5 Days in Paris: The Romantic Getaway for Couples

Arrive at CDG or Orly. Take the RER B or a taxi to your hotel (see Essentials above). Check in, freshen up, and resist the urge to nap — push through to adjust to Paris time.

Walk through Le Marais — Paris's most charming neighborhood. Start at Place des Vosges, the city's oldest planned square (1612) with perfect symmetry, red-brick arcades, and a small central garden. Sit on a bench and take it in.

Wander the narrow streets. Stop at Mariage Frères (30 Rue du Bourg-Tibourg) for tea in their elegant salon, or grab artisan ice cream at Berthillon on Île Saint-Louis (€3.50/scoop — the wild strawberry is legendary).

Cross to Île Saint-Louis via the footbridge. This tiny island in the Seine is pure romance — cobblestone streets, 17th-century townhouses, and virtually no traffic. Walk the quais along the water as the evening light hits Notre-Dame (visible from the eastern tip).

Dinner at Le Petit Cler (29 Rue Cler, 7th arr.) — a beloved neighborhood bistro with classic French fare (duck confit, steak frites) at honest prices. Mains €16–24. Or try Chez Janou (2 Rue Roger Verlomme, 3rd arr.) in Le Marais — famous for their chocolate mousse served from a giant bowl (€8). Mains €18–28.

After dinner, walk along the Seine at night. The bridges are illuminated, and the reflections on the water are unforgettable. Cross Pont des Arts (the old "love lock" bridge) for views of the Île de la Cité.

Arrive at the Louvre right at opening (9:00 AM, closed Tuesdays). Enter via the Passage Richelieu entrance (shorter line than the pyramid). With your Museum Pass, skip the ticket queue.

Couples strategy: Don't try to see everything. Pick one wing and take 2–3 hours. The Denon Wing has the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus de Milo. The Richelieu Wing's Napoleon III apartments are opulent and uncrowded. Find the Cour Marly sculpture courtyard — stunning natural light, rarely crowded.

Walk through the Jardin des Tuileries toward Place de la Concorde. Stop at Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli) for their legendary hot chocolate (€8.80) — thick, rich, almost like drinking a chocolate bar. Share a Mont Blanc pastry (€9.20).

Head to the Eiffel Tower for your pre-booked sunset time slot. Book the 6:00–7:00 PM slot (varies by season) to see the city transition from golden hour to twilight. The summit offers 360° views — you'll see Sacré-Cœur, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Seine winding through the city.

Alternative if tickets are sold out: Watch sunset from the Trocadéro gardens across the river — the most iconic Eiffel Tower viewpoint. Or climb to the 2nd floor (stairs: €11.30, no reservation needed, 674 steps).

Board a Bateaux Mouches or Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise (€85–135/person for a 3-course dinner with wine). Departs from Pont de l'Alma. The 2.5-hour cruise passes Notre-Dame, Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and under a dozen illuminated bridges. It's touristy, yes — but genuinely romantic at night.

Budget alternative: Take a regular Bateaux Mouches sightseeing cruise (€16, 70 min) and have dinner afterward at Les Ombres (rooftop restaurant at Musée du Quai Branly with direct Eiffel Tower views, mains €32–48, book well ahead).

Take the Métro to Abbesses (Line 12) — the deepest station in Paris with an Art Nouveau entrance. Walk up to Sacré-Cœur Basilica via the winding streets (or take the funicular, 1 t+ ticket). Free entry. The panoramic view from the steps covers all of Paris.

Wander through Place du Tertre — the artists' square where painters sell portraits and landscapes. Touristy but charming. Walk to La Maison Rose (the famous pink house on Rue de l'Abreuvoir) for a photo, then find Le Mur des Je t'aime (the "I Love You" wall) in Square Jehan Rictus — "I love you" written in 250 languages on blue tiles.

Brunch at Hardware Société (10 Rue Lamarck, 18th arr.) — an Australian-French café with exceptional eggs Benedict and specialty coffee (€14–22). Or grab a crêpe from a street stand on Rue Lepic (€5–8 for a Nutella-banana or ham-cheese-egg).

Head to the Musée d'Orsay (covered by Museum Pass, closed Mondays). This former railway station houses the world's greatest Impressionist collection — Monet's water lilies, Renoir's dancing couples, Degas's ballerinas. The building itself is art. Don't miss the 5th floor terrace with views through the giant clock face.

