Paris…. One of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. A city where you will never run out of cafes to eat at, museums to visit and landmarks to see. I’ve been to Paris several times and honestly, I get more and more excited each time. In this Paris travel guide, I will share with you the perfect four-day itinerary on what to do, monuments to see, restaurants to try and more! If you are interested in a day-by-day itinerary for your upcoming Paris travel- keep reading! If you are just looking for some restaurant / café recommendations- you will find that by going to the table of contents.
Table of Contents:
The first day in Paris should be dedicated to seeing all the top attractions the city has to offer! Start your day off at the most famous cafe in Paris, Cafe de Flore. They do not take reservations, but you typically don’t have to wait for too long as they have many tables. If you can, I suggest sitting outside while enjoying your breakfast. It’s a great spot for people watching and you may even spot some celebrities!
After breakfast, you’ll make your way to the Eiffel Tower. If you’re up for a long, leisurely walk, you can reach the Eiffel Tower in about 40-45 minutes. Otherwise, you can jump on the metro or order an Uber. Once you’ve arrived, be sure to check out the street Rue de Universite. It’s a great spot for photos with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Something to keep in mind is that this street can get pretty busy, so it’s best to go in the morning. I actually preferred coming at sunrise, before breakfast, to avoid having people and parked cars in the background.
From the Eiffel Tower, you’ll head to Place du Trocadero in just 10-12 minutes on foot. Place du Trocadero is a public plaza with beautiful water fountains and a jaw dropping view of the Eiffel Tower. Once you’ve walked around this plaza and taken some photos, another great spot for pictures is Avenue Cameons. This is just around the corner from Trocadero.
Now that you’ve seen some of the best spots in Paris of the Eiffel Tower, you’ll head to the beautiful Arc de Triomphe monument. You can arrive here in just 18-20 minutes on foot, or hop on the metro or bus of course. If you are interested in going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, I suggest buying your tickets ahead of time. From the top, you will have a beautiful view of the city.
For lunch, there are so many great restaurants and cafes nearby. I suggest checking out Sir Winston Churchhill. It is just a 4-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe.
No trip to Paris would be complete without shopping or at least walking along the famous street Champs Elysées. Champs Elysées starts at the Arc de Triomphe, so after lunch you’ll already be in the area. You’ll find several cafes, high-end shops, department stores, and so much more. The famous department store, Galeries Lafayette and the Louis Vuitton flagship store are both in this area, so I definitely recommend stopping in!
While in this area, be sure to enjoy some macaroons from the famous Macaroon shop Ladurée, on 75 Avenue des Champs Elysées. They have several locations throughout Paris, so this is only one of them!
For dinner on the first night, I recommend Daroco Bourse. They have delicious pizzas and pastas, and even better cocktails! There are two locations- Daroco 16 and Daroco Bourse. Both have a fun and lively atmosphere, but I recommend Daroco Bourse if you’re interested in walking to the Louvre after dinner.
After dinner you can walk to the Louvre, which is only 13 minutes away on foot. Seeing the glass pyramid lit up at night is a different feel than how it looks during the day! Plus, there are far less people here walking around at night.
Start your day at the beautiful Louvre cafe- Le Cafe Marly. It is one of my personal favorites when coming to Paris. Since this is such a popular restaurant, be sure to book a reservation ahead of time. After breakfast, you’ll make your way inside the Louvre Museum where you can see the famous Mona Lisa and so much more incredible artwork. Because there was so much we wanted to see on this day, we only stayed at the Louvre for 2.5 hours. You could easily spend a full day here with how big it is! I also recommend buying your ticket online a few days in advance to save yourself some time. The line to get inside gets very long.
Once you are finished at the museum, you’ll walk to Palais Royal, which is located just 5-minutes from the Louvre. Palais Royal used to be home to many royal families, but today it serves as a State Council building. Outside in the courtyard, you will probably recognize the black and white columns that I’m sure you’ve seen on Instagram. Many people come here just for the stunning photo ops!
After snapping a few photos at the beautiful Palais Royal, it is time for lunch! We went to Pizza Popolare, which can be reached on foot in just 15 minutes. Again, be sure to book a reservation in advance because there is always a line to get in! Another delicious restaurant that is owned by the same company is Pink Mamma! They both have incredible food and a trendy atmosphere, so you honestly can’t go wrong with either.
