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Sightseeing in Paris

There are so many amazing sights to see while in Paris and I’m so glad we had our whole trip planned out. I’ve put together all of our favorite sights in Paris so that you can easily plan you sightseeing trip!

Travel To Paris

Make Sure To See These Major Landmarks While In Paris

Our last full day in Paris was a quiet Friday, and since we had good weather we decided to run around hitting a few of the major landmarks we hadn’t seen yet.

Sights To See In Paris

We started at Notre Dame, and got there at 9:30 in the morning, thirty minutes before the tower opened.

Things To Do In Paris

There was already a line to get up to the tower, so Kevin went and grabbed us a spot in line, while I took a look around inside the cathedral.

Things To See In Paris

At this point there was no line to get into the cathedral, so I just went right on it. There was mass going on, and the choir was singing, so that was neat experience. But it was very dark inside and I could hardly see anything. I didn’t even take any pictures.

Things To Do Paris

I spent probably 10 minutes or less inside, but by the time I got out (9:40am-ish), there was already a huge line forming outside to get in the cathedral. So if you don’t want to wait in line, be sure to get there early. :) If you don’t want to go up to the tower, the cathedral opens even earlier, at 8am.

Sightseeing In Paris

We stood in line for about one hour total to up to the tower. (Again, we got there 30 minutes before the tower even opened.)

Paris Landmarks To See

Get To Each Landmark Early To Avoid Long Lines

The views were nice (as you can see from the photos above) but you only get to spend 5 minutes at the top. It seemed like a bit of a let down and a bit too rushed after waiting in line for an hour. By the time we made our way down from the tower (10:45am-ish) we were dying at how long the lines had become. The line to get in the cathedral was snaked around back and forth, back and forth all the way across the lawn, and the line to get to the tower was just blocks and blocks and blocks down the street. It was unbelievable.

What To Do In Paris

We grabbed a croissant to go, then had a lovely walk through the Parisian streets as we made our way to the famed Pont des Arts.

Plan A Trip To Paris

The Pont des Arts is a a pedestrian bridge over River Seine.

Travel To Paris

It connects the the Institut de France and the Louvre.

Things To See In Paris France

It’s also been widely popularized as the Love Lock bridge, where couples attach padlocks with their names written on them to the railing, then throw the key into the River Seine below, representing their commitment to unbreakable love.

Paris Vacation Planning

Now I am not one for big romantic gestures (just writing all that out is making me pukey ;)), but as you guys may have guessed by now, Kevin totally is, so of course he wanted to do it. :)

Paris Sightseeing

Be Sure To Add A Lock To The Pont des Arts

We didn’t plan ahead to bring a lock, but fortunately for us there were any number of peddlers selling padlocks up and down the bridge, and at actually a fairly reasonable price (5 euro or less, depending on the style). They’ll even let you use a Sharpie for free. ;) So here is our lock! :) Not sure if it is even still there, since I hear they frequently have to go through and cut them all off because the weight of the locks is crushing the bridge! But it was a very fun gesture and I’m glad we did it. :)

See The Louvre Museum In Paris

After that, we walked up the bank of the Seine, and over to the Louvre courtyard.

Visit The Louvre Museum In Paris

The Louvre Museum In Paris Is Huge

Seriously could not get over how MASSIVE the Louvre is!! It covers an area of nearly 15 acres. Fifteen!! And I thought Versailles was huge!!! (3 acres, comparatively.) We were planning to go if we had a rainy day, but it was sunny every single day we were in Paris, so we’ll have to save the Louvre for next time. :)

Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France

We walked from the Louvre through the Tuileries Garden, then down the Champs Elysees (arguably one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the entire world, like Rodeo Drive but in Paris) all the way to the Arc de Triomphe.

Surrounding the Arc de Triomphe is an eight-lane roundabout with NO lines on the road to keep you in your lane. It’s the only place in Paris where car insurance won’t cover you. On our way to Charles de Gaulle the next day, our driver drove right on through like it was nothing, lol!

Visit The Arc de Triomphe In Paris

There was hardly any line to get up to the top of the Arc, and since you could stay as long as you wanted, we decided to go for it.

Stairs at the Arc de Triomphe, Paris

We definitely got our exercise in this day with all the stairs, towers, and walking!! :) We climbed 387 steps to the top of Notre Dame (and back down), walked 4 kilometers from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, and then climbed another 284 steps to the top of the Arc.

Sights To See In Paris, France

Loved the view from up here!

Plan A Vacation To Paris

We could see all the way down the Champs Elysees…

Paris Landmarks To See

To the right was a great view of the Eiffel Tower, and then the Sacre Coeur in the other direction.

Tips for Planning a Paris Vacation

That night we made our way back to Pont Notre-Dame to watch the sunset.

Tips For Visiting Paris

Our last sunset in Paris. Thank you so much for looking. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend!


View Paris in a larger map

An Easy Way To Plan And See All The Sights In Paris

Here’s a map of everything we did in Paris. It’s got the GPS location of all the spots you see in this post in case you want to find them on your own. :) Click here to see this map on a larger screen, with a list of all the places we went.

 

Follow along on our Scotland, London, and Paris Vacation!

