4 Days in Paris

Between the closures, the crowds, and the consecutive day pass, there’s a lot to juggle in Paris. Before our first trip to Paris, we had our entire itinerary planned out by neighborhood. But we were halfway through our Day 1 itinerary before realizing that most of the sights we had planned were closed on Monday, so we went over to the Louvre, but it was extra crowded because of the other closures. Another issue we encountered was with the museum pass... while it was a great time and money saver, it didn’t work everywhere and it had to be used on consecutive days.

To help you avoid these unexpected situations, here’s our ideal four-day itinerary (adjust the sequence based on which days of the week you’ll be in Paris using the handy table below).

Day 1
Ile de la Cite :

• Wake up early to see Notre Dame when it opens (avoid the crowds) & climb the bell tower for stunning views of the city. When you’re done, be sure to walk around the back of the cathedral to see the interesting structure of the building.
• Next, visit Sainte Chapelle to see incredible stained glass

The Marais:

• Walk around the Marais neighborhood. 
• Take a quick visit to the Pompidou Modern Art Museum (which is covered by the museum pass) or at least walk by to see the modern form-follows-function architecture of the building
• If you still have any energy left late afternoon or early evening, visit the Louvre or Orsay Museum

Day 2
Art & Culture:

• Spend the morning at the museums (try to go early to avoid crowds). Pick a few interesting exhibits at the Louvre, don’t miss the Orsay, and, if you have time, see Monet’s enormous waterlily paintings at the Orangerie
• Tour the Latin Quarter or Champs Elysees or head out to the Monet / Marmottan Museum

Day 3
Classic France:

• Day Trip to Versailles, the famous royal palace
• If you have time in the afternoon once you arrive back in Paris, stop by Les Invalides and/or the Rodin Museum
• Early picnic dinner on the Champ de Mars (park at the base of the Eiffel Tower)
• Eiffel Tower - start climbing an hour before sundown

Day 4

• Day trip to Giverny, artist Monet’s estate
• Afternoon shopping, speciality sights (Picasso Museum, Luxembourg Gardens, Carnavalet), or the Louvre/Orsay/Orangerie if you haven’t been yet

Keep in mind, there are many closures on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, so ideally schedule your sightseeing for Wednesday through Saturday. Here’s a chart of what’s open each day (L) = open late on specific days; (E) = open early every day. ​

Calendar showing when sites are open (L) = open late on specific days; (E) = open early every day).

If you’re forgoing the the museum pass altogether, here are some scheduling and money-saving considerations:

• The Orsay, Rodin, Cluny, Pompidou, and Picasso Museums are all free on the first Sunday of the month
• The line to the Louvre is long without a pass. Come ready to wait, and try early mornings and dinner time for shorter lines
• The following sites are free: the inside of Notre Dame Cathedral, various memorials around the city (like the moving Holocaust and deportation memorials), the Paris History Museum, the Carnavalet, the Sacre Coeur Basilica, the Victor Hugo Museum, and all the beautiful parks like the Luxembourg and Versailles Gardens (Check FAQ for details)
• The following are ways to save on sites: (a) Climbing the stairs of the Eiffel tower, instead of taking the elevator, is cheaper and also gives you a closer look at the intricacies of the architecture. (b) The Rodin Museum is cheaper if you just buy a ticket to the outdoor gardens, which still gives you a great taste of the artist’s work. (c) The Orsay has reduced price closer to closing time most nights of the week.

Check out our podcast covering Paris in much more detail

Posted by the team at Planit Travel