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3-day itinerary · France
A realistic first-timer plan that keeps each day in one part of the city: the islands and the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower side of the Seine, then Montmartre and the Marais. Every stop comes with walking distances and the ticket rules that matter in 2026.
Updated September 2026 · practical rules checked against official sources
The plan at a glance
Paris is easiest on foot when each day stays in one part of the city. Day one follows the Seine from Notre-Dame to the Louvre, day two crosses to Orsay, the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower, and day three climbs Montmartre before ending in the Marais. Book the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and the Eiffel Tower before you go.
Day 1
Begin at Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité, cross the Pont Neuf for lunch, then spend the afternoon in the Louvre before walking through the Tuileries to Place de la Concorde.
Morning
The Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire, with a rebuilt spire and freshly cleaned stone. Look at the three carved portals of the west front before you go in.
Built in the 1240s for Louis IX to hold relics of the Passion, its upper chapel is walled almost entirely with stained glass, much of it from the 13th century. It stands inside the Palais de Justice, so every visit starts with a security check.
Despite its name, the 'New Bridge' is the oldest standing bridge across the Seine in Paris, finished in 1607. It crosses the western tip of the Île de la Cité, where steps lead down to the Square du Vert-Galant at the water's edge.
Midday
Afternoon
A royal palace turned into the world's most visited museum, home to the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Pick two or three wings instead of trying to see everything; the galleries hold tens of thousands of works.
André Le Nôtre redesigned this formal garden in the 17th century, and it still runs in a straight line from the Louvre to Place de la Concorde, with ponds, statues and green metal chairs. The Musée de l'Orangerie, home to Monet's Water Lilies, sits at its far end.
The largest square in Paris, where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined during the Revolution. At its centre stands the Luxor Obelisk, more than 3,000 years old, and the view runs up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.
Evening
Day 2
Impressionists at the Musée d'Orsay in the morning and Napoleon's tomb at the Invalides, then the Eiffel Tower, the classic view from the Trocadéro and sunset from the Arc de Triomphe.
Morning
A Beaux-Arts railway station built for the 1900 World's Fair now holds the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, from Monet and Renoir to Van Gogh. Start on the top floor, where you can look out over the Seine through the giant station clock.
Louis XIV built this complex as a home for wounded soldiers. It now houses the Army Museum, and under its golden dome lies the tomb of Napoleon.
Midday
Afternoon
Built by Gustave Eiffel's company for the 1889 World's Fair and meant to stand for only 20 years, it became the symbol of Paris. Lifts and stairs go up to the second floor, and a separate lift continues to the summit.
Across the river from the tower, the terrace between the curved wings of the Palais de Chaillot, built for the 1937 exhibition, gives the classic head-on view of the Eiffel Tower. The Trocadéro gardens and fountains step down from it toward the Seine.
Napoleon ordered the arch in 1806 to honour his armies; beneath it lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the flame is rekindled every evening. Reach it through the underground passage rather than across the traffic circle, then climb to the roof for the view down twelve avenues.
Evening
The avenue runs almost two kilometres from the Arc de Triomphe down to Place de la Concorde, lined with flagship stores, cinemas and cafés. Walk its upper stretch at dusk, when the lights come on all the way down.
Day 3
Climb to Sacré-Cœur while the hill is still quiet, walk down to the Palais Garnier and the Palais-Royal gardens, then ride the metro east and end the day in the Marais.
Morning
The white basilica at the top of Montmartre was completed in 1914 and consecrated in 1919. The steps in front of it, or the funicular beside them, give one of the widest views across Paris.
The little square behind the basilica has been Montmartre's artists' corner since painters such as Picasso and Utrillo lived on the hill. Portrait painters still set up their easels under the trees.
Midday
Afternoon
Charles Garnier's opera house opened in 1875, a showpiece of gilded foyers and a grand marble staircase. The ceiling of its auditorium was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964.
Built for Cardinal Richelieu, the palace now houses France's Council of State and the Ministry of Culture, but its arcaded garden is open to everyone. Daniel Buren's black-and-white striped columns fill the courtyard beside it.
Inaugurated in 1612 as the Place Royale, it is the oldest planned square in Paris, framed by matching red-brick houses over stone arcades. Victor Hugo lived at number 6, now a museum.
Evening
Before you go
Questions
Three days cover the essentials at a reasonable pace: the islands and the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower side of the river, then Montmartre and the Marais. Versailles needs a fourth day on its own.
Book the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower on their official sites before you travel, and reserve a timed ticket for Sainte-Chapelle. Notre-Dame is free, but a free time slot saves queuing.
No. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays and stays open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays, which makes those evenings a calmer time to visit.
Anywhere between the Louvre and the Marais, or on the Left Bank around Saint-Germain-des-Prés, keeps most stops within walking distance and close to metro line 1.
Between sights it comes to roughly 2.5 to 4 km a day in a straight line, with two short metro rides, plus plenty of time on your feet inside the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.
More time or less
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Tell Tripwoa your dates, pace and interests. It builds realistic days like these around you, then keeps the route, the bookings and the memories in one place.
Places and coordinates: Wikidata and Tripwoa's open-data place catalog (Overture Maps Foundation, © OpenStreetMap contributors). Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each image. Practical rules: the official sources linked in each note, checked in September 2026.
How this plan was made: Tripwoa's planner drafted the day order from real coordinates and typical visit times. Each stop was then reviewed, reordered where needed and rewritten with AI assistance. Walking distances are straight-line estimates, so allow a little extra time on real streets.