Public transport is one of the things Paris just gets right.
It’s Métro is fast, clean, efficient and extensive, and its buses provide a great way to get from A-B while watching the world go by.
If it’s your first time to Paris, then you probably want to check off a few boxes. The best way of doing that is by pulling on your walking shoes, and exploring its grands boulevards and manicured avenues.
While it’s not exactly a small city, it is pretty compact, and if you’re not afraid of a bit of a walk, you can see most of the “must-sees” in a day.
Apart from being the capital of food, fashion, love, light, culture and museums, Paris is also people watching Mecca. It’s where you go to see and to be seen. Bring your sunglasses, find a cafe and plonk yourself down at a street-facing table.
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Distance:12km
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: Free
Start your tour at Hôtel de Ville. It’s located smack-bang in the centre of the 4th arrondissement, and has been the same location of the city’s municipality for more than 600 years.
Just across the river you stumble acrpss Notre Dame. The cathedral is more than a couple of hundred years older than my country, and is very much a part of both folklore and pop culture.
The cathedral sits right in the middle of the River Seine, L’Ile de la Cite and Paris as a whole, and is a good place to start.
A little bit in front of the Cathedral is Sainte-Chapelle and la Conciergerie – the 14th-century royal palace, prison and place where Marie-Antoinette ultimately lost her head.
Next up, head back across the river and walk along Voie Georges Pompidou towards Le Louvre. I probably wouldn’t go inside at this stage because it’ll eat the rest of your day away.
Take some pictures, enjoy the courtyard and (in)famous glass Pyramide du Louvre, before continuing through the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel to Tuilerie Gardens.
Don’t forget to look back over your shoulder along your way to take in the sheer size of the Louvre. It’s humongous.
Next up you’ll hit Place de la Concorde – with it’s hieroglyph-scarred and gold-leaf-tipped Luxor Obelisk. I once heard that they brought it in from Luxor in Egypt on a boat and had to dig a canal from the Seine so it could be erected as the Egyptians would have. It’s pretty impressive – as is the jumble of traffic tearing around the square – so watch out!
On the west side of La Concorde you’ll find the beginning of the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysée. Apart from dozens of the most famous French Boutiques and Restaurants lining the boulevard, you’ll find the President’s 18th century official mansion home – Élysée Palace and the Grand and Petit Palais.
At the top of the Avenue you’ll come to the Arc de Triomphe in the centre of Charles de Gaulle Etoile. The arc is definitely worth the climb but today is all about getting your bearings so put a cross next to it in your guidebooks and mark it for a return visit.
Continuing southwest down Avenue Kléber you’ll come to Trocadéro – which will give you one of the most iconic panoramas of both France and the world.
As you walk around the corner you’ll be treated to fantastic, unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower.
Wander down past the fountains and souvenir touts towards Gustave Eiffel’s wrought-iron 1889 tower and marvel at the original Iron Lady’s size and strength.
From the chilled Champs de Mars opposite Trocadéro you’ll be treated to more fabulous views of the tower.
At the foot of the gardens you’ll come to the relatively new Mur de la Paix and the Ecole Militarie.
Just north of the Military school is Napoleon’s impressive tomb and the fantastic Army Museum – again, mark it for a look another time.
From here you can cross back across the Seine, via Pont Alexandre III back to the Champs Elysees and you’re done for the day.
Head back to the Marais to rest your tired feet during a low key dinner with a few glasses of wine.
From Hotel de Ville all the way past the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, and the Champs-Élysée there are metro stops, so if you get tired duck down and take a ride up towards the L’Arc du Triomphe.
You can also easily get the metro a few stops from the Arc du Triomphe across to Trocadéro.
Today you’ll have covered about 12km, so hardly a walk in the park – but when you sit down for a rich, fatty, divine dinner in the evening, you’ll know you’ve earned it!
If you’re in town for more than a day, check out my three-day Paris city guide.
For practical information and current exhibitions visit the official websites of the Cathedrale Notre-Dame, Le Grand Palais, Le Petit Palais, L’Arc de Triomphe, Trocadéro, La Tour Eiffel, L”École Militaire, Napoleon’s Tomb and L’Hôtel national des Invalides and Pont Alexandre III.