Intermedes

What Intermedes does

Intermèdes is a privately held French cultural travel agency founded in 1995 and headquartered at 10 Rue de Mézières in Paris's 6th arrondissement. The company designs and sells guided cultural tours — circuits, cruises, rail journeys, event trips, family travel, and bespoke itineraries — to culturally curious adults and seniors across 60+ countries, with small affinity groups capped at 20 participants. Its core product is the all-inclusive cultural circuit package (international flights, 3–4 star accommodation, half-board meals, entry fees, and expert commentary), priced from approximately €2,490 to €6,790+ per person depending on destination and tier. The company organizes over 800 distinct trips supported by a curated network of 120 expert guides-conférenciers (art historians, archaeologists, and academics from institutions including the École du Louvre, Sciences Po Paris, and Sorbonne).

The company's business model is transactional (one-time per-trip booking fees) and distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through its website intermedes.com, a dedicated phone sales line, and an in-person cultural conference subscription ('Les Amis d'Intermèdes') serving as a community funnel. It operates sub-brands — Hémérys for premium/luxury travel, Sentiers des Arts for artistic journeys, and Orients for Eastern destinations — and offers a bespoke/group service for associations, works councils, and corporate clients. The company is a member of SETO (French tour operating trade body) and holds the Fevad quality charter; it carries a 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating and received an Open to Dialog customer-relations award in 2014.

From a technology perspective, Intermèdes is a traditional operator: there is no proprietary platform, no app, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no API/SDK offerings. Marketing and customer acquisition rely on a content-heavy blog, email newsletters, free printed catalogues, social media (YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram), and a recurring cultural-events program. Headcount is reported in the 51–100 range, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. The company has no disclosed outside investors, parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or funding rounds; it appears independently operated.

Name

Intermedes

Legal name

Intermèdes

Website

https://www.intermedes.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Organized cultural tour packages: Intermèdes sells pre-packaged cultural trips to individuals and small groups, typically including flights, accommodation, meals, guided excursions with expert lecturers, and admission fees. Prices range from approximately €2,490 to €6,790+ per person depending on destination, duration, and accommodation level. Revenue is generated per trip booking on a per-person basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Intermèdes is a French cultural travel agency that sells pre-packaged, expert-led cultural trips worldwide, organized in small affinity groups of maximum 20 participants. Each package typically includes international flights, 3–4-star accommodation, half-board meals, entry fees, and the accompaniment of a qualified guide-conférencier (art historian, archaeologist, or specialist), with prices ranging from approximately €2,490 to €6,790 per person. The company also operates a premium sub-brand (Hémérys), a bespoke/group travel service for associations and corporate clients, and a free cultural membership (Les Amis d'Intermèdes) offering 50+ annual conferences.

Product overview

Intermedes is a French cultural travel agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of guided travel experiences. The core offering consists of cultural tours (Circuits culturels), cruise packages (Croisières culturelles), and themed travel programs led by a network of 120 expert conference speakers. The portfolio includes specialized sub-brands like the premium Hémérys line, custom/bespoke travel services, and a cultural membership subscription (Les Amis d'Intermèdes) providing access to 50 annual conferences. With approximately 800 travel packages organized by themes (art, gardens, exhibitions, music festivals, holidays) and global destinations, the company positions itself as France's leading cultural travel specialist with small groups of up to 20 participants and over 30 years of expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hémérys: Premium/luxury travel experiences offered by Intermèdes.
• Les amis d'Intermèdes
• Sentiers des Arts
• Orients

Products and services

• Circuits culturels Guided multi-day cultural tours to global destinations covering history, art, and heritage, led by expert guide-conférenciers (guides-conférenciers). Trips are organized in small affinity groups of maximum 20 people and include international flights, accommodation, most meals, entry fees, and expert-led lectures. Designed for culturally curious adult and senior travelers.
• Croisières culturelles

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LOT Polish AirlinesminorOthersPreferred airline partner for certain European routes (e.g., Warsaw connections to Baltic destinations). Flights operated on LOT Polish Airlines are referenced in specific trip itineraries.
• Air BalticminorOthersAlternative airline option mentioned for Baltic and Scandinavian routes.
• FinnairminorOthersAlternative airline option mentioned for Scandinavian routes.
• LufthansaminorOthersAlternative airline option mentioned for certain departures.
• Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)minorOthersPrimary airline for Danish and Scandinavian departures on some itineraries (e.g., Copenhagen routes).
• Air FranceminorOthersPreferred carrier for certain French departures (e.g., Paris–Copenhagen routes on Copenhagen heritage trip).
• SETO (Syndicat des Entreprises du Tour Operating)minorOthersIntermèdes is a member of the SETO, the French tour operating industry body. Membership indicates industry recognition and adherence to professional standards.
• GroupamaminorOthersGroupama provides insurance, credit, and guarantee services for Intermèdes, as indicated by the quality badge displayed on the website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kuoni: Established Swiss-headquartered premium tour operator offering curated cultural and experiential travel worldwide. Comparable on premium guided travel, but operates at significantly larger scale across a broader portfolio.
• Cox & Kings: Heritage tour operator with a long history of cultural, historical, and heritage-focused escorted tours globally. Overlaps on guided cultural itineraries and heritage discovery travel.
• Tauck: Established US-based escorted tour and cruise operator with a strong cultural-tours portfolio. Larger scale than Intermèdes and broader geographic reach, but overlapping product on guided cultural itineraries.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Global luxury travel company specializing in high-end cultural and experiential tours with expert local guides. Comparable premium positioning and curated cultural product, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Allibert Trekking: French specialist in guided trekking and cultural-discovery trips. Overlaps with Intermèdes on multi-activity packages that combine walking with cultural and historical interpretation.
• KE Adventure Travel: UK-based adventure and cultural tour operator offering guided multi-activity trips with cultural and historical components. Comparable on the guided-trip model combining activity with cultural interpretation, particularly in Europe and Asia.
• Audley Travel: UK specialist in tailor-made cultural and experiential travel with a strong emphasis on expert local guides. Comparable on the bespoke, expert-led cultural trip model serving affluent customers.
• Original Travel: UK-based bespoke cultural travel company offering expert-led itineraries to cultural destinations worldwide. Comparable model of curated, small-group, expert-guided cultural trips targeting affluent cultural travelers.
• Terres d'Aventure: Leading French adventure and cultural tour operator offering guided walking and discovery trips worldwide. Comparable on small-group guided travel to cultural destinations, with overlapping supplier relationships and French customer base.
• Voyageurs du Monde: French tour operator specializing in bespoke, expert-led cultural and nature travel for affluent Francophone travelers. Direct competitor in the French cultural-travel niche with comparable group sizes, premium pricing, and curated itineraries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-65Cq5Qi0PsMd4QVoie3Dw
• Facebookfacebook.com/intermedesvoyages
• Instagraminstagram.com/intermedes
• TikToktiktok.com/@intermedes
• Xx.com/intermedesparis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Intermedes