Paris Mini-Guide: 4 Days in La Ville des Lumières
My first foray into France, I recently visited Paris for an off-beat city break. Fashion, food, and architecture come together in this dreamy, iconic city that’s beautiful even in the wintertime, with markets sprinkled throughout its districts. A long weekend is just enough time to get a taste of Europe’s most famous city.
Getting There
We arrived in the city by train from Strasbourg, a comfortable 2-hour journey. I always snag my tickets via Omio, and they were around $90 USD. If you’re flying from the U.S. to Paris, check out Delta, Aer Lingus, TAP, British Airways, or United for flight deals!
Where to Stay
Paris is unique compared to other European cities as it doesn’t have a distinct city center. The city instead is a spiral broken up into 20 districts or arrondissements. We stayed in the heart of Le Marais, a trendy, bustling neighborhood with plenty of shops, restaurants, and sights around. While I wouldn’t recommend the exact Airbnb we stayed in (it was a major dud), the location was perfect for a first-time visit to the city. If I were to visit again, I’d either return to Le Marais or stay in stunning Montmartre, home to the Moulin Rouge. It’s a bit further out from the major sites but well worth the visit for its artistic history, breathtaking views of the city, and its basilica.
What to Eat (Gluten-Free)
I’ll be honest, I found it quite tough to find convenient gluten-free options in Paris (and French food isn’t my favorite cuisine), but with a bit of digging, we enjoyed some delicious meals in the city.
Le P’tit Troquet – a beautiful Parisian bistro with super friendly service and a delicious menu, very knowledgeable about gluten-free food. It’s just a short walk to the Eiffel Tower so enjoy a stroll after dinner to enjoy the lights!
La Scuderia del Mulino – located just steps from the Moulin Rouge, this casual Italian place was a great dinner stop before the show and had tons of options for gluten-free diners.
Le Pain Quotidien – this European chain of cafés had fresh, healthy breakfast and lunch options and plenty of gluten-free choices. Their GF bread was delicious as avocado toast, with soups and salads, or just on its own with their variety of spreads.
Yummy and Guiltfree – tasty gluten-free waffles that can be enjoyed savory or sweet. It makes for a perfectly cheap and easy lunch while exploring the city.
What to Do
There are pretty much endless things to do in Paris; we focused on exploring neighborhoods, seeing art, and just enjoying the sights around the holiday season.
Day 1: Explore Le Marais
We took a walking tour through the neighborhood with a wonderful guide Emilie, from WithLocals. We got to taste Merveilleux, a fluffy meringue dessert covered in chocolate, a delicious baguette (for my gluten-eating travel companions), and macarons. While enjoying the culinary delights of the neighborhood, we learned all about the district's history and visited a unique perfume store and a stunning and historic tea shop, Mariage Frères. I’d highly recommend an afternoon tea here or just a quick exploration of its tiny museum. For a quick lunch, try Yummy and Guiltfree. They specialize in delicious savory and sweet waffles, all gluten-free. We tried the bolognese and the salmon; both were excellent!
After lunch, we took a short stroll to Notre Dame, still stunning after the tragic fire. There is an in-depth exhibit explaining the cathedral’s renovation process and history. After enjoying Notre Dame, we headed over to the Musee d’Orsay. As a lover of impressionism, this was a must-visit; the museum is filled with notable works from Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, Degas, and more. We spent hours here and still barely scratched the surface.
Once we’d had our fill of art, we headed to the 7th arrondissement, home to the Eiffel Tower, and were able to catch a glimpse of the glittering light show! To round out our first night, we walked to Le P’tit Troquet, a classic French bistro, where we enjoyed a three-course meal paired with French wines.
Day 2: Montmartre
Since we’d already been traveling through France for a few days at this point, we slept in and started off our morning a bit late, enjoying a slow brunch at Le Pain Quotidien and a roam around Le Marais before making our way to the hilly district of Montmartre, the 18th arrondissement.
We were immediately charmed by this neighborhood, the former home of artists and performers like Vincent Van Gogh, Dalida, and Yvette Guilbert. We took another tour with our awesome guide Emilie, and she filled us in on the area’s rich history. The entire district overlooks the city, with the most beautiful view at the Sacre Coeur basilica, where you can see the whole cityscape and the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance. Filled with decked-out cafés, street art, shops, and restaurants, I'd undoubtedly stay in Montmartre on a second visit to Paris.
Once we’d had our fill of exploring, we enjoyed a casual late-night dinner at La Scuderia del Mulino, just a few steps away from Moulin Rouge. It was a great spot to take a nice long dinner to enjoy some wine and dessert before closing off the night with the iconic Feerie cabaret at Moulin Rouge! It’s pretty touristy, but we had a blast at the show.
Day 3: Palais Garnier
On our third day, we pretty much tried squeezing in everything we hadn’t seen yet. After our breakfast, we headed over to see the Louvre and take photos in front of its iconic pyramid. We then walked to the stunning Palais Garnier, Paris’ Opera House designed by Charles Garnier. The facade was built in the Napolean III style, a combination of Baroque and Renaissance. We got audio guides, but they were pretty cumbersome, and I wouldn’t recommend carrying them around; it’s easy enough to do your research before or after your visit!
The interior is truly one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen, so elaborate and decadent. Walking up the Grand Staircase and exploring the Grand Foyer makes you feel like you’re ready to mingle with Paris society. Unfortunately, the auditorium was closed for a show when we visited, but we could see a glimpse of the massive stage and stunning chandelier.
After we finished our visit to the Opera, we headed to the Galerie Lafayette Haussmann to see the epic Christmas tree. The tree is nearly 70 feet tall and suspended above the lower level, visible from every floor in the shopping center. Be sure to check out the light show that plays every hour for 5 minutes. The department store is a destination in itself, so we took our time window shopping before heading off to dinner. Take some time to check out the elaborate animatronic window displays outside the Galerie as well; they are nothing short of magical!
To wrap up our evening, we intended on dining at a rooftop restaurant in Montmartre but were hit with some seriously foggy weather, so there were no views to be seen. We ended up at La Scuderia del Mulino again, devouring delicious pizza and enjoying our favorite district in the city.
Day 4: Vintage Thrifting
Our final day in Paris was all about fashion, heading out on a vintage thrifting tour with our knowledgeable guide, Alberto. He took us to various thrift stores across every price range and unbelievable selections! My brother is the fashionista among us and ended up with two gorgeous vintage jackets that were only around $70 each. We ended the tour with a visit to the Azzedine Alaia exhibition, an absolute must for any fashion lovers.
After a late lunch, we strolled around Le Marais before visiting the STUNNING Christmas market at Hotel de Ville, an elaborate Renaissance building that houses local administration. The market looks like a charming village, surrounded by sparkling trees. The vintage carousel, rock climbing wall, and tubing are the focal point of this market, so make sure you grab a cup of vin chaud while enjoying the sights.
