If you had told me a few years ago that I would celebrate my 40th birthday in Paris, I probably would have started planning the trip immediately.
Paris has always felt like one of those places that belongs on the list of cities you experience at least once. So when my 40th birthday rolled around, my husband and I decided it was the perfect excuse to book the trip, leave the kids at home, and spend five days exploring Paris together.
Our trip was a mix of iconic Paris landmarks, incredible food, slow afternoons, beautiful neighborhoods, and—because I couldn’t possibly go all the way to France without it—a full day at Disneyland Paris.
We arrived in Paris on May 1 and stayed at Hotel du Louvre, which was an amazing home base for exploring the city. We packed a lot into five days, but we also intentionally left room to slow down and enjoy the experience.
Here’s our exact 5-day Paris itinerary, including everything we did, where we went, and how we planned our days.
Our Paris Trip at a Glance
Dates: April 30–May 5, 2026
Trip: 40th birthday trip
Travelers: My husband and me
Hotel: Hotel du Louvre
Arrival airport: Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Departure airport: Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Our itinerary:
- Day 1: Arrive in Paris + Angelina Paris + Eiffel Tower
- Day 2: Louvre Museum + Trocadero + Seine River dinner cruise
- Day 3: Notre-Dame + Le Train Bleu + Sacre Coeur/ Montmartre
- Day 4: Disneyland Paris
- Day 5: Breakfast + head home
Day 1: Arriving in Paris + Eiffel Tower
A joyful woman during a family, maternity, or newborn photo shoot in Raleigh, capturing special moments.After flying from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., and then taking an overnight Air France flight to Paris, we landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport around 11:15 a.m.
And honestly, the fact that our first full day in Paris was also my actual 40th birthday made arriving in the city feel even more exciting.
We grabbed a taxi to Hotel du Louvre, dropped our bags with the bell services, and headed out to start exploring.
The Viral Hot Chocolate at Angelina Paris
One of the first things we wanted to do was something simple: grab some food a drink somewhere iconic.
After traveling overnight, it was the perfect way to ease into Paris.
Rather than immediately rushing from landmark to landmark, we got to sit outside, take in the scenery, and remind ourselves that we were actually in Paris.
So no better place to go that to Angelina to try some French pastries and the viral hot chocolate I had been seeing during my trip research. It lived up to the hype. OMG! The most decadent treat to wash down with pain au chocolat and a glass of rose!
Checking Into Hotel du Louvre
Around 4:00 p.m., we checked into our room at Hotel du Louvre and took a little time to freshen up before our evening plans. What a treat to have our hotel upgrade us to a large suite and leave balloons, wine, and dessert for my birthday. I felt like a princess!
And then it was time for the big one.
Eiffel Tower at Sunset
There is something surreal about seeing the Eiffel Tower in person for the first time.
You’ve seen it in photographs countless times, but standing underneath it and looking up is completely different. It is MASSIVE.
And doing it on my 40th birthday made it even more memorable.
We were actually on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower when it started to sparkle for the first time that evening. Then we made our way to the summit just in time to see the city of lights all lit up. It was a dream to take in the nighttime views from the tippy top!
Our first day in Paris ended with one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and then a late late dinner at Cafe De La Regence. When you are adjusting to the time change, an 11pm dinner doesn’t feel too crazy.
Day 2: The Louvre + A Seine River Dinner Cruise
After a full first day of traveling and sightseeing, we started our second day with one of the most iconic attractions in Paris: the Louvre Museum.
Visiting the Louvre
We had a 9:00 a.m. guided tour of the Louvre with reserved access and, of course, the Mona Lisa.
The Louvre is enormous, so I highly recommend having a plan before you walk through the doors.
You could easily spend an entire day—or several days—inside the museum, but having a guided tour allowed us to see some of the highlights without feeling completely overwhelmed by the size of the museum. Some of my personal favorites: Winged Victory, Venus De Milo, and the Sphinx.
And yes, we saw the Mona Lisa.
Was it smaller than I expected?
Absolutely.
Was the experience still worth it?
Definitely. Top tier experience!
Lunch at Paris’s Oldest Cafe
After a quick nap, we walked from Hotel du Louvre to the oldest cafe in Paris, Le Procope. This cafe opened its doors in 1686 and was the most charming place. The history in the buildings in Paris is other-worldly. We started our three course lunch with a glass of champagne and enjoyed a French meal.
Cafe au lait at Cafe Trocadero
After a good nap, we hopped on the metro for Cafe Trocadero. I just wanted to spend time at a French cafe to eat cheese and people watch.
This was the perfect spot. We had Eiffel Tower views. We ate cheese and baguettes. We sipped coffee. Then we switched to glasses of French wine. The culture here is one I am so envious of. People taking the time to enjoy an easy afternoon together.
This part of the trip ended up being one of my highlights.
A Seine River Dinner Cruise
That evening was the one of the most classic Paris experiences: a Seine River dinner and sightseeing cruise.
We boarded at Port de la Bourdonnais, near the Eiffel Tower, and spent the evening enjoying dinner while seeing Paris from the water.
This was one of my favorite ways to experience the city because so many of Paris’s most beautiful landmarks are completely different when they’re lit up at night.
There’s something pretty magical about cruising down the Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
It was most definitely a SPLURGE but worth is to celebrate a milestone birthday. Our particular cruise had several courses, live music, and a glass top for 360 views of the city from the Seine River.
If there is one thing I would recommend doing above all the other tours, it would be this! We ate, drank, laughed, listened to beautiful music, and saw more than a dozen landmarks from the river. Afterwards, a late night walk alongside the Seine got us to the Metro and back to our hotel.
Day 3: Notre-Dame, Lunch & Montmartre
Our third day started with a little more history.
