Are you interested in planning a 5 day trip to Paris? I’m excited to share a detailed itinerary that includes what to do and see to make sure you hit Paris’ most beautiful spots during your 5 day trip!
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Are you considering a trip to Paris? I am so excited for you! We spent 5 days in Paris, and it is officially my favorite city. It has stolen my heart, and I’m dreaming the day that I can return!
My husband and I decided to visit Paris for our babymoon. We had about a week to travel in November, and we are so glad we decided on Paris. We decided to stay in the city the entire time (with the exception of a day trip to nearby Versailles), because I was 26 weeks pregnant and not feeling well.
We originally planned for 6 full days in Paris, but we missed our connecting flight and wound up spending 24 hours in Toronto, Canada. We had to move some items around on our itinerary, but we were able to see almost everything we originally planned for. Our trip turned out to be the perfect blend of excitement and relaxation- exactly what we were looking for.
Because I was pregnant, we took the trip slower than usual. We didn’t pack our schedule full from dawn until midnight. We slowed down and slept in a few times, rested during the day as needed, and occasionally went to bed early. We enjoyed eating out (you can read about my top 10 places to each gluten-free in Paris here) and some comfy meals in our apartment, with a view of the sparking Eiffel Tower. You’ll see that some days are more full than others. If you are traveling to Paris for a shorter time, check out these itineraries for 48 hours in Paris or 4 days in Paris.
Before I jump into our daily itinerary, here is an overview of the major locations we visited:
- Palace of Versailles
- Trocadéro
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Notre Dame de Paris
- The Louvre
- Tuileries Garden
- Musée de l’Armée
- Napoleon’s Tomb
- Musée de Cluny
- Eiffel Tower
- The Arc de Triomphe
- Champs–Élysées
- Place de la Concorde
5 Days in Paris: A Perfect, Relaxing Itinerary
Day 1: (Tuesday)
Palace of Versailles
We spent the entire day at the Palace of Versailles, and it was beautiful. We enjoyed breakfast at a nearby café before enjoying the palace and its grounds. Because we traveled in November, we didn’t have to wait in any lines. We picked up 4- day Paris museum passes and then took our time enjoying the palace.
I had dreamed of seeing the Hall of Mirrors for years, and it was just as breathtaking as I expected. As a history teacher who has taught about the major events that have taken place in this gallery, I was ecstatic to finally see it in person. It was more crowded than any other place on the grounds, but still comfortable and worth it (if you’ve been to the Hall of Mirrors during its busy season, or have seen photos of it, then you know the crowd below is nothing!).
Then we spent a couple of hours enjoying the grounds. We loved the fall colors and the peaceful, cool air. We would have loved to have rented a paddle boat, but unfortunately, the boathouse was closed to the public for the season (one of the few downsides to traveling there in the fall).
Here are a few highly recommended tours of Versailles:
- The Kings’ Private and State Apartments & Gardens Tour
- Classic Guided Tour of the Palace (skip the lines)
- Audio Guided Tour of Versailles, includes the Gardens (skip the line)- access from Paris
Day 2: (Wednesday)
Trocadéro
We met up with Kirill from Flytographer for our maternity photo shoot. This was definitely a highlight of our trip. He was able to perfectly capture our love for each other and our growing baby, as well as the beauty of Paris in the fall. We loved visiting this popular tourist spot while it was almost completely empty (with just a handful of other photo shoots going on near us). We walked the grounds and then around the Place du Trocadéro as part of our photo shoot. When we were finished, we warmed up at a nearby café with espressos (for my husband) and hot chocolate (for me). (If you’re considering booking a photo shoot on your next vacation, I have a blog post about why you should consider Flytographer.)
Interested in booking your own photo shoot in Paris? Use my link to receive up $25 off your first photo shoot with Flytographer!
Sainte-Chapelle
After returning to our hotel to change into warmer, more comfortable clothes, we headed to Sainte-Chapelle. It was gorgeous. We had to wait in a very quick security line before heading in. I was pleasantly surprised at how small it was. So many people skip this beautiful chapel, but I highly recommend adding it to your itinerary if at all possible.
