Paris is the city of romance. You can feel it in the air while taking an evening stroll, seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the night sky with the sound of live saxophone tunes. That’s why Paris was the very first destination of me and my husband Trevor’s European honeymoon tour. On Thursday, May 22, 2025, my parents dropped us off to SFO, where we began our 17 day trip. The itinerary was full of exciting destinations and wonders for us to experience together as a newly married couple.
Trevor and I traveled to Paris through French Bee Airlines. The travel time took over 10 hours, but luckily we paid a fee for seats with extra leg room. This was definitely worth the splurge, given how long the flight was! We took off at around 8:30pm PT and arrived to Paris the next day, 4:30pm CEST (9 hours ahead of California). We watched a few movies until we shut our eyes and fell asleep. Upon arrival, we grabbed our luggage and struggled to locate our Uber driver due to some construction outside the airport and language barriers. After dragging our luggage around, Trevor was able to locate our driver and we stuffed our bags in the car, making our way into the city.
While driving on the freeway, we got caught in bumper to bumper traffic due to a Taxi protest. We later discovered how much the French love a good protest! (foreshadow to another story several days later). An hour later, we entered into the city, where it was apparent that the weekend had officially begun. People were getting off work, ready to meet with their friends and family at local cafes and restaurants. Driving into Paris for the first time felt like a dream. It had such a vibrant and lively feel to it! Everyone was walking and biking around, dressed fashionably, and sitting outside cafes.
Paris Airbnb
We stayed in a very well located Airbnb, a several minute walk to the famous Louvre Museum, Tuileries Gardens, and Seine River. Although the listing mentioned there wasn’t an elevator, we were not prepared for how challenging it would be to get our 3 suitcases + backpacks to the near top floor of the apartment building. We had to haul our heavy bags up the most narrow and windy set of stairs we’ve ever seen. There were 100+ stairs we had to climb until we reached our room. Seriously, we were tempted to go next door to the hotel and see if there was a room available because dragging (literally) our heavy suitcases up and down was honestly dangerous. Poor Trevor - he really delivered on best husband here, carrying our bags up those spiral and treacherous steps.
The Itinerary
Day 1
Our first order of business while in Paris was finding a place to indulge in crepes. After we dropped off our luggage and freshened up, we made our way outside to catch our first night out. I was so surprised that it didn’t actually get fully dark until 10pm. This made our days feel longer and allowed us to squeeze more into our itinerary. On our walk outside of our Airbnb, we stumbled across a place called Happy Caffé, where we came on several occasions for crepes and croissants. The staff was friendly and their food didn’t disappoint!
Pont de la Concorde
The Pont de la Concorde crosses the Seine between the Place de la Concorde and the National Assembly (French parliament). It was built in the late 1700s, partly using stones from the demolished Bastille prison (thanks Claude for the historical facts!) This bridge offered us stunning views of the River Seine and the Eiffel Tower in the distance during sunset. As a piece of advice - you will walk thousands of steps a day. Make sure to pack your most comfortable sneakers with you and wear layers! Bring a light raincoat, as the rain tends to come and go throughout the day.
Amorino Gelato
As we continued walking towards the Eiffel Tower, our next craving was Gelato. We grabbed a delicious cone at Amorino Gelato, where they craft your gelato to look like a rose! You can select several flavors. My go to is always a Hazelnut with a Strawberry or Raspberry. It was so good, we came here twice during our time in Paris!
Eiffel Tower
Seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkle for the very first time was a moment in time that I’ll never forget. Trevor and I were walking down a narrow cobblestone path with our gelato in hand when we saw the lights turn on. The Eiffel Tower’s lights come on at sunset and stays lit until 1 or 2am on weekends and in the summer. There’s also the famous sparkling lights that happen for 5 minutes at the top of every hour once it’s dark.
