What To Do in Paris For Couples, A Complete Guide II Paris Photographer
Paris is one of the most romantic cities for couples and there are SO MANY ways to have a unique experience here whether you're here for a romantic weekend, a first visit, or for a holiday getaway for valentine's day or Christmas (or just because!). The French capital has tons to offer and is the perfect place to adventure and discover a new place with your partner. Let's start with some basic recommendations... (Scroll down for a google map with all of these pinned!)
The Best Time to Come to Paris:
One of the best things about Paris is that it's always a good time (rain or shine). You don't come for the weather!! In Winter expect it to be cold and occasionally rainy (lots of grey skies!). Paris in the spring is amazing because you have all of the cherry blossoms around the city in bloom between April and May. Summer in Paris is HOT (don't be surprised if the apartment you're staying in doesn't have AC!). Paris in the fall is crisp and colourful. Paris can be rainy all year regardless of the season so I'd definitely recommend bringing an umbrella, however I find that as long as you're dressed appropriately, Paris can be the most romantic city at any time. (After all it IS the city of love, haha)
TOP 5 Things to Do in Paris FOr Couples (Paid and Free Ideas):
1. Hire a Professional Photographer, do a Paris Photoshoot, and have custom artwork made - The city of light is an incredibly special place and you'll absolutely want to take it home with you!! We specialize in joyful, natural, and iconic portraits in Paris for people who love love!! So many of our clients say it was one of the best parts of their trip (check out our reviews and what clients say!!) and having a gorgeous piece of artwork and an album to look at everyday at home and relive your romantic getaway is icing on the cake. Our Paris photo sessions start at 150e, get in touch for lots of info, pricing, and for availability! We have loads of helpful guides and prep-info to make sure that every client, young couples, couples who have been together for 50 years, if this is your first time or 15th time here in Paris, that it's an amazing experience with gorgeous portraits.
2. Do a guided art tour - We would HIGHLY recommend art heart tours and Zoe le Petit Guide for tours! I took a group of artist friends to the Louvre Museum and we hired a guide for a 2.5 hour tour and learned SO much!! I want to try their tour through the saint-germain-des-pres art galleries next time! Zoe is an incredible tour guide who you can hire hourly or for multiple days, she has a background in art history and is just about the nicest person you'll ever meet. Our clients LOVE her!
3. Sunset cruise up the river seine - One of the most romantic activities I've done in Paris was a seine river cruise. I truly feel like this is the best way to see Paris all lit up at night from this different perspective. Funny enough both times I've done it have been in the winter and both times were MAGICAL. The first was when it was absolutely down pouring but it didn't matter at all. The boat is filled with huge glass windows to see the whole city lit up in the evening and the lights sparkling in the river was so beautiful. The other time was when it was SUPER cold in February but we stayed outside on the roof the whole time as the sun was setting. Without a meal the whole cruise is about an hour long and easily booked in advance or on the day of. We used the vedette du pont neuf last time and thought it was great! They even had a tour guide that spoke in different languages so everyone could enjoy.
4. Watch the Eiffel Tower Sparkle - This is probably on every list but theres a reason for it. It's absolutely one of the most romantic things in Paris. Seeing the iron lady sparkle is easy from a lot of places in Paris but the best is probably from the Trocadero and the Champs de Mars. If you are looking for a restaurant with a view of the Eiffel Tower, La Girafe (in the Cité de l'architechture) is wonderful for this and has amazing food, as is Les Ombres (on the top of the Musée Quai Branley) with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the tower.
5. Have a Romantic Picnic on the Banks of the Seine - With your dinner date, gather some wine (don't forget the wine opener!), cheese, baguette, and some charcuterie and head over to an open space on the banks of the Seine. If it's a warn summer evening, it'll be packed! But for a reason. It's one of Parisian's favorite past times and an amazing way to get a feel of the city, snuggle up, and people watch.
5 Romantic Places to Visit as a Couple in Paris (Paid and Free Ideas):
1. The Palace of Versailles - Take a day trip a half hour outside Paris to the gorgeous city of Versailles. You can easily get to Versailles Palace from central Paris by taking the RER C (check the RATP map for any line closures and changes! This app is so helpful for your time here if you're going to be using the metro). Versailles is a whole day affair. You have 3 chateaux, the huge main one, and the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon. Then there are the expansive and spectacular gardens. If you're planning to walk it all wear good shoes to walk all day in! You can also rent a golf cart, go on a small train, and rent bikes as other options. Some of our clients have come back raving about Fat Tire Bike Tours in Versailles! Versailles has an incredible history and is filled with artwork and stories. You can easily use an audioguide, hire a private tour guide, or go on a group guided tour offered by the Palace. Personally, I love just wandering around and exploring different rooms, getting lost in the labyrinth of the gardens and discovering Marie Antoinette's hameau - a working village that she had constructed so she could essentially play "farmer". On my first trip ever to France to visit my then boyfriend (now husband!) we spent an entire day just wandering about the chateau and gardens and it was SO romantic. It was the middle of winter and COLD and even more opportunity to snuggle up and buy some chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) from the stands you see in the gardens. A must do.
2. Top of the Eiffel Tower - I mean, amazing view of Paris... need I say more? There are 2 restaurants in the Eiffel Tower, one of them is michelin star and the other is a Brasserie. You can walk up or take an elevator but either way i'd recommend reserving tickets if possible to avoid waiting in a very long line.
