascinating time in Paris history. I’m looking so forward to the April trip to Paris to learn more. And I intend to write more about Paris here on the blog, following the trip, so do check back. Susan