There’s a huge grassy field that is full of people of all ages admiring the tower and enjoying the company of their love, friends, and family. There were several jazz musicians playing the saxophone, adding an extra layer of romance to the city of love. We came to see the Eiffel Tower on most days at different hours to get the full experience.
Day 2
Tuileries Gardens
The next morning, we walked to our crepe spot we had discovered the previous evening to kickstart our day. Instead of crepes, it was time to indulge in croissants. This was my first time eating an authentic croissant straight from Paris. It was so buttery, flaky, and the perfect amount of crisp.
In the period between our Louvre Museum reservation, we went to the nearby Jardin des Tuileries. It’s a large public park that stretches between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in central Paris. The famous landscape designer André Le Nôtre also designed the gardens at Versailles.
It's a lovely spot for a stroll with tree-lined paths, fountains, statues, and ponds. There are also a couple of small museums at both ends: the Musée de l'Orangerie (home to Monet's water lilies) and the Jeu de Paume (photography and contemporary art).
LV Dream
After the garden, we went to see the Louis Vuitton Dream boutique. Paris is the high-end fashion capital of the world and home to the biggest luxury brands. What makes this unique is that it’s part exhibition space, part cafe, and part shop. If you want to visit the official museum, it’s called The Fondation Louis Vuitton.
The Louvre Museum
The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world. If you’ve never been before, this is a must do activity while you’re in Paris. I highly recommend buying tickets ahead of time, as the line to purchase onsite is easily an hour-plus wait. We originally entered the normal line, where we stood under the rain and witnessed a man selling umbrellas pick a fight with security. Although entertaining, the wait was so long we ended up finding last minute tickets for a later time and came back so we wouldn’t burn daylight.
Our reserved entrance was for 3pm and we stayed until closing. Give yourself 3 - 4 hours to really explore all of the different galleries. The Louvre is most famous for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. There was a mob of people swarming the painting, but I made my way to the very front of the crowd to get as close as I possibly could. It was much smaller in person than I had imaged it to be.
My favorite gallery in the Louvre was the Galerie d'Apollon, home to the French Crown Jewels — including the Regent Diamond and the coronation crowns. The ceilings were absolutely incredible, a piece of art itself.
Unfortunately, there was a heist that occurred 5 months after our visit, where several renowned crowns and jewels were stolen. Hopefully they are restored so they can continue to be admired by the world.
In the Galerie d'Apollon, it is also home to the world’s largest diamonds. The Regent Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. It’s a 140.64-carat (yes, you read that right!) cushion-cut diamond known for it’s exceptional clarity and brilliance. It was discovered in India in 1698 and eventually was set in the crown of Louis XV for his coronation and later adorned in Napoleon’s sword.
Pizzeria Popolare
After walking all day, we were ready to indulge! For dinner, we went to a delicious Italian restaurant that served Neapolitan pizza, pasta, and lots of amazing drinks. Thank you to Trevor’s cousin Grace and her husband Johnny for treating us to this meal!
Les Deux Magots
For dessert, we went to the famous Les Deux Magots, where we indulged in the richest hot chocolate we’ve ever had. I love Paris for all of the amazing cafes they have! It’s a big part of their culture and a way of Parisian life. It’s about the experience of slowing down and making ordinary moments feel civilized. Fun fact: Hemingway and Picasso were regulars at this cafe!
We ordered an Uber to get towards the River Seine. As we were driving, suddenly, we found ourselves in the middle of a dangerous taxi protest. We looked out the car windows to see explosive fireworks going off and riots, with the police trying to put a stop to the protestors. Suddenly a taxi protester started banging on the window of our car. French dialogue was exchanged between the two men, and all of a sudden our driver turns around and kicks us out of his car, screaming at us in French. We were so shocked, we booked it out of the car and ran towards safety only to find ourselves barricaded on the unsafe street. The armed military officers would not let us out, accusing us of being a part of the protest. We pleaded that we were simply American tourists who’s Uber driver left us stranded in a dangerous situation. After about 15 minutes of back and forth and showing them our CA IDs, they let us out. Stay safe out there!
