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Five experiences are enough to frame a first stay in Paris: the Eiffel Tower sparkling from the Trocadéro after dark, the Denon wing of the Louvre, Notre-Dame restored on the Île de la Cité, Montmartre at first light and a late afternoon wandering the Marais. Add a Seine river cruise or the Arc de Triomphe terrace if you like a good view: the whole list fits comfortably into three days. To turn it into an actual plan, our 3-day Paris itinerary maps out each neighbourhood in detail.
You think you know Paris before you’ve ever set foot there: the Eiffel Tower, the café terraces, the riverbanks. The reality is more interesting. Paris is a patchwork of villages that don’t resemble one another, where a ten-minute walk takes you from a seventeenth-century townhouse to a bustling street market. It’s also the most visited city in Europe, which calls for a bit of method: knowing what to book, what to do for free and what time to go where. Here’s the full picture, theme by theme, to help you build a stay around what you actually want to do.
The unmissable sights in Paris
The Eiffel Tower first, of course. Two ways to enjoy it: go up (around 36 euros to the top by lift, 12 euros by the stairs to the second floor, booking online is close to compulsory, tickets open 60 days ahead) or admire it for free from the Trocadéro esplanade the moment it sparkles: 5 minutes at the start of every hour after dark.
The Louvre comes next (22 euros, closed on Tuesdays, book a timed slot): the world’s biggest museum isn’t something you “do”, it’s something you sample section by section. The Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the great Romantic-era canvases fit into half a day. Notre-Dame de Paris, reopened in late 2024 after five years of works, is free to visit; book a slot on the official app to skip the queue. Round it off with the neighbouring Sainte-Chapelle (13 euros), whose thirteenth-century stained glass outshines anything else you’ll see, and the Arc de Triomphe (16 euros): its terrace gives the most complete view over the city, Eiffel Tower included.
Museums and culture
After the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay (16 euros, closed on Mondays) is the second big visit: the Impressionist collection housed in a former Belle Époque railway station, with Monet, Van Gogh and Degas leading the bill. Smaller in scale, the Musée de l’Orangerie in the Tuileries (12.50 euros) shows Monet’s Water Lilies in two oval rooms built specifically for them, an hour-long visit that fits neatly between two neighbourhoods. The Musée Rodin and its sculpture garden (where The Thinker sits outdoors) offer the most restful break in the 7th arrondissement.
Two up-to-date pieces of information to avoid disappointment: the Centre Pompidou is closed for renovation until 2030, and the Opéra Garnier makes a fine substitute on your programme (self-guided visit for around 15 euros): the grand marble staircase, gilded foyers and Chagall ceiling are easily worth a museum visit.
The most beautiful neighbourhoods to explore
The Marais remains the most rewarding to wander: Place des Vosges and its arcades, the grand townhouses, Rue des Rosiers with its falafel and the designer boutiques. Montmartre is best enjoyed before 9.30am, while the Sacré-Cœur steps and the lanes around Place du Tertre still belong to the locals. Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter make an ideal Left Bank pairing for late afternoon: historic bookshops, cafés and medieval streets around the Seine.
To see the Paris that Parisians actually live in, walk along the Canal Saint-Martin: metal footbridges, locks, neighbourhood cafés and picnics on the banks as soon as the sun comes out. This is where the city gets on with its life without performing for anyone.
Where to eat and drink in Paris
The golden rule: the shorter the menu, the better the food. Neighbourhood bistros serve a lunch menu for between 20 and 28 euros, often the best gastronomic deal in the city; in the evening, budget 35 to 50 euros per person with a glass of wine. Three safe bets for atmosphere: Rue Mouffetard (5th), one of the oldest shopping streets in Paris, the Marché des Enfants-Rouges in the Marais (the capital’s oldest covered market, dating from 1615, ideal for a quick lunch between Moroccan, Japanese and Italian stalls) and Rue des Martyrs (9th) for cheesemongers, wine merchants and pastry shops.
Don’t leave without a croissant from an award-winning bakery (around 1.50 euros, look out for the “best croissant in Paris” signs) and an old-fashioned hot chocolate; and be wary of terraces with menus translated into six languages near the main landmarks, rarely worth what they charge.
Experiences and activities
A Seine river cruise remains a classic that still delivers: an hour on the water (15 to 17 euros), best done at sunset to pass under the Pont Alexandre III and in front of Notre-Dame in golden light. Those who’d rather stay active can cycle along the riverbanks: the quaysides are pedestrianised and cycle-friendly, and a day pass on a Vélib’ bike costs a few euros.
To get some height without paying for the Eiffel Tower, the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette (Boulevard Haussmann) is free, with the Opéra in the foreground. Bargain-hunters can dedicate a Sunday morning to the Saint-Ouen flea market, the largest antiques market in the world, on the city’s northern edge. And for couples, the blue hour at the Pont Alexandre III, its lampposts lit and Les Invalides in the background, is the most spectacular photo backdrop in Paris.
What to do for free in Paris
Paris is an expensive city that’s still very easy to enjoy without spending a penny. The Père Lachaise Cemetery reads like an open-air museum, past the graves of Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison; free entry, a map is worth picking up. The gardens (Luxembourg, the Tuileries, Buttes-Chaumont with its suspended footbridge) are free, as are the churches, Notre-Dame and the Sacré-Cœur chief among them. The Coulée verte, a planted walkway on a former railway viaduct in the 12th arrondissement, inspired New York’s High Line.
