People say that Paris is the city of love, but even skeptics will fall in love with this beautiful urban wonderland after a day here. There are endless alleys to explore and romantic cafes to sit and watch the day go by. But if you’re limited in time and haven’t been to Paris before, you’ll want to see as many sights as you can before you set off. It’s the best way to get the best of Paris in just 24 hours.
Morning – Explore the Louvre Museum
Spend the morning like a French and sit in a café with a chocolate or croissant. When you’ve eaten enough French pastries for the morning, head to the Louvre Museum. There is a metro station inside the museum, and tickets cost just €1.90 per metro, making it a cost-effective way to get around the city.
The museum opens at 9 a.m. and the long lines at the Louvre ticket office are notorious, so it’s best to buy tickets online before you arrive. You can even buy them online on the day of your visit, but you’ll need a printer to print them, so it’s best to buy them early. Some people report that it is possible to display them on smartphones, but at the moment this is not accepted in advertising, so you better print them and don’t risk it. Tickets can be purchased from the Louvre Museum website.
You will receive a map when entering, and it is best to choose several specific sections to visit after entering, as the museum is large. All parts are mesmerizing, but the two most famous artworks are the Mona Lisa and The Venus de Milo, with long queues and crowds everywhere.
The rooms here exhibit paintings and sculptures by artists from different eras and locations, including Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Eugene Delacroix.
For those who are more interested in artifacts than works of art, mummies, sarcophagi, huge statues, and even the topmost stone blocks at the top of the pyramid can be found in the Egyptian Quarter. The building itself is also a work of art, with many ceilings painted with heavenly scenes and decorated with decorative gold.
Be sure to keep an eye on the time because you can easily spend the whole day here and you don’t want to miss out on the other gifts Paris has to offer!
Afternoon – Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
Take the metro to Ecole Militaire. This either requires a line change, or if you have time, walking through the amusement park on the north side of the Tuileries Garden and walking to the Concorde station (where you can catch a direct train) is also a good option.
When you arrive at the Military Academy in Paris, head to the nearby Carrefour Supermarket to buy baguette and a bottle of wine for lunch. You can buy plastic glasses to hold wine, or you can take some with you (and of course, you can also drink a fine drink from the bottle！） Just make sure the bottle you buy doesn’t need a corkscrew! Unfortunately, you can’t bring your own wine, as the Paris attractions don’t allow you to bring it in, so unless it’s your morning activity (it’s about 5 o’clock, right?), then you can only bring wine. Pick one up on the road. The wine in Paris is delicious and affordable, so don’t worry. Just make sure you don’t buy any wine from people selling alcohol in the park.
Head to Champ de Mars Park and choose a picnic spot. There are shady benches here, or you can sit in the sun with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen when the weather is nice! Watch out for peddlers who sell wine, beer, and souvenirs illegally. They may offer low prices, but especially alcohol, it’s not worth the risk. If you’re going to buy a small Eiffel Tower keyring, don’t buy 5 keyrings for more than 1 euro. The goods in official stores are of higher quality and, therefore, the price is also higher.
After finishing your French picnic, you can choose to climb the Eiffel Tower or head straight to the Arc de Triomphe, where the views are equally beautiful.
The Eiffel Tower is open from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (9 a.m. to 12 noon in summer) and costs €17 to climb to the top of the tower and €11 to the second floor. Discounts are available for persons aged 24 and below with proof of age. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the official Eiffel Tower website or on-site at the base of the tower. If booking online, it is recommended that you purchase a few days in advance, as online tickets sell out much earlier than live tickets.
The summit tour includes an elevator ride to reach the summit. The 2nd floor of the elevator transfer level has interesting displays and observation decks. Before heading to the top, make sure to take a look outside as you will appreciate the view from the top more. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris and offers incredible views from all directions, including the iconic Arc de Triomphe and the Siena River.
Evening – Sunset at the Arc De Triomphe
From the Eiffel Tower, take the metro, Uber, taxi or walk to the Arc de Triomphe. If you are taking the metro, you can get from Bir-Hakeim to Charles de Gaulle Etoile. The Arc de Triomphe is open from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (11 p.m. in summer) and there is an adult entrance fee of €12. If you are 25 years of age or older, show proof of age in your passport to get the discount.
Once inside, you will climb 284 steps up the spiral staircase. Before heading out to enjoy the view, be sure to take a moment to look down at the center of the stairs from the top. On the ground floor where you arrive there is a gift shop and toilet facilities (free of charge).
You can then follow the stairs directly to the top, where you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Paris. The view of the busy Champs-Élysées below is fascinating, but the most striking is the Eiffel Tower to the south. For the best lighting, watch the colors of the sky before sunset to provide an eye-catching backdrop to this infamous tower.
If you arrive before 6:30 PM, you can watch the torch light next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In 1921, the remains of an unknown soldier were buried at the bottom of the Arc de Triomphe, representing all the unknown soldiers who died in World War I. Every day of the year, a rekindling ceremony is held at 6:30 p.m., and veterans lay wreaths as a sign of mourning. It was a touching ceremony that deserved to arrive on time to witness.