How to Spend 24 Hours in Paris — Destination Dreamer Diaries

There’s so much Paris, and so little time…

… at least, that’s how I feel when I only give myself 24 hours in the city.

It’s no secret that Paris is kind of my favorite place… in kind of the entire world.

If you’ve never been before, let me set the scene for you.

You’re sitting outside the Louvre, watching people desperately get their pictures.

There’s a mix of motorcycles and tour busses driving past the pyramid – they somehow remind you of Manhattan…

… except here, everything is so much prettier.

The guy beside you is smoking is cigarette… but that’s not the only smell in the air.

You can smell the crepe stand on the other side of the street; lingering in the air – intertwining itself with the, somehow, now sweet smell of tobacco.

After your moment there, you get up and turn around and head towards the Tuileries Garden.

Everywhere you turn in the city, you can’t escape her…

… the Eiffel Tower follows you everywhere – even when you hop on the metro to cross the seine…

… and even when don’t see her, you’re welcomed with the sight of Parisian, European iron gate fences against the muted beige buildings resting on the cobblestone streets.

And that, is just an intro to the long narrative I could tell on how Paris stole my heart, and slowly burned its way into my soul.

I know, I’m dramatic, yes – but alongside all the rest of Europe, there’s an eerie part of me that has always felt that I belonged to France.

The view of Paris from Tower Montparnasse; May 2017.

I knew that after the very first time I went to Europe, and I knew it more so than ever when I just went back this past May that Paris, deep down, was the city I knew I wanted to end up in one day – no matter how irrational or illogical it seemed to anyone around me.

So, are you wondering what are you to do if you’ve only got 24 hours in one of the most talked about places in the world?

I wish you had more time… I’m actually depressed for you… but, if for some reason, you’ve only got 24 hours in Paris, I’m here to help you make the most of it.

Here’s a list of things I have done on trips that I’ve made to Paris in 24 hour increments:

1. Pick a View of the City to See

Whether you pick the Arc de Triumph, the Galleries Lafayette Rooftop, Centre Pompidou, or Tower Montparnasse (which is my personal favorite) – I don’t think a trip to Paris is complete without a sighting of the Eiffel Tower rising above the Parisian rooftops.

If you’ve only got twenty-four hours, though – try to kill two birds with one stone.

The view of Paris from Centre Pompidou; May 2019

Tour Montparnasse is far from the other tourist spots – I recommend either Galleries Lafayette Rooftop or Centre Pompidou because there both in the middle of all the other things I’m going to recommend you do.

2. Eat a Pastry or a Baguette

I don’t care how cliché it is, take my word for it when I say you need to do it.

The pastries on display at Cloud Cakes in the 2nd arrondissement in Paris; May 2019

Whether it be a croissant, a macaroon, or my personal favorite: a straight up baguette – be sure to indulge in the sweet solace that is a French baked good – because they are as good as they look.

Walking by a conspicuous and colorful macaroon shop in Paris; May 2017

3. Try to Speak French to Someone and Let Them Reject You

I feel like a trip to Paris just isn’t complete without a glimpse into their quintessential Parisian, snobby demeanor.

Most recently, I was making m way from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon – and I needed to hop onto an RER train so I wouldn’t have to ride the metro for twenty-five minutes.

I walked up to the main standing near the electronic ticket booth and politely asked,

“Bonjour; parlez vous anglais?”

Which means: Hello, do you speak English?

He sarcastically and enthusiastically replied to me,

“Parlez vous français?”

Which means: Do you speak French?

I immediately felt small for even trying, but still let out a giggle as I said,

“Haha… un peu.”

While they seem patronizing in the moment, it’s the moments where we push ourselves out of our comfort zones that we hold the closest…

… and it’s just not Paris without those moments of the French hating me for butchering their language.

I mean… can I blame them?

4. Sit in a Garden and Do as the French Do…

Besides the Eiffel Tower lawn, my favorites are Jardins du Luxembourg, Le Palais Royal, Places Des Vosges and Jardins des Tuileries.

Walking through the Tuileries Gardens near the Louvre; May 2019

I’ll never forget how I saw them alongside the seine on the grass: playing cards, reading books – some without a phone in sight…

… while the world is very much the same you go, it’s somehow such a different world over there.

Trust me when I say it’ll do you some good to sit, breathe, and enjoy the present moment the way that they take the time to do.

5. Walk through Le Marais

Low key my favorite neighbored in Paris.

Also, low key (actually high key) where I would like my future Parisian apartment to be…

… because if I had one in the 7th or 16th arrondissement with a view of the Eiffel Tower, that would just be dangerous…

… because I’m not sure that I would ever leave my house.

I am never not appreciative of the elaborate metro signs in Paris. Walking from the 9th arrondissement towards Le Marais in Paris; May 2019. — I am never *not* appreciative of the elaborate metro signs in Paris. Walking from the 9th arrondissement towards Le Marais in Paris; May 2019.

The perfect place to stroll without a tourist in sight, and too many great hole in the wall cafes to choose from.

Walking through the 2nd arrondissement in Paris; May 2019

6. Stroll by Notre Dame

While seeing it under construction was heartbreaking for me this past May – I think if you’ve never seen it, you should still walk by it.

Notre Dame after the fire in Paris; May 2019

Just be prepared for a lot of French policemen and closed off streets.

A good alternative for the time being I can recommend is to walk inside Sainte-Chapelle.

The stained-glass windows inside are probably the most colorful ones I’ve ever seen.

The colors of the windows inside Sainte-Chapelle are colorful and captivating. — The colors of the windows inside Sainte-Chapelle are colorful and *captivating.*

7. Hop Off to See the Arc de Triumph

I’m a victim.

I surrender.

I admit to the fact that some of my favorite places in Paris are touristy…

… but I mean, how could you not when the tourist attractions actually are as beautiful as everyone says?

Walking the streets near the Arc de Triomphe; January 2018

8. Snap a Picture of the Louvre

You can go inside if you want to see the Mona Lisa, but if you’ve only got twenty-four hours… I’d save it for another time, because the line for the tickets is almost always long.

Taking selfies at the Louvre; January 2018

I like to sit outside, admire the architecture and the atmosphere.

Outside the Louvre in Paris; January 2018

9. Take a Moulin Rouge Selfie

I’d say to go up to the Sacre Coeur, but you just don’t have the time.

Instead, hop off at the metro stop called “Blanche” and walk outside to see this…

… better than the windmills in the Netherlands, if you ask me.

10. Picnic at the Eiffel Tower…

Ah… more conventional activities I’m advising that you to partake, in…

… but, I mean… is there something about eating a baguette and some strawberries against this view that doesn’t seem appealing to you?

P.S. – there’s a free public toilet across the street and to the left of when you climb back up the steps Place du Trocadero.

P.S.S. – when that bathroom doesn’t function properly and refuses to dispense you even a fraction of soap, walk into the building right next to Place du Trocadero (Musée national de la Marine), greet them in French, and tell them that you need to wash your hands because the bathroom across the street isn’t working.

P.S.S.S. – I think this will only work if you preface your need for clean hands with bonjour.

11. … and Watch the Light Show

No trip Paris is a Paris trip done right unless you watched the iron lady light up at night.

It never ceases to remind me…

apparently, I’m not allowed to post a picture of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night because of European copyright laws, so be sure to follow my Instagram for the incessant throw back videos of the sparkling show

… every time I sit on that lawn, every time I hop off the metro at Trocadero, every time I watch them all pull out their cameras in excitement…

… that dreams, do come true.

If you’re looking for other things to do in Paris, click here.