Ahh, the city of love! Heading to Paris for the Olympics or just going on vacation?! Let's dig in.
Who could not want to visit Paris? That actually was me, most of my life. I've saw so many posts about it on social media and thought.. why do I even need to go? Everyone hypes it up on social media and I've seen all I have to see. Well, I am glad to say I was wrong. I've now been to Paris twice - both in the winter and summer - and I just love it. While I haven't gotten to do all the top tourist attractions here, I am happy to share the highlights of my latest trip with my husband last summer... and it's an itinerary I would totally do again!
Typically, I would just share my Google document I made to make it easy to read/share, but a lot of the moments I'm sharing require photos for you to see what I'm talking about. Before I dig in, I want to mention the city is not all about getting those Instagram posts. Please take time to soak in and enjoy the city and learn from the culture, it'll help you appreciate Paris much more! Also, be ready to rack up a lot of steps and take the train when needed (it's easy and cheap).
Day 1
I suggest taking a flight in where you get in early in the morning. It can take a bit to get through customs, get your luggage, and get to the city from the airport (it's a big one). We stayed at the Hilton Paris Opera. This was a good location for us because the train was right there (and super easy to get around the city) and we loved the hotel! For other hotel options, click here.
After you get settled (hopefully by late morning/early afternoon), head on over to the Arc de Triomphe. You can get tickets ahead of time, but you may not need to - always check! There is a lot of history throughout the walk inside. Be prepared to climb several stairs to the top. Once at the top, you'll have a perfect view of the city and Eiffel Tower. Looking for a spot for lunch/dinner? Check out the FRAME Brasserie or one of the other top spots for meals with a view of the Eiffel Tower. After the meal, depending on your timing, you may want to go tour the Eiffel Tower and do the climb. You can wait but it's encouraged to get skip-the-line tickets via sites like Trip Advisor, Viator, etc. You can see the wait times here.
If you're feeling overly ambitious, book a Seine River cruise for the day or night, too. This is a relaxing way to see the city and enjoy a nice glass of champagne. These do book up quickly, so try to book ahead of time. I have heard people being able to get on the same day, too, though. We used Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf for ours and really enjoyed it. The picture to the left is from the cruise. We did the "1-hour 'Happy Hour' cruise on the Seine" option and really enjoyed it. It didn't take up too much time and also gave us a second to relax while still seeing all the sites. Keep an eye out for that Statue of Liberty, too!
The cruise docking area is also right near one of the best places to view the Eiffel Tower up close without going inside. If you are brave and there is no traffic, you can also jump in the street (many are doing it) to get photos right in front of it.
We were feeling brave and did this at night... traffic was nuts, so we moved REALLY fast! Make sure the person taking your photo does a couple versions in case your eyes are closed... then run to escape the traffic!
If you are still up for walking, head on over to Trocadéro to see another perfect view of the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles at night. It's also a great view to do early in the morning at sunrise. The Olympics team put together helpful information about the area, which you can read here.
Day 2
Grab a coffee and head on over to the Lourve Museum. I'm not positive if you can get tickets walking in, but we booked ours ahead of time to be safe. It's important to note there are specific booking guidelines and requirements through September 2024. Pro tip: If you want to see the Mona Lisa, go there first before exploring the rest of the museum. The line can get long and the earlier you are there, the better.
This isn't for everyone, but if you are an "Emily in Paris" fan like myself, I really enjoyed stopping at some of the places from the show. It was a good place to start from the Lourve, and work your way through the locations. We also stopped at several other notable places, like the Tomb of Napoleon, along the way following this route:
Depending on when and where you stop this route for the day and your schedule, there are lots of other places you may want to consider exploring:
Pont Alexandre III Bridge from Emily in Paris, other side of it is Pont de l'Alma where Princess Diana’s crash was
Rue Crémieux, 75012 Paris, France (colorful houses)
Catacombs (need to book tickets ahead of time)
Le Marais (district near Notre Dame)
Moulin Rouge
Rue de l’univerdite - best street view of Eiffel Tower
Musée d'Orsay
Palais Garnier
Sainte-Chapelle
Outside of Paris, but still worth seeing: Palace of Versailles
This is obviously a lot, so it's important to plan ahead and figure out all that you want to do! You may be able to squeeze in some of the things above on days one and three too, depending on your schedule.
Day 3
Montmartre, a renowned neighborhood in Paris, France, is celebrated for its artistic heritage, charming cobblestone streets, and the iconic Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. You can easily get here by train. We did a walking tour here and then walked around on our own, eventually making our way to Moulin Rouge.
Depending on what you didn't get to the days previously, try to schedule that for the afternoon. Save yourself some time to get ready for the ultimate dining experience at Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower! We did this our last night there and it was an unforgettable experience. The service, the food, the luxurious look, and the VIEW... nothing can beat it, in my opinion. We went for late dinner because I wanted to be in there for when the tower starts sparkling (keep in mind the sunset is a lot later in Paris). It's important to note you want to book this experience when you have the first chance to, which is 90 days in advance. The timing does matter, because the couple next to us wanted a window view like we had, but the hostess told them it goes by order of booking. You can view my experience by watching my TikTok video on it.
Hope you enjoyed reading this and feel prepared to head to Paris! For more travel tips, I loved using this Facebook group.
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