Paris in 4 Days: The Perfect Spring Getaway

April 22–25, 2026

Okay, Paris. This city was at the literal top of my bucket list, so spending four days here with Zane was genuinely a dream come true. We need to talk about how insanely beautiful this city is, especially in April when everything is blooming, and the weather is chef's kiss. We took the Eurostar from London, and honestly, that train ride alone made us feel fancy.

Also, can we talk about the fashion difference between London and Paris? In London, the vibe was more casual and relaxed. But in Paris? Everyone was dressed to the nines, and I was honestly eating it up. I had all these fancy outfits planned for the trip, and Paris gave me the perfect excuse to wear every single one of them. The energy of a city where fashion is just part of the culture was so fun and inspiring.

Here's how we spent four perfect days in the City of Light — and how we discovered that we both love this city for different reasons. (Spoiler: if I could do anything differently about this trip, I would've added more days in Paris. You'll understand why by the end.)

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Day 1: Wednesday, April 22

Arrival & Golden Hour Vibes

The 6 am Eurostar from London was early, but totally worth it — we arrived in Paris by 9:34 am and were checked into Hotel Duquesne by 10:15 am.

Quick note on accommodations: Hotel Duquesne is definitely on the pricier, more boutique side, but for my first time in Paris — my dream trip — it was absolutely worth every penny. We stayed in Room 56, and let me tell you, falling asleep to the Eiffel Tower sparkling outside our window every single night was genuinely one of the most romantic, magical moments of my life. There's something about watching those lights twinkle before you drift off to sleep that makes you feel like you're living in a movie. If you're splurging on one thing in Paris, make it a room with a view of that tower.

Pro tip: if your hotel allows early check-in, do it. Otherwise, many hotels will let you store luggage while you wait.

We had the afternoon to explore, so we started at Carrese for their famous hot chocolate with strawberries and whipped cream. Okay, this deserves its own moment because it was genuinely the best hot chocolate we've ever had in our lives. We would've gone there every single morning if we had time. It was that incredible.

After that caffeine and chocolate boost, we hit up the Arc de Triomphe. Pro tip: it's free to walk underground and see it from below — you only have to pay if you want to walk on top. We did the free walk and it was perfect. Then we stopped at a French pharmacy so I could pick up all those TikTok-famous French beauty goodies I'd been eyeing. Score!

We headed back to the neighborhood, grabbed lunch, and honestly we were pretty wiped from all the travel and walking. We did a little rest at the hotel, then checked in, took a nap, and came back refreshed.

That evening, we went to an all-you-can-eat steak and frites place called Le Relais de l'Entrecôte — and yes, the steak was as amazing as it sounds. Then we hopped on a Seine river boat tour at 8:30 pm. This timing was absolutely perfect. We got to see Paris still bathed in natural light, but as the tour progressed, night fell and the Eiffel Tower started sparkling. We ended up seeing the city at its absolute peak — the transition from day to night, with all those lights coming on. This is the move for Paris views and photos. The light reflecting off the buildings, the bridges passing overhead, the sparkling tower coming to life as darkness fell — we got to experience all of it in one tour. Book this for your evening, not during the day.

Travel Tip: Eurostar is genuinely amazing. Arrive 30 minutes early, and the train is so smooth you'll barely notice you're moving.

Day 2: Thursday, April 23

The Ultimate Paris Culture Day

This was our "art and history overload" day, and we were here for it.

We started with the Catacombs at 10 am (absolutely eerie and fascinating — definitely book ahead). Then straight to the Louvre at 11:30 am. Look, the Louvre is MASSIVE. Don't try to see everything. We made a list of must-sees (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory), hit those, and called it a win.

Then came the wine tasting at Les Caves du Louvre at 4 pm. I was really excited about this one, and if I'm being honest, Zane wasn't super keen on the idea at first. But three wines in an hour while learning about French wine culture? He ended up absolutely loving it. Watching him discover the nuances of different wines and genuinely get excited about what we were tasting — it was such a great shared moment. Definitely convert the skeptics on wine tastings!

