3 Day Paris Itinerary: All the Highlights in 72 Hours

Day One: Must-See Paris Highlights

Today’s agenda includes:  

• The Louvre
• Ile de la Cite
• Sainte-Chapelle
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Shakespeare & Co
• Relais de l’Entrecote
• Hotel de Ville
• Le Marais
• Sacre Couer
• Montmartre Self-Guided Walk
• Moulin Rouge

The Louvre

Here’s the truth. I can try until I’m blue in the face to convince you to skip the Louvre and you’d still tell me you want to see. So let’s just get this over with right off the bat. (I have a lot of favorite museums, but the Louvre is not one of them.)

The trick for actually enjoying the Louvre is going as early as possible, so plan to get here a little before they open at 9 a.m. Once inside, you’ll want to beeline it straight to the Mona Lisa if you’re keen on a selfie. Expect big crowds in front of Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo as well.

Honestly, you could spend all day here, but it’s best to limit yourself to a 60-90 minute visit to avoid overwhelm. Not sure what to see other than Mona? I found this Louvre guide very helpful during my last Louvre visit.

• Cost: €22. (To snag a 9 a.m. ticket, book a couple months in advance.)
• Nearest metro station: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre
• Hint: Access the museum via subterranean tunnels from the metro station via the Carrousel du Louvre. If you want a photo of the famous glass pyramid, snag that shot when you leave the museum.

Walk to the Île de la Cité

Île de la Cité sits about a mile upstream from the Louvre and the easiest way between the Louvre and the Seine’s most famous is on foot; there’s no convenient/time-saving metro route.

If the weather’s pleasant, take a minute to browse the Bouquinistes booths that line the Seine river banks. These vendors sell used books, prints, and postcards. Cross the Seine via the Pont de Neuf.

Sainte-Chapelle

While not an absolutely Paris must-see, because you need a timed ticket to enter this 13^th century chapel in the Palais de la Cité, now is the time to see it before you start queuing for the other attractions on today’s list. Once the French king’s private chapel, the chapel has the best collection of 13^th century stained glass in the world.

You only need about 10 minutes inside but trust me, you will gasp when you get your first glimpse of the chapel’s spectacular windows. Even on a rainy day, it’s a stunning sight. 

• Cost: €13
• Nearest metro station: Cité
• Hint: While you can buy a combo ticket that also includes admission into the nearby Conciergerie (where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned), I recommend skipping that stop unless you’re especially passionate about the French Revolution.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

At long last, Notre-Dame is finally rehabbed and open to the public!

Don’t worry if you can’t reserve tickets before your visit. The online tickets, which are only available 48 hours in advance, just expedite your entrance. If you don’t have a ticket, you can just queue with the general public.

If you’re really allergic to lines, go to Notre Dame before heading over to the Louvre. The cathedral opens at 7:50 a.m. so you’ll can easily spend 20 minutes admiring the cathedral’s fresh interior and still make it to the Louvre before it opens. However, I put Notre Dame after the Louvre on this itinerary is to save you both a mile of walking and stressing about your timed Louvre ticket.

• Cost: Free
• Nearest metro station: Cité
• Hint: If you do end up taking the metro to this station, be weary of pickpockets and panhandlers.

Shakespeare & Company Bookstore

This famous English language bookstore with connections to many American greats including Fitzgerald and Hemingway (yes, I continue to stalk this man across the globe; I’ve also “bumped into him” in northern Italy and Key West) sits right across the river from Notre-Dame on the left bank.

There is almost always a line to get inside, but it moves quite quickly. We only stood in line for about five minutes and then spent a very pleasant 30 minutes browsing. The nice thing about the line is that it prevents the store from overcrowding. A book from here makes an excellent souvenir because they stamp every book they sell with their logo.

• Cost: Free, but you’ll probably end up buying something
• Nearest metro station: Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame

Le Relais de l’Entrecote

Take a quick walk through Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood to find lunch at Le Relais de l’Entrecote. This small bistro chain serves only one dish and it’s a Parisian classic: steak frites. Known for their excellent walnut salad and delicious steak sauce, you won’t get a menu here. Instead, the wait staff take your drink order, ask how you like your steak cooked, and go from there.

