How to Plan 4 Days in Paris: A First-Timer’s Guide
Bonjour! As I am writing this, I am listening to a Spotify playlist called ‘Parisian Café’ in hopes that I will feel as if I am dining on a Parisian sidewalk, three macarons deep. But alas, I am in my bedroom, only dreaming of when I can travel again.
Paris will always be memorable to me because of its charm, character, and endearing pastry shops on every corner. Today’s blog post will highlight the exact itinerary I followed while in Paris, giving you the ultimate itinerary planning for four days in Paris for first-time travelers. I mapped all the activities out so that attractions within walking distance of each other were done on the same day. If you follow my 4-day Paris itinerary closely for your trip, then congratulations, the hard work has been done for you! I poured hours into my itinerary prior to the trip, and I learned what did and did not work well during the trip in order to put together this foolproof itinerary for first-time tourists. I am so excited for you to experience Paris, and I hope you fall in love with it as much as I did.
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How to Spend 4 Days in Paris as a First-Time Visitor
Day One
Evening – Visit the Local Pastry Shops and Grab Dinner
You may want to take it easy for your first evening in Paris. I was pretty exhausted from the overnight flight we had taken, given that I never sleep well on planes. Once we got settled into our adorable Airbnb on the outskirts of Paris, we barely had enough energy to go out and grab a bite to eat. But alas, we knew we had limited time in the city and had to take advantage of our time here regardless of our energy levels. Before dinner, we stopped at an adorable pastry shop to buy baguettes, the epitome of the French experience.
Day Two
Morning – The Louvre, Les Deux Plateau, Crepes at Le Nemours
Get ready for your first full day in Paris! There is plenty of exploring ahead, so fuel up on some pastries. Your first stop of the day is The Louvre, the world’s largest art museum. The Louvre Museum is home to one of the world’s most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa. You can either pay to enter the museum or simply admire it from the outside like I chose to do. The entrance to The Louvre is a beautiful pyramid monument, surrounded by some of the most beautiful architecture I’ve ever seen. If you opt not to go inside the museum, then you’ll have time in your schedule to explore the Tuileries Garden across from The Louvre.
After seeing The Louvre, hop on over to Les Deux Plateau, a beautiful square full of striped columns. Have fun unleashing your inner model and taking all kinds of cool photos here!
By this point, you must be ready for some more food. And what better to eat than some Nutella crepes? Right around the corner from Les Deux Plateau, you’ll find an adorable café called Le Nemours. While there is a lot on the menu to choose from, I treated myself to a classic Nutella crepe. This was the perfect place to have my first authentic Parisian crepe!
Afternoon – Notre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Marais District
Next up on our 4-day Paris itinerary was to see the famous Notre Dame cathedral. Unfortunately, the tragic burning of the cathedral occurred a mere two months before we visited Paris in 2019. I still wanted to walk by the cathedral to see it from a distance. However, I had to be much further away than I would have liked. There were high walls built around the cathedral, and policemen were heavily patrolling the area. I guess I’ll just have to return to see it again someday when it is restored.
If you’re looking for something else to do in the area, the Luxembourg Garden is a 10-minute walk away. Enjoy your time strolling through this garden and seeing the beautiful scenery.
After exploring the Garden, you can make your way back over to the Marais District, located nearby Notre Dame. This district is filled with countless cute streets, shops, and cafes. Stop into one of the many macaroon shops to purchase some sweets for your evening!
Evening – Dinner at Wild and the Moon Charlot, Rue Crémieux
If you love smoothie bowls, you should go to Wild and the Moon Charlot for dinner. This trendy aesthetic was right up my alley. I loved the interior design! My smoothie bowl was also amazing. It lived up to all my expectations.
Afterward, we ended our day exploring the adorable Rue Crémieux. This is a residential street with the cutest vibrant houses. We made sure not to be disruptive while we took pictures here, but unfortunately, not all tourists are the same. The residents of this street recently got so fed up with people being disruptive right outside their homes that the city of Paris had to issue a decree against photography and videography on this street! I don’t blame the residents for wanting this. I would grow very weary of rowdy tourists constantly crowding around outside my home. If you are able to be respectful, it is still a nice street to visit. But keep in mind that people are living there and would prefer for you not to invade their privacy.
Day Three
Morning/Afternoon – Lunch at Printemps Rooftop Terrace, Explore Montmartre District
After sleeping in a little, the first item on our itinerary this day was to grab lunch at Printemps Rooftop Terrace. The terrace is on top of a shopping center, providing can’t-miss views of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, we did not realize we had to make reservations ahead of time to eat here. But we still got to enjoy the incredible views from the rooftop. We took the elevator back down and ate at a little café at the entrance of the shopping center.
