Comprehensive Paris, France Guide and Itinerary – Hotels, Restaurants, Museums, Photo Spots, & More

Are you looking for a comprehensive, authentic, cultural, exhaustive guide to visiting Paris, full of the best affordable hotels, unique restaurants, museums, dance clubs, bakeries, fun activities, and photo spots? I’ve got a comprehensive list of all of those to help you make the most of your stay in Paris.

Hotels:

I recommend staying centrally located in order to easily visit the touristy spots on foot.

Hôtel La Comtesse Tour Eiffel – Eiffel tower view, 4 star boutique hotel in the 7th arrondissement, only a 8 minute walk from the Eiffel. The standard rooms are quite small, but it’s centrally located.

Hotel le Derby Alma – another 4-star boutique hotel only 5 minutes away from the Eiffel tower. The rooms are impeccably clean and the customer service is friendly.

Hotel Relais Bosquet by Malone

Restaurants: 

 Le Train Bleu 

Andia

Pink Mama

Poulette

Cafe de flore – in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood

Gigi – live music & Eiffel rooftop view

Girafe 

Loulou

Coco – near Palais Garnier

Ralph’s Garden

Le Cafe Marley

Amourette Passy

Violetta et Alfredo

Langosteria 

Terra Nerra- Emily in Paris restaurant

Deux molines – dinner from Amelie in Latin quarter

Cafe le Jardin du Petit Palais

Les Jardins du Presbourg

Cafes

Angelina

Carette 

Ritz 

Dior Cafe

Boulangeries (Bakeries):

Bo&mie

Comptoir du Ritz

Pierre Hermé – (try their famous crémé brûlée macarons)

Laduree 

Bars:

10eme Ciel at the Pullman Paris Hotel (bar close to the Eiffel tower) – not very lively, but good for a photo spot

Eiffel Tower Photo Spots

Trocadéro

Pont d’Iéna on the Seine River – links the Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank to the district of Trocadéro

Pont de Bir-Hakeim

10eme Ciel – Pullman Tour Eiffel Hotel rooftop bar

Avenue de La Bourdonnais 

Rue de l’Universite 

Avenue de Camoëns 

Rooftop of Galeries Lafayette 

Train – line 6 between the stops Passy and BirHakein (sit on the right side of the train facing the rear if you’re heading towards Charles de Gaulle Etoile)

Top of Arc de Triomphe

Museums

Louvre 

Musée de l’Orangerie

Musée d’Yves Saint Laurent

Musée d’Orsay – old train station, lots of statues, pretty small

Musée Rodin 

Musée Marmottan Monet 

Musée de l’Orangerie

Galleries Dior

National Archives Museum – good photo opp

Other Places:

Palais Garnier 

Palace of Versailles – book a bike ride through the gardens

Tuileries gardens 

Jardin Luxembourg

Jardin du Palais Royale

Hotel de la Marine(art gallery inside too)

Halle Saint Pierre bookstore

Fontaine Bleau Chateau 

Petit Palais

Rue Cremieux – colorful street

Seine River cruise

Sacre Coeur

Top of Arc de Triomphe

Le Marais neighborhood

Montmartre neighborhood guided tour: portrait artists, Van Gogh historical sites

Shakespeare and Company

Caveau Le Huchette – jazz dance club