It’s no secret that Paris is one of my favorite places on this beautiful Earth! People ask me all the time what they should see on their trip to The City of Light. What do I say? I request that they slow down a bit and focus more on experiencing the city. Not simply jam packing as many tourists destinations as possible. The must have experiences for couples in Paris might not be what you’re thinking!
What are they not? Climbing up the Eiffel Tower or rushing through the Champs-Élysées. They are slower, more intentional excursions.
After I mapped some of my favorite experiences I wanted to share with you I realized a lot have one thing in common. Food! If you know me personally you know I’m a huge foodie. So of course a lot of these experiences focus on the cuisine aspect of Paris. But who doesn’t love food?!
Without further adieu, here are the 7 must have experiences for couples in Paris. If you take my advice for your next trip I’d love it if you wrote me a note about your experience!
This is not only a very French and romantic thing to do, but you’ll get some of the best views of the city atop the Montmartre hill. Stop by a market, bakery, or Carrefour for your goodies and head to the white church. Getting there is a bit of an exercise so I’d advise against hills or anything too heavy.
However, a bottle of rosé wouldn’t hurt and would be well work the weight during the trek!
What would a French lunch consist of? Meats, cheeses, baguette, fruit, and wine. What could be better?
Most likely you’ll have more than one meal in Paris, so I’m giving you lots of ways to enjoy lunches and dinners in the city! People watching at an adorable Paris café can be done as thrifty or extravagant as you’d like. My top suggestion? Sit outside. All the cafe chairs are situated to look out towards the city with your back to the café itself.
I’m convinced that design is intentional. The best way to learn how Parisians live, act, and their culture is to watch them and absorb their tendencies.
Even watching how other couples order at a café can serve as a huge guide to you! If you’re not a natural observer here are some tips on what to lookout for: their fashion and how they dress, the beauty of the French and their makeup and hair, the conversations they have and their gestures, how groups of friends interact… literally anything you can notice! And think about how different those behaviors are from America or your own home country. It fascinates me and I hope it does you too!
One of my favorite places to get lost in is Versailles, and rest assured it’s easy to do. You can experience this attraction with your love on foot, by bike, or carriage. There are so many amazing hidden gems at the palace that you two are sure to walk away with your very own spot and it will mean so much to you for years to come.
I have memories at different little gardens at the palace and while I might not be able to get you back to each spot they are perfectly pictured in my mind.
Versailles, like many places in Paris, is another great place to picnic. Random tidbit- I’d recommend carving out a full day of your trip to truly experience Versailles and if you’re interested in going into the actual palace get your tickets online in advanced.
So many people obsess over making their way to the Eiffel Tower and climbing upwards in it to get a great view of the city. I have done that and I much prefer other views the city offers. Views that the Eiffel Tower is in. One of my favorite places? Galleries Lafayette.
Not only does it have beautiful architecture you need to experience, but the terrace offers you an amazing view of Paris. You won’t regret making a stop at this beautiful department store.
Strolling a Parisian market is an absolute must have experiences for couples in Paris! Bonus points if you make a few purchases for your lunch picnic. Markets are day and location specific. You’ll likely see ‘delicious cheese man’ at the same market on the same day each week and ‘random antique lady’ at a different market on a different day each week. Sometimes markets are specific, like a farmers market is all food. Other times a market is ‘all inclusive’ and has vendors ranging from foods to antiques to clothing to flowers.
I could do an entire blog post on the Paris markets, but the easiest way to find them is Google “Paris Market day”. Change ‘day’ to Monday or Friday or whatever day it is you’re looking to go to a market! Some markets are seasonal as well. So Googling within a few weeks of your trip at max will ensure the market listings are current.
The Latin Quarter and Montmartre are my two favorite areas for street food, namely crepes. There are savory crepes and sweet crepes. Some places have a set crepe menu while others offer more of a build your crepe approach. No matter which you two select be ready for mouth watering deliciousness!
This is one of the must have experiences for couples in Paris that I think people forget about! If you stumble upon street food you’ll love it, but certainly be intentional and seek it out. It’s well worth it!
Another great street food option? Falafel! That sounds so random, but oh my word Paris does falafel right.
Some might say I saved the best for last. Being at Pont Neuf or any of the other number of Eiffel views at seeing the tower light up with sparkles is just magical. Try your best to resist the urge to get your phone out and just enjoy it with your hubby. (Not to worry, the Tower twinkles every hour so you’ll have lots of opportunities to nab a video on your phone later)
The lights go by quickly, but seriously, it’s such a beautiful moment that you won’t soon forget!