This place doesn’t take reservations; to get in you simply queue. It’s best to go either before or after the lunch rush. They open for lunch at 12 noon.

If steak frites doesn’t sound good today, or the line is simply too long, grab a table at Les Deux Magots. This café favored by Hemingway is right around the corner.

• Cost: €27. This covers your salad and steak frites. Beverages and desserts are extra.
• Nearest metro station: St-Germain

Wander the Latin Quarter and Le Marais

Similar to smaller French towns like Bayeux and Rouen, one of the best things about Paris is simply going for a stroll and popping into what shops, cafes, and bakeries call to you. After lunch, plan to backtrack through the Latin Quarter, back to Île de la Cité, and then cross over to the right bank on Pont d’Arcole.

You’ll walk right past Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and then enter Le Marais. As the oldest part of Paris, Le Marais offers a refreshing architectural change from the rest of the city. The neighborhood’s known for its independent boutiques and café.

Once you’ve wandered to your heart’s content, find the nearest metro station and take the metro to the Anvers metro station.

Sacre Couer

Make your way (up) through Square Louise Michel to reach the Sacre Couer Basilica. Be sure to hum “Complainte de la Butte” as you climb the 222 steps up to the church. Alternatively, if your dogs are barking by this point, you can take the funicular. I love a good funicular, but actually prefer climbing the stairs in this particular case.

Pop inside the massive basilica if you want, but mostly you’re here for the sweeping view of Paris. Do be on guard for pushing street peddlers as you soak in the view. Usually a kind, but firm, “Non, merci,” will move them along.

• Cost: Free
• Nearest metro station: Anvers
• Hint: Lots of people are hell-bent on going to the Sacre Couer at sunset to make the spectacular Paris vista from the top of the hill even more memorable. Personally, between the crowds and chances of it being cloudy, I don’t think this is an experience worth planning your day around. The views are great at mid-day and lovely after dark too.

Montmartre Self-Guided Walk 

Montmartre is my favorite spot in Paris. (Not very original, I know!) Like Le Marais, this hilly section of Paris actually has architectural personality. It’s long been beloved by artists and writers and still celebrates its bohemian legacy. You’ll also find two of the original Montmartre windmills (moulins) here, along with the most famous moulin of all: the Moulin Rouge.

I highly recommend taking a self-guided walk through the neighborhood. You’ll find my favorite view of the Eiffel Tour just west of the Sacre Couer. Be sure to browse the art vendors and gift shops around Place du Tertre. You’ll find some excellent photo ops by La Maison Rose and the Moulin Rouge as well as pass one of the original Montmartre windmills.

You’ll end your walk right in front of the Moulin Rouge where you can easily hop on the metro in the Blanche station to head to dinner or back to your lodging.

• Cost: Free
• Nearest metro station: Anvers (start) and Blanche (end)  

Day Two: Paris Glamour

Today’s sites include:

• Arc de Triomphe
• Champs-Élysées
• Angelina
• Place de Vendome
• Opera Garnier
• Galleries Lafayette
• Tuileries Gardens
• Musée d’Orsay
• Catacombs

Arc de Triomphe

Confession: It took me three trips to Paris before I made it to the Arc de Triomphe. That’s because this iconic Paris landmark sit at the far end of the Champs-Élysées, well removed from any other popular Parisian sites. Since it’s difficult to dovetail a visit to the Arc de Triomphe with other sightseeing, it makes sense to start the day here.

You can go inside the Arc to get a spectacular view of the Champs-Élysées Avenue and central Paris. I really just wanted to see the famous French traffic circle in action and was happy to snap a few pictures from the curb and carry on with my day.

• Cost: €16 (only if you go inside)
• Nearest metro station: Charles de Gaulle-Étoile
• Hint: When you arrive at the metro station, take subterranean tunnels right to the base of the Arc. There’s no way you’re navigating that crazy traffic circle to reach the Arc above ground.

Champs-Élysées 

This famous Parisian boulevard is known for its luxury stores, gardens, and theatres. It’s also adjacent to the French President’s residence. As romantic as it sounds to stroll the length of this 1.5 mile avenue, today just meander down the upper part of the boulevard from the Arc de Triomphe to the George V metro station.

