Best time to go: spring and autumn are very good times to go, not extremely busy as in the summer and not very cold either. Take into account that regardless of the season it will most probably rain at some point, so be prepared!
General Advice: if you are planning to visit any museums, book the tickets in advance and if they have the option to choose fast track then buy it as well. The queues to get into the museums (in particular for Orsay and Louvre) are absolutely insane.
I am personally not a big fan of the Paris Metro, however, I think the buses work really well so when you cannot get somewhere walking I would recommend to take the bus.
In Paris I suggest two different areas to stay:
Le Marais (3rd and 4th arr) very well located and therefore more expensive but surrounded by charming boutiques and galleries. Recommended hotels: "Les Tournelles" and "La Chambre du Marais".
Opera (9th arr) a bit further from the centre but still surrounded by many places of cultural, historical and architectural interest and not as expensive as Le Marais. Recommended hotel: "Hôtel R de Paris - Boutique Hotel".
Day 1: Arrival
If you are staying in the Opera area I would recommend to go for dinner at "Le Bon Georges", a beautiful French bistro.
If you are staying at Le Marais the recommended restaurant is "Le Colimacon".
Day 2: Classic Paris
Regardless of where you are staying I would suggest the following itinerary for your first day. You can walk the full itinerary but It will be a long way, however I will indicate how long it takes you to walk from point to point. If at any point you get tired you can also continue by bus.
Notre Dame - a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (from Opera 40, from Le Marais 20 min)
Louvre - the world's largest art museum (20 min)
Tuileries Garden - located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. Here you can find the Musée de l'Orangerie, one of my favourite museums and the perfect place if you like impressionism (10 min)
Place de la Concorde
Musée d'Orsay - It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station (5 min)
Les Invalides - a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France (15 min)
Lunch at "Zia" a very nice and cosy lunch and brunch restaurant
Eiffel tower – the most famous tower in the world located in Champ de Mars (25 min)
Arc de Triomphe – honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (30 min)
Recommended dinner at "Le Grand Colbert", wonderful seafood and fish. The restaurant is particularly famous because it was used in the film 'Something's Gotta Give'.
Day 3: Montmartre and Opera
On your second day you can start the day visiting the Moulin Rouge. From there, your next step should be "Crêperie Rozell Café" so you can try the fantastic crepes. Afterwards you can visit the Sacré-Cœur, which is just a 7 min walk from the restaurant, and lose yourself walking around Montmartre.
In the afternoon you can visit the Opera, which is absolutely gorgeous on the inside.
Recommended dinner at "A. Noste" tapas restaurant.
Day 4: Different Paris
If you have one more day to spend or you have been in Paris before and would like to take an alternative, less touristic route of the city, I would suggest for you to visit:
Le petit palace - an art museum located across from the Grand Palais
Le Marais - to go shopping and walk around the city's Jewish quarter, the area still hosts numerous kosher restaurants.
Galerie Vivienne - one of the covered passages of Paris
Catacombs of Paris - underground ossuary which hold the remains of more than six million people in a small part of a tunnel network
The Sainte-Chapelle - a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité
Palace of Versailles – 20 km outside Paris
Recommended lunch at "Pizzeria Popolare", a very good place for a tasty pizza
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