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame is one of the most popular destination in Paris for a reason. It’s breath-taking! We enjoyed walking around the outside before entering. At this point in the day I was pretty tired, so we enjoyed sitting on the Cathedral pew for awhile while the organ was getting tuned. Then we took our time walking around the inside and soaking up the history.
Note: As you likely know, Notre Dame experienced a devastating fire in April 2019 and is currently closed. You can check their official website for updates.
Day 3: (Thursday)
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme & the Tuileries Garden
I had woken up with extra morning sickness that morning, so we took it easy and spent several hours relaxing in our hotel. It was the USA’s Thanksgiving holiday, so once I felt well enough to eat, we celebrated with room service at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme. (Note: If you travel to Paris for Thanksgiving, you can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal at several restaurants throughout the city (such as Breakfast in America). We chose not to do this, but it is a great option if you do not want to skip the celebration!) Then we enjoyed the walk through the Tuileries Garden.
The Louvre
We spent a majority of the day at the Louvre. The Louvre is, of course, a must-see in Paris. It is huge, and you could easily spend an entire week there. We focused our attention on the highlights, including the Mona Lisa (of course!), Hammurabi’s Code (my history teacher’s heart nearly exploded with happiness), Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Coronation of Napoleon, and Liberty Leading the People.
I highly recommend visiting the Louvre grounds at night. Enter from the backside to enjoy the courtyard and then head to the pyramid. It’s beautiful!
That evening, we moved from our hotel to our apartment. We enjoyed our new little neighborhood and view of the Eiffel Tower. We also had our first home-cooked meal of the trip (wonderful when you’re traveling with food allergies!).
Day 4: (Friday)
Musée de l’Armée & Napoleon’s Tomb
If you’re interested at all in military history, you should definitely add this national military museum to your itinerary. We focused our attention of the WWI and WWII exhibits. It was so fun to read about these wars from the French perspective.
Again, if you’re interested in history, you do not want to miss Napoleon’s Tomb. His tomb is huge and beautiful – very few leaders have this set-up.
Musée de Cluny
We ended our sight-seeing day at the Musée de Cluny, another destination that many tourists skip over. We both loved it, and it was one of my husband’s favorites. As a history buff, it was fascinating to see all of the artifacts from Paris’ medieval days. The museum is somewhat small and was not crowded at all.
Fun Tip: Consider booking a private tour Sainte Chapelle, the Conciergerie, and Musée de Cluny through the Latin Quarter for a behind-the-scenes look at the beautiful city.
Day 5: (Saturday)
Eiffel Tower
We woke up to rain (something we had prepared for but had not experience yet on our trip). Of course this was the day we had planned to go up into the Eiffel Tower, but we didn’t let it stop us. We opted to take the elevator to the second level (if I hadn’t been tired and pregnant, we probably would have taken the stairs). The wind and rain died down by the time we got on the elevator, and we enjoyed the most spectacular views of Paris.
This turned out to be one of our favorite experiences in Paris. We are so glad that we opted to do this, despite the chilly weather and lines (really, the only lengthy lines we had to wait in on our trip at all).
The Arc de Triomphe
We headed to the Arc de Triomphe, which we loved. We opted not to go to the top, since we had enjoyed the views from the Eiffel Tower earlier that day (Note: there were long lines to go to the top). We had seen it several times in passing at this point, but we finally took the time to sit underneath the historic monument and enjoy its beauty.
Champs–Élysées and Place de la Concorde
We walked down the Avenue des Champs–Élysées. We stopped in a few shops and shopped for our baby. We walked until we reached the Place de la Concorde. It’s a quick stop, but something a history buff would want to add to their itinerary.
We obviously loved our trip to Paris and cannot wait to return. I love reading through itineraries and tips, so if you have any travel advice or a blog post to share on Paris, please post it in the comments below!
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68 Comments
Ladonna
the pictures in paris are amazing.
Leah
Thank you! Paris is beautiful!
Marianna
I always wanted to visit Paris and hopefully one day will happen.
