Itinerary: Plan Your 4-Day Trip To Paris
Paris, the City of Lights, Love and Fashion is a dream destination for most people for a trip to paris
Whether it’s your first time in France or not, we have created a 4-day program to make the most of your trip to Paris and really feel that French atmosphere! From food to Parisian tips, passing by the main highlights, here is a short city guide to keep in mind!
Why not start your trip to Paris with a must-do: A French breakfast in a Parisian café! Here’s how to choose your best café place and breakfast:
- Avoid the Cafés around the tourist places, it will be crowded with travelers. Try to choose one in Paris’ backstreets.
- Find a nice Parisian café with a terrace. Check if people are drinking coffee, smoking and talking with friends or just looking at the people in the street. They are probably Parisians! Go in!
- Ask for a “Café Allongé” (an American coffee), baguette with butter & jam and a croissant.
Stay here, eat and look around. Take your time. Feel the atmosphere. Be Parisian.
Now, you’re ready for a day of exploring the City of Lights!
Day 1: Discover the main highlights of Paris
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle… monuments are everywhere in Paris. There are many ways to discover them. Depending on how much time you have, what your plans are, and what you are looking for, here are our solutions for your trip to Paris:
- Walking/Biking along the banks of the River Seine: from Paris City Hall to the Eiffel Tower, you will discover the most picturesque places of Paris and meet many locals running around, having a coffee with a view or just chilling along the River Seine banks.
- Taking the Bateaux-Mouche or a private boat: visiting Paris as the River flows is probably the best way to get to see all the highlights and get a history lesson at the same time. Quite comfy and quicker than walking around.
- Metro like the locals: Paris’ subway system is the best alternative to hop on & hop off buses during trip to Paris! No traffic jam, a metro every 2 minutes and all monuments are reachable. Download “Next Stop Paris” app to find your way or read our guide!
Here are some local tricks: If you want to visit the monuments or museums, I suggest that you get your tickets online a few days before your arrival. It’ll save you plenty of time at the ticket office. Also, some monuments have time slots, so you’ll avoid the long lines.
A few top tips: watch your pockets in the metro and in touristic areas (pickpockets often target tourists), the Louvre Museum is closed on Tuesday, climb the Eiffel tower one hour before sunset, and take the audio guide at the Opera.
For lunch, try some of the best French food (not escargots, crepes or onion soup please!). We recommend: boeuf tartare (raw beef mixed with spices), croque monsieur (the French grilled cheese), sauté de veau (veal), or boeuf bourguignon (slow cooked dish with sauce). You can also buy the famous jambon-beurre in a bakery (baguette with butter and ham)!
Day 2: Wander the charming backstreets of Paris
Today I suggest that you visit Montmartre village and the Marais district. These areas are charming, and you won’t be disappointed. To reach them, the metro is the easiest solution.
Montmartre is a village at the top of a hill. The perfect meeting point is at the Moulin Rouge (Blanche metro station). Enter la Rue Lepic, turn right onto rue des Abbesses, enjoy the ‘I love you wall’, pass through rue la Vieuville and climb the stairs to the top.
This village, where many artists and locals live, is a very important part of the history of Paris. From Picasso to the Paris revolutionaries, not forgetting the Cancan dancers, Montmartre has lived so many lives. Its story is so interesting that I recommend that you take a walking tour! During your exploration, you will probably discover the Sacré Coeur (climb to the top, the view is worth it), the Maison Rose (pink house), the last vineyard of the city, and you can meet lots of artists that are able to sketch your portrait! Montmartre has a special atmosphere that only locals can explain!
The Marais district is also an area where walking around is amazing. This area is divided into various neighborhoods, all having an incredible identity. You can enter the Marais via various points like Saint Paul, Hotel de Ville, Rambuteau or Arts et Métiers metro stations.
I suggest that you walk around la Place des Vosges, have an aperitif at Les Enfants Rouges Food Market & spot some incredible mansions, eat a falafel in the Jewish quarter, and shop Rue des Francs Bourgeois. There are so many things to do in this district that you’ll have to end your day by having a drink in the gay quarter, where the atmosphere is crazy and fun!
Day 3: Avoid the hustle and bustle of the city and explore the surrounding areas
Paris is quite central in France and from here it’s very easy to reach other French regions. Even for a day. Here are some suggestions to spend a day away from the city:
- Take a train to The Chateau de Versailles, not too far from Paris. Stop at the food market Notre Dame (open from Tuesday to Sunday) and buy some Baguette, Cheese, Charcuterie and wine. Head to Versailles Castle for an amazing visit. Head to the Versailles Gardens and enjoy a picnic by the Grand Canal. Head to Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet and walk around to end the day.
- Drive to Normandy. First, stop at Giverny and visit the artist Monet’s beautiful house and gardens. Then, head to Rouen Medieval city, walk around and enjoy Joan of Arc’s Finally, go to Etretat by the beach, climb the cliffs, enjoy the view and get some fresh air before coming back to Paris.
- Join a day trip to the Champagne Region and discover what kind of bubbly is your favorite! Pinot noir, Chardonnay or Meunier, they all taste different. The landscape and famous cellars are quite amazing too!
You can also reach other cities by train, like Bordeaux, Lyon, Beaune (Burgundy), or Nice, but I suggest that you take two or three days to fully enjoy these places! You will find so many things to do there! If you want more information on what to do in those areas, don’t hesitate to ask me!
Day 4: Shop like a Parisian and enjoy a free day!
- Galeries Lafayettes and Printemps on boulevard Haussman are probably the most famous ones. In the Galeries Lafayette, you will enjoy shopping in an incredible building, with an incredible Art Nouveau Dome. They both have rooftops so you can enjoy the beautiful Parisian skyline view.
- Bon Marché, in the 6th arrondissement: this one is where you go to find new fashion designer brands and get your own style!
- Samaritaine, in the 2nd arrondissement, just It’s the place where you’ll find luxury items and clothes.
- Going to Disneyland Paris Find the best desserts and pastries around the City: French toast, crème brûlée & profiterole at the restaurants, and go to Sebastien Godard pastry shop for the famous French pastries.
- Walk around lesser known Parisian districts like Canal Saint Martin, Belleville, Batignolles or visit some Parks like Buttes Chaumont, or Vincennes.
I hope this will help you to organize your next trip to Paris, if you need help don’t hesitate to ask, I will be glad to help you around!