• Cost: Free, unless you do a little luxury shopping
• Nearest metro station: Charles de Gaulle-Étoile
• Hint: At nearly 1.5 miles in length, don’t plan to walk the entire length of the Champs Elysees. You need to save your walking stamina for more interesting parts of Paris later on today.

Angelina (Rue Rivoli location)

It seems blasphemous to go to Paris and not have at least one hot chocolate. Angelina, a Parisian Instagram darling, serves up one of the most famous drinking chocolates in the city. Yes, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but the dining area is lovely and we had a delicious ala carte brunch here.

If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, you can absolutely split a hot chocolate, but do ask for extra whipped cream. While we had plenty of hot chocolate for the two us, I would have greatly appreciated twice as much whipped cream to top our luxurious cocoas with.  

• Cost: €10.50 for a hot chocolate with whipped cream, €45 for a full brunch (including hot chocolate), and lots of a la carte items at various price points. 
• Nearest metro station: Tuileries
• Hint: We visited late morning on an early December Tuesday and were lead straight to a table. While this was a fun stop, I wouldn’t say it’s a Paris must do. If the line is too long, just pop into another nearby café for a coffee and pastry. 

Palais Garnier (National Opera of Paris)

From Angelina, head on foot up to Palais Garnier, which is another name for the Paris Opera House. Along the way, you’ll pass Place de Vendome and the Ritz Paris.

If you’re a fan of Phantom of the Opera, the Opera House is an absolute must on any Paris itinerary. Don’t miss the Chagall ceiling in the auditorium, the library, and grand foyer. 

• Cost: €15 for a self-guided tour; €23 for a guided tour
• Nearest metro station: Opera
• Hint: While I did a self-guided tour, I really think the experience would be much enhanced with a guided tour.

Galleries Lafayette Haussmann

The flagship store of France’s most famous department store chains is located right behind the Opera house. Even if you’re not much for shopping, it’s worth a visit just to see its spectacular glass dome ceiling. But with six levels, you’re bound to find some treasures here in this upscale shopping mall.

• Cost: Free
• Nearest metro station: Opera
• Hint: This is an especially fun stop at Christmas time. If you’re lucky enough to visit in December, be sure to check out their impressive window displays.

Tuileries Gardens

Head back towards the Seine and take a little stroll through the Tuileries Gardens. This landscaped garden serves as the Louvre’s front yard. In December, it’s also home to one of Paris’s largest Christmas markets.

• Cost: Free
• Nearest metro station: Tuileries

Musée d’Orsay

If you can only go to one art museum in Paris, make it the Musée d’Orsay. Located in a retrofitted train station, I particularly love this museum’s collection of Impressionist art, especially the familiar scenes from Etretat and Rouen!

While you won’t escape crowds here, I’ve always found it much more pleasant experience than the Louvre. Just know, you might have to throw some elbows if you want to get the ultimate Paris influencer shot in front of the 5^th floor clock.

I recommend stopping at one of the windows in the Impressionist gallery on the 5^th level for some nice views of the Tuileries and Sacre Couer.

• Cost: €16 (if purchased online – recommended to avoid waiting in line) or €14 at the door
• Nearest metro station: Musée d’Orsay

Catacombs

Take the Metro from Musée d’Orsay to perhaps the most unique Paris experience: the catacombs. It takes about 45 minutes to weave 1.5 kilometers through tunnels about 20 meters below street level. Originally created by quarries, these tunnels were converted into ossuaries in the late 18^th century to help relieve overcrowded cemeteries.  

An audio guide is included in your ticket price and leads you on a self-directed tour of the final resting place of more than 6 million Parisians. If you’re not a fan of the macabre, this might not be for you. Honestly, I’m kind of a fan of memento mori (case in point: this Milan ossuary) and found the catacombs very tasteful and sacred.

• Cost: €29 – Make sure you buy your tickets directly from the official Catacombs website. Tickets can only be booked 7 days in advance.
• Nearest metro station: Denfert-Rochereau
• Hint: It’s very chilly in the catacombs and gets a little drippy, so it’s a good idea to bring a rain jacket or coat with a hood.

