Ever since I took French language classes in high school, I’ve always dreamed about going to Paris, especially to see the Eiffel Tower. So when we finally arrived in Paris, I knew we would have a good time.

And can I say, it is actually exciting to understand some of the language and be able to say bonjour and merci (although I have mistakenly said “Gracias” a few times – still stuck in Barcelona I think hahaha)

And at the end of day 1, we had the best day with the best itinerary. I’ll show you below!

Musee D’Orsay

We were lucky enough to be in Paris on the first Sunday of the month, which means free entry for many museums and attractions (across Europe). But note, there may not be free entry during peak season July – August.

This meant we had free entry to Musee D’Orsay and it was a great way to start the Paris experience. We ended up waiting around 30mins to pass through security and then we were on our way.

The museum is placed in an old train station which I thought was very cool. The art collection also consisted of Van Gogh, Monet and Degas. I definitely enjoyed seeing these artworks in real life and seeing the beauty of the pastel colours, brushstrokes and simplicity.

I highly recommend this museum if you want an in between from older art (e.g. the lourve) and modern art.

French Lunch

A quick google search later and we were at Lea Antiquaires – our first French lunch and it did not disappoint.

Do not be afraid to grab a waiter for their attention otherwise you might be standing around for a while like we did!

We had the lamb chops and duck breast.

Eiffel Tower

Next on our list was to see the Eiffel Tower… and it was beautiful! I couldn’t believe my eyes that we were here under a magnificent structure. Definitely felt like my dreams were coming true ever since I wanted to come to Paris back in high school.

You can take a photo from the Champ Mars park (where it’s just a patch of grass) or I would recommend the ledge in the opposite direction (where the fountains are).

Dinner at 5 Guys

We ended up walking over 30k steps today (20km) all over Paris! So after our visit to the Eiffel Tower and a walk along Champs Élysées, we decided to have a quick dinner at 5 Guys (an American chain burger restaurant).

It was so dense but a good amount of energy for the climb up the Arc de Triomphe.

Arc de Triomphe for sunset

We knew we wanted the Eiffel Tower in our photos, so it didn’t make sense to climb it (although many blogs will tell you “it’s a must”). I would instead recommend climbing the Arc de Triomphe for the most perfect sunset views over Paris, the champs élysées and the Eiffel Tower.

We went up around 8:40pm and passed straight through security because we pre-purchased our tickets on the official website. The ticket was 12€ or 9€ for a student and it is good for 1 visit up to a year after the date of purchase. I’m so glad I bought most things online for this trip because it meant we were basically able to skip the line and make it to the top in time. And after all the steps climbing up the duomo and bell tower in Italy, this was a piece of cake!

As soon as we got up there, I was awestruck, it was amazing. We caught golden hour and sunset with the last rays of light cutting through behind buildings and dousing the streets in a warm orange glow. As it slowly transitioned into blue hour, we saw the sky turn soft colours of purple and pink with the Eiffel Tower standing proud right in the middle of the canvas. The buzz in the air was palpable as the sky darkened and the wait for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle began.

Then out of nowhere (around 9:57pm), the tower lit up and shone brightly against the night sky. Twinkling as much as it could for the 5 mins. It was surreal.

And that brings us to an end of the perfect day / date idea in Paris.