Award winning Off the Beaten Path, LLC Voted BEST Tour Company for Active, Small Group Tour Travel in France for Discerning Travelers by Conde Nast Traveler, Forbes Traveler, CNN Traveller, The New York Times and Travel & Leisure; Inspiring Itineraries, Exceptional Quality and Excellent Value! Come experience small group travel at its' finest!
Off the Beaten Path, LLC (OTBP) works exclusively with the "Creme de la Creme" of France...
 ...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.
 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 a mix of fun, hands-on and demonstration oriented culinary (cooking) classes...
 
...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 Loire Valley, Provence, Bordeaux, Champagne and Dordogne cooking class.
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 and Grand Cru wines.
Discover local customs and traditions...
...Learn about "the art of French cheese making", "artisan savonnerie"(artisan soap production) or learn about and taste locally produced olive oils at a "family owned olive oil mill" during private tours, tastings and visits on our tours. 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 or an actual final product that was just made before your very eyes.
For "The Love of Wine and Champagne Too"...
...a wine "tasting and appreciation" workshop on our Bordeaux Wine and Culinary Walking Tours plus wine tasting on Loire Valley, Provence and Dordogne Tours and Champagne Tasting on Chmpagne Tours provide you, nomatter your level of wine knowledge, an opportunity to grow and deepen your appreciation for French wines under the guidance of our local wine professionals. To complement wine workshops during Bordeaux Wine Tours, we ensure daily, private cellar tours and VIP wine tasting at classified growth chateaux (producers) that are only available to Bordeaux wine industry insiders.
"Easy to moderately and challenging rated", cultural theme walks...
 ...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: "Medieval & Renaissance villages", "Castle to Castle", "Premiere Vineyards and Wine Growing Villages" or "Along France's Most Beautiful Waterways, Canals and Coastal Areas".
 Some walks include gourmet picnics or a specially reserved lunch at a select restaurant along our walking trail. Walks feature stops for winery tours, wine tasting, photo opportunities, castle tours and independent exploration.
 NOTE: Bordeaux Tours include daily scheduled walks, Provence Tours include 3 optional walks and Dordogne Tours include 2 optional walks. France is a nation of walkers, and all Off the Beaten Path Tours include "extensive daily leisure walking" at producers, castles, markets and in villages that is considered appropriate for most travelers.
Review OTBP Walk Ratings for complete details.
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 pilot Charles and his technical crew, during an optional sunset flight 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...
...with our professional guides during expert commentated tours in English at our favorite castles, historical sites, monuments and wine producers. Tours are fact-filled and also include many "untold stories and legends" about the kings, queens, their courts and much more.
Sumptuous, Michelin-star gourmet and bistro style lunches and dinners with classified wines and cocktails at all meals...
...during each tour reflect the heart & soul of each region. Meals offer an opportunity to discover local French cuisine, traditional recipes and cooking styles through our personalized restaurant selections and dining experiences with celebrity Michelin-star and Master Chefs who are our personal friends and who welcome you, as friends, to their restaurants and homes.
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
 "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.(Loire Valley Tour)
"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
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