Paris truly is a city like no other. The City of Light. The City of Love. The city you should definitely visit on your next trip! When my friends and I were there, we spent 4 days exploring Paris and the nearby area. I think at least 4 days is good enough to see all the main attractions, but if you want to slow down and see more, spend a week here. You won’t run out of activities and food to eat, and honestly I could sip wine by the Seine as the Eiffel Tower lights up every night I got the chance. Therefore, check out this Paris travel guide to see how to spend your next 4 days in Paris!
Arrival
First things first, getting here. If you flew in internationally, you probably landed in CDG or maybe Orly. You can take a bus or train to get into the city center or Uber. If you’re coming from the UK like we did, you took the Eurostar under the English Channel and arrived in Gare du Nord which is the train station right in the middle of Paris. This is probably how you’ll arrive if you take trains from other countries or regions of France. Finally, if you are thinking of grabbing a budget flight in from somewhere else in Europe check which airport. The closest budget airline airport is BVA which is way outside of Paris so check that before booking. I love budget airlines but might not be worth it if you have to take a long train ride after.
City Guide
Now that you’re here, use the metro to get around town. You can take it literally anywhere to see everything I’ll include in the upcoming list. It is so convenient. I’d also like to mention how Paris neighborhoods (or arrondissements) work. Each has its own number from 1 to 20. The first starts in the city center and they spiral out clockwise. The farther out, the higher the number except Paris is actually really compact taking the metro. Some of Paris’s main attractions are listed below and their corresponding arrondissement, so you can get an idea of what might be nearby to your hotel/Airbnb. Louvre – 1, Notre Dame – 4, Eiffel Tower – 7, Arc de Triomphe – 8, Gare du Nord train station – 10, Sacre-Coeur & Montmartre – 18. Finally, look into purchasing a Paris Pass to save money visiting a lot of the major attractions!
Day 1
Today, you just arrived in Paris, so I’ll suggest some fun activities to give you a nice tour of the city. One of the coolest companies is Fat Tire Bike Tour. They provide tours of several cities across Europe and the US, but started in Paris (and, to all my Texas A&M friends, the founder was an Aggie). It is a perfect way to see the city for the first time. You’ll ride bikes around all the major attractions. We saw the Louvre, rode along the river Seine, stopped at the Eiffel Tower, and more. Our tour guide was incredible and so fun to talk to. She even gave us more recommendations of things to see in the city and restaurants to go to. The tour was around 3 hours and is such a fun way to see the city. We learned stories behind many monuments and felt like locals riding bikes along the Parisian streets.
After your bike tour, you’ll be close enough to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic. Go to a local grocery store and grab all your picnic essentials: French bread, cheeses, meats, and wine. Then, head to a spot on the lawn in front of the world’s most iconic landmark. It is such a fun place to picnic (just don’t buy wine from the people selling it there – they store that in the sewers overnight). Take in the view and enjoy! Your first day in Paris was a success!
Day 2
Get ready because today is going to be a busy one seeing all the main attractions. This is where that Paris Pass might come in handy to skip some lines and save money in the long run. First, go grab brunch and a coffee at a Parisian cafe. Next, plan your route for the day. You’ll be seeing the following places: Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame, Musee Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, and finally Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower light up at night. Plan the most efficient path depending on where you are starting and begin.
The Sainte-Chapelle feels like you are in Beauty and the Beast. It is a church filled with the most vibrant stained-glass windows everywhere. We spent 30 minutes to an hour in awe of how cool it was. Don’t miss this spot!
Obviously, Notre Dame is one of the most famous churches in the world. After the recent fire, it was blocked off around its perimeter. However, most of the outside of it still looks beautiful. Hopefully, this incredible spot can be restored soon, but it is still a must see.
While in Paris, some art museums should be on your list even if that isn’t necessarily your favorite activity. Paris has some of the most famous pieces in the world. First of these museums is Musee Orsay (the other being the Louvre but you’ll go there later). The coolest exhibit in my opinion at Orsay is the impressionist paintings. There are paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and more. There’s also this cool clock window for the insta.
The Arc de Triomphe provides some of the best views in Paris. Climb the many stairs to the top and see a 360 degree view of the entire city. Personally, I think the view is better than the top of the Eiffel Tower because here you get to see the Eiffel Tower in the view. From the top, you’ll see all the streets that branch off of the Arc including the famous Champs-Elysees.
Next, head up to theSacre-Coeur on the top of a hill in Montmartre. This church sits at the top of a hill and has more incredible views of the city. Get a crepe nearby and admire the views.
Finally, end the day at Trocadero. This plaza is, in my opinion, the best place to watch the Eiffel Tower light up at night. Time it right because every hour on the hour the Eiffel Tower sparkles for 5 minutes. Bring some snacks and wine here too as you watch!
Day 3
We’ll call today the museum day because you’re visiting Versailles and the Louvre. Pro tip: use the Rick Steves app for free downloadable walking guides so you can listen as you walk through both spots and actually know what’s going on around you. This made the experience more fun because we knew what we were looking at. Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of art and regal decor.
Versailles is located a short train ride outside of Paris and was the royal palace for the last three French kings: Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. Each of these three kings have a nickname to remember the order: the Sun King, the Fun King, and the Done King. Louis XIV (Sun King) is the longest reigning monarch of all time (as of 2020 but the Queen is only 4 years away from this title) and was named the Sun King because the world revolved around him. Louis XV (Fun King) was known for throwing many balls and parties in the palace. Finally, Louis XVI (Done King) was the last monarch of France ever before getting executed (done) by the guillotine during the French Revolution.
The palace of Versailles is the most regal thing I’ve seen. The halls are adorned with art and ooze royalty. The gardens out back are massive and could host the best game of hide and seek ever honestly. We actually rented a paddle boat and rowed ourselves around one of the ponds out in the gardens. This was kind of a surreal moment realizing we were casually paddling around the Kings of France’s backyard. Versailles now represents the French people and serves as an inside look at one of the last large dynasties of the world.
Now, head back into Paris for museum #2: the Louvre. The Louvre is the largest museum in the world with so much art that if you spent 60 seconds looking at each piece it would take anywhere from 70-100 days to see it all. With this being said, Rick Steves took us on a 2 hour quick run through of the main highlights. We saw the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa (which is smaller than I thought), Winged Victory, the album cover of Coldplay’s album Viva la Vida, and more. Spend as long or as little here and make sure to take some pictures out front by the large glass pyramids.
After a nice dinner, head back to the Seine at night for another night watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle. I know again but how many times do you get to see the Eiffel Tower… enjoy it. Also, strolling by the river at night is so peaceful.
Day 4
Today, it is your last day in the beautiful city of Paris. Make sure you reserved your tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower a few days before heading up. You’ll get to walk underneath and take the elevator up to the top for some sky-high views of the French capital. It is definitely worth it and I’d recommend taking the stairs down. You’ll literally walk down within the Eiffel Tower which is a crazy way to see this landmark.
After, go to one of the coolest restaurants you can find. We had lunch at a place owned by a winner of Top Chef (can’t remember the name sadly). This place required reservations and asked if we had any allergies. Then, our waiter proceeded to bring out three courses without telling us what we were eating until after. It was SOOOO good and so much fun to try to guess what we just ate (nothing too scary or crazy).
Finally, spend your last evening doing whatever you missed out on. We went and saw a Dermot Kennedy concert because he just so happened to be in town. You could go to Moulin Rouge or stroll by Canal Saint-Martin.
Paris is a city like no other. We met nice people and had a wonderful time. I cannot wait to go back and see more of France. All good vacations must come to an end. C’est la vie.
CW
