【 In Paris 】 Open a page of art textbooks on the banks of the Seine River, Paris self guided tour guide

 

The idea started almost a year in advance, and six months ahead we began planning the route and booking flights and hotels. After extreme tug-of-war between J-type and P-type personalities, from excitement to collapse to confusion, it was fortunate that when we walked to the banks of the Seine, the air filled with art molecules healed everything.

Paris was a fully self-guided trip; we hired a car for the South of France segment.
By chance, on our last day in Paris we ran into France’s National Day, though we didn’t join the crowds. It was also holiday season and sale season, so most attractions were never short on people.
Before we went, Paris was in a heatwave, nearly 40℃. During our week there, we were lucky that temperatures returned to relatively normal; apparently it spiked again after we left, hhhhhh.
Since we only stayed in Paris for 4 days and don’t have the “special forces” stamina (though we were questioned that this still counts as special forces hhhhhh), after weighing things we gave up Versailles and other tempting but time-insufficient sights, prioritizing the Louvre and art museums.
With art, Paris feels complete.

✈️ With a capable teammate keeping an eye on flights and hotels, after many twists we finally booked tickets for 7 people. Lufthansa, transfer in Frankfurt. Originally a 1.5-hour layover; fortunately our flight arrived early, giving us nearly 2 hours to clear immigration and make the connection smoothly and without rush.

Personally, I think for a Frankfurt transfer—especially in peak season—you should leave as much buffer as possible. If you encounter delays or a very slow border checkpoint, it’s always better to be early than miss a flight.

I’ve seen plenty of posts online complaining about Lufthansa’s service. My impression of Lufthansa dates back to 8 years ago when I went to Eastern Europe. But for someone like me who basically sleeps on the plane to adjust jet lag, there wasn’t much to nitpick; I was even quite happy to get chocolate (

In Paris we chose a very well-located Airbnb. The intent was for seven people to chill hard in a big house and enjoy it thoroughly. About 4,400 RMB per person for 4 nights. Facilities aside, the result was that this Airbnb seems to be rented when the host goes on vacation, so the place was full of the host’s personal belongings. To avoid fines, we tiptoed through four nights. The elevator broke on the last day, so we carried our suitcases down six floors—too thrilling.

The Airbnb was on Rue de Rivoli, directly across from Tour Saint‑Jacques. (BTW it wasn’t far from the store featured in “Partners in Paris.” On the way to the train station we even passed by it, but the show had ended. Watching the show afterward, we realized they walked past our door almost every day.)

‍♀️ Paris was a big walking tour, but actually only about 15k steps a day (teammate: only?!).
After seeing too many cautionary tales of getting scammed on the metro, and since our Airbnb was a 30‑minute walk from most major sights, two teammates and I walked almost the entire time, except for one night after watching the Eiffel Tower light up around 11 pm when we took an Uber. After that, other teammates had PTSD every time they heard “30‑minute walk” hahahaha. The farthest was Montmartre, about a 50‑minute walk.
Airport to Airbnb, and later Airbnb to the train station, were included in our car service, which did reduce a lot of hassle. We still did rough homework on public transit—it’s fairly convenient.

After settling in, it was already lunchtime. We chose a nearby French restaurant, CHOUCHOU, on Google Maps. From escargots to foie gras, confit duck to onion soup—we tried it all.

After eating, we strolled along the Seine toward the Orangerie, following navigation through the Tuileries Garden. Past the tree‑lined boulevard is the Orangerie; lots of locals were sunbathing and reading on chairs. The French truly love the sun—most streetside eateries choose outdoor seating even on hot days; AC goes unused. People sit side‑by‑side facing the road, eating and chatting, hhhh.

Musée de l’Orangerie

️ The Orangerie and Orsay have a joint ticket for 20 euros. You should visit the Orangerie first, and you have 7 days to go to Orsay, so you don’t need to do both in one day. Joint tickets seem to be available only on site. There are two lines at the entrance: reservation and no reservation. Joint tickets are in the no‑reservation line; we queued about half an hour.

These green chairs are really hot to sit on—burn your bum.

The three rooms on the first floor are Monet’s massive Water Lilies. When it’s not crowded, the viewing experience is great—you can sit on the chairs in the middle and take your time. Please keep quiet; staff will shhhhhhhhh you at any time.

