8 Things to Do in Paris For First Timer
February 09, 2018
Paris has always been must visit destination for many, including me. For me, visiting Europe would never be complete without taking picture in front of Eiffel Tower. That's how mainstream and cheesy I am
I spent a few days in Paris on December but the weather was so gloomy. I was happy because that means there were less tourists and the crowd werent crazy everywhere we went, but it's because it's raining non stop. I couldn't take many good pictures in Paris simply because we were rained on most of the time. However during my short stay in the City of Love, I have checked most of the lists I need to do for Paris for first timer
For me first timer should always go for basic route, and on second visit, that's where you explore like local. Hence I make this list to help you doing the most basic touristy stuff that is not so basic
Because it is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, and people might not believe you've visited Paris unless you've taken picture in front of it. As they said, no picture, hoax? But it's not like it's that difficult to take picture with Eiffel because you can easily spot her all over the city. However best view must be from Trocadero. Simply get to Trocadero station and walk a little bit to find the stairs where millions took their instagram shot there. As for me, I decided to walk down a little bit to find the bridge and the river. I had to visit this place 2 times in a row because it's just that difficult to get the weather right. A friend of mine mentioned he stayed in Paris 5 days and only 1-2 days were good. So tricky yet worth all the effort!
2. shop at champs elysee
They said it's the best shopping heaven for most. I visited Galeries Lafayette as well for shopping however it's too full of tourists and the size of the bag that I wanted wasn't available there hence I went to Champs Elysee the day after. Shopping in Paris is really like an attraction for most women and they have good tax refund which is 13% (returned via Credit Card), or 11.8% (returned via cash) which you can redeem at airport when you leave the continent. I got my first Chanel Bag here and it's definitely always great to answer the question where do I get it from
3. high tea at angelina
One of the most famous places to enjoy hot chocolate and high tea is no other than Angelina. I visited the Champs Elysee branch and the interior is really grand. I got the hot chocolate set along with their limited edition Christmas Chocolate Cake. For me the taste is really rich (I am never a big fan of chocolate) but I am sure my best friend Jessica who loves chocolate more than herself, will not leave a single drop of it. I also purchased their famous Maroon / Chestnut Cream and for me I like it better! Unfortunately I didn't manage to get their popular Maroon Cake there as I was too full. Well, a good reason to be back?
4. admire louvre museum
Oh the famous 'triangle glass' that everyone post on Instagram but it's much more than that. It's in fact only a gate that transports you down to the best museum I have ever visited yet. Louvre is so big and it holds so many beautiful and important artifacts from a lot of periods! One day is simply not enough to enjoy all of that. The interior of the museum is also so breath taking that little details do matter. I only spent a few hours and I want to come back to Paris just to enjoy the museum again, because that's how amazing Louvre is. For young travelers below 26, you are entitled for free entrance every Friday night after 6pm. Keep it noted!
5. travel back in time at versailles palace
I know it is not located in Paris, but 35 mins away from the city, but I believe everyone should visit the famous Versailles where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI lived before. I am always fascinated by Renaissance and Roccoco architectures and visiting Versailles has satisfied my dream. Luxury and grand are not even good words neither enough to describe the most famous palace in the world. Don't forget to take a picture at Hall of Mirror where golds and lights welcome you brightly
6. eat all those french foods
What's Paris without French foods? For me the price is really expensive compared to other countries, and Parisian really know how to enjoy their meals. Most of the meals come with courses and the waiting time is pretty slow unlike Asian foods. The tricky part is, I don't think every restaurants in Paris offer tasty foods therefore I truly recommend you use Tripadvisor or google a lot of blogs to find the restaurant. When I first came here I thought simply entering any restaurants that I passed by would do good but yuck! On second day we decided to walk and find the restaurant and it's not disappointing! Fill yourself with some foie gras, tartar steak, croissant, wine, and escargots before heading back home!
7. enjoy galeries lafayette decoration
I was there during Christmas season and Galeries Lafayette has one of the best indoor Christmas Trees I have ever seen as of now. Not only it's so creative and fun, at certain times they played some live attractions where the balloons were jumping up and down in the air with some musics. The decorations outside Galeries Lafayette in 2017 Christmas was also pretty cool, with moving Nutcrackers combined with colorful decorations. Meanwhile, you can also enjoy your shopping in this place!
8. take picture in front of notre dame
And of course, it won't be complete without visiting grand churches in Paris. The city has so many beautiful churches it's difficult to pick one as your favorite but of course the most famous one for tourist is the Notre Dame. I didn't have enough time to explore the inside but I managed to take pictures in front of it. My hotel is located at Le Marais and is on walking distance with this beautiful church. Just walk across the river and sit there, and you'll instantly get instagrammable picture easily! (Psst, don't forget to bring your bread and wine for picnic)
And that's all guys for things you should do in Paris for first timer!
For me I would love to come back again to explore more because I wasn't really satisfied (blame the weather), and I would love to eat more French foods as well. Next time I should also visit the Southern France part because I heard it's really beautiful, but maybe during summer? Who knows
For now I hope you enjoy this article and talk to you again on my next post!
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