The Eiffel Tower’s surrounding park is a great place to spend a sunny day picnicking in the grass, like in this TikTok by @postcardsfromayana. It’s the ideal place to snap selfies with the monument and snack on a croissant. There are street vendors to shop nearby and a carousel next to the river, and you can even ride all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower for a panoramic view of beautiful Paris. If it’s your first time in the romantic city, this should be your first stop.

It’s not easy to miss the Seine river that flows through the city, so on your way throughout your day make sure to stop by for a few minutes and take in the view like in this TikTok by @kingainfrance. You’ll see small boats riding down holding people popping champagne bottles, couples walking hand-in-hand along the bank, and some spots of the connecting bridges still hold love locks that that’ll warm your heart to read.

Before you plan a day trip, keep in mind that many museums in Paris are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, including the Louvre. I visited the city on a Tuesday, so I decided to check out the Musée d’Orsay, and it was actually the perfect museum if you just have a few hours you don’t have plans for. You can see in @bellaofoz’s TikTok that it’s especially cool because it’s in a railway station built in 1900 and houses famous Impressionist and post-Impressionist works by artists like Claude Monet and Van Gogh. I was able to see every gallery in one afternoon, including the beautiful sculpture hall and 19th-century decorative arts and furniture.

Even though The Louvre was closed the day I was in Paris, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the Jardin de Tuileries that surround the museum, which is also where Emily from Emily in Paris enjoys a Kir Royale cocktail with Luc and Julien.

Recommended by @yovivi_re, the blooming public garden was designed over 500 years ago and is gorgeous in every season. You’ll find fountains and marble statues on the charming pathways and you can ride the ferris wheel for a birds-eye view of the park and the whole city.

While the Palace of Versailles is outside of central Paris, it’s a spectacular place to spend the morning or afternoon of your 24-hour trip in Paris. There, you can explore the opulent interiors of the palace like “The Hall of Mirrors” and walk through French history in the vast royal gardens, like in this TikTok by @fracker50. You can stick around for musical fountain shows at night too, or take a bike tour around the estate during the day. Upon purchasing a ticket online, you can download an app that provides audio tours and a map of the entire grounds so you can see everything you want on your own terms.

Since I’m plant-based, I thought it’d be best to look up my lunch ahead of time, and I am so glad I did. @marie_sweetandsour’s TikTok led me to Cloud Cakes coffee shop, which happened to be on the way to my next stop. At an outdoor table I enjoyed a quinoa salad and refreshing gazpacho, plus a dreamy iced coffee and pistachio macaron to fuel my day of fun. I discovered that the cafe was tucked into a vibrant hub for casual dining in the Rue Montorgueil neighborhood, so definitely check out this area that’s not too far from The Louvre for an easy afternoon bite.

I found out about the picturesque Montmarte neighborhood — also known as the art district— from @anneorion’s TikTok. There are so many hidden gems to see, like the “I Love You Wall,” La Maison Rose “The Pink House,” and a jaw-dropping above view of Paris in the Sacré-Coeur basilica. I made my way there around dinner time, and the historic streets were alive with music, outdoor cafes, and friendly Parisians having a good time under the sunset. This is a great area to walk around and discover as you go. Photography lovers will love its quaint, vintage feel and the colorful buildings that line narrow cobblestone streets.

If you have a lot of plans to hit in one day, chances are you’ll need to take the metro. It’ll cut down on travel time and a lot of money in taxi fares, but it’s also absolutely an experience in itself. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to navigate once you get your bearings, and it’s a lot cleaner than most subways in the US. If your feet are getting tired, don’t be afraid to take the train. You can even hop on a special metro line shared by @jesusypatino to pass the Eiffel Tower in all its glory.

My one non-negotiable Paris bucket list item was to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. I learned from @simplyrasha that it only sparkles for five minutes on the hour, starting after nightfall, so you need to plan ahead if you want to catch it glitter. I grabbed a hot espresso and a crêpe from a park vender and found a comfy spot in the grass of the Parc du Champ De Mars to wait for the show. It’s really a magical and quintessential Parisian experience that only lasts a fleeting moment and is free to enjoy, unless you want to grab dessert like I did for just a few euros.