Kate’s Perfect Paris Day Itinerary
A Long Stroll Through the 4th, 5th, & 6th Arrondissements
When you start planning for your first trip to Paris, it can be tricky to narrow down all the options of what to do, see, and eat along the way. In an effort to maximize every day of vacation and leave Paris feeling like you got the most out of every experience, I suggest planning ahead! Even if you only create a loose itinerary for each day, it can help make the overall trip more relaxing by not having to think about buying tickets, making reservations, etc. On the other hand, if you prefer to decide what to do when you wake up each morning, that’s great as well. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to visit Paris!
Whenever I have family or friends visit I like to take on the responsibility of planning the itinerary for each day. I recently had visitors and took them through the 4th, 5th, and 6th arrondissements on what we are calling the perfect touristy day in Paris. We managed to cover a lot of ground in only a few short hours but still had energy at the end of the day. Without any further ado, here’s a fun and easy itinerary to guide you on your next trip to Paris:
Breakfast - Coffee & Croissants
Start the day by picking up a croissant, or any other viennoiserie (pastry) your heart desires, at Au Petit Versailles bakery, located at the edge of the Marais. Don’t eat it just yet! Wait to enjoy all those buttery croissant layers with a hot cup of coffee.
Make your way towards the Seine and then cross Pont Louis-Philippe to Ile Saint-Louis. Head to Noir Coffee Shop to grab your morning cup o’ joe or tea. If the weather is nice then enjoy breakfast outside as you admire Cathedral Notre Dame from Pont Saint-Louis. If you’re lucky there might even be some live piano or guitar playing in the background.
Morning Stroll - Notre Dame & The Latin Quarter
After finishing breakfast, walk around Notre Dame to see it from all sides. While it’s closed to the public until sometime next year, you can still admire the structure and learn a lot about its history from the surrounding inforomational displays.
Once you’ve taken some photos and admired the view, then I suggest heading to Paris’ most famous English bookstore, Shakespeare and Co. Even if you don’t plan on purchasing any books, the cozy interior is worth a visit in its own right. Remember, you can’t take photos inside, so take your time and savor the ambiance!
After Shakespeare and Co., you can continue exploring the Latin Quarter until lunchtime. The neighborhood is fairly large, so rather than trying to see everything, I suggest walking to the Maubert-Mutualite metro stop and then heading directly uphill, toward the Pantheon.
Lunch - Rue Mouffetard
Towards the end of your morning stroll, you’ll start to be hungry for lunch. Make your way to the famous market street, Rue Mouffetard, and either eat lunch at one of the many cafés that line the street, or grab lunch to go from a crêpe stand or a local bakery. My personal favorite lunch in this area is a delicious and filling €3.50 Bahn mi sandwich from a tiny Vietnamese restaurant with a purple façade (it’s been in Jay’s guide since the first edition!). For a traditional French food option, head to Oroyona Creperie for delicious, filling, and inexpensive galettes (salty) and crepes (sweet)!
If the weather allows, head to the footsteps of the Pantheon to enjoy lunch in the sun. It’s a student area, so you’ll feel like a local sitting next to hundreds of French students munching on cheap crepes, sandwiches, and kebabs.
Late Afternoon Activity - Pantheon & Luxembourg Gardens
Once you finish up lunch, then head into the Pantheon to see the magnificent marble interior, the historical Foucault Pendulum, and the crypt where many famous French poets, writers, and scientists lay to rest. (If you missed it in Jay’s 20 in 20, the view from the roof is spectacular - don’t forget to get the extra ticket for the tour upstairs.)
After exiting the Pantheon, head straight towards Luxembourg Gardens for an afternoon in the park. However, before heading into the garden, I suggest getting yourself an afternoon pick-me-up treat at Grom ice cream shop or a coffee at Treize au Jardin.
End the afternoon by making yourself comfortable in one of Luxembourg Gardens’ famous green chairs and take a nap in the sun or perhaps start reading that new book you picked up earlier! If you don’t feel like resting, it’s also the perfect place to discover what a traditional French garden looks like!
Et voilà! That’s my ideal touristy day in Paris. Have you followed a similar itinerary before? If not, be sure to save this one for your next trip to Paris.