All About Paris
Garrett and I started the international portion of our honeymoon in Paris because 1) it was one of the cheaper cities for us to fly into, and 2) because I felt like we needed to get the whole “city of love” thing out of the way before moving on to the good stuff. Having suffered through French diction and language classes, I was just not that interested in France. But WOW was I surprised! As of now, Paris is still my favorite city we’ve visited. Everything we did was the best, and everything we ate was soooo the best. I absolutely cannot wait to go back! This itinerary is pretty packed, but it covers everything you need to see for a first trip to Paris!
To & From The Airport
We took the RER B from CGD to Paris. It was pretty simple to buy a one way ticket and get on the train. We had intended to buy the weekly metro pass at the airport, but had some logistical issues. It was all just a blur, so I can’t really speak to how to do better than us. Check out this page for some guidance.
Day 1
3pm – Check-in and get settled
Check into your hotel and get settled. We stayed in the Les Halles area.
4pm – Sacré-Cœur Basilica
From Étienne Marcel, take the Metro 4 towards Porte de Clignancourt to Barbès – Rochechouart and walk to Sacré-Cœur Basilica through the Rue Foyatier park.
The Sacré-Cœur Basilica is one of my favorite places in Paris. It’s a great way to start your trip with an absolutely stellar view of the city. Sacré-Cœur sits atop a hill on the north end of Paris. It’s pretty much an unobstructed view, as new buildings in Paris have a height limit. Approach the basilica through the Rue Foyatier park and head up the stairs, bearing toward the left side of the building. Be warned that as you cross through Rue Foyatier there will be a lot of folks trying to get your attention to sell you something, and potentially pick-pocket you. Hold tight to your bags and pockets and just keep moving through!
You’ll want to check out the basilica proper, but the real stunner is the dome. The basilica is free to enter, while the dome does charge about $7/person. Access to the Dome is outside of the Basilica on the left; There is a counter and a machine to buy a ticket to enter. Make sure to get to the ticket center well ahead of closing time – we almost missed buying our ticket, as the couple in front of us couldn’t figure out how to work the ATM.
The dome is a 300 step climb to the top, but it’s so worth it!
5:30pm – Montmartre
Walk towards the Montmartre and find a place for dinner. Just whatever place strikes your fancy! We had one of the best meals of our trip at La Cave Gourmande, a random cafe that we chose out of starvation. A bottle of wine and an order of Beef Bourguignon later, I had totally fallen in love with Paris.
After dinner, head over to the Moulin Rouge! We decided not to cough up the money to pay for the show, but we definitely took pictures outside.
Once you’ve had your fill of the Montmartre area at sunset, head home for some good sleep! Tomorrow is going to be busy!
Day 2
8am – Boulangerie Breakfast
Get breakfast at the Les Hellas Jean Noel Julien Boulangerie. Grab a wide selection of treats to-go and walk over to The Tuileries Garden, which surround The Lourve. This is a great place to pause and enjoy your breakfast before heading into one of the most famous museums in the world.
9am – The Louvre
Enter The Louvre through the giant glass pyramid in the middle of the courtyard. The Louvre has a reputation for having long lines, but we didn’t wait long at all. Aim to be heading to the entrance by 9am; you’ll want to get started as soon as they open!
The Louvre is gigantic, and this itinerary does not allow you to see every item in the museum. Expect to visit again! I strongly recommend following Rick Steve’s Louvre Museum Audio Tour. You can download it in podcast form ahead of time, and it is one of the best audio tours I’ve ever followed. You will hit all of the highlights in under two hours! After completing the tour, fill the rest of your morning with whatever exhibits interest you most. I highly recommend the royal apartments!
12:30pm – Lunch at Le Fumoir
When you get hungry (or preferably, about 20 minutes before then!) head over to Le Fumoir (or any other nearby restaurant on the east side of The Louvre) for a relaxing lunch before heading into the second half of your first full day in Paris!
After lunch, head south over the Seine to Ile de la Cite. It will take you about 20 minutes walking or via metro, so it’s up to you!
2pm – Notre Dame & Sainte Chapelle
Both of these famous religious sites are located on the Ile de la Cite, a small natural island in the Seine River. Take your time walking through the quiet Notre Dame Cathedral. The entrance is free, but there is a paid option to climb 384 steps to a viewing point at the top of the towers. My motto when traveling is that if you have a chance to climb to the top of something… do it!
While Notre Dame is all about gothic architecture, Sainte Chapelle is a different type of experience. This is some of the most beautiful stained glass in the city!
I’ve never personally used it, but you might consider following Rick Steve’s Historic Paris Walk Audio Tour as you go through this area; it covers both of these sights.
4pm – Champs-Elysees & Arc de Triomphe
From Ile de la Cite, walk north over the Seine, and catch the Metro 1 line from Hotel de Ville towards La defense. Get off at Charles de Gaulle – Étoile for a photo op near the famous Arc de Triomphe. Spend the next few hours checking out the shops in this famous shopping district as you wander east down the Champs-Elysees.
If you need a break, you can always cut this activity short and head back to your hotel before dinner. This is a long day… there is no shame in resting! Alternatively, you can hit up Musee de l’Orangerie and see Monet’s famous Water Lilies, along with several other rotating collections.