Beautiful pictures and they are very inviting.
Thank you for the great tips!
Leah
Thank you! I hope you make it there soon! 🙂
Cindy
Beautiful post! Paris is on my list of places to visit. I especia want to se VERSAILLES!
Leah
Thank you! Yes- Versailles is a must!
Tanya
I love paris too! I have been twice but you listed a few things I haven’t seen yet so I guess I need to return! A few other favorite spots I would recommend checking out are the Opera Garnier, the Montmartre area, and the Shakespeare and Co bookstore.
Leah
Thank you! Yes, Paris is so wonderful! Those items are definitely on my list for next time. 🙂
Jennifer
I’Ve never been to paris but this sounds like the perfect itinerary for my husband and i! It seems like you were really able to hit all the major highlights in a short period of time!
Leah
Thank you! Yes, we think it all worked out perfectly for the amount of time we had!
Kelsey
I love this! Those are all great sites to visit. And it’s so important not to exhaust yourself trying to see everything, even if you’re not pregnant! I’ve been to paris several times but would love to go again with my husband.
Leah
Thank you! I agree- it is always nice to slow down while on vacation. 🙂
Nikki
I LOVE THE TITLE AND CONCEPT OF A RELAXING VACATION IN PARIS! USUALLY WHEN TRAVELING WE TEND TO PACK IT IN SO I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE APPROACH. ALSO, THAT PIC OF YOU TWO WALKING IN FORNT OF THE EIFFEL TOWER IS GORGEOUS!!
Leah
Thank you so much! 🙂 It was nice to take a relaxing, slower approach for this trip. We really got to enjoy it!
Ladona Stork
What a beautiful trip! You managed to sneak in a lot for a laid back trip! We look forward to visiting many of these places.
Leah
Yes, it was wonderful! It helped that we were there for several days (so many people only go for a couple days and then move on). I can’t wait to return again!
Breanne
How fun. Yes, I have always wanted to visit Paris. Love that you had your babymoon photos taken. Definitely, a moment to remember.
Leah
It was a great trip filled with special moments! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Hope you get to visit soon- it is amazing. 🙂
Denise
So many of my personal favorites in this list! The hall of mirrors is truly spectacular. Luckily, it reopened just before my first trip to Versailles. Now my goal is to get there for one of the amazing costume balls they hold.
Leah
A costume ball in the Hall of Mirrors would be amazing! What a great goal!
Kirsten @ ObtainingBliss.com
Paris is definitely on my bucket list of places to visit! Thank you for sharing such a detailed Itinerary. I’m definitely saving this for when me and my hubby can go!
Leah
I’m so glad you found it helpful! It is a beautiful city. I hope you get to go soon!:)
Rachael Olufs
Ahhh. I love this post! I love that I can read about your trip to paris as i am obsessed with paris. I think it is such a great idea to do a trip somewhere before baby! Congrats to you!
Leah
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ema
Paris is also one of my favorite cities! I’ve been there so many times and still love it. Great article!
Leah
Glad you enjoyed it! I cannot wait to return! 🙂
Cara
This seems like such a relaxing trip! It’s def on my bucket list!
Leah
It was! And it is a great destination for your bucket list! 🙂
karen
One of my all time favourite cities in the world! I’m sure we’ll be headed back soon so this itinerary is supper helpful. Thank you
Leah
It is one of my favorites too! 🙂
Jamie
This sounds like the perfect itinerary and love the pictures! We still have never been to Paris before, but I will definitely be referencing this when we do get a chance to visit!
Leah
I hope you make it there soon! It is an amazing city!
Amanda Patsey
I dream of visiting Paris for the first time!!
Leah
I hope you make it there soon! It’s amazing!
Dominique Parrish
I only had two days in Paris and it was SO rushed! Looks like 5 is perfect!
Leah
Yes- 5 days was perfect! We were able to see everything we wanted!
Gina
I absolutely love Paris! All of these places are just beautiful to see! Great guide!
Leah
Thank you! Paris is truly beautiful!