River Seine River Cruise
To end our iconic first full day in Paris, we bought tickets to see Paris by boat. We took a boat ride that departed close by to the Eiffel Tower, narrated in English so we could appreciate all of the rich history we passed by. You can either purchase tickets ahead of time, or buy them there (which is what we did). We saw the Eiffel Tower, The Notre Dame, The Louvre, and other historic landmarks. We took the last river cruise time available so that we could see Paris lit up.
Day 3
Palace of Versailles
We woke up early the next morning, ready to explore the Palace of Versailles. I had purchased tickets ahead of time and made a reservation for 10am. I recommend booking an earlier than later slot, because you will want to spend at least a half day here. This was the point of our trip where we discovered the train system. This was the easiest way to get to the Palace from where we were staying. Take the RER C line from central Paris toward Versailles Château Rive Gauche. From the station it's a short walk to the palace. The journey takes about 40–50 minutes from stations like Saint-Michel or Musée d'Orsay.
There is so much to see and admire while you walk around the grand palace. They had a little cafe for lunch dining and snacks. The paintings were enormous, as large as the walls and adorned with beautiful borders of marble, art, and design. You really felt that royalty once lived here.
The Hall of Mirrors is the most famous room in the Palace of Versailles. It has 357 mirrors on one side reflecting 17 arched windows on the other, overlooking the gardens. Crystal chandeliers, sculptures, and marble line the space. When it was built, mirrors were expensive and rare — this was meant to dazzle visitors and demonstrate French’s wealth and power. The hall connected the King's apartments to the Queen's apartments and was used for court ceremonies, receptions, and daily passage. The Treaty of Versailles was signed here in 1919, officially ending World War I.
The Gardens at Versailles
When you visit the palace, make sure to carve out an hour to walk the grounds, although you can make this walk however long you like. Walking in the main gardens is 2-3 miles, and if you’re wanting to visit Marie Antoinette’s Estate (The Queen), that is more like 8 miles. It feels like you’ve stepped foot into Alice in Wonderland, given the perfectly geometric layouts and tree-lined pathways. There are several dining options if you have the time to grab a bite.
When we first started walking in the garden, it was overcast, but there were peaks of sun. As we were in the thick brushes, we experienced the heaviest rainstorm ever! We were trying to seek protection and ended up by French security, who made their way towards me with an umbrella. I thought they were being so kind to hand it to me, but instead they maneuvered around me and protected the brochures that were right next to me from getting wet. By the time we made it out, we were completely drenched. Our jeans and shoes were soaked, but it made for a memorable experience!
Brasserie Flottes
Upon our return from our rainy, royal day, we were craving something warm to eat for a late afternoon lunch. We stopped by the delicious Brasserie Flottes near our Airbnb and indulged in a delicious French Onion Soup. Following our meal, we walked up those 100+ steps to our studio, where we changed out of our wet clothes, decompressed from all of our walking, and got changed for our evening out.
Champs-Élysées
We ordered an Uber to take us to one of the most famous streets in the world, the Champs-Élysées. As we made our way there, our driver pointed out that we were in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, the tragic spot where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were killed in a car accident. I had watched the entirety of Netflix’s show The Crown, so I was familiar with the story, but it felt surreal being in that same spot. Upon arrival to the famous avenue, the sun was setting and we got a great photo with the iconic Arc de Triumphe.
Bistro Des Champs
We walked down the avenue in search of a restaurant that served steak au poivre, a classic french steak dish that is coated in pepper and finished with a rich, creamy sauce. Trevor ordered a delicious ravioli, and we indulged in a chocolatey dessert. We sat at a window table, where I could see the moon in the night sky. I couldn’t believe I was dining in Paris with my husband on our honeymoon. So dreamy!