I don’t remember where I saw it—someone said Monet’s style is like the world seen by a severely nearsighted person who took off their glasses. I don’t have that level of art literacy; I just know I love the light and shadow in Monet’s brushwork. If you look closely, what seems like a strange stroke becomes so honestly “illogical.”

Downstairs is the temporary exhibition hall—worth a look if interested. We found a miniature room downstairs; the walls were hung with the paintings featured in the current exhibition. So fun.

We left the Orangerie around 5:30 pm, but Paris gets dark late, so you always feel it’s still early.

Snapped the obelisk in passing. They were setting up a stage in the square, preparing for National Day.

Back at the Tuileries, we continued in the opposite direction to where we came from. The fountain had a single bare water jet swaying in the wind; the sun was so bright you could barely open your eyes. The chairs under the shade were full—people reading and chatting—so relaxed. Lots of crows around. In the distance, the amusement rides like drop towers and giant pendulums were packed—our first reaction: aren’t they hot?!

The Olympic flame from Paris 2024 was still there.

We solved dinner on the way back to the Airbnb. Found an Italian pizza place, MILO—wood‑fired oven. The gelato and tiramisu were great!

️ On the 14th the Louvre is free, but we couldn’t book it. So we stuck to the original plan and reserved a full day for the Louvre. We found a vendor on Taobao that includes an audio guide—you send a photo of your ticket to customer service at the entrance. For reliability, book through the official website, though it’s more tedious.

We walked in the morning. At 9 am the streets were still quiet. We kept looking at the buildings on both sides as we went—really like that feeling.

Found a building with a very interesting exterior wall~

Before going to the Louvre, we watched some guides and explainer videos on Bilibili about the famous pieces—the stories behind them make visiting more exciting. Definitely rent the official audio guide! It has commentary and a map; it updates your location in real time as you move. Contrary to online complaints, the signal wasn’t that bad; it’s easy to use and genuinely practical

We entered through the Sully wing. The three wings interconnect, and if your audio guide dies you can go out to replace it. There’s a section of old city wall—the predecessor of the Louvre. The Louvre began as a royal palace, expanded and renovated many times to reach today’s scale, so you end up winding around a lot while visiting.

First up: the Sphinx welcoming you, hahahaha. Go up the stairs on its right and you’ll quickly reach Venus.

The details on these sculptures are truly incredible.

Even on a relatively less crowded day, there were still seas of people in front of Venus.

Sleeping Hermaphroditus—the famous androgynous deity. The mattress was carved later. Even though it’s marble, it looks so soft and comfy.

Love the light hitting this sculpture—so beautiful. Sadly couldn’t find the audio guide entry for it.

Walk down a long corridor full of sculptures; at the end is the Winged Victory! Powerful from near and far. I like her more than Venus. Follow the signs to find Mona Lisa—the signage is clear. We detoured slightly to see more.

There were several Botticelli paintings in the corridor, with chairs opposite where you can rest a bit.

The room we entered had many religious paintings—definitely a knowledge blind spot, hhhh.

The Mona Lisa room is the most crowded, but they let people in batches in order. Pick a spot and queue patiently and you’ll make it to the front; in reality the painting is quite small but has an entire wall to itself.
Nearby are corridors full of paintings. In the red‑walled room you’ll find The Raft of the Medusa and Liberty Leading the People.

The Raft of the Medusa

Liberty Leading the People

The Grand Odalisque

Napoleon’s Coronation—so many details: Napoleon crowning himself, the painter included in the scene, etc. Patiently listening to the audio guide is fun.

The Death of Marat

We grabbed a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant on that level. The view from the platform is quite nice.

After lunch we continued to the Richelieu wing. Passing a tableware gallery, we found this container. Me: Hey! Starbucks (

Some rooms upstairs were doing high‑fashion collaborations—FENDI, Chanel, Balenciaga, and so on.

The Richelieu hall displays sculptures from various periods. Its most famous exhibit is the Code of Hammurabi, in a gallery beside the hall—easy to find with the guide. The Richelieu audience is clearly smaller than Denon and Sully—maybe because the three masterpieces are over there, or perhaps by afternoon everyone is exhausted.

Lion Fighting a Serpent

The Code of Hammurabi—cue the BGM~

So chubby—too cute!

