Notre Dame and Ile de la Cité

Take a few hours to discover the center of Paris! Ile de la cité – quite literally, city island – is the historical heart of Paris and the site of the first settlement on the banks of the Seine by the Gaulish Parisii tribe 3500 years ago. Today, it's home to one of the most famous sites in Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral.

You can access Ile de la cité and Notre Dame via métro line 4, stop Cité. Walk from here to the cathedral: as you exit the métro, you'll see the spire of the Sainte Chapelle to your left. Turn away from it and walk with your back to the spire to the street at the end of the square. Cross the street and turn right; you'll see the cathedral on your left after the Hotel-Dieu hospital!

Price: Free
Duration: 1 ½ hours
Hours: 8:00am – 6:45pm (weekends until 7:15pm)
Address: 6, parvis Notre-Dame
Website: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame is one of Paris' most visited monuments... probably because it's free! The church, built in 1163, is famous for its Rose Windows as well as its gargoyles, a key element in Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Notre-Dame de Paris, or The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

Religious scholars (or former Catholic school students) will recognize Bible and religious stories inscribed all over the interior and exterior walls of the cathedral. A few to note: the assumption of Mary into Heaven over the entrance on the far left and the statue of St-Denis, one of the patron saints of Paris, holding his own head sits below, the third statue in from the left. Inside, you'll find the famous Rose Windows as well as the beautiful organs. A schedule of free concerts is available at the information booth by the entrance for those who would like to hear it played.

Local’s Tip: Be sure to stop in the chapel housing three to-scale replicas of the cathedral, at the eastern end of the cathedral (the furthest end from the entrance and exit doors): two were commissioned by the cathedral, and one was given as a gift by a gastroenterologist who makes to-scale models as a hobby.

Be sure to visit the outside of the cathedral as well: as you exit, turn left and walk through the park that runs along the side and rear of the cathedral. Atop the cathedral, surrounding the tall spire, you'll see sixteen greenish statues, which were added by architect Viollet-le-Duc during the 19th-century renovation of the cathedral. They represent the 12 apostles and the 4 evangelists.

Across the street from the back end of the cathedral, you can also visit a free Holocaust memorial. It was built in a deliberately claustrophobic way in order to incite the same feelings of stress and panic that Holocaust victims would have felt, making for a very moving exhibit.

Price: 2-15 euros
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Hours: 8:00am – 12:00am
Address: 21, quai Montebello

Stop for coffee, a quick snack or an early lunch at Café Panis, just over the bridge from Notre-Dame into the Left Bank (to your left as you exit the cathedral). While it's generally frowned upon to eat in touristy areas, as you pay quite a bit for low quality food, Café Panis is the exception to the rule, with both traditional items, like meal salads and croque monsieur, as well as a handful of vegetarian options, like delicious grilled sandwiches, a rare find in Paris! Snag a seat on the outdoor terrace and order a “café” for an espresso or a “café crème” for the equivalent of a latté or coffee with milk. Black American coffee is rarely drunk in France, but you can get an americano by ordering a “grand café” or a “café long.”

Local’s Tip: When eating on a terrace, beware of your surroundings. People frequently lose their telephones and wallets when they leave them on tables whilst dining, as professional thieves and pickpockets only need moments before snagging these items. Put your bag in your lap or under your chair with all pockets closed and one handle wrapped around a leg of the chair or table, and be sure to put phones, cameras and wallets inside zipped pockets when possible.

Walk along the Seine

You could hop on the bus or metro to get around Paris, but why would you, when half the fun is getting to know the city on foot? Walk up the left bank of the Seine and peruse the bouquinnistes, the vendors of books and postcards along the banks of the river. Then cross the river at Pont Neuf -- the oldest and longest river in Paris -- and walk along the rue de Rivoli.

Lunch at Angelina

Price: 7-30 euros
Address: 226, rue de Rivoli
Website: http://www.angelina-paris.fr/

This tea house and café is a real treat for chocoholics. First, take your pick of the sandwiches, salads and croques on offer for lunch (the croque madame is excellent), and then peruse the pastries. The house specialty, a Mont-Blanc made of chestnut cream, is excellent, but the fruit tarts and millefeuilles are quite good as well, and make a better foil for the African hot chocolate, a rich, creamy hot chocolate that will soon become your new favorite.

If you're with a friend, consider ordering a pot of the white hot chocolate -- served with chocolate whipped cream -- in addition to the African chocolate. There will be enough in each small pitcher to have a taste of both!

Local’s Tip: The line at Angelina is often long, but it moves very quickly, so don't be deterred. Use the time to peer at the pastry case to decide what you'll want later!

Tuileries and Orangerie

Walk off your lunch and dessert with a wander through the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries. This long garden was once home to a palace, commissioned by Catherine de Medici during her reign as queen. The palace was later destroyed by revolutionaries of the Paris Commune at the end of the 19th century, and the land was added to the former palace gardens. The garden was designed by André Le Nôtre, the landscape architect who is responsible for the Versailles palace gardens. Though his design was completed in the 17th century, the garden was not finished until the end of the 19th century.

