explore it yourself:
The journey:
We arrived by train from London on the afternoon of June 7th and stayed until the morning of June 10th. We arrived into Gare du Nord and we departed out of Gare de I’Est.
Transit Note: When we left the train station we took the metro to our place. There are ticket machines for purchase or you can download the IDF mobilities app. Note: Easy for iPhone users, kinda complex for androids because it requires multiple apps. Only one person can use the tickets on the phone at a time. With that being said, depending on your group, buying the physical tickets is probably easier. The only drawback is the public buses use the app or a card that has rides preloaded on (there is no ticket machine at the bus stops to buy a physical ticket or load money onto an existing ticket).
We took transportation here and there by just utilizing our phone maps and taking the transportation methods it gave. The stations were clean and cool (temperature), compared to the stuffy dirty New York subway and the trains came every couple of minutes. Definitely recommend using public transit to minimize steps when needed.
Additional note: There is an option to hold luggage at the train station that is affordable, but the wait time when we arrived (11am) was about an hour. Our check-in was earlier than expected so it didn’t pay to stand in line for it, but would definitely be useful.
accommodations:
Below is what AI recommended for accommodations:
1. The People Paris Nation (or Belleville) – Boutique Hostel
2. Hotel ibis Budget Paris La Villette 19eme
3. Hotel de la Terrasse (Porte de Clignancourt)
4. Residence Capitaine Paoli; this said permanently closed while researching
5. Airbnb Studios or Private Rooms
We ended up selecting an Airbnb here, because of the price and location. We found that all of the hotels and hostels listed above were more expensive than short term rentals. Our Airbnb was located near the Jardin Des Archives Nationales. We LOVED the neighborhood (Le Marais), it was filled with narrow streets, popular shops, and lively restaurants. I would recommend this location to everyone!
The journey and accommodations:
Note: * our additions to ai itinerary and exclusions are crossed out, also see our summary at the bottom.
Day 1: Montmartre & Artistic Paris
montmartre Exploration
- Square Louise Michel* – Located at the base of the hill of the Basilica.
- Visit Sacré-Cœur Basilica – Incredible view of Paris, we were in awe.
- Lunch and drinks at Philas*, which was right next to Place du Tertre and it had a really neat vibe. We saw a church ceremony in the streets which was very unique.
- Next, wonder Place du Tertre (local artists) – Busy square with artists drawing portraits of visitors. We would love to come back one day and return here for a portrait.
- Walk the back Streets: Rue de l’Abreuvoir, Le Consulat (cafe), Maison Rose; We didn’t eat at these spots, but just admired their exterior. This was the most stunning street and the neighborhood made us fall in love with Paris.
- Hidden Gems:
- Le Passe-Muraille sculpture (a man walking through a wall)
- Fotoautomat* – There are two photo-booths close to each other where you can get a cute personal souvenir.
- Wall of I Love You* – Located in a garden square, The Wall of I Love You is a monument dedicated to love, featuring 311 declarations of love in 250 languages.
markets and quirky finds
Explore Marché Saint-Pierre(fabric market); Out of the way so we skipped- Walk toward Pigalle: Vintage shops, music stores
- Rue des Martyrs* – It is lined with around 200 shops and restaurants.
- Stop by
Musée de la Vie Romantique(small and serene); We didn’t have time, but it sounded lovely
Le Marais District
- Explore Rue des Rosiers (Jewish quarter, falafel heaven)
- Visit Place des Vosges – Oldest planned square in Paris; this was the most beautiful square we have ever seen. We could have sat here all day.
- Pop into
Museé Carnavalet– History of paris (free), the museum was already closed by the time we went and they are also closed on Mondays so check the time in advanced.
Dinner and river cruise
- Dinner at Au Petit Thai*; was on our walk to the river cruise, had great Thai food.
Le Mary Celeste(cool vibe, small pates, cocktails) orL’As du Fallafel(cheap and iconic)- Pont Neuf – Oldest bridge in Paris
- Siene River Cruise – We booked with Vedettes du Pont Neuf for 9:45PM, $64. We ended up not leaving until 10:15 because there was a mechanical issue with one of the boats, but this worked out because the sunset wasn’t until around then so we were able to see the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the dark at 11pm which was incredible. Make sure you arrive early, we saw a family arrive 5 minutes early to their boat and it had just left.
- Optional night cap: Rooftop bar
Le Perchoir Maraisfor views and local ambiance; we skipped this because it was late and we were super tired.
Day 2: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées & Art
Eiffel Tower & Surroundings
- Go early to Eiffel Tower (book summit tickets in advance); we didnt get tickets this time to save money. We went to a few nearby streets and got incredible views and pictures. I recommend Rue De L’Universite, Rue Saint Dominique, and Rue de Buenos Aires.
- Stroll through Champ de Mars and take photos from Trocadéro.
- Quick Bite:
Grab a crepe near Trocadéro from a street vendor.We opted for a pastry and an iced coffee from La Cafe by Maison Bergeron*. We ate our croissant by the Eiffel Tower and it was a delicious and incredible experience.
