Paris pairs monumental sights — the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame — with a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood pleasure in simply walking: a market street, a corner boulangerie, a bridge over the Seine at dusk. It rewards slow mornings and long dinners as much as museum-going.
Good to know
- The Métro is the fastest way around; buy a carnet of tickets or load a Navigo Easy card.
- Many museums are free on the first Sunday of the month but far busier — book timed entry online instead.
- Tipping isn't expected; a service charge is already included, though rounding up is appreciated.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
The rebuilt cathedral and the island around it, including the stained-glass jewel box of Sainte-Chapelle nearby.
An hour gliding past Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as it lights up — easiest way to see the monuments together.
Narrow medieval streets packed with concept stores, falafel stands and the elegant arcades of Place des Vosges.
Small natural-wine bars with standing room only and blackboard menus — order by the glass and move on.
The world's largest art museum, from the Mona Lisa to the Winged Victory — pick a wing rather than trying to see it all.
Climb or take the lift for the view, then picnic on the lawn of the Champ de Mars as it sparkles on the hour after dark.
Cobbled hilltop streets, the white domes of Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre where painters still work outdoors.
Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterworks inside a converted Belle Époque railway station.
A working market street of cheesemongers, bakeries and pavement cafés — good for a slow breakfast away from the sights.
284 steps up for the view down twelve avenues radiating from the arch, best just before sunset.
Student streets around the Sorbonne, the Panthéon's crypt of national heroes and the Shakespeare and Company bookshop.
Louis XIV's Hall of Mirrors and formal gardens, forty minutes by RER from central Paris. Book a morning slot to beat the crowds.