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After having spent two years living in Paris, my parents finally came to visit me.

Eager to prove that I had become a real Parisian, I used my experience working at a luxury private tour company, and spent hours poring over their itinerary. I planned their entire trip down to the minute.

This was my mom’s first time in Paris, and who knew when they would be able to come visit me again? I was determined to show them the entire city in a week, leaving no stone unturned.

What resulted was the most efficient itinerary ever.

I say efficient, because it was actually insane.

I had them running around from dawn until dusk, which was really only possible because both my parents are in excellent shape. Even then, however, the jetlag got the better of them, and by the end of the week, they were absolutely exhausted.

So, I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone follow this itinerary – it is simply way too much.

Feel free to use it instead for inspiration.

The main way I organized the trip was by location – each day we explored a different section of the city, so that we spent as little time as possible going back and forth on public transportation.

Also, many activities were specific to the day. For example, many museums are closed on a Monday or Tuesday.

This itinerary is also tailored to the requests of my parents. My dad, for example, was very excited to see all of the statues of liberty in Paris, so I customized our routes to include them.

My parents are also budget travelers – so I booked them an Airbnb in Vincennes. It is just outside the city limits of Paris, so it is cheaper. But still a gorgeous neighborhood, and directly on the metro line 1 – perfect for commuting right into the city. A real hidden gem. I wish I could live in Vincennes…

Knowing how exhausting being a tourist is, I often left the option to either go out to eat at a restaurant already picked in advance (because it is always suddenly impossible to decide where to eat when hungry) or to head home to eat and rest.

So here you go!

The Most Efficient Paris Itinerary Ever Made

A VIP itinerary curated by an expert local guide (who happens to be your favorite daughter)

Wednesday

Arrival: 7:25pm 🥖 Welcome to Paris! 🧀

• Your personal guide will greet you at the gate and escort you to your Parisian residence. 
• While a charming French dog is the preferred welcome ambassador, availability is subject to the guide’s work schedule. Transportation passes will be provided, so you don’t have to worry about a thing! You will also be provided with maps so that you can feign independence while your guide does everything. 😊 
• During your journey (approximately one hour via metro), enjoy your first taste of French baking (carbs don’t count here).
• Upon arrival at your Airbnb, settle in and go to bed!

Thursday

Departure: 8:00am

• Rise and shine! Your guide will meet you with yogurt and a selection of fresh local fruit, so that you can eat something healthy before enjoying a light Parisian breakfast at FRED Boulangerie in Vincennes, where you will indulge in pain au chocolat, croissants, and chouquettes. Your guide will explain what they all are – no worries.
• Enjoy the Tuileries Gardens and Place de la Concorde (where Marie Antoinette and over 1,000 other Parisians were guillotined – how exciting!)
• Petit Palais – a free art museum  

Lunch: Bonne Table – talented refugee chefs who serve yummy and inexpensive cuisine

• Champs-Élysées – a leisurely walk down the most famous street in the world – fair warning, it’s extremely overrated. Includes the Arc de Triomphe and some American monuments.
• Seine boat cruise – per request. Pretty basic. Fun game: see how many people wave back at you from the banks. 
• Statue of Liberty – per Dad’s request. Will include a stroll through the filming location of Inception

Dinner: Joya – Sit down Italian. Reasonably priced. 

• Eiffel Tower – Enjoy a dazzling view of sunset as the Tower begins to sparkle.

Friday

Departure: 8:00am

• Visit the Marché de Vincennes (a farmers market), where you’ll stock up on fresh French groceries for breakfast for the week, and for an easy dinner tonight. 
• Chateau de Vincennes – an actual medieval fortress that’s right in your backyard!

Lunch: Food Tour – Latin Quarter Classic French Fare and Sweets – guided by an actual Parisienne! Carefully curated for Dad’s refined, less-sugar-oriented palate (but still with lots of sugar anyways because it’s Paris and you have to eat macarons and chocolate it is obligatory)

• The Louvre museum. Enter through a ~secret~ entrance. Your guide will lead you through the highlights on a very unofficial and informed tour (we’re not spending hours staring at each painting). You will see masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory.

Dinner: Relaxed dinner at home OR Trantranzai

Saturday

Departure: 8:00am

• Ascend the dome of Sacré-Cœur after only a small fee and 300 steps.
• Montmartre – enjoy another unofficial official tour of this charming artists’ neighborhood as you stroll down to the lively Moulin Rouge (never mind all the sex shops).

Lunch: Bouillon Pigalle – Classic French brasserie fare (steak and fries are French)

• Visit the best chocolate store in Paris, as well as hidden covered passageways.
• Opera & Galleries Lafayette – can do some quick shopping if you want, and enjoy a free rooftop view
• Hôtel de la Marine – it’s like a mini Versailles

Dinner: Apero at a local’s house

Sunday

Departure: 8:30am

• French Revolution Tour – again super unofficial. Keep in mind your daughter is NOT a historian, but she will do her best as this is another one of Dad’s requests. Will include famous places like Luxembourg Gardens, and the place where the guillotine was built.

Lunch: Crepe street (there is a dedicated street of crepe restaurants and they won’t be anything like the ones we had last night so it’s okay)

• The Catacombs – no trip is complete without contemplating mortality. Walk through the bones of over 6 million people.
• Quick metro hop over to Valrhona for mom

Dinner: Canailles – seafood restaurant along the canal. Comes highly recommended.

Monday

Departure: 8:00am

• Guided tour of Notre Dame & Sainte Chapelle – this is a real one! From an actual guide from the company your daughter works for.

Lunch: Pastasuta – Apparently, it’s the best pasta ever.

• Hotel de Ville – the capital building of Paris.
• Palais Royal and Galerie Vivienne – they are cool, I promise.

Dinner: Châtelet goûter – will be tasting multiple sweet things, including a vanilla ice cream made with multiple types of real vanilla from Creamy. Also, a stop at a French cookware shop for mom.

• Le Marais – extensive tour of the best neighborhood of Paris! Everyone actually agrees on this, believe it or not. Visit iconic landmarks you know nothing about like Place des Vosges and Bastille. 

Dinner: Relaxed dinner at home OR Pho Passion

Tuesday

Departure: 7:00am

• Carrefour – Grocery store stop to pack lunch – sandwiches, fun chip flavors, lots of water, and a lil dessert from Picard. You may also purchase French candies for souvenirs (Ex Maltesers and crispy M&M’s)
• Day trip to Versailles – Wander through the Hall of Mirrors, the gardens, and Marie Antoinette’s peasant village.

Dinner: L’Alsacien Chatelet – French pizza! 

Wednesday

Departure: 9:00am

• A day trip to Giverny, because mom saw a Facebook post or something. Stroll through Monet’s iconic gardens, take photos of water lilies, and enjoy a charming countryside lunch.

Lunch: Aux gourmandises de Giverny

Dinner: Relaxed dinner at home

Thursday

Departure for airport: 7:00am

• Sadly, all good things must come to an end. See you at Christmas!

Reflection

Again, I would never recommend attempting this extreme of an itinerary.

We were walking upwards of 30,000 steps every day. Looking back, I should have removed a few activities and replaced them with a rest day, where my parents could sleep in and spend an afternoon on a terrace with some coffee or cocoa.

But if you are looking for a challenge, and you’re not willing to waste even a second of your time in Paris, then this itinerary just might be for you!

Have a question about one of the locations in my itinerary, or want to know what I would recommend for your own trip to Paris? Leave a comment, and I will gladly point you in the right direction.