The islands and the Left Bank, the Louvre and the Marais, Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower, then a day at Versailles, with market streets for lunch and dinner. Avoid Tuesday for day 2 and Monday for days 1 and 4.
4 days, 23 stopsBalanced paceBest Apr to Jun, Sep to OctApproved by TravPa Editors, Nov 3, 2026
Trip at a glance
Add your first day to see each day's date, weather, sunset and closing days.
Day 1: The islands and the Left Bank
Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, lunch on Rue Mouffetard, the Luxembourg Gardens and the Impressionists, then dinner in Saint-Germain.
Check the weekday. Musée d'Orsay is closed on Mondays.
1
9:00 AMNotre-Dame CathedralEntry is free; reserve a slot online to skip the line.About 1 hour 30 min here
Free; reservations optional
Walk about 5 min
2
10:30 AMBook aheadSainte-ChapelleBook a time slot; go on a sunny morning for the stained glass.About 1 hour 45 min here
Visitors from outside the EEA: €22 (about $25) · EEA nationals and residents: €16 (about $18) · Timed tickets
12:30 PMRue MouffetardLunch from the cheese shops, bakeries and market stalls at the bottom of the street, or a cafe at the top.About 1 hour 15 min here
Pay as you go
Walk about 15 min
4
2:00 PMOptionalLuxembourg GardensFind a green chair by the Medici Fountain or the big pond.About 1 hour here
Free to visit
Walk about 25 min
5
3:30 PMMusée d'OrsayStart upstairs with the Impressionists. Closed on Mondays.About 2 hours 45 min here
Booked online: €16 (about $18) · Free on the first Sunday of the month, with a reservation
6:30 PMSaint-Germain-des-PrésAn aperitif at one of the old literary cafes, then dinner in the side streets around the church.
Pay as you go
Before you go
Book these aheadSainte-Chapelle (day 1), Louvre Museum (day 2), Eiffel Tower (day 3), Palace of Versailles (day 4): timed tickets, or tickets that often sell out.
Keep your ticket until the exitBuy Metro tickets in the RATP app or at the machines, and keep the ticket until you leave the station: inspectors check on the Metro and RER.
Ignore petitions and braceletsWalk past people who ask you to sign a petition or tie a string bracelet on your wrist, especially around Sacré-Cœur and the big sights.
Start with bonjourGreet shopkeepers and waiters with a bonjour before you ask for anything; it sets the tone for the whole exchange.
Tipping is a small extraService is included in French restaurant prices. Rounding up or leaving some change is a kind extra, not an obligation.
Ask for a carafe of waterParis tap water is safe to drink, and restaurants bring a carafe d'eau for free when you ask for one.
Where to stay for this plan
Stay in Le Marais or Saint-Germain: days 1 and 2 are mostly on foot, and Metro and RER lines for days 3 and 4 are close.
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