Paris in 3 Days

The ideal first-visit plan: three days arranged geographically so you walk less and see more — the classics on day one, art and the Louvre on day two, the island and Montmartre on day three. Every stop opens its full page with prices, times and directions. Golden rule: book the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle online before you travel.

1Day 1

1jardins du TrocadéroStart before 9 am for the famous tower shot ahead of the crowds.

2Eiffel TowerPre-booked slot ~9:30. Allow two hours for the floors and summit.

3Champ de MarsPicnic lunch on the lawns — supplies from nearby Rue Cler.

4Les InvalidesThe golden dome and Napoleon's tomb — 90 minutes for the essence.

5Musée RodinOptional, energy permitting: the Thinker's garden suffices on the cheap ticket.

6Pont Alexandre IIIClose by crossing Paris's most beautiful bridge at sunset.

2Day 2

1Louvre MuseumFirst morning slot, enter via Carrousel du Louvre. Three hours, focused route.

2Palais-RoyalThe post-Louvre pause among the Buren columns and garden.

3Tuileries GardenWalk the full royal axis toward Concorde.

4Musée de l'OrangerieA meditative hour before Monet's water lilies.

5place de la ConcordePause at the obelisk, then up the Champs-Élysées on foot or by bus.

6Arc de TriompheThe rooftop an hour before sunset: day, dusk, then the Tower lights — three shows on one ticket.

3Day 3

1Notre-Dame de ParisReserve the free app slot and be there at opening.

2Sainte ChapelleFive minutes away — the glass needs sun, so give it a clear morning.

3Pont NeufCross Paris's oldest bridge and drop to the Vert-Galant for a light lunch.

4Sacré-CœurMetro to Anvers, funicular up. The basilica is free.

5place du TertreMontmartre lanes and the painters' square — a quick portrait if an artist wins you over.

6square Louise-MichelEnd the trip with Paris's sunset from the hillside terraces.