The city of love, the city of lights, the fashion capital of the world, Paris goes by many different names. THIS city is the one city in Europe I would move to in a heartbeat (if only I knew French, well had the desire to learn French). This city has so many iconic places. Probably the most in Europe (along with Rome and London). The energy that's in Paris, the street fashion, the killer food, the ancient history, it all contributes to creating the most perfect, culturally rich city I've ever been to. I'm in love with the city, even if it doesn't love me back.

To truly experience Paris and soak it all up, you really do need 4 days. It can be done in 2 but you'd have to miss out on Versailles and blow through the museums, which is A MASSIVE SIN. This city deserves your full and undivided attention. I guarantee, if you hit the places below your life will be complete <3

Day 1: The Eiffel Tower, Champs Élysées, & Arc de Triomphe

Alright, first day in Paris and we all know what you want to see. You HAVE to see the Eiffel Tower first. Get that selfie, those awkward pics, and of course candid photos that totally weren't candid. Take the Paris metro (which is a GOD SEND) and step right up to the tower! If you're athletic, I say climb it all the way. That's what I did! And that's why my photos at the top are so awful. All sweaty, hair is a mess, and armpit stains on my sweater, they're really quite lovely. But I will say, it was a beautiful climb and it wasn't as crowded as the elevator, which I preferred :) And once you get to the top you can get a glass of champagne! Now, it's the most over-priced champagne you'll ever buy (I'm talking $20 for a tiny glass of crappy champagne). But in the moment, especially if you're with a significant other, it's so unbelievable romantic. Ticket prices vary on if you want to climb or take the elevator, and there's also the very top level which costs extra. All your ticket questions can be answered here.

Once you venture down from the tower (and finish taking all those insta-pics) venture towards the Champs Elysées. As a traveler, I prefer to walk as much as possible (it's the best way to see the city!). So what Matt (the boyfriend) and I did was walk from the Eiffel Tower over to the Champs Elysées. It was probably about a 30 minute stroll, but we took our time to view the streets of Paris, which look like they are pulled right out of fairytale. It was so fun walking past all the stores that I couldn't afford (couldn't even buy a fricken key chain from these stores). I was too petrified to step into Louis Vuitton or Burberry, but I made sure to step into Ladurée. Ladurée is a total tourist trap, but oh my fricken God it has the cutest decor I've ever seen. The pastel color palette they use completely transports you into a whimsical, Disney-like world. Not to mention their macarons, while extremely expensive, but are so incredibly delicious I melt. Some may say Ladurée isn't worth it, but I had so much fun looking around the shop and enjoying the atmosphere, I figured I was paying for the sweet treats AND the experience. And if not, well then I'm just a gullible American like the rest of my fellow country-men, and I don't mind at all!

Take your time on the Champs Elysées. It's some of the best shopping in the world (and some of the best PEOPLE watching in the world). At the end you hit the Arc de Triomphe, which is a massive and beautiful landmark in Paris. While I didn't want to pay the 15+ Euro to go to the top, we did buy a sandwich and enjoyed our dinner while looking at the Arc and the Eiffel Tower as the sun set. It was a beautiful first day in Paris and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

P.S. the BEST Escargot is at a restaurant right off of the Champs Elysées called

Le Chateaubriand. Don't knock snails till you try them! The buttery and garlic-y escargot at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant made you forget you were eating creepy slimy garden inhibitors.

Day 2: The Louvre & Notre Dame

Rise and shine on day two! All the excitement from yesterday knocked you out probably (and Michelle sent you EVERYWHERE and your feet may be bleeding but rally people you're in PARIS). Only two items on the list for the day: The Louvre and Notre Dame.

Before you hit the Louvre, you have to hit a little bakery that Matt and I found. I saw good reviews on it, so I figured it would be nice since it was semi-close to the Louvre. HOLY CRAP! THESE CROISSANTS WERE THE BEST THING I ATE IN PARIS! I'm talking fresh hot, flaky, melting on my tongue with the butter delicious. I wanted to marry it. The bakery is called Des Gâteaux et du Pain has magnificent, glistening pastries…with an inside that's just as good as the outside. This airy croissant has stolen my heart with its regal balance of good quality butter and sublime flavor. IT IS A MUST TRY!

From there make your way to the Louvre! Trust me, the Louvre will definitely take longer than you think. Venture over whenever you finish breakfast, but I highly recommend getting tickets in advance (no one likes to wait in lines if they don't have to). Before you go, you have to download Rick Steve's free audio tours. Rick Steves is your typical white American mid-western dad. He actually isn't, but that's what he reminds me of. He's the type to wear socks with sandals, but he's also been to 30x more places than I have. Therefore, I have concluded that Rick Steves is cooler than me in every possible way except fashion. So take that Rick, HAH! Anyways, he gets you through the Louvre in the most logical way possible, hitting the highlights without putting you completely to sleep. Not to mention he even tells you what direction to walk. I can honestly say that Rick Steves was my best friend while I was in Europe. Take your time, wonder through to see the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, and so many other art pieces that I only ever saw in pictures while falling asleep in history class. Trust me, Rick Steves makes it much more exciting than my 6th grade history teacher ever did.

