Bad luck, bad day, what should I do? Ba-da-ba-da-ba-da-ba-da-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba Bad luck, bad day, what should I do? What's up guys, we're Ian and Anna and in this video we're so excited to share with you the top 10 things to do in Paris.
Let's waste no time and jump right into number 1. A dinner cruise down the Seine River. By far the best thing we did in Paris was go on this romantic dinner cruise down the Seine River. I mean you really can't beat it because this river runs right through the heart of Paris so you get to cruise next to some of the most iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral. and even the secret statue of liberty.
More on that later though. This cruise is around three hours long and includes a three-course meal, welcome drinks, and an entire bottle of red or white wine. On top of all that they even have a live singer and you get to go outside in the back of the boat to take in the views whenever you want. We've gone on dinner cruises around the world but there is no better value than this one because it's around $120 per person for an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.
If you want to go on this exact same cruise, you can scan this QR code on the screen right here, and I'll also have it linked in the description below this video. First things first, you'll meet at the boat which is docked right below the Eiffel Tower, and when you walk in, you will be amazed at the 360 degree views you get inside this glass walled boat. What's cool is because you eat inside, this allows you to go on this dinner cruise year round, even during those colder winter months. I absolutely love that we set sail during sunset so we could see everything in the daylight.
and then slowly watch the city light up at night. Just being able to get away from those crowds and see all these famous spots from the deck was just so magical we could not get over it. And because it was our first time visiting Paris, we were shocked to see a tiny statue of liberty with the gigantic Eiffel Tower in the background. For those of you that don't know your history, France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the US to commemorate a hundred years of independence.
And then four years later, the US actually gifted this miniature Statue of Liberty to France to commemorate their 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. To end it all off, the most magical part of the entire night was when the crews got back to the dock at the exact same moment the Eiffel Tower started sparkling. I mean, you can't ask for a more perfect way to end the night.
Now let's move on to number two, the Palace of Versailles. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when coming to Paris is not setting aside a day to visit the Palace of Versailles. This iconic palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is spread out over more than 2,000 acres, making it more than twice the size of Central Park in New York City.
Versailles is around 22 kilometers or 13.5 miles away from Paris, and there are two ways to get here. First, you could take the train which will be the cheapest option and take about an hour, including the 15 minute walk from the station. Or you could choose the second option like we did and take an Uber for 40 minutes right to the entrance of Versailles. As you arrive, you will be welcomed by the statue of King Louis XIV, who turned this simple hunting lodge into one of the most impressive palaces in the entire world. This is where we met our tour guide Gabriela, who had our tickets ready to go for our time slot at 10am sharp.
Just so you know, Versailles opens every day at 9am, but it's closed on Mondays, so keep that in mind when planning your trip. I also highly recommend going early in the morning, because as the day goes on, traffic gets bad and this place gets extremely crowded. Right away, Gabriella was telling us mind-blowing facts about Versailles, including that Louis XIV was the longest reigning king in French history, ruling for 72 years ever since he was 5 years old.
She also told us that the gates and roof are all plated in real gold, which is estimated to be worth more than $8 million alone. This palace was home to three French kings who reigned here for more than 100 years, and the saying goes, Louis XIV built it, Louis XV got to enjoy it, and Louis XVI had to pay for it with his life. Louis XVI was married to the notorious Marie Antoinette, and at this time in French history, people were starving all over France, while the royalty was living an extravagant life here in Versailles.
Match that with France being on the verge of bankruptcy because of its support in the American Revolution, the citizens were fed up and that's when the French Revolution began. This palace has more than 2,000 rooms and walking through only a handful, we couldn't believe how luxurious and unique each room was. It was surreal seeing the famous desk where the Treaty of Versailles was signed by Great Britain, France, and the United States, which ended World War I. We also got to walk through the King's Room where Benjamin Franklin visited to ask Louis XVI for assistance in the American Revolution.
It's crazy because without France's help, it is doubtful that Americans would have ever won the war for their independence. So thank you so much, France. And also thank you for gifting us the Statue of Liberty, too. By far the most impressive. The most impressive room we visited though was the Hall of Mirrors, which was built to show off France's wealth and its achievements in politics and art.
