What to see in Paris in 12 days

Paris, one of the most famous and tourist cities in the world, which you can not miss. In this guide of what to see in Paris in 12 days we will be making routes through neighborhoods to be able to make the most of the time. The best way to get around Paris is by subway for long distances and walking to enjoy all its charm.

Day 1: GERONA - PARIS

Thursday, December 20, 2007

We arrived at the Paris Beauvais airport at 10:00 pm with a Ryanair flight, we took the Ryanair bus that left us near the hotel and went to sleep. Tomorrow we start with all the places what to see in Paris.

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Book your hotel here: Etoile Pereire

Day 2: PARIS (Arc de Triomphe, Avenue of the Champs Elysees, Concordia Square, Tuileries Gardens, Pompidou Center ...)

Friday, December 21, 2007

We leave the hotel early and walk down to the Plaza de l'Etoile where the Arc del Triumfo is located, after taking some photos outside, we cross below the square to reach the center of the roundabout where the monument is located.

It is the largest roundabout in the world, in it 12 avenues converge. It began to be built in 1806, by order of Napoleon to commemorate his victories and finished being built in 1836. There is a tomb of an unknown soldier since 1920, with a memorial flame that is lit every day. There we bought the Paris Pass, highly recommended since you save a lot of money if you are going to visit the main attractions of the city. Then we go up to the roof of the Arc de Triumfo, where there are good views of the Champs Elysees and all of Paris. It is where we first saw the Eiffel Tower.
A good option to learn more about the history of the city is to book this free tour of Paris with a guide in Spanish. Free!

Once the visit is over we go down and there begins the Avenue of the Champs Elysees where there are the best shops, jewelry stores and antique dealers. At Christmas it is all very well decorated, after touring it all and stopping in the shop windows, we arrive at the Place de la Concorde, it is characterized by an obelisk in the middle, it is pink granite more than 3,000 years old it was a Gift of the viceroy of Egypt. Around the square there are 8 female statues representing the eight largest and most important cities in France, there is also a large ferris wheel.
Nearby there is the Louvre Museum, one of the places what to see in Paris, we toured this area and went to Tuileries Gardens for a walk, in the afternoon we went to the Pompidou Center, it is a good area to listen to street musicians and jugglers, it is a huge museum of contemporary art, and inside There are many exhibitions of all kinds, but what caught our attention is the outer structure filled with tubes.
When we left we went around the neighborhood and we went to the hotel.
If you do not have much time a good option to have a good first contact with the city and know its history is to book this guided tour in Spanish that includes a cruise on the seine and the climb to the Eiffel Tower.

Book your hotel here: Pavillon Pereire

Day 3: PARIS - VERSALLES - PARIS

Saturday, December 22, 2007

It was Sunday and we took the opportunity to visit Versailles with its famous palace and gardens, to get there you have to take the train, the RER known in France, the journey takes half an hour. Another option is to book an excursion to the Palace of Versailles with a guide in Spanish and by bus.
The palace was built by the monarch Luis XIII in 1623. We visited the interior of the castle that is huge, it is worth mentioning the Gallery of Mirrors, the most impressive room of the Palace of Versailles, and that served as an example room for the signature of the Treaty of Versailles.
Inside the palace, the Peace and War Rooms and the rooms of the king and queen also stand out, in addition to the Queen's Chamber, which is preserved as left by Marie Antoinette after leaving Versailles in 1789. Also The Chapel is important, where Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI attended daily Mass, and the Opera is a surprise, a place where monarchs enjoyed concerts for their entertainment.
What most attracts attention are the gardens that are immense where there are a lot of ponds, fountains and forests. The views of the outside of the palace towards the gardens are the most beautiful.

After lunch in Versailles in the afternoon we went to Paris and as the train stopped near the Eiffel Tower we took a walk through this area, although we left it for the many things what to see in Paris We still had pending.
You can expand the information on this excursion by reading this post on how to go from Paris to Versailles.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Paris

- How to get to Disneyland Paris
- Practical guide to travel to Paris in 4 days
- The 5 best tours and excursions in Paris
- 100 things to do in Paris
- The best free tours in Paris for free

Day 4: PARIS (Louvre Museum, Place Vendöme, Palais Royal, St. Eustache Church, Vero Dodat Gallery, Vivienne Gallery ...)

