Paris in October: Our Itinerary, Favorites & What We’d Do Again ✨

They say Paris is the city of love … which I found to be true … but not necessarily in the traditional way we think of love. After wandering Paris for a week, my best friend and I found it to be a city of passion for what you love.

As I watched a master violinist perform Vivaldi’s concerto beneath the stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle, I realized: this is love. He was born to play that violin, born to perform. And Paris seemed to be filled with people who loved life, loved the arts, loved sitting over a slow cappuccino, loved crafting the perfect luxury store display, loved just BEING. From the barista perfecting cappuccino foam to the painter capturing light along the Seine, it’s a city built on people who savor what they love. It does feel very romantic, but in the sense that everyone is discussing art history, music, and the perfect way to make a croissant.

Carla and I also felt like Paris was largely “for the girls” (hence our girl’s trip!). We literally found a cafe that said “coffee, pastries & flowers”. Tell me that’s not a city for the girls?! We wanted to admire art, sit in the park and read, go to the ballet and more. All very girlie things! We planned our trip around that very idea: to experience Paris with intention — to focus on enjoying each croissant, each museum, each moment. We visited in mid-October, a shoulder month that turned out to be absolutely perfect. Cool enough for coats and cozy cafés, warm enough to wander for hours.

Below, I’m breaking down how we traveled, what we loved (and didn’t!), and the itinerary that made this one of my favorite trips yet.

How to Travel

We flew into Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and found it surprisingly simple to get into the city. You can take the RER B train or a taxi — we opted for the train & a quick walk to our hotel in the 9th arrondissement, which was super easy. We did, however, book a cab to the airport to catch our return flights home.

We stayed at Hôtel Adèle & Jules, a charming boutique hotel tucked on a quiet street but walkable to nearly everything. Being in the 9th arrondissement put us just a 27-minute walk from the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, and Musée de l’Orangerie — the perfect middle ground for exploring multiple neighborhoods. Think Parisian charm where the local spots stay open late and you wander along the streets listening to the sound of friends telling stories & laughing over a glass of wine.

Travel Tip: Visit during a shoulder season like October or sometime in the spring. The crowds are lighter, prices are better, and the city still glows with that golden Parisian light. And before you fly home, arrive at the airport three hours early if checking a bag. You can do your VAT tax refund right at a kiosk before security (just follow the “tax returns” signs) — it’s quick, easy, and worth it for purchases over €100.

What We Did & Loved

The Big Sights

Carla and I wanted to check off our Parisian bucket list items all while being able to still schedule an afternoon of sitting in the park or being able to relax after a long morning of activities. We ended up crafting an itinerary that was a fabulous mix of sight-seeing, experiences and wandering. Paris is really a city you could easily wander and be entertained (hence why we averaged about 20K steps per day). If you need recommendations, THESE are the shoes I wore everywhere.

Carla and I decided to spend a full week in Paris (traveling Tuesday-Tuesday). One of my BIGGEST pieces of advice would be to check off your museum tours on the weekdays when the crowds are lighter. We popped over to Notre Dame on a Saturday afternoon and the line HAD to have been a two hour long wait. We, of course, opted out of that line and enjoyed the view of the exterior. We’d also recommend pre-booking museum tickets & dinner reservations just to be safe. We largely lucked out not having pre-booked our Musée de l’Orangerie or Musée d’Orsay tickets prior to visiting and had no problem! However, I could imagine the peak travel months might not be the best for this kind of planning.

Personally, I loved Musée d’Orsay. Not only is it located in a gorgeous old train station, but it has a large collection of Van Gogh & Monet’s works. Seen Van Gogh’s Self Portrait was a “woah” moment for me, and I LOVE anything by Monet.

I was also VERY impressed with the Galerie DIOR. The displays were thoughtfully designed to really make you feel like you were part of the fashion house’s history & I felt my jaw drop room after room with each design. Dior was a patron of the arts and ran in many of the same circles as some big name artists. He loved capturing “movement” and we could definitely see it in his designs, especially his collection in collaboration with the ballet. PRO TIP: We did purchase these tickets in advance and the line was much faster to get in. We stopped at Bacha Coffee beforehand and snagged a lovely cup while we wandered around the area (they give you a full “to go” coffee container that reminded me of the old movie snack boxes we would get as kiddos - but more elevated).

We checked off plenty of bucket-list spots — from the Eiffel Tower and Galeries Lafayette rooftop views to the Tuileries Gardens, Louvre, and Musée de l’Orangerie (Monet’s Lilies!!!) and Luxembourg Gardens. Personally, I could have spent more time just sitting at the Luxembourg Gardens just people watching and then wandering around that neighborhood.

Confession: The Louvre was actually our least favorite experience (I know!). Maybe it was the crowds or the chaos (or the map that was about as helpful as a pile of rocks), but we found ourselves ready to move on pretty quickly. Ironically, we visited two days before the Crown Jewels were stolen, so at least we have that story to tell.

Favorite Experiences

This trip wasn’t just about sightseeing — we built in experiences that made the city come alive:

Croissant Baking Class (Saint-Germain): We rolled, folded, and baked buttery perfection — the most fun way to feel like a local.
Paris Opera Ballet – Giselle: Watching the Paris Opera Ballet perform inside the Palais Garnier was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. Bucket list: checked.
Concert at Sainte-Chapelle: We happened to be in town when a stunningly talented string sextet was set to perform Vivaldi beneath the glowing stained glass — it felt like stepping back in time. Carla said it best: “It’s exactly how this place was meant to be experienced.”