Day Three: Day Trip to Versailles

Today’s itinerary is little more laid back, but you’ll cover more ground.

• Versaille Palace and Gardens
• Champs de Mars
• Eiffel Tower
• Hotel des Invalides
• Seine River Cruise

Train to Versailles

Located about 14 miles outside of central Paris, Versailles is the perfect Paris day trip. After two days of pounding around Parisian streets, today’s a great day to seek out more open, green spaces in the Paris suburbs.  

You can easily reach Versailles by hopping on the RER C (yellow line) and riding to Gare de Versailles Château – Rive Gauche. Once you reach the station, it’s a 10 minute walk to the palace.

• Cost: €2.50 each way
• Hint: Versailles opens at 9 a.m. and it pays to be early to avoid crowds inside the palace.

Versailles Palace and Gardens

This stunning palace of King Louis XIV is most commonly associated with opulence of the French monarchy that eventually led to the French Revolution. As you wander through the State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors, you’ll understand the common Frenchman might have been a little annoyed with the 18^th century nobility.

But the palace is just the start of the Versailles experience. The gardens are extensive! If you think you can explore them completely on foot (I did!) you are a fool. Although this is not my usual recommendation, it’s actually a great idea to rent one of the electric golf carts to efficiently explore the grounds. Rentals start at €42 per hour.

• Cost: €24 – €32 depending on season. Ticket includes both the palace and the grounds.
• Nearest metro station: Versailles Château Rive Gauche

Champs de Mars & Eiffel Tower

After you’ve explored Versailles to your heart’s content, head back to the train station and take the RER line to the Champs de Mars/Tour Eiffel stop.

While I don’t think I’ll be successful, I’m going to do my best to convince you to not actually going up the Eiffel Tour. Just like with New York’s Empire State Building, it turns out photos from the city’s most famous landmark just don’t hit the same as photos with the famous landmark. Honestly, going up the Eiffel Tower is an exercise in waiting in line and really disappointing views.

Instead, bring a picnic lunch and enjoy fantastic views of the actual Eiffel Tower from your seat in the Champs de Mars park that stretches in front of the tower.

• Cost: Free. (€23 – 36 if you must go up the Eiffel Tower. Price depends on which level you go to and whether or not you use the lift.)
• Nearest metro station: Champs de Mars/Tour Eiffel

Seine River Cruise

It’s exhausting seeing the best of Paris in just three days, so let’s close out this itinerary with a little R&R on a Seine River dinner cruise.

Head across the river to Port de la Conference to board your river cruise boat. The cruise features a four-course meal and live music. It’s great way to enjoy one last look at Paris’s most beloved landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Musée d’Orsay as we close out your last night in Paris.

• Cost: €122
• Nearest metro station: Alma-Marceau

My Best Tips For Making The Most Out of Three Days in Paris 

The secret to success to a brief Paris visit is advanced planning. When there’s so much to see and everything is spread out, you need a real strategy for the both order you’ll visit attractions in as well as how you’ll get from point A to point B. Here’s some quick “dos” and “don’ts” for before you travel to Paris.

Do download the Bonjour RATP app

Instead of wasting precious time pouring over the Paris metro map, just download the metro app, Bonjour RATP. All you have to do is punch in where you currently are and where you’d like to go and the app will provide a full itinerary with time estimate and details about any connections you need to make.

Don’t assume you need to buy a metro pass

This itinerary assumes you will take 3-4 metro rides each day and otherwise rely on your own two feet to navigate Paris. While it might seem like a no-brainer to buy a metro pass (either the one-day Navigo pass or a three-day Paris travel pass) you actually won’t be using the metro enough to make that cost effective.

A one ride Paris metro ticket costs €2.50. The cheapest metro pass costs €12. You’d need to take 5 metro rides in a day for the pass to be cheaper than just buying rides as needed. Even with how busy this itinerary will have you, 5 metro rides is a lot and probably not the best use of your precious Paris time.

One note: Yes, it is a pain to have to stop at the ticket kiosk in each metro station to buy your ride ticket, but this process takes less than a minute and if you have mobile pay set up on your phone, you can avoid the security risk of digging around in your purse in public.

