Itineraries

3 Days in Paris

The premium itinerary for a complete first visit

3 days· Medium

Practical plan

Walking: ~5 km per day, comfortable pace
Transport: Navigo Easy + metro (lines 1, 4, 6, 12). Vélib' along the Seine.
Good for: Complete first visit, couples, families with teens
Weather: Year-round. In winter, weight afternoons toward museums.
Best time: April–June and September–October

Starts at: Eiffel Tower Ends at: Eiffel Tower

Steps

1
Day 1
Day 1 · morning
Eiffel Tower & Trocadéro
Arrive at Trocadéro by 8:30am for the best view, then cross the Seine and go up the tower (online booking essential).
Why this stop
Paris's icon and its best morning viewpoint, before the crowds arrive.
Best photo moment
From place du Trocadéro, slightly to the left to frame the tower with the fountains.
Insider tip
Book summit tickets 60 days ahead; stairs to the 2nd floor are cheaper and skip the line.
Time to allow
2h30
Nearby idea
Champ-de-Mars for a picnic, Quai Branly museum 10 min walk away.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
2
Day 1
Day 1 · afternoon
Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe
Walk down the world's most famous avenue from l'Étoile, then climb the Arc for the twelve-avenue star.
Why this stop
A lesson in Haussmann urbanism and a 360° panorama in the heart of Paris.
Good to know
Use the underground passage to reach the Arc — crossing on foot is forbidden.
Insider tip
Unknown Soldier flame ceremony every day at 6:30pm — quietly moving.
Time to allow
3h with the walk
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
3
Day 1
Day 1 · evening
Dinner & Tower sparkle
Dinner at a 7th-arrondissement bistro near Champ-de-Mars, then settle on the lawn for the five magical minutes on the hour.
Best photo moment
From the central Champ-de-Mars lawn, aligned with the tower, just before the top of the hour.
Insider tip
The sparkle lasts 5 minutes every hour until 11pm (1am in summer).
Heads up
Watch for street vendors and keep bags in front of you; the lawn is very busy at night.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
4
Day 2
Day 2 · morning
Louvre — focused visit (3h)
Enter at opening via the Richelieu passage (shorter line than the Pyramid). Focus on the Denon wing — Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Italian painting — then Sully.
Why this stop
The world's largest museum; a focused visit beats a marathon.
Insider tip
Timed ticket required via ticketlouvre.fr; free the first Friday of the month after 6pm.
Time to allow
3h maximum
Heads up
Closed on Tuesdays. Cloakroom mandatory for large bags.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
5
Day 2
Day 2 · noon
Lunch at the Tuileries
Pause in the garden, green chairs by the pond, an Amorino or Berthillon gelato as you drift towards Concorde.
Insider tip
Grab a sandwich or salad at Cédric Grolet Opéra or Maison Landemaine, 10 min walk away.
Time to allow
1h
Nearby idea
Musée de l'Orangerie (Monet's Water Lilies) at the end of the garden.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
6
Day 2
Day 2 · afternoon
Île de la Cité & Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle and its 13th-century stained glass, the Notre-Dame façade under restoration, then a stroll to Pont Neuf and place Dauphine.
Why this stop
1,113 biblical scenes in stained glass — one of Paris's most powerful visual experiences.
Insider tip
Visit on a sunny late morning so the light pours through the windows.
Time to allow
2h
Heads up
Airport-style security check at the entrance (Palais de Justice).
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
7
Day 2
Day 2 · evening
Dinner in the Marais
Place des Vosges at sunset, lively lanes, a neighbourhood bistro or falafel on rue des Rosiers at L'As or Miznon.
Why this stop
Pre-Haussmann Paris kept intact: private mansions, cobbled courtyards, buzzing street life.
Insider tip
Book the bistro before 7pm; the best tables go fast on weekends.
Nearby idea
Picasso Museum, Musée Carnavalet (free), Village Saint-Paul for antiques.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
8
Day 3
Day 3 · morning
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
Head up early via rue Lepic: cobbled streets, place du Tertre, the rue Saint-Vincent vineyard, panorama from Sacré-Cœur.
Best photo moment
From the steps of square Louise-Michel, dome centered and Paris spread below.
Insider tip
Skip the funicular at peak hours: the stairs are part of the experience.
Time to allow
2h30
Heads up
Beware of “free” bracelets on the steps and shell-game scams: classic tourist traps.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
9
Day 3
Day 3 · afternoon
Musée d'Orsay
Impressionists and post-impressionists on the 5th floor: Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas, Cézanne. Allow 2 hours and keep time for the great clock over the Seine.
Why this stop
The former railway station that holds the world's greatest Impressionist collection.
Insider tip
Late opening Thursdays until 9:45pm: fewer crowds and evening light on the Seine.
Time to allow
2h
Heads up
Closed on Mondays. Photos allowed without flash or tripod.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
10
Day 3
Day 3 · late afternoon
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots, bookshops on rue de l'Odéon, the Romanesque church, and the Luxembourg garden nearby to catch your breath.
Why this stop
The literary quarter of Sartre, Beauvoir, Hemingway — still alive.
Insider tip
Café on the terrace: budget €6–8 and take your time — no one will rush you.
Nearby idea
Luxembourg garden, Delacroix Museum (place Furstenberg), Odéon theatre.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps
11
Day 3
Day 3 · evening
Sunset Seine river cruise
Sunset boat: every bridge, every lit monument in one hour. Departure from Pont d'Iéna or Pont Neuf.
Why this stop
The most elegant and relaxing way to say goodbye to Paris.
Insider tip
Book the slot starting 30 min before sunset to catch the golden light.
Time to allow
1h
Heads up
Bring a light jacket: it's always cooler on the water.
Open place guide Open in Google Maps

Tips

·Buy a Navigo Easy on arrival (€5), then top up with tickets or a weekly pass
·Book Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Orsay and Sainte-Chapelle online (timed slots)
·Stay near a central metro (Marais, Saint-Germain, Opéra) to save time
·Families: add a Champ-de-Mars carousel and the Luxembourg toy sailboats
·Couples: book the sunset river cruise and a Saint-Louis dinner on day 2
·First-timers: keep day 3 flexible — Paris rewards walking, not rushing

Nearby

Eiffel Tower

Built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel for the World's Fair, the Iron Lady rises 330 metres and remains the ultimate symbol of Paris.

Arc de Triomphe

Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor the Grande Armée, it crowns the Place de l'Étoile at the top of the Champs-Élysées.

Louvre Museum

The world's largest museum and former royal palace, the Louvre holds 35,000 works including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Tuileries Garden

Paris's first public garden, designed by Le Nôtre, between the Louvre and Concorde.

Île de la Cité

Historical cradle of Paris in the middle of the Seine, the founding site of Lutetia.

Le Marais

A historic aristocratic quarter turned trendy heart of Paris, mixing mansions and boutiques.