An In-Depth Look at Day 2 in Paris

My favorite day on tour is always, without-a-doubt, Day 2. It doesn’t matter the destination, Day 2 has its own special je ne c’est quoi. You’ve been flying all night, sometimes binging on movies, sometimes chatting with your fellow travelers, or maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ve been snoozing. But, whatever your flying habits, at this point the trip somehow tends to feel intangible still…that is, until Day 2. You’re groggy, you’re excited, and you’re finally here after all the months of preparation and anticipation. You’ve gotten that magical passport stamp and off you go! There is always an otherworldly feeling associated with the first full day on tour. If it’s your first time to Europe, especially, there’s an unreal Disney-like quality to stepping onto cobblestone streets older than your entire country. You know its Europe, but you might need someone to pinch you, just to make sure!

This particular tour is going to knock your socks off on day 2! You can check out the full itinerary by clicking here. It says, “Take a walking tour of the Latin Quarter and visit Notre Dame Cathedral. Conclude the evening with a trip up the Eiffel tower and watch Paris come alive at night.” That’s awfully vague isn’t it? Here is a deeper look into what we will actually be doing on Day 2, and why you shouldn’t miss out!

From the airport, we hit the ground running. We will be taking a walking tour of the famous Latin Quarter, the heart of Paris, and home to the world-famous Sorbonne University, founded in 1257! A fun fact is that all University studies are free of charge in France, as well as much of the rest of Europe, so you will find students from all over the world studying here and a variety of languages spoken.

You can read about Paris, and you can hear other people talk about it. You can even soak in gorgeous photos and think you have a good grasp on what it will be like, but nothing beats walking along its winding streets and experiencing it firsthand.

The Latin Quarter is one of my favorites. Close to the epicenter of Paris, located along the left bank of the Seine, it’s a bustling hub with people going every which way. I love watching the hustle and bustle of the streets filled with students, artists and tourists going about their daily lives. Paris is alive, and nowhere is that more apparent than the Latin Quarter. It’s a great place to grab an inexpensive cup of coffee and people watch. Another fun thing I like to do in the Latin Quarter is to stop by the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore, a longtime fixture in the Paris community. Pick up a second-hand book for that book lover in your life, or snag one for yourself as a souvenir. I scored a copy of “Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare on my last visit, and it’s one of my favorite travel treasures to date.

After getting oriented to the city on foot we will have a little free time to grab a bite to eat. I suggest trying a savory crepe, or a ham and cheese baguette at one of the local bakeries. They are made fresh and rival any baked goods found at home.

After lunch we will cross the river to the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral and take a tour of its breathtaking interior. Visitors can pay a euro or two and light a candle from inside and watch as this fully operational cathedral brings in both tourists and local worshipers from in and around the city. I think sometimes it’s easy to see this as a historical landmark only, but once inside, you really see it for the holy and reverent place of worship that it is.  

As a kid I loved the movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the first time I visited the cathedral in real life it was amazing how familiar it felt, having been so immortalized in so many movies, books and even TV shows. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when you visit something so famous for the first time—it’s a mix of familiarity and coming home, and yet it’s new and exciting all at the same time. As an extra treat, Notre Dame has some of the most beautiful stained glass windows I’ve ever seen. It’s a postcard perfect photo op that your friends will have a hard time believing you snapped on your IPhone.

After the Cathedral we will take a short walk to the Love Lock Bridge, where people from all over the world leave a piece of their love. On our first trip to Paris, Jordan, Roman, and I painted our names and the date on a lock with the intention of leaving our mark there forever. The only problem was, I accidently left the key back home in Tennessee and we had no way to lock it on. Amateurs! Lucky for us, there was many-a local just waiting to capitalize on our mistake, and one that I can assume many others make, as there were plenty of vendors to choose from to buy a replacement lock. Crisis averted, we purchased a second lock and took a picture as we tossed the keys into the Seine. No one needed to know they weren’t the actual keys. Haha!

From here we will head to our hotel and get settled in our rooms. After a quick refresh, we will head out to dinner and then off to the Eiffel Tower!!

There are few things in this world as pleasantly surprising as the Eiffel Tower at night. Many travelers are unaware that it sparkles every hour on the hour past dusk. Its illumination is always met with shouts of surprise and awe by street goers. It’s easy to lose yourself in the magic of it all. Once on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, we will take in the city skyline at night. There is no view in all of Paris as gorgeous as the one atop the Eiffel Tower. If you are brave, and even if you aren’t, you will thank yourself for taking a trip to the very top. From the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, the world below becomes a blur. It’s such a calm, serene and intimate moment with anyone you choose to share it with.

One thing Jordan and I like to reminisce on is our first night on the Eiffel Tower. His parents took Roman for the night so we could have a date, and we climbed every stair ourselves and shared a victory bottle of champagne at the top. It was so romantic! I highly recommend both the climbing and the champagning for anyone looking to get the full Parisian experience ;)

From here we will head back to our hotel and get a good night’s rest after the dream that was Day 2. Make sure you get your zzz’s in before hitting the streets again for another full day of exploring on Day 3! For novice travelers it might be hard to believe that this night could ever be topped. But this is only Day 2! Buckle up as there is plenty more to come.

The Top 6 Things to See in Paris (Because let's be honest, picking only 5 is too hard)

With millions of traveler’s visiting Paris every year it’s understandable why many of its landmarks are some of the top tourist attractions in the world (with good reason). First time visitors can often be overwhelmed trying to prioritize which attractions to visit and how long to spend at each one. We hope this list helps you identify those that might capture a little piece of your heart, and make you leave saying, “Paris Je T’aime!”

