Paris
September 2021 - 3 Days
To see the previous stop on this trip, go here to Mallorca
Paris was the only part of our original honeymoon plan that we kept. We had read online that if you submit the application for the COVID green pass exactly at 9am CET, you would have a better chance of receiving the pass. So while we were in Spain we tried this and it worked! Our 3 days in Paris were absolutely amazing and I've never seen the city so empty - there were no crowds at any of the major tourist spots. Unknown to us at the time, we would actually return to Paris just a few months later in May 2022 as Gwen had a work trip and even then the crowds were already picking back up.
Contents
Daily Itinerary
Stroll the Tuileries Gardens
Walk along the Seine to Notre Dame
First French meal with Foie Gras at Pramil
View some of the world’s most famous art pieces at the Louvre
Croq Madame for lunch at Les Deux Magots
See all of Paris fromthe top of the Eiffel Tower
Ramen for dinner at Dosanko Larmen
Shopping to start the day
View the most famous impressionist works at Musée d’Orsay
Walk the Champs-Élysées ending at the Arc de Triomphe
Take a break for macarons at Ladurée
Explore the catacombs underground
Dinner at Racines des Prés
Sacre Coeur
Versailles
Flights
Air France Economy PMI-BCN-CDG: Cash one-way
United Airlines Economy CDG-ORD: 29,200 United miles one-way + $85 taxes & fees
Hotels
Park Hyatt Paris: 90,000 Hyatt points for 3 nights
▸ Sometimes considered one of the best hotels in the world for points redemptions. Unfortunately, the price has gone up since Hyatt's 2022 points devaluation. Located in the famous Place Vendôme and within walking distance to the Louvre.
Prince De Galles: 194,000 Marriott points for 2 nights + 2 Suite Upgrades
▸ One of the best points hotels I've stayed at made even better by being able to upgrade to a 1-bedroom suite. Located next to the Four Seasons, just off the Champs-Élysées.
Lobby of Prince De Galles - Paris, France 2021
Food (With Beli Ranking)
Racines des Prés (8.3) - Contemporary restaurant with an open kitchen serving creative modern dishes. A fine dining feeling without the fine dining price.
Dosanko Larmen (7.6) - Small ramen shop serving Hokkaido-style ramen. We had walked by and thought it looked good and it was a delicious break from French meals.
Les Deux Magots (7.3) - Iconic café steeped in literary and artistic history. Known for its prime location in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, it offers a refined menu of French staples. Although it's definitely a tourst spot, there seemed to be a number of locals there as well and the food was indeed delicious.
Le Barav - Wine bar with a huge selection and also serving excellent charcuterie and cheese plates. We came here with a local friend and it had a very fun and lively atmosphere.
Ladurée - Famous for their macarons, Ladurée was established in Paris in 1862 and today is famous worldwide. Worth a stop even just to look at the colorful pastries.
Pramil - Small restaurant run by a chef who was a former schoolteacher. The food was quite good and reasonable but unfortunately closed in 2022.
Full Itinerary
Day 1
Jardin des Tuileries
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we didn’t have anything planned until dinner so we walked the short distance to the Tulieries Gardens and up to the Louvre. September is probably my favorite time to travel to Europe as the weather is still beautiful and the peak summer crowds are starting to wane.
Jardin des Tuileries - Paris, France 2021
Notre Dame
From the Louvre, we walked over to the Seine and toward Notre Dame, which was closed for at least a few years for repairs following the devastating fire in 2019. Fortunately, I had the chance to go inside during my first visit to Paris in 2015.
Notre Dame - Paris, France 2015
Pramil
Our first French dinner was a place recommended to us by a friend – a very small unassuming restaurant owned and run by Alain Pramil who used to be a schoolteacher before opening a restaurant. While not a Michelin starred restaurant, it was a very no-frills but still delicious meal. Of course, I had to have foie gras with our first dinner in France. Unfortunately, this restaurant closed in 2022.
Day 2
Louvre
As the Louvre is the world’s most visited museum, it can get crowded, so we got an early start to our second day by getting there before 10am. However, since it is so large with over 35,000 pieces I’ve found that apart from the most famous works, the crowds are still manageable.
