The summer that I turned 13 years old, I went on my first trip to Europe with my parents. We spent a week in the mother of all European destinations, Paris, France. I can’t begin to explain how obsessed I have been with Paris ever since. As a young girl, the city was absolutely magical to me, filled with beautiful places, people, food, and culture. It truly felt like I was in a Disney movie! I also loved learning about one of France’s most famous monarchs, Queen Marie Antoinette – I think I lived at Versailles in a past life.
Hope you enjoy this week-long Paris itinerary!
DAY 1
Eiffel Tower
The second that you touch down in Paris (especially for the first time), you’ll be itching to visit the Eiffel Tower. Walk or take the elevator to the top and marvel at the views of the city. When you head back down, spend some time relaxing on the grassy area, the Champ de Mars. This is the perfect spot for your first picnic in Paris at anytime of the day!
More info on visiting the Eiffel Tower: https://www.toureiffel.paris/en
Pont Alexandre III
Walk along the Seine river and cross the beautiful Pont Alexandre III. This bridge was built in 1900 and is lined with Art Nouveau lamps.
Champs-Élysées
You will arrive at one end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the most well-known shopping streets in the world. Take your time walking along the avenue toward the Arc de Triomphe.
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris’ most famous landmarks and a great place to end your first night. Climb to the top for beautiful views at sunset.
More info on visiting the Arc de Triomphe: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71396/Arc-de-Triomphe
DAY 2
Pont Saint-Michel
Take another one of Paris’ beautiful bridges over to the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine home to Notre-Dame.
Notre-Dame
The oldest and most visited landmark in Paris, this medieval Catholic cathedral was completed around 1260. Notre Dame has one of the largest organs in the world, huge church bells and beautiful stained glass rose windows. It was the site of Napoleon Bonaparte’s coronation and the subject of Victor Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. A tour of Notre-Dame includes the Treasury, the Crypt and the Towers where you can see the famous gargoyles.
More info on visiting Notre Dame: https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/visites-2/
*Note: Notre-Dame is closed as of April 2019 for 5-6 years.
Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie
Sainte-Chapelle is a royal Gothic chapel next to Notre-Dame on the Île de la Cité. It has one of the most extensive stained glass collections in the world.
More info on visiting Sainte-Chapelle: http://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en/
The Conciergerie was used as a prison and famously housed hundreds of prisoners during the French Revolution before they were executed by guillotine, including Marie Antoinette.
More info on visiting the Conciergerie: http://www.paris-conciergerie.fr/en/
Pont Neuf
Take this bridge to the north side of the Seine. Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge that crosses the river.
Hôtel de Ville
Walk along the Seine towards the beautiful Hôtel de Ville. The building has housed the city’s administration and mayor since 1357.
Place des Vosges
Continuing further east will bring you to the Place des Vosges. This is the oldest square in Paris and was known as a fashionable and expensive place to live in the past. You can find Victor Hugo’s former home here.
Boat cruise on the Seine
A great night time activity in Paris is to hop on a boat cruise along the Seine. Some even include dinner and drinks.
DAY 3
Pont des Arts
Before heading to the Louvre Museum, cross (or admire, depending on which side of the river you are coming from) the Pont des Arts. This bridge, built in the early 1800s under the reign of Napoleon, is now filled with love locks.
Louvre Museum
Time to visit the largest and most visited art museum in the world. The Louvre was originally a castle, and then a palace. When King Louis XIV moved the court to Versailles, the Louvre was used to display the royal collection. During the French Revolution, it was decided that the Louvre would be turned into a museum to display France’s masterpieces and it opened in 1793. People around the world flock to the museum to see Leonardo DiVinci’s Mona Lisa, but there are hundreds of other well-known and interesting works on display.
More info on visiting the Louvre Museum: https://www.louvre.fr/en
Domaine National du Palais-Royal
Beside the Louvre is a formal royal palace, the Palais-Royal. Take a walk around the courtyard and gardens, famous for the 260 black and white striped columns called the Colonnes de Buren.
Jardins des Tuileries
West of the Louvre is the Tuileries Garden, created by Catherine de Medici in 1564. It was the garden of the Tuileries Palace, where King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette and their children were held captive for two years after they were forced to leave Versailles. The Tuileries Palace was intentionally destroyed in 1871.
Place de la Concorde
Continue west to the Place de la Concorde, a major square in Paris known for being the site of many public executions during the French Revolution, including the execution of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The square is now famous for a 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk and beautiful fountains.
Grand Palais
A little further west is the Grand Palais, an exhibition hall and museum complex that was built for the Universal Exposition of 1900. It’s a beautiful building with impressive glass ceilings, not to be missed.
DAY 4
Day trip to the Palace of Versailles
If you need a break from the city and are interested in a day trip, a visit to Versailles is the most popular choice. Visiting Versailles was one of my favourite parts of my trip to Paris. The entire palace complex is jaw-dropping, as well as the stories that come along with it.