#6 – The Palace of Versailles

This one hits number six on our list because of its sheer beauty and historical significance. No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to this glorious work of architectural majesty, commissioned by King Louis XIV himself as a home-away-from-home, and located just outside the city center. The luxury and opulence is on display from first arrival as even the entry gate is overlaid with pure gold—It’s no wonder the French people took issue with such excess with times as hard as they were. See both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s private chambers and take a stroll through the glorious Hall of Mirrors. The palace is home to an impressive art collection including “The Coronation of Napoleon in Notre Dame” and was the site of the signing of the famous Treaty of Versailles, the document officially ending WWI. Complete your tour with a stroll through the Palace Gardens. There you will find a seemingly endless labyrinth of fountains, flowers and sculptures as far as the eye can see. It’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon and enjoy a nice ice cream cone or some freshly-made macarons, both readily available on the grounds. Make sure you set aside a few hours to really take in this glorious work of art.

#5 Notre Dame de Paris

If you’re in Paris you cannot miss the glorious Notre Dame! Known affectionately as “Our Lady of Paris,” this titan of French gothic-style architecture will leave you speechless. Explore the cathedral and see why it inspired Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” From the stained-glass windows, to the naturalist sculptures, and significant religious relics, it’s no wonder why this Cathedral comes in at the top of the list as the most visited church in the world. For a few euros, travelers can even climb to the top of the tower and take in a breathtaking panorama of the city skyline. For the romantic-at-heart, lovers can leave their mark on the famous love-lock bridge nearby by placing a padlock on its rails. It is said that throwing the key into the Seine represents an unbreakable love. While the government has been cracking down on this practice lately, you can still see rebellious lovers carrying on the tradition and further solidifying Paris as the city of love.  

#4 Louvre Museum

At number four we have the Louvre Museum in the heart of the 1st arrondissement. Because of the high number of visitors it attracts, it has been named most visited museum in the world.  With over 300,000 pieces of art in its collection, 38,000 of which are on public display, it’s easy to see why the Louvre attracts so many art lovers each year. Among the most famous works visitors can admire are da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. You’ll definitely want to set aside a few hours to explore this vast museum. The collection includes antiquities from the ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan civilizations, a vast array of prints, drawings and sculptures, decorative arts and so much more. There is something for everyone. Visitors can do a little shopping or grab a quick bite to eat at any of the shops and cafes located just below the museum. The building itself is housed in the former Royal Palace and the various wings are set up along the former Royal Apartments throughout. Make sure you take time to explore the vast Tuileries Garden just outside the Museum as well. The garden stretches all the way from the iconic glass pyramid to the Place de la Concorde. The Egyptian obelisk in the square stands in place of the guillotine that took both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s head. Visitors today will notice breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower and the carousel as they take a relaxing stroll through the garden.

#3 Montmartre

One of the most quintessentially Parisian experiences is taking a stroll through Montmartre, a section of the city located atop a hill in Paris’s 18th arrondissement. Montmartre and has a rich artistic history mostly due to the famous artists that once inhabited its streets. Home to artists such Monet, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso and van Gogh, Montmartre is oozing with artistic inspiration and creativity. Take time to visit the Sacre-Couer Basilica or “Sacred Heart” located on the highest point in the city, and serving as a stark contrast to the rebellious neighborhood it sits amongst. Visitors can also visit the famous Moulin Rouge, the birthplace of the Can-Can dance, and inspiration for Baz Luhrman’s film “Moulin Rouge.” Montmartre is the Paris most visitors come to see, an endless array of street performers, artist and musicians. Soak it all in as you sit at a streetside café watching the city come alive.

#2 Eiffel Tower

Our number two comes at no surprise. No trip to Paris would be complete without a stop to the most iconic structure in the world, the Eiffel Tower. Visitors can view it from many spots in Paris, from the street, a café window, a rooftop terrace, from the Seine, along the Champs Elysees, but nothing rivals a trip to the top! Travelers have two options to ascend this mighty structure: by lift, or by tackling it’s 669 stairs on foot! This trek is not for the feeble, but will be worth every single sore muscle! Those that brave the climb will be rewarded with one of the most breathtaking views of the city, and one that can’t be seen from anywhere else in Paris. Nighttime visitors will get to witness as the tower comes alive, sparkling every hour on the hour. Enjoy a glass of champagne from the first floor or book a reservation in advance at the world famous restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel. Few experiences will rival the Eiffel Tower, so make sure you add it to the top of your list if you plan to visit Paris.

#1 Catacombs

Our number one location in Paris may come as a surprise. While it is on the macabre side, the underground Catacombs de Paris are a MUST SEE! Located deep below the city streets, this underground ossuary houses the remains of over six million people.  Serving as resolution to Paris’s overflowing cemeteries during mid-to-late 1700s and its literal lack of after-life real estate, the Catacombs were created in the former mines that tunnel for miles underneath the city. The walls are constructed with actual human remains with femurs and skulls lining the walls from floor to ceiling. While this may seem like something out of a horror film, visitors will find the catacombs oddly serene. Public events are sometimes held in these subterranean caverns, offsetting the ominous feeling one might typically associate with a venue of this nature. Visitors should plan on spending roughly an hour on this tour, and should get in line early, as this not-so-secret treasure has become a bit of a hot spot lately.

With so many amazing possibilities, it’s no wonder Paris is one of the top tourist spots in the world. One thing’s for sure, you can’t go wrong with Paris. Whether you are on a long layover, or have set aside a week or more, you will be sure to have a plethora of once-in-a-lifetime experiences to choose from. For more inspiration head to our Paris + Amsterdam itinerary at www.landandseetours.com/paris.

Happy travels!