After filling our stomachs, we went on to explore the Montmartre District. This was one of my favorite things we did during our four days in Paris. The district is full of so much charm and wonder. It is also home to the famous Sacré-Coeur cathedral. We did not pay to go inside the cathedral, but it was fun to look at it from the outside. There were many adorable cafes in this district, as well as little outdoor markets to browse. I could have spent hours exploring this area and will definitely allot more time in my schedule for this the next time I’m in the city.
Just beware of pickpocket schemes in this area. I had read up on pickpocket schemes prior to going to Paris. One of the schemes I read about was that some people may ask you to sign a petition for them, and while they have you distracted, their partner would pickpocket you. When we were approaching the cathedral, there were two men asking people to sign stuff. Since I had read up on the scheme, I kept my hand over my purse and did not stop to talk to them. If you just keep your hands on your belongings in crowded areas, you will be fine.
Afternoon/Evening – Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées
Alright, guys, I know this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. The monument that drew me to Paris, the beauty itself, the Eiffel Tower! Growing up, I dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower in person. That dream just kept growing bigger and bigger, and I was so happy to fulfill it during this trip. Seeing it in person was everything I dreamed of and more!
We got off the nearest metro stop and walked towards the Trocadéro. As soon as we turned the corner, we saw the Eiffel Tower come into view. I wish I could relive that moment over and over again. It felt like I was a child seeing Cinderella’s castle at Disney all over again. We walked closer and got tons of pictures before sitting on one of the benches to admire the view.
We crossed the bridge over the Seine River and looked at the Eiffel Tower from the other side. I thought it would be fun to have a picnic on the lawn in front of the tower, but we just decided to grab dinner somewhere else that evening. Hopefully, I can picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower the next time I visit!
For the rest of your evening, I recommend going to see the Arc de Triomphe. It is only a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. I even found the cutest little crepe stand right by the Arc de Triomphe, so I obviously had to treat myself to yet another Nutella crepe!
Right next to the Arc de Triomphe is the famous street, Champs-Élysées. There are tons of shops on this street that are practically begging tourists to empty their pockets for the latest fashions.
Day Four
Morning/Afternoon – Palace of Versailles
For our last full day in Paris, we went out with a bang! We booked cheap train tickets to embark on a day trip from Paris to the Palace of Versailles. We had to take the metro to the main train station in Paris, where we transferred to a train, journeying for a little under an hour. Once arriving at the palace, one of us stood in line while the other purchased our tickets. We got Passport Tickets, which gave us entry to both the palace and the gardens. Make sure you check the weather when you go so you know which area to explore first, in case there is a chance of any rain.
We explored the inside of the palace first. It was so surreal seeing the historic rooms. I have never felt more connected to history. Everywhere I looked, I saw insane beauty.
My favorite part of the palace was the fancy hallway full of chandeliers. I couldn’t help but imagine myself as part of the royal family, walking down this hallway in an extravagant ballgown.
After exploring all that we could inside, we headed outside to explore the gardens. Unfortunately, we hadn’t paid much attention to the weather earlier, and we began to see that a storm was rolling in. We didn’t get to explore the exterior much before running back to get on the train in time before it left the station. Thankfully we made it back in time, avoiding getting stuck in the rain.
See my detailed blog post to have all your questions answered about taking a day trip from Paris to the Palace of Versailles!
Interested in booking a tour in Versailles? Check here for options!
Evening – See the Eiffel Tower Sparkle at Night
To end your last evening in Paris, I highly recommend staying up to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. Given that we visited in June, we were rewarded with long summer days, the sun not setting until 10 p.m. We ate dinner just before dusk at a cute café called Iolanda. I got an amazing chicken and cheese crepe. Yes, I know I have a slight obsession with crepes. But when in Paris…
Afterward, we walked out on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge and out onto a walkway in the middle of the Seine River. Once the sun set, we went back onto the bridge and walked to a lookout on the other side to watch the Eiffel Tower begin to sparkle. If you are looking for an uncrowded location to view the Eiffel Tower, just plug Monument de la France Renaissante into your GPS. This was the perfect spot to watch the Eiffel Tower from. It was not very crowded at all, and it allowed us to look over the Seine River while the Eiffel Tower sparkled throughout the night.
While seeing the Eiffel Tower in the daylight was a dream come true, seeing it sparkle at night was an even bigger dream come true!
It’s, unfortunately, time to say au revoir to Paris. I’m so glad I could explore this magical city and give you all my best tips. Make sure to save this post and share it with friends to plan your four days in Paris, making your trip as smooth as possible.
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