Let's be honest: you can't "do" Paris in three days. The city has been accumulating art, architecture, cuisine, and culture for over 2,000 years. Attempting to see everything would mean seeing nothing properly.

What you can do in three days is experience Paris. Walk its streets at golden hour. Sit in a café and watch the city move. Stand before art that changed history. Eat food that makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about bread.

This itinerary balances the iconic and the intimate. You'll see the landmarks, but you'll also have time to breathe.

Before You Go

When to Visit

Best: April-May, September-October. Mild weather, manageable crowds, the city at its most beautiful.

Good: June, early July. Longer days, outdoor dining, generally pleasant if occasionally hot.

Challenging: August (many locals leave, some restaurants close), late December-January (cold, gray, shorter days), peak summer (crowds at major attractions).

Getting Around

Paris is a walking city. The distances between major attractions are smaller than they appear on maps, and walking reveals the city's character in ways the Metro cannot.

That said, the Metro is excellent: fast, frequent, inexpensive, and reaches everywhere. Buy a carnet (book of 10 tickets) or a Paris Visite pass for unlimited travel.

The RER (regional express) connects airports and reaches Versailles. Learn which lines you need; don't rely solely on the Metro.

Booking in Advance

Essential: Louvre (timed entry), Musée d'Orsay (timed entry), Eiffel Tower (especially summit access), Versailles (if doing a day trip), any specific restaurant you're set on.

Recommended: Sainte-Chapelle, Arc de Triomphe rooftop, popular food tours.

Usually fine day-of: Notre-Dame exterior (interior closed for reconstruction), most neighbourhood walking, cafés, bakeries, general wandering.

Day 1: The Icons

Focus: The landmarks you came to see. Get them done properly so you can relax into the city.

Morning: Eiffel Tower

Start early. The Eiffel Tower is best experienced without crushing crowds, and morning light on the ironwork is beautiful.

8:30am: Arrive at the Champ de Mars for photos from below. The gardens offer classic postcard angles with the tower framed by lawns and fountains.

9:00am: Timed entry to the tower itself. You've booked in advance (right?), so skip the walk-up queues.

Summit vs. Second Floor: The summit is higher and more expensive. The second floor actually offers better views for photography because you're close enough to see detail. If budget or time is tight, the second floor is sufficient.

Allow: 1.5-2 hours including queuing, ascent, time at the top, and descent.

Book Eiffel Tower tickets

Late Morning: Seine Walk to Musée d'Orsay

11:00am: Walk along the Seine toward Musée d'Orsay. Cross at Pont de l'Alma or Pont des Invalides for views back toward the tower.

This walk takes 25-30 minutes and passes the golden dome of Les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb is inside if you want to detour). The riverbanks are UNESCO-listed for good reason.

Lunch: Saint-Germain-des-Prés

12:00pm: The 6th arrondissement around Saint-Germain offers excellent lunch options. Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots are famous (and touristy, and overpriced, but historically significant). Better food exists at smaller neighbourhood spots - ask your hotel for current recommendations or simply walk until something looks right.

Classic lunch: Croque monsieur, salade, glass of wine. Don't rush.

Afternoon: Musée d'Orsay

2:00pm: The world's greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art lives in a converted railway station.

Must-see: Monet's water lilies, Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette, Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhône, Degas' dancers, Manet's Olympia.

The building itself - the grand hall, the giant clock windows - is worth the visit even if you're not an art person.

Allow: 2-3 hours minimum. Art lovers could spend all day.

Book Musée d'Orsay tickets

Late Afternoon: Tuileries Garden to Place de la Concorde

5:00pm: Exit the Orsay and cross into the Tuileries Garden. This formal French garden connects the Louvre to Place de la Concorde, offering a peaceful walk lined with statues and chestnut trees.

At Place de la Concorde, the Egyptian obelisk marks where the guillotine stood during the Revolution. The views down the Champs-Élysées toward the Arc de Triomphe are iconic.

Evening: Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe

6:30pm: Walk up the Champs-Élysées. Yes, it's commercial and touristy. It's also the most famous avenue in the world, and walking it at dusk as the lights come on is genuinely magical.

7:30pm: Climb the Arc de Triomphe for sunset views. The rooftop offers panoramic views down twelve radiating avenues, with the Eiffel Tower prominent to the west.