It's this huge room that's around 240 feet long and has a total of 357 mirrors lining up the walls all the way down. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we headed out into the gardens, which has almost 400 statues, 600 fountains, and the gigantic Grand Canal. This is where Gabriella dropped us off and gave us our skip the line tickets so we can explore this area at our own place which we absolutely love. You could easily spend more than two to three hours here roaming the gardens especially because it's 2,000 acres and you could rent bikes or even go on the grand canal in a rowboat. We don't usually like staying at museums for long but Versailles was the exception and it will go down as one of our favorite museums because it's the perfect blend of architecture and nature.
We ended up enjoying it so much that by the end I was saying how it should be the 8th World Wonder because wow was it impressive. If you want to go on this exact same tour with Gabriella and the most highly rated tour company in the area you can scan this QR code right here and as always there's gonna be a link down in the description below for you guys. Now let's move on to number three, the Eiffel Tower. You know when you dream of seeing something your whole life and it ends up being overrated?
Well, that wasn't the case for the Eiffel Tower because when I saw it for the first time, it truly took my breath away. There are so many ways to take it in, like on a dinner cruise, having a picnic in the park, seeing it from the balcony of your hotel, or even taking an elevator all the way up for a 360 degree view. First, let's talk about why this monument was even built.
In 1887, Gustave Eiffel was asked to make a monument that showcased France's industrial innovation for the 1889 Paris World Fair. In just two years, Gustave built this 1,000-foot masterpiece and used a staggering 7,000 tons of iron to do it. It was actually the tallest man-made building structure in the world for 40 straight years and became not only the symbol of France, but one of the most recognized monuments in western civilization, so I guess you could say Gustave exceeded all expectations.
Now let's talk about visiting the Eiffel Tower and taking the elevator up to some of the viewpoints. First of all, if you're staying in Paris for 3 days or less, I don't think it's necessary to climb up the Eiffel Tower. especially because you have such a limited amount of time with so much to do.
But if you are staying for four days or more, here is what I would recommend. First, you're going to want to scan this QR code on the screen to get a skip the line ticket. That way you can go right on in and don't have to wait in a ticket line when you arrive. And then my other biggest tip is arriving one hour before the sun sets so you'll be able to reach the viewpoint and see the city go from day to night.
It was hard to comprehend that we were scaling the inside of the Eiffel Tower. Such a once in a lifetime moment. You're definitely packed like sardines as it is crowded in these elevators, but once you get off and take in the views, you realize it was all worth it.
We got up right when the sun set and 10 minutes later the Eiffel Tower started to sparkle and everyone was freaking out with excitement. You could hear the cheers of thousands of people from every single direction and the happiness was so contagious. I remember getting goosebumps and feeling so emotional. The Eiffel Tower sparkles right after sunset at the top of every hour for five straight minutes. For example, we were in Paris in early May, so the sun set at 8 40 p.m.
and the sparkles started right at 9 p.m. and they last until 9 0 5. The next time they came on for five minutes was again at 10 p.m. and then the last one was at 11. This will all depend on which time of year you visit because sunsets will change.
After we enjoyed the views on the second floor, we took the next elevator all the way to the top of the tower. It was much smaller up here and I actually liked the views better from the second floor, but one awesome thing you get to see on the top floor is a replica of Gustav Eiffel's office. In the office you'll see two wax figures, one being Gustav and the other being Thomas Edison. Another great way to enjoy the Eiffel Tower, and this one is my personal favorite, is by going to Chalms de Mar, which is a wide open green space where you can have a picnic.
It was so fun riding on our motorbike to pick up local cheese, bread, and wine, and then being able to set up a picnic blanket with this unbeatable view of the Eiffel Tower. Sadly, we just went to Paris in early May again and everything is a lot different because of all the stadiums being built for the 2024 Olympics. To our surprise, this entire park was closed off because a stadium was built here, but after After the Olympics, everything should go back to normal pretty quickly, so hopefully most of you will be able to have a picnic here just like us, or, you know, it's always a reason to come back another time. And of course, another one of our favorite ways to see the Eiffel Tower was from our balcony at this luxury Airbnb. During our 10-day trip in Paris, we only stayed here for two nights, but our time here was something I will never forget.
