Visit Paris in 5 Days – Best Guide & Itinerary | What To Do?
Paris city
Everyone has surely heard about Paris, one of the most famous city in the world. Often referred as the city of art, light and love, Paris is the capital of France and is well known for its museums and landmarks. Paris is also one of the most expensive citiesin the world, so make sure you set aside a some extra cash for any miscellaneous items.
Paris photoshoot – France
So when should you visit Paris?
It all depends on your preference. If you want the perfect weather and longer daylight, then your best bet is during the summer months (June-August). During summer is when tourists from all over the world flock to Paris. So you can expect larger crowds, longer lines and more pricy hotels/airfares. If you still want to get that pleasant weather for sightseeing, slightly cheaper fares and less crowds then visit during the fall (September-November).
Summer in Paris (Image credit: The Good Life France)
How many days should you spend in Paris?
Depending on what you plan to do and where you plan to go, each persons itinerary may differ. We suggest that you spend at least 4-7 days here, so that you can fully explore and experience the Parisian lifestyle.
Fall/Autumn in Paris
How to get around Paris?
You have 3 options which is using the metro, RER and the bus. The Metro lines uses numbers between Line 1-14 (travels within the city). The RER uses alphabets; Lines A-C (travels between the city to the suburbs and Paris Airports). The metro and RER system here can get quite intimidating for first-timers, so make sure to carry a copy of the map on your device for easy reference. Do remember to keep all your tickets with you until you get off the station as there cases whereby the authorities does random inspection of your tickets and will fine you if you fail to produce it. Click here to download the free map.
Map of Paris trains
Tickets can be purchased either individually or in a set of 10 tickets. It is a no brainer to buy in a set of 10 as it would save you more money, however be aware of zones that you can travel. These cheaper tickets will only allow you to travel within Paris. If you wish to venture a bit further out, you will need a different ticket.
Paris Visit Pass (Image credit: Klook)
To make life easier, you can get the Paris Visit Pass which enables you to use all the public transportation such as metro, RER and bus for unlimited times during your stay here. You can choose from 1-5 days passand select which zones you want to travel to.
Zone 1-3 : travel within Paris and nearby suburbs
Zone 1-5 : travel within Paris, nearby suburbs until ORLY/CDG Airport, Disneyland and Versailles
Zones 1-5
If you want to get the complete package, which is unlimited rides and also free entry into over 60 museums in Paris, we suggest you go for the ultimate package The Paris Pass. Though the pass is much more pricier than the rest, it is worth it if you are planning to visit a lot of museums in Paris.
The Paris Pass (Image credit: parispass.com)
For us, we opted to go for the set of 10 tickets as we only planned to travel within Paris. On the forth day here, we wanted to venture to La Vallée Village, which required us to change lines from Metro to RER. We ended up getting fined for not using the correct exit and validating our tickets. Scroll over to Day 4 to see our unfortunate experience.
Set of 10 tickets
The official currency of France is the Euro (€/EUR), so make sure you have your currency exchanged before coming here. If you want to avoid all the hassle of changing currency while travelling, why not use Big Pay. We have used it for almost all our purchases during our travel in Europe and found it helpful. You can save on the currency conversion fee when you use the apps. Just make sure to select the local currency of the country you are in to get cheaper rates. Click here to sign up. Don’t forget to use our referral code GB1RB1XMDE to receive a bonus when you activate the card.
Use BigPay for more savings on currency exchange – veroalex
If you haven’t read our previous post on WHAT MAKES AMSTERDAM SO AMAZING? 4 DAYS TRAVEL GUIDE, we highly recommend you to check it out. If you’re coming from Amsterdam like us, there is no need to adjust your timing since Amsterdam and Paris are both in the same time zone (GMT+1).
Day 1 – Photoshoot and a bit of exploring in Paris
Our journey in Paris began at the Paris Nord Station. We had just arrived in Paris after a 3 hours plus train ride from Amsterdam. Upon arrival at the station, we took a taxi to our hotel in 5 rue de l’Avre, 15th – Tour Eiffel – Porte de Versailles. Our hotel was located near to the city centre, just a 5 minutes drive away from the Eiffel Tower. Bear in mind that Paris is one of the busiest city in the world so traffic here can get quite bad. Our taxi ride which should have taken us around 20 minutes to reach the hotel, turned into an hour.