Louvre - Paris, France 2021
Of course, the Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in the world and in my previous visits, it was difficult to even get near the painting. However, on this visit there was barely anyone and a short queue had been set up so you could get right up to it. I'm always surprised at how small the actual painting is.
Mona Lisa - Paris, France 2021
Les Deux Magots has been in the same location in Saint-Germain since 1884. Known in the past as the central meeting point for the city’s intellectuals, it’s now a popular tourist destination. We made a reservation ahead of time to ensure we could get in and the Croque Madame I ate was phenomenal.
Les Deux Magots - Paris, France 2021
Eiffel Tower
It's not a trip to Paris without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. In the past, I've just shown up and bought tickets although it's probably a good idea to reserve a time to ensure you aren't waiting a long time to buy tickets.
And especially, what's a honeymoon to Paris without sharing a kiss at the top! They even sell champagne at the top for €15.
A good spot to see the complete immensity of the Eiffel Tower is from Trocadéro Square.
Eiffel Tower - Paris, France 2022
After a full day of sightseeing, on our way back to the hotel we passed Dosanko Larmen. As we didn't have any dinner plans and had eaten French food for the last few meals we figured we would give it a try. It was a good bowl of ramen and a good break from the rich food we had been eating the last 2 days.
Dosanko Larmen - Paris, France 2021
Day 3
Galeries Lafayette
If you're looking to buy any designer items, Paris is a great place to do it as it's the home of many brands. Galeries Lafayette is a French department store chain with the flagship store being Galeries Lafayette Hausmann. This massive department store has over 750,000 square feet of shopping featuring every brand you can think of.
Galeries Lafayette Hausmann - Paris, France 2022
Musée d'Orsay
Located in a former train station, the Musée d'Orsay is most famous for its large collection of impressionist works including many from Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas, and more. On the top floor, you can look out over the Seine through the clock. After the Louvre, I'd say this is definitely a place you want to at least visit once.
Looking Out of the Clock at Musée d'Orsay - Paris, France 2021
Champs-Élysées
The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous and iconic avenues in the world. Starting from Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées stretches nearly 2km, ending at the Arc de Triomphe. The avenue is filled with restaurants and shopping, so it could take you quite some time to walk the whole thing depending on how many stops you make.
Champs-Élysées - Paris, France 2022
Along the Champs-Élysées is the Ladurée flagship store and is definitely worth a stop for a French macaron.
Arc de Triomphe
The Champs-Élysées culminates at the Arc de Triomphe, which was originally commissioned by Napoleon. It is possible to go up to the top, although I have never done it.
Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France 2022
Les Catacombs
The catacombs of Paris are one of the most well-known attractions, inspiring or serving as the setting in countless books, TV shows, and movies. The entire labyrinth spans nearly 200 miles and contains the remains of over 6 million people, although only a small portion of that is open to the public. It's certainly a unique experience, although I wouldn't recommend to anyone who is claustrophobic.
Les Catacombs - Paris, France 2021
Racines des Prés was a recommendation to us by some friends - a modern restaurant with an open kitchen serving dishes with some twists and an innovative presentation. Overall, a solid restaurant option.
'Racines des Prés - Paris, France 2021
Additional
Sacre Coeur
Sacre Coeur is located in Montmarte (not far from Moulin Rouge) and actually the second most visited tourist spot after the Eiffel Tower. Part of the attraction is the panoramic views as it's located at the top of a hill. If you're walking, it's definitely a bit tiring getting to the top.
Sacre Coeur - Paris, France 2022
Versailles
Just an hour train away from Paris is Versailles, home to one of the most well known palaces in the world. The Palace is stunning and the grounds are enormous - definitely worth a visit that you can complete in just half a day.
Versailles - Paris, France 2022
Overall
Ending our honeymoon in Paris was the perfect way to wrap up a great trip. If you're saving up hotel points, Paris has no shortage of some of the best luxury hotels in the world. We've been to Paris a few times and never run out of things to do from visiting the countless museums (multiple times) to just sitting at a cafe with a delicious pastry.
Image Store