Once you’re stuffed full of pizza, you will make your way to Montmartre. There are many things to see and do in this area! You have the famous cafés La Maison Rose and Le Consulat, the beautiful Basilica Sacré-Coeur, the “Sinking House” and more. There is also a cool area next to Sacre-Coeur called Place Du Tertre, where a bunch of artists sit and paint. You should beware that many artists will come up and want to draw your portrait. They will likely then ask for money- it happened to me! If this is something you actually want to do, just make sure you agree on a price beforehand. We spent a couple of hours in Montmartre, walked around, enjoyed a cappuccino and a crepe then made our way back down the hill. From Montmartre, you can reach the famous Moulin Rouge in just about 12 minutes on foot.
For dinner, I recommend Buddha Bar. The atmosphere was really fun and relaxed. They had a DJ playing soft house beats and their food and cocktails were great.
By now you have seen many of the main attractions in Paris, including several of the arrondissements, but with as large as Paris is there is still so much to see!
For day 3, I recommend starting your day at Cafe Loulou for a cappuccino and some avocado toast. It is a little Australian restaurant located in the Latin Quarter. They also offer great gluten free and dairy free options, unlike a lot of the traditional Parisian cafes. I will link their exact address here, as there are a few restaurants and cafes in Paris with similar names.
After breakfast, you’ll visit the one of the oldest and most famous bookstores in Paris, Shakespeare and Company. It is just a 5-minute walk from Loulou. Once you are finished at Shakespeare and Company, I highly recommend the little pastry shop located just behind the bookstore called Odette. They sell little cream puffs in multiple flavors and they are so delicious!
Next on today’s agenda is the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. Located just a 5-minute walk from Odette over the Seine River. Just 2-minutes from Notre Dame is a little cafe called Au Vieux Paris that has become wildly popular on Instagram. The exterior has become a popular photo spot because of how beautiful it looks in the springtime when the purple wisteria flowers are blooming. I recommend checking it out if you want to snap some pictures.
Once you are finished at the Notre Dame, you’ll make your way to Saint-Chapelle which is just a 9-minute walk away. How long you spend here will depend on if you want to view the inside or not. There is typically a long line to get inside, so just something to keep in mind when planning your day’s itinerary.
After you’ve visited the Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle, I recommend strolling down the Seine River for some scenic views before lunch. For lunch, I suggest stopping in at Carette Cafe, which is one of the most popular cafes in Paris. They are known for their cakes and pastries, but also offer sandwiches, soups, salads, and more.
If you decided on Carette for lunch, I recommend staying in the area to explore Le Marais. It’s a very popular area with restaurants, cafes, boutique shops and more.
If you still have some energy left in you for the day, there are a couple options you could do. If you want to visit another museum and stay in the same area, you could spend a few hours at the Picasso Museum. Another option is heading to the Petit Palais Art Museum, which is a little bigger and more popular. Please note that both museums close by 6:00 pm and are closed on Mondays.
Next on your itinerary for the day is the Alexandre Bridge III. It is located directly outside of the Petit Palais Art Museum. You may have passed the bridge in an Uber or bus, but it is worth the time to see it up close for some beautiful pictures. It is the most famous bridge in Paris, and for good reason.
If you are all “museumed out”, another fun option is to have a little picnic in Parc du Champ de Mars, which is the park in front of the Eiffel Tower. You can stop into a cheese shop for some cheese, crackers, and a bottle of wine to enjoy and relax before your dinner reservations.
For Dinner I recommend Alcazar, which is a trendy restaurant that offers French Cuisine and delicious cocktails. As always, be sure to book a reservation in advance. After dinner, located just 5 minutes away is one of our favorite cocktail bars- Tiger Paris. It’s a really cool and trendy gin bar if you are looking for a night cap!
Your last and final day in Paris! I hope by now you feel that you’ve seen a large part of Paris, along with all the top attractions and landmarks. You’ve dined at some of the most famous cafes, shopped along the most famous shopping strip, seen all the most iconic landmarks, and toured some of the best museums! But with as big of a city as Paris is, there is more to see!
Start your day at Eric Kayser for a coffee and pastry. It is an artisan boulanger and located right around the corner from Musee d’Orsay. They have several locations throughout Paris, so you’ll want to make sure you head to the one near the museum, located at 18 Rue du Bac 75007, Paris.
