As you saw from my last post, I was in Paris for a few days, and it was one of my favorite trips ever! I wanted to share with you guys my favorite things to do in the incredible city, so you’re trip can be as special as mine was! Here are my top five things to do and see in Paris and some photos from my trip.

1. Eat cliché Parisian treats.

When you go to Paris, you must eat some classic Parisian treats such as macarons, crêpes, and croissants. I tried each of these on my trip and cannot chose a favorite. Therefore, I recommend all of them! These treats are a must-eat because they are classic Parisian delicacies. And for some reason, they taste so much better in Paris than in the United States!

Image of macarons from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/t-magazine/paris-best-macarons-guide-pierre-herme-laduree-marcolini.html.

2. Visit the museums.

There are many famous museums in Paris, even some of the most famous in the world. One of which is the Louvre. I was so lucky to visit this amazing museum during my time in Paris. It is a historical art museum with art that was created in the year 1850 or before. It holds the iconic Mona Lisa, which I learned was the first painting of a person smiling. That is an example of one of the reasons why I loved visiting the Louvre so much. It is because I learned so much about the pieces there and their significance. Our tour guide had an answer to nearly every question! We were lucky to have a tour guide, but the museum has audioguides and signs everywhere explaining everything the museum has to offer, so no worries if you are not able to get a tour guide. We also visited the YSL Museum which was all about Yves Saint Laurent and his work. We saw his studio, many beautiful dresses and costume jewelry he made, and watched a movie about him and his life. Other loved museums in Paris include the Centre Pompidou which is a modern art museum, the Musée Picasso which is a museum dedicated to Pablo Picasso and his art, and the Musée d’Orsay which is another art museum. Unfortunately, I did not have time to go to those three museums on my trip, but they are all very famous and recommended!

The Louvre Museum

Photo of the exterior of the Louvre.

Photo from inside of the Louvre’s famous glass pyramid.

Photo of the largest statue in the museum.

Photo of a ceiling from when the Louvre was home to Louis XIV.

YSL Museum

Photo of a few of Yves Saint Laurent’s drawings.

Photo of Yves Saint Laurent’s studio.

3. Hit the landmarks.

When someone says Paris, one of the first things I think about is the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is an iconic part of Paris that you can see from many places within the city. Another famous Parisian landmark is Notre Dame, a chapel that was built in the year 1163. It is beyond beautiful, and it has incredible, intricate details on the exterior which took hundreds of years to perfect. Another landmark in the center of Paris is the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe is a giant arch that you can climb to the top of for what looks like a gorgeous view of the city. Unfortunately, I did not climb to the top of the Arc de Triomph, but I saw it many times because of its location in the middle of Paris.

Photo of the Eiffel Tower.

Photo of Notre Dame.

Photo of the Arc de Triomphe.

Image of the Arc de Triomphe from https://www.ceetiz.com/paris/arc-de-triomphe-e-ticket-valid-all-year.

4. Do some shopping!

Paris is such a fun place to go shopping because there are so many French shops that I had never heard of in California but were so cute! One store we went to called Souer had such stylish clothes and jewelry.  Also, as you saw from my last post, I went to Le Bon Marche which had so many adorable French brands! In addition to all of the boutiques, there is Rue Faubourg St. Honoré which is a shopping street with many designer shops including Hermes, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and many others. Although out of my budget, it is fun to see the street and its Parisian vibe.

Photo of shoes at Le Bon Marche.

Photo of clothes and accessories at Le Bon Marche.

5. Take in the Parisian culture around you.

On my trip, I focused on looking around me more often and putting down my phone more than usual. It was very refreshing to look around me and take in all of the amazing culture around me that is much different than home. We walked around and ate longer meals which are both very common in Paris. I am so happy that I experienced my trip in front of me rather than looking at it all through my camera lens!

Photo of shops in Paris.

Photo of the Seine River which flows through Paris.