Note two: Sadly, you cannot just buy a mittful of one ride tickets at the first station you use each morning. I tried this one day and quickly learned at the next station that my tickets only worked in the first station’s turnstiles. Let my lost €5 in this experiment be your gain!

And thirdly: If you do buy a metro pass, sign it. Because there’s such a problem with people reselling metro passes in Paris, your pass isn’t valid unless you sign it.

Don’t buy a Paris pass

As much as I would love to sell you a three-day Paris pass that will get you admission into all sorts of favorite tourist attractions, I’d be a pretty shitty travel blogger if I didn’t tell you that it will be almost impossible to get your money’s worth out of this pass if you’re planning to follow this itinerary.

If your focus in Paris is seeing all the landmarks and highlights, there won’t be much (any?) time for the tours and experiences that really make the pass worth it. A three-day Paris pass costs about €225. The admissions included on this itinerary that the pass would cover are about €110.  

Obviously, do your homework and decide if the Paris pass is right for you and your group. I almost always find it the most cost effective to pay for attractions a la carte. Remember, a trip to Paris is only as expensive as you let it be.

Do plan to be an early bird

The best way to see Paris in an efficient and satisfying manner, is to get a jump on all the other tourists. If you don’t want to jostle elbows trying to get a selfie with the Mona Lisa or get carried through Versailles’ state rooms in a wave of tourists, grab those croissants and café au laits first thing and plan to get to stepping in the 8 o’clock hour, if not before.

(This itinerary assumes you’re already acclimated to Central European Time.)

Where To Stay in Paris

Honestly, I think the worst part about going to Paris is trying to figure out where to stay. There are thousands of Parisian hotels. Throw in a myriad of vacation rentals and you’ve got a sure recipe for analysis paralysis. Sometimes you just want someone to tell you where to stay. So here’s a very short list of favorite Paris hotels I’ve vetted myself.

Hotel Square Louvois

My dad and uncle stayed in this 4-star hotel near the Opera House when during his own Normandy trip in spring 2024. You can’t beat the location. Rooms are clean and comfortable and the staff is extremely helpful. The complimentary afternoon tea was also a big selling point making this a great option if you’re looking for a little luxury in the heart of Paris.  

Hotel Magenta 38

This hotel is a no-frills budget hotel on the busy Boulevard de Magenta, near both Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord. It is a very convenient location for getting the CDG airport or train travel to the north or east. While it’s definitely not located in a desirable tourist area, a quick 7 minute walk to the Place de la Republique allows you to hop on the metro and reach favorite Paris attractions in minutes. Breakfast didn’t look like much (and was an additional charge) but with no fewer than half a dozen boulangeries within a two minute walk, so it’s easy to grab your “petit dejeuner” on the go.

Hotel Le Vignon

A simple, extremely clean hotel on the edge of Paris’s ritziest area. We stayed here at the end of our Normandy road trip because you can reach on foot from Gare Saint-Lazare. It’s also within walking distance of the Palais Garnier Opera House, the Louvre, and Place de la Concorde. Don’t sleep on the concierge service! They were so helpful with getting us a taxi to the airport and I really should have utilized them for dinner reservations.

Conclusion: Can you really see Paris in 72 hours?

With this itinerary, you’ll truly experience Paris. I’ve striven to create the perfect mix of wandering and essential Parisian cultural experiences. With a little forward thinking (and booking!), it’s easy to create the Paris trip of your dreams, even in just three days.

From indulgent hot chocolate and luxury shopping to must-see landmarks like the Eiffel Tour, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, and Versailles, these three days in Paris will create memories to last the rest of your life. Even better, you can easily dovetail this short itinerary into a longer European itinerary.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, Paris tends to have a love it or leave it effect on visitors. Because it’s so easy to get overwhelmed in Paris, I actually think 72 hours is the perfect amount of time for a first-time visit. You can see the very best of the City of Light in three days and if you find the city isn’t quite to your taste you’ll be in and out in no time.

I hope you thoroughly enjoy this whirlwind tour of Paris. If you have any questions or need any help planning your first visit to Paris, feel free to contact me; I’m happy to assist!

If you loved this Three Day Paris Itinerary, check out my other France posts.
 

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