Paris is a city of art, fashion, food, and culture. The broad boulevards and the River Seine crisscrossing the city landscape make the City of Paris very majestic and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
With a lot to see and do, deciding what to include and what to leave out of your travel itinerary can be tricky. Follow my 3-day itinerary as a guide to get the best out of your first trip to Paris.
DAY 1
Arc de Triomphe
Start the day right with breakfast at a Parisian cafe like a true french. After breakfast head to the Arc de Triomphe, one of Paris’s most famous monuments and photo-op spots. Act like a runway star and capture your iconic photo in the walkway in the middle of the road.
If you want to enhance your experience and see fantastic city views, you can climb 284 steps to reach the top of the monument laying your eyes on epic city views. If you would like to go up but don’t fancy walking up 284 steps, you can take the lift to the attic room, then climb 46 steps to reach the top.
Ticket cost €13
Tickets can be purchased directly from the website and presented on your phone.
https://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en/
Near the Arc de Triomphe, there is a shopping street called Champs Elysees. Here you will find many designer and high street stores, so take a slow stroll and enjoy some shopping.
Picnic in-front of the Eiffel Tower
After shopping, you will be hungry and ready for lunch. Head to Marche des Enfants-Rouge to pick up some food and wine for a picnic in the Eiffel tower gardens. The garden is free to enter and has beautiful views. You can snap your daytime Eiffel Tower photo or even climb it.
Optional: Climb The Eiffel Tower
I love experiences, so I opted to climb the Eiffel Tower while in Paris. Not every day can you say I climbed the Eiffel Tower, is it? A lift is available if you want to go up to the top but not climb up the stairs. If you walk up like me, you will climb a total of 674 steps to the second floor. You can take the lift from the second floor to the top floor access, as the stairs past the second floor are not open to the public. You can enjoy views on either floor access and just take in the city view.
Climb The Eiffel Tower
Ticket cost € 17.10-second floor access
Ticket cost €26.80- Top floor access
In the evening, you can enjoy the immersive art museum L’Atelier des Lumières. Spotted in the series Emily in Paris, the L’Atelier de Lumieres is a unique art center presenting classic pieces in immersive music video and video accompanied exhibitions.
Time slots are 45-minutes, and depending on the exhibition, tickets can range from €26-€35.
If the museum doesn’t catch your fancy, then head straight to dinner or have a late picnic into the sunset at the Place du Trocadero Eiffel Tower gardens. You can watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle giving the perfect ending to your first day in the city. The Eiffel Tower sparkles for 5 minutes on the hour leading up to 11.45pm when the lights are turned off. Depending on your hotel choice, you may even be able to watch the sparkle from the comfort of your hotel room.
DAY 2
Le Marais
Start the day with a coffee and pastry at La Favorite, a cute little pink coffee shop, before taking a self-guided food tour on Le Marais. Le Marais is a fashionable neighborhood filled with hip boutiques, galleries, bars, and numerous restaurants. You can find all types of local and international food, tasting sweet and savory delicacies worldwide so take yourself on a self-guided food tour around the area.
Also if you are interested in books, stop along the way to visit the famous Shakespeare bookstore.
Louvre Museum
In the late afternoon, head to the Louvre Museum. The Louvre Museum is the world’s most-visited museum and a historic landmark in Paris. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the Mona Lisa.
Take photos outside or go inside and see the famous Mona Lisa Painting. If you are in Paris on the first Sunday of the calendar month you can enter the Louvre for free. Visitors ages 18-25 in the EU can also enter free any day with a valid form of ID.
Ticket Cost if you do not qualify for the above.
€17 Admission
Seine River Cruise
Round up your evening with one of the most memorable ways to view the city skyline. The Seine River Dinner cruise. You will enjoy iconic landmarks lit up at night while you eat and drink on a dinner package.
Seine River Cruises range from €17 to €128 depending on the experience package and the time of day you choose.