A little-known tip among foreign visitors but worth knowing: the permanent collections of the Musées de la Ville de Paris (Carnavalet for the history of Paris, the Musée d’Art Moderne, the Petit Palais) are free all year round. And on the first Sunday of the month, several national museums, including Orsay, open for free: just accept there’ll be a crowd.
Around Paris
Versailles is the star excursion: 40 minutes by RER C, a full day on site between the Hall of Mirrors, the gardens and the Trianon Estate (Passport ticket around 24 to 32 euros depending on the day, closed on Mondays, booking essential). Less crowded and more authentic, the Palace of Fontainebleau (around 40 minutes by train from Gare de Lyon, then a bus) was the true home of the kings of France for eight centuries; you can wander freely, without the Versailles crowds, for 14 euros. From April to October, painting lovers should head to Giverny: Claude Monet’s house and gardens, water lilies included, 45 minutes by train from Gare Saint-Lazare then a shuttle.
How many days do you need to visit Paris?
A 3-day city break is enough to cover the big essentials: the Île de la Cité, the Louvre, Montmartre, the Marais, the Eiffel Tower and even a day at Versailles or the Musée d’Orsay. In 2 days, you keep the essentials and skip the excursion; in 4 or 5, you can add the Canal Saint-Martin, Père Lachaise and real time to just wander. To save yourself the planning, follow our 3-day Paris itinerary: the visits are already grouped by neighbourhood, with what to book ahead and the budget for each.
Practical tips for visiting Paris
April to June and September to October: good light, open terraces and reasonable crowds. December for the shop windows and Christmas markets. July and August are busy and can be scorching.
3 days for the essentials, 4 to 5 to add an excursion (Versailles, Fontainebleau or Giverny) and to breathe between museums.
Metro (2.50-euro ticket, day Navigo pass around 12 euros) and plenty of walking: the central neighbourhoods are all within reach on foot. RER B from Roissy (13 euros), line 14 from Orly.
100 to 160 euros a day per person for a comfortable trip (a 3-star double room, bistro meals, two paid visits). 60 to 80 euros on a tighter budget thanks to free museums and bakeries.
The Eiffel Tower (60 days ahead), the Louvre, Versailles, the Sainte-Chapelle. Notre-Dame: a free slot on the app the day before. Book top restaurants several weeks ahead.
National museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays (check before planning), municipal museums are free, and most major sights are free for under-18s and for EU residents aged 18 to 25.
To plan your stay hour by hour according to the weather and your mood, our guide to planning a city break with AI does the sorting for you, and our tips for estimating and tracking your travel budget help you set boundaries in a city where the bill climbs fast. Fancy comparing before you decide? London in 3 days and Brussels in 3 days are both under 2.5 hours by train from Paris.
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Frequently asked questions
What to do in Paris in 1 day?
With just one day, focus on a central axis: Notre-Dame and the Île de la Cité in the morning, the Louvre (two sections only) or the Musée d’Orsay in the early afternoon, the Tuileries and Place de la Concorde next, then the Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro after dark. Nearly all of it can be done on foot, and you’ll have seen the monumental heart of the city without racing across the whole metro map.
What to do in Paris when it rains?
Paris is arguably the best city in Europe in the rain: the Louvre, Orsay and the Orangerie each fill half a day indoors, the covered arcades of the 2nd arrondissement (Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas) can be explored like a free museum, and the Opéra Garnier or the department stores on Boulevard Haussmann round out the day. Add a hot chocolate in a historic café and the rain becomes an excuse rather than a problem.
What to do for free in Paris?
Plenty: the permanent collections of the municipal museums (Carnavalet, Petit Palais, Musée d’Art Moderne), Notre-Dame and the Sacré-Cœur, Père Lachaise, all the big gardens, the Seine riverbanks, the Coulée verte and the Galeries Lafayette rooftop. On the first Sunday of the month, several national museums are also free. A whole day without spending anything beyond the metro fare is entirely realistic.
What to do in Paris in the evening?
The great classic: watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle (5 minutes at the start of every hour after dark) from the Trocadéro or the Champ de Mars. After that, depending on your taste: a night cruise on the Seine, a bistro dinner in Saint-Germain or the 11th, a bar crawl between Oberkampf and the Canal Saint-Martin, cabaret or opera if you’ve booked ahead. The riverbanks, lively late into the evening in fine weather, remain the safest bet for a night-time stroll.
How many days do you need to visit Paris?
Three days is the right length for a first visit: the essentials, one major museum and an Eiffel Tower evening, with Versailles as an option. Two days give you a dense taste, five let you explore the less touristy neighbourhoods and fit in one or two excursions. Beyond that, Paris is something you live in more than visit: that’s when it’s time to pick a neighbourhood and settle in for a while.
Conclusion
Overwhelming landmarks, world-class museums, hillside villages and street markets: Paris rewards both a tightly planned schedule and pure aimless wandering. The right balance is to book three or four major visits and leave the rest to chance, croissant in hand. To turn the urge into an actual plan, our 3-day Paris itinerary lays out the stay neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and the Planhora trip planner adapts it to your dates and preferences in minutes.
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