Champs-Élysées & Lunch
- Optional: Climb the Arc de Triomphe. We walked under it, but didn’t buy tickets to go in.
- Walk from the Arc to Place de la Concorde via the Avenue Des Champs-Élysées.
- Walk through the Tuileries Gardens.
- Place Vendome* – A historic, octagonal square with luxury boutiques.
- Jardin du Palais Royal* – Breathtaking park, again we would have loved to hang out here for hours, but had a reservation.
- Lunch at
Le Fumoir(near the Louvre)- OR Le Passage Saint Honore*
museums & Dinner
- Choose 1 of 2 options (based on your interests):
- Louvre Museum (must-book ahead; allow 2–3 hrs)
- Note: The Louvre is incredible, but it is extremely crowded regardless of the time you go. In our experience we heard through local recommendations that it is better to go at the end of the day, but it was quite crowded at that time as well. I presume it only makes a difference if you stay awhile after the ticketing is done for the day. The viewing of the Mona Lisa is especially crowded, with hundreds of people pushing to get a clear photo. Be aware and purchase a more expensive ticket to get a closer view without the crowds. Also note that it is closed on Tuesdays.
Musée d’Orsay (impressionist masterpieces)
- Louvre Museum (must-book ahead; allow 2–3 hrs)
Dinnerat one of the below:- Chez Janou (Marais, fun and local)
- Bistrot Paul Bert (classic bistro fare, 11th arrondissement)
- We skipped dinner this night and instead got lemon gelato from Pozzeto Gelato Caffe Paris*.
Day 3: The Heart of Paris
Île de la Cité & Latin Quarter
- Notre-Dame Cathedral – We attended the 8:00AM mass and although it was completely delivered in French and we could not follow, it was a beautiful experience.
- Sainte-Chapelle – Gorgeous stained-glass windows
- Shakespeare & Company – Legendary English-language bookstore.
- Breakfast Tip: Grab a croissant and espresso from
Au Vieux Paris d’Arcolenearby. - We chose to grab a croissant at La Maison d’Isabelle* which ended up being the best croissant we’ve ever had – highly recommend!
Latin Quarter Stroll
- Panthéon
- Jardin du Luxembourg – Beautiful gardens with fountains and statues
- Sorbonne University area – Great atmosphere, student cafes
- Lunch: Try
Le Comptoir du Relais(get there early or expect a wait)- OR La Baguette du Relais* – A line was forming before the restaurant was even opened. We shared a classic steak sandwich and it was incredible!
Saint-Germain
- Walk along Boulevard Saint-Germain
- Stop at Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots (classic literary cafés); we just walked past these.
- Explore Rue de Buci market street
Sunset and dinner
- Sunset: Walk to
Pont Alexandre IIIorPont des Artsfor amazing views. - Dinner:
Le Procope(historic restaurant)- OR hidden gem:
Chez Fernand(cozy, traditional French)
final thoughts:
How did ai do?
Overall Rating: 15/10
Would I go again? We cannot wait to come back. We truly loved everything about Paris. There was nothing we did that we weren’t obsessed with.
Favorite moment:
Bailey’s favorite: The river cruise seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time, all lit up and glistening. Close second was seeing the Eiffel Tower in the morning from the nearby streets.
Parker’s favorite: Also the river cruise and The Louvre. We are not well versed in art, but the Louvre was entrancing. Seeing all the old paintings and the size of some of the art was breathtaking.
Favorite meal:
Bailey’s favorite: If you know me this is surprising, but the steak sandwich from La Baguette du Relais was great.
Parker’s favorite: Le Passage Saint Honore, we had a caesar salad and fries and the best espresso martini I’ve ever had.
Any surprises? To be honest, we didn’t have a very high bar from people we know giving us mixed reviews. We also saw a YouTube video that brought up “Paris Syndrome” so our expectations were somewhat low. With that being said, we were was blown away. It was truly one of the greatest cities we have ever set foot in.
Anything we missed? We wish we could have gone to Pont Alexandre III for sunset and the Museé Carnavalet.
Food spots AI recommended, but we didn’t have a chance to go:
Maison Rose, Le Mary Celeste, L’As du Fallafel, Le Fumoir, Chez Janou (Marais, fun and local), Bistrot Paul Bert, Le Comptoir du Relais, Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots, Le Procope, and Chez Fernand
Average step count per day: 20,600 steps
Nailed it: AI did a great job of recommending attractions within adjacent neighborhoods that made it seamless to hit several notable places all within a relatively short radius of each other. The gardens and parks that AI suggested were all absolutely worth seeing and provided a calm escape from the buzzing city.
Needs work: Given the vast amount of historical significance within the city of Paris, AI recommended a number of different museums to us. Although some have free entry, most museum tickets come with a fee which adds up fast. If you don’t consider yourself a history buff, we would recommend prompting AI to avoid suggesting too many museums and to focus on directing you to other areas within the city.
Additionally, the timing of meals didn’t necessarily align with what AI gave. We found it was more efficient to eat close to wherever we got hungry or near our hotel.