The Dreamy Solo Paris Trip Itinerary You Need (2024)
Paris is one of those cities you’re convinced will be overrated, but isn’t. Everything you hear about how beautiful and romantic it is? How, “Paris is always a good idea”? Well, it is. I’ve now been lucky enough to visit Paris three times (including a solo Paris trip) and I love it more every time I visit.
No city is perfect. No city is ONLY good things. But Paris is pretty great, in case you’re wondering whether As solo female travellers, the question of safety is always a good one. After visiting several times I can confirm that yes, Paris is safe for solo female travellers. Take the same precautions you would in any big city and you should be just fine. In fact, Paris is one of the places I have felt safest as a solo female traveller. Because I had visited Paris before, I didn’t feel a need to stay in the city center. Instead, I was eager to make the romantic cobbled streets of Montmartre my home. One of my favorite things about staying here was it allowed me to find the BEST bakery in all of Paris. Details to come in the ‘where to eat’ section below, yum! If you’re wondering where to stay in Paris when you’re visiting for the first time, I’d still recommend Montmartre. Public transportation was quick and easy from here, and if you’d rather walk then you could be near the main tourist hot spots within 30-40 minutes. However, if you’d rather stay right in the action of Paris’ must-sees you might especially consider the first or seventh arrondissements. On a more recent visit to Paris I stayed in the sixth and enjoyed that area very much as well. I prefer to stay at apartments and recommend booking through VRBO. Here are some great options: If you’d rather stay at a hotel, try one of these highly-rated boutique options. Paris is a great Paris River Cruise Seine
A river cruise is one of my favorite ways to take in the architecture of any city. We even have an architecture river cruise in my home city of Chicago that I love and have enjoyed several times! While it’s great any time of day, this is an especially fun activity if you’re looking for things to do in Paris at night. We went on this Paris night tour after my birthday dinner and it was a lovely way to close out the day, watching Paris light up all around us. Your ticket includes a drink so grab some champagne, bring some macarons along with you and enjoy a magical night! Want to have some fun? Treat yourself to a Paris photo shoot! It might sound a bit cheesy and maybe even uncomfortable, but in reality this is such a fun experience if you find the right photographer. Don’t worry, I found her for you. Quynh is sweet, professional and knows how to make her subjects feel comfortable as she snaps away around Paris. This is such a fun way to capture memories of your trip. As a solo traveler I am often asked how I manage to get photos of myself and this approach is my new favorite (though I have this other trick up my sleeve, too). If you’re looking for a memorable experience in Paris, book this photo shoot with Quynh. While visiting museums is not often at the top of my list when I’m visiting a new city, it’s definitely a worthwhile activity when in Paris. I used this 48-hour Paris museum pass to visit a couple famous museums in Paris, including the Conciergerie along the Seine. This is a site I’ve always admired from afar, and I was excited to visit. Note that some of the museums this pass gives you access to still require a reservation where you sign up for a specific entrance time. In my case, I was able to sign up for a time slot only 20 minutes out from when I picked up my pass from the Paris Tourism office. Very convenient. Visiting the Conciergerie was a wonderful way to get out of the intense summer heat for a couple hours, and I was impressed by the virtual experience housed within such a historic building (their iPads simulate AR versions of what might have been in the past). It was also interesting to see the place where Marie Antoinette was once held prisoner. I also used my 2-day Paris museum pass to visit the Musée d’Orsay. If you’re looking for free museums Paris offers, know that you can visit this one for free on the first Sunday of every month. Do your research on where to see the best views of the Eiffel Tower, this is a great place for vistas. See here for the full Paris museums list and pass options! I have a whole other post about the French skincare product recommendations I received from a Parisian pharmacist. I’ll let you read all about it. If nothing else, it’s worth a walkthrough of City Pharma to pick up some Nuxe oil as a souvenir for yourself or friends back home. For a bit of quiet in the midst of a bustling city, walk through Tuileries Garden. You could begin with a coffee at a cafe near the Louvre (my recommendation is below in the ‘where to eat’ section!) and then stroll through this garden from one end to the other. Along the way, you’ll take in a view of the Eiffel Tower. If you keep walking through the park out to the other side you’ll find yourself walking alongAvenue des Champs – Élysées, and possibly right up to the Arc de Triomphe which offers one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. The steps of Sacre Couer are often crowded with friends, couples and solo travelers alike who want to be outside for the views and social scene. Bring some wine along and hunker down to watch the sun set over the city as you take in the sounds of French joy around you. When you’re in Paris you’re very close to the birthplace of champagne, so why not visit the region and indulge in some champagne tastings? Check out this guide to the best champagne tours from Paris. It’s a great way to meet new friends on your solo Paris trip, too. Okay, here is where I am a bad travel blogger. I don’t remember the name of where my cousins took me to get ramen. If you really want to know, let me know and I will find out from them! It was important to