Top Ten Must Do Activities in Paris

When researching a new city to visit, I really appreciate a Top Ten List! It gives me bite-sized pieces of information and doesn’t create overwhelm when I am brand new to a city. That’s what I have created for you today about my favorite city in the world: Paris, The City of Love <3

My husband and I have now been to Paris twice and have absolutely fallen in love with the city. So much so that we have plans to get an a-par-te-mont (typing in “French” for you) when we retire so we can go for long stays and even rent it out! Both of our visits to Paris were in November and both for short times. Our first trip was from Thursday-Sunday and although many people thought we were nuts for trying to visit Paris with such a small amount of time, it was perfect! We felt like we were on a grand adventure and just loved squeezing a lot out of that short time. The second trip we took was two days longer and also wonderful! By going in the late fall we saved A LOT of money on plane tickets and hotels, and the lines for things were short. If you’re on a tight budget or short on time, you can absolutely plan a fun weekend getaway to Paris! It’s truly a magical city that is best experienced with someone you love! I hope you find this list helpful 🙂

(I love all of these, so they aren’t in any particular order.)

Arc De Triomphe

From Google: “The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the étoile or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues.”

During our first visit to Paris, our hotel was down the street from the Arc so we got to know her well as we passed by each time we left and came back to our hotel. And holy moly, she is SO MUCH BIGGER in person than we ever imagined! And just so breathtaking. We found ourselves just wanting to sit and stare at her for hours (okay, minutes, but STILL!). The second time we visited the City of Love we got tickets to go up to the top of the Arc and look out. And wow, that was stunning! You need to be in decent physical shape because there are A LOT of stairs and no elevator that I could see. This WAS constructed in the 1830’s so you know, not exactly up to code. But if you’re up to it, it was a very inexpensive, yet memorable visit to the top! The architecture is just stunning and the photo opps are incredible. But my FAVORITE thing about the Arc is just to stare at her from the street and marvel at her size and beauty, and THAT is totally free!

Food Tour

During our second visit to the city, we booked a food tour from Viator in Montmartre. We were SO EXCITED for this because we LOVED this neighborhood the first time we were there, and we LOVE trying new foods! WIN WIN! Chris especially loves the excuse to eat all the bread, LOL! This particular tour was 3 hours long. We met our group on a rainy morning and were told that we would be collecting food items for later, along with some samples to eat right away, as we walked through the neighborhood. Then to finish we would take our treasures to a secret location to eat them all together! YES! We sampled amazing macarons, French chocolates, and crepes as we also collected meats, cheeses, bread, and wine for later. The light rain didn’t bother us at all as we were mostly under overhangs or inside. But the piece de resistance of this experience was the secret location!

Our guide brought us to what seemed to be a tiny office, with a spiral staircase leading to the basement. Once downstairs, we were greeted with a large dining table in what can best be described as part cave, part wine cellar. It was so cozy and unlike any place we’d ever been. Our guide stood at the head of the table and unwrapped our goods. She poured us wine and sent the food around, one at a time to sample. We sampled cheeses, bread, meats, and wine. And I know it doesn’t sound like much, but we were so full by the end! And this cheese, ham, bread bite was one of the best combos of my life! We left sated, happy, and with new friends from all over the world. It was such a special experience. I highly recommend looking into a food tour while you’re in Paris. You can customize it to the length of time that suits you, and the type of food too!

Visit a Red Canvassed Brasserie or Bistro

You know how in the states you typically need a reservation for a weekend dinner? We didn’t find that to be true 9 out of 10 times in Paris. There are so many red canvassed brasseries (large open spaces for eating) or bistros (smaller more intimate dining options) on almost literally every corner! You don’t need to stress about reservations for dinners beforehand, unless there is a specific place on your “must eat” list. We loved approaching these red awnings with ambient lighting as we walked through the city at night. You simply ask if they have a table for two (un tab-le pour deux pear-sun sil vu play) and if they don’t, you keep walking because there will be another red awning on the next corner 🙂

**One of a million delicious red-awning corner bistros**

Walk the Streets at Night

We found all of Paris to be magical, but we especially loved it at night! Something about the golden twinkling Eiffel Tower every hour on the hour, or the lights sparkling on the Seine River, or the street lights illuminating the incredible architecture, it was just sunning! And SO romantic! I know you’ll be jet-lagged and I know your hotel bed will sound heavenly after walking all day, but I promise you that you’ll never forget the romance of the city at night! Plus, it’s 100% FREE!

**This gorgeous picture now hangs in our bathroom! It totally captures the incredibly romantic Paris vibes.**
**P.S. We took this with our iphone!**

Le CasseNoix

Le CasseNoix is a Michelin Star restaurant that sits very near the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately you won’t have a view of the tower while in the restaurant, but the experience is so phenomenal that you will forget all about her while dining at Le CasseNoix! For only $39 you can get an appetizer, main dish, and a dessert and you will be in heaven! The chef changes the menu frequently based on his mood, the seasons, and the availability of produce. I loved the very modest and comfy decor, the small dining room, and the lack of fancy you might expect at such a highly rated restaurant. The food was exceptional and so memorable that we still talk about our favorite dishes!

Be sure to make a reservation, as they definitely fill up, even for lunch. But it would be a great place to stop en route to visiting the Eiffel Tower. I can’t wait to go back!