I’m constantly encouraging travelers to put the camera and smartphone down for the majority of it in hopes to truly experience the culture. Instead photograph the really important moments and try your best not to overshoot.
As a bonus experience I don’t believe you should miss in Paris, your Paris Anniversary Experience! We work together to cater this experience to be exactly what you want it to be. The pressure to photograph everything for yourself suddenly lifts when you know you’ll have a gallery of beautiful high quality photographs of you and your man experiencing Paris.
Rain or shine, the City of Light is a beautiful place. You’ll be happy you had me there to capture one or two of the must have experiences for couples in Paris for you.
Next time you and your man are in Paris try to focus on slowing down and truly experiencing the culture rather than hopping on and off a bus to see as many places as possible. I promise it’ll be the difference between falling in love with the city and being overwhelmed by it.
Need some travel tips? Here are some European Travel Tips for Couples Ready to Jetset (i.e., you!).
Want specifics on how I spend just 36 hours in Paris when that’s what I have? I’ll send that right over to you! Just fill out the form below and you’ll be on your way to having a 36 hour Paris itinerary!
It’s no secret that Paris is one of my favorite places on this beautiful Earth! People ask me all the time what they should see on their trip to The City of Light. What do I say? I request that they slow down a bit and focus more on experiencing the city. Not simply jam packing as many tourists destinations as possible. The must have experiences for couples in Paris might not be what you’re thinking!
What are they not? Climbing up the Eiffel Tower or rushing through the Champs-Élysées. They are slower, more intentional excursions.
After I mapped some of my favorite experiences I wanted to share with you I realized a lot have one thing in common. Food! If you know me personally you know I’m a huge foodie. So of course a lot of these experiences focus on the cuisine aspect of Paris. But who doesn’t love food?!
Without further adieu, here are the 7 must have experiences for couples in Paris. If you take my advice for your next trip I’d love it if you wrote me a note about your experience!
This is not only a very French and romantic thing to do, but you’ll get some of the best views of the city atop the Montmartre hill. Stop by a market, bakery, or Carrefour for your goodies and head to the white church. Getting there is a bit of an exercise so I’d advise against hills or anything too heavy.
However, a bottle of rosé wouldn’t hurt and would be well work the weight during the trek!
What would a French lunch consist of? Meats, cheeses, baguette, fruit, and wine. What could be better?
Most likely you’ll have more than one meal in Paris, so I’m giving you lots of ways to enjoy lunches and dinners in the city! People watching at an adorable Paris café can be done as thrifty or extravagant as you’d like. My top suggestion? Sit outside. All the cafe chairs are situated to look out towards the city with your back to the café itself.
I’m convinced that design is intentional. The best way to learn how Parisians live, act, and their culture is to watch them and absorb their tendencies.
Even watching how other couples order at a café can serve as a huge guide to you! If you’re not a natural observer here are some tips on what to lookout for: their fashion and how they dress, the beauty of the French and their makeup and hair, the conversations they have and their gestures, how groups of friends interact… literally anything you can notice! And think about how different those behaviors are from America or your own home country. It fascinates me and I hope it does you too!
One of my favorite places to get lost in is Versailles, and rest assured it’s easy to do. You can experience this attraction with your love on foot, by bike, or carriage. There are so many amazing hidden gems at the palace that you two are sure to walk away with your very own spot and it will mean so much to you for years to come.
I have memories at different little gardens at the palace and while I might not be able to get you back to each spot they are perfectly pictured in my mind.
Versailles, like many places in Paris, is another great place to picnic. Random tidbit- I’d recommend carving out a full day of your trip to truly experience Versailles and if you’re interested in going into the actual palace get your tickets online in advanced.
So many people obsess over making their way to the Eiffel Tower and climbing upwards in it to get a great view of the city. I have done that and I much prefer other views the city offers. Views that the Eiffel Tower is in. One of my favorite places? Galleries Lafayette.
Not only does it have beautiful architecture you need to experience, but the terrace offers you an amazing view of Paris. You won’t regret making a stop at this beautiful department store.
