If you missed any of our previous Disneyland Paris (1, 2 or 3) or Paris (1 or 2)Trip Reports then click on the corresponding number to catch up!

Our final night at Disneyland Paris was a late one. After exiting the park and getting our bags from Sequoia Lodge, we took a Lyft to Hotel Moxy in Val d’Europe. Getting there went smoothly and we checked-in before midnight. Dropping off our bags, we grabbed a drink and then got our exhausted selves off to bed. Sleeping in the next morning felt very good!

We only stayed there for a night, as we wanted to spend the final 2 days of the trip inside of Paris. Our late start meant that we caught the train back into the city in the late morning and we dropped off our bags at the new hotel, inside the Latin Quarter, in the early afternoon. The hotel was tiny but we loved the location and would look to stay in that area again when we make it back to Paris.

After dropping off our bags and grabbing a great sandwich at a patisserie, we were off to Musée d’Orsay. We had kept our options open for the last two days of the trip but after loving our experience at The Louvre, we were eager to go see d’Orsay. Tickets were easily purchased ahead of time and the walk from the Latin Quarter took about 20 minutes.

Musée d’Orsay is inside of an old train station and has an incredible selection of paintings. This felt more like a traditional art museum while the Louvre was gigantic and vast. We started on the ground floor and worked our way through the different exhibits. My favorite of the collections down there were some paintings of Paris and the French Revolution. A few Degas and Monet pieces were down there, as well, which was a treat.

Eventually, we made our way up to the 5th floor. Everything before that was great, we were fully enjoying ourselves and saw why the museum is cited as one of the best in the world. But the 5th floor steals the show, offering the greatest collection of art that I’ve ever experienced.

It all starts innocently enough once you climb the stairs. There are a few paintings that set the scene before reaching a room full of Monet’s. From there, it’s masterpiece after masterpiece like you’re reading an art history book except it’s the real paintings right before your eyes. Watching Monet’s style change chronologically was a treat and now I feel like I’m not just making stuff up when I say I prefer his later art.

The rooms start to fill up with other spectacular artists and paintings too. Degas adds his darker style to a few of the rooms with Monet’s landscapes. The collection concludes triumphantly with a few different Van Gogh paintings including Starry Night. At that point, I was just trying to make sure my jaw wasn’t permanently dropped.

We’re lucky to travel as much as we do and have experienced some of the greatest half hours of our lives during trips. Seeing the sun set behind Mt. Fuji, walking around DisneySea for the first time and swimming with sharks in Belize come to mind. There aren’t many moments I’ve experienced that match the 5th floor of d’Orsay. Some places just feel like hallowed ground no matter where you’re from or what you believe. This is one of them.

Not fully knowing what to do with ourselves after seeing all of those great works, we went and saw a few highlights that we missed. My favorite of those was Polar Bear (Pompon) which I included below. There’s a few other photos from our time in d’Orsay in there, as well. We stopped in at the gift shop on our way out. After not buying many souvenirs before this, we splurged and bought a number of keepsakes.

Comparing The Louvre to d’Orsay is tough. As a full experience, I probably enjoyed The Louvre a little more. It has the space and grandeur to really set up the pieces that everyone comes to see. You’re not just there to see the artwork, you’re there to take in the historic buildings and expertly crafted framing of the collection. On the other hand, d’Orsay just straight bowls you over with stunning piece after stunning piece. Make time for both if you have a few days in Paris.

We exited d’Orsay as golden hour was arriving. After taking a few minutes around the museum’s outside statues, we set off along the Seine toward the Eiffel Tower. It was a walk that we had done in bits and pieces over the last week. Doing the half hour walk (or a little more) seemed like a fitting last evening in Paris.

It was a chilly evening (this was mid-February) but we passed by so many runners, walkers and people just enjoying the view of the river. People really seem out and about in Paris and I really enjoyed that. That didn’t make it frantic, more just active. With so many historic landmarks in the historic city, I thought the people made it come to life.

And why wouldn’t you want to be active in a place like this? Every iconic spot lived up to our expectations. We were swept up in the romanticism and that was all capped by blue hour at the Eiffel Tower. When we visited the first night, we completely forgot about the landmark lighting up every hour (typically on the hour).

We arrived about a half an hour before the Eiffel Tower would light up and walked around by the river. Eventually we moved up to the street and took in the shimmering. The icon is stunning, especially at night. While this was a repeat of our first night in Paris, I’m really glad we went back.

There was a Creperie called Briezh Cafe that we kept meaning to try while in Paris and we finally ended up there on the last night. There are a few throughout France and Japan. This was my favorite meal we had in Paris, with incredibly fresh ingredients and delicious buckwheat crepes. There were some traditional options mixed with more creative, fusion style crepes. I had a savory sausage crepe, that was rolled up almost like a sushi roll. It was fantastic!

Unsurprisingly, dessert was also amazing! We highly recommend eating here.

We left the restaurant and headed back toward the Latin Quarter, taking a train to get there. Not quite ready to call it a night, we walked around by the Pantheon. A large group of college aged kids were playing cards off to the side and the mood was festive despite it being 40 degrees.

We wandered around aimlessly for a while, passing the Pantheon, an old theater and some bustling cafes. It was a lovely walk and a delightful end to the day.

We didn’t have to be at the airport until mid-afternoon the next day so we decided to end our time in Paris on a river cruise! This was on the list we wanted to do in the city but weren’t sure how to fit it in. Travel days are a little weird in the first place, as you don’t want to over plan before getting to the airport. A cruise on the Seine was a perfect last plan in Paris.

After dropping off our bags in the hotel lobby, we grabbed a quick baguette sandwich and headed to the boat. There are a few different companies that do river cruises, including some that are more like water taxis. We chose a more touristy option that seated a few hundred people on 2 large decks. We got a great spot on the top deck, in the front row of the boat. Grabbing that spot as fast as we could, we didn’t account for how cold it would be. The icy wind blew in our face for most of the ride.

No matter though, the ride was gorgeous! We cruised down to one end of Paris, past Notre Dame, before turning around and going back up by the Eiffel Tower. It was a great way to orient yourself with the city and might be worth doing on one of the first days of a trip if you’re interested!

The whole ride lasted a little over an hour and was a perfect cap. Seeing all of the sights we enjoyed all week from the water was a new perspective. Not that we necessarily needed that new perspective, we were really taken by the city and look forward to going back. The culture, food and icons all lived up to expectations. Paris was a dream, one that I’d been looking forward to for many years and one that will stick with me until we get back there again.

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