Last Updated: 1/19/20 | January 19th, 2020
Paris. It’s one of my favorite destinations in the entire world and a city that would take a lifetime to see.
I’ve been to the city a lot more times than I remember — I even moved there for a while — yet I’ve barely scratched its surface.
Understandably, planning a trip to Paris is hard. just when you think you’ve seen everything the city has to offer, you find new attractions, new cafés, or new markets to explore. There are layers to this city — which is partially why I love it so much.
Most travelers seem to visit Paris for around three days before moving on. They see the highlights, snap some photos, and step on.
While three days i better than nothing, I think you need a lot more time than that. Ideally, I think you must plan on spending at least five days in Paris in buy to see the bare minimum of what the City of Lights has to offer. There’s just too much to do.
To help you plan your trip to Paris and figure out what to see, what to do, where to stay, and where to eat, here’s my suggested travel plan for a five-day visit (and some other suggestions in case you decide to spend longer there!)
Paris travel plan Highlights
Day 1: Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, the Latin Quarter, & more!
Day 2: Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie, & more!
Day 3: The palace of Versailles, Père Lachaise Cemetery, & more!
Day 4: Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, Holocaust Museum, & more!
Day 5: Paris Catacombs, Rue Mouffetard, Musée de Cluny, & more!
Where to Eat: My favorite restaurants in Paris
What to See in Paris: Day 1
Spend your first day walking around Paris. There’s a lot to see, and you can spend a good half day (or whole day) wandering the cobblestone streets, parks, and neighborhoods of the city. If you want to orient yourself with a complimentary walking tour, these are really good:
Discover Walks
City complimentary Tour
New Europe Tour
For paid tours, check out get Your Guide. They have all kinds of walking excursions (as well as museum and food tours). There’s something for every interest!
However, if you want to follow my walking tour, here’s my suggestion for an “orientation walk” around Paris:
Start at the Champs-Élysées and see the Arc de Triomphe. There isn’t normally a line, and you’ll get sweeping views of the city to start your day. stroll down the Champs-Élysées and through place de la Concorde, where you will see the Luxor Obelisk, which the French stole from the Egyptians. It’s over 3,000 years old and stands 75-meters tall. This square was also where they guillotined people during the French revolution 1789-1799.
Walk down the Champs-Élysées through the Jardin des Tuileries, a beautiful garden that was once home to a palace that burned down in the 1800s. stop and admire the Louvre before continuing down Rue Rivoli and crossing into the original section of the city on the Île de la Cité. This is where the Romans built their original settlement.
Enjoy the Pont Neuf and the statue of Henry IV. This stone bridge, the first in Paris, was built in 1578. stroll to my favorite church of all time, Saint Chapelle, with its extraordinary 12th-century stained glass. There’s normally a line, so book tickets in development if you want to see the interior.
After that, head to the underground Roman ruins and then visit Notre Dame, the world’s a lot of popular Gothic church. It was damaged in a fire in 2019 and is closed, however, you can still take in the ruins.
Next, head south toward the Latin Quarter. This area is rather touristy but if you get off the main drag, you’ll find yourself in a labyrinth of alleys and café-lined squares that are far away from the local vacationer hangouts.
Visit the Pantheon and honor France’s a lot of popular dead citizens before heading west toward the Jardin du Luxembourg, where you can kick back and enjoy life go by. There’s great people-watching here, and it’s one of the best parks in the city.
After that, head north to see Saint Sulpice. If you’re into The Da Vinci Code, you’ll be trying to find symbols and hidden meanings throughout this church. If symbols don’t interest you, just marvel at how grandiose this place is.
By this time, it must be late in the afternoon and a best time to stop in a café, buy some wine, and kick back the Parisian way.
Ô Chateau
This is one of the best places in Paris to attend a white wine tasting class or have a white wine and cheese luncheon. The food is plentiful, and the wines are very generously poured and refilled. I highly recommend the lunch white wine class as it’s more affordable and you’ll get really full for the day; it also goes into great detail about the history of white wine in France.