Strolling a Parisian market is an absolute must have experiences for couples in Paris! Bonus points if you make a few purchases for your lunch picnic. Markets are day and location specific. You’ll likely see ‘delicious cheese man’ at the same market on the same day each week and ‘random antique lady’ at a different market on a different day each week. Sometimes markets are specific, like a farmers market is all food. Other times a market is ‘all inclusive’ and has vendors ranging from foods to antiques to clothing to flowers.
I could do an entire blog post on the Paris markets, but the easiest way to find them is Google “Paris Market day”. Change ‘day’ to Monday or Friday or whatever day it is you’re looking to go to a market! Some markets are seasonal as well. So Googling within a few weeks of your trip at max will ensure the market listings are current.
The Latin Quarter and Montmartre are my two favorite areas for street food, namely crepes. There are savory crepes and sweet crepes. Some places have a set crepe menu while others offer more of a build your crepe approach. No matter which you two select be ready for mouth watering deliciousness!
This is one of the must have experiences for couples in Paris that I think people forget about! If you stumble upon street food you’ll love it, but certainly be intentional and seek it out. It’s well worth it!
Another great street food option? Falafel! That sounds so random, but oh my word Paris does falafel right.
Some might say I saved the best for last. Being at Pont Neuf or any of the other number of Eiffel views at seeing the tower light up with sparkles is just magical. Try your best to resist the urge to get your phone out and just enjoy it with your hubby. (Not to worry, the Tower twinkles every hour so you’ll have lots of opportunities to nab a video on your phone later)
The lights go by quickly, but seriously, it’s such a beautiful moment that you won’t soon forget!
I’m constantly encouraging travelers to put the camera and smartphone down for the majority of it in hopes to truly experience the culture. Instead photograph the really important moments and try your best not to overshoot.
As a bonus experience I don’t believe you should miss in Paris, your Paris Anniversary Experience! We work together to cater this experience to be exactly what you want it to be. The pressure to photograph everything for yourself suddenly lifts when you know you’ll have a gallery of beautiful high quality photographs of you and your man experiencing Paris.
Rain or shine, the City of Light is a beautiful place. You’ll be happy you had me there to capture one or two of the must have experiences for couples in Paris for you.
Next time you and your man are in Paris try to focus on slowing down and truly experiencing the culture rather than hopping on and off a bus to see as many places as possible. I promise it’ll be the difference between falling in love with the city and being overwhelmed by it.
Need some travel tips? Here are some European Travel Tips for Couples Ready to Jetset (i.e., you!).
Want specifics on how I spend just 36 hours in Paris when that’s what I have? I’ll send that right over to you! Just fill out the form below and you’ll be on your way to having a 36 hour Paris itinerary!
find out the secret!
i Spent 3 months in Paris and it was the best time I have ever had… it was an amazing experience that I hope to repeat one day! it’s the perfect place to get lost and explore!
You for sure have to go back! 😉 It IS the perfect place to get lost and explore!
Oh this sounds beautiful! I’ve never been to Paris, or actually any where in Europe, but it’s definitely on my to go list, and hey, why not have a photographer document my time there when I do go as well!
Capturing the magic is just perfection. All my couples are so thrilled they have professional photos to remember their adventures by! Thanks for your comment, Chanelle! If you head this way send me a note!
You have truly captured the essence of it all. And saving the best for last with the Eiffel Tower is just fine. It was well worth it.
Thanks so much, Valerie! I’m thrilled you agree these are some must dos in Paris 🙂
This is a wonderful guide for any couple visiting Paris!
Thanks, Amy! I’m glad you think so.
I absolutely love Paris and this was a great post about how couples could spend their time while visiting.
Thanks, Lynsey! I’m happy to meet another Paris lover!
These are great suggestions for experiencing Paris! I love the image of the couple at the top, so romantic.
Thank you! It’s hard not to look romantic in this city 😉
Paris is at the very top of my list…I’m just dying to go there! These are such great suggestions for experiences for couples in Paris!
Thanks, Alyssa! You can certainly make it happen!
Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you so much for all these amazing ideas! I have been wanting to go to Paris for forever now and now I know just where to go to get the best experience!
Kaylee, it’s only 0630 here and you’ve just made my day! Thanks so much for your kind words. I really think these thinks can make a Paris trip exactly what you’ve always imagined- magical! I’d love to hear if you make these happen! Be sure and reach out when you’re coming over <3
Such a good list! I did so many of these on my honeymoon in Paris and it was a really fun and romantic trip!
Thats so amazing to hear that you did some of these things, Sarah! I know they were magical. I cannot think of a better honeymoon destination than Paris!