The City of Light, Paris, France is a popular destination known for its beauty, art, culture, and architecture. A week in this city allows one to explore iconic landmarks and museums, try local food, and discover its history. Over winter break, I had a week-long trip to the city filled with memorable moments and stunning sights.
On day one, I arrived late at night, an hour before New Year’s. My family and I quickly headed to our Airbnb to drop our stuff off. Due to the cold temperatures, we had to dress warmly by wearing coats and scarves. We headed to the iconic street, Champs Elysées, to see the fireworks to celebrate New Year’s. The fireworks were at the Arc de Triomphe, and the streets surrounding it were packed with people. There was so much excitement and anticipation in the air. Our first night in Paris ended with fireworks and was a great start for 2025.
The second day, we took it slow and just walked around the city, visiting landmarks and popular tourist spots such as Notre Dame. Later, we went to a local cafe and had some delicious French pastries. It was a slow day for us since we were still tired from our flight and were still jetlagged. After dinner, we visited the iconic Eiffel Tower and watched it light up in the night. Standing at its base, I was in awe of its grandeur. Afterward, we walked along the Seine River, where there were many street vendors, artists, and food along the way.
Day three in Paris was filled with lots of shopping. We walked along the famous avenue, Champs Elysées, where all the high-end designer boutiques are located. From local, charming shops to huge retail companies, this avenue had it all. After window shopping, we went to Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, which is a grand, century-old department store. There were multiple floors, each one containing dozens of brands and stores. At the end of the day, our wallets were crying and our feet were so tired from all the walking in the last three days.
On day four, we finally started to visit some iconic museums. On the outskirts of the city, we spent the entire day at the Palace of Versailles. We did an audio tour and it was so interesting to learn the history behind King Louis XIV. The palace was so grand and contained hundreds of paintings and lavish furniture. Outside the palace, the garden was even more breathtaking. The garden contained over 2000 acres of land, a man-made lake, extravagant fountains, and hundreds of statues and sculptures.
My family and I visited the Musée d’Orsay on day five. With the help of audio guides, we have the opportunity to learn the story behind the painters’ and sculptors’ works. The museum contains paintings, photographs, sculptures, and decorative arts from the 19th and 20th centuries. At night, I tried some French cuisine at a local restaurant. It was very different from the typical food I normally eat but it was a good experience.
On day six, we finally visited the famous museum, the Louvre. The first two hours contained a guided tour and we saw the most famous pieces of art, including the Mona Lisa. Payton Wadleigh (10), who visited Paris last summer, shares, “The Mona Lisa was kind of underwhelming and a lot smaller in person, but it was cool to see the most famous painting in the world.” I completely agree with her as there are, in my opinion, better paintings than the Mona Lisa, but the history behind it is so interesting. We spent the entire day in the museum, marveling at the works and creativity.
On our last day in Paris, day seven, we ended our trip by visiting the Musée de l’Orangerie. This was a smaller museum compared to the others, but it was just as amazing. Alongside other artworks, this museum highlights Claude Monet’s water lily paintings. The water lilies were huge landscape paintings that took up multiple walls. After saying our goodbyes to Paris, we went to the airport to catch our flight home. Overall, this trip was filled with countless memories and I’m so grateful I got the opportunity to visit and learn about the city.