1-Week France Itinerary

1-Week France Itinerary Overview

If you’re visiting France, how long do you really need to see the sights of the beautiful country? For us, we had a 1-Week France Itinerary and it was certainly not enough time! While we did see many of the main tourist attractions, in Paris, ventured outside the city and had some leisurely sight-seeing days – I could have easily spent two-weeks just exploring the city of Paris. Extra weeks (or months!) would be needed to see the rest of the beautiful country of France. Although we only had a 1-Week France Itinerary, we made the best of it and maximized our time. See how we spent our week in France in my 1-Week France Itinerary below.

Day 1: Travel day to Paris, Sacré-Cœur, Moulin Rouge

• Moulin Rouge 
• Sacré-Cœur 

Arrival
Our trip to France began in Brussels where we caught our 4-hour bus to Paris Bercy Station. Train service was unfortunately unavailable the day we needed to travel, so we took the scenic route. Once we arrived in Paris we took the metro to our hotel (Hotel Caumartin Opera) located in the 9th Arrondissement of the city. We decided to head to the Montmartre area of Paris without any previous research or planning. FYI – it’s basically ALL up hill. 

Moulin Rouge
We didn’t attend a show at the Moulin Rouge, but I had to see this site in person. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was a very busy area! Coaches were arriving with tourists to take photos or to see the show, and the neighbourhood also had a lot of pedestrian and automobile traffic. We took pictures and carried on sight-seeing.

Sacré-Cœur
Next we continued our walk to see the beautiful Sacré-Cœur. This church is set up high on a large hill with a lovely view of the city below. Once inside we were able to look around at a leisurely pace. When we left we noticed how busy it was outside. The steps and grassy areas below were popular for locals and tourists alike to sit and enjoy the view with friends and family. If you’re looking for a picnic spot – this would be a great one!

Day 2: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees

• Eiffel Tower 
• Avenue des Champs-Élysées 
• Arc de Triomphe 

Eiffel Tower
On our second day in Paris we visited the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that the day we were visiting the Eiffel Tower there was a HUGE race with thousands of participants that started from – you guessed it – the Eiffel Tower! It was an obstacle course to get to the tower, but once we did it was a fantastic day! We went to the second level for beautiful views of Paris below, and we didn’t find it too busy at all. Travel tip – research if any events are taking place and leave yourself extra time!

Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Once we made it out of the area of the Eiffel Tower, we headed toward the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. This famous street is another iconic landmark that we couldn’t miss. If you’re looking for high-end designer stores then this is the place to find them! We shopped along the avenue and stopped for photos as we pointed our leisurely walk in the direction of the Arc de Triomphe.

Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is absolutely a must see attraction if you’re in Paris. Note, there are a LOT of stairs to the top in a tiny stairwell. And of course, the stairs are circular and there is nowhere to stop if you need a break on your way to the top. Once at the top of the main stairs there is a little museum area and restrooms to take a break. The views from the top were spectacular! I would do this again even if I had to take the stairs just for the views. PS, we found the elevator on our way down.

Day 3: Normandy & D-Day Landing Beaches Tour

• Mémorial de Caen
• Pointe du Hoc 
• Omaha Beach
• American Cemetery at Saint Laurent 
• Canadian Memorial at Juno Beach 

Mémorial de Caen
Our first stop on the tour was the Mémorial de Caen. This museum had incredible artifacts and displays from the second world war and Battle of Normandy. We didn’t have nearly enough time to go through the museum, but we were able to see a lot in a short time. 

Pointe du Hoc
Next was Pointe du Hoc which was one of the key sites in the German defensive during WWII. The artillery battery is still there to explore – barbed wire and bullet holes too! 

Omaha Beach
We then stopped at Omaha Beach to see the memorial for the fallen soldiers. It was a very moving experience and was very interesting to see what it looked like in modern days versus my history textbook. 

American Cemetery at Saint Laurent
After Omaha Beach we headed to the American Cemetery at Saint Laurent. This memorial is breathtaking with rows of white crosses and stars to mark the graves of soldiers who fought. You can check the registry in the visitors’ centre if you are looking for a specific grave. 

Canadian Memorial at Juno Beach
The only Canadian part of the tour was the Canadian Memorial at Juno Beach. As a Canadian, I spent numerous years in school learning about Canadian war history. It was amazing to be able to see it in person, however we hardly had any time to spend here. I want to go back one day in the future and spend time at the museum. If you plan to go, this was far too much to see properly in one day, but an excellent highlight of the area.

