I don’t think there is anyone that cannot love Paris! Paris is well known as the city of lights, love and fashion and its monuments are famous worldwide!
Many vote Paris as their favorite city, will you be or are you already one of them? Me? I ABSOLUTELY adore it!
Let me start with 4 important things to know about Paris!
- Firstly, the Jewel of Paris: Tour Eiffel. The Eiffel Tower was built from 1887 to 1889 by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel, and it is made out of iron. My favorite part of the day is when it sparkles! This is happening every evening after dusk, for 5 minutes at the beginning of each hour. Each side of the Eiffel Tower has five thousand bulbs on it to create the sparkle effect, meaning that the tower has 20,000 in total!! As part of the City of Paris emergency energy saving plan launched in September 2022, the Eiffel Tower lights will now be switched off completely at 11.45pm every night. Angel’s tip: please note that during my visit in June that it is getting dark very late in the evening (sunset is around 22:00 pm) the only best time to observe the sparkling lights is at 23:00. (Earlier than that it is not dark enough & later the lights are switched off)
- Secondly, the River Seine. The Seine is a 777-kilometre-long river in northern France and flows for 13kms through Paris from east to west . Cutting through the very heart of Paris, the Saine passes almost below the Eiffel tower.
- Paris Subway (Métro in French, Subway/ Underground in English) is the fastest way of getting around the city, open from 05:30 am till around 1-2 am. It is really convenient! The underground system has 16 interconnected lines with so many stops and is also linked to the express train RER. There are different types of transport tickets: the single-journey called T+ Ticket which costs 1,90 euros, and the weekly or monthly travel cards: Paris Visite and Passe Navigo.
- The City of Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements in French, or otherwise administrative districts.
Here’s an overview of some famous Arrondissements of Paris:
- Paris 1 – where the Louvre is.
- Paris 5 – The Latin Quarter neighborhood.
- Paris 6 – Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood.
- Paris 7 – The Eiffel Tower District.
- Paris 8 – Where the Champs Elysées avenue is which links the iconic Arc de Triomphe with Place de la Concorde.
- Paris 9 – Where you can find Opéra Garnier .
- Paris 18 – Where amazing Montmartre is.
It is very difficult to cover all the things you can do in Paris but I will try to help you as much as I can!
I will try to explain what you can do each day, with places that are close to each other for more efficiency. If you do not have so many days available for your trip, you can skip something or squeeze the below suggestions!
HOTEL: My recommendation is to stay close to a metro station! I chose a basic hotel (Hotel Stella Etoile) close to Arc de Triomphe which was not something fancy or spectacular but it literally had a metro station right next to it, which was really handy! I would recommend to avoid areas that are far away from what is considered to be the center of Paris and choose to stay ideally somewhere between zone 1-2.
-ITINERARY-
Check below an itinerary I suggest and I actually did. If you are planning to go more days, add a day trip outside of Paris or just do more Paris things like amazing coffee shops, restaurants, parks and museums!
Day 1 // Stops :
-Coffee at Café Marly where you can have a snack as well, with the beautiful view of the Louvre pyramid. Angel’s tip: I made a reservation online and asked for a table outside.
–Louvre museum, where you need 2-3 hours at least. One of the biggest museums in the world with extraordinary paintings. and statues. Here, you can find Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa ,Virgin of the Rocks, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace…Angel’s tip: Don’t wait in the queue in front of the pyramid which is usually long. Book your tickets online at least 1-2 weeks in advance and head towards “Carrousel du Louvre”, it’s underground and usually the fastest way to the museum. When I went, I had only 2 people in front of me.
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–Palais Royal, check the garden as well.
–Jardin des Tuileries, a beautiful garden.
–Angelina for a hot chocolate /snack next to the garden mentioned above.
–Place de la Concorde, one of the major public squares in Paris famous for the Luxor Obelisk (a 3,300 year old Egyptian obelisk erected on the square in October 1836)
–Champs-Elysees Avenue, the most famous in Paris & one of the most expensive avenues in the world!
–Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile , one of the most famous monuments in Paris with an amazing view from the rooftop (many stairs to go up though) Angel’s tip: Sunset time is the best time to visit if the weather is good!
Day 2 // Stops:
-Start you day with a breakfast at Carette in Trocadero, one of the most famous cafeterias in Paris and everything so delicious.
-Visit the Tour Eiffel & Trocadero area to enjoy the fountains and the tower view but don’t miss coming back here again later as the sun in the morning doesn’t help for nice pictures.
-Pass by Pont Alexandre III, a famous bridge known as the most extravagant bridge in Paris. It has been classified as a French monument historique since 1975. Angel’s tip: You can take the metro from Trocadero to Invalides station that is close by.
–Petit Palais and Grand Palais are very beautiful. One opposite to the other – both beautiful inside. Angel’s tip: don’t miss the cafeteria at the Petit Palais in a beautiful garden.
-Walk around the Place Vendome, an aristocratic square where the famous Ritz Hotel is.
-Palais Garnier, also known as Opéra Garnier which is a 1,979-seat opera house open every day from 10am to 5pm except on days with afternoon performances and exceptional closures. It costs 14 euros for a self guided tour or a bit more with a guide (you need to book online).
–L’église de la Madeleine, a beautiful Catholic church.
–Galeries Lafayette, one of the most popular, chic and distinguished shopping centers in Paris where you can find anything that attracts every fashion and beauty enthousiast! Angel’s tip: Don’t forget to visit for free the rooftop and enjoy the view. Sunset time is amazing.
Day 3 // Stops:
-Walk on the stalls along the Seine river close to Notre Dame.
-Visit the Notre Dame cathedral, the stunning cathedral which is closed for renovations till 2024/25 after the big fire that took place a few years ago. You can admire it from outside only. 
