Our Winter Paris Itinerary
My sister and I just got back from the most amazing winter trip to Paris. We were feeling spontaneous and booked our flights on a whim two weeks prior because they were so inexpensive this time of year. After all, Paris is freezing cold and windy in January and it’s definitely not high-tourist season for a reason!
Sharing our itinerary below which includes what we did during our three full days in Paris. There were a million more things we wanted to do in Paris but our time flew by. Since it’s so cold this time of year, we didn’t always account for the extra time it would take to get around (especially since we couldn’t walk everywhere on foot or we would have been completely frozen).
That said, we made the best of it, we bundled up in ALL the cozy layers, and we had the best time.
Day 1:
Copains & Wild and The Moon: My sister and I are both gluten free thanks to the lovely digestive systems we’ve both inherited. The good news is that when we travel together, this comes in handy because we can eat at the same places. Needless to say, we were always on the hunt for gluten free restaurants. These two above were great! Wild and The Moon had yummy smoothies, juices, chia pudding, french pastries, and everything in between. Copains had incredible gluten free pastries (my sister has been talking about this place since she was in Paris last year and she made it our first stop off the plane because their croissants are just that good.
Palace of Versailles: My sister is not a museum person and she’s not a fan of tours so she took one for the team and came with me to a tour at the Palace of Versailles. Since it’s so cold in Paris in January, we were one of the only (if not the only!) tour group in each of the rooms in the Palace.
We’ve heard it gets PACKED in the summer and there is no AC in there so we were thanking our lucky stars that we came when barely anyone else was visiting. We had the best time and we were able to take our time enjoying all of the luxurious rooms.
It’s important to note that the Palace of Versailles is a train ride away (25-30 minutes or so), so if you decide to visit, make sure you carve out enough time and know that it really will take up much of your day.
If this had been our first trip to Paris, I would have been more apt to skip this tour only because it takes you out of Paris for almost the whole day and there’s so much to explore throughout the city. Since this was my third time in Paris and I had always wanted to go to Versailles, I’m really happy we made the choice to go. And the best part? My sister ended up loving it in the end too!
The Louvre: When we took a train back from Versailles to Paris, we decided to get off close to the Louvre. Despite how cold it was outside, we wanted to take in Paris at night and the Louvre is truly magical. We also walked along the Seine River to get there and we’re so happy we did. It’s picturesque at night and so quintessentially Paris.
St. Germaine Des-Près (Domaine National du Palais-Royal): This is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, and it’s located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This beautiful building is famous for its black and white beams of different heights throughout its courtyard. You’ve probably seen them all over social media—they’re so picturesque and instagramable. We’d recommend you see this area right after you see the Louvre or visa versa because they’re so close to one another.
Day 2:
La Galerie Dior: This was the one that got away for my sister and I and I’m keeping it on this list because we cannot recommend that you go here so that we can live vicariously through you. It’s a beautiful museum full of the most iconic Dior dresses throughout history and I’m so sad we didn’t get to see it. Make sure you book an appointment in advance!
My sister and I ended up booking a photoshoot with the amazing Flytographer team during the morning of Day 2 instead (more about that here, as well as a discount code for you to use!).
It was ultimately the right choice for us because we have amazing photos to look back at but I am still sad we didn’t get to visit this amazing Galerie.
Eiffel Tower: We ended up taking photos here the morning of Day 2. It was FREEZING cold that day—in the 20 degree range when we arrived. It got to the point where I swear we were just a few short minutes away from some sort of frostbite on our toes. Thankfully, we lived to tell the tale (and LOVE our sister photos). Remember to dress warmly for your trip (more about that here).
Arch De Triumph: This beautiful, iconic arch is right near the Eiffel Tower, so naturally it makes sense to see both at the same time.
Champs-Élysées: My sister and I spent a ton of time shopping around here—not only because we wanted to explore the high-end shops but also because we were SO cold (I’m sure you can sense a common theme here…), this was the perfect activity for us to do inside. We had the time of our lives in such stores as Chanel, Celine, and Gucci, not to mention, they kept bringing us glasses of the most delicious champagne which brought the experience to a whole new level.
Eiffel Tower: We went back to the Eiffel tower at night for the light show that happens for the first five minutes of every hour. It’s so magical at night and it’s a must-see because the whole tower twinkles.
It’s generally too cold at night in January to wait a whole hour for the lights if you’ve just missed them (we tried!), so this is a great time to grab a bite and to time your meal for getting back out to the tower just as the lights are coming on.
Day 3:
Polene: If you’re into fashion and/or leather goods, don’t miss out on a trip to Polene. We woke up and went when the store opened in hopes of avoiding a long line outside to get in. There was ultimately already a line out the door but thankfully, it moved quickly. Polene has the most beautiful bags, jewelry, and other leather goods like wallets at an incredible price point—especially for the craftsmanship. Polene is generally cheaper to buy in Paris and with the addition of the 12% VAT tax which you can get back at the airport, girl math will tell you thats these bags basically pay for themselves. There are a number of bags in the $300 range and they’re so timeless, chic, and beautifully-made, you won’t have buyer’s remorse.
Notre Dame: Walk along the Seine and you’ll see the beautiful Notre Dame. You may recall that there was a big fire there in 2019 but experts are rebuilding the roof using Medieval techniques and it’s supposedly going to be fully restored by the end of 2024.
La Marias Next, we headed to the La Marias area which is one of my favorite areas in all of Paris. There are so many unique vintage shops and great French boutiques, it’s so fun to explore. You can also visit the Jewish quarter in this area, and you can take a walk through Rue de Turene, a street with the most beautiful, picturesque, historical doors.
Breizh Cafe: Speaking of the La Marais area, if you’re a fan of crepes, you have to try this delicious creperie. My sister and I enjoyed buckwheat breakfast crepes for lunch and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t craving another one right now. They also specialize in dessert crepes. Breizh Cafe is so good and were relatively affordable.
Montmartre: Next up, head over to this beautiful area of Paris which is built on a hill. You’ll have to wear especially good shoes to walk around in and bundle up with extra layers because you’ll probably be outside for a while. Head down Rue De l’Abrevior or La Rue Lepic and enjoy a glass of wine. Then, explore these dreamy cobblestone streets and head on up to the Sacre Couer for the most incredible view of Paris.
Extras:
Luxembourg Gardens: This is a must-see during the spring and summer and even fall, but in the winter, truth be told, while it was on our itinerary, we ultimately skipped it this trip. Since we’ve been to Paris before, we felt okay about this but if you’ve never been and want to see it, still go! The flowers throughout the rest of the year are truly incredible but there simply isn’t too much to see in the winter past the incredible architecture surrounding the gardens of course! Had we not gone to Versailles, we would have still made this a top priority.
And that’s our full 3-day itinerary in Paris (with one of those days at the Palace of Versailles. We stopped at a number of yummy cafes and restaurants in between all of the site seeing and shopping above but we’ve included all of the main areas we visited in hopes that it helps you to plan your next winter Paris trip. I’m manifesting it for you!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
xx, Arielle
