Girl Scouts: London & Paris

Image of Girl Scouts Pax lodge
The ultimate experience for Girl Scouts features a trip to Pax Lodge, the Girl Scouts World Center in London, plus an exclusive pinning ceremony. Round off this special tour with guided excursions through London and Paris, including sites like Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, and much, much more.
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Day 1  Overnight Flight to England (London)
Day 2 Hello London
Details: Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Your 24-hour Tour Director will meet you at the airport and remain with your group until your final airport departure. You’ll also have a private coach and driver while touring .
Details: London city walk
Step outside your hotel for a stroll through the heart of the English-speaking world. In this city of nearly seven million, you'll see everything from 12th-century fortifications to modern skyscrapers, royal parks to street art. Your Tour Director will lead you to some of the most famous sites. Walk along the Thames River. Cross Trafalgar Square. See bustling Piccadilly Circus. Pass trendy shops and cafés in Bohemian Soho on your way to Covent Garden, a 13th-century fruit and vegetable garden transformed into a maze of narrow streets and pedestrian walkways burgeoning with street performers, open-air markets and boutiques.
Details: Trafalgar Square
See Trafalgar Square, often used for community gatherings and political demonstrations.
Details: National Gallery visit
Visit the National Gallery, which contains an unrivaled collection of Western art spanning seven centuries, from the late 13th to the early 20th. The largest portion of the collection is devoted to the Italians, including works by da Vinci, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and Botticelli; but the collection also features works by the Spanish giants El Greco, Goya and Velázquez. The Flemish-Dutch school is represented by Brueghel, Jan van Eyck, Vermeer, Rubens and Rembrandt; and there is also an immense French impressionist and post-impressionist collection that includes works by Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cézanne.
Details: Piccadilly Circus
Visit Piccadilly Circus, a shopping and entertainment area brightly lit with video displays and neon signs.
Details: Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and with the Royal Opera House, which itself may be referred to as "Covent Garden". The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the historical buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the London Transport Museum and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Details: Leicester Square
Leicester Square is perfectly situated in the heart of London's West End, with Trafalgar Square to the south, Piccadilly Circus to the west, Covent Garden to the east, and China Town to the north.
Details: Classic fish & chips dinner
Nothing’s more British than fish and chips—there are eight fish and chip shops (“chippies”) for every McDonald’s in the country. Head to an authentic pub with your Tour Director for a taste of this national food, generally served with malt vinegar.
Day 3 London
London guided sightseeing tour
Buckingham PalaceBig BenHouses of ParliamentWestminster AbbeyTower BridgeHyde ParkSt. Paul’s Cathedral
Details: London guided sightseeing tour
Join a licensed local guide for an in-depth look at London, from the royal haunt of Buckingham Palace (the official London residence of King Charles III) to the slightly more democratic Speakers’ Corner of Hyde Park, where anyone can pull up a soapbox and orate to his heart’s content. You’ll see the changing of the guard (season permitting), the clock tower of Big Ben with its 14-ton bell, and Westminster Abbey, where almost every English king and queen since William the Conqueror has been crowned. After a stop at the Houses of Parliament, continue on to the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral, the masterpiece of London architect Christopher Wren.
Details: Pax Lodge Girl Scouts Headquarter visit
Attention all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts! Make your visit to London extra special with a visit to Pax Lodge, the Scouts’ third world center located in northwest London. Located right by the International Headquarters of WAGGGS, the Pax Lodge will welcome you for a self-guided tour and regularly hosts international events, parties and scout challenges. No two visits will be the same!
Details: Pax Lodge Girl Scouts Headquarter pinning ceremony
Participate in a pinning ceremony where each participant will receive a pin from the Pax Lodge, the Girl Scouts’ third world center located in northwest London. Situated right by the International Headquarters of WAGGGS, the Pax Lodge will welcome Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from all around the world.
Day 4 London
London South Bank walking tour
Tate ModernMillennium BridgeBorough Market visitShakespeare's Globe Theatre
Details: London South Bank walking tour
Walk along the Thames river in one of London's most popular and vibrant neighborhoods: the South Bank. Spot the National Theatre and the historic pubs, stop to view the London Eye from the tree-lined walkway, and pause to watch one of the area’s famous street performers.