Milón of Croton—originally attacked by wolves; the sculpture changed them to a lion.

We basically strolled around the sculpture hall area. From 10 am we visited until nearly 4 pm. Following signs toward the exit, we passed the famously popular Pop Mart store—crowds were lined up outside to enter.

PPMT, you’ve got game.

Two teammates ran out of energy and went for coffee earlier. She really wanted to try for 10‑euro opera tickets, so we headed toward the opera house to meet them. Only to find tickets were long sold out. If you want to visit the opera house, better buy a visit ticket—don’t gamble on show tickets. (J‑person yelled: Promise me—quit gambling, okay!)

With tickets out, we looked for food nearby and found Grand Cafe Capucines, as old as the opera house. Lucky to get seats on the second floor, we just walked in. We had an oyster platter—four varieties, very fresh. A cod dish stewed with tomatoes was also delicious. Full and happy, we walked home, hhhh.

⛪ Notre‑Dame de Paris

It happened to be Sunday. Early in the morning we crossed to the other bank to visit Notre‑Dame. We could see its spire tip from our Airbnb balcony (the listing used this as a selling point; a teammate searched for a long time and only saw a tip—well, you can say you can “see” it, I guess).
The no‑reservation line wasn’t too long. Note: women can’t wear tank tops, or staff will stop you to make you drape a scarf before entering.

Rebuilt Notre‑Dame is indeed…new (not really, but you know). Still spectacular; the stained glass is beautiful. We also happened upon a mass. Even if you don’t understand it, the atmosphere makes you walk lightly and calm down.

Bought a fridge magnet. The most popular stained‑glass rosette sticker wasn’t on display; in another line our teammate who speaks French asked the cashier, who fetched it from inside. So if you don’t see it at the counter, be sure to ask. Rumor has it Sainte‑Chapelle also sells it, but we didn’t find it.

⛪ Sainte‑Chapelle

️ Sainte‑Chapelle is not far from Notre‑Dame. Tickets were 19 euros (seems to vary by date). Luckily the entrance queue was short, we got in in about 10 minutes. Security first, then tickets at the chapel door. Without a reservation you always risk long lines—if you don’t want to wait, please book ahead.

The first floor is striking—stained glass plus large swaths of blue, red, and gold on the inner walls. The visual impact is great. There are also many souvenir shops. Having missed the Notre‑Dame rosette sticker, we couldn’t pass up the Sainte‑Chapelle rose window sticker.

Up the stairs to the second floor—everyone can’t help but let out a “wow.” Sunlight on the 15‑meter‑high stained glass is breathtaking.

The interior was undergoing renovation, but they turned the barricades into mirrors to reflect the surroundings, softening the impact. On the right in the photo is the reflection of the opposite windows—less obvious in photos. Turn around and look up—behold the rose window!

Freshly bought downstairs—same‑style check‑in~

Gothic architecture—the roof is distinctive. The exterior was also partially covered; likely the right‑hand windows were under renovation. They pasted photos outside—count it as seen, hhh.

☕ After visiting, we checked in at Café de Flore and grabbed something to eat. Lots of people; you need to queue. Emmmm…how to put it—checking in and a coffee is enough.

️ Musée d’Orsay

Afternoon continued our art journey~

Converted from a train station, the Orsay Museum sits on the Left Bank of the Seine, facing the Tuileries across the river.

Recommend hitting the iconic big clock on the 5th floor first—queue for a photo—then stroll back slowly. There are many famous paintings and sculptures. As always, watch some explainers beforehand; otherwise you’ll be totally lost.

There’s a restaurant inside, but it’s quite crowded. There’s also a big clock inside the restaurant—keep going to the very back of the exhibition hall; don’t stop halfway~

The crowds are thickest in front of Van Gogh’s paintings.

srds I’m at Orsay—Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles, another self‑portrait, and Millet’s The Gleaners are off on a business trip to Shanghai, hahaha. After I’m back in Shanghai I’ll do a round of the Shanghai Museum of Art to patch the gaps (no).

Renoir’s paintings just look so happy~

There are many sculptures in the middle of the second floor; photos of that clock from here look great too!

This calls for BGM: dudududu~ “Four‑wheel girl’s self‑cultivation” (not really)

Really love this painting—the single teardrop is absolutely perfect. Photos just can’t capture her beauty.

