Why Paris?
Paris is the world's most visited city for good reason. Nowhere else can you walk from a Renaissance palace to a Haussmann boulevard to a contemporary art museum in under an hour. It rewards slow exploration, linger over coffee, cut through covered passages, stumble onto a Sunday market. The challenge is not finding things to do; it's deciding what to skip.
This guide gives you structured, time-efficient itineraries for 3, 5, and 7 days, built around real travel times between attractions so you're not burning your afternoon commuting across the city.
Paris at a Glance
3-Day Paris Itinerary
Three days is enough to see Paris's iconic landmarks without feeling rushed, provided you cluster stops geographically. Use the Métro to bridge areas; most landmark clusters are walkable within themselves.
Champ-de-Mars to the Louvre
- Eiffel Tower, Book skip-the-line tickets online. Arrive early (9 am) to beat the crowd. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
- Trocadéro Gardens, Cross the Seine for the best Eiffel Tower photo angle. 20-minute stroll.
- Musée d'Orsay, Impressionist masterworks, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh. Allow 2–3 hours. Closed Mondays.
- Tuileries Garden, Walk east through these formal gardens towards the Louvre. Great picnic spot.
- Louvre Museum, Don't try to see everything. Focus on the Denon Wing: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory. Allow 2–3 hours.
Île de la Cité to Marais
- Notre-Dame Cathedral, Exterior viewing while restoration continues; the square and surrounding Île de la Cité are beautiful.
- Sainte-Chapelle, The finest Gothic stained glass in existence. Often overlooked, never crowded early.
- Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris's oldest covered market (1628). Lunch: Moroccan, Japanese, French, all exceptional.
- Place des Vosges, The most elegant square in Paris. Walk the arcades, peek into galleries, sit under the linden trees.
- Centre Pompidou, Modern and contemporary art, plus panoramic rooftop views. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
Montmartre or a Day Trip to Versailles
- Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Climb the steps at sunrise for city-wide views without the afternoon crowds.
- Place du Tertre, Historic artists' square. Touristy but charming in the morning.
- Rue Lepic Market, Pick up lunch provisions from this lively neighbourhood market street.
- Espace Dalí, A museum dedicated to Salvador Dalí's surrealist sculptures and drawings, just off Place du Tertre.
- Galeries Lafayette, The Art Nouveau dome is worth seeing even if you don't shop. Free rooftop terrace.
5-Day Paris Itinerary
With five days you can add a Versailles day trip, explore the quieter arrondissements, and spend proper time in the museums you rushed through on a short trip. Days 1–3 stay the same; add these two:
Day Trip (40 min by RER C from Paris)
- Palace of Versailles, Hall of Mirrors, State Apartments, King's and Queen's chambers. Book in advance. Allow 3–4 hours inside.
- Gardens of Versailles, Formal French gardens stretch 800 hectares. Rent a golf cart or bike. Free admission to gardens (€10 for fountains show weekends).
- Lunch in Versailles Town, Far cheaper than the palace restaurants. The town square has good brasseries.
Intellectual Paris
- Panthéon, The mausoleum of France's greatest thinkers, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Voltaire. Stunning neoclassical interior.
- Shakespeare and Company, The most famous English bookshop in the world. Browse and read for free.
- Luxembourg Gardens, A Parisian staple. Watch the model sailboats, find a chair in the sun, people-watch.
- Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots, Overpriced but historic. The existentialists argued here. One coffee is worth it.
- Musée de Cluny, National Museum of the Middle Ages. Home to the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Often missed, genuinely extraordinary.
Paris Travel Tips
- Buy a carnet of 10 Métro tickets or load a Navigo Easy card, cheaper than individual journeys.
- Most major museums are free on the first Sunday of each month.
- Book the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Versailles online in advance, queues can be 1–2 hours without tickets.
- Paris is a walking city. If two stops are under 20 minutes on foot, skip the Métro.
- Restaurants serve lunch 12–2:30 pm and dinner 7:30–10:30 pm. Arrive on the dot for the best experience.
- Water fountains (Wallace fountains) throughout the city offer free, safe drinking water.
- Tipping is not compulsory but rounding up the bill or leaving €1–2 for good service is appreciated.
Paris Budget Guide
Hostels, boulangeries, picnics, free museums on first Sunday
3-star hotel, brasserie lunches, paid museum entry
Palace hotels, Michelin dining, private guides
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