Three days is a comfortable length for a first visit and close to the sweet spot for Paris. It gives you the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and a Seine cruise on day one, the Louvre with the islands, Notre-Dame, and Sainte-Chapelle on day two, and a Montmartre-plus-Orsay-and-Marais day three that balances a hilltop village with the great Impressionist collection. You eat in three different quarters, fit both a park pause and the museums that matter, and still move at a pace that lets you sit on a terrace rather than sprint past it. What still gets cut is the Versailles day trip, which is exactly what a fourth day adds. This suits first-timers, couples, and anyone routing on to Amsterdam next. Stay in Saint-Germain: it walks to the Orsay, the Louvre over the river, and the Luxembourg Gardens, and its cafes make an elegant base for the evenings. Pre-book the Eiffel summit, the Louvre and Orsay slots, and a free Notre-Dame reservation before you fly.
Duration
3 days
Base
Saint-Germain-des-Pres
Mid budget
510 EUR
Best months
Apr · May · Jun
Picks sorted with our recommended base, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, first. Book early: the good-value rooms go weeks ahead.
Landmark stay€€€Left Bank grande dame · Saint-Germain-des-Pres
The only palace hotel on the Left Bank, a restored 1910 landmark on Boulevard Raspail with a famous bar and brasserie. You are in the heart of Saint-Germain, walkable to the Musee d'Orsay and the Latin Quarter.
from ~500 EUR/night
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Design lovers€€Marais rooftop · Le Marais
A warm Italian-designed hotel on the edge of the Marais with a rooftop bar over the city. You are steps from the Pompidou and the Marais bars, on the metro between the Right Bank sights.
from ~200 EUR/night
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First visit€€Latin Quarter classic · Latin Quarter
A small classic hotel facing the Pantheon in the Latin Quarter, a short walk from the Luxembourg Gardens and Notre-Dame. Some rooms have balconies looking straight at the dome.
from ~180 EUR/night
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Budget€Design hostel · Canal Saint-Martin
A big design hostel above the Canal Saint-Martin with a rooftop bar and city views, with private rooms as well as dorms. It is one of the better-value central beds in an expensive city, on the metro to everything.
from ~45 EUR/night
Check pricesReal hotel photos · prices are indicative from-rates, not live quotes · booking links support the site at no extra cost
Day 1
Morning
Start at the Eiffel Tower for your pre-booked summit slot ahead of the crowds, then cross to the Trocadero for the full head-on view. Keep your bag zipped, the base and the terrace are prime pickpocket ground.
TipBook a timed lift ticket to the summit online weeks ahead, the official site releases slots about 60 days out and they sell fast; walking up to the second floor by stairs is cheaper and rarely queued. Come for the first morning slot or after dark, when the tower sparkles for five minutes on the hour. Keep bags zipped tight, the base and the Trocadero across the river are prime pickpocket ground.
Walk to the Musee Rodin near the Invalides for The Thinker and The Gates of Hell set among the roses. Pair it with a look at the gilded Invalides dome over Napoleon's tomb next door.
TipThe sculptor's mansion and rose garden hold The Thinker and The Gates of Hell in one of the loveliest museum settings in the city, near the Invalides. A garden-only ticket is a cheap way to see the big bronzes outdoors if you are short on time or budget. It is closed on Mondays; come on a fine afternoon and pair it with the nearby Invalides and Napoleon's tomb.
Afternoon
Metro to the Arc de Triomphe and climb to the terrace for the view down the star of avenues, using the underground passage to reach it. Walk the Champs-Elysees down toward Concorde and into the Tuileries gardens.
TipThe rooftop terrace gives a superb view straight down the Champs-Elysees and the twelve-avenue star, and it needs a timed online ticket to climb the 284 steps. Reach it by the underground pedestrian passage from the Champs-Elysees corner, never by crossing the traffic roundabout. Go late afternoon for the golden light down the avenue, and walk the Champs down toward Concorde rather than up it.
Evening
Take a Seine cruise at dusk for the lit-up glide past the monuments, boarding near Pont Neuf or the Eiffel Tower. Choose a standard hour-long boat and sit up top for the sunset.
TipAn hour-long boat glide past Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower is the easiest way to link the monuments and rest your feet, and it is magical after dark when everything is lit. Skip the pricey dinner cruises and take a standard Bateaux-Mouches or Vedettes du Pont-Neuf departure for around 15 EUR. Board at dusk for the sunset-into-lights transition, and sit on the open upper deck.
Head back to Saint-Germain for dinner among the galleries and cafes, booking ahead. A nightcap at a classic corner like the Cafe de Flore or a quieter Left Bank bar caps the night.
Day 2
Morning
Be at the Louvre for your 9am slot, going straight to the Mona Lisa before the crush, then the Venus de Milo and the Italian galleries. Enter via the Carrousel to skip the pyramid queue, and set a firm exit time or the museum will swallow the whole day.