Such a cute face.
We stayed until closing, then crossed the river for dinner~

flottes—technically requires reservations, but our luck was maxed and we walked in again. As long as we finished before 7:30 pm, we were fine—no problem for us.

Another oyster platter. The waiter was a fun uncle with full emotional value—assured us the oysters were incredibly fresh, caught that morning, hhhhh.

Freshly poured chocolate with a scoop of ice cream in the middle—delicious!

Eiffel Tower

Today wasn’t too tiring, so we decided to watch the Eiffel Tower lights. Lights at 10 pm. We strolled over slowly—post‑dinner walk.

I think the view from this street corner is particularly French—the buildings on both sides, greenery on the window sills, and the soaring tower. Lots of people take photos here.

The lights turn on at 10 pm. We sat on the big lawn with locals, enjoying the evening breeze while waiting. Bring a plastic bag or something to sit on. Believe it or not, this is 10 pm—the sky hadn’t fully gone dark.

Playing around~
After the lights show ends, lots of tourists try to grab taxis, so it took some time to get one. Another group had a cancellation due to miscommunication—looks like the main avenue was jammed and the driver couldn’t reach them. If you’re taking a taxi, confirm the pickup spot with the driver.

Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House)

As mentioned, our teammate wanted to try for 10‑euro show tickets. Personally, I don’t recommend it. While much cheaper, the uncertainty is too high (a J‑person will definitely not stand it, hhhhh). We had to buy visit tickets on Fliggy at the last minute. Because we didn’t secure tickets that day, we only bought them the day before visiting and the price had gone up a lot. So! Please! Book early! (super loud——)
And honestly, if it’s an unfamiliar production, watching on site is a unique experience but hard to be as immersive as watching in China. Shows are long. Even if you visit beforehand, time is tight; leaving mid‑visit to rush to a show isn’t great.

Lots of people take photos on the stairs; upstairs on the balcony looking down also makes for great shots~

The second‑floor boxes are open for visiting. Looking down at the hall—the ceiling is too beautiful.

The salon is said to rival Versailles. Since we didn’t make it to Versailles, we made sure to appreciate this thoroughly. There are many rooms to wander through afterward.

The clock face seems to show months?

“Rice Bucket’s” Box No. 5! On the odd‑numbered side, farthest inside. Walk all the way in—there were surprisingly few people. A pretentious pose for a photo (actually I got excited and blurred the empty shot).

Lunch at a Japanese place run by Chinese owners in the Galeries Lafayette Gourmet building—to soothe our Chinese stomachs~
Other teammates planned to shop at Galeries Lafayette then go to Montmartre; two teammates and I headed straight to Montmartre.

Montmartre Hill

There are many Montmartre walk routes on Xiaohongshu. We went with “walk wherever” style. We passed a church whose exterior was quite distinctive.

Lots of people taking photos at the “I Love You Wall”. Since we’re all single dogs, we checked in and left, hhhhh. Outside the little garden there was a street artist playing saxophone—the vibe was perfect with his BGM.

This sign is hilarious—betrays the toil of the “cattle and horses” (not really).

This little head pressed to the window is interesting. At first we didn’t know what it was until we saw the open window.

Montmartre has lots of graffiti. I was briefly “watched” by passersby while taking photos beside one.

The “Man Passing Through the Wall”. We met another group of compatriots taking photos here; we courteously took turns and marveled, Chinese people are like NPCs spawning everywhere, hhhhh.

On the way to the “Man Passing Through the Wall” we passed DALIDA’s former residence. A young lady was explaining to a group of foreigners and even sang a few lines. We Googled and learned she was an Egyptian singer who became famous in France.

Montmartre is steeped in street art—performers everywhere. While we had afternoon tea, an old gentleman outside a restaurant across the street was playing guitar and singing; the staff seemed familiar with him—perhaps he often sings there in the sun. Later, the guide lady from DALIDA’s residence also came; a group gathered and sang together. After the song, everyone clapped and said “Bravo.” Strangers to each other, but sharing the same joy.

On the way to Sacré‑Coeur, we passed another small church—Saint‑Pierre de Montmartre. It’s free to enter. A young lady inside was singing; her voice was wonderfully sacred and ethereal. Beautiful.

