How To Spend a Weekend in Paris in 2023

Only have two days in Paris? It’s not really possible to see all of the City of Light in a weekend. However, you can still have an amazing time combining the must-see spots with authentic Parisian food and drink. Follow our weekend itinerary for the best way to spend a weekend in Paris.

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How To Spend Two Days in Paris: An Itinerary

Between all the famous sites to see, food to eat, and culture to absorb, you might be wondering how you’ll be able to pack everything that Paris has to offer into a weekend.

It’ll be tough, especially in a city like Paris—but don’t worry, we’re here to make it easier for you! Find out how to get into the city quickly and how to spend two days in Paris you won’t forget.

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our best Paris tours to take and why.

Getting To Paris

There are three different airports in Paris: Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Orly (ORY), and Paris-Beauvais (BVA). How you get from each one to the city center will depend on many factors, but remember to think about timing and how much heavy luggage you have.

Charles de Gaulle Airport

Paris’s main international airport is CDG. To get from CDG to Paris, you can:

• Use the Paris metro system. If you want to go this route, you’ll have to take the RER B (blue line), which costs €10.30. Depending on the exact location you’re heading to, this will normally take you anywhere from 30-45 minutes to reach your destination
  
• Use Le Bus Direct, which is a direct bus service from the airport to select stops in the Paris city center. While the cost from CDG is a little more pricey than the metro at €17 one way (€30 round trip), the buses are equipped with free WiFi, USB plugs, and comfortable seats
  
• Take a taxi to the Paris city center. Taxis from the airport to Paris are subject to a flat rate. The cost depends on what side of the Seine River you’re headed to (€50 if you’re headed to the right bank, €55 for the left bank).
  

Orly Airport

The city’s second largest airport is ORY. To get from ORY to Paris, you can:

• Use the metro/train service, using the RER B (blue line). This service is not direct. You’ll have to take the “Orlyval” train shuttle from the airport to get to the RER B. Buying a combined RER and Orlyval ticket will cost you €14.
  
• Use Le Bus Direct, which costs €12 one way (€20 round trip).
  
• Take the Orly Bus from the airport, which provides transfers to the Denfert-Rochereau station on the left bank for €8.70.
  

Paris Beauvais Airport

BVA is the least convenient option, which travelers might use to score a cheap trip on airlines like RyanAir. To get from BVA to Paris, you can:

• Take the shuttle to Paris. This will take you about 1 hour and 15 minutes and will cost €15.90 one way (€29 round trip). The shuttle only stops at the Porte Maillot metro station.

• Take a taxi. However, you’ll be looking at a trip of around 1 hour and 20 minutes or longer, and prices over €100!

Our Best Versailles and Paris Louvre Tours

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Paris Itinerary: Day One

Breakfast at Les Soeurs Sucrées

It’s your first morning in Paris and that means you need to try out some French pastries. Make a stop at Les Soeurs Sucrées (“The Sweet Sisters”) for your breakfast.

If you’re a fan of raisins, try a pain aux raisins. It’s sometimes called an escargot—yes, a snail—named for its spiral shape. Think of these delicious pastries as France’s version of a cinnamon roll. It will only cost you €1.40 at Les Soeurs Sucrées, which opens at 7 am.

Address: 33 Rue Coquillière

Take a Louvre Tour

10-minute walk from Les Soeurs Sucrées

When you’ve had your fill of breakfast pastries, you’ll be ready to head to the Louvre. For a skip-the-line experience with an expert guide, we recommend a guided Louvre tour. It’s a great way to make the most of your visit to one of the world’s greatest collections.

While the Louvre is known as the biggest museum in the world today, it was originally built as a defense fortress. It served as the principal residence of French kings and emperors until it was turned into a museum during the French Revolution in 1793.

If you stopped at Les Soeurs Sucrées, you’re only about a 10-minute walk from the museum. Otherwise, the easiest way to get there is to take metro line 1 (yellow line) or metro line 7 (pink line) to the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre stop. A single metro ticket costs €1.90.

Address: Rue de Rivoli

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if a Louvre Museums tour is worth it.

Lunch Near the Louvre at Café Louise

13-minute walk from the Louvre

Looking for somewhere to eat near the Louvre? Head to Café Louise, a 13-minute walk from the museum. The café is named after its owner, Louise, who is often inside greeting and serving customers.

Dishes usually cost about €15, but we recommend you save room for dessert. They are hand-made by Louise’s daughter. The restaurant is open from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm for lunch. For more options, check out our article on the best restaurants near the Louvre.

Address: 155 Boulevard Saint-Germain

Explore Notre-Dame

Metro ride and a 10-minute walk from Café Louise

With a full stomach, it’s time to see Notre–Dame. The best way to get there from Café Louise is to head back to the Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre metro stop. Take line 1 (yellow line) to the Hotel de Ville stop. When you exit the metro, head toward the river and walk for about 10 minutes. 

Walk around the entire exterior so you don’t miss seeing the flying buttresses up close. If you want to see the inside of the cathedral, you’ll be able to enter anytime from 7:45 am to 7:15 pm on weekends.

*The interior of Notre Dame will be closed until further notice.

Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II

Discover the Arènes de Lutèce

15-minute walk from Notre-Dame Cathedral

When you’re done visiting Notre–Dame, head toward the Pont de Archevêché bridge. Continue on to Rue des Bernardins and after a few minutes turn left onto Rue Monge.

