Off the Beaten Path, LLC Signature Tour Activities and Excursions
Testimonials • Booking & Deposits • Contact Us
Off the Beaten Path, LLC (OTBP) works exclusively with the "Creme de la Creme" of France...
Along with our local French friends and partners in each region, we organize every activity and outing exclusively to ensure you an authentic and personalized French experience that far exceeds your every expectation. Our local friends and professionals welcome you to their homes, professional workshops and kitchens, as a group of friends, and offer a fun and relaxed environment to experience and discover French cuisine, culture, wines and traditions. Every day offers new opportunities to get to know our local friends and experience France unlike the general tourist to this spectacular country. Plus take advantage of the endless photo opportunities to capture the beautiful countryside in images. Each tour includes at least one fun, hands-on or demonstration oriented culinary (cooking) class...
Discover local customs and traditions...
"Easy to moderately and challenging rated", cultural theme walks...
Some walks include gourmet picnics or a specially reserved lunch at a private castle, wine producer or select restaurant along our walking trail. Walks feature stops for winery tours, wine tasting, photo opportunities, castle tours and independent exploration.
Expert guided tours of villages and regional markets......followed by shopping at art, regional, farmers and artisan markets and fairs, as well as antique markets in historical villages and towns adds to the excitement of discovering local heritage and traditions. Our guides take you on tours of the markets, introducing you to local and regional products, and offer assistance, as needed, with purchases in the marketplace.  
Float over French castles and the countryside in a Hot Air Balloon......with our friend, celebrated ballooning pilots Nicolas and Charles and their technical crews, during our sunset hot air ballooning flight excursion on Loire Valley Tours, and become mesmerized by panoramic views of the spectacular countyside and land sprinkled with historical castles. Learn some fun facts and tall tales about French history...
Sumptuous, Michelin-star and bistrot style gourmet lunches and dinners with cocktails and classified wines included at all meals...
Personal Freedom: Leisure time......is incorporated into every tour permitting you time to explore personal interests, discover villages and historic monuments independently of the group or simply just shop, enjoy a local cafe and watch the livelihood of local French villages. And, you always have the possibility to opt-in or -out of any activity scheduled on a tour to pursue independent interests. It's an appealing feature of our small group tours that guests like to know about in advance of booking their tour. Tour Guest Testimonials
"Great group of people and mix of activities! Thank you for a wonderful trip! Especially enjoyed the cooking classes and castles." Michael and Sue Minshall, Perth, Australia (Loire Valley Tour) pictured in the cooking class photo to the right |
...in Provence, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Dordogne and Champagne regions of France. Our active small group tours combine culturally enriching and personalized experiences, excursions and activities that are not available to the public with exclusive visits of museums, castles and other historical monuments. 
...with our friends who are Michelin-Star and celebrated Master Chefs. Prepare recipes that reflect cuisine of each individual region along side these culinary stars, as they welcome you into their world. Most importantly, no experience is necessary! Learn about local culinary traditions and techniques, and prepare regional recipes at a fun pace during each culinary (cooking) class experience. 
Recipes prepared during OTBP cooking classes reflect each individual region and are based on seasonal ingredients. Following each culinary class, you are welcomed as personal guests at our Chef's table at his/her home, restaurant or private workshop for cocktails and a gourmet lunch or dinner of the recipes prepared together in class. Meals are paired with regional classified wines. 
...Learn about "the art of French cheese making" during private, wine and cheese tasting with one of France's most famous Chefs during our Loire Valley Tours. In Provence, learn to play pétanque, one of France's favorite pastimes. There is no better way to discover local customs than by witnessing artisan practices in person and being able to take home souvenirs of your experience whether they be a photographic souvenir, the memory of the flavors of France's famous cheeses or an actual final product that was just made before your very eyes.
...comprise our Provence, Bordeaux and Dordogne Tours. Created exclusively by us for you, our guests, to enjoy the slow road to discover France's beautiful landscapes. We've designed our walks around the following themes: "Village to Village", "Medieval & Renaissance villages", "Castle to Castle", "Premiere Vineyards and Wine Growing Villages" or "Along France's Most Beautiful Waterways, Canals and Coastal Areas". 
NOTE: Bordeaux "Grand Cru" Wine & Walking Adventures include 3 walks-- 1 in Graves, 1 in Sauternes and 1 in the Saint Emilion Jurisdiction. Our very popular Best Adventures in Provence Tours include 3 walks-- 1 walk in the Alpilles wine producing valley, 1 Alpilles village to village walk through a gallo Roman village, olive orchards, flower fields and 1 walk in Provence's spectacular Lubéron valley through lavender and sunflower fields, and including lots of historic architecture. Dordogne Tours include 1 castle to castle walk and 1 pre-historic village to village walk. France is a nation of walkers, and all Off the Beaten Path Tours include "daily leisure walking" at producers, castles, markets and in villages that is considered appropriate for all travelers. Review OTBP 
"The Loire Valley trip was my first trip to France, and I would highly recommend it! Our stay at the very charming Chateau was perfect... The wine and the food was beyond wonderful...I learned a great deal while having such a fun time on this trip! The value I received for the money spent was well worth it. This was a trip I will always remember, Thank you!" Karen Paige, San Diego, Calif.(