Everything about this place was magical, and the fact we got to see the Eiffel Tower from our balcony every morning and night was unbelievable. If you want to book this place you'll have to reach out and message them on Instagram for rates and availability. I'll have their Instagram pop up right here if you do want to check it out and we hope you have the best time ever. Cutting in real quick because this video wouldn't have been possible without Get Your Guide. Get Your Guide is the number one place to book unforgettable travel experiences with more than 110,000 things to do in over 150 countries around the world.
During our time in Paris, we used the Get Your Guide app to book pretty much everything, including the dinner cruise, our tour of Versailles, and even skip the line tickets to the Eiffel Tower. Best part is you got everything on your phone like the meeting location and the QR code and you're also able to cancel your experience up to 24 hours right before it begins. Now if this video helped you plan your trip to Paris, the easiest way to support Anna and I is by booking all your tours and experiences through those links down in the description below. We get a little kickback from those sales but it's not more expensive for you so it's a win-win for all of us.
But now let's get back to the video. Woo! Now let's move on to number four, baking baguettes.
There is nothing more synonymous with French cuisine than the mouthwatering baguette. If you're thinking, hmm it's just bread, it can't be that good, shut your mouth right there and just trust me. The baguettes in Paris are made from heaven and you need to eat as many as you can during your trip. More than 10 billion baguettes are sold in France every single year and that means on average the French eat half a baguette per person every single day. France takes their baguettes so seriously that they even passed a law in 1993 stating that baguettes can only be made with the following ingredients.
Wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt. We had the absolute privilege to bake with one of the best bakers in all of Paris, Mahmoud MCD. Mahmoud was the youngest baker to ever win the best baguette in Paris award in 2018 and he also won the best apple tart in France too.
If you don't visit one of Mahmoud's bakeries while in Paris, you're making a huge mistake. I'll have his locations linked in the description below and make sure to say hello from Ian and Anna if you run into Mahmoud. I was so unaware of the time and expertise it took to make these baguettes until Mahmoud was so nice to show us the entire process.
It really gave me so much respect for baguettes. The amount of baguettes and pastries flying through this place was electric and this will go down as one of the coolest experiences we've ever had around the world. If you want to watch our full video with Mahmoud, you can click this link right here.
Unfortunately, you can't do your own tour with Mahmoud, but But if you want, you can scan this QR code right here for the highest rated baking tour in Paris where a top rated baker will bring you behind the scenes and show you the entire baguette process. Other than baguettes, you need to try as many pastries as possible like croissants, macarons, pain au chocolat, and like we talked about before, Mahmoud's delicious apple tart. Now let's move on to number 5, le Louvre. The Louvre is not only the biggest museum in the world, but it's also the most visited with more than 10 million visitors a year.
This museum is around 650,000 square feet or 15 acres and has more than 38,000 pieces of artwork. If that doesn't sound like a lot, then listen to this. If you spend 30 seconds at each piece of artwork, it would take you a total of five months to see everything.
The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, but on every other day you can visit right when it opens at 9am, which I recommend doing. We ended up just going by ourselves, but if you really want to understand and learn about each piece of art, then a tour guide is definitely the way to go. Right when you arrive at the Courtyard of the Louvre, you are met with a famous pyramid that acts as one of the three entrances into the museum. The main reason this pyramid was built is because visitor numbers were increasing at a rate that the museum could not handle, so they had to make another entrance to help improve the flow. But why a pyramid then?
Well, the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei considered other shapes, but the pyramid is the most pleasing to the eye and fit in perfectly right in the center. He also wanted the pyramid to be made entirely out of glass so it was completely transparent and caused little obstruction to the view. If you don't have a lot of time and want to see the most famous pieces of artwork, you should head right to the Denon Wing. Here you could see the Mona Lisa, Napoleon's Coronation and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
As you head up the staircase into the Denon Wing, you are first met with the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which represents the Greek goddess Nike landing on a ship. Nike, the shoe company, actually named itself after the goddess of victory, and the iconic swoosh logo was influenced by this statue right here. Next, right down the hall from here is the most famous painting in the world, the iconic Mona Lisa.
It gets extremely claustrophobic in this room, but we got lucky and only had to wait for 40 minutes to see it, but sometimes people have to wait up to two hours long. But why is this painting so famous in the first place? Well, in the early 1500s, a rich Italian merchant commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint a portrait of his wife. The painting was loved by writers and other artists, and Emperor Napoleon even loved it so much he hung it right in his bedroom.
