You could spend months digging into Parisian culture at its top tourist destinations.
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Unfortunately, most visitors only have a week or so to delve into the City of Love. With literally hundreds of travel-worthy landmarks, museums, and streets to visit, there’s a lot to sift through. I once met a Francophile who was busy planning her ninth visit to Paris with the hopes of, at long last, making it into one of her favorite restaurants.
Your perfect Paris itinerary depends on your interests, ultimately.
Looking for fine arts? You can visit the world’s leading fine art galleries and museums. What about fashion? Paris will spoil you with its vintage and second-hand stores, along with its glamorous tours. Interested in food instead? Godspeed—Paris has droolworthy eats at fine dining restaurants to street food stalls.
Even its hotels are like works of art, especially if you’re staying in the city center.
But there is one activity I think all travelers heading to Paris should keep in mind: Getting out of the city… at least, for a day.
I recommend looking into day trips that come with hotel pickup or, at least, a central meeting point. From there, an expert will take you out of Paris and into the countryside where new, novel adventures are waiting to unfold. Start with these picks, which cover historic castles, both World Wars, and famous wine regions.
Best day trips from Paris: history, architecture, & wine
Château de Fontainebleau
Take the train from Paris to Fontainebleau to explore the gorgeous gardens, mesmerizing architecture, and lush interiors of this famous castle. Your purchase comes with skip-the-line access, and your guide is officially licensed, giving you the chance to learn about those little details other tourists miss.
Chateau du Versailles
You won’t be short on offers to visit the famous grounds of Versailles while you’re in Paris. I recommend going with this tour because it comes with all the basics you need, including an officially licensed tour guide and skip-the-line tickets. You need to get there on your own, but the guides are very highly rated on this tour—it’s worth the added work to have a competent guide at such a busy, popular landmark location.
Private pick-up tour of Versailles
If you prefer a hotel pick-up, go with this Versailles tour. Additionally, you can personalize which parts of the chateau you see, letting you dive deep into the history that speaks to you.
Mont Saint Michel
Similar to Versailles, there are dozens of tours that will showcase the world-famous Mont Saint Michel. This tour is a bit more basic, providing coach transport from Paris. After, a guide will point out popular locations, then send you on your way with an audio guide. Given how vast the site is, that hands-off setup makes the most sense for me. But if you like a private guide to stay with you, keep shopping around.
Loire Valley Castles + wine tastings
The Loire Valley has some of France’s grandest castles—but they’re usually skipped because tourists focus on Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Mont Saint Michel. (It’s a positive problem to have so many castles at your fingertips!) This tour lets you explore two lesser-visited castles of Chambord and Chenonceau. You’re set loose in the small town of Bois to eat, then given a range of local wines to sip on.
Day trip to Champagne + lunch
Drink like a Parisian by skipping out on town and taking a tour of famous champagne houses and wineries. Along the way, you’ll sample eight different specialty wines and be served a world-class lunch.
Bruges
Take on Bruges, a historic city with a downtown that’s laced with canals, like Venice or Amsterdam. When you arrive, you can strike out on your own with an audio guide or stick with a personal guide. The trip also comes with a short canal cruise, if you visit from April to October.
Half-day at Giverny
Explore the dreamy, garden-filled abode where Claude Monet famously resided. You’ll get to explore the Normandy village where he lived, then walk through the very home where he lived. At the end, you can also visit his grave.
Champagne + Reims
Learn about the art of champagne-making after visiting the UNESCO-listed town of Reims. It’s famous for its massive Gothic cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims), along with its nearby wineries. The day will finish with a gourmet multi-course meal and plenty of bubbly.
Visit Normandy beach + D-Day cemetery
If you’ve been waiting for your chance to visit Normandy’s Omaha Beach World War II sights, look no further. This trip lets you see the place where the famous WWII battle occurred, then dive deep into its history at the Utah Beach Museum and the American Cemetery. To finish off the tour, you’ll have the chance to eat a classic Normandy lunch and sip on local ciders.
Normandy D-Day Landing
I know that many Americans who visit Omaha Beach have waited many years for the chance. If the tour linked above doesn’t have enough information, here’s another great option. This tour also gives you a detailed itinerary for the day, just in case you want to make sure you see a specific site.
Normandy + Mont Saint Michel
If you’re traveling in a small group with diverging interests, this tour lets you visit both Omaha Beach to learn about the WWII battle, along with Mont Saint Michel. It’s a bit longer than other tours, but it’s one of the best day trips from Paris in that it lets you knock out two different sites in one day. I recommend upgrading your ticket for access to the Abbey at Mont Saint Michel.
WWI Somme Battlefields
A licensed guide will take you deep into the battlefields of the Somme that date back to WWI. Not only do you get to learn about the Great War, but you also have the chance to get up close to the remnants of those infamous trenches, along with war memorials and a visit to the Commonwealth Cemetery.