Our train to Paris
Since we were stuck in traffic jam, we took the opportunity to do some sight seeing in the taxi. Along the streets of Paris you will be able to see the stunning Parisian architecture such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame and Champs-Élysées. All these attractions are located not too far from each other and can be reached by using the train/metro. You will also notice that Paris city is quite hazy due to the high levels of air pollution here.
Traffic jam on the Champs-Elysées
Hazy Sunset in Paris (Image credit: mark-david josue)
After checking in the hotel, we had our late lunch at a nearby café and then prepared for our wedding photoshoot. We had 2 sessions with our photographer; the first session was during that evening itself and the second session would be the next morning before sunrise.
Sunset photoshoot at the Tuileries Garden
We took a taxi (Uber) to the first location for the photoshoot which was at Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries). Located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Garden offers visitors a picturesque Parisian view. This beautiful park has been around for nearly 500 years and initially opened for the enjoyment of ‘upper class’ Parisians in 1664. The garden was redesigned over the centuries and finally opened to the public in 1871. Today, the Tuileries Garden is separated into 3 sections for everyone to enjoy; The Grand Carré, The Grand Couvert and the Horseshoe Ramps and The Terraces.
Family photo
At the Grand Couvert
Take a relaxing stroll here
The Grand Carré (Image credit: louvre.fr)
The horseshoe ramps and the terraces (Image credit: louvre.fr)
As you make your way to the entrance of the Tuileries Gardens, you may notice a huge bronze fountain with statues and a obelisk. Well, the place which you are standing at is called Place de la Concorde which is the largest public square (20 acres) in Paris. The obelisk is the oldest monument in Paris, being 3,000 years old and gifted by Muhammed Ali, the ruler of Egypt at the time. ThePlace de la Concorde history goes back to the French Revolution, where the square was used as an execution site by revolutionists. During that time the square was known as Place de la Révolution (Revolution square). After the revolution was over, the square was baptised and renamed to the Place de la Concorde.
The Place de la Concorde
We then headed to the Pont des Artsalso known as the bridge of romance which is located at the end of the Tuileries Garden. This bridge is a favourite spot for photographers and also artists who draw inspiration from the stunning view of river Seine. The Pont des Arts is a popular picnic spot for lovers and has since started a tradition whereby love locks engraved with their names would be attached at to the metal railings of the bridge. The key would then be thrown into the river to signify eternal devotion.
Pont des Arts bridge
Romantic view of the Seine River
While some may see the love locks as a romantic, the weight of these locks are actually affecting the integrity of the bridge. Since 2015, the Paris authorities have been removing these love locks on bridges, so we don’t think that you should attach one just to have it later removed.
Love locks weighing down the bridge
After we were done taking photos at Pont des Arts bridge, we walked to the Louvre Pyramid which is just 200m away. The Louvre Pyramid was first envisioned by a Chinese-American architect, I. M. Pei and opened its doors to the public in 1989. During the debut of the Louvre Pyramid, it was well received by many and considered one of the most innovative design of all time. However, there was also those whom disagreed with its contemporary design and called it an Egyptian death in the centre of Paris.
The Louvre Pyramid at night
You can go for an evening tour to avoid the crowds
Evening photoshoot at the Louvre Pyramid
Despite all the controversy, The Louvre Pyramid today is still one of the most visited and iconic symbols of France. The pyramid also contains the worlds largest museum Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) an astounding size of (782,910 sq ft). The Louvre Museum currently has collection of over 38,000 objects dating back from the prehistoric times. The museum is segregated into 8 different categories: Decorative Arts; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Near Eastern Antiquities; Paintings; Prints and Drawings; and Sculpture. If you are planning to visit the Louvre Museum, make sure to pre-book your tickets early. We didn’t get the opportunity to visit the museum at the time as all the tickets were sold out.
