Paris!!! Last month I visited Paris for this first time. Ahead of my trip I did so much research and planning, one piece of advice I got from a lot of people was, “don’t try to see it all in one trip.” It is so true! There is so much to see and do in Paris you will have to go back and visit again. Below is my beginners guide to Paris along with my 5 day itinerary. I ranked the activities by priority, there are different levels of activities, pick 1-3 per day, depending on if you want to pack each day full or have a relaxed day that leaves plenty of time for just strolling the streets of Paris.
Day 1 – Arrival
Try and book your flight so you are arriving in the morning or early afternoon. When you land grab a cab and head to your hotel to check in. I was staying with my friend’s family when I went but there are literally thousands of great hotels in Paris. When you’re deciding where to stay consider the activities you want to do most, do you want to shop a lot? Consider being closer to Champs Elysees, also close to the Arc de Triomphe. Paris neighborhoods are split up into “Arrondissements” research each one and determine what is the best fit for you!
Get settled into your hotel, shower, change, and head out to explore. The first day in any new location I like to get to know the immediate area surrounding my hotel. Find a cute cafe, a cool bar, some local shops etc. For my trip I bought a Paris Pass, I cannot recommend it enough, the pass gets you into so many attractions and museums and saves you time not having to waiting in line for tickets or needing to pay for entrance everywhere you go.
For your first night in Paris book a River Cruise on the Seine! There is a great option through the Paris Pass, but there are tons of options for a River Cruise, check out Viator for different options. The night cruise will take you by some of the most famous sites in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.
After your river cruise head back to the hotel and get a good night sleep because your second day in Paris will be packed!
Day 2 – The Major Sites
- Palais Royal
- Tuileries Garden
- Orangerie Museum
- Orsay Museum
- Sainte-Chapelle
For your first full day in Paris, be sure to get up early and grab some croissants and a coffee at a Parisian cafe. There are literally cafes on every corner so pick one close to your hotel! Like I said you can be as ambitious or as relaxed as you want with your visit to Paris. There is no way you will see everything in one trip so I recommend picking 1-3 attractions to see a day.
Start the day at the Palais Royal a former royal palace located in the 1st arrondissement. Walk around and take some photos and from there walk through the Tuileries Gardens to reach your first attraction, the Orangerie Museum. Included in the Paris Pass, make sure to make your reservations ahead of time, or buy your tickets directly for about €9.00. Budget 2-3 hours for the museum, if you only have one attraction in you for the day that’s great! Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling the Seine, popping in and out of cafes and sipping wine.
If you want to do 2 attractions head to the Orsay Museum. Again you can book through the Paris Pass or entry is €16.00. The train station turned museum is one of the must visit in Paris. Give yourself up to 3 hours to explore the museum. If you’re attraction-ed out at this point you know the deal, go find yourself some lunch and a glass of wine!
If you want to be really aggressive and fit in one more attraction, walk along the Seine until you reach the Sainte-Chapelle. This stunning church was one of my favorite sites in Paris. The floor to ceiling stained glass window is truly breathtaking. Use your Paris Pass or book tickets for €10.00. You visit should only take 30 minutes to an hour so it’s pretty easy to squeeze in at the end of the day. You can also choose to skip one of the museums and do the Sainte-Chapelle second.
Have a relaxed dinner! During your first visit to Paris don’t stress about getting into all the famous restaurants, pick a few solid places and go from there.
Day 3 – Versailles
I’ll be honestly we didn’t have time to visit Versailles on my trip, but I wish I had been organized enough to go on my first trip to Paris! If Versaille isn’t for you, don’t worry! If you’re not doing all three attractions on Day 2 do the ones you skipped on Day 3.
Make your reservations as soon as possible, buy a “passport” ticket so you can have entrance to the Palace, all the temporary exhibits, Trianon Estate, and the gardens. The Palace opens at 9AM, I recommend getting there early so you have plenty of time to explore.
The easiest way to get to Versailles is by train. Take the RER C train to Chateau rive Gauche train station at Versailles. There are several dining options at Versailles, shopping, and depending on the time of year you visit there are bikes and row boats you can rent to explore the property!
Once you’re done with Versaille head back to Paris. Head to the Latin Quarter, this neighborhood is a must visit. The Latin Quarter is home to the Sorbonne University and student-filled cafes. It’s also famed for its bookshops, including the landmark Shakespeare & Company. Plenty of reasonably priced cafes and restaurants, or if you want to splurge there is La Tour d’Argent, a Michelin Star restaurant with amazing French food and views of Notre Dame. More dinner options here.