-Admire the Sainte-Chapelle, 5 min walk from Notre Dame and really wonderful inside. Ticket was 11.5 euros.
-Stop at the Café de Flore for breakfast in Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood.
-Visit the Jardin de Luxembourg, free entrance and a wonderful garden to relax, walk, have a picnic.
–Pantheon is an impressive monument of neoclassical and Gothic architecture in the Latin quarter that was initially a church.
-Walk around the Quartier Latin neighborhood. Angel’s tip: You can have a drink in Place de la Contrescarpe
-Pass by the Rue Cremieux with the colorful houses. 
–Le Marais neighborhood is one of the most popular in Paris with the cute streets, cafeterias, shops, bars…
Day 4 // Stops:
–Musee d’Orsay, one of the most famous museums in Paris that holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, photography.
–Montmartre neighbourhood : maybe the favourite neighbourhood of many people in Paris. It is well known for its artistic history and the painters in Place du Tertre, the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur on its summit, Moulin Rouge cabaret (watch a show at night), its hidden streets and the nice bars and restaurants.
-Enjoy a cruise on the river Saine at night. A Seine river cruise is a bit touristy but very famous way to see Paris day and night. These short river cruises allow you to admire many of the highlights of the city like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, etc. as you float along the Seine River. Angel’s tip: You can book online in advance or you can find one if you go a bit earlier on the departure gate (I found one on the spot below Eiffel tower with the name Vedettes de Paris). I paid 20 euros for 1 hour. There are some that combine dinner as well and duration is 2 hours.
EXTRA
From Paris it is very easy to have some amazing day trips either within the country or other cities in countries close by.
Some examples:
- Versailles in 35 minutes by train.
- Disneyland in 30 minutes by train. Angel’s tip: The Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy train station is located right at the gates of the Disney Parks.
- Monet’s house in Giverny in 50 mnutes by train.
- Brussels in Belgium less than 1.30 hr by train.
- Rouen in Normandy in less than 1.30 hr by train.
I chose a trip to VERSAILLES and it was really great!
The most famous day trip from Paris is to the palace of Versailles. One of the most visited monuments in the world and it costs only 4 euros one way from Paris by train . Versailles is a city outside Paris, renowned worldwide for the Château de Versailles (the palace) & the gardens of Versailles, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Angel’s tip:Ask the staff in the metro for directions on how you can get there! They helped me & I arrived in 30 minutes from my hotel with the combination of trains they suggested! (Quicker & different than google)
Opening times of the palace are 09:00 am -17:30/18:30 pm depending on the season. Palace is closed on Mondays.
The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. It constitutes one of the finest achievements of French art of the 17th century.
Angel’s tip:Don’t forget to book your ticket online for the palace days/weeks in advance & be prepared for queues there. I booked the “passport ticket” which gives access to the whole estate of Versailles & the gardens – total 28,5€.(June2023)
MORE
I hope you will have plenty of days to discover more and more places! Paris has an amazing variety of shops, restaurants, bars…If only I had enough time to visit all of them! Please see below:
Other great places to visit apart from those mentioned earlier:
- La Défense which is Europe’s largest purpose-built business district and you can see the impressive “Grande Arche” there.
- The Montparnasse tower, also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, is a 210-metre office skyscraper located in the Montparnasse area of Paris with great view!
- The Grande Mosquée de Paris is located in the 5th arrondissement and is one of the largest mosques in France.
Hidden speakeasy bars in Paris you can visit:
- L’epicier
- Moonshiner
- Le syndicat
- La Mezcaleria
- Candelaria
- Lavomatic
Places to go for pastries, Croissants & hot chocolate:
- Carette
- Angelina
- Les Deux Magots
- Popelini, famous for their cream puffs. Angel’s tip: So many good flavors, don’t miss the passion fruit !
- Cafe Marly
- Cafe de Flore
- Le recrutement
Places I went for Macarons: Pierre Herme, LaDuree.
Outside Louvre museum
Museums you need to check:
- Louvre
- Petit Palais
- Musee d’Orsay
- La Conciergerie
- Musee de la Romantique
- Art Gallery 59 Rivoli
- Dior Gallery
Spots in Paris for close Eiffel tower view:
- Avenue de Camoens
- Port Debilly
- Champ de Mars
- Trocadero
- Rue de l’universite
- Avenue de New York
Restaurants with Eiffel tower view:
- Girafe Restaurant, my favorite with compulsory reservation. Angel’s tip: Reservations open 1 week in advance but nothing was available online. I managed to make one because I called many times exactly 1 week before the day I wanted.
- Les Ombres
- Chez Ming chinese
- Printemps du Gout
- Perruche
- Monsieur Bleu
- Bambini
Nice Restaurants to eat:
- Chouchou Bar Guinguette
- Le Train Bleu
- Terra. Angel’ tip: Try their meat
- Bouillon Julien
- Bouillon Chartier (no reservation possible)
- Bouillon Pigalle
- La societe
- Loulou
- Pink Mamma in Montmartre for Italian
Pink Mamma tratoria
Drinks with a view:
- 10eme Ciel rooftop bar Ephemere
- Laho rooftop
- Skybar rooftop
- Player one for movie style
- Terrass hotel
- Créatures
Trocadero square
Great view from:
- Trocadero
- Avenue de Camoens
- Port Debilly
- Champ de Mars
- Rue de l’universite
- Avenue de New York
- Sacré Coeur de Montmartre
- Galeries Lafayette rooftop
- Centre Pombidou
- Arc de Triomphe
Beautiful neighborhoods :
- Montmartre
- Le Marais
- Quartier Latin
- Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood
La Maison Rose in Montmartre