The inverted pyramid inside the museum
Apollo Gallery (Image credit: culturezvous)
The Daru Room (Image credit: culturezvous)
The famous Mona Lisa painting is displayed here as well
Once we were done taking photos at the Louvre Pyramid, we proceeded to the next spot for our photoshoot, the Pont de Bir-Hakeim. It took us 15 minutes via taxi to get to the bridge. The Pont de Bir-Hakeim has 2 levels; the metro uses the upper level, whereas vehicles and the bicycle lanes use the lower level. We took our photos at the lower level of the bridge, as you can get the beautiful Eiffel Tower view along with the bridge arches.
Dancing under the Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge
Save this spot the next time you visit Paris
If you have watched the movie “Inception”, then the Bir-Hakeim Bridge must look familiar to you. It is because the movie was shot here in 2010 by Christopher Nolan and his crew, which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
One of the scenes from Inception at the Bir-Hakeim Bridge
After we were done with the photoshoot, we had our dinner at a nearby café and headed back to our hotel.
Yummy food
Day 2 – Falling in love with Paris
We started off our day in Paris in the wee hours of the morning for our sunrise photoshoot. Our first location for the day was at Pont Alexandre III, which is known as one of the most elegant bridges in France. The bridge is unlike other bridges and has many artistic features and statues. The Pont Alexandre III was specially built for a world fair known as the Paris Exposition (Exposition Universelle) in 1900, to celebrate the developments and achievements of the past century.
Pont Alexandre III
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? – Sonnet 18
One of the most beautiful bridges in our opinion
Standing among the Pegasus and Fames statue
Even below the bridge it looks beautiful
After we were done with Pont Alexandre III, we proceeded to the next “secret spot” which is the Petit Palais. It is quite near the bridge and took us around 4 minutes to get there. The Petit Palais is a small museum and also built for the Paris World fair in 1900. The museum entrance features a wrought iron gate, stained glass windows and mosaic floors.
Petit Palais grand entrance
Inside Petit Palais
We then headed to a nearby café for breakfast before resuming our photoshoot at the final location, Place du Trocadero.
Breakfast before resuming our photoshoot
Located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the Place du Trocadero features over 23 acres of beautiful gardens (Trocadéro Gardens), fountains and sculptures. To get here we took a 5 minutes taxi ride from Petit Palais. If you are using the train (take the L or N lines) and for metro (use 6 or 9). The public square offers a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower and is quite a popular area for photoshoots in the morning.
There were lots of people here doing photoshoots
Picturesque view of Eiffel Tower
Once we were done with our photoshoot session, we went back to our hotel and changed into a more comfortable clothing before resuming our Paris exploration. We then took the train to one of most famous churches in the world,Notre Dame Cathedral Paris (Notre Dame de Paris). The cathedral is listed as the UNESCO heritage site and is one of the best examples of French gothic architecture.
Notre Dame Cathedral Paris before 2019 fire incident
West façade of the cathedral
This cathedral was completed in the 14th century gained its popularity after Victor Hugo’s novel on “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” in 1831. Victor Hugo himself mentioned that the Hunchback of Notre-Dame in his novel was just fictional. However, there was a hunchbacked sculptor during that time who was working on the cathedral which inspired him to create the character.
The popular Disney movie “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame)
In 2019, while undergoing restoration works, the roof of Notre-Dame caught fire and seriously damaged the cathedral. Currently the reconstruction works is ongoing and expected to be completed before the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Unfortunately for us, we were not able to see Notre-Dame at its best as we went there a few months after the fire incident happen.
The tragic incident in April 2019 (Image credit: mage: AFP/Getty)
Reconstruction works ongoing
Walking along the streets of Notre-Dame
After passing by Notre-Dame, we dropped by the city hall also known as Hôtel de Ville. Since the 13th century the Hôtel de Ville was used by government officials and showcases luxurious decors and murals on the ceilings. In the 14th century, this city hall used to be a place where citizens gathered to watch the guillotine executions. Despite the history of Hôtel de Ville, it is still one of the most impressive buildings built. There is no entrance fee to visit the city hall so do consider visiting the city hall when you’re here.
Hôtel de Ville
Beautiful murals on the ceilings (Image credit: arnaudfrichphoto)
Inside the luxurious city hall
After that, we continued on to the Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre). Although we had already visited the Louvre Pyramid on the first day, we wanted to do a bit more exploring around the area. We went to the Carrousel du Louvre which is the underground entrance to the Louvre. This entrance is 1 of the 4 entrances available to enter the Louvre Museum. Here, you can find various luxury stores, souvenir shops and also the Louvre metro station.
