Welcome to the Marais!
This is a free sample of my three day Paris itinerary.
A full day's itinerary with a healthy balance between culture, fun, and picture-perfect places. Fear not, you will hit the big monuments, but we will also explore some of the lesser-known Parisian wonders!
In this itinerary you will receive:
- A full day of activities, museums, restaurants, and sights with alternative options based on your preferences.
- Over 50 unique locations
-Recommendations for food based on price, dietary restrictions, and location.
-Tips for getting your insta-worthy pics.
-Pro tips to make sure you make the most of your time (and money), and good-to-know information to make your trip smoother.
This is a perfect itinerary for you if:
- You think walking is the best way to discover a new city.
- You want to get your museum on, within reason.
- You want to discover Paris the way Parisians experience do.
✨🫶This is the free sample of my 3 day guide to Paris! Scroll to the end for the full version! It includes how to get to and from the airports, two more packed days of activities, and even more photo, safety, and transportation tips. 🫶✨
Day 1 - The Marais
The Marais is Paris on steroids.
Hop on the metro (line 1) and head to Saint Paul, the stop for the Marais. Your first stop is the Picasso museum, one of my favorite museums in Paris.
⚠️Good to know⚠️: A one-way metro ticket is 2.10 euros. Make sure you keep your validated ticket until you fully exit the metro. The RATP (the Paris public transit system) will charge you 50 euros if they find you without a validated ticket. It's not a fun fine to pay.
The street you will emerge on is Saint Antoine and is packed with cute shops, boulangeries, and fromageries. But don't worry, we will make our way back here for lunch.
This is one of my favorite museums in Paris. It is well organized, compact, and fascinating. The exhibitions walk you through unique eras of Picasso's life, and demonstrates how his style changes through the years. It's location in the Marais gives it even more appeal.
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Lunch Time
Nothing zaps you like a good museum trip, so lets wander back to Rue Saint Antoine for lunch. There are plenty of great options on this street for food, whether you want to sit and people watch or grab and go.
⚠️Good to know⚠️: The French don't tend to walk and eat. They savor.
This itinerary gives you two recommendations for lunch today.
1) Grab some food to go and head to Place des Vosges for the frenchiest of French picnics. Boulangeries are perfect for this, or head into a grocery store and grab an assortment of cheese, bread, meat, and wine!
2) Get comfy at a restaurant and enjoy the people-watching. We'll head to Place to Vosges after lunch.
I don't know who Paul is, but I know he does baked goods very well. This boulangerie is a Parisian staple and you can find them all over the city. Quick, affordable, and very French. I recommend the quiche lorraine and a lemon tart.
This is a fantastic bakery on the north-west corner of Place des Vosges. It has all the essentials: baguettes, croissants, biscuits, but the true shining star is the lemon tart.
A bit more expensive than the normal bakery, but the pastries are worth it.
This is Paris's oldest food market! It's charming, has something for everyone, and is conveniently located in the third arrondissement.
Lunch options include barbecue, stir-fry, oyster bars, traditional French food, and pizza. The market also has a cheese shop and a produce section!
Bright pink flowers spill over this cafe's awning, and everything, down to the napkins are on theme. Talk about getting your Barbie on. This is the perfect spot for an espresso and a photoshoot. So springy!
This is a great option if you want a sit down meal and want to enjoy Place des Vosges. Located on the northwest corner of the square, Ma Bourgogne offers traditional French food in a traditional French atmosphere!
This is the oldest planned square in Paris and is seeped in history. Lots of big names lived here, including Cardinal Richelieu, Anne of Austria, and Victor Hugo. History anybody?
More, this is the perfect spot for Parisian photos that don't scream tourist. Take your friends, a bottle of wine, and some cheese and lounge in the sun for a couple of hours.
Pro tip: Make sure you wander through the south-east corner of the square to stroll through Hotel Sully.
Whether you know it or not, Victor Hugo has likely influenced your perception of Paris. The author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables lived on Place des Vosges from 1832 to 1848.
This apartment-turned-museum explores Hugo's work and how he has influenced later authors and artists. It's free so stay as long as you prefer, and get a glimpse of the royal square from above!
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Afternoon Activities
If you want to stay at Place des Vosges all day, I don't blame you. There's nothing more French than relaxing. The last leg of today is going to be a choose-your-own-adventure.
