Are you dreaming about spending a week in Paris? We spent 7 days in Paris. We had plenty of time to get lost in its streets, to taste its divine pastry, to visit its emblematic monuments and so much more. There are endless possibilities of what to do in Paris for a week, this is our suggestion, this is how we spent seven incredible days in Paris. We hope our Paris 7 day Itinerary will help you and inspire you to plan your week in Paris.
Are you wondering in which arrondissement to stay in Paris? Look no further, our Best Arrondissement to Stay in Paris Guide is everything you´ll ever need.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris
Day 1: Montmartre, Sacré Coeur & Pigalle
Our flight left early in the morning from Lisbon and soon arrived at Orly airport, the nearest airport from Paris. At 10:30 a.m., we were already at Gare du Nord wearing our big backpacks like two turtles. Nevertheless, we were excited to walk to our first hotel, that according to Google Maps, was “just around the corner”, Ibis Sacré Coeur.
With a heavy backpack and fascinated with every street, my walking pace was extremely slow, yet we arrived at Ibis Sacré Coeur before we were officially able to check in. At the check-in, we were greeted by a smiling receptionist who also spoke Portuguese. She didn´t mention anything about being too early to check-in and immediately gave us the keys to our room. Something we were really needing, a room with a bed, as we had not seen a bed in over 24 hours. We slept like two babies for near two hours and gain energy to explore the area where we chose to stay, the bohemian and charming district of Montmartre.
Where to eat near Montmartre? Brother’s Crepes & Coffee
A Week in Paris Itinerary: Paris 7 Day Itinerary- Brother’s Crêpes & Café
After a nap, our bellies were more than ready for lunchtime and what meal would be better than a crêpe? Less than a minute’s walk from Ibis Sacré Coeur, we found Brother’s Crêpes & Café, as the name implies, the crêpes are the specialty of this establishment.
We both chose the same crêpe “La Pachanga”. Our crêpes were huge, delicious, stuffed with melted mozzarella, chorizo, chicken and jalapeños, a lot of jalapeños. These crêpes are really a filling meal, especially, if you choose regular size rather than small.
Location: 82 Boulevard de Rochechouart
Price: 19.60€ (2 crêpes “la pachanga” regular size + drinks)
Explore Montmartre
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Montmartre
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Place du Tertre
Prior to our first trip to Paris we had already seen so many photos of Montmartre that we kinda suspected that this would be one of our favorite neighborhoods of Paris. And it was indeed!
When we left to explore Montmartre we knew that Basilique du Sacré-Cœur was one of the must visit monuments of this neighborhood. But along the way, we stopped, quite frequently, to appreciate how common was to spot parisians carrying their freshly baked baguettes under the arm, religiously, protecting them.
Walking through the streets and seeing the places we had only seen in photos come alive, only made us more enthusiastic to walk through each new street ahead. That´s how we found the “Wall of Love – Le Mur des Je t’aime” without even looking for it. And soon, we arrived at the iconic Place du Tertre, and in a blink of an eye we were looking at Basilique du Sacré-Cœur and contemplating the beautiful view over Paris.
Stop for a crepe at “Le Tire Bouchon”
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Le Tire Bouchon, Montmartre
When the first raindrops began to fall, we didn´t give up and kept walking. But, soon, the small drops turned into really big drops and we decided to eat a crêpe at “Le Tire Bouchon“, one of the many charming cafes that you can find in Montmartre. It´s very cozy and has live music. The walls of “Le Tire Bouchon” are adorned with little notes from its customers. We shared a delicious crepe with nutella that cost us 5.50€.
Location: 9 Rue Norvins | On the same street, we found Chez Ma Couisine, where you can find delicious mulled wine for 2€ a glass to take with you and warm your hands while exploring Montmartre
Where to eat in Montmartre, Paris? Le Refuge des Fondus
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Le Refuge des Fondus, Montmartre
The dining options at Le Refuge des Fondus are fairly easy. You only have to choose between the cheese fondue or the meat fondue.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Le Refuge des Fondus, Montmartre
We are both fond of cheese, so the choice was easy and we opted for the cheese fondue. But I do have to confess that I didn´t love it. Next time, I would definitely go for the meat fondue.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Le Refuge des Fondus, Montmartre
The cheese fondue might not have turned into one our favorite cheese dishes, like we were expecting. Nevertheless, I still think Le Refuge des Fondus is a great place to try fondue for the first time as it has a quite unique atmosphere.