You can take the metro to get here
Louvre Pyramid
Layout of the Louvre
Sculptures at the underground entrance
Bought some souvenirs too
Located just beside the Louvre is the former palace, Palais Royal. The Palais Royal was built in the 16th century and used to house the royal family until the completion of Palace of Versailles. This palace is often overlooked by tourists who flock to the biggest and latest attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. The Palais Royal is popular with the locals, who occasionally have their picnics, lunch or walks at the gorgeous palace gardens. We popped by for a quick visit and then continued on to the next location, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.
Black-and-white unique columns at the Palais Royal
Palais Royal garden
The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is a smaller version of the arch at the Place de Charles Gaulle Etoile and located just in front on the Louvre Pyramid. The arc was built in 1806 to commemorate Napoleon Bonaparte I military victories and served as a triumphal entrance to the Tuileries Palace. At the time we were there, the arc was really crowded and it was difficult to take a picture. Lucky for us, we didn’t have to wait too long for them to disperse. After we were done checking out the arc, we headed to the Bibliothèque Mazarine.
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
Night view (Image credit: wallpaperflare)
Located just across the Louvre Museum is the Bibliothèque Mazarine, the oldest public library in Paris. It is now known as the Institut de France and was founded in the 17th century by Cardinal Mazarin. This library has over 600,000 volumes on various subjects such as religious history and politics some dating back as far as the year 1500. Since it is a public library and also a museum, you can sit here and read the books or just look around at the ancient furnishings and see one of the rarest books in the world, the Gutenberg bible also known as the Mazarin bible. We spent a good hour here, checking out all the antiques and also the massive book collections.
Oldest public library in Paris
Lots of people in the library/museum
One of the rarest book in the world
You will need a ladder to access the books here
The compound of the library
Streets of Paris
Our last destination for the day was the iconic The Eiffel Tower also known as “La dame de fer” (Iron Lady). The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 and named after the engineer whom designed and built the tower, Gustave Eiffel. Standing at a height of 324m/1,063ft, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris and is made up of 3 levels.
Eiffel Tower light shows at night (Image credit: Getty Images)
Iconic landmark of Paris
The first level consists of a glass walkway, a restaurant and the Gustave Eiffel Room (which can be used as a conference room). The second level consists of an observation deck and also a Michelin-star Le Jules Verne restaurant. Finally, at the top level you will be able to get a birds eye view of Paris and see Gustave Eiffel’s office which features wax characters, maps and the tower construction plans.
Level 1
Level 2 views (Image credit: toureiffel.paris)
Wax figures in Gustave Eiffel’s office at the summit (Image credit: toureiffel.paris)
View of Champ de Mars from the summit (Image credit: toureiffel.paris)
When visiting the Eiffel Tower, you can opt to take the elevator or walk up the stairs. Bear in mind that the line to the elevator can last anywhere from 1-2 hours, while their stairs would probably take you half and hour depending on your stamina. Ticket prices are also cheaper if you choose to walk up the stairs. As we didn’t have the luxury of time in Paris and had a lot of places to cover, we chose to forgo the trip up to the Eiffel Tower. It is still one of our biggest regrets in Paris and we’ll definitely make it a priority go up the tower next time.
Eiffel Tower lighted up
Holding up Eiffel Tower with only 1 hand 😆
In front of the Eiffel Tower is the huge Champ de Mars park. In the evenings, you will be able to see lots of people having their picnics or just relaxing here. When ever you are around this area please be extra careful as there are a lot of scams and pickpockets here. We walked around Champ de Mars for a bit and then called it a day.
Champ de Mars
Day 3 – Discovering Montmartre
On the third day, we decided to explore the La butte Montmartre (Martyr’s hill) which is the highest point in Paris at 130m. This district is quite popular for its steep, windy village roads, artistic heritage and also Sacré-Coeur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris). To get here, we took the metro to Anvers station and walked around 600m to reach the Montmartre hill. On the way to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica we made a few stops to have a look at the shops and the colourful village.