Book Arc de Triomphe tickets

Dinner: 8th or 1st Arrondissement

The area around the Champs-Élysées is tourist-heavy, but excellent restaurants exist. Book in advance for anything specific; otherwise, venture slightly off the main drag for better value and more authentic experiences.

Day 2: Art and History

Focus: The Louvre, the islands, and the neighbourhoods that made Paris the cultural capital of the world.

Morning: The Louvre

9:00am: Arrive at opening with your pre-booked timed ticket. Enter via the Passage Richelieu entrance (less crowded than the pyramid) or the underground Carrousel du Louvre entrance.

The Louvre is too large to see comprehensively in one visit. Choose your priorities:

The Greatest Hits Route (2 hours):

• Mona Lisa (yes, it's crowded; yes, it's smaller than expected; yes, you should still see it)

• Venus de Milo

• Winged Victory of Samothrace

• Vermeer's Lacemaker

• Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People

• The French Crown Jewels

The Art Lover's Route (4+ hours):

• Add Italian Renaissance galleries

• Egyptian antiquities

• French painting collection

• Greek and Roman sculpture

• Islamic art wing

The Focused Visit:

• Pick one area (Egyptian, Italian Renaissance, French Baroque) and see it properly rather than rushing everything.

Book Louvre tickets

Lunch: Around Palais Royal

12:30pm: Exit the Louvre into the Palais Royal gardens. The arcaded galleries surrounding the garden house boutiques, restaurants, and Café Kitsuné (excellent coffee).

Lunch options abound in the 1st arrondissement. Classic bistros, contemporary French, Japanese (the area around Rue Sainte-Anne has excellent ramen and izakayas if you need a break from French cuisine).

Afternoon: Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame

2:00pm: Cross to Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine where Paris began.

Notre-Dame: The cathedral remains closed following the 2019 fire, but the exterior is visible and the reconstruction is a story in itself. The building has survived 850 years; it will survive this too.

Sainte-Chapelle: While Notre-Dame recovers, this 13th-century chapel offers Paris's most stunning medieval interior. The stained glass windows - 1,113 panels depicting biblical scenes - are overwhelming. On a sunny day, the light transforms the chapel into a jewel box.

Book in advance; the chapel is small and limits entry.

Book Sainte-Chapelle tickets

Conciergerie: The medieval palace turned revolutionary prison where Marie Antoinette awaited execution. Combined tickets with Sainte-Chapelle are available.

Late Afternoon: Le Marais

4:00pm: Cross to the Right Bank and explore Le Marais. This neighbourhood survived Haussmann's 19th-century rebuilding, leaving medieval streets intact.

Wander without agenda. Key stops:

• Place des Vosges (Paris's oldest planned square, stunning)

• Jewish Quarter around Rue des Rosiers (excellent falafel, historic synagogues)

• Boutique shopping (vintage clothing, independent designers)

• L'As du Fallafel or Miznon for a late snack

Evening: Montmartre

7:00pm: Take the Metro to Abbesses or Anvers.

Montmartre is touristy, yes. It's also genuinely charming, historically significant (this is where Impressionism was born, where Picasso had his studio, where Toulouse-Lautrec painted can-can dancers), and offers the best sunset views in Paris from the steps of Sacré-Cœur.

Climb the hill (or take the funicular), watch the sun set over the city, then explore the winding streets. Place du Tertre has portrait artists - touristy but fun. The quieter streets to the north retain village character.

Dinner: Montmartre or Return to Le Marais

Both neighbourhoods offer excellent dinner options. Montmartre has wine bars and classic French bistros. Le Marais has more contemporary options and better late-night energy.

Day 3: Choose Your Own Adventure

Focus: Deeper exploration based on your interests.

Day 3 offers flexibility. Choose the track that interests you most, or mix elements from each.

Track A: The Culture Deep Dive

Morning: Musée de l'Orangerie (Monet's panoramic water lilies, intimate and stunning) or Musée Rodin (sculptures in beautiful gardens, including The Thinker and The Kiss).

Book Musée de l'Orangerie tickets

Lunch: Left Bank, around Saint-Germain.

Afternoon: Centre Pompidou (modern art in an inside-out building, great rooftop views) or Picasso Museum (comprehensive collection in a Marais mansion).

Evening: Opera Garnier tour (the building that inspired Phantom of the Opera, absurdly opulent) or catch an actual performance if timing aligns.

Track B: The Versailles Day Trip

Full Day: Train to Versailles (RER C, 45 minutes), full exploration of palace and gardens.

