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3 Days in Paris: A Stress-Free Itinerary to Maximize Your Experience
Cecilia Rinaldi
Deciding what to prioritize in Paris can be daunting when you only have a few days to spend in the City of Light. To make your trip unforgettable and stress-free, we’ve curated an exciting itinerary packed with all the must-see attractions.
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You have a long weekend coming up and think, ‘What the hell, let’s do Paris!‘ – Can you really do the city justice in just three days?
Short answer: Sure you can! And you can guarantee yourself some unforgettable memories.
You won’t be able to hit every classic site in just three days, but sometimes it’s enough to wake up and think, “Wow, I’m brushing my teeth in Paris!” There’s no one-size-fits-all itinerary for the perfect Paris trip; everyone has their own tastes and preferences. That said, here are some suggestions to help you get started on your adventure.
How Much Money Will You Need For 3 Days in Paris?
The cost of a 3-day trip to Paris can vary greatly depending on your travel style, preferences, and activities. Here’s a breakdown of the approximate costs for 3 different budgets ranges:
Budget: €400-€600
Mid-range: €700-€1,100
Luxury: €1,200+
When Is the Best Time of the Year to Visit Paris?
If, like me, you dislike being either super cold or super hot, I highly recommend visiting Paris in the spring or autumn to avoid extreme temperatures. April, May, September, and early October offer a great balance of pleasant weather and manageable crowds. Although I must confess, Paris can sprinkle a bit of extra magic in December, twinkling with all its festive Christmas lights and adding an extra dash of romance to the air!
See the Best of Paris in 3 Days
Of the four key Paris attractions that warrant a little extra time—the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Montmartre and Versailles—our in-city experts suggest you select just three of those, possibly squeezing a couple into one day. We recommend skipping Versailles since it’s a vast area that can easily take up most of your day. Instead, staying in central Paris allows you to pack in a wider variety of experiences in a single day.
Day 1: Eiffel Tower | River Cruise | Musée d’Orsay
8 am: The Eiffel Tower
Start your day at the Eiffel Tower. As one of Paris’s most iconic landmarks, it offers a stunning backdrop to kick off your day. Arriving early also gives you a chance to capture some great photos without the crowds.
The Eiffel Tower is where buying online tickets in advance makes the most difference—the queue for the ticket office is notorious. However, you will still have to queue for the lift. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Eiffel Tower.
10 am: Enjoy a River Cruise
By planning your first day around the Eiffel Tower and river cruise, you can cover a lot of ground efficiently. You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the city and enjoy informative commentary about the historic sites along the Seine.
Seine River cruises start close to the Eiffel Tower and take you on an out-and-return journey alongside sights like Place de la Concorde (with its distinctive obelisk), the Louvre Museum, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
You get to see both sides of Notre Dame because it’s on an island, Île de la Cité, and the cruise boats follow a circuit up one side and down the other.
1 pm: Grab Lunch at Les Cocottes
After your river cruise, you’ll want to grab lunch before continuing to explore the city. We recommend Les Cocottes, a super cool little cafe near the Eiffel Tower. Start off with six burgundy snails with garlic butter. Next, order the beef rib steak, Béarnaise sauce, marrowbone, and homemade fries or codfish cooked in bouillabaisse juice, and vegetable stew. To end it off, the ever-fabulous chocolate tart! Who said anything about a light lunch? You’re in Paris!
Since you’ve planned your day around sites near the river, a great way to fill any spare time in the afternoon is by exploring museums on the Left Bank. These include:
The Army Museum and Napoleon’s tomb at Invalides.
Musée d’Orsay – A collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works by masters such as Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Degas.
The Rodin Museum – Home of Auguste Rodin’s most famous sculptures, such as The Thinker and The Kiss, and also popular for the museum gardens.
7 pm Dinner at Le Relais de L’Entrecôte
After a day of adventuring, you’re going to be hungry. Luckily, we have you covered. If you’re looking for an early dinner and you’re at Musée d’Orsay, we recommend Le Relais de L’Entrecôte.
This place is a Parisian classic, located just under 15 minutes from the museum in the heart of the Saint Germain des Prés neighborhood. Le Relais de L’Entrecôte has several locations around the city. While various branches claim to be the original, you can’t go wrong with a meal at L’Entrecôte—it’s always delicious and satisfying.
The restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, so be prepared to wait a few minutes outside before diving into your meal. Depending on the time, the wait can be up to 30 minutes (but it’s definitely worth it). Once you’re seated, the servers will only ask what you’d like to drink (the house red wine is a great choice) and how you’d like your entrecôte cooked.
Your meat will be served in a flavorful pepper butter sauce, with one customization option and unlimited French fries. If you can manage it, save some space for one of their amazing desserts—they’re quite large, so sharing is a good idea!