DAY 3
Basilica Sacre-Coeur
Find a brunch spot, then hop on down to the Basilica Sacré-Coeur. The Sacré-Coeur Paris is one of the most famous buildings in the French capital. It is located on the top of the hill of Montmartre, in the 18th Arrondissement, and is free to enter. However, to access the Dome, it costs €8
This location is also a great picnic spot, so pick up some local food and wine from a Marche and enjoy lunch with a view. Or if you fancy having a culinary experience in the afternoon, you can enjoy a wine tasting experience in the city or baguette baking at the award winning Mahmoud bakery in 14th district.
Moulin Rouge Cabaret
Enjoy an evening of breathtaking acts, feathers, and sequins at the world’s most famous Moulin Rouge Cabaret. With more than 130 years of history, this is a show to be noticed in the city where it started. Tickets range from €87-€185, including dinner, so if this is not in the budget, you can enjoy taking photos outside.
3 DAYS IN PARIS ITINERARY RECAP
DAY 1
- Arc de Triomphe – Photo op in front of one of the most iconic spots in Paris
- Champs-Elysees Street for shopping
- Picnic in Eiffel Tower Garden
- Optional: Climb Eiffel Tower
- Immersive Art Museum
- Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle
DAY 2
- Breakfast at a Parisian Cafe
- Self-guided or guided food tour on Le Marais Street
- Optional: Shakespeare bookstore
- Louvre Museum (Mona Lisa Painting)
- Seine Dinner Cruise
DAY 3
- Brunch
- Basilica Sacre-Coeur
- Love Wall
- Optional culinary experience: Wine tasting or baguette baking
- Optional: Moulin Rouge Cabaret:
GETTING AROUND
Walking is the cheapest way to get around the city, but if you are not walking, Paris has a very efficient Metro and bus service to get you from point A to point B. You can purchase a 3-day metro pass from the airport or the metro station. Prefer a more tourist experience? You can buy a hop on hop off bus ticket, and site see around the city hopping on and off the bus. Taxis and Ubers are other options; however, these can add up costs
THE PARIS PASS
If you plan on visiting many sites and museums during your stay, you may be interested in getting the Paris Pass or the Paris Museum Pass to save on costs during your visit.
THE FOOD SCENE
Paris is home to many restaurants and eateries, from street food to fine dining. The world is your oyster when it comes to dining options.
ON A BUDGET?
Marché’s are great for food lovers on a budget. At marché’s will find everything from fresh fruit, nuts olives, breads, cheese’s, meats, juices and wines. Some even offer cooked dishes you can pick up for a picnic.
Marché Des Enfants-Rouges
Open Tuesday-Saturday 8.30am-8.30pm Sunday 8.30-5pm Closed on Mondays
Vibrant Enfants-Rouges is known for its 17th-century covered market, a maze of stalls selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and multicultural eateries with standing and seating options.
Marché Grenelle:
Open Wednesdays & Sundays 7am-2.30pm
Best selection of pre-made hot foods
NIGHT LIFE
Paris is full of wine and cocktail bars across the city, so you will have plenty of choices. If you fancy experiencing something different why not try out the Gatsby Bar or one of the secret bars below.
Gatsby Bar
Classic cocktails, gin & finger foods in a sleek bar with a 1920s theme & a vaulted brick cellar. A 13-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower.
SECRET BARS
BaraNaann
BaraNaan Street food & cocktail bar serves spicy, fruity cocktails paired with Indian-inspired sharing plates.
Lovomatic
Pulling a dryer at the bottom of the room opens a door that leads you directly to Lavomatic, a small cozy cocktail bar nestled above in a small cozy apartment.
CONCLUSION
Paris has a lot to offer, from famous monuments to iconic buildings, good food, and wine. If you are on a budget, you can enjoy picnics under the Eiffel Tower and take advantage of marches and free walking tours. However, if you have a bigger budget, you can enjoy experiences such as climbing the Arc de Triomphe for city views and enjoying the world-famous Moulin Rouge Cabaret.
Also, if you plan on visiting many sites and museums during your stay, you may be interested in getting the Paris Pass or the Paris Museum Pass to save on costs.
Additional Info
Language: French
Currency: Euro
Country Entry Requirements https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements
How To Get There
There are a few ways you can get to Paris. On my two visits to Paris I went via coach on the Eurotunnel but you can choose from the three options below.
Flight: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
EuroStar
Eurotunnel
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