One of the oddities of this restaurant is that the wine is served in baby bottles. Another of the peculiarities is that this is a small restaurant. There are only two long tables, which means that we are all sat next to each other like a big family on a Sunday dinner.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Le Refuge des Fondus, Montmartre
If you are looking for an unusual experience in Paris, this is the place!
Price: € 46 (cheese fondue for two people, two baby bottles with wine and a welcome drink)
Location: 17 Rue des Trois Frères, Montmartre, Paris
Visit at night: Sex shops & Moulin Rouge
What to do in Paris for a week? Moulin Rouge at night
Pigalle district and
was just a stone’s throw from the two hotels we stayed in, the Ibis Montmartre and the Ibis Sacré Coeur, that´s why we spent our first night in Paris wandering through Boulevard de Clichy and visiting sex shops. It was a fun night!
Day 2: Louvre & Torre Eiffel
Playground Duperre – The most colorful basketball court
We already knew about the existence of this place, but we hadn´t realized how close it was from our hotel. It was less than 500 metros from Ibis Sacré Coeur. You can find its location here.
Where to eat in Paris? Passage Brady
Passage Brady is one of the many covered passages of Paris. It might not be the most charming, but it might won the title of most ethnic. If you are craving for Indian food, you will certainly find a good restaurant with affordable prices.
If you are on a budget, don´t ask for drinks !! The dish that I ordered, a delicious chicken curry was only € 6. Valter’s dish cost 9.50 €. But the 33cl Coca-Cola came out more expensive than we expected. It was 4€.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Passage Brady
Explore some of the covered passages of Paris
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Passage Jouffroy
Our second day in Paris was a rainy day. And, what activity could be better than devoting some of our time to discover Paris covered passages? The tall and glassed ceilings, the cozy cafés and shops with interesting articles are a delight to the tourists, but also for the locals that pass by.
In Paris, there are nearly 15 covered passages. We didn´t have the chance to visit them all, but from the ones we visited we already have some favourites: Passage Jouffroy, Passage des Panoramas & Galerie Vivienne.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Passage Jouffroy
Visit the Louvre
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Louvre Museum
The Louvre needs no introduction. Of course that visiting the world most iconic museum was a mandatory activity on our first visit to Paris.
We decided to visit the Louvre on a Wednesday afternoon.
The Louvre is open until 9.45 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. On the other days of the week opens from 9am to 6pm. It closes on Monday.
What is the best entrance to Louvre? Carrousel Du Louvre
What is the best entrance to Louvre?
We arrived at the Louvre at 5p.m. As predicted, there was a large queue outside. But, we had already done our homework and searched for the entry where the queue would be shorter.
The Louvre has four main entrances. The Pyramid entrance (the main one), the Porte des Lions entrance, the Carrousel du Louvre entrance and the Porte de Richelieu entrance.
We read on a great amount of sites that Porte des Lions entrance was one of the secret entrances to access the Louvre, but if you are not in a group with an official guide you better forget this entrance. Porte des Lions is currently only for groups. Another entrance that you can also forget is the Porte de Richelieu. It only serves for groups or for people who have an annual pass.
Thus, only two entrances remain available for the common visitors. The most famous, the pyramid entrance and the Carrousel du Louvre entrance. Contrary to what we read on the internet, Carrousel du Louvre entrance didn´t seem to be at all secret, the queue was quite long, but after 1h we were already entering the museum. When we saw the huge queue we feared that the waiting time would be much higher.
To us the great advantage of Carrousel du Louvre entrance is that you don´t have to wait under the burning sun or in the freezing cold, you can just wait inside the shopping mall, which is way more pleasant. Also, this queue is the safety queue, which means that regardless of having a ticket or not you have to wait in it. After passing through the safety queue, we didn´t wait more than 10 minutes in line to buy Valter’s ticket.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Carrousel Du Louvre Entrance
If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EU, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) under 25 years old you don´t need a ticket. When entering the museum, you only have to show your identity document.
Price: 15€ | Buy your ticket here. Tiqets website has tickets online at the same price as those sold at the Louvre. If you buy from the Louvre official Website, the tickets are 2€ more expensive.