TipReserve a timed entry online, it is mandatory even with a Paris Museum Pass, and pick the first 9am slot to reach the Mona Lisa before the wall of phones forms. The Louvre is shut on Tuesdays and open late (until about 9pm) on Wednesdays and Fridays, when the evening is far calmer. Enter through the Carrousel du Louvre or Porte des Lions to skip the pyramid queue.
Afternoon
Cross to the Ile de la Cite for your Sainte-Chapelle slot, timed for bright afternoon light through the fifteen stained-glass walls. Use the combined ticket for the Conciergerie next door, once a revolutionary prison.
TipThis 13th-century royal chapel holds fifteen soaring walls of stained glass, best seen on a bright morning when the light pours through. Book a timed ticket online, and buy the combined ticket with the neighboring Conciergerie to see both on one visit. It sits inside a working courthouse so there is an airport-style security check at the gate; come at 9am opening to beat both the queue and the coach groups.
Walk to Notre-Dame on your free reserved slot to see the interior restored after the 2024 reopening without the long queue. Take in the exterior and buttresses from the garden behind, then wander onto the quieter Ile Saint-Louis for an ice cream.
TipReopened in December 2024 after the fire, and the restored interior is dazzling. Entry is free but a walk-up queue of an hour is common, so reserve a free timed slot on the official app or website up to two days ahead to walk straight in. Go early or in the evening for the calmest visit, and book the separate tower climb if you want the gargoyle-level rooftop view.
Evening
Drift into the Latin Quarter for the evening, browsing Shakespeare and Company and the bookshop streets around the Sorbonne. Eat well one street off the tourist strip and finish with a drink near the Pantheon.
TipExplore the streets around the Pantheon and the Sorbonne for bookshops, the Shakespeare and Company store by the river, and the crumbling Roman arena of the Arenes de Lutece hidden off Rue Monge (free). Skip the touristy Rue de la Huchette for dinner and eat one street back. The morning market on Rue Mouffetard is the local highlight, best before noon.
Day 3
Morning
Ride the metro up to Montmartre early and climb to the Sacre-Coeur steps for the free panorama before the tour groups and touts arrive. Wander the quiet lanes behind the basilica, around the vineyard and Rue de l'Abreuvoir, and skip the crush of Place du Tertre.
TipThe basilica is free and the hilltop steps give the best free panorama in Paris, best at sunset or early morning before the tour groups and the aggressive friendship-bracelet touts arrive. Skip the crush of Place du Tertre and wander the quiet lanes behind, around Rue de l'Abreuvoir and the vineyard. Take the funicular (one metro ticket) up if the staircase looks daunting, and watch your pockets on the packed steps.
Afternoon
Take the metro to the Musee d'Orsay for your timed slot, heading straight to the fifth-floor Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh rooms before working down. Catch the view of the city through the giant station clock face.
TipBook a timed slot online for the world's great Impressionist collection, housed in a former railway station. It is closed on Mondays and open late until about 9:45pm on Thursdays, the quietest and most atmospheric time to visit. Head straight up to the fifth-floor Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh rooms first, then work down, and catch the view through the giant station clock face.
Evening
Cross the river to Le Marais for the evening, wandering the boutiques and the arcaded Place des Vosges as the bars fill. Queue for a falafel on Rue des Rosiers or book a bistro, then settle into the quarter's night scene.
TipWander the lanes for boutiques, galleries, and the arcaded Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris and free to stroll. Come on a Sunday, when much of the quarter stays open unlike the rest of the city, and queue for a falafel on Rue des Rosiers at lunch. Duck into the free courtyards of the Hotel de Sully and the Musee Carnavalet (free permanent collection on the city's history) along the way.
For 3 days, base yourself in Saint-Germain-des-Pres. The Left Bank's classic literary quarter, home to the historic Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots, smart galleries, and the Luxembourg Gardens on its edge. It is refined, safe, and central, within a short walk of the Musee d'Orsay, the Seine, and the Latin Quarter. This is postcard Paris at a grown-up, unhurried pace. Compare all neighborhoods in the full where-to-stay guide.
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Paris in 2 days →
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Paris in 4 days →
Three days is a comfortable length for a first visit and close to the sweet spot for Paris. It gives you the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and a Seine cruise on day one, the Louvre with the islands, Notre-Dame, and Sainte-Chapelle on day two, and a Montmartre-plus-Orsay-and-Marais day three that balances a hilltop village with the great Impressionist collection. You eat in three different quarters, fit both a park pause and the museums that matter, and still move at a pace that lets you sit on a terrace rather than sprint past it.
Base yourself in Saint-Germain-des-Pres for this itinerary. The Left Bank's classic literary quarter, home to the historic Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots, smart galleries, and the Luxembourg Gardens on its edge. It is refined, safe, and central, within a short walk of the Musee d'Orsay, the Seine, and the Latin Quarter. This is postcard Paris at a grown-up, unhurried pace.
The plan works year round, but April, May, June give you the best weather-to-crowds ratio.