After that, we power-walked to Sainte-Chapelle at 5 pm (those stained glass windows are INSANE, especially in afternoon light) and Notre Dame at 6 pm.

By the end of the day, we had literally walked 1,000,000 steps (okay, maybe not literally, but it felt like it). So we did what any exhausted but happy travelers would do — we stopped at a little neighborhood grocery store, grabbed a fresh baguette, some cheese, a bottle of wine, and Nutella spread. We headed back to Room 56 and had a three-hour date night on our balcony with the simplest, perfect picnic, watching the Eiffel Tower light up before us. No fancy restaurant could have compared to that moment. It's genuinely one of our most cherished memories from the entire trip.

Real talk: This is a lot. We were running on pure adrenaline and probably should've split this across two days. If you have the time, do it.

Travel Tip: Book everything online in advance. Seriously. Sainte-Chapelle and the Louvre have timed entry for a reason — you'll skip hours of waiting in line.

Day 3: Friday, April 24

Versailles & The Eiffel Tower

We left the hotel at 8:30 am to hit the Eiffel Tower's second floor at 9:15 am. The morning light is different from golden hour, but it's way less crowded. We walked around the Trocadéro area, grabbed coffee, and lived our best life.

We caught a train to Versailles at 10:45 am and arrived by noon. Now, here's the thing — we honestly weren't totally sure we wanted to dedicate a whole day to Versailles when we could've stayed in the city of Paris instead. But I'm so glad we did. The Palace itself is absolutely stunning, but the gardens? Those are where the real magic is.

The gardens are HUGE. I'm talking genuinely massive. We decided to rent a golf cart for an hour so we could actually see the full extent of them without dying from exhaustion. Best decision ever. After our golf cart adventure, we walked back to our favorite spots, found a quiet area by the water, and had the cutest little snack picnic. Just sitting there by the fountains, taking in the beauty of it all — that's genuinely one of our favorite memories from the entire Paris trip.

If we could do it differently, we'd go to Versailles earlier in the day so we could spend even more time there. It's that good.

We headed back to the city by 5 pm, hit the hotel spa for a quick rejuvenating moment, then did the most quintessentially Parisian thing ever: picnic under the Eiffel Tower at 8:30 pm. We grabbed cheese, bread, wine from a local market, and just sat on the grass watching the tower light up. No words needed — just us and the moment.

Travel Tip: Versailles is a train journey away, but it's SO worth a day trip. Don't rush it — and definitely rent a golf cart to see the gardens properly. Also, the picnic-under-the-tower thing is a total cliché, but it's a cliché for a reason — do it.

Day 4: Saturday, April 25

The Unplanned Perfect Day

I had a full itinerary planned for Day 4 — Montmartre, the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, all of it. But you know what? I canceled everything.

Instead, we just walked. We wandered through neighborhoods we hadn't explored yet, stopped at little cafes we hadn't tried, picked up souvenirs from random shops, and spent hours just admiring the Eiffel Tower from different angles. No agenda, no rushing, no checking things off a list. Just us, Paris, and the realization that this dream I'd had for so long was actually happening.

This is actually why I said at the beginning that if I could do anything differently, I'd add more days in Paris. Four days weren't quite enough. There's something about this city that makes you want to slow down and just be in it, rather than constantly doing, seeing, and photographing.

By 2:30 pm, we were heading to the train station for our 5 pm Eurostar back to London. Even though we were heading home soon, Paris already felt like something we'd miss immediately — and something we'd definitely be coming back to.

Travel Tip: Don't over-plan Paris. Leave room in your itinerary to just wander. That's when the real magic happens.

Takeaways

Paris in spring is exactly as magical as everyone says. The food is incredible (yes, we could write a whole post on that), the art is world-class, and there's something about wandering along the Seine at sunset that just gets you, you know?

Book your attractions ahead of time, wear comfortable shoes, and allow yourself to get a little lost — that's when Paris really shows you who she is. And maybe, bring someone who wants to try things differently than you would. That's when the real magic happens.

À bientôt, Paris. 🇫🇷

Paris tips and restaurant recommendations welcome in the comments! What was your favorite Paris moment?