Allow 2–3 hours. Less overwhelming than the Louvre and more romantic — the art is literally about light, beauty, and fleeting moments.

Head to South Pigalle (SoPi) — Paris's coolest neighborhood for natural wine bars and hip bistros. Start at Le Très Particulier (Pavillon D at Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, 23 Avenue Junot) — a hidden cocktail bar in a secret garden, accessible through an unmarked gate. Cocktails €16–20. Feels like discovering a secret.

Dinner at Le Bouillon Pigalle (22 Boulevard de Clichy) — a gorgeous Art Deco brasserie serving traditional French dishes at astonishingly low prices. French onion soup €4.50, duck confit €9.90, crème brûlée €3.50. Expect a queue — it's worth it.

End with natural wine at Le Cave Apéro (38 Rue Condorcet) or Aux Deux Amis (45 Rue Oberkampf, 11th arr.) — standing-room-only at the bar, convivial atmosphere, excellent small plates (€4–12), wines by the glass from €5.

Take the RER C from Saint-Michel or Invalides to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche (40 minutes, €7.50 round trip). Or take the SNCF train from Gare Montparnasse to Versailles Chantiers (20 minutes, €7.10 round trip). From either station, it's a 10-minute walk to the palace gates.

Arrive by 9:00 AM. The palace opens at 9:00, and the first hour is the least crowded. Your Museum Pass covers entrance.

Start with the State Apartments and the legendary Hall of Mirrors — 357 mirrors reflecting the garden views through 357 windows. In the morning light, it's breathtaking. The King's and Queen's Grand Apartments are equally opulent.

Allow 1.5–2 hours for the palace interior. Audio guide included with entry (or download the free Versailles app).

The Gardens of Versailles are 2,000 acres of manicured perfection. On Tuesdays and weekends from April–October, the Musical Fountains Show runs (€10 supplement) with fountains choreographed to Baroque music.

Walk (or rent a golf cart, €40/hour for 4 people) to the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet — a mock-rustic village where the queen played at being a shepherdess. It's smaller-scale, quieter, and incredibly charming.

Lunch: Pack a picnic from a Parisian boulangerie (baguette, cheese, charcuterie, fruit — total €10–15 for two) and eat on the lawn near the Grand Canal. Far more romantic (and cheaper) than the overpriced palace restaurants.

Return to Paris by 5:00–6:00 PM. Toast the trip at Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris (15 Place Vendôme) — yes, it's expensive (cocktails €32–38), but the Art Deco interior and the history are worth one splurge. Or try Little Red Door (60 Rue Charlot, 3rd arr.) — one of the world's best cocktail bars, less pretentious, cocktails €15–18.

Dinner at Le Comptoir du Panthéon (5 Rue Soufflot, 5th arr.) — a classic Parisian brasserie with outdoor seating facing the Panthéon, beautifully illuminated at night. Mains €18–30.

This is the morning you've been saving your appetite for. Start in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and hit the Left Bank's greatest patisseries:

• Pierre Hermé (72 Rue Bonaparte) — the best macarons in Paris. Try the Ispahan (rose, lychee, raspberry, €2.80). Also get a croissant — buttery, shattering perfection (€1.90).
• Poilâne (8 Rue du Cherche-Midi) — Paris's most famous bread bakery since 1932. Get the sourdough miche (huge round loaf, €10) and punitions (butter cookies, €4.50/bag).
• Café de Flore (172 Boulevard Saint-Germain) — the iconic literary café where Sartre and de Beauvoir wrote. Overpriced (café crème €7.50) but you're paying for history and people-watching on the terrace.

Walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg — the quintessential Parisian garden. Grab two green metal chairs, sit by the Medici Fountain (the most romantic corner), and watch Parisians read, jog, and sail toy boats in the octagonal basin. Free entry, open dawn to dusk.

Visit Sainte-Chapelle (covered by Museum Pass) on Île de la Cité — a 13th-century Gothic chapel with 1,113 stained glass panels. When the sun hits the upper chapel, the room explodes with color. Many visitors consider this more beautiful than Notre-Dame. Allow 30–45 minutes.

Walk past Notre-Dame (reopened December 2024 after the fire restoration). Even if you don't go inside, the façade is magnificent.

If your flight is in the evening, you have time for a final lunch at Les Deux Magots (6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, mains €22–35) or a croque-monsieur at any neighborhood café. Head to CDG via RER B (allow 90 minutes door-to-gate) or taxi (€56 fixed rate from Right Bank).