Details: Shakespeare's Globe Theater interactive workshop
Vendors hocking sandwiches. Spectators sitting in the open air, exposed to the hot sun or cold rain. People cheering and heckling the players. Sounds more like a typical day at the ballpark than a performance of a Shakespearean play. In Elizabethan England the Globe Theatre was a lively place, and this 1990s reconstruction strives to be as authentic as possible. Learn how modern-day actors deal with the rowdy groundlings (working in simulated daylight means actors can see—and react to—each and every audience member), how the costumers hand-sew antique fabrics to create the clothing, how designers cope with the very minimalist Elizabethan standards for scenery and props, and how directors take advantage of the unique conditions to break down the idea that “Shakespeare equals stuffy.” Please note that the workshop is restricted to students and a limited number of accompanying adults. Adults who are not able to participate will be offered a guided tour of The Shakespeare Globe as a substitute activity.
Day 5 London--Paris
Paris city walk
Île de la CitéNotre-Dame CathedralÎle St. LouisLatin Quarter
Dinner in Latin Quarter
Details: Eurostar Chunnel crossing
Take the Eurostar under the English Channel. Faster than you can say... anything, in French, you'll whiz through a tunnel and arrive in Paris.
Details: Paris city walk
This city was made for walking. Stroll grand boulevards with sweeping views of the city, pristine parks with trees planted in perfect rows, and narrow streets crowded with vendors selling flowers, pastries and cheese. Then head to the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine, to see Notre Dame Cathedral. Please note Notre Dame Cathedral is currently closed due to fire damage.
Details: Notre-Dame Cathedral
View the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Work began in 1163 on a spot that had been a holy shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.
Details: Île de la Cité treasure hunt
Take interactive learning to another level with a Tour Director-led treasure hunt of the Ile de la Cité, home of Notre-Dame Cathedral! Enjoy an after-dinner adventure, complete exciting activities and solve fun clues. Each clue and every activity is built to maximize on-tour experiential learning.
Day 6 Paris landmarks
Breakfast
Paris guided sightseeing tour
Arc de TriompheChamps ÉlyséesEiffel TowerChamp de MarsÉcole MilitaireLes InvalidesConciergerieTuileries GardenPlace VendômeOpera House
Optional  Versailles guided excursion (pre-book only)  $80
State ApartmentsHall of MirrorsGardens of Versailles
Details: Paris guided sightseeing tour
What's that huge white arch at the end of the Champs-Élysées? The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Your licensed local guide will elaborate on this, and other Parisian landmarks. See some of the most famous sites, including the ornate, 19th-century Opera, the Presidential residence, the ultra-chic shops of the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, and the gardens of the Tuileries. You'll pass the Place de la Concorde, where in the center you’ll find the Obelisk of Luxor, a gift from Egypt in 1836, and the Place Vendôme, a huge square surrounded by 17th-century buildings. Spot chic locals (and tons of tourists) strolling the Champs-Élysées. Look up at the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. See Les Invalides (a refuge for war wounded), the École Militaire (Napoleon's alma mater), and the Conciergerie (the prison where Marie Antoinette was kept during the French Revolution).
Details: Tuileries Garden
Tuileries was originally the name of an old tiles factory. Yet, in the sixteen century, the queen of France, Marie de Medicis, ordered to build a castle with a long French garden at this place. Parisians used to call this new building the Tuileries Palace. During three centuries the garden was exclusively reserved for the court and the King. During the nineteen century, the Tuileries palace became the residence of Napoleon I, Louis XVIII, Charles X, Louis-Phillipe and Napoleon III. In 1871, Parisians burnt down the castle of Tuileries, during the last French Revolution and the insurrection of Paris.However, the garden kept its 17th-century design and became a popular place, always crowded in summer time.
Details: Crêperie dinner
Tonight for dinner, enjoy a speciality from the Brittany region of France: crepes. Creperie restaurants are very popular in Paris and you will be able to choose from the variety of toppings (ham, cheese, egg, peppers, spinach, cream--or a combination!) to create your favorite savory crepe (called "galette") before you enjoy a local favourite: a sweet crepe served with chocolate, fruit or jam.