City Tour

We really love tours! We’ve found that they are an excellent way to get to know a city quickly, and if you book them towards the beginning of your vacation, then you learn about places you want to learn MORE about and explore on your own later. Our Parisian walking 3 hour tour was the perfect way to learn about the city. We visited all of the highlights, some by train, and learned a lot about French culture from our English speaking French guide.

I book most of my tours on Viator, but I also love Trip Advisor and now Air B N B has great excursions available on their site too! To choose, I find something that sounds interesting, make sure that it fits in the timeline (for example, I need something that only takes half a day because we are also doing x later in the day), and then read the reviews. And God bless the reviewers because I find them so helpful in choosing a great excursion or tour, and I’ve even tried to start leaving more reviews after being inspired by others!

Drink Wine with Strangers

I don’t really drink much wine in the states, but in Paris, YES. The wine comes in a little carafe if you’re sharing with someone and it’s just the cutest and yummiest form of wine EVER. But my favorite thing about drinking wine in Paris is when the hostess seats a complete stranger(s) next to you, and I mean NEXT TO, as the tables can be very close together! It’s hard NOT to say hello and start talking to them. Sometimes the conversation is tres brief, but sometimes it can turn into a real friendship! SWOON.

At the most adorable little Bistro, where there were animal furs draped on the seats and the backs of chairs to put on your lap because of the open air concept, we were seated next to a couple on holiday from Amsterdam. A quick smile and “Where are you from?” turned into a night of shared wine and Heinekens (those are from Amsterdam!) and a lot of joyful conversations about the differences and similarities among us. We are connected on Instagram to this day and I feel grateful for those small and significant connections. You don’t have to befriend strangers at EVERY meal, but be open to it! It might really flavor your trip for the better.

**Here is a typical French Breakfast, or petite dejeuner (day-jun-a). A la BREAD!**

Embrace the Bread

Paris is not the place or the time to go low carb, LOL. Bread is served with EVERY MEAL. A proper French breakfast usually comes with a piece of bread, butter, and jam, a croissant, and a cafe (coffee). We actually had one French breakfast that came with the above AND a basket of bread. My husband was in heaven!

But here’s why you don’t need to worry about the carbs: First, you walk EVERYWHERE! My husband and I especially loved walking the city after a long and filling meal and this is so good for digestion. Secondly, there are no preservatives or nasty ingredients in this French bread. We both actually came home and weighed a little less than when we started! My husband used this information as a springboard to start what he called the “French Diet.” Let’s just say it didn’t quite translate, LOL!

And P.S. There is no qua-saant (croissant) as delicious as the French qua-ssant. I don’t typically even like them! But in Paris they are TRES BIEN!!!

See the Louvre, Arc, and Eiffel Tower as Much as Possible

We think the Louvre, Arc, and Eiffel Tower are the Holy Trinity of Paris and the more you can visit them, the more you will enjoy your trip. Already visited them during the day? Go back and see them again at night! It’s a great way to walk off some of that French bread.

What makes them so special? Their sheer size and PRESENCE, the history behind them, the awe and mystique, the beauty. So many reasons to hang around them as much as possible. Also, these landmarks are FREE to visit and gaze upon. One memory I have is walking around the Louvre at night (which feels very safe, by the way) and we ended up being in a huge courtyard, surrounded by huge, old buildings and we were ALL BY OURSELVES! It just felt like magic to be in the presence of all that history.

Visit Montmartre

**Chris managing the bread on our food tour in Monmartre.**

Montmartre is the art district of Paris. From Google: Set in the 18th arrondissement, the charming hilltop Montmartre district (also known as "La Butte") is a former artists' village once inhabited by Picasso and Dalí, and home to the domed Sacré-Cœur basilica. There are sweeping views of the city from its steep, winding streets, while the iconic Moulin Rouge cabaret below draws tourists and nightclubbers. Retro-cool bars and eateries dot the edgy Lamarck area.

We loved Montmartre for its quaint shops and eateries, the view from the Scare-Coeur Basilica, and the steep hills weaving throughout this district. We also enjoyed this neighborhood at night because there are market lights hanging between the buildings on the narrow streets and it is simply stunning!

There is also a weekend market where artists come and sell their crafts. We didn’t make it to one of these due to our schedule, but if you’re there during a market, I recommend checking it out! We did buy an art print from a cute shop that hangs on our walls today!

A few notes:

The incredible Notre Dame is not included in this list because it was still undergoing refurbishment from the fire in 2019 and there is a large construction zone around it. It is absolutely on our list to visit (with a tour!) when it reopens in 2024. I also highly recommend visiting Versailles, but it’s not technically in Paris so I omitted it from this list.

Note about French vs. English: I really tried to speak French on our first visit. I took French in high school so I was basically an expert. But I quickly discovered that not only did just about everyone speak enough English to make my life easier, but they preferred conversing in the faster method. The French like efficiency in most things, except for dining. However, I did learn that they really appreciated my efforts in starting the conversation with a little French. Our French tour guide confirmed this for me. She said, “They want to go fast, so if you’re stumbling over your French they would prefer to switch to English, but they DO appreciate your efforts.” So my advice is to learn a few phrases you can use to soften them up a bit! However, we found the French people to be charming and lovely once we broke through the language issue.

Katie Harlan

Top Ten Must Do Activities in Paris

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