In Paris to shop-till-you-drop?
The Marais is perfect for that. Stroll down Rue des Francs-Bourgeois at the north-east corner of Place des Vosges. I recommend exploring this street and Rue des Rosiers. They are great streets to peruse if you like finding smaller independent stores.
This is a gorgeous department store in the center of Paris, and is a great spot to browse luxury items. Right across the street you can find the Louis Vuitton store, if you really want to get your shopping on.
Welcome to the mall. This store has H&M, Zara, the LEGO store, the French equivalent of Best Buy (FNAC), and more. Located right above the Chatelet/Les Halles metro stop, this shopping center is super easy to find and very easy to get lost in.
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Get Grounded
If the weather is great or your wallet can't handle a shopping spree, this is for you. From Place des Vosges we are going to pop over the river to the left bank in the 5th arrondissement. Heads up: dinner is over here too!
Welcome to (yet another) beautiful spot in the 5th arrondissement. This botanical garden was created by Louis XIII in 1635 and became a natural history museum during the French Revolution. Now it hosts a grand evolution exhibition and beautiful gardens and green houses.
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Dinner in the Latin Quarter
Welcome to my favorite neighborhood in Paris. The Sorbonne and other universities attract a younger crowd, so the place is teeming with reasonably priced restaurants and bars.
This square is lined with restaurants whose chairs all face the inside of the square. A true Parisian is blatant about their people-watching. You have traditional French food, Italian, gelato, and more. The square is a few blocks from the Pantheon, and you might catch some street performers capitalizing on the dinner crowd.
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Still have energy? I'm impressed.
Check out this bar near the Bastille. It's clustered on a super energetic street of clubs and bars. If you go, make sure to bring a friend, drink responsibility, and look out for each other. It is a safe and populated area, but like any big city, you want to be street smart.
A comfortable, energetic bar on a street lined with bars near the Bastille. Yellow Mad Monkey plays your banger 2012s music, classic ABBA (Mamma Mia anyone?), and popular French hits.
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Not feeling a bar? Check out this wine cellar, also near the Bastille.
Cozy and elegant, Septime La Cave offers a taste of French wine, meat, and cheese. A romantic option for a date night, and it doesn't have to break the bank. Let the staff know what your are looking for in your wine and in your price.
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These two bars are located on the Seine and offer a beautiful dusk setting.
Grab a beer or a cocktail and watch the sunset from the Seine. This bar offers inside seating and picnic tables, but most people choose to dangle their legs over the water. So Parisian.
Superb location, friendly staff, and clean facilities.
This hotel's location couldn't be better. The Saint Paul metro stop (line 1) is a 3-minute walk away. Place des Vosges is a block away. The hotel is nestled against a quiet square with classic French restaurants.
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This hotel is smack dab in the middle of the Marais, and is just a three minute walk from the Saint Paul metro stop.
If you want to be near the Marais but need a cheaper option, this could be a good fit for you. This hostel is a few minutes walk from Place de la Bastille and is a block away from the outdoor bars along the Seine.
"The People" has various locations around Paris equipped with hostel luxuries: blackout curtains, all-female dorms, and large lockers.
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This is a great choice if you want to be near the day 1 (le Marais) action, but need a cheaper option.
"The People" have several hostels across Paris. This one, located in the 19th arrondissement, might provide slightly lower prices while remaining accessible via metro.
It lies on metro lines 2 and 11, which can get you to the middle of Paris in 20 minutes.
Beds are clean, locker storage is vast, and it has blackout curtains.
There are plenty of North African and Chinese restaurants close by!
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The same chain of hostels as above, this one is a bit further from central Paris, so it could be more affordable depending on your dates. A fantastic location for food, with strong African and Chinese communities here.
This is a five-star hotel in a five-star location.
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If you can be more flexible with your budget, this is the way to go. Saint-Germain is a Parisian gem. Equidistant from most of this itineraries activities, this hotel also brings its own Latin Quarter charm.
Like what you see?
Check out the full version of this itinerary here!
Solo female traveler itching to see it all! Hey there! I am Renata, an American living in Paris on a budget. I am originally from New Mexico, but ditched the Southwest for the soufflé (only kidding, I adore you New Mexico).
I specialize in low-budget travel propelled by feet and public transportation (the metro in Paris is impressive). My guides include jam-packed days with substitutions for weather, energy level, and price.