Take note of the amazing symmetry within the gardens as you walk, as well as the incredible, unhindered view of the Eiffel Tower to the west as you approach the Orangerie, which is visible from this center alley on the southern side of the gardens.

Price: 7.50 euros
Duration: 1 – 1 ½ hours
Hours: 9:00am – 6:00pm (last entry at 5:30pm, closed Tuesdays)
Address: Jardin des Tuileries, southern side
Website: http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/

One of the smallest – and most beautiful – museums in Paris, today’s Orangerie was once an orangery, housing fruit trees underneath its glass ceiling. It was converted to accommodate 8 large-scale water lily paintings given to the city by Impressionist painter Claude Monet. The paintings, along with a collection of other Impressionist works, are housed in this museum, which can be found on the southern end of the Tuileries gardens.

Local’s Tip: All museums in Paris have reduced prices for students (bring your student card) and are free on the first Sunday of every month for everyone.

Musée d'Orsay

Hours: 9:30am – 6:00pm (closed Mondays)
Website: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/

Here, more Impressionist works as well as other paintings and sculptures can be found.

The building itself is a beautiful work of art as well: the architecture of the train station remains even today, and you can admire the famous clock from inside the museum.

Local’s Tip: If you start to get tired, take a break by having a seat in the sculpture garden (in the center of the museum) and people-watching.

Walk to St-Germain-des-Près

Walk towards the Solférino métro to the boulevard St-Germain, and walk east towards the 6th arrondissement and the historical area of St-Germain-des-Près.

Shopping and Coffee in St-Germain-des-Près

Saint-Germain-des-Près was once a literary hub, filled with writers, thinkers and philosophers. Today, it's more of a fashion locale, with boutiques all along the main boulevard, as well as some of the smaller side streets.

Try rue du Four, rue du Dragon and rue Dauphine for some fun, unique clothes, and rue de Buci and rue de Seine for cafés with outdoor terraces to have a break and a caffeine boost.

Local's Tip: Any members of your party who aren't interested in boutiquing should duck into the church of Saint-Germain-des-Près, one of the oldest churches in Paris. When it was originally built, it was dedicated to Saint-Germain of the près or fields; it's hard to believe that this area was once surrounded by nothing but greenery!

Walk to rue Christine

Apéro and Dinner on rue Christine

Apéro is short for apéritif, loosely translated to cocktail hour. This hour or so of the day is integral to the French way of life, and taking part can be a great way to settle into the rhythm of French nightlife and mealtime.

Local’s Tip: Apéro is often served at a friend's house, but when in doubt, a great café does the job quite well. It's also a good way to lead into dinner, which in France is nearly never served before eight.

Price: ~10 euros
Duration: ½ hour
Hours: 6:00pm-12:00am
Address: 33, rue Dauphine
Website: http://www.cafe-laurent.com/

While there are many choices in the surrounding area, Café Laurent is the perfect place to have your apéro drink, especially if it's chilly out, and the terraces seem less than ideal. Inside this swanky bar in the lobby of a small hotel, you'll find tuxedoed waiters, generous glasses of excellent wines, and, on most evenings (Wednesday-Saturday), live piano music and sometimes guest lounge singers.

Local’s Tip: Other less expensive bars can be found on the nearby rue de Buci. For those who would rather have tea than a drink, an outpost of the infamous Mariage Frères teahouse is at the other end of rue Christine.

Price: 26 euros (main)/35 euros (two courses)/41 euros (3 courses)/60 euros (tasting menu)
Duration: 1 ½ hours
Hours: 7:00pm-10:30pm
Address: 1, rue Christine
Website: http://www.restaurantlechristine.com/

If you're going to treat yourself to dinner while in Paris, it should definitely be at le Christine. Just a moment's walk from Café Laurent, this beautiful restaurant serves both classic French cuisine like foie gras and boudin as well as creative new dishes like fresh pea “cappuccino”. Le Christine boasts the use of the freshest ingredients, picked daily by chef Jacques Marmonier. Be sure to make a reservation at least 24 hours in advance.

Local’s Tip: For a less expensive and equally delicious option, try Chez Fernand, just up the block, serving typical French country-style fare like homemade pâté and terrine, as well as rustic French onion soup.

Digestif on the Pont des Arts

Apéritif comes before the meal; digestif comes after. Typically a glass of hard liquor like armagnac or cognac, the digestif aids, quite literally, in the digestion of a heavy evening meal! Many young people in Paris picnic on the Pont des Arts in nice weather; it can be a lovely place for an evening “digestif” stroll no matter the season.

To reach the Pont des Arts from rue Christine, all it takes is a leisurely stroll up rue Dauphine and along the quai to the bridge.

Local’s Tip: While it's technically illegal to drink in the streets of Paris, you'll see many groups picnicking on this bridge across the Seine, including, “bien sur,” open bottles of red wine. If you decide to partake, do beware that while policemen generally turn the other way, they may ask you to dump your drink.