I have visited Paris many, many times over the years, with all sorts of people. My first visit was with my first boyfriend, and I hated it. My second trip was with my girl friends, and I fell in love with it. Since that second trip I have visited Paris every year without fail, often twice a year, mainly to get my Angelina hot chocolate fix!
Going to Paris with the girls is one of my favourite things to do, I’m pretty much guaranteed to have the best weekend eating all the food and just wandering around the city soaking up the beautiful architecture and just generally being a flâneur. And so after all these years of blogging about trips to Paris, I figured it was time to do my own ultimate guide to a girls weekend trip to the city of love! Because despite being so focused on romance and loved up couples, it really is the best city for a fun girls trip.
Start by getting the Eurostar to Paris from London. I’ve flown three times now and each time I regret it and wish I’d got the Eurostar, it’s just so much easier and takes you right into the center of the city so you don’t have to worry about over-priced taxis and trains etc.
Paris Itinerary Day 1 – Friday
Hot Chocolate at Angelina
Pierre Herme for Macarons
You can’t go to Paris and not eat macarons! Pierre Herme is my favourite macaron shop, and they have different flavours that they rotate every few months. The flavours are quite unusual rather than the traditional flavours you get in Laduree, which I love.
Jardin Des Tuileries
Jardin Des Tuileries is one of Paris’s most famous gardens. It’s absolutely stunning and there’s nothing quite like walking down the central avenue towards the Louvre. It takes me breath away every time, especially when the sun is shining and all the pretty flowers are out in bloom!
Louvre
Once you’ve walked through Jardin Des Tuileries, have a wander around the Louvre. Make sure you pre-book as the queues can be pretty huge. The Louvre is so huge you won’t be able to see it all, so just pick certain pieces you want to see. One of my personal favourites is Paul Delaroche’s La Jeune Martyre (The Young Martyr). It’s just hauntingly beautiful.
Le Palais Royal
Next pop over to Le Palais Royal to check out the cool modern sculptures and take ALL the Instagram photos!
Dinner at Hotel Amour in Pigalle
One of my favourite restaurants is Hotel Amour in Pigalle. It’s in almost all of my Paris blog posts from over the years, but it’s SO cute and they do an amazing steak! The cocktails there are also great, and the desserts are brilliant too.
Liquid Nitrogen Cocktails at La Famille in Montmatre
La Famille in Montmatre do the most insane liquid nitrogen cocktails that are covered in candy! Try and get a seat at the bar if you can so you can watch the barmen making them.
Paris Itinerary Day 2 – Saturday
Get your stretchy waistband and walking shoes on (stylish ones though, obviously), today is a day of walking and eating! I think out of all three days this is my favourite, so pay close attention 😉
Breakfast at Eggs & Co
Eggs & Co in Saint-Germain-des-Pres is one of my fave breakfast places in Paris. I mean, croissants are cool and everything, but Eggs & Co’s eggs are out of this world. They’re amazing. And they do so many different options! Great if like me, you love eggs.
Saint Sulpice
Saint Suplice is very close to Eggs & Co and is one of my favourite churches in Paris. It’s on the most adorable little square in Saint Germain, and has a pretty fountain out the front. The church itself is huge and I just find it far more peaceful than the more popular touristy churches in Paris.
Jardin du Luxembourg
Another beautiful garden in Paris is Jardin du Luxembourg. I’ve only been once but it was gorgeous! There’s a pretty orangery and building that the garden surrounds, and lots of ponds and fountains and lovely flowers.
Musee D’Orsay
It took me YEARS to visit Musee D’Orsay, and my prime reason for going was to see Van Gogh’s starry night, as it’s one of my favourite pieces of art but I’ve never seen it in person. Sadly it was on loan to a museum in Amsterdam when I visited (I may have cried), but the rest of the museum is well worth visiting as there’s lots of see!
Afternoon Tea at Hôtel de Crillon
Although afternoon tea is synonymous with Britain, Paris do it incredibly well. On my most recent girl’s trip to Paris we had afternoon tea for lunch at Hôtel de Crillon and were just blown away by the service, the food, the atmosphere, and the overall architecture and design of the hotel. It’s simply stunning and was a highlight of our trip!
Shopping on Champs Elysees
You need to do all of your shopping on the Saturday because there aren’t many shops open on Sundays (even the main ones!). The Champs Elysees is a must, especially the huge Sephora there! I also love the gorgeous Guerlain store on the Champs Elysees.
Sunset at Arc de Triomphe
Walk up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe for sunset. Make sure you get there well in advance as the queue is always really long, and you don’t want to miss the sunset! The view is spectacular, and when it gets dark you can see the lights twinkling on the Eiffel Tower.
Dinner at La Gare
Take the metro to La Muette and walk the short distance to La Gare, another of my favourite restaurants. It’s an incredible fine-dining restaurant in an old train station, and they’ve kept a lot of aspects of the train station. The food is delicious, and they serve pastries and desserts from Angelina!
Watch the Eiffel Tower twinkling from Trocadero
After La Gare head to the nearby Trocadero to watch the Eiffel Tower twinkling at night! Every hour on the hour the Eiffel Tower lights up and is covered in glittering lights. A must do, and something else that took me years to actually see!
Paris Itinerary Day 3 – Sunday
This is your last day, so make the most of every second and take ALL of the photos! Remember that most shops will be closed on Sunday, so do all of your shopping the day before.
Eiffel Tower
Start the morning by heading up the Eiffel Tower! Make sure you pre-book a few weeks in advance as it gets VERY busy,
Pont Alexandre III Bridge
Without a doubt THE most beautiful bridge in Paris! It’s incredibly ornate and every time I’m in the city I have to stop by to wander over it. You also get a great view of the Eiffel Tower from it!
Palais Garnier
Palais Garnier is Paris’ most famous opera house, opened in 1875 it’s the setting for Gaston Leroux’s famous novel, Phantom of the Opera. If you think the opera house looks stunning from the outside, wait until you see the inside – it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful!
Lunch at The Amelie Cafe in Montmatre
Cafe des Deux Moulins is the cafe where Amelie works in the film, Amelie! They do the most delicious huge salads, and you can sit outside and people-watch. I absolutely love this cafe but it’s been a few years now since I’ve been. I must remember to go next time I’m in the city!
Take in The Views From The Sacré-Cœur
While you’re in Montmatre you can’t miss the Sacré-Cœur. Walk up the steps towards the basilica, making sure to not stop for any of the street sellers who will try and put a piece of string around your wrist! At the top take in the view and get the ultimate Paris skyline selfie.
Stop in at Musee de Montmatre
Musee de Montmatre is an adorable little museum just round the corner from the Sacré-Cœur, and is in a set of gorgeous old buildings that are over three hundred years old! The buildings were actually Renoir’s home, and he painted two of his most famous paintings here. The gardens of the museum are beautiful, and inside you can view a collection of original Le Cabaret du Chat Noir posters.
Head home!
And there ya go, in just three days you’ve seen the very best of Paris on the ultimate girl’s weekend! If you have less time than three days, check out my Paris in One Day guide, and you can find all my other Paris posts here. What’s your favourite thing to do in Paris?
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