Paris Mini Guide: The Best Things To Do in the City of Light

Wandering around Paris. 

No matter how much time I spend in Paris, it’ll never be enough. Every inch of this city beckons relentlessly, every bustling café and metro line, every street and arrondissement. It’s overwhelming in the best of ways, so getting to go back and spend more time in the City of Light was an absolute dream, especially during the Olympics!

I was so afraid that Paris would be insanely crowded for the Summer Games, but to my pleasant surprise, it wasn’t at all. Sometimes, when we were wandering aimlessly, it even felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

When I travel it always surprises me how quickly you can fall into the rhythms of a new city, a new place. Take it slow, Paris implores you, match my pace. Wander, linger, stay in the moment. We spent our days the way Hemingway did, as he recounts in A Moveable Feast, “We can walk anywhere and we can stop at some new café where we don’t know anyone and nobody knows us and have a drink.”

Paris is always a good idea, as they say, and I’m a firm believer that you really can’t go wrong with whatever you decide to do in this city. But, if you need a little guidance, here are some of my favorite places:

Neighborhoods

Montmartre: My husband’s favorite area of the city. Perched on a hill overlooking the rest of Paris, Montmartre is where many writers and artists found their refuge. Be prepared to climb a lot of steps (the views are absolutely worth it, I promise!). Definitely don’t miss Sacré-Cœur, and if you’re like me and love checking out cute local jewelry boutiques, pop in to Les Néréides on rue des Martyrs. And if you get hungry after walking up all those stairs, grab a bite to eat at Le Moulin de la Galette or at La Mère Catherine, right on the Place du Tertre, a hangout for the local artists. Maybe you’ll spot a unique painting that catches your eye!

Saint-Germain-des-Prés: For when you’re feeling bougie. This is one of the higher-end neighborhoods of Paris, and even though I’m not in the right income bracket for this area, it’s still fun to walk around! Café de Flore is here, as is Les Deux Magots, another favored spot of Hemingway’s. If you happen to be in the market for a vintage watch, check out Romain Rea on rue de Bac. After days of searching, my husband found an impeccable 1983 Cartier watch there. When in Paris!

Le Marais: There’s so many cute shops and restaurants here! The Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church on rue Saint-Antoine is beautiful — stop in and admire the artwork (and enjoy the shade if it’s a hot day!). Make sure to head over to Place des Vosges, a beautiful park with plenty of shade to sit, relax, and enjoy. There’s an adorable dog-friendly café nearby, Le Bone Appart, which is the perfect lil spot for an afternoon break. They have a cute dog named Napoleon who likes to sit on the couch, and they also sell berets for dogs, I repeat, berets for dogs. Run don’t walk.

Museums

Musée Rodin: A chill, beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Rodin was a sculptor and art collector, and this museum is a stunning tribute to his life and work. The sculpture garden is so peaceful and mostly shaded, making it a perfect getaway on a hot day. The estate that houses this museum is so grand, all I could think about is how much I would love to attend a formal evening soirée here. If you go, make sure to see one of his most famous works, “The Thinker,” as well as his stunning “The Gates of Hell.” Also make sure to peek the Van Gogh's on display (they were a part of Rodin’s personal collection)!

Musée Picasso: I hate to admit I had no idea Paris had a Picasso Museum until we stumbled upon it one day while we were wandering around Le Marais. It’s an impressive overview of Picasso’s life and career; each room walks you through a different era of his art, and the audio guide + the information printed on the walls provides super helpful context as to what was going on in Picasso’s life at the time. Picasso’s art studio is in Montmartre, and my sister and I happened to walk by and see it one day. The things you stumble upon in Paris!

Musée du Louvre: Two words: Art. Overload. The Louvre is probably the most insane art museum I’ve ever been to simply because there is so much art I need to look at and I do not have enough time in my life to look at it all! I only had two hours in the Louvre, which compounded this feeling. If you visit, plan to stay longer than I did! Highlights from my whirlwind tour include the Venus de Milo, the hall that houses the French Crown Jewels, and the recently restored Liberty Leading the People painting. I will definitely be spending more time here on future visits!

Cafés & Restaurants

Café De Flore: I couldn’t leave Paris without paying tribute to my friends of the Lost Generation at one of their favored cafés. I’m not gonna lie, it’s pricey (the Saint Germain Spritz is €21 just FYI), but the vibes are immaculate and the espresso is hands-down the best I’ve ever had. So go ahead, you’re in Paris, treat yourself!

Brasserie Le Quartier Général: Located on Boulevard Saint Germain, this spot is perfect for lunch or an afternoon snack/dessert! It’s got a comic book theme which is super cute, and there’s also a big map of Paris inside (I love maps). The Saint Germain Spritz was on point, btw.

Breizh Café: You gotta go for some crépes in Paris. This cafe has locations throughout Paris, and they serve two kinds of crépes: savory galettes and sweet dessert crépes. We got both: ham and egg galette and a banana chocolate crépe for dessert. I’m still dreaming about it.

Madame Pampa: A super Instagrammable restaurant located on Rue du Montparnasse. There’s a lot of very cute, very floral café/restaurants nearby, it was hard to choose which one we wanted to eat at! We stopped for a fab breakfast here on our way to the beautiful Luxembourg Garden park, which is only about a ~10 min walk away.

Crocus Restaurant: A can’t miss if you’re in the 14th. Crocus serves up seasonal menus made with locally sourced products in an elegant and cozy ambience. Everything was absolutely delicious! We got a starter, main course, and dessert for just €41. If I owned a restaurant, Crocus would be my #1 inspiration for it.

Other Very Fun Things

Shakespeare and Company: A mecca for book lovers. Originally founded by badass American Sylvia Beach in 1919, the original bookstore was the first to publish James Joyce’s Ulysses, and it was a haven for members of the Lost Generation, including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, etc. Beach had to close up shop in 1941 due to the Nazi occupation of Paris, but the store we know today was opened in 1951 and carried on the name and spirit of the original shop, albeit in a different location. There can be long lines and the store is very crowded inside, so if you’re not interested in the history of the store or in buying a book, I’d skip.

La Sainte-Chapelle: Pictures do not do this gorgeous church justice. Located on the Île de la Cité island in the Seine, this church and it’s insane amount of stained glass is absolutely breathtaking. If you want to level up your visit, check ClassicTic to see if there are any concerts happening during your stay! We bought tickets for an evening concert of Bach & Mozart music which was played by a small string orchestra, an absolute 10/10 experience. Seeing the church is already amazing, but the concerts are definitely a unique way to spend more time admiring the church.

Luxembourg Garden: One of my favorite spots in the city. This massive park is so peaceful to walk around, and there’s plenty of chairs to sit and read (or people watch)! Pro-tip: grab some gelato at Amorino on rue Vavin and head to the park for a leisurely walk.

Rue Daguerre: Located in the 14th, this street is full of cute shops, fresh produce, pâtisseries serving the most beautiful pastries and sweets, and boulangeries with the most buttery croissants. We spent a lovely morning here and went to Les Fréres Blavette for breakfast pastries and sweets. Rue Daguerre is very close to the Denfert-Rochereau catacombs, so if you’re in the area, check it out!

Hidden Bar/Speakeasies: We signed up for this Airbnb Experience tour to discover hidden bars and speakeasies in Paris and it was so much fun! We went to three bars on our tour that we never would have found otherwise. Each bar was super unique (drinks were pretty pricey, about ~€17 each), and our guide was hilarious and made it easy for our group of seven to get to know one another. Highly recommend!