My Week in Paris
A 6-Day Itinerary for People Who Like to Walk!
Before I begin, I am a walker. And by walker I mean WALKER. I will walk everywhere and anywhere if at all possible. I would much rather be walking than sitting on a train or car. Therefore, this itinerary will not be for everyone. Actually, when I was remembering my first full day (second itinerary day) I was thinking to myself I can't possibly have done all that, but no I did. So, buckle up!
Here's how to spend one week in Paris! (Highlights to start… details down below!)
Day 1: Arrival
Hotel - Les Tournelles
Lunch - Carrette
Explore - Place des Vosage, streets of Le Marais, Notre Dame
Dinner - Au Petit Fer A Cheval
Day 2: Lots of Walking
Breakfast: The Coffee and Coroiston
Explore: Jardin du Palais Royal, Galerie Vivienne, Les Passage Couvert
Snack Break: Galleries Lafayette Le Gourmet
Explore: Galleries Lafayette and Printemps
Wine Break: Printemps roof terrace
Lunch: L'Evenue
Explore: Tuileries Garden
See: Eiffel Tower
Food and Wine Break: O Chateau
Day 3: Gardens and Pretty Streets
Breakfast: Same as day 2
Explore: Isle St Loui and Ile de la Cite, Luxembourg Gardens, Rue Cremiux
Food: Grab and go snacks
Early night - day 2 wiped me out!
Day 4: Champagne Cellar Tours - Full Guide Coming!
Day 5: 2nd Arrondesment and Montmartre
Breakfast: The Coffee
Explore: Passage Jouffroy
See: Moulin Rouge
Explore: Montmartre, Place du Tertre
See: Basilique du Sacre Coer
Dinner: Le Café des Musees
Day 6: Versailles and Wonder Around Paris
Now for the Details!
I couldn't wait to continue talking about Paris once I finished the food series (link). I am not kidding when I say I'm going to book a trip back. I just have to go to Scotland and Norway first… but that's a story for another time.
We are here to talk about Paris! This is how I spent a week in Paris.
Day 1: Arrival Day
I'm not the worst traveler, but I'm also not the best. The flight was about 8 hours from Chicago to Paris and while I tried to sleep on the plane I didn't get quality sleep. Luckily, I had a decent amount of adrenaline to get me through customs and to my hotel. I stayed at Les Tournelles in Le Marais district of Paris. Les Tournelle is a 3-star boutique hotel and I absolutely loved staying there. Le Marais is maybe my favorite area of Paris, there are so many shops and restaurants. Most everything is walkable, and you are connected to a fair amount of metro stops for the places that aren’t. Honestly, you could spend your whole trip in this area given the number of things there are to do.
My room wasn't quite ready when I got to the hotel, so I left my bags with the front desk and searched for a quick pick me up, that is how I ended up at Carette. You can read all about the meal here (link), just know it was wild but also perfect. After my lunch I walked over to Place des Vosages. A quaint park where locals were picnicking and reading. I sat for a bit and read then continued on my tour of the neighborhood. As I was walking, I was thinking to myself, Paris is just so Parisian. The narrow, cobblestone streets, the street placards, the shops the cafes, the boulangeries. Ughhh Why do I not live there?!
I headed back to the hotel once my room was ready for a quick nap and then off to more exploring and dinner. I was meandering through the streets and lo and behold ended up on the Seine right behind Notre Dame. Unfortunately, it was still under renovation while I was there, but an impressive sight, nonetheless. Once I had worked up an appetite I had dinner at Au Petit Fer a Cheval. (link). All that walking on such little sleep had me beat. After dinner I headed back to my hotel for an early evening.
Day 2: Early Day - Lots of Walking
If you haven't guessed already, I am of the walking ilk when it comes to travelling. I would much rather walk to my destination and enjoy the scenery on the way than wait for a train or pay for an Uber. It's probably the city girl in me, but I spend enough time waiting for buses at home, don't need to be doing that on vacation! As I mention in my food series, I am not a big breakfast person, so I grabbed my coffee and pastry and off I went.
Obviously, Paris is an old city, steeped in history. With history comes nooks and crannies. There were a ton of arcades and back alleyways calling my name to explore. En route to the Galerie Vivienne I stopped at the Jardin du Palais Royal to finish my croissant. I actually just stumbled upon the garden, but what a magical experience. The trees were pristinely manicured and there were plenty of benches for relaxation. Once I finished my pastry, I was off to the passageways. Galerie Vivienne is a covered shopping center built in 1823. Although I didn't stop and shop, it was fun window shopping the expensive goods. Galerie Vivienne connected to Les Passage Couverts de Paris 1. I took my time meandering down the hallways and appreciating the history of the space.
After a while of wandering down streets I started to get peckish. I am a big department store girl. I used to work for Macy's, and I find the history of department stores fascinating, so I am never one to pass up an opportunity to explore local department store. Conveniently, Printemps Haussmann and Galleries Lafayette were a quick 20-minute walk from Galerie Vivienne. My first department store tour was Galleries Lafayette Le Gourmet. A department store dedicated to food and cooking. Think Bloomingdales Home but grander and better. The first 2 floors are dedicated to food. The entrance is in the middle of a food hall! You can get everything from spices, to sandwiches, to sweets and everything in between. Because I was hungry, but maybe not so hungry I decided to get a coffee and some macaroons. I then continued to wander around the store. I got there right around when it opened so it wasn't too busy but left about an hour later around 11 and man was it getting packed! Also, side note for those that think of bathrooms- department stores are my favorite place to use the facilities when I'm travelling. So, if you have to go, look for a department store :)
Once I was done, I hopped across the street to Galleries Lafayette Haussmann. Man, oh man was I in awe when I walked in. I had never heard of this department store before but assumed it would be steeped in history and probably an architectural goldmine. What I was not expecting was a stained glass domed ceiling. As you walk in customers are funnled to the cosmetecs. The center of which opens for people to look up and stare in awe of the ceiling. I really felt like I was stepping back in time. The department store is quite high end so did some more window shopping, they also had a nice café overlooking the atrium which I indulged in another day and if you go to the rooftop, they have panormaic views of the city. Once I got my fill from that angle, I bopped across the street to Printemps Haussmann, another department store with an exciting surprise at the top.