Day 4: Château de Versailles

• Palace of Versailles Estate & Gardens 
• Palace of Versailles Museum 
• Paris Sight-Seeing

Palace of Versailles Estate & Gardens
When planning our trip to France, I knew I had to see the Palace of Versailles Estate & Gardens. Yes, I’m a history buff, but also a movie-lover and there have been so many movies filmed there over the years. I had to see it for myself. This palace dates to the 17th century and was built first as a hunting lodge and then morphed into the palace so famous today. The grounds and gardens of the estate require a full day to explore on their own! We were there for the afternoon, but I could have easily spent a full day just in the garden.

Palace of Versailles Museum
The interior of the Palace of Versailles Museum is stunning! My favourite room was definitely the Hall of Mirrors which was recently refurbished. All of the rooms are very intricately designed and decorated, and I absolutely loved seeing it in person. What I didn’t particularly love was how busy it was! I learned that they have approximately 25,000 visitors each day. Each day! And on the hot day we visited, getting through that palace was certainly stuffy. Try to plan for cooler weather or a less popular day (if that exists!).

Paris Sight-Seeing
When we returned to Paris we headed out to do some more sight-seeing and got photos of the beautiful Eiffel Tower lit up at night. Make sure you try to see the light show. The tower sparkles for about 5 minutes in the evening (I think it was 9 pm) and was everything I dreamed it would be. We almost missed it, so make sure you check the website for the time.

Day 5: Loire Valley Castles & Wine Tasting Tour

• Chateau de Chambord 
• Chateau de Nitray 
• Chateau de Chenoncheau 

Chateau de Chambord
If you’re a Disney fan, you must see the Chateau de Chambord in person! This castle inspired Disney to create the castle from Beauty and the Beast, which also happens to be my favourite Disney movie. I learned that this castle was built as a hunting lodge, was essentially uninhabitable in the summer or winter due to its construction, and it was completely empty inside. You could easily spend a few hours here exploring, we were there for an hour.

Chateau de Nitray
After leaving the Disney castle, we made our way to Chateau de Nitray. This is a family-owned and run chateau and winery in the beautiful Loire Valley. The family cooked us a delicious lunch and led us through various wine-pairings. After lunch one of the owners took us on a tour of the property including their famous pigeon coop. It was a lovely property and they made fantastic wine!

Chateau de Chenoncheau
Our final castle was the Chateau de Chenoncheau where we enjoyed our second wine tasting of the day. The castle here is fully furnished, located over a river, and has a great history – I’d highly suggest getting a headset or going with a tour group. We enjoyed a great wine tasting in an underground cellar on the property and sampled 3 different wines. 

Day 6: Louvre, Notre-Dame

• Louvre 
• Café Mollien
• Notre-Dame Cathedral 
• Paris Sight-Seeing

Louvre
I booked tickets to the Louvre in advance because I heard how long the lines can get to get inside. Luckily for us the day we visited we were able to walk right in! We knew the museum was big, but it’s something you have to see in person to fully understand. It was an incredible experience and you could easily spend multiple days there and not see everything. Give yourself plenty of time to explore.

Café Mollien
We decided to eat lunch at Café Mollien in the Louvre so we could stay longer to enjoy the museum. The cafe was moderately over-priced but we actually found the food to be pretty tasty and liked that we didn’t have to leave the museum. Avoid eating during the actual lunch hour as lines get very long and seating is limited.

Notre-Dame Cathedral
After the Louvre we walked over to see Notre-Dame Cathedral to admire the stunning architecture and beautiful interior. It was a busy afternoon and the line to go up to the viewing point was over an hour long. So, we skipped that and went right inside. It was far bigger inside than it looked from outside, and took us about 40 minutes to walk through. 

Paris Sight-Seeing
After visiting the cathedral we walked through the area to see the sights in the neighbourhood on our way back to the hotel. We found an excellent bakery and ate some macarons as we walked through the streets of Paris.

Day 7: Travel Day: Paris to Toronto

We booked a shuttle from our hotel to the airport for 36 euros. Terminal 3 doesn’t have a lot of shopping or food options, so I’d suggest you eat before you go or bring a snack. 

1-Week France Itinerary Summary

So there you have our action-packed 1-Week France Itinerary. We were able to see so much, yet also go at our own pace to enjoy the sights of France. For more information on my entire trip, check out my 2-Week Europe Itinerary, 4-Day Belgium Itinerary or my 3-Day Amsterdam Itinerary.