Planning a trip to Paris? This guide covers the best Paris itinerary — how to structure your days, what order to visit the sights, and what's actually worth your time in the City of Light.
✔ Best 2-day plan: Eiffel Tower + Louvre + Seine cruise
✔ Best for first-timers: 4-day balanced itinerary
✔ Best experience: Versailles day trip on day 4 or 5
Day 1: Icons — Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars & Seine Cruise
Start your Paris trip with its most iconic landmark. Head to the Eiffel Tower for your pre-booked time slot, then spend time in the Champ de Mars gardens below. Walk along the Seine to the Trocadéro for the classic tower photograph looking back. In the afternoon, explore the Invalides complex — Napoleon's tomb and the excellent Musée de l'Armée are both here. End the day with an evening Seine river cruise as Paris's monuments light up after dark.
Tip: Book Eiffel Tower tickets the moment your dates are confirmed — summit slots sell out 2–3 weeks ahead in peak season. Evening slots are the most popular and go first.
Day 2: Art & History — Louvre, Tuileries & Marais
Devote your second morning to the Louvre — arrive at opening (9am) with your pre-booked timed-entry ticket. Prioritise the Denon wing for the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory, then allow yourself to get pleasantly lost in the Egyptian antiquities. After lunch in the Tuileries Garden, cross to Le Marais for the afternoon — the Place des Vosges, the Picasso Museum, and the neighbourhood's excellent galleries and independent shops. Finish with dinner in the Jewish Quarter on Rue des Rosiers.
Tip: The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. Enter via the Richelieu entrance (less crowded than the pyramid) and go straight to the Mona Lisa first — the crowd around it builds significantly by mid-morning.
Day 3: Impressionism, Montmartre & the Latin Quarter
Spend the morning at the Musée d'Orsay — the world's finest Impressionist collection, inside a stunning converted train station on the Seine. Then cross the river to the Latin Quarter for lunch around Place de la Contrescarpe. In the afternoon, take the Metro up to Montmartre. Explore the village streets, the vineyard, and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the summit. The view over Paris from the steps is one of the city's finest and costs nothing. Evening: aperitif at a Montmartre wine bar, dinner in the neighbourhood.
Tip: Musée d'Orsay is closed on Mondays. Thursday evening visits (open until 9:45pm) are quieter than daytime — a good option if you're rearranging days.
Day 4: Palace of Versailles — Full Day Trip
Take the RER C train from central Paris to Versailles — 40 minutes, running every 15 minutes. Spend the morning inside the palace: the State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and the Royal Chapel. After lunch, explore the Grand and Petit Trianon and, if time allows, Marie Antoinette's Hameau (her private hamlet in the grounds). The formal gardens are spectacular in spring and summer. Return to Paris in the evening for dinner in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Tip: Buy a Versailles passport ticket in advance online — it covers all buildings and avoids the ticket queue on arrival. Arrive at palace opening (9am) before the main tour groups. Avoid Mondays — the palace is closed.
Day 5 (Optional): Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame & the Islands
If you have a fifth day, spend the morning on the Île de la Cité — the ancient island heart of Paris. Sainte-Chapelle, with its extraordinary Gothic stained glass, is one of the most breathtaking interiors in France. Notre-Dame Cathedral reopened in December 2024 after five years of restoration following the 2019 fire — visiting it is a genuinely special experience right now. In the afternoon, cross to the Île Saint-Louis for ice cream at Berthillon and a quiet wander along the quays. End in Saint-Germain for coffee, books, and a final Parisian evening.
Tip: Pre-book Sainte-Chapelle tickets to skip the queue. Notre-Dame entry is free but timed-entry reservations are required — book ahead via the official website.
3-Day Paris Itinerary (Condensed)
Short on time? Day 1 — Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, evening Seine cruise. Day 2 — Louvre (morning), Le Marais (afternoon), dinner in the Jewish Quarter. Day 3 — Musée d'Orsay (morning), Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur (afternoon), sunset from the Sacré-Cœur steps. Busy but entirely doable with pre-booked tickets at every step.
Getting Around Paris
Paris has one of the world's best Metro systems — 16 lines covering the entire city. A carnet of 10 t+ tickets or a Navigo Easy card (loaded with pay-as-you-go credit) is the most economical way to travel. The RER suburban train extends to Versailles, the airports, and Disneyland Paris. Cycling via Vélib' bike-share is excellent for flat central Paris. Taxis are metered and reliable via the G7 app; Uber operates throughout the city.
FAQs
Is Paris worth visiting?
Paris has more to offer than almost any city on earth — art, food, architecture, fashion, and neighbourhoods that reward weeks of exploration. Even repeat visitors rarely feel they've seen it all.
When is the best time to visit Paris?
April–June and September–October are ideal — beautiful weather, manageable crowds, and the city at its most photogenic. Christmas in Paris is also magical if you can handle the cold.
How many days do you need?
Four days is the sweet spot for first-timers. Three days is doable if you're efficient and book everything in advance. Five or more days allows a genuinely relaxed and local experience.