Photo by Léonard Cotte on Unsplash
Four easy days built around the Seine: the islands and the Latin Quarter, the Louvre and the Champs-Élysées, the left bank museums and the Eiffel Tower, then a hilltop morning in Montmartre. The metro links every stop.
Dishes the travel guides name for this place, and the restaurants they list for them.
Steamed mussels served with French fries, best eaten in fall and winter.
Cheese and French wine bought at shops or markets, often eaten as a picnic or at wine bars.
From Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Listings are what the guides list, not a ranking, and places change, so check before you go. Photos: Edward, CC BY-SA 4.0, User:Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
The oldest heart of Paris. Start early with the stained glass, cross to the cathedral, then wander the left bank to a quiet garden and the river at dusk.
A small 13th century royal chapel on the Île de la Cité, whose tall walls are almost all stained glass. Book a timed ticket ahead, and go early for the best light.
Go when First thing in the morning, when the light comes through the glass and the chapel is quiet.
Local tip It is small, so a visit is short. You pass through the dim lower chapel first, then climb to the glass above.
The classic Paris breakfast is a buttery croissant or a pain au chocolat with a coffee, from any neighborhood bakery. Eat it fresh, standing at the counter or on a bench.
Local tip The best bakeries have a short line of locals in the morning, so follow them.
Hours change, so check before you go.
The great Gothic cathedral on the same island, reopened after the 2019 fire. Look up at the towers and the flying buttresses from the square, and check ahead how to go in.
Go when Midday, once you have seen the chapel, or early evening when the crowds thin.
Local tip Walk around to the back of the island to see the flying buttresses, which are best from the little park behind the cathedral.
A formal garden on the left bank, with gravel paths, a pond and green metal chairs you can move wherever you like. A good place to sit after a morning on your feet.
Go when Afternoon, for a slow walk and a rest in one of the chairs.
Local tip Take a chair, move it to the edge of the pond and stay a while. It is what the Parisians do.
The Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain have bistros serving the dishes Paris is known for: onion soup, steak frites, duck confit and a crème brûlée to finish.
Local tip Look for a short menu on a board outside, which usually means the kitchen cooks a few dishes well.
Hours change, so check before you go.
A pedestrian bridge over the Seine with a wide view of the river, the Île de la Cité and the Louvre. A calm place to watch the light change.
Go when Early evening, before sunset (about 9:25 PM), when the river and the old buildings turn gold.
Local tip It is a footbridge, so you can stop in the middle and look both ways without anyone in a hurry behind you.
A big museum morning, then gardens, Monet and the grand avenue. The Louvre is huge, so choose what you most want to see.
The world’s best known museum, in a former royal palace. You cannot see it all, so pick a few rooms and give them time. Book a timed ticket ahead.
Go when First thing in the morning, before the biggest rooms fill up.
Local tip Choose two or three things you want to see before you go in. Trying to see everything leaves you tired and not sure what you saw.
The croque monsieur is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a creamy sauce, a cafe standard in Paris. A good, quick lunch near the museum.
Local tip Order it with a green salad, which is the usual side.
Hours change, so check before you go.
A long, formal garden between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, with tree lined paths, ponds and benches. A pleasant place to sit down after the museum.
Go when Midday, as a break between the Louvre and the afternoon.
Local tip Sit on one of the green chairs by the round pond and watch the walkers go by.
A small museum at the end of the garden, known for Monet’s Water Lilies, shown in two oval rooms built for them. Quiet, and easy to see in an hour or two.
Go when Afternoon, when you want something calm after the big museum.
Local tip Take a seat in the oval rooms and let your eyes adjust. The paintings are made to be looked at slowly.
Macarons are small, round almond cookies with a soft filling, a Paris specialty sold in pastry shops across the city. A sweet pause in the afternoon.
Local tip Try two or three flavors and skip the rest, since they are small and rich.
Hours change, so check before you go.
The huge arch at the top of the Champs-Élysées, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath it. Take the metro, and check ahead if you want to climb to the top.
Go when Early evening, when the avenue lights come on and the arch glows.
Local tip Use the underground passage to reach the arch, as the traffic around it is fast and busy. Do not try to cross at street level.
Impressionist paintings in an old railway station, sculpture in a garden, Napoleon’s tomb and the Eiffel Tower to end the day.