3. Top of the Arc de Triomphe - This is more easily accessible and less of a line as the Eiffel Tower. You still have to walk up lots of stairs but it's a stunning view of Paris and the Champs Elysees. What I love is that the Eiffel Tower is IN this view where as when you're inside the tower, you don't see it. To get to the entrance you DO NOT RUN THROUGH 10 LANES OF TRAFFIC!! Please!! The Arc is in the middle of a HUGE roundabout and there are stairs that go to an underground tunnel to it. You can buy tickets there!
4. Palais Garnier / Opéra Garnier - The opera house is absolutely spectacular. Just walking around is incredibly beautiful and seeing a ballet there is truly a once in a lifetime experience. The inside of this building is adorned in the most exquisite gold and when you walk in (even just to do a self guided tour!!) you feel like royalty.
5. Petit Palais - I love this museum. It's so beautiful, right by the Champs Elysées and the Pont Alexandre III bridge, not huge lines to get in, a beautiful collection, often had great expos, and if you just want to go in to have a seat in their winter garden (free!) and drink a coffee you can do that too! I love that it's big enough to wander around and get lost in but small enough to not be overwhelming.
The 7 Most Romantic Spots to Walk Around Paris:
1. Eiffel Tower - The Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. What does "arrondissement" mean? It simply is a "neighbourhood" or district. So the "7th arr." would mean it's in the 7th, or the postal code is 75007 (That last two numbers designate the arrondissement, so 75007 is the 7th, 75010 is the 10th, 75001 is the first, and so on. You can find what arrondissement you are in by simply looking at any street sign located on the buildings and above it'll tell you where you are in the French capital! ANYWAY, the Eiffel Tower is such a special place. You can just walk around or you can go up it (watch out for long lines!)! The park that the Eiffel Tower is located in is called the Champs de Mars. If you're looking for a great panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, head over. to the Trocadero. This is an amazing platform that's on the right bank across the Seine river from the Eiffel Tower and is a great place to see the tower HUGE! (This is also an amazing spot to do a Paris photoshoot!).
2. Banks of the Seine River (By Pont Neuf, Ile de la Cité, pont des arts, and hotel de ville) - I love the cobblestoned streets and the classic Hausmann style buildings in the center of Paris. This walk is so beautiful and randomly you might run into groups of people salsa dancing, or a food festival, or LOTS of people picnicking or having "apéro" (basically charcuterie, snacks, wine, and cheese!) with their feet hanging over the side. One of my best memories of this year was sharing a bottle of wine with a childhood friend on the banks of the Seine as we caught up after 13 years.
3. Cobblestone streets of Ile Saint Louis - Okay this is another absolutely CHARMING area and perfect for a romantic walk. In the center of Paris, there are two small islands. One is "Ile de la cité", and the other is "Ile Saint Louis". Notre-Dame cathedral is on one end of Ile de la cité and a short walk away from Notre Dame cathedral is Ile Saint Louis. On this island you have an array of stunning and charming bistros, restaurants, ice cream shops (This is where you have Berthillion, the best ice cream in Paris!!). It's a BEAUTIFUL place to just stroll. And good for all weather too!
4. Montmartre (check out the wall of love aka "Le mur de je t'aime) - Here is an amazing neighbourhood to get lost in. It's all cobblestones and cute shops. You can walk over to Sacre Coeur (the big white church on a hill) and I'd 100% recommend going up to the top of the dome of Sacre-Coeur (the entrance to this is on the side of the church.). From the dome you have an incredible view of Paris. To get to the top it is NOT handicap accessible as you'll need to walk up a winding small staircase. It's worth it if you are able to make the climb!
5. Palais Royal garden (don't miss the Buren Columns!) and across the street around the Louvre Museum and jardin des tuileries -The Louvre and tuileries can be absolutely PACKED at any time of year. However across the street is the gorgeous Palais Royal which is STUNNING, and absolutely lovely for a romantic stroll (This is where we photographed a client's surprise proposal recently!!) There is one side of the Palais Royal that had these striped columns and the other part is a garden with a fountain and chairs in the middle. I love heading over to café Kitsuné for a coffee or an iced Yuzu in the summer and just enjoying the garden and people watching. There are some other great restaurants around there that I love too - Daroco, Le Grand Colbert, Ellsworth.. There's also the gorgeous Galerie Vivienne to stroll through that's right by the garden side of Palais Royal. OH another thing I LOVE about this place and is definitely one of it's major attractions: The STUNNING magnolia blossoms in March. They are spectacular.
6. Jardin du Luxembourg - The Luxembourg garden is my absolute favorite place in Paris. Probably 90% of my days in the last decade of living here has included the jardin du luxembourg in some way or another (btw we LOOOVE it for Paris couple/ engagement photo sessions!!). What I love about it is that it's stunning at all times of the year, impeccably maintained, lots of classic green chairs to sit and lounge in, in one of the most historic neighbourhoods in this beautiful city, has loads of coffee shops around it for a takeaway coffee and stroll, and has actual green space. It's great for taking a book and reading too. The chateau in the center is where the French Senate is located and all in all it's incredibly historic and in my opinion one of the most beautiful parks in Paris.
7. Place de Furstemberg - This is absolutely the most charming place in Paris! Start here and walk up towards Rue de Université for an absolutely gorgeous view of the latin quarter! This tiny square is also where you find the Musée Delacroix and it's hidden and stunning garden. It's a small museum and perfect for art lovers.
Here’s a Map of All these suggestions! Anything you’d add? Comment below!!
MAP OUT ALL OF THESE MUST DO’S IN PARIS FOR COUPLES: