Paris is huge. Paris is spread out. Unlike Eastern European cities, Paris does not have a beautiful old town. In fact, the city is so overhyped that there is a Paris Effect named after it, where tourists expect to see a beautiful city but are disappointed when they arrive.

Now, of course, if you travel to Europe, you have to visit Paris because everyone else does.

Here’s my recommended plan for Paris.

Day 1

Start with a walking tour to learn about the core areas of the city.

The city radiates outward, and the walking tour will help you understand that. The Latin Quarter is one of the best areas to visit.

Afterward, visit the Eiffel Tower. The lines are long. Just like most of Paris, it is good but overhyped.

At night, we ate at “Dans Le Noir” (pronounced दॅान ले नुआ), a restaurant served by the blinds. And you eat in the pitch dark with no screens allowed either. The food was good. The experience was amazing. In fact, eating at this restaurant was the highlight of our trip. Of course, I have no pictures of the inside. We did need to reserve in advance to get a seat.

Day 2

Start your day with the Louvre Museum.

If lucky, you will only have to wait an hour in line. And then, like everyone else, you will rush to see the Mona Lisa.

Once you have seen here, don’t forget to check out the rest of the museum.

Day 3

Start your day with Champs Elysées (pronounced शौंज़े-लीज़े) and Arc de Triomphe(pronunced आख़-द-त्रिऑम्फ़)

And then head to the Seine (pronounced सेन) River.

We wasted time by visiting the overhyped Catacombes de Paris. Turns out they close it arbitrarily during the year. And you waste a lot of time in public transport getting there. You are better off seeing them elsewhere, like Malta orthe Capuchin Crypt in Rome.

Further, the Jardin des Tuileries is a great area to take a walk in.

We skipped the Palace of Versailles because it is far away and requires a full day commitment. And I would recommend going to Sintra near Lisbon, Portugal instead.

Note

1. The food choices, for vegetarians, are fairly average.
2. Card acceptance rate is high.
3. Knowing a few basic French phrases like “Bonjour” for Hello/बोंज़ूऽ, “Merci” for Thank you/मघ़्सी, and “S’il vous plaît” for Please/सिल-वु-प्ले is useful.