Where to dine in Paris near the Louvre? Sapporo Restaurant
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Sapporo Restaurant
After the Louvre closed, we were feeling ravenously hungry. And we no longer had the energy to walk a few minutes more without eating.
Luckily not far from Louvre we found Sapporo, a Japanese restaurant, welcoming and affordable. I wanted to try ramen for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I ordered ramen and Valter a dish called “katsudon” a kind of Japanese omelette with breaded meat and rice. It was very delicious!! I loved his dish more than mine, but somehow whenever we go to dine out I always prefer the dish he orders.
Price: 19.80€ (ramen + katsudon, without drinks)
Location: 276 Rue Saint Honoré
Night stroll to the Eiffel Tower
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Eiffel Tower at night
When we were admiring the paintings at the Louvre I mentioned that a romantic walk to the Eiffel Tower after dinner would be a remarkable idea, as in my eyes the Eiffel Tower seemed to be very close. It was cold and Valter did warn me it wasn´t that close. But I insisted that it should be just around the corner. It was not that far, nor that near as I imagined. In fact, it was a 4km walk and it took us a little more than one hour to reach it, but it was a perfect late night walk in Paris.
Day 3: Disneyland Paris
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Disneyland Paris
We spent our third day in Paris at Disneyland.
Disneyland Paris deserves a dedicated article. On our Must-Read Disneyland Paris Guide you´ll find all the juicy and helpful tips to plan your visit.
The price of the tickets varies according to the time of the year. We bought our ticket online the day before visiting Disney for €69. You can buy your tickets here. If you buy directly in the park, the price will be much more expensive, around 100 €.
Arriving at Disneyland Paris by public transportation was extremely easy. Round trip is around 15 € per person.
Day 4: Quartier Latin
On our fourth day in Paris we changed from Ibis Sacré Coeur to Ibis Montmartre. These two hotels are just a 10-minute walk from each other. Although they belong to the same chain, we preferred the Ibis Montmartre.
Galeries Lafayette
Once installed at Ibis Montmartre, we left Montmartre ready to discover the Quartier Latin and the famous Shakespeare And Company bookstore. But on the way, we stopped everywhere!
We stopped at Galeries Lafayette and at Printemps Department Store, at the Louvre and also at Jardin des Tuileries. We walked slowly by the Seine River, contemplating all the stalls selling old books and paintings. We took more than two hours to do a half hour walk. But that´s the way we like to discover new cities, stopping whenever something arouses our interest.
We are always saving money for our next trip, so we usually don´t spend money on clothes or accessories, but do consider a visit to the historic and chic Galeries Lafayette a must. Also, don´t miss the opportunity of climbing up to its terrace to enjoy the view over Paris. Unlike the terrace of Printemps department, where only the customers of the restaurants have access, the terrace of the Galeries Lafayette can be enjoyed by everyone.
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- Galeries Lafayette
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- Galeries Lafayette Rooftop Terrace
Do you love books? If you do, Shakespeare & Company bookstore is a must visit
The first Shakespeare And Company to open in Paris was founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919. It operated as a bookstore as well as a library. Some of the most prestigious authors found their second home in this bookstore and in Sylvia Beach a friend. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Eliot, all of them visited Shakespeare And Company. The bookstore closed in 1941, with the German occupation of Paris and never reopened.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Shakespeare And Company
In 1951 George Whitman opened a bookstore in Paris under the name “Le Mistral” and later in 1964 decided to rename it, in honor of the bookstore that Sylvia Beach had opened in 1919, to Shakespeare And Company.
Determined to keep the laid-back and welcoming atmosphere of its original founder, the new Shakespeare And Company quickly became an important part in the lives of many writers living in Paris. Writers like Anaïs Nin, Julio Cortázar, Henry Miller, James Baldwin and many others.
Fortunately, this historic bookstore sells books in English.
Refill your stock of creams and lotions at Citypharma
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Citypharma
Paris is a great destination to buy cosmetics because prices are lower than we are used to.
Besides the wines and the great variety of cheeses, France is also known for its cosmetics of excellence. There is no better place to refill the stock of your favorite moisturizers, creams and lotions than Paris!
The prices you´re going to find fluctuate a lot from brand to brand. Sometimes you find moisturizers and lotions 3 € cheaper than you´re used to, sometimes you found them for half the price, as it was the case of SVR, one of my favorite brands to buy my rosacea moisturizer.
Don´t forget to make a list with everything you need, because it is very easy to feel a little bewildered when you come across so much choice.
Warning! : Citypharma has some of the best discounts in Paris and it gets crowded. Be prepared to be squeezed while walking through its narrow corridors.
Location: 26 Rue du Four | It’s just a 15-minute walk from Shakespeare & Company
Schedule: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday opens from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It closes on Sundays
Explore the Latin Quarter – one of our favorite neighborhoods in Paris
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Latin Quarter
The Quartier Latin, is a stone’s throw from Notre Dame Cathedral.
Where to eat in the Latin Quarter?
#1 Mexi & Co
Still in the vicinity of Shakespeare and Company, you can find Mexi & Co, a relaxed Mexican restaurant, decorated with warm, bright colors and a fun atmosphere. The nachos we ate here were the best nachos of our lives. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about the rest of the food.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Mexi & Co Restaurant
I ordered a beef burrito that came with rice and 3 nachos. The burrito itself was nothing more than shredded beef wrapped in a tortilla with melted cheese. However, based on the overall atmosphere and decor, we still think this is a good spot if you are a fan of nachos.
Price: € 26 (nachos + 1 burrito + 1 plate of nachos with chicken rice and guacamole + 1 coke)
#2 Kodawari Ramen
If you are hungry for ethnic food and not keen on Mexican food, another restaurant that we really wanted to try is Kodawari Ramen. A Japanese restaurant with a unique atmosphere. It seems to teleport us to Japan. Check out some photos and comments on Tripadvisor and decide for yourself whether or not it is worth it.
Day 5: Marais, Bellevile & Sunset at Trocadéro
We started our day eating cheap salmon and mozzarella panninis at Boulevard de Clichy. And, then, we proceed with our daily exploration of Paris and walked from Montmartre to the charming Marais district. A pleasant walk of nearly 5km.
On the way, we stopped quite frequently to admire pastry shop windows featuring extremely good looking pastries. Of course, that we had to visit the inside of more than one pastry shop to take a closer look of all the yuminness at our disposal. And, of course, we weren´t satisfied by just looking, we had to taste quite a few pastries to see if they were as tasty as they seemed to be. We can now assure you that they were.
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- A Week in Paris Itinerary
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- 7 Days in Paris
Where and what to eat in Marais?
#1 Falafel
If you are a falafel lover, a delicious fried treat made from chickpeas and served with a delicious sauce, originally from the Middle East, then you definitely need to stop by Marais. More precisely, at Rue des Rosiers. Here, you won´t find just one establishment selling this specialty, but several.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Place des Vosges, Marais
Marais is known as the ancient Jewish quarter of Paris and that´s part of the reason why it´s one of the best places to eat falafel.
One of the most famous restaurants on Rue des Rosiers is L’As du Fallafel. On the day we visited Rue des Rosiers it was closed, so we just chose another one. Then, we walked with our lunch to Place des Vosges, one of the most beautiful squares in Paris and ate it there while enjoying a sunny afternoon in Paris.
Price: 13€ (2 falafel sandwich)
#2 L’ éclair de génie
If you got out of bed thinking about all the éclairs you will find along your morning walk in Paris, then you´re just like us. And I´m sure we would be great friends! Also, you´re the right person to appreciate “L’ éclair de génie“, a famous pastry shop that specializes in beautiful éclairs, but quality comes at a price.
The éclairs at this shop are more expensive than all the others we ate at other Parisian bakeries. At “L’ éclair de génie” each eclair costed us € 6 which means that they are twice more expensive than the average éclairs we ate while in Paris. But, “L’ éclair de génie” has extremely tasty éclairs and a great diversity of unique flavors.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: L’ Eclair de Genie
Bellevile: Rue Dénoyez
Whenever we visit a new city, we always like to take some time to explore its street art. After our lunch break at Place des Voges, we walked to Belleville having in mind visiting the colorful Rue Dénoyez. Although we didn´t find it to be as exceptional as we previous imagined, most of the paintings on the walls are just tags and other scribbles, we can´t deny that it´s a colorful and photogenic street.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Rue Dénoyez
Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Père-Lachaise is one of the world’s most visited cemeteries. And it´s only a half-hour walk from Rue Dénoyez.