Louis Vuitton Flagship Store
After our delicious meal, we continued to walk through the Champs-Élysées. There are a lot of luxury shops, including the LV Flagship Store. It’s a multi-level store full of beautiful Louis Vuitton merchandise. If you’re wanting to do some luxury shopping, this store should be visited!
Arc de Triomphe
You will find this famous monument at the western end of the Champs-Élysées in Place Charles de Gaull. This structure honors those who fought for France, especially in the Napoleonic Wars. The names of generals and battles are inscribed all over it. It’s definitely cool to experience seeing it in the evening and once the sun sets.
Day 4
Locks of Love Bridge
Make sure to check out the Locks of Love Bridge, which offered the most beautiful view of Paris. If you want to leave your mark in Paris, bring a lock with you and your lover’s name on it!
Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
It has always been my dream to have a romantic picnic, sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower with a ham and cheese baguette on a sunny day. Trevor found a highly rated sandwich shop so I could eat the baguette of my dreams. We just beat the lunch rush at Le Petit Vendôme, where they had the freshest ingredients.
We took our sandwiches on the go and Ubered to the Eiffel Tower, where we indulged in our delicious lunch. I love the Parisian sandwiches because they have very minimal ingredients in them - butter, cheese, and jambon.
Eiffel Tower Tour
With full bellies, we made our way over to the entrance of the Eiffel Tower and purchased tickets to visit the very top of the tower. There are different tickets you can purchase, each with various access points. We got the ones to the very top so we could admire the best view we could possibly get. This was a bucket list item and a super fun tourist activity. If you’re a first time visitor to Paris like me, make time for this!
Trocadéro Gardens
After our lovely tour, we walked to the Trocadéro Gardens, where more beautiful views of Paris greeted us. There was a pleasant atmosphere of energy in the square, which was filled with lots of local artists and people enjoying the day, eating their lunches.
There were photographers willing to take photos for tourists (for a price of course). It was definitely worth the price to get about 10 souvenir photos of Trevor and I during our honeymoon. They let us pick our favorites and then airdropped them to us. So fun with the props too!
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Next, we visited the world famous Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is an 860+ year-old masterpiece of French Gothic architecture that took 200 years to finish building!
We got lucky and after sitting down to say our prayers, a beautiful evening mass began. We sat for parts of it, then continued on with our tour of the stunning church. The architecture is so historic, with stained glass windows and beautiful monuments. There is a gift shop inside the church, where I purchased some gifts for my parents.
La Samaritaine
There are so many luxury brands that were born in Paris. Go check out a department store, full of amazing options to shop from such as Cartier, Tiffany, Prada, Gucci, Van Cleef, and more. If you’re in the mood to treat yourself, I am here to encourage you to do it! There was a dainty diamond, gold, and opal bracelet I was tempted to buy and didn’t. I regret that decision and am here to persuade you to make that purchase. You’ll always look at your purchase and think of Paris!
Maslow
Our final dinner in Paris was spent at a trendy vegetarian restaurant called Maslow. The food here was insanely good. If you think you wouldn’t like a vegetarian restaurant, this one will prove that you actually do! The menu was tapas style and everything we ate was a burst of deliciously crafted flavors. Sort of a funny story but not - we were standing in line outside when suddenly, a man came extremely close to me, bending down towards my purse. I thought here it is; my last night in Paris and I’m about to get robbed. However, turns out it was a waiter from the restaurant bending down to grab a jug of water I was standing right next to. I felt so bad! But always be aware of your surroundings, especially while traveling.
The Final Night
Our final evening in Paris included one last stop to Amorino, where we savored every last bite of our European gelato. Then, we made one more visit to the Eiffel Tower where there was a crowd of people enjoying the dazzling view with their loves, family, and friends. Paris will always hold a special place in my heart as it will always bring me happy memories with my husband. It was the perfect destination to start our romantic and adventurous honeymoon. We went back to our Airbnb and packed our bags, as we would be heading to the train station the next day for our Switzerland journey!
