Paris in 24hrs + Free Walking Guide.
Paris is a city that people drool over. Literally, I think I saw an old man on the bus ride over drooling. But after experiencing the beautiful city of lights, it is easy to see why. I mean hello... buttery pastries, charming streets, and of course the romantic Eiffel Tower. [thanks for reminding me I’m single]. However, it is also a beast of city with so much to see and do it can be stressful at times. Especially when you only have 24 hours. So grab your passport, camera, and some euros, and read on!
Waking up early is crucial when you have a lot to see in a short amount of time. With that being said, our alarms were set for 5:45am, we got ready, and then started before even the slightest bit of sunlight peaked through. We made our way through the Parisian streets dodging the early morning exercise junkies (lol. not us), and ended up at Trocadero. Trocadero is a building that, as awful as it sounds, I have no idea the history behind. However, it has a giant platform that everyone flocks to because it is the best place to actually see and photograph the Eiffel Tower in its entirety. But I’ll let you in on a secret, if you show up at sunrise, not only do you get a spectacular view, but also barely anyone is there. That means amazing photographs with no randos in the background—a rarity in Paris!
From here we strolled along the Seine River for about an hour down to Notre Dame Cathedral. I know. AN HOUR?!? It sounds ridiculous. But I promise it doesn’t feel long at all when you’re surrounded by beautiful architecture and head-turning sites around every corner, not to mention the golden reflection from the rising sun on the Seine. Just make sure you wear comfy shoes and stay on the part of the sidewalk that is NOT the bike lane... that is how Regina George died... just kidding.
On our way, we made a pit stop at the Musee de Louvre. It happened to be closed since it was Tuesday, but the iconic glass pyramid is still worth a peak. Sorry, Mona, I’ll stare at you next time I’m in Paris.
When we finally made it to the cathedral, we were excited to look inside! No matter how many churches I’ve seen in Europe, they still never cease to amaze me. The colorful stain-glassed windows and ornate details from inside, out, were spectacular. The only thing missing was the Hunchback and Esmeralda...They must have been on vacay.
Next Stop: Musee d’Orsay. Just in case you’ve never heard of it, it’s an art museum in an old train station. Since it was still early in the day, the line was short with only a 15-minute wait to get inside. Let me just start by saying Musee d’Orsay is MASSIVE. You could easily spend an entire day there, but with limited time, we hustled through and hit the highlights, my favorite being the sculptures on the first floor and the giant clock on the very top floor. We also came to the conclusion that we aren’t mature enough for art museums. #Boobies.
the famous Musee d'orsay museum in Paris France
After all that walking, we worked up an appetite... well at least for a little snack. We went across the bridge from the museum and through the blooming gardens—Jardin des Tuileries— to pick up a nutella crepe... and holy crepe was it delicious! It was gone in a matter of seconds.
Just on the other side of the gardens lies a fancy street named Rue de Rivoli (you know you're a fatty when you first read the street name as "ravioli"). It boasts high-end shops one after the other. Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, etc. Even though I can't afford any of that ish, the fun window displays make for fun window shopping. For example, Louis Vuitton had a "kiss" (the band) theme with the purses on the tongues.
...But the real reason for going down Rue de Rivoli wasn't to torture ourselves, but because at the end of the street sits the Palais Garnier, the opera house. I honestly feel like this is the most underrated site in all of Paris. Sure people were sitting on the steps outside, but when we actually entered, barely anyone was in there. My jaw actually dropped at one point. Also fun fact: the grand chandelier at the Palais Garnier was what inspired the Phantom of the Opera!
All this adventuring made us hungry. No surprise there. Since it was a weekday, we noticed not many locals our age were eating at sit-down cafes, but rather they would grab a sandwich to-go and sit outside to eat. You know what they say (whoever 'they' is): do as the locals do. So we bought sandwiches and creepishly followed some of the locals back to Jardin des Tuileries. We plopped down amongst the French in green lawn chairs and chowed down with a view of the ferris wheel.
After our lunch break, we got lost in the streets of Paris until we found the Grand Palais. If you didn't know, it is where the Victoria's Secret fashion show 2016 was held. Unfortunately we couldn't go in because they were having another event there, but like everything in Paris, the exterior was beautiful!
Just a couple streets over from the Grand Palais is the lively Champs-Elysées Avenue AKA my first stop if I win the lottery one day. We took a slow stroll taking in everything: the people, the stores, the dogs. Get this, they have a BMW store randomly amongst the shops... and they had bodyguards dressed in suits in McDonalds. Yes. Because I want to steal two euro fries.
At the end of the street, you will see the Arc de Triomphe in all it's glory. Oh, and the crazy street that it lies right smack in the middle of. When I say crazy, I mean twelve avenues all coming together with no traffic light or signs. It is one big free for all. Some insurance companies won't even cover you in that round-a-bout. Talk about accidents galore! With that being said, don't try to cross the street. There are stairs that go underground and pop up again under the monument, so you can safely make it across without being squished.
We wanted to be different, so instead of going up the Eiffel Tower, we climbed the monument to get a view of Paris from above. About 300 stairs and (almost) an asthma attack later, we made it to the top and hands down the views made it worth it!
From here, we headed in the direction of the easy-to-spot Eiffel Tower. We stopped at a grocery store, picked up two baguettes and some cheese, and sprawled out on the lawn. We then did the mature thing--had a baguette war. I mean why not? Who doesn't loaf a good baguette war?
By the end of the day we walked 13.1 miles (should I get a half marathon sticker on my car?) But I’m telling you, the best way to see Paris is by foot (and stomach)!
If you're headed to Paree anytime soon and you're more of a visual person (I def am), here is a map I put together via google maps of our exact route and how long it took to get from one point to the next. If anything, at least it will give you a sense of how far everything is from each other. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Em