Cultural visits and activities during the University Programme

Students have the chance to experience a multicultural environment with a variety of social activities and visits of Parisian landmarks.

Activities fall into two types:

• Open activities are available to all students of the programme, at no additional cost
• Optional activities are available to students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sign-up is required, as is an additional fee, with Sciences Po students receiving considerable group discounts at major tourist attractions.

Open activities

Seine River Cruise: Discover Paris from its best vantage point, the Seine River! As part of Orientation Day, all Summer School students will have a chance to take a river cruise with the Vedettes du Pont Neuf. You’ll learn about some of Paris’s most famous landmarks, from the Musée du Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, all while kicking back your feet and enjoying the sunshine!

Speaker Series: The Summer School's Speaker Series is an opportunity for participants from all academic tracks to interact with a variety of public and academic figures from the Sciences Po community and French society. These conferences allow participants to discuss key issues with experts and thus further their understanding of France and Europe.

Lunchtime Picnics: Join our Summer School team for a picnic in Science Po's garden every Friday at lunchtime. This is a great opportunity to meet students from outside your classes and practice your French language skills with our Summer School interns.

Apéro Hour: Fancy a drink and a pre-dinner snack? Join our interns and your classmates to enjoy the sunshine after class. You can have a chat, play some games, and let’s face it, what is more French than an apéro hour on a summer evening?!

Continuing at Sciences Po Presentation: Are you interested in continuing your studies at Sciences Po? Learn more about the different master’s degrees offered at Sciences Po and get your questions answered by a representative from Sciences Po’s International Office.

Optional activities

Visit to Claude Monet’s Gardens at Giverny: Claude Monet is one of French impressionism’s most famous painters. This day trip will take students to his world-famous garden, outside of Paris – the place where he painted the waterlilies and so much more! A visit to the Musée des Impressionnismes at Giverny is also included.

Visit to the châteaux of the Loire Valley: Join other students in Paris on this excursion offered by ToBeErasmus, for a day trip to the Loire Valley to visit two of its most famous castles: Chambord and Chenonceau. Take advantage of this opportunity to explore the Loire Valley without the hassle of renting a car.

Bike Tour in Paris: Paris has introduced more and more bike lanes, car-free zones and bike-only routes in recent years. From the Pont Neuf and the Palais Royal to the Village St. Paul and Ile St. Louis, students will see the city from a different perspective, cycling under the summer sun around some of Paris’s most famous monuments and charming neighbourhoods.

Street Art Tour: See the tallest murals in Paris! Learn about the neomuralism movement as you contemplate the walls painted by the greatest muralists from all over the world. This tour focuses on big murals commissioned by the Mairie du 13ème arrondissement (Town Hall of the 13th district) and multiple galleries or projects like Boulevard Paris 13 (Galerie Itinerrance) or Seres Queridos. We will show you some of the most influential contemporary artists like Obey, C215 or Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada.

Immersive Exposition - Gaîté Lyrique: Discover the new immersive exposition by the Canadian artist Sabrina Ratté at the Gaîté Lyrique! Aurae is a unique visual and auditory experience that will transport you to “dreamt architectures set somewhere between the physical world and the virtual world.”

One-Man Show "How to Become a Parisian in One Hour": Have you ever wondered how you could become a Parisian? Join Olivier Giraud for his one-man comedy show "How to Become a Parisian in One Hour," and discover the attitudes, idiosyncrasies and mannerisms that give Parisians their reputation around the world!