A museum in a former railway station on the Seine, with the best known collection of Impressionist painting. The old station clock hall is worth a look itself. Book a timed ticket ahead.
Go when Morning, when the Impressionist rooms upstairs are least crowded.
Local tip Start on the upper level with the Impressionists and work down. Look at the big clock window as you pass.
Many cafes and brasseries near the Seine offer a plat du jour, a dish of the day, written on a board. It is a simple, local way to lunch.
Local tip Ask for the plat du jour and bread, and let the waiter suggest what comes with it.
Hours change, so check before you go.
The sculptor’s works in an 18th century mansion and its garden, where The Thinker sits among the roses and trees. An easy, green stop in the middle of the day.
Go when Late morning or midday, when you can eat outside and wander the garden.
Local tip Look for the Gates of Hell in the garden, the huge bronze door that holds many of the artist’s figures.
A grand complex built for wounded soldiers, with a gold dome that holds Napoleon’s tomb and a military museum. Walk across the wide lawn in front for the view.
Go when Afternoon, on the way toward the river and the Eiffel Tower.
Local tip Walk to the big gold dome and step inside to see the tomb under it. It is a surprisingly quiet place.
Bread, cheese, charcuterie and fruit from a market street in the 7th make an easy dinner on the lawn of the Champ de Mars, with the tower in view.
Local tip Pick up a baguette and a cheese from a market street near the Eiffel Tower, and ask for it sliced.
Hours change, so check before you go.
The iron tower that defines the Paris skyline, best seen at the end of the day when the city lights come on. Book a timed ticket ahead if you want to go up.
Go when Early evening, before sunset (about 9:25 PM), then stay to see the tower lit up at night.
Local tip For the best photo, cross to the Trocadéro side and look back at the tower. Then walk down to the river for a close view from the bank.
A day on the hill. Climb early to the white basilica, wander the artists’ square and the quiet cemetery, and end by the red windmill.
The white basilica on top of Montmartre, with a wide view over the whole city from its steps. Go early, before the stairs fill up.
Go when Morning, before the steps and the square fill up.
Local tip Walk up by the quiet side streets instead of the main stairs, and turn around at the top for the view across the city.
A small square of painters at their easels, in the old village heart of Montmartre. Look at the work, then wander the narrow streets around it.
Go when Late morning, when the painters are setting up and the square is lively.
Local tip The square is small and busy, so the quieter streets just beside it are often the better walk.
A galette is a savory buckwheat crêpe, filled with ham, egg and cheese. It comes from Brittany but is a favorite in Paris, and crêperies line the streets of Montmartre.
Local tip Pair it with a glass of cider, the traditional match.
Hours change, so check before you go.
A quiet, tree shaded cemetery on the edge of the hill, where many artists and writers are buried. Walk it slowly, and read the names on the tombs.
Go when Afternoon, when the paths are quiet and the light is soft.
Local tip Many of the tombs are old and worn, so stay on the paths and keep your voice low. It is a place for walking.
The streets around the hill are full of small neighborhood bistros, a quiet way to end the trip away from the busiest tourist squares.
Local tip Walk a few streets down from the main square, where the menus get shorter and more local.
Hours change, so check before you go.
The red windmill over Boulevard de Clichy, home to the famous cabaret since the 1800s. Come to see it lit up after dark, and book ahead if you want a show.
Go when After dark, when the red sails are lit.
Local tip The windmill sits on a busy boulevard, so you only need a few minutes. Book ahead if you want to see the show inside.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, April to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Paris. This plan is built for mid May, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 4 days in Paris, planned for mid May. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.1 to 3.5 kilometers between its stops, and 10.2 kilometers in all across 4 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
6 days in Normandy by carAbout 170 km awayAn easy add-on
8 days in London, Oxford and the CotswoldsAbout 370 km away
6 days on the Rhine and MoselleAbout 390 km awayOther guides with a page about Paris. Each one opens in a new tab.
WikivoyageParis, the free travel guide
Lonely PlanetParis travel guideRick StevesParis travel guideCondé Nast TravelerParis travel guideThe GuardianParis travel features
The InfatuationRestaurant guide to ParisPhoto by Dag Heinrichowski on Unsplash · Photo by Michael Fousert on Unsplash · Photo: Claude villetaneuse, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Tonchino, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Petr Kratochvil, CC0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
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