But it really gained worldwide popularity when an Italian worker at the Louvre stole the painting in 1911, sparking a massive media frenzy. The Mona Lisa was in every newspaper around the world for two years, and that's why her face became so famous. It's crazy because there's so many suspects people thought did it, including American tycoon J.P. Morgan and even Pablo Picasso.
The last must-see painting in the Denon Wing is the coronation of Napoleon at Notre Dame Cathedral. In 1804, Napoleon invited the Pope all the way from Rome to bless him as the new emperor. But right as the Pope was about to crown Napoleon, he grabbed the crown and put it on his own head, completely humiliating the Pope.
Napoleon did this to show that the church had no power over him, and that he was in full control. The Louvre is simply extraordinary, and there is so much more to see, so make sure to give yourself enough time to take it all in. Next, we have number six, the district of Montmartre.
On a hill overlooking Paris lies the charming neighborhood of Montmartre. You can visit Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which is one of the most famous attractions in Paris. And you can also walk around winding cobblestone streets where some of the most famous artists in the world lived, including Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali.
To be completely honest, Montmartre lost a lot of its charm ever since it became a tourist hotspot. But if you go early in the morning, visit during off-season, or wander away from the crowds, then you're sure to feel the magic that bursted around this neighborhood not so long ago. A great place to start is Rue de la Brouvois, I hope I said that right, which was voted the prettiest street in Paris. This street has been featured in tons of famous movies, but most recently it was in the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris. It really was surreal seeing these old school cars cruising down this narrow road with the basilica towering in the background.
What blew me away the most was the pink and green restaurant at the top of this street. It had to be one of the most picturesque restaurants I had ever seen. It's called La Maison Rose and it's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but opens every other day around 12 in the afternoon. Afterwards, you can walk up 6 minutes to the basilica which has unbelievable views of Paris.
You can go inside for free, but if there's a long line, it's definitely not worth waiting. Just be careful of pickpocketers here because it happens a lot around the basilica, so if someone wants to talk to you, just ignore them because it may just be a trap. Now up we have number 7, Notre Dame Cathedral.
This almost 900-year-old cathedral is right in the heart of Paris on an island in the middle of the Seine River. The Notre Dame Cathedral is world-renowned for its gothic architecture, breathtaking stained glass windows, and its giant soaring spires. It's even said that Notre Dame houses the original crown of thorns that Jesus wore on his head during his crucifixion. Sadly, it was closed when we went because in 2019, a huge fire broke out and almost completely destroyed the entire cathedral.
By some sort of miracle though, they were able to stop the fire, but that was after one of the spires completely collapsed and fell inside. It's been under construction ever since, but is set to reopen in December of 2024, which is super exciting because I've heard the inside is breathtaking. Another great thing about this area is that there's a courtyard right in front, and usually there will be some sort of street performers here. We got super lucky and got to see this dance group that was doing some insane tricks.
I even ended up getting involved when they had six of us line up in a row and one of the performers did the craziest flip over us. It was such high energy here. If you go right across the bridge, you'll arrive in the Latin Quarter, which is one of the most popular districts to stay in when visiting Paris. And here you will get to see the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.
This bookstore has been in many movies, including Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson and the classic Julia and Julia. The original Shakespeare and Company Bookstore opened in 1919, and it was a safe haven for writers like Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce to talk about writing, the arts, and politics. But sadly, in 1941, the owner, Sylvia Beach, had to hide all the books and flee because the Nazis started to occupy Paris for four long years. More than 20 years later, in 1964, another American, George Whitman, opened up a bookstore down the street and named it Shakespeare and Company in honor of Sylvia and the original bookstore.
There's always going to be some sort of lines here, but it's definitely worth going in if you have the extra time. Now let's move on to number eight, the Arc de Triomphe. At the far end of Champs-Élysées, you will run into one of the craziest roundabouts in Europe, and right in the middle is yet another iconic monument, the Arc de Triomphe.
This 164-foot arch was built by Emperor Napoleon to celebrate all of France's military victories, and it is really impressive. Before visiting, I had no idea you could climb the inside and go all the way up to the roof where you have a panoramic view overlooking Paris. But when we got here, we were so confused on how to actually reach the arch.
