VIP Private Access Tour of London and Paris

Regal traditions stretch all across London, from the bizarre spectacle of guards changing outside Buckingham Palace to the grand meeting rooms of residing monarchs. Picture the Queen's accommodations, King's resting quarters, glittering dresses worn by 19th-century royalty; there's a wonderful air of opulence to discover on your first day in London. You're greeted at the airport and transferred to a five-star hotel in Mayfair, London's premier central address. Dependent on flight times, you'll enjoy a visit to the staterooms of Buckingham Palace, the working residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Relax at the hotel before an evening tour that intimately unveils the pomp of regality.

Lavish and decadent, Kensington Palace has been in royal hands since William III in the 17th century. Tours to England are especially breathtaking on a private access tour, starting in the sumptuous State Apartments. Elaborate golden details are etched into the ceilings, world-famous paintings hang in the corridors, and the decoration radiates classical history. Wander up the Grand Staircase, admire the silk wedding dress and private wardrobe of Queen Victoria II, and rest your toes in the sumptuous Turkish carpets of Queen Mary II's private rooms. Completing the invitation into royalty is an evening reception with canapés and wine. Consider reading some of our England traveler reviews to further refine and perfect your own personal itinerary.

After the excess of royalty, today brings the working class atmosphere of the East London suburbs. Markets stand untouched and unchanged here: fishmongers shout out offers in Cockney slang, smells emanate from rows of exotic greengrocers, and intriguing tales are written into the Victorian marketplaces. Visit Spitalfields, a vibrant district of tradition that refuses to be eroded by the expansion of city skyscrapers. Walk the lanes of Jewish settlers, your expert guide revealing a century of community and culture. Then head further east, into the iconic suburbs of Dalton and Hackney. Just 30 years ago, these were practically unvisited areas. While the timeless red-brick terraces remain the same, visitors are now welcomed, and it's a wonderful insight into old London traditions. The accents are strong, and the food is truly English – think jellied eels and pie with mashed potato and liquor – but the atmosphere and sense of heritage are truly wonderful. This half-day tour includes lunch, and you return to your hotel by private transport. The rest of the day is free.

From Pink Floyd to The Beatles, Hendrix to Zeppelin, rock and roll history has left its mark in London. Visit the recording studios where famous bands used to jam, the gallery where John Lennon met Yoko and boutiques that first stocked the vinyl records that would later become integral to the world's music history. There are enough sights to fill a week of rock and roll in London, so today's half-day tour will be tailored to your own musical interests. There's the zebra crossing from The Beatles' Abbey Road album cover, Jimi Hendrix's London house, a studio filled with iconic black and white photos from the musical 60's, and a chance to meet some of the icons that were there when rock and roll mushroomed out of the capital. Following the tour, you're transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure. While this itinerary focuses on the unknown sides to two famous cities, there's still lots of free time that enable you to experience your ideal attractions during these nine days.

Sparkling in the Tower of London are the English crown jewels. The Queen's crown glitters and sparkles beneath the weight of its gems, with the world's largest cut diamond one of the thousands of stones on display. The entire royal room shines with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Unfortunately, most of the time you can't fully appreciate the splendor of this world-renowned jewel collection, because there are far too many people packed into the room. To see it properly, you must visit outside of visiting hours before the Tower of London opens. A Jewel House Warden opens the door. Stop. Your eyes blink. And blink again, the glistening of jewels too much to take in. Hundreds of individual gems grab your attention, but only fleetingly as there's close to 10,000 stones on display here. Eventually, your eyes settle on the Cullinan diamond, a 530.2-carat diamond that eventually outshines the rest.

The warden provides an expert narrative, telling the tales of how the gems are too heavy for the crown. The frame sags and every 200 years it must be replaced. It's not the only one. Glistening unfeasibly with 6,000 diamonds is the Imperial Crown of India, the translucent glimmering accompanied by the rich hues of rubies and sapphires. For almost an hour, you have this room of world-famous jewels to yourself. After the tour, a private guide will take you around the rest of the Tower of London, the iconic fortress of the monarchy. There's a continued sense of regality but also a medieval musing in the thick slabs of impassable stone. Return to the hotel and the afternoon is at your leisure. Throughout this tour, restaurant reservations can be made dependent on your culinary tastes, with local experts picking out the suave gastronomic hubs and historical dining venues.