You’ll be in the Latin Quarter at this point. Here, you’ll discover the Arènes de Lutèce—a Roman amphitheater and one of Paris’ hidden gems. The amphitheater was built between the 1st and 2nd century A.D. when Paris was known as “Lutèce.”

It‘s one of only two remaining Gallo-Roman period ruins that are still visible in Paris today. The amphitheater is free to visit and opens around 9 am. It closes between 6 pm and 8:30 pm, depending on the season.

Address: 49 Rue Monge

Stop for a Drink at Sherry Butt

Metro ride and a 5-minute walk from Arènes de Lutèce

By this time, you might not quite be ready to eat again yet, but you’ll want to rest your feet. So if you’re looking to try a cocktail while you’re in Paris, head to Sherry Butt.

Named after the barrels used to age whiskey, this cocktail and whiskey bar will give you a sense of what modern Paris is like. It’s small and charming with ambient lighting, and you’ll definitely feel hip sipping a drink on one of their couches.

The bar is about a 20-minute walk from the Arènes de Lutèce. If you don’t feel like walking anymore, continue down Rue Monge (passed the amphitheater) until you see the metro Place Monge. From there, take metro line 7 (pink line) to the Sully-Morland metro stop. Then, you’ll be less than a 5-minute walk from Sherry Butt.

Address: 20 Rue Beautreillis

Enjoy Dinner in Le Marais

And now, time for dinner! And there are few places better than the Le Marais neighborhood to enjoy dinner in Paris. To get the very best selection of Paris foods, we recommend doing our Le Marais Food Tour, which explores this local foodie district of Paris. You’ll get to try delicious crêpes, oysters, falafel, and more!

If you’d prefer to just go out to dinner, go to Vins de Pyrénées. It’s just down the street from Sherry Butt. This restaurant was recently renovated in 2017 but has been around since 1905.

It’s a true neighborhood staple in Le Marais that puts out good, classic French food without the outrageous price tags. Dinner will cost you between €15 and €20 per person, not including drinks. For more options, check out our article on the best restaurants in Le Marais.

Address: 25 Rue Beautreillis

Our Best Guided Tours of Paris

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Paris Itinerary: Day Two

Breakfast at La Boulangerie des Invalides

Since you’re only in Paris for a weekend, it’s a safe bet you’ll want to try out some more French pastries. Start your second day in the city at La Boulangerie des Invalides (in the 7th arrondissement). This cute bakery has a few tables you can try to snag a seat at or simply grab a croissant to go.

Address: 14 Av. de Villars

Visit the Hôtel National des Invalides

10-minute walk from La Boulangerie des Invalides

After breakfast, you’re about a 10-minute walk to the Hôtel National des Invalides. Its gleaming golden dome will be hard to miss. Don’t be confused by the word “hôtel” in its name.

This monument was built in the 1670s by Louis XIV to house disabled war veterans or invalides in French. Today, it’s home to an extensive military museum and the tomb of one of France’s most infamous rulers, Napoleon.

Address: 129 Rue de Grenelle

Admire the Eiffel Tower

20-minute walk from the Hôtel National des Invalides

Reading this itinerary, you may have been wondering when the Eiffel Tower was going to pop up. From Napoleon’s tomb, you’re a lovely 20-minute walk from the tower that passes by the Champ de Mars park.

If you’d prefer to take the metro, the RER C (yellow line) will get you there in about 15 minutes. You can hop on at the Invalides station and ride until the Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel stop.

The best way to explore the Eiffel Tower is to book our Eiffel Tower and Seine River Cruise tour. You’ll enjoy the added bonus of seeing the city from the Seine and you can leave all of the details to your expert guide.

Address: Champ de Mars, 5 Av. Anatole France

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if an Eiffel Tower tour is worth it.

Lunch at Le Petit Marcel via Trocadéro

10-minute walk to Trocadéro, then metro rides and a 5-minute walk from Eiffel Tower

After the Eiffel Tower, cross the river and head toward the large buildings straight in front of you. These are the Trocadéro buildings, and even though it will take you a few minutes to get there, you won’t regret the walk when you see the view of the Eiffel Tower it gives you.

Once you’ve snapped a few more photos, take the Trocadéro metro (line 9) three stops until you get to the Franklin D. Roosevelt stop. Here, you’ll switch to line 1 and ride six stops until you reach the Châtelet metro stop. Once there, you’ll have about a 5-minute walk to the restaurant Le Petit Marcel.

Le Petit Marcel is one of the most typical French bistros you can find in the city. It’s beautifully decorated and serves emblematic French food at reasonable prices. When the weather is nice, sit out on the terrace!

Address: Trocadéro | Le Petit Marcel

Centre Georges Pompidou

2-minute walk from Le Petit Marcel

Once you’ve finished eating, don’t forget to take a quick walk around the corner to see the Centre Georges Pompidou. This modern art museum was controversial when it was first designed and still is to some. Its heating pipes, escalators, and steel frame are all visible on the exterior, making it an impressive but somewhat bizarre sight.

Address: Place Georges-Pompidou

The Best Casual Parisian Dinner: Crêpes!

20-minute walk from Centre Georges Pompidou

Head over to Crêperie Bretonne Fleurie, one of the best crêpe spots in town. The word “Bretonne” in the restaurant’s name signifies that the crêpes and galettes are made the same way as they are in the Brittany region of northwestern France, where crêpes were originally made.

By the end of this weekend, you’ll have experienced some of the top things to do in Paris as well as some of the best cuisine. And now, it’s time to say au revoir until next time!

Address: 67 Rue de Charonne

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