Formerly a hunting lodge, King Louis XIII transformed Versailles into a chateau. Louis XIII’s son, King Louis XIV expanded the chateau into the grand palace that you see today. He also hired André Le Nôtre to create the most magnificent gardens in Europe. Queen Marie Antoinette made significant changes to the interior and added her own theatre and a Hamlet, a collection of buildings modeled after a rural French hamlet where the Queen and her friends could pretend to be peasants and escape court life. In 1789 the people of Paris stormed the palace and forced the royal family to move to Paris. They were the last monarchs to live at Versailles.
You will not be disappointed with a tour of the palace. There are several ticket options as well as private tours available. Don’t miss the gardens, the Grand and Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet (my favourite spot).
More info on visiting Versailles: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/
Eiffel Tower at night
A trip to Versailles will take an entire day. If you haven’t seen the Eiffel Tower light up at night yet, head over there and admire the sparkling landmark.
DAY 5
Palais Garnier
This gorgeous opera house built completed in 1875 is one of my favourite spots in the city. It has been called the most famous opera house in the world and was the setting for The Phantom of the Opera.
More info on visiting the Palais Garnier: https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/palais-garnier
Galeries Lafayette
Another beautiful spot that you cannot miss is the Galeries Lafayette flagship store. This massive department store has a beautiful glass-domed ceiling with a panoramic view of the city.
Moulin Rouge
An infamous cabaret and symbol of Paris from the Belle Epoque. The original house was opened in 1889 but burnt down in 1915. During its early success, the Moulin Rouge was known for champagne-filled parties and famous dancers performing the can-can. The Moulin Rouge was rebuilt ten years later and still puts on dinner performances.
More info on visiting Moulin Rouge: http://www.moulinrouge.fr/?lang=en
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
Another one of my favourite spots, this Roman Catholic church in the Montmartre neighbourhood sits atop the highest point of the city. Spend some time in the grassy Square Louise-Michel in front of the church as well.
More info on visiting the Sacré-Cœur Basilica: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/
Place du Tertre
Just west of Sacré-Cœur is the Place du Tertre, a square where the artists of Montmartre would hang out. To this day, artists set up easels in the square every day. It is quite a site to see!
Montmartre Cemetery
Head further west to the Montmartre Cemetery. This cemetery was built in a quarry that was used as a mass grave during the French Revolution. Many well-known Montmartre artists are buried here, such as Alexandre Dumas, Hector Berlioz and Dalida.
More info on visiting Montmartre Cemetery: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71184/Cimetiere-de-Montmartre
DAY 6
Église de Saint Germain des Prés
The oldest church in Paris, located in the Latin Quarter. Formerly an abbey built in the 6th century, this beautiful Romanesque church is all that remains.
More info on visiting Église de Saint Germain des Prés: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71307/Eglise-Saint-Germain-des-Pres
Fontaine Saint-Michel
Head east to the Fontaine Saint-Michel, a beautiful and monumental fountain constructed in 1860.
Luxembourg Palace and Gardens
Just south are the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, completed in 1645 as a residence for Marie de Medici, the widow of King Louis IV. The palace is now used as a meeting spot for the French Senate. The gardens are beautiful and a popular spot to visit.
Panthéon
East of the Luxembourg Gardens is the Panthéon, modelled after the Pantheon in Rome. The Panthéon was built as a church but now serves as a mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens, such as Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Marie Curie and Louis Braille. You can also climb to the top of the Panthéon with a guide for great views of the city.
More info on visiting the Panthéon: http://www.paris-pantheon.fr/en/
Paris Catacombs
A visit to the Catacombs of Paris would be so fun…if you dare. In the late 1700s, Paris’ cemeteries were overflowing. Every night, remains of more than six million people from different cemeteries around the city were transferred to a mine shaft, which we now call the Paris Catacombs. Tours of the catacombs are available.
More info on visiting the Catacombs of Paris: http://catacombes.paris.fr/en
DAY 7
Père Lachaise Cemetery
The largest cemetery in Paris and the most visited necropolis (a cemetery with elaborate tombs) in the world. Napoleon Bonaparte had the cemetery opened in 1804 and had the uneven paths lined with trees and plants. However, many people found the cemetery to be too far from the city so it attracted very few burials. As a marketing strategy (yes, even cemeteries have marketing strategies), the remains of a handful of famous Parisians were moved to Père Lachaise. The strategy worked and the number of burials grew exponentially over time. Today there are over 1 million people buried there, including Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and Frederic Chopin.
More info on visiting Père Lachaise Cemetery: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71470/Cimetiere-du-Pere-Lachaise
Parc de Belleville
Spend the rest of your last day in the less touristy, beautiful parks of Paris. Parc de Belleville is the highest park in Paris with a terrace providing panoramic views of the city.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Just north of the Parc de Belleville is the gorgeous Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. From the 13th century until 1760, this is where the bodies of hanged criminals were displayed after their executions. The most famous feature of the park is the Temple de la Sibylle, which sits atop the Île de la Belvédère, a rocky island with steep cliffs made from a former quarry. There are also waterfalls, a grotto and over 47 types of plants and trees in the park.
I hope you enjoyed this itinerary for a perfect week in Paris!