Printemps is what I would call a traditional department store. You walk in a feel like you could be in Macys, Bloomingdales or Selfridges. My love of department stores drew me in, but the rooftop terrace kept me. I'm not sure if it was the time that I went, or if it is a well-hidden secret but the rooftop terrace at Printemps is a hidden gem. There was one other group there besides me and you could see all over the city. They also had a little café for coffee, wine or snacks. I grabbed a glass of wine and took a seat to admire the Eiffel tower from a distance.
After my wine break, I had a mission to find a beret. I don't know what got over me, but I felt I should at least see what a nice beret looks like. So off I went in search for berets. As I mentioned in my food series, I did not find my berets, but I did find something better. French onion soup! Once I revived myself with some food, I headed over to the Tuileries Garden. I didn't plan to do any museums on my trip because I have access to a lot of museums at home and I didn't want to waste time standing in line. But the Musee de L'Orange is nearby for those that are museum aficionados. After a stroll through the gardens, I meandered down the Champs Elysees. I will say, I was disappointed in this stretch of Paris. It was giving Mag Mile of Chicago - aka very touristy. I wanted to check out the Dior Gallery or the Yves Said Laurent Museum, unfortunately I did not plan ahead, and the tickets were either sold out or lines were too long.
I was able to snap a pic of the Champs Elysees before any cars or people were there - From this angle I admit, it is grand.
After my misses with the museums, I headed towards the Eiffel Tour. I stayed on the side of the Trocadero to view the tower and I thought I got some pretty great views. I took a seat near the garden and just admired the people and views of Paris. Once I was done there, I was ready to meander back to my hotel. I walked along the Seine until around the Louvre then headed into the 2nd arrondasment to grab a bite to eat and another glass of wine at O Chateau. I continued to stroll the streets and just absorb Parisian life until dinner proper at the Brizzeh café.
Wow that was a long day - I'm exhausted just reliving it.
Day 3: Gardens and Pretty Streets
Since I did so much my first full day, I was a bit tired on the second. I slept in a bit, then headed for my coffee and pastry and hit the road. I wanted to explore the Latin Quarter side of Paris. I crossed the river and explored the Isle St Louis and Ile de la Cite. This is where Notre Dame is located. They are little islands on the river. I explored the area around St Sulpice and did a little shopping. I then found myself at the Luxembourg Garden. Another fabulously manicured park with tons of pathways to explore. I then walked to Rue Cremiux, a pretty street with colorful houses. After that I was pretty beat, and I knew I had a big day the next day… Champagne Tour! So, I got some grab and go sandwiches from a boulangerie and hung out back at my hotel.
Day 4: Reims Day Trip - Champagne!
Day 4 was a day trip to Reims. I'll skip the details now and share those in a separate post. Just know it was epic and everyone needs to go to the champagne region once in their life, if they can.
Day 5: All About the 2nd Arrondesment and Montmartre
I slept in a bit on day 5, since the day prior was so epic. Once I was ready to hit the road I was on my way to Passage Jouffroy. Another covered arcade built in the 19th century with shops, restaurants and miscellaneous oddities. Just like the Gallery Viviane the passageways merged and meandered and so there was plenty to explore. Once I looked through all the nooks and crannies, I was off to the Moulin Rouge! Well, not really. I didn't go see a show, but I did check out the surrounding area.
Montmartre is an artist’s enclave and is definitely on the hillier side of town so prepare for steep climbs. Once I viewed the Moulin Rouge from a glance it was time to explore. The streets were all so quaint, there was so much to take in. Since a lot of artists call this area home there was plenty of street art to gander at and just art shops in general. I climbed up the Calvaire street stairs (not for the faint of heart) and landed in the Place du Tertre, a small plaza with shops and restaurants and incredible views. Be mindful, it will be very crowded. I went in mid spring, so a bit off off-season and it still seemed busy.
Once I was at the top, I looped my way over to the Basilique du Sacre Coer. Again, I didn't go inside, but the exterior architecture was impressive. Just behind the basilica is another park with amazing views. There were plenty of benches to sit and take a breather and just enjoy being in the city. Once I had recovered, I continued on exploring the Montmartre area. There were so many cute streets to get lost down, I had a ball of a time.
By the time dinner came around I was beat. Like I mentioned earlier, my hotel was in a prime location for great food. I headed over to Le café des musees to have one of the best meals of my life (link).
Day 6: Versailles - Womp Womp
So, my last day in Paris was meant to be at Versailles, and it was, but only partially. It was raining most of the day, so I didn't get to properly explore the gardens. I ended up cutting the trip short and heading back to the city. I did more city exploring, grabbed a great lunch (link) had a pick me up at Galleries Lafayette and did my souvenir shopping. And that was that.
Honestly, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat (well most of it). I'll share my misses in another post but on the whole, this was the best trip I have ever done. It was very walking heavy so if you aren't a walker and are looking for more museum based, ticketed activities this guide isn't for you. But if you want to see the highlights and just explore this guide got your back.
I hope you take some, or all, of these suggestions and use them on your next trip to Paris. I'd love to hear about it! Drop a comment if you do!
