Our first trip to Paris was beyond my wildest dreams, I felt wanting to stop time and stay on vacation forever. From a very young age, I have been obsessed with Parisian culture and dreaming about the day I would be able to visit Paris. I even studied French in college as preparation. Last year, the dream of visiting Paris became a reality along with my other dream of getting engaged in Paris(!!). It was truly one of the happiest weeks of my life. We visited Paris and London for 10 days at the end of September. Below is my Paris travel guide with recommendations on where to stay, eat, and what to do but to download our full day to day itinerary click here.

paris travel guide — Blue Door Obsession

Download my daily Paris itinerary

Before the trip, I purchased a personalized trip planning plan from Paris Perfected which helped immensely in planning out my itinerary. I highly recommend purchasing a personalized trip plan as it is so helpful and comprehensive in navigating Paris, especially if it is your first visit.

Where to stay:

Hotel Adele and Jules – located in the 9th arrondissement, this hotel is quiet, a good size, and perfect. We booked a room with a street view and loved it so much.

Hotel Therese – this is a sister property of Hotel Adele and Jules. Located in the 2nd arrondissement, the location is unbeatable, it’s within walking distance to Palais royal, Jardin Tuileries, and the Louvre – perfect for a first-time visit. We spent the first half of our trip in this hotel and absolutely loved it.

Where to eat:

Petit Vendome– In the Marais arrondisment, this hole in the wall has excellent baguettes. Pro-tip: grab a baguette to enjoy at Jardin Tuileries.

Pink Mamma– is hands down my favorite restaurant in Paris. The food (Italian) is amazing and the vibes are immaculate. Be sure to make a reservation at least one month before to make sure you are seated in the top floor.

Chez Janou – a classic french dinner with delicious french food and unlimited chocolate mousse.

Cafe Charlot – the best french restaurant we went to. I ordered the steak and fries and the warm goat salad.

Cafe Kitsune– a perfect cafe with delicious lattes. They also have locations in New York.

Cafe de Flore – a very popular cafe with delicious hot chocolate. The service is not the best, so bring your patience.

Le Relais d Encontre – this popular spot only has one item on the menu: streak and fries and the best part is that it is unlimited. Pro- tip get in line 30 min before it opens.

Breizh Cafe – a lovely cafe with delicious wheat crepes

What to do:

See the Effiel tower during the day and at night while it sparkles. It sparkles every hour for the first 5 minutes.
One of the favorite things we did was walk around and explore the beautiful gardens: Jadin Tuileries and Jardin Luxembourg
Visit Palais Royal (the monument with black and white columns)
Visit one of the many museums The Lourve, Musse de L’orangerie, and Musee D’Orsay. We bought a Paris Museum pass as it included access to all of the museums
Book a photoshoot near the Eiffel tower. I highly recommend iheartparis Federico is a fantastic photographer and photographed us getting engagement
Explore Montmartre
Visit the top floor of Galeries Lafayette for a perfect view of Paris
Have a Picnic in front of the Eiffel tower with cheese, wine, and chocolate
Seine River Cruise – since it was our first visit to Paris, we loved the cruise
Baking class at La Cuisine Paris
Visit Versailles
Stock up on French Pharmacy products