12 Things to do in Paris
Hi friends!
We absolutely loved our trip to Paris and everything that we did while we were there felt like checking off major bucket list items! The city itself just feels like it is straight out of a dream, it’s romantic, elegant, and just charming. Whether it’s your first time visiting, like it was for us, or you’ve been there a few times, it seems like you will always have something new to experience while you are there. Here are the things that we did that I don’t think you should miss while you are there and there are also some tips that I share, which we learned along the way on our own trip!
Happy reading!
1. Marvel at the Eiffel Tower (during the day & at night)
I feel like nothing prepared me to see the Eiffel Tower in person, like no matter how many times I had seen it in pictures, the Eiffel Tower is just breathtaking in person. We visited the Eiffel Tower during the day to see if and take in everything going on around it but we also came back at night because we didn’t want to miss seeing it sparkle at night! When you are going, make sure that you check when it is scheduled to sparkle, but when we were there, it went off every hour on the hour after it was dark out! We also didn’t go up in the Eiffel Tower, but we really didn’t feel like we missed anything so that is completely up to you if you go up for the view! If you plan to go up in it, I recommend buying your tickets online in advance to avoid the long lines!
2. Wander Through the Louvre
I don’t think I even knew what to expect when we put “visit the Louvre” on our itinerary, but it was such a fun morning wandering around seeing all of the art and history that was in just one place. We learned that it is one of the world’s largest art museums, and honestly, it was a little overwhelming at first from all of the wings and levels and names to take in! I also suggest getting a map when you walk in and maybe don’t expect to see everything inside. But if you have a few things on your list that you really want to see, start there and then see what happens as you wander the museum! Tip: I highly suggest getting a ticket beforehand online and choosing a timed-entry slot when you are picking a time online. I also suggest trying to go in the morning or later in the evening. We went in the morning and by the time we were heading out to leave, it was SUPER crowded!
One late-ish afternoon we were walking around and we walked along the Siene from near the Arc de Triomphe and walked towards the Eiffel Tower to find some dinner. We went down the stairs and walked right along the river, there were a few outdoor beer garden type things and we really enjoyed it! There was lots to see and take in! We originally wanted to hop on one of the river cruises to see the city from the water but we ran out of time so this was good enough for us! Next time though we do want to do one of the river cruises! Tip: We heard that the evening river cruises are even more beautiful because you can see the Eiffel Tower sparkle as you pass by. Most cruises are about an hour and leave from near the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame.
4. Lunch and exploring Montmartre
I don’t know what I thought I was expecting but Montmartre but it completely exceeded my expectations and was the cutest little place to explore. Montmartre feels like its own little village filled with cobblestone streets, cute shops, delicious smells, watching artists set up at Place du Tertre, and climbing up (SO MANY STEPS) to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica for one of the best views of Paris! We also found a flea market nearby which is where my mom, my sister and myself found the best souvenirs! We ate lunch at a restaurant called Le Consulat and had some really yummy tortellini while we people watched! Tip: Be prepared for steps, like you are going to prepare yourself for a certain amount of steps and then I am going to need you to double it, there were SO many! If you’d rather not walk up, there’s a funicular (cable car) that will take you from the base of the hill up to the basilica. Entry to the Sacré-Cœur is free, but there’s a small fee to climb the dome.
5. Visit a Bakery and Eat all the Baguettes
I’m not even gong to link a specific bakery because there are good ones ALLLL over the city! We had one that was near our Airbnb and we stopped there once a day if not twice a day for baguettes, chocolate croissants and other yummy desserts to try! Please do not leave Paris without trying something from at least one bakery and if I am being honest, do it on day one because you will be so thankful when you can go everyday for the rest of your trip there!