7pm – Dinner at Chez L’Ami Jean
From the Champs-Elysees – Clémenceau metro station, walk 15 minutes south to Chez L’Ami Jean for dinner. We were lucky enough to snag a reservation when we called that day during lunch, but you should probably make one ahead of time. Dinner tends to be later in Europe than in the US, so take that in to mind when thinking about when you’re going to want to eat.
We did the tasting menu, which was 5-7 courses, ending with the biggest bowl of rice pudding we had ever seen. We were so full… but we just had to finish because it was so delicious! It’s pricey, but we thought it was totally worth it for one of our splurge meals.
9pm – Eiffel Tower
After dinner, walk west to the Eiffel Tower. You’ll want to plan ahead, check out this guide to help you save time. My theory in travel is that if you can go to the top of something… do it. But, I honestly like the view from Sacré-Cœur better.
Day 3
8am – Breakfast at Angelina on Rivoli
We wanted to have a more formal French breakfast experience and a quick google search told me that Angelina’s was the place. We made an 8am reservation ahead of time for the Angelina Breakfast, and then grabbed some additional treats to go for some mid morning snacks! Go to the website, and you’ll know right away if this is up your alley. I found it a little bit over priced, but if this is the kind of think you would do back home… why not do it in Paris? If not, I would recommend another boulangerie breakfast, because you can really never have enough!
10:15am – Musée d’Orsay
Walk south across the Seine (you can walk through Tuileries Garden) to another wonderful art museum, Musee d’Orsay, with another fantastic Rick Steve’s Audio Guide. As a big fan of the Impressionists, this was a cool place to experience and develop my own taste in art. There’s also a Rodin exhibit on one of the balconies, and another sculpture exhibit downstairs.
Other highlights are the diagram of Paris embedded in a glass section of the floor, and diagrams of the Paris Opera House, which you will visit later in the day.
Musee d’Orsay is inside an old train station, so even just wandering about the building is a cool experience. Overall, while Musee d’Orsay may not have the reputation of The Louvre, it is much more manageable, and just as good of an experience. Highly recommend!
12:30 – Lunch at Palais Royal Gardens
After finishing up Musee d’Orsay, walk back across the Seine and head over to Palais Royal Gardens. On your way, or in the gardens themselves, find someplace to grab some food. There are several restaurants located at corners of the garden, or you can venture beyond for more grab and go options.
The Royal Gardens consist of the gardens themselves and the buildings that surround them. You’ll see many native Parisians enjoying their lunch along the tree-lined paths through the courtyard gardens. Take some time to take a break and enjoy the beautiful gardens!
2pm – Tour the Opera National de Paris (Palais Garnier)
The Paris Opera House is gorgeous and offers english tours at 11am and 2:30 daily. Arrive early to buy your ticket and secure your spot.
The tour lasts 90 minutes and takes you from the Members’ Rotunda, up the grand staircase, into the auditorium, the lounges and the foyers. This is a can’t miss for anyone interested in architecture, music history, or just really pretty rooms!
Opera is still performed at Palais Garnier regularly, so your tour may be altered depending on the rehearsal schedule. When we visited, we couldn’t enter the main stage area, but we did have a chance to peek in and spy on the rehearsal!
There is a gift shop at the end for souvenirs, ranging from key chains to high end costume pieces.
4pm – Take a Break!
We ended up just having a night in, but I had intended for us to go to Monsieur Bleu for dinner. It’s highly rated and on many lists of top restaurants in Paris. If you go, let us know what you think!
8pm – Dinner
We ended up just having a night in, but I had intended for us to go to Monsieur Bleu for dinner. It’s highly rated and on many lists of top restaurants in Paris. If you go, let us know what you think!
Day 4
Day four is day trip day! There are many options for day trips around Paris, but we went with Versailles, and absolutely did NOT regret it.
7am – Eric Kaysor’s To-Go
In an attempt to visit as many bakeries as possible, we started our day trip with a quick stop in at Eric Kaysor’s to grab breakfast for the hour long train to Versailles.
Walk to the Musee d’Orsay train station and take the RER C train Versailles Château-Rive Gauche. Be mindful of which direction train you’re getting on. We got a little turned around at the train station and almost got on a train going the wrong direction! Here are some more detailed instructions to help make sure you’re going the right way! Assuming you get on the right train, you’ll end up at the Versailles Château-Rive Gauche stop where you can exit the train.
9am – Versailles
From the train station, walk over to the front gates of Versailles. I recommend purchasing your ticket ahead of time online; that way you can head straight to the entrance to the left of the main gates. Once you’ve made your way through security, spend the next couple of hours wandering through the royal palace. Some highlights include: the Royal Chapel, the King’s State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and the Gallery of Great Battles.
From the main palace, head outside to the gardens. You’ll wander through the manicured lawns and ornate fountains; make sure to stock up on water for the long walk! Grab lunch at one of the cafes outside, and then head over to the Trianon Palaces or continue through the gardens.
Summary
As you can see, this is a pretty jam-packed trip! There are a couple of periods for breaks, but it really is go go go! While we moved right on to Rome after this trip, I would recommend paring this itinerary with a trip down to southern France for a more relaxing few days in the wineries.
Overall, I can’t wait to go back to Paris. I was not expecting it, but it really has become my favorite European city, and I’m so excited to just eat more of everything they have to offer! What were your favorite spots in Paris?
**Featured image by Chris Karidis
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