A Guide to 48 Hours in Paris

Hello!

Trigger warning, I’m going to be an annoying person talking about Euro Summer for the next few weeks. But if you stick around, I promise you a very well-curated list of Paris + Copenhagen things to do, see, eat along with some other fun musings!

Today, we’re talking about Paris. This most recent visit was my third time in the city - although I hadn’t been back in nearly 10 years. Since 2016, the city has changed dramatically IMO - call it natural progression & innovation, gentrification, the TikTok/Instagram effect - or all of the above, I’m not too sure.

I made my return to Paris with an entirely new list of things I wanted to see & eat. Below, you’ll find my itinerary with no detail or stop spared. I ran myself ragged so I could hit as much as possible in just over 48 hours (I arrived Wednesday at 11 AM and left Friday at 1 PM with a sinus infection in tow yay hehe).

This itinerary is cool girl, curated, and a touch classic/touristy - the TTS way, if you will. Allons-y!

Day 1

• Check into Hotel Massé - a newly remodeled mid-century boutique hotel

  • Loved my stay here, my safe space for afternoon naps, watching Tour de France coverage, cold showers and cozy sleeps (rare: A/C included) after long days of exploring in the Paris summer heat

• Walk Pigalle 9a & Montmarte 18a

• Lunch at Breizh Cafe - known for their buckwheat crepes, absolutely delicious!

• Say hi to Sacre Coeur, the iconic church perched on top of the hill

• Pop into La Halle Saint Pierre for a unique art exhibit and a dreamy bookshop

• Sunset stroll through Jardin Villemin to Canal San Martín - what a treat to see everyone gathered along the canal, sipping their little glasses of wine and admiring the view

• Dinner at Early June - Dua Lipa approved. The menu rotates seasonally and hosts a number of pop ups, but I ordered the shrimp squash blossom, mussels with corn & barley, and the sesame blackberry pie for dessert. Everything was wonderful.

Day 2

• Mamiche - one of the best bakeries in Paris! I went with pain au chocolat and it did not disappoint.

• Popotes - as an LA girlie, I needed a wellness fix on my trip to balance out all the carbs. Loved this fast casual spot for fresh squeezed juice - the carrot/apple/ginger hit the spot

• Walk through 9a, 8a, Concorde to Grand Palais for the Matisse exhibit; I was able to catch this amazing display during its final week at the museum, but highly recommend any rotating exhibit at Grand Palais. It is stunning!

• Walk the Seine with view of Eiffel Tower to the Jardin Tuilieries - iconic views on views of Paris!

• Lunch at Billie - a cute little bistro/listening bar. I ordered straciatella, tomatoes, mustard, and proscuitto (they also had really good EVOO/balsamic w/ fresh country bread)

• Telescope - Coffee pick me up

• Shopping in 2a

  • Brigitte Tanaka - incredible mesh purses and accessories, so dainty and girly and the store is precious

  • Merci - I could truly buy everything in this store!! I almost did!!

  • Papier Royal - amazing Paris institution and super fun if you want to splurge on some custom stationary

  • Bode - *window shopping only :) but I dream of being able to afford a piece from here someday!

  • GIFTSHOP Club - hyper-curated Paris gifts/souvenirs

• Dinner at Le Bon Georges - for one of the best steak frites in the city. It’s pricey, but 100% worth it for a special last night dinner

Day 2.5

• Cafe Pigalle - coffee

• Le Pain Retrouvé - I ordered the kouign amann but they are also known for their quiches!

• Le Marais exploring, shopping & lunch

  • Passage D’La Ancre - there are hundreds of secret alleyways in Paris; this one is so so sweet

  • Anne Frank Garden - another adorable hidden nook! Lovely quiet park amongst the chaos of Le Marasis

  • Lunch at Chez Alain Miam Miam - had to order the jambon beurre!

  • Shopping

    • Sabre - that pretty Instagramm-y cutlery you see everywhere

    • Marimekko - cute womenswear

    • Surprise - cute womenswear

    • KIS (Keep it Secret) - amazing vintage

  • Recto Verso - one last coffee stop before jetting off to the airport!

Is this a reasonable pace for barely 48 hours in Paris? No. Would I do it again exactly like this? Absolutely — ask me in three years when I've forgotten how tired I was. More content to come! Xoxo