Paris in a Day

Bonjour mes amis!! Mac & I made it safely across the pond (on two uneventful & rather uncomfortable plane rides) and landed in sunny France last Monday morning. We got settled at our CouchSurfing host’s place and have thoroughly enjoyed our time here so far. We’ve also been trying to improve our (very) rusty high school French, and it’s…coming along. There’s lots of room for improvement to say the least! Until we master the language, we’ve been mastering how to eat copious amounts of bread and olives. When in Rome…er…Paris!!

On our first full day in Paris, our host Thomas graciously offered to show us how to see Paris in a day on his day off. We gladly took him up on his offer and almost 15km of walking later, I’m happy to say that we saw a LOT. If you’re curious, here’s how to see Paris in a day.

How to See Paris in a Day

Palais Garnier Opera House

First, take the RER (train) to Haussman-Saint-Lazane. Coming up from the underground train station and into proper Paris had me all wide-eyed and giddy. I mean, have you seen the architecture here?! It’s just so lovely!! Right near the station is the Palais Garnier Opera House. Completed in 1875, this 1979-seat opera house was a fantastic first glimpse into the impressively ornate buildings and sculptures we were going to see.

Musée de Louvre

After the Opera Garnier, make your way over to the Louvre. Along the way, admire the many buildings just oozing with Parisian charm.

You’ll know you’ve reached the Louvre when you see two seemingly out-of-place glass pyramids amongst the historic stone buildings. Though the Glass Pyramids were actually completed more than 30 years ago, they still manage to add a modern flair to this centuries-old building. The Louvre houses close to 40,000 objects dating from Ancient times to the 21st century. Most notable of these objects is the Mona Lisa.

Hours: 9am – 6pm (9:45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays). Closed Tuesdays.  

Admission: 17 € (bought online, quick entry in less than 30 mins.) or 15 € bought on site.

Le Palais de L’Élysée

A minor detour from the Jardin des Tuileries and neighbouring Jardin des Champs-Élysées will take you past the official residence of the President of France (presently: Emmanuel Macron). This building is quite heavily guarded – we got the whistle for even stepping on the sidewalk! Nonetheless, it’s an impressive building to walk by.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Leaving the Louvre, walk towards the giant Ferris wheel that does a perfect job of obscuring your view of the Arc du Triomphe.  You’ll bypass a similar monument – Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. This will give you preview of things to come.

Along this pathway are fountains with lawn chairs on which you can sun yourself, or many cafes in the trees where you can take a break in the shade. After this area – Jardin des Tuileries – make your way to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées– perhaps the most well known street in the world.

I know Paris is a busy and bustling touristy city, but I have never seen so many people on the same sidewalk before!! We all looked like a giant parade of ants!! The day we visited – May 8 – was a holiday (Victory in Europe Day), so the street was lined with huge French flags. The avenue is lined with many shops and stores so you can temporarily escape your fellow marching ants if you please. Once you reach the giant roundabout, you’ve made it to your next destination.

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe resides in the middle of the huge roundabout – Place Charles du Galle – at the end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. This huge structure was completed in 1836 and honours the soldiers that died fighting for France in the Revolutionary and Napoleanic Wars.Underneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

Hours: 10am – 10:30pm everyday

Admission: 12 €

Tour de Eiffel

Taking Avenue Kleber from the Arc de Triomphe will take you directly to Place du Trocadéro – a roundabout that neighbours Palais de Chaillot and Jardins du Trocadéro which lead your eyes up to the pièce de résistance for most people visiting Paris: the Eiffel Tower.

This hugely iconic structure was built in 1889 and is Paris’s (and the world’s) most popular monument. There are so many ways to experience the tower – from the ground, or way way up to the very top. There’s even a restaurant where you can dine and look over all of Paris. Admission lasts quite late into the night making for an excellent opportunity to see the city lit up with lights.

Hours: 9:30am – 12:45am

Admission: 10 € – 25 € based on height and elevator/stair access

River Seine

This 777km-long river runs essentially through the middle of Paris and empties into the English Channel in Le Havre. On its way through Paris, the Seine travels under some 37 bridges. The river is full of riverboats and the like as well as the occasional restaurant!

The Seine is also home to a tradition dating back to the 16th century – antique booksellers called bouquinistes. Now deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site, these 900 green boxes that line the banks of the river house close to half a million antique books along with journals, cards, and antique stamps. The Seine has been declared the “only river that runs between two bookshelves”.

Notre Dame

Once you finish admiring the Eiffel Tower, continue along the Seine a little ways before crossing over one of the many bridges and onwards to Notre Dame. This impressive cathedral is one of the best-known Catholic churches in the world. This huge cathedral took several hundred years to construct and was finally completed in 1345. It has undergone several renovations and restorations since then but it still remains an impressive display of French Gothic Architecture.

Hours: 7:45am – 6:45pm

Admission: free

You can argue that since we didn’t actually enter any of the main attractions that it’s not fully possible to see Paris in a day, and I wouldn’t disagree. However, for us “country > city” folks, doing this grand walking tour was a great way for us to see the highlights of the city in a single, manageable – albeit long – day. You could easily spend days (& weeks) exploring this exciting city and still not uncover its finest secrets. And now we know for next time what iconic sites we’d like to go back to and explore in depth.

For those that fancy a good long walk in one of the world’s most popular cities, doing this ~15km trek is a great way to see Paris in a day. Get your comfy shoes on, a backpack filled with water, snacks, plenty of sunscreen, and a camera with a full battery and go exploring!

Tell me, have you been to Paris? What was your favourite part? If you haven’t been to Paris, where are you eager to see?

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