Wandering the Neighborhoods

One of the best parts of Paris is how each arrondissement (or district) feels like its own little world — each with a personality, rhythm, and charm all its own.

Le Marais

Le Marais, one of the city’s most charming areas and a must for shopping. It’s full of independent boutiques, vintage stores, and tucked-away cafés. We popped in and out of shops all day, wandering narrow streets filled with cafe chairs. When the weather turned drizzly, we ducked into Les Philosophes for a steaming bowl of French onion soup (and more bread), which was pure comfort on a chilly Paris afternoon.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés

If I had to pick a favorite neighborhood, Saint-Germain might win. It’s the picture of Left Bank elegance — overflowing with art galleries, bookstores, épiceries, and cozy coffee shops. You can spend hours wandering from café to café, then end up picnicking in the Luxembourg Gardens, surrounded by locals reading, sketching, and soaking up the sun. The neighborhood also puts you within walking distance of Notre Dame, making it an easy spot to blend sightseeing with slow living.

Montmartre

Perched high above the city, Montmartre feels like the Paris you’ve always dreamed about — cobblestone streets, painted doors, and ivy-covered cafés that look straight out of a postcard. We wandered Rue de l’Abreuvoir, paused at Sacré-Cœur for sweeping city views, and even stumbled upon a vineyard tucked right into the neighborhood. Lunch at Pink Mamma was a highlight — the pizza was delish, and their seasonal salad was a total “woah” moment. This is the neighborhood to wander if you want to feel fully immersed in that artsy, old-world Parisian charm.

Place Vendôme & Champs-Élysées

For a completely different vibe, head to La Place Vendôme, home to the iconic Ritz Paris and some of the world’s most luxurious boutiques or Champs-Élysées (where you’ll find more high end fashion houses and the Galerie DIOR). It’s stunning to walk through, even if you’re just window-shopping. Everything here glitters — quite literally — and it’s a fun contrast to the more bohemian corners of the city.

What We Ate

Let’s just say… we didn’t have a single bad meal. I was originally overwhelmed by the amount of information out there on spots to eat in Paris, and I didn’t want to end up sitting in line at a super touristy spot that had been recommended a million and one times on TikTok. Thankfully, Carla is a foodie & did a lot of research AND our hotel had great neighborhood recommendations. We enjoyed walking around all day, popping back to the hotel to freshen up and then catching a late dinner in the neighborhood. Once our heads hit the pillow with our full bellies, we were OUT. PRO TIP: The French eat dinner late, so we snagged 8-9pm reservations.

For breakfast, we popped into whichever boulangerie looked cutest in the direction we were walking. It was always delicious! We often grabbed baguettes sandwiches for lunch on the go — the one from the épicerie in Saint-Germain might be the best sandwich I’ve ever had.

Our dinners, though, were highlights all their own:

🍽️ Pouliche – Amandine Chaignot’s restaurant in the 10th arrondissement served up creative, modern French dishes in a cozy, elevated setting. This was my stand out meal of the trip.

🍽️ Café Willette Troquet – A relaxed neighborhood spot with comforting French fare. Dinner by candlelight!

🍽️ Bistrot Kinzo – Chic atmosphere with an incredible seasonal (set) menu featuring Asian Fusion. We loved the tuna tartare.

🍽️ RAVIOLI NORD-EST – Cozy Chinese (delicious dumplings). Perfect post-ballet comfort food.

🍽️ Racines – Cozy, intimate, and fabulous pasta — think slow dining and fab wine pairings. The chocolate mousse here was CHEFS KISS.

🍽️ Pink Mamma – A vibrant Italian spot in Montmartre that feels straight out of a movie. Our pizza and fall-flavored salad might just have ruined us for all others.

Our Itinerary at a Glance

Wednesday: Arrival, brunch at Les Barioles de Maud, rooftop views at Galeries Lafayette, dinner at Pouliche.
Thursday: Tuileries + Musée de l’Orangerie, Dior Gallery, dinner at Café Willette Troquet.
Friday: Croissant baking class, wander La Grande Epicerie de Paris, picnic in Luxembourg Gardens, Louvre, dinner at Bistrot Kinzo.
Saturday: Slow morning, Musée d’Orsay, shopping at Officine Universelle Buly, wander to see Notre Dame, cocktails & charcuterie at Meyer Opera, ballet (Giselle).
Sunday: Slow morning, shopping in Le Marais, Berry Café breakfast, lunch at Les Philosophes, dinner at Racines.
Monday: Montmartre morning, lunch at Pink Mamma, Eiffel Tower sightings, Sainte-Chapelle concert, quiet night in.
Tuesday: One last croissant before heading home.

If you’d like to follow along with our adventures via video, check them out here:

VIDEO DIARY DAY ONE

VIDEO DIARY DAY TWO

VIDEO DIARY DAY THREE

VIDEO DIARY DAY FOUR

VIDEO DIARY DAY FIVE

Final Thoughts

Paris has a way of finding its way into your heart — in the quiet moments between espresso sips, on the steps of Sacré-Cœur, or under the stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle when music fills the air.

We came for the bucket-list moments but left talking about the baguettes, the laughter, and the magic in between.

Until next time, Paris.