68 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1st arrondissement, +33 1 44 73 97 80, o-chateau.com. check the web site for last-minute deals. prices start around 65 EUR.
What to See in Paris: Day 2
The Louvre
With over a million pieces of art, you could spend a whole month in the Louvre and still not see everything! I don’t particularly take pleasure in medieval art; it’s too religious for me, and I can only see so lots of pictures of Mary and Jesus before I get bored. Nevertheless, the museum is worth seeing, and I spent about five hours exploring all the masterpieces and marveling at the old royal palace. You could easily spend a lot more time if you’re an art buff too. If you’d just like to see the highlights, expect to spend a couple hours.
Musée du Louvre, 1st arrondissement, +33 1 40 20 53 17, louvre.fr. opening hours: M, Th, Sa–Su (9am–6pm), W, F (9am–9:45pm), Tu (closed). Admission is 17 EUR. They also offer complimentary admission for all visitors on the first Saturday of each month from 6pm-9:45 p.m. and on Bastille Day (14 July). Admission is also complimentary for EU residents under 26.
Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay, located in close proximity to the Louvre, houses the best impressionist and post-impressionist work in Paris. It’s one of the largest museums in Europe and my favorite museum in Paris. I always go when I’m in town. The museum see over 3 million visitors annually and is home to masterpieces by all the great artists of the world, including Degas, Monet, Manet, and Van Gogh, to name a few. I could spend hours here and never get bored.
1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 7th arrondissement, +33 1 40 49 48 14, musee-orsay.fr. opening hours: Tu–W, F–Su (9:30am–6pm), Th (9:30am–9:45pm), M (closed). Admission is 14 EUR and complimentary first Sunday of the month.
Musée de l’Orangerie
Finish off a wild museum day with this Monet showcase. The museum displays eight tapestry-sized Nymphéas (water lilies), housed in two plain oval rooms. Monet painted these images later in his life, and each one represents a different time of day and season. There’s a bottom floor that shows other works too.
Jardin des Tuileries, place de la Concorde, 1st arrondissement, +33 1 44 50 43 00, musee-orangerie.fr. opening hours: W–M (9am–6pm), last entry at 5:15pm, Tu (closed). Admission is 9 EUR, complimentary on the first Sunday of the month.
Budget travel tip: get the Paris museum Pass. This four-day pass costs 66 EUR and covers over 50 museums and attractions in Paris. It covers all the museums above, so getting this pass and using it to see all the attractions provided in this post will save you around 50 EUR! You can also get a two-day pass for 52 EUR or a six-day pass for 78 EUR.
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What to See in Paris: Day 3
The palace of Versailles
It takes a full day to really take pleasure in a trip to the palace of Versailles. located around an hour from Paris, spend the day exploring the château, get lost in the surrounding gardens, and soak up the elegant lifestyle of France’s former monarchy. Make sure you see the estate of Trianon (known as Marie Antoinette’s estate) as well, which includes a fake peasant village created to supply picturesque views and fresh milk and eggs for the Queen.
Versailles is a massive and beautiful so don’t rush your visit. a lot of people see the palace first, then the gardens, and then Marie-Antoinette’s estate. If you do everything in reverse, you’ll be able to avoid the crowds. Additionally, go on a weekday to avoid the worst of the crowds.
What’s the inside of the palace like? Here’s a video excursion of the palace of Versailles to whet your appetite:
Place d’Armes, Versailles, +33 1 30 83 78 00, en.chateauversailles.fr. opening hours: Tu–Su (9am–6:30pm), last entry at 5:45pm, M (closed).
“The Passport” ticket gives you admission to all the palace excursions (grounds, Trianon Palaces, and Marie Antoinette’s estate), the musical Fountain Show, the musical Gardens, and the exhibitions: 27 EUR (one day, with passport), 30 EUR (दुई दिन)।
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Finish off the day with a train ride east of the city center to visit Paris’s a lot of popular graveyard, where you’ll see the graves of celebrities like Antonio de La Gandara, Honoré de Balzac, Sarah Bernhardt, Frédéric Chopin, Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Camille Pissarro, Gertrude Stein, and Oscar Wilde.
