Bonjour! Crisp autumn air, wrapped in a blanket at an outdoor café, fresh flaky croissant and a hot chocolate… Yes, this is the epitome of Paris in late September. Oh, and let’s not forget the Eiffel Tower sparkling in lights.
Now, I have to be honest Paris let alone France was never really on my travel list because well you know… the French don’t have the nicest reputation in regard to liking Americans let alone anyone but the French. I also sort of envisioned it as another dirty New York City (not that I don’t love me a day in NYC) but was I ready to vacation somewhere that I already had these negative thoughts? Well let me tell you I was wrong; Paris is just as charming and romantic as people truly make it sound.
The people were surprisingly very friendly and accommodating, the buildings and architecture were just as beautiful as you see in the movies, and the food well… Let’s just say a piece of heaven!
I spent four full days in Paris and focused on different neighborhoods each day to really be able to say I took in all Paris had to offer. This blog will help point out the main things worth seeing as well as the favorite spots to eat.
Things To Do in Paris
Visit the Eiffel Tower…during daylight and at night! We planned our day to get over and see it around 5-6pm while the sun was still out and then grabbed dinner nearby so we could go back after and see it lit up at night. Every hour on the hour once it is dark it will sparkle for five minutes, and this should not be missed! I thought it was impressive during the day but absolutely magical at nighttime! We opted to not climb it as I was hoping to climb the Arc de Triomphe to have the Eiffel Tower in view but if you’re not afraid of some stairs you can go to the second level lookout.
Visit the Arc de Triomphe located at the west end of Champs Elysees (famous designer shopping street). This is one of the more famous/well known monuments in Paris and is def worth seeing. I thought it was much larger in person then I expected. I had hoped to climb it to get the beautiful view of Champs-Elysees with the Eiffel Tower in the distance, but the workers were on strike so no such luck!
Visit Notre-Dame de Paris…from the outside. As everyone knows there was a tragic fire in 2019 and the cathedral can no longer be visited inside while reconstruction continues but it’s still great to see the architecture from the outside and there are even information boards describing the cathedral and the damage that occurred. The front of the cathedral has a cute little square where people gather to admire, relax, play with their kids and listen to locals play music.
Visit the Louvre Museum and Louvre Pyramid. The exterior of the louvre is more than impressive. I didn’t realize just how big this museum was but now I can understand how people can get lost in here for a day. The museum itself has multiple wings featuring paintings, statues, old artifacts and the one and only lady…Mona Lisa! We took this as a tour because we aren’t art connoisseurs, so we thought it best to have someone point out the most famous works of art. If you don’t want to book a tour, I do recommend booking tickets and advance and downloading the Rick Steve’s app as I’m sure it would be great (I’ve used it in Italy prior).
Stop by the Palais Garnier which is the “old opera house.” We paid to simply access the building and admire the beauty of the building, including the lobby, theater, balcony and ballroom while also getting to see displays of costumes from prior performances. The opera house is still in use, and you can book a show to attend too!
Walk across the Pont Alexandre III bridge. The bridge is the most ornate and brilliantly decorated in Paris which crosses the Seine River.
Roam the quaint streets of a Montmartre. This charming neighborhood is located on the large hill overlooking Paris. It is known for being the artsy neighborhood, once home to famous painters such a Picasso and Van Gogh and the origin to cabaret with Moulin Rouge still operating today. If history isn’t quite your thing you can admire some spots used in the Netflix Show “Emily in Paris” such as La Maison Rose where Emily and Mindy met for a drink. Clearly, I took in all of the above through a tour I booked with Babylon Tours. Our tour guide was Francois and he was AMAZING!! So much energy, enthusiasm and knowledge to the area that I’d definitely book this tour and request him again.
While in Montmartre, stop by and visit Sacre Coeur or at least the views of the city that can be seen from the steps.
Visit the Palais Royal and Gardens. I was so happy we happen to stumble upon the Palais. It was on my list in the back of my head, but I had somewhat forgot about it. The courtyard of honor was my favorite spot because it was so unique with an installation of columns designed in black and white stripes. Fun spot to take a pic!
Walk around Le Marais. We stayed in this neighborhood because I heard it was a great location (if you didn’t mind walking), had plenty of shopping, cute cafes, restaurants and bars. I definitely recommend time just wandering around these cobblestone streets and popping in and out of shops and cafes. For those into exploring the history of the neighborhood, this is home to the Jewish quarter so be sure to explore.