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Today I played the Louvre Museum, for this we took the subway, the museum is in the palace of the same name, and stands out on the outside by a glass pyramid that is where we entered.

They give you a map with the most important works of art or sculptures in each room, the museum is immense and one of the most important in the world, what we could see among other things; sculptures such as Venus de Milo from ancient Greece, Psyche revived by the kiss of love, by Antonio Canova, The Seated Scribe, from Ancient Egypt, but if by some work it is known it is because there is Leonardo da Vinci's Gioconda, yes on the Venus de Milo, you have trouble seeing it with the crowd of people around and it is almost impossible to take a picture without someone coming out who then have to ask for the name to put it on the album, in the Gioconda you have trouble getting in in the room where it is, and to get to see it up close you have to use the brute force. You realize when you arrive in front of her how small she is and is protected by glass, you can take pictures.

A good option to visit the museum and not miss anything is to book a guided tour in Spanish. If you don't want to take a guided tour you can buy your tickets here in advance and skip the lines.
After eating in the same museum we went to the Vendöme Square, in the center of this octagonal square is the Vendôme Column. A 43.5 m high stone monument, spirally wrapped by 160 m of bronze from Austrian and Russian cannons captured by Napoleon.
The statue at the top represents Napoleon as a Roman emperor. In one of the buildings in the square, Napoleon's marriage to Josefina took place. I think it is the square with the most expensive shops in Paris, especially jewelry. Leaving the square there is Calle St-Honoré, which also stands out for its haute couture and fashion stores in general.
We also saw the Palais Royal, one of the things what to see in Paris, which was commissioned by Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century, although part of the neoclassical complex is from the 18th century. For a few years after 1164, it was the residence of King Louis XIV. And the church of St, Eustache in Gothic style was built between 1532 and 1640. Later, neoclassical details were added. Apart from being one of the most beautiful in Paris, it is famous for its organ concerts, where a choir also sings.

To end the day and at sunset we went to the Vero Dodat and Vivienne galleries, the first dating from 1823, and currently retains the windows, murals, ceilings, columns, lamps ..., and the second was and remains the Paris's most elegant gallery. This is where designer Jean Paul Gaultier put his first store.
The windows in Christmas are spectacular.

Day 5: PARIS (Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, La Conciergerie, Pont Neuf, Latin Quarter, Chapelle de la Sorbonee, Pantheon, Church of St Étienne Du Mont, ...)

Monday, December 24, 2007

We took the subway and headed to the island of la Cité we crossed the oldest bridge Pont Neuf, dating from 160, there is the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the island is in the middle of the river Seine in the center of the City, the Cathedral is free and is one of the oldest French Gothic cathedrals. What is worth more is to climb to the roof although there is a long line you can see in addition to great views of its famous gargoyles. A good option to learn more about its history and climb the towers is to book this guided tour in Spanish.

On the same island we also find the Sainte Chapelle, Louis IX commissioned its construction of this Gothic-style monument to keep its collection of relics. It is inside the Palais de Justice. The stained glass collection is admirable, and the way in which they illuminate the chapel with the sun. A good option to know the history of this church and not miss any detail is to book this visit with an expert guide in Spanish that also includes the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Next to this chapel we also find La Conciergerie, which is a palace that was the residence and seat of power of the kings of France from the 10th to the 14th centuries, later converted into a state prison.
We cross the other part of the island to reach the Latin Quarter, one of the most charming neighborhoods of Paris full of restaurants of all countries, in this neighborhood we find La Sorbonne which is the most prestigious university in Paris and its church la chapelle de la Sorbonne is where the mortal remains of Cardinal Richelieu lie, there is also the church of St Etienne du Mont. This church is the only one in Paris that preserves a screen of presbytery (in all other churches he retired because he did not let the faithful see the priest while officiating Mass). One detail is the wooden pulpit carved on a statue of Samson, as if lifting it. In a corner there is a locket that contains the finger of the patron saint of Paris, Ste Geneviève. The last thing we visited in the neighborhood was the Pantheon. It was built with the intention of being a church, but when it was finished, in 1789 it was destined to be the mausoleum of the great men of the era of freedom in France. Some of those who rest there are Victor Hugo, Luis Braille, Voltaire, Pierre and Marie Curie (the first woman buried in the Panthéon), among many others.
After dinner at one of the many Mexican restaurants in this neighborhood we went to the hotel to rest.