Famous writers like Balzac, Proust, Oscar Wilde, singers like Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and artists like Delacroix and Modigliani are all buried here, at Père-Lachaise.
Trocadéro
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- Trocadéro at sunset
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- Trocadéro at sunset
Trocadéro, at the end of the afternoon, is a place packed with life and tourists.
Trocadéro is, undoubtedly, one of the best places to get “that” photo with the Eiffel Tower.
However, during the day is quite impossible to get your dream photo without having a thousand other people appearing on it. And that’s how we mutually agreed that on the next morning, we would return to enjoy the sunrise and take all the photos we wanted.
Paris 7 Day Itinerary: Trocadéro
Where to eat?
On this day, we ended buying a pizza near our hotel for € 11. We took it to our room where we spent the night dating and watching a movie.
#1 Pink Mamma
However, if we had previously realized that Pink Mamma, one of the trendiest Parisian restaurants of the moment, was only an eight-minute walk from our hotel, the Ibis Montmartre, and that eating a pizza there wouldn´t leave us on bankruptcy we would have undoubtedly opted for this restaurant. The pizzas at Pink Mamma cost between 12€-18€.
Aside from the food that judging by Tripadvisor reviews seems to be of great quality, this restaurant also has an extremely tasteful decor.
Day 6: Sunrise at Trocadéro, Palais Garnier & Palais de Tokyo
Sunrise at Trocadéro
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Sunrise at Trocadéro
After a week of planning to wake up early, this was the day we finally got our big fat asses out of bed when the alarm went off at 5:45.
If you want a great photo with the Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro is the place.
Breakfast
After taking all the pictures we wanted, and a few more, hunger kicked in and we needed to fill our bellies with a lot of food.
As our hotel’s buffet breakfast, Ibis Montmartre, only costed 10.50€ per person, we decided to return to eat everything we wanted while paying a fixed price.
The croissants were marvelous. Nutella, fruits, yoghurts, granola, Brie and other cheeses were just some of the things that were part of our breakfast. Great value for money.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Ibis Montmartre Buffet Breakfast
Palais Garnier
On our way to Palais de Tokyo, we made a stop to contemplate the interior of the Palais Garnier. This majestic building has outstanding show rooms lined with vibrant red velvet, where you can enjoy opera and ballet shows as well as other forms of artistic expression.
Price: € 11 (if you are over 26 years old); 8 € (If you are under 26 years old) | Buy your tickets here.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Palais Garnier
Palais de Tokyo
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – On our way to Palais de Tokyo
Palais de Tokyo is also known as one of Paris´s museums of Modern Art and is just a few steps away from Trocadéro. If you want to admire its permanent collection, it’s free for everyone, regardless of age.
One of our favorite artworks displayed in this museum fills an entire room. And is called “La Fée Électricité” by the artist Raoul Dufy.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – “La Fée Électricité”, Raoul Dufy.
Latin Quarter
On our last night in Paris we decided to have dinner in the Latin Quarter.
Its narrow streets are packed with all kinds of cute restaurants, Greek, Moroccan, Lebanese, French, at friendly prices. We found several restaurants with menus that featured entrance, main course and dessert for as little as 10€-15€.
Our favorite streets of the Latin Quarter? Rue La Huchette, Rue Xavier Privas, Rue de La Harpe and Rue Mouffertard.
It was also in this neighborhood that we ate the cheapest crepe with nutella of our entire stay in Paris (€ 2.30 each).
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- Gyros, Quartier Latin
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- Greek restaurant, Quartier Latin
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- Greek restaurant, Quartier Latin
Day 7: Souvenirs & Returning to Portugal
The flight that would bring us back to Portugal was only at the end of the day, so we planned enjoying our last day in Paris, in the same way we started our first day in the city, getting lost in the streets of Montmartre. But Paris, decided to say goodbye to us with the rainiest of the days.
We went out for lunch and bought some souvenirs. The rain didn´t stop during all the afternoon. In the meantime, it was time to pick up our suitcases from the hotel and catch our flight back home.
A Week in Paris Itinerary: 7 Days in Paris – Souvenirs
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