Day 4 – The Right Bank
- The Louvre
- Champs-Elysees
- Arc de Triomphe
- Moulin Rouge
I got a lot of mixed feedback on the Louvre. Some people said to skip it, other said it was a must visit during your first trip to Paris. Here’s where I came down, if it is your first time in Paris, make time for the Louvre. There are so many famous pieces of art that I’ve read about, seen in movies, and to see them all in person was really special.
My experience at the Louvre was probably not the typical tourist experience. I was in Paris the week of New Years, so while a holiday it was winter and the city was as a whole less crowded. I was also there at the height of panic around the Omicron variant. All week we heard about people who needed to cancel their flights because they couldn’t get the required covid tests in time to travel. So for me, the Louvre was quiet and not at all crowded. We only waited in line for about 5 minutes to see the Mona Lisa! We did a self guided tour and it took us about 3.5 hours to see all the exhibits we wanted to.
Once you’re done at the Louvre head to the Champs-Elysees. Even if shopping at luxury shops isn’t in the budget it is worth seeing! We were there right after Christmas so we got to see so many stunning holiday displays. Find a cafe and grab lunch while you people watch. Champs-Elysees was probably the best people watching I’ve done in years.
If you have one more activity in you head to the end of Champs-Elysees where you will find the Arc de Triomphe. I skipped going up the Eiffel Tower, but do not skip going up the Arc de Triomphe. By the time we went to the Arc I had seen it and driven past it several times, but to walk under it was breathtaking. The Arc de Triomphe is included in your Paris Pass, if you’re not doing the Paris Pass make sure you buy your tickets online ahead of time. This will save you a lot of time waiting in line. The line for the elevator will be long, or you can opt for the shorter line and take the stairs, 284 steps!
For your last night in Paris, book tickets to Moulin Rouge. Like with most attractions in Paris, book your tickets as far in advance as you can. There is the Dinner and Show at 7PM or there is just the show at 9PM or 11PM. Moulin Rouge has a “smart dress” dress code, so no flip flops, shorts, or ripped jeans. Get dressed up a little, its your last night in Paris!
Day 5 – Au revoir
Depending on the time of your flight you may want to fit in a few more Paris attractions. You’ve seen and done so much already so don’t fret if you just grab one last croissant and head to the airport. But if you have some time here are the attractions I would make time for:
- The Panthéon
- The Army Museum
- Paris Opera House
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
I honestly had a lot of fun on our hop on hop off bus tour. If the weather is nice I’d do that. It is a great way to get one last look at the city and maybe learn some of the history of site you didn’t get to visit.
A Note on Covid Travel
I did so much research ahead of my trip about the various restrictions in place and I honestly think I stressed way more than was necessary. Make sure you look into any covid restrictions in place if you are connecting through another country. I had a layover in Iceland and needed to fill out a form stating that I was not going to leave the airport.
Entering France I needed proof of vaccination and a negative covid test within 48 hours of my flight. I booked a test about a week ahead of time at one of the Boston CVS testing sites. It was free and I got my results back about an hour later. Once check-in for my flight opened I had the option to upload my covid documents before arriving at the airport. I highly recommend doing this if your airline gives you the option. By providing my covid documents ahead of time I was able to download my boarding pass before I got to the airport and was able to skip the crazy long check in line.
Leaving France, the new rules for re-entering the U.S. had just gone into place right before my trip. Getting a covid test in France was relatively easy. There are testing sites set up all over the city; or you can walk into any pharmacy and they will be able to direct you to a nearby testing site. You will scan a QR code at the testing site and fill out a contact form. Once your test results are ready they will send you an email. The test cost about €30. Same deal once I got my results I uploaded the documents to my airline.
If you have access to a printer, check if your hotel has a business center, I highly recommend printing your test results and bringing them with you. What if the airline didn’t get the upload or my phone died and I couldn’t pull them up? Trust me having the print out gave me so much peace of mind.
Paris, like many major cities, is using a vaccine passport. My research said that I needed to have my CDC vaccine card converted to a vaccine passport. However, I didn’t do this, and no one declined my CDC card at the major attractions. That’s not to say some attractions or certain security cards wouldn’t turn me away. I got lucky and everyone accepted it, so do with that information what you will.
All and all I felt very safe traveling. People wore masks indoor and at all major tourist attractions. The city felt less crowded than I was expecting, probably due to covid travel restrictions. If you have questions or concerns about traveling to France please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @katiefromboston.
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