⛪ Sacré‑Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart)

The line to climb the dome was too long—almost wrapped around the place—so we chose to take photos outside. The steps in front were full of people waiting for the sunset.

The “tilted house”—whoever thought of this angle is brilliant. You use the steep lawn as the foreground, tilt your phone, and you get this effect. While we were shooting, passing foreigners looked baffled.

Actually the walk from Montmartre back to the Airbnb was quite long, but since today’s schedule wasn’t too tight and it was still early, and because teammates really disliked the “savory” smell wafting up from metro entrances, we decided to walk back. Passing through a certain arrondissement, lots of Black folks were hanging out in groups chatting—the scene was a bit intimidating, hhhh.

We passed a Gothic church which, according to the map, should be Saint‑Laurent. We couldn’t find much detailed info online. Teacher D said its history is very long; the first chapel on the site dates to the 6th century. The structure we see now was mainly built between the 15th and 17th centuries, and in the 19th century Baron Georges‑Eugène Haussmann—the famous Paris urban planner—ordered renovations and expansions.

On the way back to the Airbnb we checked in at the Centre Pompidou. It closed for renovations this September. I remember being shocked by its exterior when I saw it in my high‑school art book—my reaction was: this is allowed?

Precisely because we detoured to Pompidou, we accidentally found a gelato shop with a long queue—BACHIR. While queuing, staff came to introduce and offer tastings; you mark your selections on a menu first. When it was our turn, the guy was super enthusiastic—asked if we wanted more flavors, whipped cream, and praised our choice of cups as “clever” hhhhh (we’d seen lots of cones melting into a mess). We initially thought you could only choose one flavor; after his enthusiastic recommendations, in addition to their signature milk we added chocolate. He packed several big scoops, then kept flipping and rolled a thick ring of pistachio crumbs around it. A heavy one in hand—enough for three to share~

We passed the city hall on the way to dinner.

Dinner at Benedict—personally my favorite meal in Paris. It’s close to our Airbnb. Following the map through the alleys, it was easy to find. We arrived right when the evening service started; not many people, so we walked straight in.
I recommend the foie gras burger and Thai salad. The burger is hefty—juicy with every bite. The Thai salad is refreshingly sweet‑and‑sour, with some beef inside; we didn’t finish it and got it to go. The avocado Benedict comes two per order; after a burger, we couldn’t finish these, but they were good. The truffle fries are fragrant, soft, and very substantial. The sweet potato flavor was a bit subtle—not sweet—and the sauce was even a bit salty? The passion‑fruit‑lemon‑mint smoothie was great! And a funny bit: we ordered two drinks from the handsome waiter, and he even gave us two napkins, but then only put one drink in the order—what a silly handsome guy, hahahaha! We were three at the table with modest appetites—we still had leftovers to take away.

Finally, a shot of the French flag—to commemorate not joining the National Day crowds. In the morning on the way to the opera house, we saw soldiers returning by bus after the parade and a few armored vehicles. Some people were taking photos with the soldiers, hhh.

At night we heard bursts of fireworks outside the Airbnb; apparently people were still partying in the streets at midnight.

Thus ends the Paris leg. Early the next morning we headed to the train station to catch a train to Nice.
This travelogue pauses here—after I’m less busy, I’ll continue recalling Nice in midsummer~

Before departure, teammates who had been to Italy kept urging us to prepare for pickpockets. Guides we read were full of anti‑theft tips, which made me extremely anxious. But in our four days in Paris, we didn’t meet pickpockets or those people who use various excuses to get signatures and then steal or cause trouble. In the following days in Nice, we sometimes even carried our bags on our backs. Of course, it could be survivor bias; we also didn’t take much public transport; or maybe we looked too poor (not really). A crossbody plus a canvas tote—and keeping a hand on the bag out of habit—still helps to some extent.

We did encounter a few unfriendly people, but I prefer to remember those who were warm. When we were lugging suitcases down to the first floor to take the elevator, a guy coming down helped us carry a case. When my teammate suddenly had a stomachache and couldn’t find a restroom, she bravely asked a restaurant on the street to use theirs—the hostess said “of course” without hesitation.

So my impression of Paris is still good. Though it has a messy side, I’m willing to return for the places we missed and to learn more history.

Same thought as always: the imperfections of a journey are there so that the next one can be better~