Things To Do While In Scotland

Scotland Day 1 & 2 — Inverness, Loch Ness, Skye, and Talisker Bay
Scotland Day 3 — Skye, Fairy Pools, The Highlands, and Oban
Scotland Day 4 — Islands of Scotland: Mull, Iona, and the Cave of Melodies
Scotland Day 5 — Fa’side Castle, Edinburgh
Scotland Day 6 – Edinburgh & Castle Driving the Coast of Scotland
Everything I Ate In Scotland — Restaurant Guide for Scotland

Sightseeing In London

London Day 1 — Notting Hill, Seven Dials, and The London Eye
London Day 2 — Tower of London, Borough Market, and Big Ben
London Day 3 — Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Fortnum and Mason
London Day 4 — Bakery Hopping, Harrods Food Hall, and the London Tower Bridge
London Day 4 — Sunset at The View from The Shard
Where We Stayed In London — Hotel Indigo Tower Hill
Everything I Ate In London — Restaurant Guide for London

Things To While In Paris

Paris Day 1 — Sunset at the Eiffel Tower
Paris Day 2 — A Walk Through Montmartre
Paris Day 3 — Palace of Versailles
Paris Day 3 — Garden of Versailles
Paris Day 4 — Sightseeing & Landmarks
Paris Day 5 — Hidden Paris (Self Guided Photography / Walking Tour)
Everything I Ate In Paris — Restaurant Guide for Paris
Where We Stayed In Paris — Incredible View of the Eiffel Tower

Thanks so much for looking!!

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17 Responses
  1. Melissa

    Thank you so much for all your posts! I cant believe how many times I have come here for references. I am going to pretty much use your whole itinerary. so THANK YOU!!!! soooooo helpful!

  2. Alley @ Alley's Recipe Book

    Wow! Amazing photos! We are heading to Rome, Paris, and London in two weeks and can’t wait. Definitely stole some ideas from your vacay that we will have to do while we’re there. Hope we are as lucky with weather as you were! Thanks for sharing. :)

  3. Karrie

    I’ve been following along with your Paris & London posts (I’m going there in a week) and your photos are absolutely gorgeous! I love the saturation bump to them, so colourful and bright!

    Three questions for you…
    – Is there an admission fee for the tower at Notre Dame? I can’t find it on the site, but figured it’d be good to ask you since you were just there!
    – Did you get the Paris Museum Pass?
    – Did you eat at any restaurants with a view of the Eiffel Tower? I’ve been Googling around and have only found a handful of good options (but all quite pricey!).

    Thanks! xo

    1. Amanda

      Hi Karrie!

      The admission fee for the tower at Notre Dame was 8.50 euro when we went. You don’t have to buy a ticket ahead of time, just get in line and you buy it right before you go up to the top. :) You can find current ticket price information here: http://notre-dame-de-paris.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/

      We didn’t get the Paris Museum Pass.

      Since our room had such a good view of the Eiffel Tower, we didn’t eat at any restaurants that were famous for their view, but I did hear good things about this one, and considered going here: Le Ciel de Paris.

      Hope this helps!! :)

  4. kathi. @laughingspatula

    Your photo’s are amazing! We are planning our first trip to Europe and your blog will be our guide! So glad We found you!!
    Kathi

  5. kelley @ Mountain Mama Cooks

    Wonderful. I haven’t been to Paris in over 10 years. You’re making me want to go back. Enjoy the rest of your trip! xo

  6. Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch

    What a trip down memory lane your photos took me on! What fun – I’m so glad you shared!!!

  7. Bri | Bites of Bri

    I was already itching to go back to Paris before reading this but now I’m dying to go back! Love your pics and descriptions. That view of the city ❤️

  8. Susan

    I loved touring Paris in 2011. Next time you go please tour the Louvre! It was Spectacular inside, and it will take the whole day to tour. I was mesmerized standing just a few feet from the famous Mona Lisa taking photos of it. A highlight of the trip for me :)

  9. Danae @ Recipe Runner

    Your pictures and description of Paris make it so dreamy. I’ve never been, but it’s on my list of places I’d love to visit. I’d never heard of the Love Lock Bridge and as unromantic as I am I think it’s pretty neat that you can buy a padlock and add it to the bridge. Thanks for sharing your photographs and stories!

  10. Beth

    Thank you for your beautiful European posts! I felt like I was right there with you. Love all the handy travel tips too.

  11. María Stordeur

    Amanda wow! your photos of Paris blow me away!! ;). And I’m soooo happy you left the padlock! soooo romantic!!! ;). When I visited Paris in 2012, there weren’t padlocks available to buy :(.
    HUgs & kisses and thanks for sharing your amazing trips with us!!! ;), with love, Mariquita

  12. Nancy

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. Lovely pictures brought back wonderful memories of my two visits there. Paris is fabulous!

  13. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh

    What a beautiful way to spend your last day! I’m glad Kevin is a romantic, that’s rare girl, eat that up with a spoon! So was your lock the one that broke the portion of the bridge that collapsed a few weeks ago? ;-) We hope to get there someday. Did you learn any French before you went or can you scrape by with not speaking the language?

    1. Amanda

      I am not sure if it was on the same section, but I am pretty sure it was on the same side, lol! I took French for 2 years in high school, and although I hardly remembered any of it, it was enough to get us by :) And you definitely pick it up quick once you get there! :)

  14. Christine @ A Sprinkle of This and That

    I have so enjoyed all your pictures from Europe. You hit all the best spots!!! It was so fun to “travel” along with you and Kevin. Brought back so many memories of when we traveled there not too long ago. Thanks for sharing!

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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