Liona
David and I went to Paris when we were 18 for three days and loved it. We packed a lot into 3 days. It was the start of our joint love of travel! I asked him this morning if he wanted to go away for a weekend for his birthday and he said he’d like to go to Paris so it looks like we’ll be heading back 18 years after our first visit. We’ll have to take it a bit slower this time though as we’ll have the kids with us.
I’m saving this itinerary for later. I would like to go to Versailles this time, we didn’t do that last time.
Leah
How exciting! It would be so lovely to live close enough to go to be able to to Paris for the weekend. Versailles was one of our favorites, so I highly recommend it. The palace and the gardens are lovely! Cannot wait to follow your adventure!
Mariah
You fit so much in!
Leah
We did see everything we wanted to see, but we felt like we moved at a nice, relaxing pace! That’s the perk of spending 5 full days in one city. 🙂
Liz
Paris is one of my favorite cities as well! This is such a great itinerary! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Leah
Thank you! It’s a lovely city! 🙂
Sara
You did a lot for being 26 weeks pregnant! I’m impressed!! We went to Paris for an extended Valentine’s Day weekend and you did a lot of the same things we did! Isn’t the Park Hyatt amazing?? We loved it! I really enjoyed visiting St. Chappelle. As far as other ideas, we did a food tour of the Marais on our trip that I highly recommend for your next trip. I also recommend L’Orangerie and the Musee d’Orsay next time. The Paris pass is such a game changer for seeing more things and enjoying your experience!
Leah
The food tour sounds wonderful! Thanks for the extra recommendations! We used the Paris Pass, and I agree that it’s a game-changer. Thank you for your kind words!
Maartje Hensen
Paris is always a good idea! Going back there in August, can’t wait. Thank you for this blog post!
Leah
I agree! Enjoy your time in Paris! 🙂
Sudeepta
Lovely post. So detailed 🙂 will look forward to more reads
Leah
Thank you!
Marina
Paris has always sounded magical! Thanks for this itinerary!
Leah
I think it is pretty magical! 🙂
Triptoeuropetips
Thank you Leah for this article about Paris! I would like to spend my life there 😍
I hope you had great time!
Leah
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! It’s a beautiful city!
The Jetset Boyz
When we do citybreaks we tend to do a LOT of walking and don’t use public transport all that much. So for us, Paris’ Metro Carnet (book of 10 tickets) is perfect. Two great things about them:
1: They don’t expire so any leftover tickets can be kept & used for the next time you visit Paris.
2: They’re 10 individual tickets so you can hand tickets to friends who’re travelling with you and you both benefit from the cheaper price per ticket.
Leah
Awesome tip! I love that they don’t expire!
Britt
Incredible photos! Honestly, some of the best vacations are the ones that involve going a little slower and relaxing a bit, so slowing down due to being pregnant may have been a great choice to find the right balance in your trip!
Leah
Thank you! I agree! We love moving at a slow pace, so it was perfect.
Jenny
What a fantastic idea to hire a photographer for travel memories. How did I miss that one? Gorgeous pictures and an amazing city. One of these days, I will get back to Paris. Congratulations on the baby.
Leah
Thank you! Yes, hiring a photographer has become our favorite way to capture our vacation memories. We are always so thankful for the photos!
Kathy Walker
Paris is on my bucket list. Your pictures were beautiful. What a great schedule saw a lot but still had time to relax, my kind of trip!
Leah
Thank you! I agree- this trip was the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation!
Adriana Avila
Such gorgeous photos!!!
Paris was one of our favorite trips and we only had a day and a half there! lol I can’t wait to go back and go to some of the places you suggest! 💜
Leah
Thank you! I hope you get to return soon and spend more time there!
Ann
We are planning to go to paris during the spring, so I will definatly keep your blogpost as favorites. Thanks for a great read 🙂
Leah
How wonderful! Have a fantastic time planning!
Maria
Really it was an awesome article…very interesting to read. Paris is on my bucket list. Your pictures were beautiful.
Leah
Thank you! Paris is a great city to have on that list! 🙂