Begin your second day at the most iconic museum in Paris—The Louvre. It’s smart to focus your Louvre visit on the main attractions, as the museum is so vast that you’ll only see a fraction of the collection, even with a longer visit.
Despite potential queues at popular spots, you can typically see iconic works like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Delacroix’s LibertyLeading the People in just two to three hours.
Once you’re finished admiring classic works of art, you’ll want some lunch. We recommend a refreshing change from the formality of the Louvre with a walk around the more bohemian Montmartre district, sampling the best of France’s café culture. We recommend Le Moulin de la Galette, a former windmill turned modern restaurant serving up traditional French food. Famous painter Renoir even featured this location in one of his masterpieces.
After lunch, you can visit the centerpiece of Montmartre, the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, which affords an incredible view of the city center and the Eiffel Tower. Just off to the side is Place du Tertre, where street artists and buskers bring to life the vibrant atmosphere that attracted Europe’s creative elite to Montmartre two centuries ago. You can use standard Metro tickets to take the funicular up to Sacré-Coeur, but be sure to return to the center via one of the many stairways that descend from this high area, complete with the ornate lamp-posts that will take you right back to the Belle Epoque. The contrast between this district and the rest of central Paris is highlighted by the hidden Clos Montmartre vineyard, which even offers wine tours. If you’re short on time, don’t miss the Salvador Dalí museum and Place Émile Goudeau, where Pablo Picasso once lived.
7 pm: Dinner at Terrass”
Once you’ve worked up an appetite after a day of adventuring, you’ll want to relax for dinner. We recommend Terrass”—the best restaurant with a view near Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre.
You might not think of a hotel restaurant for dinner in Paris, but this one is definitely worth it. Terrass” offers stunning views of the city from its dining and bar area, with rooftop tables on the eighth floor for nice weather and a cozy indoor panoramic dining room for off-season visits.
Day 3: Arc de Triomphe | Notre Dame | Pompidou | Le Marais
8 am: The Arc de Triomphe
You’re going to want to start your day with the second-most iconic Paris landmark after the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe offers yet another series of views, particularly along the length of the famed Champs-Élysées avenue (if you’re willing to tackle more stairs).
You’ve had a taste of Parisian art and culture, now you can check out what makes its inhabitants so stylish. The Champs-Élysées is a major shopping area, with high-fashion areas adjoining it, such as Rue Faubourg Saint Honoré, Place Vendôme and Avenue Montaigne.
10 am: Notre Dame Cathedral
You may be tempted to just keep walking along Champs-Élysées until you get to Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries Gardens, but you already saw that area when you visited the Louvre on Day 2. Instead, we suggest you take the Metro and head over to Île de la Cité to check out Notre Dame Cathedral. This leaves you well-placed to explore the Le Marais district, but don’t miss Sainte-Chapelle church before you leave the island. Being somewhat smaller than Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle allows a closer view of its stained glass windows, which date back to the 13th century.
Just as Day 2 took you from the genteel formality of the Louvre to the rustic charm of Montmartre, the Marais district will take you from the whacky modernity of the Pompidou Center to the 17th-century decorum of Place des Vosges.
The Pompidou has an outstanding permanent collection of modern art but often also houses adventurous temporary exhibitions based on things like comic book culture, photography, and multimedia installations.
On the way to Place des Vosges from the Pompidou, you may wish to visit Saint-Gervais et Saint-Protais, the oldest church in Paris, with a particularly fine organ, and once at the Place des Vosges itself, a point of interest is the house where author Victor Hugo worked.
6 pm: Grab a Pre-Dinner Drink at L’Avant Comptoir du Marché
It’s your last night in Paris, you should celebrate with a glass of wine. I’m a huge fan of Avant Comptoir du Marché! It’s an ideal place for a relaxed evening, particularly during happy hour. The small plates are incredible—each one artfully presented.
I enjoyed sampling a range of tasty options, from charcuterie to seasonal vegetables, all skillfully made to showcase fresh ingredients. The casual atmosphere makes it easy to unwind with a glass of wine and chat with friends.
The vibrant energy, with laughter and shared plates all around, perfectly captures the spirit of Parisian dining.
If you’re looking for more nightlife options, try one of the spots from our list of The 10 Best Bars in Paris.
8 pm: Dinner at Café Hugo
For dinner or a late-night drink and snack (they are open until 2 am), we recommend Café Hugo. Café Hugo is ideally situated in the Marais, right next to the historic Place des Vosges.
With its classic Parisian style and colorful bistro chairs outside, it’s perfect for people-watching. Plus, the prices are quite reasonable compared to other cafés in the area.
If you can’t get enough of Paris’s cafe culture, check out our list of The Best Cafés in Paris.
Nothing Is Set in Stone
This itinerary offers a mix of must-see landmarks and activities coupled with those that give an authentic taste of the French capital. Feel free to adapt based on your preferences and where you stay.
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