It was from the bunkers of the War Rooms that Winston Churchill conducted Britain's operations in WWII. Smoke still seems to leave a musky smell, the air of tension doesn't appear to have disappeared, and the scratch marks on Churchill's chair hint at the pressure he was feeling. A walking tour takes you from the corridors of Whitehall to Westminster, then into the bunkers used when London was under aerial siege. While it's not always pretty, the sense of poignant world history captures the imagination. The afternoon brings a complete contrast. Enter the lavish halls of Claridge’s, the historic five-star hotel in London's heart. High tea is the quintessential English tradition, and the table piles high with raisin scones, finger sandwiches, and the finest brews of tea. A glass of champagne adds an extra dose of opulence, served beneath the glimmering high ceiling and ornate golden interiors.

Maligned and misinterpreted, Marie Antoinette seems to reflect the kaleidoscopic character of Paris. From the austere suburbs to the Chateau de Versailles and the enthusiasm of youth to the flippant frivolity of royal rule, the city and monarch share similar contradictions. Her life provides a perfect introduction to the complexities of Paris, taking you to the places that Marie Antoinette irrevocably defined. Visit her old village and her jump to the surreal at the Petit Trianon Palace. Trace her route from the Conciergerie to Place de la Revolution and visit the shops she used to frequent. There are also chocolate makers, jewelers, and luxury textile houses that once prided themselves on having Antoinette as their customer. This exceptional private tour is supplemented with a lunch and a guide who revels in exposing the fantasy of France's most famous daughter.

Earlier in the day, you take the Eurostar train from London to Paris. This station to station journey takes just over two hours, far quicker than adding up airport transfers and arriving an hour before the flight. St. Pancras International in London is just a 10-minute drive from your hotel, and then you're picked up from the Paris station for the Marie Antoinette tour. Check in to your luxury Paris hotel at the end of the tour.

Paris is the home of gastronomy, tradition evolving over centuries and sublime tastes softly imbued in every meal. But in the tourist heart of the city, the food is usually underwhelming. You arrive expecting to be wowed. But most of the restaurants that speak English don't deliver. Today's afternoon culinary tour takes you to the other side of the city, where menus are never translated, and the fragrances are matched by the presentation. You don't visit famous or award-winning cafes. Instead, your guide reveals the culinary pleasures that are hidden in alleyways and tumbling across packed 19th-century restaurants. The exact itinerary will be tailored to your tastes, but expect an insight into iconic French cooking. Visit markets full of colorful produce and smell the different kinds of garlic, get snacks from tiny bakeries, a main entrée from a hidden restaurant, and a dessert on a terrace that hums with chatter and aura.

Wander through the famous galleries of Paris and you won't need an expert guide to admire the work of Monet and Renoir. Easily distinguishable and dancing with detail, Impressionist art is found all over the city. This full-day tour takes a different approach. Rather than guide you through the crowded galleries, you head out into the glorious French countryside and the subjects of Impressionist work that remain unchanged. Stand at the place where Pissarro and Seurat set up their easels in the open air, admire the church that came alive with Van Gogh's paintbrush, and wander through the villages immortalized by Sisley.

So much of impressionism lies in the imagination, and on this tour, you're able to compare what the artists saw and what they drew; your guide will bring detailed copies, so the two are seen side by side. Walk across Monet's Argenteuil Bridge and his Gare St. Lazare, see Pissarro's Voisins and Sisley's Moret-sur-Loing, then drink a beer in the Closerie de Lilas in Montparnasse. The day is an immersion in history and art but also a journey through the soft pleasures of French villages. Life moves slowly here, and so many of the Impressionists' old haunts remain unchanged to this day.

As bakery fumes spill across the city, you must leave with a heavy heart. Take it in for a final time, the morning scents of coffee accompanying the nearby boulangerie (French bakery) mingling outside your window. You're privately transferred to the airport for your departure flight, heading home with a series of vacation photos that are not seen in popular postcards.