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Paris by travelers:

- Tour of Paris, boat trip and Eiffel Tower
- Paris tour bus, OpenTour
- Excursion to the Palace of Versailles
- Night tour, cruise and Eiffel Tower
- Walk through Montmartre and Sacre Coeur

- Many more excursions and tours in / from Paris here

Day 6: PARIS (Eiffel Tower, Parc Du Champ du Mart, Invalides Hospital, Rodin Museum, Bateau Mouche…)

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

We went to the Eiffel Tower, one of the things what to see in Paris that you can not miss, very soon to avoid the queues we saw the other day in the afternoon, we arrived at the Plaza del Trocadero, where there are the best views of the tower and a good place to take the photos.

We went down to the Eiffel Tower and saw that in the morning there was not much queue to go up, we went up to the end, you can get off at different floors, but I would recommend going up to the highest point and contemplating all of Paris from there.
A good option to save your queues is by booking tickets here.
After a good while we went to the Du Champ Du Mart Park, at the foot of the Tower, where there is an area with grass and in the end a Military School,
In the afternoon we went to see the Hospital of the Invalids, one of the most beautiful and colossal monuments in Paris, with a dome decorated with gold leaf. Inside it you can visit the sarcophagus in which Napoleon is buried and a very complete museum of the army of all ages. Nearby there is the Rodin Museum, although we enter its gardens there are copies of Rodin's thinkers.
In the evening we took a romantic walk with the Bateaou Mouche, a boat that travels the Seine at night until past the Island of the Cité, but at that time of year out of the boat can cost you a cold. You see all the monuments that are on the bank of the Seine illuminated.
A good option to see Paris at night from the typical Bateaux Parisiens ships is to book this night cruise that includes a city tour and jump without queues to the Eiffel Tower.
For a special occasion, if you go especially with your partner, a boat trip on the Seine with gourmet dinner will surely not disappoint you.
They are two of the best tours and excursions in Paris.

Day 7: PARIS (Madeleine Church, Expiatory Chapelle, D'Orsay Museum ...)

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

This day we did not have many visits so we took the opportunity to wander, a church we saw was the Madeleine. It is a neoclassical church located in the center of the Plaza de la Madeleine, a few meters from the Place de la Concorde. It has the appearance of a Greek temple. Then we went to see the Expiatory Chapelle where the tombs of Louis XVI and Maria Antonieta are located, after their decapitation in 1793.
In the afternoon and thanks to the Paris Pass we went to see the Museo d'Orsay, another place what to see in Paris, which is located on the bank of the Seine where you can see works by Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, among others, is in the old Orsay railway station where a large clock is preserved and there are magnificent views of the Seine.
At night we made the night visits of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees, to contemplate its illumination and take the photos at night. It should be noted that in the first 10 minutes of each hour after sunset, the Eiffel tower is filled with luminous sparks. It's a nice picture from Trocadero.

Day 8: PARIS (Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Montmatre neighborhood, Pigalle neighborhood ...)

Thursday, December 27, 2007

That day we went to visit the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur which is located on the top of Montmartre Hill and is completely white. To go we took the subway and to climb the hill you can climb some endless stairs or with the funicular, we opted for the comfortable route, from there there are also great views of Paris.

After the visit we went to visit the places to see in the Montmartre neighborhood "Mount of the Martyrs", where according to beliefs it was the place of the martyrdom of Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris, and his followers. It is the neighborhood that we liked most in Paris, where in each corner you can find painters who make you self-portraits at a good price, it is the area where great painters like Picasso lived, you can see where he lived, highlights the Place du Tertre, the painters square, where there are the best painters exhibiting their paintings and painting, if you want a great memory of Paris buying one of these paintings is a good option, we negotiate with a painter 5 paintings from different emblematic places of Paris very small but very Nice, for a good price.
A good option to explore this neighborhood knowing its history and curiosities is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish.