Checking out the shops in Montmartre
What shall I paint today ?
Picturesque village
Montmartre street artists
Climbing up the stairs – Paris
Half way there
Sacré-Coeur Basilica
For those who don’t want to climb the 222 steps, you can hop on the funicular which takes about 1-2 minutes to reach the top. The church was built after the Franco-Prussian War ended in 1870 to honour the Sacred Heart of Christ and to serve as a penitence for their sins and misery during the war.
The funicular
Beautiful Roman Catholic Church
Inside the church, you will be able to see one the world’s largest mosaic which shows the picture of Jesus Christ with open arms. There is also a bell tower nearby which has one of the world’s heaviest bells at over 19 tons.
Inside the church
Jesus Christ with open arms mosaic
Beautiful church – Paris
We spent almost a whole day exploring Montmartre and was exhausted from all the back to back travelling we did in Paris. We headed back to our hotel around 5pm and decided to get some well needed rest.
The bell tower
Day 4 – A day of misfortune and tax-free shopping
We didn’t have any plans on the fourth day and spontaneously decided to visit the tax-free zone, La Vallée Village which is located around 38km east of Paris. To get to La Vallée Village, you can either take the bus (Shopping Express), train or taxi. We chose to use the train as the bus shuttle frequency was only twice a day. If you are using the train, you will need to take the RER train (line A) to Val d’Europe station, which is the closest station to La Vallée Village.
Entrance to La Vallée Village
Since we took the metro, we had to change lines to the RER line. Once we got off the station to change lines, it was quite confusing as there were a lot of different exits to go. A side note: Paris metro/RER is well known for fining passengers for taking the wrong exit. Make sure to double check which exit to use. We followed the sign which says RER line A and it took us directly to the next line without passing through the turnstile. Puzzled, we hopped into the train and got off atVal d’Europe station.
Most common tourist fines were for La Vallée Village and Disneyland Paris
Upon arrival at the station, we saw quite a number of tourists which were previously on the same train as us being stopped and called aside. We tried to pass through the turnstile but it didn’t accept our tickets. We were called aside and given a fine of €50 each as we didn’t validate our tickets at the previous station. If you are changing lines from Metro to RER you will have to pass through the turnstile and exit first, before re-entering from another entry point. It pretty much spoiled our morning in Paris.
Metro turnstiles
We paid the fined and took a taxi from the station to the La Vallée Village as it was raining heavily. The station is located 1.2km away from the village and also accessible via the Val d’Europe shopping mall which is located on the right of the station. The La Vallée Village consists of over 120 boutiques from various luxury brands such as Armani, Burberry, Gucci, Prada and Longchamp and offers huge discounts throughout the year.
Val d’Europe shopping mall
Busy day at La Vallée Village
We did a bit of shopping and bought a few handbags at a great price while we were here. The queue here can get quite long so be prepared to wait for at least an hour before you get to enter the boutiques. After purchasing your items here, remember to keep your receipt so that you can receive the tax refund of up to 12%on your purchases here (valid for visitors outside EU and staying less than 6 months in France). Don’t forget to get the tax refund form at the boutique and make sure it is signed by them (valid for purchases above €175). You can redeem your tax refunds at the airport customs office or a PABLO kiosk before you depart from France.
Our shopping haul
Got these at a bargain
Once we were done shopping at La Vallée Village, we took the taxi back to the hotel as we didn’t want the hassle of changing trains, tickets and navigating the correct exits. As it was our last day in Paris, we started packing up our stuff for our flight the next day.
Day 5 – Time to go home
After having our breakfast at the hotel, we took the taxi to the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for our afternoon flight back home. We had mix feelings on our last day here. On one hand we were glad to return back home after nearly 2 weeks on vacation, while on the other hand, our Europe trip has came to an end.
Goodbye Paris!
Ready for the 20 hour plus flight back home
Souvenirs for our family
To sum it up, Paris is quite a beautiful and interesting city with a lot of places for you to discover. We hope that you find this blog helpful as we try to provide you with valuable information for your trip to Paris. Have a safe trip !
Have any experience or tips on travelling in Paris? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you guys!