After the Louvre you may want to hit up Angelina. It's a cute little Tea House that has DELICIOUS hot chocolate! Like a chocolate bar was melted to make this hot chocolate it's so delicious. It's the cutest little shop and has some awesome artists painting outside of it (where I bought my painting)!

From there stroll down to Notre Dame! It's ginormous, it's glorious, and it makes me hum all the songs from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. Seriously though, it's super crowded and yes you have to wait in line to get in, but once you're in you can take all the time you want! Sit inside the church (in the nice air condition obviously) and take in the beautiful rose windows and the architecture. Make sure to take a stroll AROUND Notre Dame, the little gardens on the side are adorable!

Find a cute Paris bistro and sit outside on the patio! Watch as Parisians rush by and the nightlife begins. Make sure to get wine of course! It perfects the end of an adventurous day.

Day 3: Palace of Versailles & Dinner Cruise

Up and at em! Day 3 is going to take out OUT of the city! Hop on a train to Versailles to check out how the wealthy live(d). For under 10 euro round trip, hop on an RER train and get off at the Versailles-Château – Rive Gauche stop. Just a 10 minute walk from the station, the Palace hits you smack in the face when you round the corner.

This is totally worth trekking out of the city. You think you know extravagant? You think you know baroque and over the top? Well step aside bitches because King Louis XIII puts it all to shame. Holy CRAP it's gorgeous and I want it. I can't have it, but I definitely want it. Best part? There's a Ladurée INSIDE the palace :D

Make your way through the palace (listening to Rick Steves obviously) and dodge the people as much as possible! But the BEST part of Versailles is the garden. RENT A GOLF CART AND TAKE IT AROUND THE ESTATE! It is so worth it, so much fun, and you ACTUALLY get to see the garden. It is so massive that it's not quite possible to walk the entire garden. Grab some macarons from Ladurée and find a bench in the garden. Enjoy a yummy snack as you take in the beauty of Versailles. I'm tellin' ya, you can't find wealth like that anywhere in the U.S. The Palace of Versailles is gorgeous.

Versailles will take a good portion of the day, but not the ENTIRE day. I recommend getting there right as it opens so you beat the crowds. You'll probably wrap it up around 2pm, so hop back on the RER train and head on home. After Versailles, I recommend taking a dinner cruise on the Seine! We took a cruise around sunset, so we traveled down the river and saw the landmarks while it was light out, and when we turned around to head back we got to see all the landmarks lit up at night! It also comes with a delicious 4 course meal and some wine. Now, it's not the most amazing food I've ever had in my life, it's the experience that you pay for. It's incredible, it's a way to see the city that's not common and it's pretty romantic :)

Look into Bateaux Parisians to see what cruise options they have!

Day 4: Musée d'Orsay & Falaffel

It's your final day, sad but true. You had a wonderful dinner cruise the night before and now you want to finish off your trip with a bang. Well head on down to the Musée d'Orsay! The Louvre is incredible, there's no doubt about it. It's got pieces that are written about in history books. But the d'Orsay . . . my god it's beautiful (and my favorite). Specifically because it has Renoir (my personal favorite), Degas, Monet, and even Van Gough. Beautiful beautiful paintings that I could spend hours looking at. Take your time, wonder around, and enjoy immersing yourself in world-renown art (without dealing with the crowds in the Louvre).

Once you've had your fill of art, make your way back over towards Notre Dame. I promise, this little hike is going to be worth it. After turning down some side streets you'll find L'As du Fallafel. I'm a meat lover, I'm practically a carnivore, but oh my god this falaffel is pure happiness. The falaffel contains requisite super-crisp, garlicky chickpea fritters, with creamy hummus, lightly pickled red cabbage (something between slaw and kraut), salted cucumbers, fried eggplant and just-hot-enough harissa. This is all piled into a pita in such quantities that eating it is an adventure in napkin management. You can eat in if you want, but the true experience is taking it to-go and walking around the Parisian streets. Therefore: You chomp on your pita, harissa and hummus dripping down your cheek — tilting your head to get a good bite, as there's no attacking this gargantuan sandwich head-on — and juggle as many napkins as you can grab, while marveling at the neighborhood. It's drool worthy and I still dream about this falafel.

The perfect end to a perfect trip. From here, make your way to the airport from one of the many metro stops around Paris.

BONUS DAY: Disneyland Paris

If you have an extra day, and you're a Disney fan (I'm a Disney FANATIC, it's a bit unhealthy) then Disneyland Paris is absolutely worth a day trip! For $100/person, you can get a park hopper AND transportation from Paris to the park. The shuttle picks up from 3 popular destinations inside the city and takes you directly to the park, hassle free! If you have a day to spare, whether you're with your kids or your grown-ass adults, I highly recommend getting lost in Disney for the day.