Paris Bucket List – A Short Guide to the City of Romance

I’ve been really excited to post this Paris Bucket List because I really do love Paris. I had visited the city before as a child and I hated it. It was November, cold, miserable and I really wasn’t interested in the sights. 

But then a couple of years ago a friend suggested a weekend trip to Paris. I thought okay let’s give Paris another try. And I am so glad I did. We went in June of that year and there was a heatwave across Europe so the weather was beautiful the majority of the time. 

For some reason this trip just felt so magical and fun. Four days of pure excitement, wonder and joy. From late evening shadowy tours of the Lourve to finding the best tomatoes I have ever tasted, dashing through Paris in a warm thunderstorm and relaxing outside cafe’s for breakfast. Paris is a place you can visit over and over again. 

Here are my top suggestions turned into a Paris Bucket List. You will also find so much more to enjoy when you visit.

See the Eiffel Tower

You really can’t go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower and it was certainly the one thing I couldn’t miss off a Paris Bucket List. Don’t think you have to go up the Eiffel Tower to enjoy it (the views up there however are spectacular). You can still be mesmerized by it just by getting close to its 324 meters of iron or waiting for the light show that happens every hour in the evenings. 

Relax in the Tuileries Garden

This large and stunning garden can be found between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde. If you are looking for a place to wander around at your own pace, relax and read a book or to just sit on one of the many chairs in the park and enjoy the scenery. 

Walk Down Avenue Des Champs-Elysees

Also known as ‘The worlds most beautiful avenue’ the Avenue Des Champs-Elysees is a postcard perfect, 1.2 mile street. Running from the Arc de Triomphe with the Place de la concorde, this street is perfect for doing your holiday shopping.

Visit the Louvre

The Louvre was originally a palace for the French Monarchy and is now the world’s largest and most visited museum. Home to over 38,000 objects some of the most notable are Leonardo da Vinici’s Mona Lisa, the ancient Greek Sculpture, Venus de Milo and the Neoclassical Sculpture of Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss. 

The building itself is a work of art, divided into three wings and there are also stunning gardens to visit. And lets not forget the glass pyramid entrance. 

Eat Iconic French Food

One of my favorite things on this Paris Bucket List is making sure you try the food. France has many dishes and foods it is famous for but the following are probably the most iconic and are fairly easy to get your hands on:

• Croissants
• Escartgo 
• Macarons
• Frogs Legs

Visit the Palace of Versailles 

Now a World Heritage Site, 10 Miles from Paris is the former French Royal residence, the Palace of Versailles. What was originally a hunting lodge is now a magnificent building with stunning grounds to accompany it. Over the generations different monarchs made alterations with Louis Phillipe making the most. 

A must see when visiting is the Hall of Mirrors, The Fountain of Apollo and the grounds in general. There are approximately 60,000 pieces of artwork at the palace, so plenty to keep you busy. 

Put a Lock on the Lovers Bridge

A cute thing to do when in Paris with your lover or even with your best friend is to place a lock on the Lovers Bridge. The Pont des Arts is a bridge for pedestrians over the River Seine. The tradition is to inscribe the initials of yourself and your lover into the lock, attach it to the bridge and throw the key into the river as a romantic gesture.

Visit the Catacombs

For the morbidly curious of us, a must see on this Paris Bucket List is the catacombs. 20 meters underground are the remains of over 6 million people. Due to overflowing of the city’s cemeteries in the last 18th Century the Ossuary was built to hold the remains that were transferred from the cemeteries. 

The catacombs were opened to the public in 1809 after the remains were organised and the ossuary turned into a mausoleum that people could visit which is still open to this day. 

See the Notre Dame  

The Notre Dame de Paris is France’s most famous Cathedral. Originally in its location were two former churches, in 1163 the first stone was laid by Alexander Pope III and took over 100 years to complete.

In 1831 the book The Huntchback of Notre-Dame was published which increased the building’s popularity. The Notre Dame is a very popular landmark for tourists however it suffered severe damage when a fire broke out in 2019. This magnificent building is still being repaired at the time of writing this article. 

Have Fun in Disneyland

A day trip to Disneyland Paris can be fun for children and adults alike. See your favorite cartoon characters, watch the shows and parades and enjoy the adrenaline from the rides and attractions.

You would probably need longer than a long weekend to tick off everything on this bucket list. To see and do everything plus have time to take it in I’d recommend 5 days. Personally I’d also say late Spring to Early summer is the best time to visit this beautiful city.

What are you looking forward to ticking off?

All images in this post were taken my me and therefore subject to copy write laws.