Three days is enough to see the essentials of Paris, as long as you plan your route well and get ahead of bookings and opening hours. This itinerary groups the must-see sights across three geographically sensible days: the Île de la Cité and the Louvre on day one, western Paris from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower on day two, then Montmartre and the Canal Saint-Martin at a slower pace on day three. Each stop lists the suggested time slot, the visit duration, how to get to the next stop, the entry price and whether you need to book. Bring comfortable walking shoes and a rechargeable transit card (Navigo Easy), the rest takes care of itself. Where to sleep: for this itinerary, stay in Opéra, the Louvre is a quarter of an hour on foot, the Seine twenty minutes and Montmartre half an hour. See for example hotels with free cancellation in Opéra, and compare the other areas in our guide on where to stay in Paris.
Want this itinerary offline, with a map to follow step by step and a plan B if it rains? Our PDF guide “Paris on foot from the Opéra” (€14.90, free updates).
Day 1, 9:00-9:45 - Notre-Dame and the Île de la Cité
Start early on the island where Paris was born, in front of Notre-Dame's Gothic facade. Entry to the nave is free and the visit takes about 45 minutes to an hour. Booking a time slot isn't mandatory but is strongly recommended in high season, since the wait can otherwise run over two hours; off-season, expect more like 15 to 30 minutes. From here, the Sainte-Chapelle is a 5-minute walk on the same island.
Day 1, 10:00-10:45 - The Sainte-Chapelle
Allow about 45 minutes for the stained-glass windows of this Gothic chapel, open 9am to 7pm from April to September and 9am to 5pm the rest of the year (last entry 30 minutes before closing). Entry is paid, 16€ for EU residents and 22€ for everyone else (a combined ticket with the Conciergerie is available), and booking an online time slot is strongly advised to cut down the security-line wait. From here, walk along the Seine quays to reach the Louvre, about 20 minutes on foot.
Day 1, 11:15-14:15 - The Louvre and the Pyramid
The world's most visited museum deserves at least three hours, even focusing only on major works like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Tickets cost 22€ for EU residents, 32€ for everyone else (free for EU residents under 26); the museum is closed on Tuesdays and stays open until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Booking an online time slot is strongly advised, and close to essential in July and August: arrive at opening time, 9am, if you can, to enjoy the calm. Leaving through the Pyramid, the Tuileries are a two-minute walk.
Day 1, 14:30-16:00 - Tuileries Garden and Place de la Concorde
End the day with a free stroll through this formal garden to the Place de la Concorde and its obelisk. Allow an hour to an hour and a half depending on your pace, with no booking needed. It's a good way to unwind after a packed morning before spending the rest of the evening at your own pace, in the neighborhood or back at the hotel. On the square, the Hôtel de la Marine opens its state apartments and its loggia to visitors.
Day 2, 9:30-11:00 - The Arc de Triomphe and Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Climb to the panoramic terrace (284 steps, with a partial lift for those who need it) for an open view over the twelve avenues radiating from the Étoile. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the visit; the ticket has a flat price of 16€ (free for under-18s and for EU residents aged 18 to 25), and no booking is needed for individual visitors. Extend the morning with a stroll down the Champs-Élysées, then reach the Trocadéro in a 15-minute walk along Avenue Kléber, or 3 stops by metro (line 6).
Day 2, 11:30-12:00 - The Trocadéro Esplanade
Give the esplanade half an hour, free and with no booking needed, for the widest view of the Eiffel Tower and the best photo of the trip. Cross the Pont d'Iéna next to reach the foot of the tower, about a 10-minute walk.
Day 2, 12:15-14:30 - The Eiffel Tower
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours between the queue and the visit to the second floor. Prices range from 14.80€ by the stairs to 23.50€ by lift for the second floor (36.70€ for the summit); booking online is strongly recommended, up to 90 days ahead for the lift and 60 days for the stairs, since slots sell out fast on weekends and in summer. Failing that, tickets are still sold on-site at the ticket booths depending on demand. To reach the Bateaux-Mouches dock, walk along the Seine to the Pont de l'Alma, about 20 minutes on foot.
Day 2, 15:00-16:00 - Seine River Cruise (optional)
An hour-long Bateaux-Mouches cruise for about 20€ offers a welcome break and a different perspective on the monuments you've already seen. No booking is required, but booking online avoids the line at the dock in high season. If you'd rather keep walking, simply leave the late afternoon free before dinner in the neighborhood.
Day 3, 9:30-12:30 - Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur
Spend the morning at the basilica (free entry, about 30 minutes) and then at Place du Tertre and the cobbled streets around Rue Lepic. The dome, paid entry (8€, around 300 steps), offers a panorama over all of Paris if you have the time and the legs; go up early to beat the midday tour groups. From here, take the metro to the Canal Saint-Martin (line 2 from Anvers to Jaurès, about 20 minutes), then a short walk.
Day 3, 14:00-17:00 - The Canal Saint-Martin
End the trip at a slower pace: shaded quays, iron footbridges, locks and small shops in the 10th arrondissement, in a Paris that feels less touristy than the day before. The walk is free and needs no booking; allow two to three hours of strolling, with a break at one of the canalside cafés.
Tips
- Leave half a day of slack, especially for the Louvre and Montmartre; the Art Nouveau itinerary in the 16th (Hector Guimard) can replace the Canal Saint-Martin on day three.
- Book a time slot online for the Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and, in high season, Notre-Dame; the rest needs no booking.
- Budget about 95€ to 110€ per person for entry fees alone over three days (Sainte-Chapelle, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower), at EU-resident rates and taking the Eiffel Tower stairs.
- Notre-Dame, the Trocadéro, the Sacré-Cœur basilica and the Canal Saint-Martin are free, as is the walk through the Tuileries.
- A single Métro-Train-RER ticket costs €2.55 and you only need 5 to 10 rides: the Paris Visite pass (63.80€ for 3 days) does not pay off here.
- If it rains, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre and the inside of the Sacré-Cœur stay dry; cut short the Tuileries, Trocadéro, Champs-Élysées and Canal Saint-Martin, or duck into the department stores near the Opéra.
- Keep the end of the day for the Trocadéro, facing the Eiffel Tower; see also our guides to the Champs-Élysées and the Trocadéro.
See in this guide
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