Versailles deserves the entire day. The palace itself takes 2-3 hours. The gardens - 800 hectares of formal French landscape - take longer. The Grand Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet add more.

Book tickets in advance. Consider a guided tour for palace context. Bring comfortable shoes.

Book Versailles tickets

Evening: Return to Paris for a final dinner in a neighbourhood you loved.

Track C: The Food and Wine Focus

Morning: Food tour of a specific neighbourhood (Le Marais, Montmartre, or Saint-Germain). Learn about French cheese, charcuterie, bread, and pastry from experts who know where to find the best examples.

Book Paris food tours

Lunch: Market visit and picnic. Marché des Enfants Rouges (oldest covered market in Paris) or Marché d'Aligre.

Afternoon: Pastry class or wine tasting. Learn to make croissants or macarons, or deep-dive into French wine regions with a sommelier.

Evening: Splurge dinner at a restaurant you've researched and booked in advance. This is your Paris finale; make it memorable.

Track D: The Neighbourhood Explorer

Morning: Explore an arrondissement you haven't seen. The 5th (Latin Quarter, intellectual history, the Panthéon), the 11th (contemporary Paris, great cafés and bars), or the Canal Saint-Martin (hip, photogenic, excellent people-watching).

Lunch: Wherever you land.

Afternoon: Père Lachaise Cemetery. This might sound morbid, but it's actually a beautiful park filled with elaborate tombs of famous residents: Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, Chopin, Balzac. Parisians picnic here.

Evening: Seine river cruise as the city lights up. Touristy? Yes. Worth it? Also yes, especially on your last night.

Book Seine river cruises

Practical Tips

Money

• Paris is expensive. Budget accordingly.

• Credit cards work almost everywhere, but carry some cash for small purchases, tips, and markets.

• Tipping is not obligatory (service is included) but rounding up is appreciated.

Language

• Learn basic French phrases: Bonjour, Merci, S'il vous plaît, Excusez-moi, L'addition s'il vous plaît.

• Always greet with "Bonjour" before asking anything. This is essential etiquette.

• Most Parisians speak some English, especially in tourist areas, but attempting French is appreciated.

Dining

• Lunch is often better value than dinner (same kitchen, lower prices).

• Restaurants serve lunch roughly 12-2pm and dinner 7:30-10pm. Outside these hours, options narrow.

• "Service compris" means tip is included. Additional tipping is optional.

• Water is free if you ask for "une carafe d'eau" (tap water). Bottled water costs extra.

Safety

• Paris is generally safe but pickpocketing is common at tourist sites and on Metro.

• Keep valuables secure, be aware of surroundings, ignore anyone trying to distract you (petition scams, string bracelets, etc.).

• Avoid poorly lit areas late at night, as in any major city.

Best Photo Spots

• Trocadéro (Eiffel Tower view)

• Pont Alexandre III (ornate bridge, tower in background)

• Sacré-Cœur steps (city panorama)

• Pont des Arts (Louvre and Île de la Cité)

• Rue Crémieux (pastel-coloured houses)

• Palais Royal columns (striped art installation)

What to Skip

Not everything famous is worth your limited time:

Moulin Rouge exterior photos: It's a windmill on a busy street. Fine for a quick snap but not worth a detour.

Champs-Élysées shopping: The stores are global chains at global-chain prices. Shop elsewhere.

Tourist restaurants with photos on menus: Almost always mediocre and overpriced.

The Mona Lisa room at peak times: Go early or late. The scrum is miserable.

Queuing without advance tickets: Anything popular enough to have a queue is popular enough to require advance booking.

If You Have More Time

Three days shows you Paris. Four days lets you breathe. Five days lets you know the city.

Day 4: Versailles (if you didn't do it) or deeper neighbourhood exploration (Latin Quarter, Canal Saint-Martin).

Day 5: Day trip to Giverny (Monet's gardens, spectacular April-October), Champagne region, or Château de Fontainebleau.

Or simply: slow down. Spend a morning in one café. Get lost deliberately. Let the city show you what you're meant to find.

Quick Links

• Eiffel Tower tickets

• Louvre tickets

• Musée d'Orsay tickets

• Versailles tickets

• Sainte-Chapelle tickets

• Seine river cruises

• Paris food tours

• All Paris experiences

Three days in Paris isn't enough. It's never enough. But it's enough to understand why you need to come back. Book Paris experiences on tickadoo and start your story with the city.