It’s a beautiful place for a quiet, reflective stroll. just make sure you’re out before it closes at 5:30pm.
LEARN MORE: checking out Père Lachaise Cemetery
What to See in Paris: Day 4
आइफिल टावर
The Eiffel Tower is Paris’ a lot of famous monument. built in the 1880s, it was actually disliked by lots of people when it was first built. Standing 324m (1,63ft) tall, it uses the best views of the entire city. To beat the crowds, get here early in the morning. If you wait until the afternoon, you’ll find yourself waiting in line for hours.
Afterward, have a picnic on the lawn and take pleasure in the sunshine and the views. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the city.
Champ de Mars, 7th arrondissement, +33 8 92 70 12 39, toureiffel.paris. opening hours: daily (9am–midnight) during the summer, with slightly shorter hours during the rest of the year. Admission is 10.40-25.90 EUR per person, depending on how high you go.
Wander Rue Cler
Located near the Eiffel Tower, this street is filled with good Parisian eateries. You’ll find cheese, meat, bread, vegetable, and chocolate stores to explore. I never walk away from this street without a pile of food and wine.
Whenver I’m here, I eat my way through this street and then get a lot more for later. It’s one of my favorite streets in Paris.
Paris Sewer Tour
This excursion is absolutely an off-the-beaten-path attraction and isn’t too far away from the Eiffel Tower. You’ll learn about the interesting history of Paris’s sewer system.
You may be put off by the idea of a “sewer tour,” but don’t be. It doesn’t smell down there and you’ll learn how modern Paris pertained to be. before there was a suitable drainage system, waste from the city just ended up int the river. It then spread disease and polluted the entire area, putting the entire city at risk. It wasn’t until the city developed a complex sewer system that it was able to get rid of diseases, improve trade, and develop into the world-class city that it is today.
Note: The sewers are closed for restorations until sometime in 2020.
Les Invalides (The tomb of Napoleon)
Also known as Hôtel national des Invalides, this massive complex was built in 1670 by Louis XIV as a healthcare facility for wounded soldiers. Nowadays it’s home to several museums and monuments, including the Musée de l’Armée (the military museum of the army of France) and Napoleon’s tomb.
It is one of the most detailed history museums I’ve ever visited, and you’ll need at least three hours to see it properly. While military history may seem boring, this museum is really a history of France, the Revolution, and Napoleon. It is fascinating and extraordinary in its depth. I cannot recommend it enough.
Place des Invalides, Musée de l’Armée, 129 Rue de Grenelle, 7th arrondissement, +33 810 11 33 99. opening hours: daily from April through October (10am–6pm), and daily from November through March (10am–5pm). Admission is 12 EUR.
The museum of the Shoah (the Holocaust Museum)
Despite having an exceptional exhibit on France, anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust, the museum of the Shoah never draws a lot of people. It’s a real shame, as the information and collection here is really great and in depth. I’ve been to lots of Holocaust museums, and this is one of the best and a lot of in-depth in the world. I highly recommend it.
17 Rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, 4th arrondissement, +33 1 42 77 44 72, memorialdelashoah.org. opening hours: Su–F (10am–6pm), Th (10am–10pm), Sa (closed). Admission is complimentary and a complimentary guided excursion is given at 3pm (in English) on the second Sunday of every month.
What to See in Paris: Day 5
Paris Catacombs
The Catacombs of Paris are a fascinating but grim vacationer attraction. They go on for miles (no one really knows how far) and the limitless winding tunnels house thousands of bones. only a small section of the tunnels are open, and there’s a ton of history and information about the growth of Paris. The Catacombs themselves are actually old stone quarries that were located far outside the edge of the city during medieval times. There’s always a long line, so book your ticket online beforehand and don’t wait outside!
1 Avenue du Colonel Henri R
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