Paris is always a good idea, they say. And I couldn’t agree more! I always felt that Paris was very overrated and somehow did not have any great expectations from it. But from the moment I stepped into the city, I absolutely fell in love with the streets, architecture, food, shops, Seine River and of course the Eiffel Tower. When people say there’s magic in the air, I would say that it most definitely is in Paris and no wonder it is one of the most visited cities in the world.
There are so many amazing things to see and do in this gorgeous city as well as some beautiful neighbourhoods to explore. If you’re like me, you would definitely be yearning to go back to experience more of Paris. But if you are visiting this city for the first time, here’s my pick of the 10 best things that you shouldn’t miss out on (including the best photo spots, experiences, food, shopping and travel tips). Also, here’s a link to my Paris vlog that covers each of the below described places.
10. Arc de Triomphe
Over looking the most popular shopping street, Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe is the biggest arch in the world. The Arc de Triomphe pays homage to soldiers and generals who fought and died for France. If you want a great view of Paris including the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre-Coeur, you should definitely consider visiting the top of the legendary Arc de Triomphe (300 steps).
9. Beautiful streets of Paris
Honestly, every street in Paris is amazing! My personal favourites were the streets and restaurants around the Eiffel tower. You can literally see the Eiffel tower from all these parallel streets and they make for great photo spots. Also, while you are here, don’t miss out on having a meal in one of the iconic outdoor seating restaurants in Paris.
8. Shop at Champs-Elysées
This is probably one of the most famous shopping avenues in the world. It’s the home to retail luxury stores, entertainment venues, food and so much more. We were lucky to visit Paris around Christmas time and got to witness the annual Christmas lights show. This street is definitely an unmissable part of your Paris itinerary.
7. Must visit food stops: Crepes Trolley near Sacre-Coeur, Ladurée Macaroons and Angelina’s Hot chocolate
These are some of the iconic and authentic food that you just cannot miss during your trip to Paris. The first on this list is of course crepes!! The little crepes trolley near Sacre-Coeur is amazing and I highly recommend tasting the crepes here. The next item you can’t miss are the macaroons at Ladurée, which is a French luxury bakery and sweets maker house located on Champs-Elysées (they have multiple smaller branches across the city and one in the airport as well). They have the best macaroons in the world and their restaurant is the cutest, literally out of a fairytale! And finally, I highly recommend visiting Angelina’s Cafe! They are famous for a French pastries and sweets but their most iconic one is this incredibly tasty hot chocolate. It has to be the best hot chocolate I’ve had. As a little travel tip, you can head out to Angelina’s cafe after a long day at the Louvre museum! It’s about a 5 minute walk from the museum with lots of street shopping along the way.
6. Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles is one of the most beautiful palaces I’ve visited in terms of grandeur. The hall of mirrors, grand fountains, beautiful gardens and the symmetry in every corner are just some of the many stunning things in this palace. This beautiful palace is about 40 minutes drive from the Paris city center. We spent almost 5 hours here exploring the beautiful grand halls and gardens around. The highlight was definitely the Hall of Mirrors. A must visit on your trip to Paris! The palace is closed on Mondays and because it’s super crowded, it’s advisable to book tickets online to avoid the long lines.
5. Sacre-Coeur and love lock fence
The Sacre-Coeur, which is also known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, is located at the top of the hill of Montmartre. This majestic church is the second highest point in the city and offers one of the most amazing views over Paris (this was my favorite view in Paris, more than the one from the top of the Eiffel tower). It took us about 45 minutes to get here from Paris city center during peak traffic hour. The exciting part for me was that there is a lovelock fence at the Sacre-Coeur. You can buy a lock from one of the many vendors there. Lovelock in Paris was a bucket-list item check for me.
4. Best photo spot with the Eiffel Tower: Trocadéro park
Trocadéro park is one of the most popular picture spots and instagrammable places in Paris. Needless to say this location is super crowded during the day so I recommend visiting it either during the evening hours or later in the night for photoshoots. Also the sun is behind the Eiffel tower from this spot during the day, so second half of the day has the best lighting.
3. Cruise along the Seine River
While the city is gorgeous from land, its definitely worth exploring from the beautiful river. There are a lot of cruise options along the Seine river. We took the Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise, which is one of the most popular ones. The whole experience was magical, especially when we sailed past the glittery Eiffel tower. Here’s the link to the dinner cruise.
2. Explore the Louvre Museum
The Louvre is one of many astonishing museums in Paris and is the largest one in the world. I absolutely loved the architecture of the museum building itself (look at the beautiful glass pyramid) and the interior was even more stunning! It apparently would take 100 full days to glance at every piece inside, spending only 30 seconds on each piece. Also, book your museum tickets online and take the audio tour in the museum.
1. Visit the top of the Eiffel Tower
Needless to say, the top and the must-do thing to do during a trip to Paris is to obviously visit the Eiffel tower. I always felt that a picture in Paris should have the Eiffel tower in the backdrop (I still do :P) but I would highly recommend getting up close to the tower and taking a tour to visit the top of this beautiful structure. Do make sure to book a tour online as on the spot tickets have super long lines (as long as 2-3 hours)! The views of Paris from the top of the Eiffel tower are absolutely gorgeous and the lift ride up the tower is an experience in itself.
So this is my list of top 10 things to do in Paris when you are visiting the city for the first time. I can’t wait to go back to this beautiful city again to explore and experience more of the magic it has to offer. Paris, I fell in love with you!
ABOUT ME
Hello, I am Deeksha! A passionate Instagram travel & lifestyle blogger, sharing my experiences and travel tips from across the globe. The Travelista Tales is the visual expression of my travel tales, personal style and lifestyle picks. Believing in the motto of ‘Dream, Discover & Explore’, my goal is to create an interactive and engaged community of travel lovers.
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