A Paris Experience with Rick Steves
After years of saying “someday,” we finally decided to make our dream of exploring Europe a reality. To celebrate a milestone anniversary, we packed our bags and headed straight for the City of Love and Light. What followed was a week of unforgettable moments, unexpected discoveries, and pure wonder. This site is our way of capturing that adventure and sharing it with you. Come take a look at Paris through our eyes.
It's Finally, time to go!
Travel Day: Raleigh, NC to Paris, France
After what felt like an eternity of anticipation, our travel day finally arrived. A direct flight from Raleigh to Charles de Gaulle made the journey easy, and landing on a Saturday turned out to be the perfect strategy for easing into the new time zone. Once we reached Hotel Duquesne Eiffel in the 7th arrondissement, we checked in, opened the door to our room, and it hit us all at once...We were actually in Paris! Exhilarating doesn’t even begin to cover it.
A Room with a View
We took a Stroll Down Rue Clare
Day 1: Companions, Cobblestones, & Our First Taste of Paris
Arriving in Paris early gave us a full Monday to explore before meeting our tour group. With beautiful weather on our side, we set out for a relaxed stroll, enjoyed our first Parisian meal, and hopped on a double‑decker bus tour to get a feel for the city’s layout. Later that afternoon, we returned to the hotel to meet our guide, Rolinka, and our fellow travelers, all with an energetic mix of stories, backgrounds, and shared excitement for the week ahead. After dinner, a short walk around Rue Clare helped us get oriented to the neighborhood. Then came the perfect finale: Rolinka led us to a stunning viewpoint just in time to watch the Eiffel Tower burst into its magical hourly sparkle. It was a breathtaking highlight of our first full day.
Beouf Bourguignon
Arc de Triomphe
The Eiffel Tower...Stunning!
Notre-Dame Central Nave
Day 2: Notre‑Dame, Sainte‑Chapelle, & Wandering the Latin Quarter
Seeing Notre‑Dame up close was absolutely intoxicating—its presence, its history, its sheer scale. And just when we thought the day couldn’t get more breathtaking, the stained‑glass brilliance of Sainte‑Chapelle proved us wrong; we’d never witnessed anything so vibrant. Our guided walk through the Latin Quarter wrapped the tour portion of the day, revealing charming corners and lively streets at every turn. With some free time afterward, we wandered over to the Luxembourg Garden, the perfect peaceful finale to a day filled with Parisian magic.
Crown of Thorns
North Rose Window
Saint-Chappelle
Saint Chappelle's-Stained Glass
It's Rolinka (Our Guide) in Red
Luxembourg Garden
"Paris is always a good idea!"
~Audrey Hepburn
Day 3: From Montmartre’s Streets to the Louvre’s Treasures
The Montmartre walk felt like stepping straight into an artist’s daydream—every corner buzzing with creativity and charm. Sharing a coffee and pastry with our group made the morning even sweeter and meeting the artist whose work we later brought home turned into one of those unexpectedly perfect travel moments. Because the Louvre stays open late on Wednesdays, our schedule shifted a bit, giving us the chance to explore its masterpieces with fewer crowds. It was an absolute win! By the end of the day, we were convinced all over again: Rick Steves’ Tours really knows how to do Paris right.
La Maison Rose: Canteen frequented by Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso
The Louvre Pyramid
The Mona Lisa
Love Wall in Montmartre
Sacré-Coeur Basilica
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Visiting the Orsay felt like stepping straight into the heartbeat of Impressionism. Each painting pulled us in with delicate detail and emotion, the rooms almost humming with color and light. Cruising along the Seine gave us a whole new view of the city, its landmarks drifting past as the water carried us forward. We ended the day with another delicious group dinner. It was the perfect finish to a day filled with stories, scenery, and shared laughter.
Evening Cruise on The Seine River
2025 Louvre Jewelry Heist Location: Apollo Gallery
Day 4: Orsay Museum, Cruising the Seine, & Sharing a Parisian Evening
A Smiling, Happy Group
Day 5: Versailles Splendor & Marie Antoinette’s Enchanted Hamlet
Our day trip to Versailles was the perfect escape just beyond the edges of Paris. The palace itself was breathtaking! Every room more extravagant than the last and the sprawling gardens were even more beautiful than we imagined. Wandering the pathways toward Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet felt like stepping into a fairytale, a peaceful retreat tucked away from the grandeur of the main estate. It was a serene, storybook ending to a truly unforgettable visit.
Gardens of Versailles
Marie Antoinette's Hamlet
Palace of Versailles
Halloween Night in Paris
Day six came alive with a mix of history, flavor, and pure Parisian charm. Wandering through the Marais, past the elegant Place des Vosges and into the heart of the Jewish Quarter, felt like stepping through layers of time. And yes… crêpes are absolutely non‑negotiable here. Later, an impromptu wine tasting surprised us and turned an ordinary pre‑dinner moment into something warm and memorable. By the time we reached our final group dinner, the thought of saying goodbye felt heavier than any of us expected. After a week filled with beauty, laughter, and shared discoveries, none of us were ready for it to end.
Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis
One of Four Identical Fountains in Place des Vosges
It's Good to Be in Paris!
Day 6: Through the Marais, Toward a Surprise Tasting, Into Our Farewell Feast
The Jewish Quarter
Our Brilliant Tour Guides
Our Delicious Last Group Meal
Day 7: Au revoir… for now.
Santé Paris!
The day we’d been quietly dreading finally arrived...Day seven. We simply did not want to leave. Though the tour had come to an end, it was clear that the memories we’d made were just beginning to settle in. Saying goodbye to our fellow travelers and to Rolinka, our wonderfully knowledgeable guide, felt harder than we expected.
With our bags packed, our room checked one last time, and a final French breakfast savored, we checked out of Hotel Duquesne Eiffel and began the journey back to Charles de Gaulle. The ride to the airport became a gentle rewind of the week...every moment, every laugh, every breathtaking view replaying in our minds. And somewhere along the way, we realized we were already dreaming of coming back.
Paris has a way of pulling you in… and calling you back. Au revoir, Paris...for now.
Thank you, Rick Steves and Crew, for a wonderful trip!
~Tommy Wallis and Jennifer Fine