After walking through the neighborhood, at dusk we went to the Pigalle neighborhood, there are plenty of erotic shops and places where they offer erotic and similar shows, full of lights, we can also find the famous Moulin Rouge, with its red mill in the entrance. To attend one of its famous shows you can book this tour that includes cruise and a spectacular dinner at the Eiffel Tower with the best views of Paris.

Day 9: PARIS (Opera Garnier, Boulevard Haussman, Galeries Lafayette, Saint Germain District, Saint Suplice Church, Luxembourg Gardens, Montparnasse…)

Friday, December 28, 2007

Today we start the day with the guided tour in Spanish to the Opera Garnier, one of the places what to see in ParisNear there on the Haussman boulevard you can find the most famous galleries in France, Lafayette, they are large shopping centers, the building inside is wonderful and also the Christmas-themed showcases.

In that boulevard you will find more galleries, from here we went to the Saint Germain neighborhood, we did not like it much there we saw the church of Saint Germain Des prés, it is a Romanesque church, dating from the 11th century, it is the oldest one Preserves in Paris. It was the most important until the Notre Dame cathedral was built. After lunch we went to the neighborhood of Montparnasse near there is the church of SAINT SULPICE with a square where there is the Fountain of the Four Bishops of the year 1844. We ate in this area and in the afternoon we went to the Luxembourg gardens for a walk It is a quiet area with trees and grass, one of the lungs of Paris. In the gardens there is the Luxembourg Palace, built for María de Médicis, was a prison during the revolutionary period and currently houses the French Senate.

Day 10: PARIS (Pére Lachaise Cemetery, Marais District, Place Des Voges, Hotel de Ville, Hotel de Sully, Plaza de la Bastille ...)

Saturday, December 29, 2007

In the early morning we went by subway to visit the Pére Lachaise Cemetery, it is the most visited in the world. It opened in 1804 and has more than 70,000 tombs, with sculptures, tall trees and beautiful gardens. In it many personalities are buried like Molière, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Chopin, Delacroix, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, some of them with samples of their fans, I also believe that there were the remains of Maria Callas but we did not find them. In a kiosk in front of the Cemetery you can buy a map where the most famous tombs are found without him you will not find them.
A great way to know the history of the cemetery and not miss anything is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish.

After we went to Belleville Park, it is very close to the Blvd. of Belleville, where in the morning there is a market there are fantastic views of the city. We walked around the Marais neighborhood, where there is the Des Voges square, the oldest square in Paris, with gardens and fountains and Victor Hugo's house in one corner. In this neighborhood there is also the Hotel deSully an aristocratic mansion that was built in 1624. From there we went to the Bastille square, in the middle of the square is the Colonne de Juillet (July Column), built in 1830 to commemorate the victims of the July 1830 revolution. It is 52 m high and at the tip with a golden and winged figure representing freedom.
And at night we saw outside the Hotel de Ville, the city hall of Paris with a large square.

Day 11: PARIS - EURODISNEY - PARIS

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Today we played Eurodisney for this we took the train, the RER A that leaves you at the gates of Eurodisney, we carry the tickets purchased online but the truth is that it is almost better to buy them there at the box office because you lose a lot of time in validating them. In half an hour you are there, we had a great time and although there were enough people we could get on all the attractions we wanted. To highlight that of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

The good thing about going on January 31 that you can stay until after 12 there and receive the end of the year in the park, the bad thing that for dinner you don't find anything and at the time of the end of the year all the people are concentrated in front of the castle and you can't move, when the fireworks ended we took the train back and we almost lost it. You can avoid the lines of one of the most popular theme parks in Europe by booking tickets here in advance.
Another option to visit it is to book a bus tour from Paris.
For more information we recommend you read this post of tips to travel to Disneyland Paris essential.

Day 12: PARIS (Arco de la Défense, La Défense district) - GERONA

Monday, December 31, 2007

Our flight left in the afternoon so we took the opportunity to go to the newest area of ​​Paris, La Défense, another interesting place what to see in ParisIt is a modern business district located west of Paris, there are shopping centers and a market in front of the Grande Arche, which is a huge and futuristic cube-shaped monument. All buildings have a futuristic aesthetic and it seems that you are not in Paris itself. Something that attracts attention is that the Defense Arc is aligned with the Arc de Triomphe and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.

We went to eat and after a few intense days played the farewell of the romantic Paris. Au revoir Paris.

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