This was another spot that wasn’t originally on our “to-do” list but we were happy that we added it! Musée d’Orsay was one of my favorite museums that we went to while we were in Paris. There was so much to look at and the building itself was really interesting! We learned that the Musée d’Orsay is a former railway station and it’s just filled with incredible Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, you won’t be sad you put it on your list! Tip: The top floor has huge clock windows that you can look out of with stunning views of the city! You will also want to buy your ticket ahead of time, we bought ours while we were in Paris a few days before we wanted to go and it just made the experience much calmer than it would have been if we were to wait in line which was the alternative option.
7. Picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens
This doesn’t have to be a super elaborate activity but one afternoon we grabbed a few snacks from a local market and headed to the Luxembourg Gardens. We really just sat there, ate our snacks and people watched! It was realaxing and it really felt like we were sort of immersed into what the locals that were there were doing. Tip: The gardens were free to get into and there are a ton of chairs you can use and move around as you want! Oh and there was a playground which would be fun if you are traveling with kids!
8. Take a Day Trip to Normandy
I actually wrote a whole blog post on this day trip that we took but early on when we were planning this trip we decided that we wanted to go on a day trip to visit Normandy and some other sites outside of Paris and we were so glad that we did! You can read all about that day trip here in this blog post! We went with Viator and we really enjoyed our time!
9. Spend the Evening at a Jazz Club - On the last night we were in Paris we decided to go to the Jazz Club where La La Land was filmed and it was such a fun night! Caveau De La Huchette is an underground jazz club and you literally feel like you are in a cave but such a cool experience! We decided to go to the early show at 9:00 pm so we could go get dinner afterwards but still catch out flights the next morning and it was perfect! The drinks were yummy, the crowd was so fun and it was a bucket list item I didn't even know I needed to check off my list until we did it!
10. Visit the bookstore Shakespeare and Company
While we were in Paris we stopped at the cutest bookstore called Shakespeare and Company and we spend like an hour looking at all of the books that were in the store. There was a line to get into the bookstore and it was well worth the wait! They had so many books and the cutest merch, I got a tote bag that I use all the time! If you are into books, I definitely recommend checking out Shakespeare and Company. It was sort of near Notre Dame, so when you visit that this would be a good quick pit stop since you are already in the area!
11. Spend a Day at Disneyland Paris
Not everyone is as in love with Disney as we are but if you know us, you know that there was no way we were going to go all the way to Paris and not spend a day at Disneyland in Paris! I am working on a blog post that shares all of the details from our day at Disneyland Paris but if you are a Disney fan you absolutely have to add the park to your list of things to do in Paris, you won’t regret it!
12. Go See Notre Dame
We didn’t go in but we walked by it and it was just really neat to see it in person. It was crazy to watch the videos of the fire back in 2019 but really something you can’t miss seeing while you are visiting Paris. It is such an iconic building that it felt like we couldn't miss it after getting a second chance to be able to after it was rebuilt. Like I said, we didn’t go in but you can buy tickets to go in and see it here! From what I understand, you can go in for free and see it but you need to make a reservation for a time that you go in. If you want a tour you can also buy those tickets from this same website!
On Our List but Ran Out of Time
Catch the Sunset from the Arc de Triomphe
This was one thing that was on our must do list but didn’t get to it while we were on this trip. We had heard that everyone usually goes to the Eiffel Tower for views around sunset but we should try to see the sunset at the Arc de Triomphe! We heard the view is equally amazing because you can see the Eiffel Tower in the skyline while you are at the Arc de Triomphe! We will have to make this happen next time but there’s no reason you shouldn’t! Tip: Entry to the Arc de Triomphe is included with the Paris Museum Pass. Make sure to check when you are buying it but it was when we looked at buying the Paris Museum Pass!
We seriously had such a fun time when we were in Paris and I really think that the city of Paris is the kind of place where even the simplest moments feel special no matter what you are doing or seeing! Whether you are grabbing a coffee at a corner café, walking along the Seine after dinner or watching the city lights sparkle at night you are going to have a great time! I really think with any of these experiences that I listed as well as leaving room for your own unplanned spontaneous adventures, you will have the trip of a lifetime! If you have any questions at all I am here to answer them as best as I can, you can leave a comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can!
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