We kept looking around and we even contemplated running across the street, which would have been really bad because there's like four lanes. Thankfully, we stumbled on some stairs that led to an underground tunnel that goes underneath the road and leads you to the entranceway of the arch. We got here for sunset and had to wait in line for around 40 minutes before we could start the climb up. To get to the top you will have to walk up 284 steps on a winding staircase and we were so glad we did it because the views were just as good as the Eiffel Tower, maybe even a little better because you actually have a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower and you get to see all 12 roads stretching out from the arch including the most famous one which we are about to talk about in number nine. Champs-Élysées.
This two kilometer or one mile long road has been voted the most beautiful avenue in the world. It's where soldiers and the president parade on Bastille Day. It's the finish line of the Tour de France and the spot to be during New Year's Eve celebrations. But nowadays it's also mostly known for shopping with everything from the most luxurious stores down to everyday fashion. But if you're not in the mood to shop then that's okay because there's one place that's still a must visit on this street called Lauderee.
They serve the French classic macarons. If you've ever watched Gossip Girl you definitely know what these are and I've been obsessed with them since the fifth grade because of Gossip Girl. Macarons are tiny sandwich cookies that come in many different flavors and Lauderee has been serving them since 1862. There are lotteries all over the entire world. The first one I ever went to was in New York City on Madison Avenue, but what makes this one so special in Champs-Élysées is that it's actually a cafe.
So you could go and have some coffee or even a lunch as well. It's a really special place and it's much bigger than the others, so definitely check it out. If you've never been inside one of these stores, it's an experience in and of itself because the inside is decorated so elegantly. My favorite flavors to get are the pistachio, lemon, and caramel. And this store was serving an extra special one at the time we were there called the Maria Antoinette.
It was tea flavored and it was surprisingly delicious. Just be ready to spend a lot of money because for only six macaroons it's around $20, but it's always worth it especially when you're in Paris. Now let's move on to number 10, the catacombs. In the late 18th century, right before the French Revolution, Paris was having a public health crisis because its cemeteries were completely full. It was immediately decided that the bones be moved into a maze of more than 200 miles of tunnel right beneath Paris.
There's more than 6 million remains down here, which is absolutely mind-blowing, especially because most people walking around Paris have no idea. Anna was not interested at all, but I kind of forced her to tag along and visit these catacombs with me. They're closed on Mondays, but on every other day you can visit from 9.45am all the way up to 8.30pm at night.
These endless tunnels of skulls and bones are located 20 meters or 65 feet below Paris, which is equivalent to a 5-story building. Right away, we couldn't believe how nicely all these bones were stacked up, but I can guarantee you this will be the creepiest place you visit in your entire life. What's crazy is that there's some people that know secret entranceways into the catacombs where they throw parties, do photo shoots, and some other weird stuff I don't really want to get into. Now I wouldn't say this is a must do in Paris, but for those of you that like weird experiences, this will be right up your alley.
Anna also brought up a very good point as we were walking through. She said, you know the saying, rest in peace? Well I don't think having thousands of people walk through and disturb you is really resting in peace. It'll only take around 30 minutes to an hour to walk through, and at the very end be ready for a security yard to check your bags because in the past, a a couple of people tried to smuggle bones out as souvenirs, which really blew my mind. Last but not least, I wanted to give you a bonus.
At number 11, we have Chez Du Monet. Now, if there's one meal you need to have in Paris, it's the beef bourguignon at Chez Du Monet. Beef bourguignon started out as a peasant dish dating back to the Middle Ages, but became famous after Julia Childs shared this recipe in her very first cookbook in 1961. Now it's seen as one of France's national dishes alongside snails and frog legs.
This is slow-cooked beef in red wine sauce with onions, mushrooms, and bacon. They served it on a bed of noodles here, and I will say this once, it is out of this world and such comfort food. You'll definitely need to make a reservation if you want to come for dinner, but Anne and I didn't do that, so we went for lunch one day and it was still amazing.
Unlike most French restaurants that have small serving sizes, the meals here are huge and it's actually recommended you share the beef bourguignon with another person. I'm telling you, this will make your Paris trip even better and I hope you love it as much as we did. Thanks for watching and have the most magical time in Paris.