Day 7 Paris
Breakfast
Dinner
Details: Louvre visit
The world's largest art museum, the Louvre is housed in a Medieval fortress-turned-castle so grand it's worth a tour itself. You walk through the 71-foot glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei and added in 1989, and step into another world--one with carved ceilings, deep-set windows, and so many architectural details you could spend a week just admiring the rooms. The Mona Lisa is here, as well as the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory (the headless statue, circa 200 BC, discovered at Samothrace). The Louvre has seven different departments of paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and antiquities. Don't miss the Egyptian collection, complete with creepy sarcophagi, or the collection of Greek ceramics, one of the largest in the world. (Please note the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.)
Details: Learn to play Pétanque with local players
Try your hand at this game of boules, similar to bocce, and make new friends with a group of local players along the way. Lesson is in French (with translation by your Tour Director, if necessary) and lasts 1-2 hours. Includes a beverage for refreshment after a competitive match!
Details: Seine River cruise
See the city from the water on an hour-long cruise along the River Seine. The Seine cuts right through Paris, dividing the city in half. See the Eiffel tower rising up on the Left Bank, the walls of the Louvre on the Right Bank. A guide will point out other monuments and architectural marvels as you pass, many of which are illuminated by clear white light at night.
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Day 8 Flight home from Paris
Breakfast

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    Day 8 Start extension to Switzerland
    Breakfast
    Travel to Basel on the TGV (one of Europe’s fastest trains)
    Basel tour director-led city walk
    Basel MinsterMarket SquareMiddle Bridge
    Travel to Adelboden
    Details: Basel tour director-led city walk
    Visit the enchanting and historical town of Basel.
    Day 9 Adelboden - Our Chalet
    Details: Our Chalet World Centre visit
    Experience the first of the World Centres, which opened in 1932 and offers year-round activities, special events, and conferences for Girl Guides, Girl Scouts, and leaders from around the world.
    Details: Our Chalet pinning ceremony
    Raise the flag and receive your second pin.
    Day 10 Adelboden--Lucerne
    Travel to Lucerne
    Traditional Swiss dinner
    Details: Lucerne tour director-led sightseeing
    Before a backdrop of snow-capped Alpine mountains and green, cow-filled pastures, join your Tour Director on a trip to Lucerne’s famous sights. Weave your way through a maze of narrow, winding streets until you reach the River Reuss and the Medieval Kapellbrücke Bridge. Stop to marvel at the bridge walls, decorated with murals that recreate the 14th-century originals destroyed in a fire. Journey down the cobblestone streets in the Old Town to see the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), the somber sandstone wild cat gazing down into a reflecting pool, and ponder this artfully chiseled statue created to honor the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries in 1792.
    Details: Chapel Bridge
    One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century. It has also been voted as the 5th most popular tourism destination in the world.
    Details: Lion Monument
    View the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, created in 1820 in honor of the Swiss Guards who lost their lives in 1792 during the French Revolution.
    Details: Jesuit Church
    View the impressive Jesuitenkirche which was the first large baroque church built in Switzerland. The ostentatious baroque style architecture is meant to represent the power and glory of the Catholic tradition.
    Details: Weinmarkt and Kornmarkt Squares
    Stroll through the picturesque medieval Weinmarkt Square and the Kornmarkt Square in the historical heart of Lucerne.
    Details: Mt. Pilatus excursion
    Scale snow-capped Mount Pilatus via the world’s steepest cog railway or cable car. Enjoy a bird’s eye view of Lucerne’s skyline and Alpine panoramas galore. Here’s your chance to snap some of the most frame-worthy photos. Keep your fingers crossed for a clear day when mountain-top views span as far as 200 miles. Or enjoy some free time exploring Lucerne. Stroll the shores of Lake Lucerne. Scour the cozy neighborhoods for frescoed homes with oriel windows. Or just stop and indulge your sweet tooth in some of the creamiest chocolate in the world. If that doesn’t satisfy your craving for adventure, see your Tour Director for more ideas.
    Day 11 End tour
    Travel to Zurich
    Tour Includes:
    • Round-trip airfare
    • 6 overnight stays (9 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
    • Full European breakfast daily
    • Dinner daily
    • Full-time services of a professional tour director
    • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
    • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
    • High-speed Eurostar Chunnel crossing
    • Tour Diary™
    • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
    • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
    • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
    We are better able to assist you with a quote for your selected departure date and city over the phone. Please call 1.888.310.7120 to price this tour with your requested options.
    Please select a postal code
    3024.00 total fee
    Basic Options


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