Mass at Notre-Dame
We had breakfast at the hotel before walking to Notre-Dame Cathedral for Mass. This was a bucket list experience for me.
We arrived early because access to Mass is through a designated queue, and the cathedral recommends arriving ahead of time.
Walking through Paris in the morning and making our way toward Notre-Dame was one of those experiences where the journey itself felt like part of the itinerary. It was drizzly morning so we packed our umbrellas and made our way.
When I turned the corner to see the Notre Dame, it truly took my breath away. It is so massive and majestic. And then the beauty inside the cathedral continued to make my jaw drop.
What a blessing to experience Mass in French at this landmark!
Lunch at Le Train Bleu
After Notre-Dame, we hopped back on the metro and headed to Le Train Bleu for a late lunch.
This was another experience that reminded me why I love travel so much.
It’s not just about checking off famous landmarks. It’s about sitting down somewhere beautiful, ordering something you wouldn’t normally have at home, and letting the afternoon unfold. We ordered the table-side lamb and took in the breath-taking art on all the walls. It is incredible that this place exists inside a train station. It tops the list for one of the most incredible places I’ve ever dined.
Exploring Montmartre
By 4:00 p.m., we were exploring one of the most charming neighborhoods in Paris: Montmartre.
We visited:
- Sacré-Cœur Basilica
- Place du Tertre
- The surrounding streets and cafés
Montmartre has such a completely different feeling from some of the more iconic central Paris landmarks.
The winding streets, artists, cafés, and views over the city made it one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander.
And this was one of those afternoons where we didn’t need to rush.
We could simply walk, look around, take photographs, and enjoy being there. We stopped for an afternoon coffee at a small coffee shop and watched some street performers as we strolled together. It was exactly that walking through a postcard would feel like.
Day 4: Disneyland Paris
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you probably aren’t surprised that Disneyland Paris made it onto our itinerary. I saved it for our last full day- my actual birthday.
We woke up early and had another delicious breakfast of French toast at the hotel and headed to the train station for our day at Disneyland Paris. The train ride on the RER was a wonderful way to see the more rural areas outside of the city.
From Hotel du Louvre, we took Metro Line 1 from Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre and transferred to the RER A toward Marne-la-Vallée Chessy.
Our Disneyland Paris Plan
We started at Disney Adventure World and prioritized several of the attractions we really wanted to experience:
- the brand new World of Frozen
- Tower of Terror
- Crush’s Coaster
- Ratatouille
In the afternoon, we headed over to Disneyland Park for:
- the dragon under the castle
- a glass of champagne on Main Street
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- and all the Star Wars activity (it was May the 4th after all!)
One of the things I loved about doing Disneyland Paris during this trip was checking off my 3rd castle and being able to experience it with Justin.
One minute we were wandering around Montmartre and admiring centuries-old architecture, and the next we were riding Big Thunder Mountain in France.
It was a little unexpected—and completely us.
It was a long day, but absolutely worth it.
And there’s something extra fun about being a Disney fan and getting to experience a castle park in another country. We most definitely want to bring our kids back to experience it with us!
Day 5: One Last Paris Morning
Unfortunately, all good trips eventually have to end.
We started our final morning with one last breakfast at the hotel before checking out of Hotel du Louvre. It was such a treat to have the hotel comp all of our breakfasts during our stay!
Our flight home was at 1:20 p.m., so we arranged for a taxi to take us to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
By 10:20 a.m., we were at the airport and getting ready to board our flight back to Raleigh, completely exhausted and ready to see our beautiful kids.
And just like that, our five days in Paris were over.
What I Loved About Our Paris Itinerary
Looking back, I think the thing I loved most about this trip was the balance.
We didn’t spend every second running from attraction to attraction.
Yes, we had reservations and specific things we wanted to see. But we also left room for the experiences in between.
Coffee at a Paris café.
Walking through Montmartre.
Sitting together and people-watching at Cafe Trocadero.
French onion soup and escargot.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower from the Seine.
Those ended up being just as meaningful as the big attractions.
And perhaps that’s especially true when you’re celebrating a milestone birthday.
Turning 40 made me want to slow down a little and appreciate where I was in life—not just chase the next thing.
Would I Recommend This Paris Itinerary?
Absolutely.
For a first trip to Paris, I think this itinerary gave us a really great mix of the city’s biggest attractions and some of its more relaxed experiences.
We got:
History: Notre-Dame and the Louvre
Iconic landmarks: The Eiffel Tower
Food: Parisian cafés, lunch, and a Seine dinner cruise
Neighborhoods: Montmartre
Culture: Mass at Notre-Dame and exploring Paris on foot
Disney: A full day at Disneyland Paris
Romance: Plenty of time with my husband
Relaxation: Picnics, coffee, people-watching, and wandering
It was busy, but it never felt like we were simply checking boxes.
Tips for Planning a Paris Birthday Trip
Stay somewhere central.
Our stay at Hotel du Louvre made getting around incredibly convenient. When you’re only in Paris for five days, location can make a huge difference.
Book your major attractions ahead of time.
We had reservations for the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Seine dinner cruise. Having those scheduled meant we could build the rest of each day around them. I went through Viator for our reservations.
Don’t underestimate walking.
Some of our favorite Paris moments happened simply because we were walking from one place to another. Wear comfortable shoes!!
Leave room for slow moments.
This might be my biggest recommendation.
Don’t fill every single hour of your Paris itinerary.
Give yourself time to sit at a café. Grab a pastry. People-watch. Take the scenic route. This is the culture.
And if you’re a Disney family…
Consider adding Disneyland Paris.
It’s easy to assume that you need to choose between a “Paris trip” and a “Disney trip,” but we loved having both.
This is exactly how I wanted to spend my 40th birthday. Paris, you were worth the wait.