After you are finished with your coffee, you’ll make your way to Musee d’Orsay. This is just a 4-minute walk from breakfast. The museum opens every day at 9:30am, except for Mondays when it is closed. I do recommend trying to get there as soon as they open. The museum is much calmer and peaceful to roam around in first thing in the morning. I also suggest buying your ticket ahead of time to avoid any hassle. The Musee d’Orsay clock is one of the most famous things to see inside. It is one of the only remnants from when the museum was a railway station. I’m sure you’ll recognize the clock from online as soon as you see it!
For lunch, I recommend Les Deux Magots, which is right next door to Cafe de Flore. Les Deux Magots is one of the oldest, most famous, and traditional French cafes in Paris. It’s a great spot for breakfast or lunch and just a 14-minute walk from Musee d’Orsay.
Once you are finished with lunch, you’ll head to the Luxembourg Gardens “Jardin du Luxembourg”, which is just a 13-minute walk away. It is a beautiful public garden that is worth visiting during your trip. You can come here to relax for a while or just roam through.
Up next is the Pantheon building located in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It is just 6 minutes on foot from Jardin du Luxembourg.
If you’re a fan of the hit Netflix show Emily in Paris, be sure to check out some of the filming locations. You can just type in “Terra Nera” into your phone, and you’ll reach Gabriel’s restaurant in just 2 minutes. Terra Nera is the real name of Gabriel’s restaurant, and I can confirm it is delicious! If you are wanting to dine here, be sure to book a reservation in advance, as the restaurant has become very popular thanks to the show’s success. On the right side of the restaurant, I’m sure you’ll notice the bakery that Emily often frequented. Over on the left side of the restaurant, you’ll see the large fountain and Emily’s apartment. It was very cool to see all the spots in real life and convenient that they are all next door to each other.
For dinner, if you decided not to dine at Terra Nera, you have so many options for your last night. I recommend Semilla, Le Cherche Midi, or Girafe. Semilla is a trendy, modern restaurant that offers elevated French cuisine. Le Cherche Midi is a very small and intimate Italian bistro that has a relaxed and chill atmosphere. A friend of mine actually bumped into Scarlett Johansson here. And lastly, Girafe is your ultimate fine dining experience in Paris. A breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower and a lively ambience, Girafe is one of the most popular restaurants in Paris. Regardless of where you decide, it’s important that any reservations are made in advance! This is especially true for Girafe because it has been known to be more difficult to get a reservation.
Listed below are some additional things to do in Paris in case you are spending longer than 4 days in the city, or if you are wanting to swap out any activities that are in the current itinerary!
-Opera house
-Visit Place Vendome plaza
-Visit Tuileries Garden
-Ride the ferris wheel
-Boat ride along the Seine River
-See a show at the Moulin Rouge
-Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
-Go to the top of Montparnasse
-Picnic in the park
-Day trip to Versailles
-Day trip to Disneyland Paris
-Don’t fall for the friendship bracelet trick. People will come up to you and try to slip a bracelet on your wrist. They will then try to force you to give them money for the bracelet or worse case- pickpocket you.
-Don’t sign any petitions. Again, please don’t fall for this trick. It’s mostly women that will come up to you and ask you to sign a petition. It’s used as a distraction as someone tries to pickpocket you.
-Keep your phone in a zipped bag / coat / purse. You may be frequently pulling your phone out to take pictures or look for directions, but it’s important you don’t put it into your back pocket or a coat that doesn’t have zippers. Paris is by far one of the worst cities for pickpocketing.
-Ask for “une carafe d’eau” at a restaurant. It is pronounced “car-off dough” meaning a jug of water. Otherwise, they will ask tourists if they want sparkling or still water and you’ll get charged 6-7 euros for the water vs the jug of water that is free. Paris is one of the few cities in Europe that actually offers free water…..if you know to ask for it.
-Most places don’t have dairy free milk. I personally always prefer oat milk when a cafe has it, but I can drink normal milk if needed. My sister actually bought a small carton of oat milk at a grocery store and kept it in her book bag since she can’t have dairy. So, this is an option if needed!
Are you heading anywhere else in France during your trip? If so, be sure to check out my other France travel guides in Strasbourg and the South of France!
If you’re like me and need help keeping all of your travel plans and itinerary organized, be sure to check out my travel journal that I designed for just this reason! It’s how I plan every single trip and keep organized. It has everything you need from a packing list, a page for your accommodation info, travel itinerary, budgeting on your trip, journaling each day and more!
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