us to find a place that had pork-free options, so if you need that as well I will find out for you. The fun part is, this was my first ramen experience. Ever. I tried ramen for the first time in Paris. And it was delicious. The best part of having local tour guides is that you get off the beaten path. So, here is another place my cousins led me to that I would not have sought out on my own in France. We visited Shiso Burger Paris after attending trivia night at a nearby expat bar. It. Was. Delicious. Go here. In fact, I’m making a mental note to remind myself to go here the next time I’m in Paris as well. Alright here me out — you’re not necessarily going here for the food. I can’t say, because I didn’t have a meal here but the pain au chocolate I had here left a lot to be desired. You go here for the ambience and the view. This cafe looks directly out onto the courtyard of the Louvre museum, so it’s an iconic way to spend some time. On my birthday, I went here for my morning coffee and then ended the night here with a late hot chocolate after our river cruise. If you want a pinch-me-moment, this is one place to have it. You might have heard that Angelina’s is the place to go for great hot chocolate in Paris, but I recommend La Carette instead. The Place des Vosges location in La Marais looks out onto a lovely square and serves up the creamiest, most balanced hot chocolate I’ve tasted. And here is another. I found this restaurant by mistake. Determined to give myself the most cliche Parisian day possible, I simply HAD to have a view of the Eiffel Tower for lunch. What other option is there after a view of the Louvre for breakfast? Exactly. I reserved a table at a restaurant that promised me Eiffel Tower views. But when I arrived, they sat me at a table with ZERO view. Completely obstructed. And they had nothing else. I could have stayed there, but I decided this would not cut it. It was my birthday, after all! So I left the restaurant and looked around for another option. Just upstairs was a restaurant with no name. In fact, it wasn’t until I was leaving that I would discover its name. I walked up and asked for a table at the end with a view. I got it. I was giddy. I had the perfect seat, an unobstructed view, delicious food and refreshing cocktail. Turns out, this restaurant is part of a modern art museum. They do recommend reservations but I was alright without one. Highly recommend. My cousins recommended this Italian-style pizza place for my birthday dinner and it did not disappoint. The pizzas were delicious, the tiramisu was outstanding and I was only a little bit startled when the waiters loudly sang happy birthday to me. As an Italophile, this was perfect for me. The owners of these shops (they are cropping up all over Paris) learned their pizza-making skills in Italy so you know it’s great food. This is a lovely little cafe, not too far off from City Pharma. The pastries and coffee I had were nothing to write home about but this is another one where it’s more about the environment. It’s said to have been visited by the likes of Hemingway, Picasso, Julia Child. The list goes on. Worth a visit to sit and soak in some history. A dose of luxury…in a train station? Yes, this restaurant is located in a train station but don’t be fooled. A visit here is a classy affair. If you have several hours to kill, please do me a favor and indulge in one of their prix fixe menus. Sadly I did not have the time to partake but this did allow me to visit the beautiful dessert cafe in the back instead. If you’re looking for something more affordable and quicker, that’s just as good a spot to spend some time. The apple tart and coffee I got here were divine. This is a can’t-miss experience so try to squeeze in a visit. A quaint cafe very near to my airbnb recommendation from up above. Delicious coffee and eggs, a quiet place to get some work done for a bit. This is a broader, neighborhood recommendation rather than a specific restaurant. you’ll find a broad variety of both traditional and unique French cuisine options in Paris’ trendy district. The best way to experience it all, especially as a solo traveler, is to join a food tour in Le Marais that doubles as a walking tour. This way, you’ll get to learn about the district while also making new friends and enjoying delicious food tastings. I’ve truly saved the best for last here. This boulangerie is one of those places I feel I need to tell the world about, but at the same time want to keep as a secret for myself. I have no idea why the pastries here are SO MUCH BETTER than anywhere else I have experienced in Paris. All I know is, I am squeezing in a trip to Paris soon while I’m in the UK in very large part because I simply must get my hands on their croissants again. Nothing I’ve had since is lived up to it. Go here. To take it a step further, take a pastry class in Paris to learn how to make your own croissants and pain au chocolat at home! If you’re planning your own solo Paris trip I hope this solo Paris trip itinerary gave you some great ideas of things to do in Paris alone! And don’t forget to keep in mind the worst Paris travel mistakes to avoid to help make your trip a complete success. Even if you only have limited time in Paris, whether you’re solo or not, do your best to visit and enjoy the city of lights!Your Dreamy Solo Paris Trip Itinerary
Is Paris Safe for Solo Female Travellers?
Where to Stay When in Paris
Fun Things to do in Paris, France Alone
Photo Shoot in Paris
Explore the Paris Museum Scene With a Paris Museum Pass
Shop French Skincare Brands at City Pharma Paris
Stroll Through Tuileries Garden
Watch Sunset from Sacre Couer
Take a Champagne day trip from Paris
Where to Eat in Paris Solo
Ramen
Bulgogi Burgers on Bao Buns at Shiso Burger Paris
Cafe Marly
La Carette
Forest Restaurant
Pizza Mama
Cafe Les Deux Magots
Le Train Bleu
Petit Pays
Le Marais
L’Orvier de Montmartre
Conclusion: Your Dreamy Solo Paris Trip Itinerary
