


Quick City Guide: What to Do in Paris
Traveling to Paris anytime soon? Well, you’ve come to the right place cause I’ve finally completed my city guide on what to do in Paris!
I’m a strong believer that Paris gets better and better each time you visit. I’ve been 3x now and each time I get a different vibe and get to experience something new. From amazing food, incredible art and architecture to some of the most romantic locations in Europe, you’re bound to have a great time!
Oh and yes, Paris is known for being the City of Love, but you will have fun if you’re a solo traveler as well. I promise!
I’ll be honest, the first time I went to Paris many years ago, I didn’t have the same experience as I have the past two times I’ve been. Everything really depends on where you stay, what you do, and of course how much culture you soak in. So if you’re going to Paris for a quick layover or a day or two, you’re in the right place. Here’s a quick city guide on what to do in Paris!


WHERE TO STAY
Luxury Boutique Hotel
Airbnb or VRBO
Hostel
I love staying in hostels, especially in big cities. Unfortunately, I haven’t stayed in a hostel in Paris. However, The Hostel Girl always has good recs for hostels in Europe…so check it out if you’re on more of a budget.


EAT & DRINK
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
Parisians typically have a light breakfast of coffee and a pastry or baguette with butter/jam fresh from the boulangerie. Don’t expect to find a traditional Parisian cafe with eggs and sausages for breakfast..although brunch spots are popping up all over the place. ?
LUNCH
Marché Bastille This is a food market and one of the best! Make sure to check the times and dates that it’s open, but there are so many great things to try!
Frenchie To Go – Go here to grab a quick sandwich during a day of sightseeing. The Reuben sandwich is incredible!
DINNER
Chez L’ami Jean – This is a more expensive spot, but they’ve got huge plates of food with creative twists on the traditional French dish.
Les Fines Gueules – Delicious dinner spot close to the Louvre.


See & Do
You could spend weeks in Paris and not see it all. Here are a few things to check off your list for your first visit!
Sandeman’s Free Walking Tour
I have an obsession over joining the Free Walking Tours of a city when I first arrive. They help me get my bearings and usually the guide has great food recommendations afterward. Sandeman’s is my favorite company to do tours in major European cities.
Eiffel Tower
Obviously a must! I went up to the top my first trip to Paris and I felt like it was very much worth it. If you’re not into that stuff, make sure to at least see it light up at night because that’s something special!
Jardin de Luxembourg
These are my favorite gardens in Paris. I come to them every chance I get! Grab a picnic of bread, cheese, meat and wine and come eat it here.
Champs-Élysées

The Louvre
The Louvre beats out every museum I’ve ever been to. It’s massive, but beautiful, and of course has the Mona Lisa among other famous artworks inside. I was even more impressed with the design of the actual museum than the artwork inside. It definitely reminded me of the book DaVinci Code if you’ve ever read it! Make sure you save a few hours for the Louvre!
Arch De Triomphe
A must see, even if from far away!
Palais Royal
The Palais Royal has gorgeous gardens and the Instagram photo opps are endless!
Musee d’ Orsay
This is a beautiful impressionist art museum in an old railway station. Think Monet, Manet, and Van Gough!
Night cruise down the Seine River
Normally I don’t like to recommend super touristy things, but the night dinner cruise I did down the Sienne was pretty magical. It’s especially great to watch the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night! I did my cruise a few years ago and don’t remember the company name, but this one has been recommended to me for day tours or champagne tours.
Montmartre District



WHERE ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES IN PARIS? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!
Ahh, you’ve captured some of my favorite places in my favorite city (other than SF, of course.)
How divine is Stohrer?! The hotel you stayed in looked great, too!
Anne recently posted…My Favorite Cities in the American South
A walking tour is indeed esential in Paris- bring an umbrella, and I like that you picked out the best of the foodie culture in Paris. I heard you can climb the Arc de Triomphe, but maybe that’s only for VIPs? Would be fun if you could!
Paris is SO beautiful! I’m moving to Paris very soon and I’m just so excited to properly explore it after my short trip there years ago. Love your photos.
Such a wonderful city. I am planning to visit Paris in the next year. Your post will be really helpful for me. Please suggest me the best time to visit this beautiful city. Thanks in advance.
I’m so glad! It’s so beautiful. 🙂 I love visiting in the summer or spring!
You know whats one thing common between us? We both are obsessed with Paris!!!!
But the difference is I haven’t been to Paris yet :'(
I so wish to visit this beautiful city
I hope you get to visit soon! It’s seriously so amazing!
Thank you so much for putting this guide together! I’m in the process of planning my time in Paris this Spring and your guide is so helpful. Definitely want to check-out the Montmartre District and love the walking tour option since I’m big on budget travel.
Of course! I’m so glad you found it useful 🙂 Yes, Montmartre district is amazinggggg!
When we do citybreaks we tend to do a LOT of walking and don’t use public transport all that much. So for us, Paris’ Metro Carnet (book of 10 tickets) is perfect. Two great things about them:
1: They don’t expire so any leftover tickets can be kept & used for the next time you visit Paris.
2: They’re 10 individual tickets so you can hand tickets to friends who’re travelling with you and you both benefit from the cheaper price per ticket.
Yes!! i love walking all around the city.