I visited Paris, France as a solo traveler in March 2019 for 4 days and fell in love with the city. I hope my itinerary will help you to plan your itinerary for a trip to Paris. I’m certain that after reading this post you’ll have no worries about the amount of activities that you can fit into your trip.

Paris Itinerary

Day 1

Food Tour

Two hours after I landed in Paris, I went on a food tour with Secret Food Tours Paris. This is the best food tour I have ever been on! I chose the Montmartre Secret Food Tour which covers the Montmartre district in Paris. On this tour we visited and received samples from the following places: a chocolate shop, boulangerie (bakery), macaroon shop, butcher shop, fromagerie (cheese), and a crepe stand (best crepe ever!).

• 

• 

• 

• 

At the end of the tour we had a full meal comprised of a variety of food that the tour guide purchased from each stop that we made along the tour. The final meal was held in an old wine cellar storage room. There was plenty of wine, baguettes, cheeses, meats (or spinach quiche for the non-meat eaters), and dessert (chocolate éclairs) for everyone to enjoy. The final meal truly felt like a dinner party with friends even though we were all strangers from different parts of the world. Highly recommend.

• 

• 

https://www.secretfoodtours.com/sft/paris/paris-montmartre/

Day 2

Paris Bike Tour

On the second day in Paris I took this bike tour with Fat Tire Tours. On this tour, the guide led us around the city to see various sites within the 1st, 7th, and 8th arrondissements such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Place de la Concorde, Les Invalides, Champ de Mars, Place de la Bastille, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (pictured on the right), and a few others. This tour also provided a lunch break (at your own expense) at a cafe located in the Tuileries Gardens next to the Louvre museum. If you want a tour of the city that allows you to see a number of tourists sites within a day then I highly recommend that you book a tour with Fat Tire Tours.

https://www.fattiretours.com/paris/tours/paris-day-bike-tour

• 

• 

• 

Louvre Museum

I visited the Louvre Museum around 2 p.m. on a Friday and did not have to wait in line to get inside. Of course this was in the off season, but considering how many people were inside I felt quite lucky not having to wait. It should also be noted that I bought my ticket weeks prior to my arrival. My time slot was actually 3 p.m. but I was able to get in earlier (again off season benefits).

During the time of my visit there were a few exhibits that I wanted to see that were being renovated such as Napoleon III Apartments and Egyptian Antiquities. However, the main highlights were available and I was glad I got to see them. I was also very happy that I got to see Mona Lisa without a massive crowd, although more people started to enter the museum around 3 p.m. The Louvre is definitely a museum worth visiting, however I feel that if you’re short on time and you have to choose between the Louvre and Versailles, you should go to Versailles. Then again, try to visit both so you will have no regrets about missing out on either one.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Seine River Cruise

I purchased a ticket for a 1-hour sightseeing cruise on the Seine river with Vedettes du Pont Neuf. As the name implies, the boat departs from and returns to Pont Neuf. On this cruise you will pass by the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Musée D’Orsay, Eiffel Tower, and many more attractions. Departures are every 30 minutes. I found that the location was very convenient as it was in walking distance from my hotel.

• 

• 

Wine Tasting and Dinner

A friend of mine, who was also visiting Paris, recommended a wine tasting and dinner event hosted by O’Chateau Paris. The cost of the ticket was 99 euros and it was well worth it! The price included 4 wines and a 3-course meal. The host explained the history, process, and flavors of each wine as we paired them with various dishes. I highly recommended it for all travelers (solo, friends, family, and couples). The restaurant is located in the 1st arrondissement.

• 

• 

• 

Day 3

Versailles Bike Tour

The second bike tour with Fat Tire Tours was to Versailles. What a workout! Biking up numerous hills was challenging, but in the end a fantastic workout. On this tour we rode around the Versailles estate, but stopped along the way to tour the Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinette’s house), the French Garden of the Petit Trianon, the Temple of Love, the English Gardens, and Hameau de la Reine (The Queen’s Hamlet) which is essentially a neighborhood that served as a retreat for Marie Antoinette’s closest friends. All of the sites were very interesting and nice to visit as the furniture, paintings, and architecture took you back in time to see how Marie Antoinette and others lived on daily basis. Before going into the gardens of Versailles, we stopped at a farmers market, bakery, and other shops, to buy our lunches to eat later. Then when it was time to take a lunch break, we sat outside and had lunch on the garden.

• 

After lunch, we rode our bikes back to the front of Versailles where we returned the bikes back over to the tour guide. Then, we gained fast track/skip the line entry into Versailles palace and were on our own. Versailles palace is one of my favorite places to visit. Jaw dropping rooms, light fixtures, furniture, floors, and paintings on the ceilings and the walls made the trip well worth it! I really did not want to leave. It is so beautiful and well designed. Must visit! https://www.fattiretours.com/paris/tours/Versailles-Bike-Tour

• 

• 

• 

• 

Day 4

Sainte Chappelle

As previously mentioned, this attraction was in walking distance from my hotel. I purchased my ticket online the day before I visited. In my opinion, the best part of the church is upstairs. You may not notice it at first because when you enter you will see a chapel and the souvenir shop. However, if you read the signs they will direct you to the staircase. This spiral staircase (beware if you are claustrophobic) takes you to the top level of the church where you will find long and tall stained glass windows that emit beautiful colors into the church as the sun shines through it.

• 

• 

Well that concludes my 4 days in Paris! I hope that you found this blog helpful in planning your first or subsequent trip to Paris!

Other Places to Visit

• Museé d’Orsay
• Napolean’s tomb
• Paris Catacombs
• Arc de Triomphe
• Luxembourg Gardens
• Moulin Rouge
• Champs-Élysées