Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Begin on Île de la Cité, arriving around 9:00 while the riverside is still calm. Allow about an hour to wander along the Quai de l’Orfèvre and Quai de l’Horloge, taking in the medieval façades and views toward the Seine. Continue to Sainte-Chapelle for your late-morning visit. Its upper chapel is compact but spectacular, and the stained glass is usually best in brighter daylight; reserve a timed ticket in advance and allow 20–30 minutes for security. Admission is generally around €13, with combination tickets sometimes available. Check the official schedule before traveling, as opening hours and access can vary with services or special events.
Walk across the Pont au Change and through the 1st arrondissement to the Louvre Museum, allowing roughly 20 minutes between the two. Aim for an early-afternoon timed entry and keep your visit focused rather than trying to cover the entire museum: the Denon Wing is the practical choice for major painting highlights, while the sculpture courts and Cour Marly offer a less crowded change of pace. Set aside three hours, including security and a short pause; adult admission is typically in the €20–25 range, and a reserved slot is strongly recommended. If you have not eaten, use a museum café or pick up something simple nearby rather than losing valuable gallery time.
After leaving, walk through the Carrousel du Louvre toward Café de la Régence near the Palais-Royal—about 15–20 minutes, depending on how much you pause along the arcades. Plan €10–25 per person for coffee, a pastry, or a light meal; it is a useful reset after the Louvre rather than another major stop. Finish with an unhurried stroll through the Palais-Royal Garden, circling the formal paths and arcades as the light softens. The garden is free, and the surrounding galleries and boutiques make this a pleasant place to linger without adding another ticketed attraction.
Start around 8:00–8:30 for Sacré-Cœur Basilica. From central Paris, take Metro Line 12 to Abbesses or Line 2 to Anvers; allow roughly 20–35 minutes, plus the uphill walk. The funicular from the base of the hill is useful if you want to save your legs, though the stairs and residential lanes give you a better feel for Montmartre. Entry to the basilica is free, while the dome has a separate fee; check the day’s religious-service restrictions and dress modestly. Spend about an hour inside and around the forecourt, when the panorama is usually less crowded.
Walk downhill through the quieter streets to the Musée de Montmartre, near Rue Cortot, allowing about 10 minutes. Its former artists’ studios and garden tell the neighborhood’s story more vividly than the postcard version, with connections to Renoir, Suzanne Valadon, and the cabaret scene. Plan 1–1½ hours and check the current opening schedule before setting out, as museum hours can vary by day; admission is generally around €15, with the gardens sometimes included or ticketed according to the exhibition.
Continue for roughly 8 minutes to Place du Tertre. Give yourself 45 minutes to browse the artists’ easels, but look beyond the central square into the surrounding lanes for less hectic corners. Portrait commissions are negotiable—agree on the price and what is included before sitting. For lunch, settle at Le Consulat on Rue des Saules, a classic Montmartre stop serving traditional French dishes for approximately €20–35 per person. It is popular, so expect a wait at peak lunchtime and keep the meal to about an hour.
After lunch, walk 15–20 minutes south to Montmartre Cemetery, entering from Avenue Rachel. This is a peaceful change of pace, with tree-lined paths and the graves of artists, writers, and performers; allow about an hour and follow the cemetery map rather than wandering aimlessly. Wear comfortable shoes, as the paths can be uneven and the cemetery may close earlier than nearby attractions depending on the season.
For the evening, take Metro Line 2 from Place de Clichy toward Nation, changing as needed for Atelier des Lumières in the 11th arrondissement; allow around 25–35 minutes door to door. Reserve a timed ticket if the current immersive exhibition requires one, and check the program before committing—the show changes and entry is not something to assume at the door. Allow 1½ hours inside, then stay in the surrounding Rue de Charonne area for a relaxed dinner; nearby bistros are generally more dependable than eating beside the attraction itself.
From Montmartre, leave around 8:00 and take Metro Line 12 from Abbesses to Solférino; allow 25–35 minutes, then walk about 10 minutes to the Musée d’Orsay. Aim for a timed entry around 9:30, as queues for same-day tickets can be significant. Spend 2½–3 hours with the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, but also make time for the building itself—the former railway station’s grand clock and soaring hall are part of the experience. Check the museum’s opening schedule when booking, since weekly closing days and special exhibitions can affect access; admission is generally around €16–€22 depending on the ticket and exhibition.
Walk roughly 20 minutes through the 7th arrondissement to Le Café de Mars, a relaxed neighborhood choice for lunch rather than a rushed museum café stop. Budget about €25–40 per person and allow an hour; a reservation is sensible if you want to keep the afternoon on schedule. Afterwards, it is a short walk to the Musée Rodin, where you can spend about two hours between the sculpture galleries and the garden. The garden is especially good for slowing down after the morning indoors, with works by Rodin set among clipped lawns and mature trees. Allow approximately €14–15 for entry, and check the current garden and museum hours before going, as they can vary seasonally.
Continue by Metro or on foot toward Saint-Germain-des-Prés—walking takes around 25 minutes and is pleasant along the Left Bank. Spend about an hour at the Musée Eugène-Delacroix, tucked into the artist’s former apartment and studio with a peaceful courtyard that feels far removed from the busier boulevards. It is a compact visit, so check its recurring closing day before relying on it; admission is usually modest, around €7–9.
Finish at Abbey Bookshop, a small English-language shop in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, for around 45 minutes of browsing among art books, literature, and hard-to-find Paris titles. It is an easy place to linger rather than another timed stop, and the surrounding streets are ideal for an unplanned café or wine-bar pause. Keep the evening open: Rue de Buci and the nearby lanes offer plenty of casual choices, while the bookshop’s hours are worth checking in advance, especially on quieter days.
From Saint-Germain-des-Prés, head toward Le Marais around 9:00. Take Metro Line 4 to Châtelet, then walk east through the historic streets toward Musée Picasso Paris; allow about 25–35 minutes door to door, including the walk. The museum occupies the elegant Hôtel Salé, and two hours is a good pace for the collection without rushing. Check the current opening days and reserve an entry time if offered—museum hours and special exhibitions can change, and the first entry slots are the easiest way to avoid a slow start.
Walk north toward Marché des Enfants Rouges, roughly 10 minutes via Rue de Bretagne. Give yourself about 1½ hours for lunch: the market is ideal for grazing rather than a formal meal, with Moroccan, Italian, French, and other stalls. Budget €15–30 per person, and arrive before the main lunch crush if you want a better choice of seats. Afterward, browse the surrounding Upper Marais streets rather than trying to pack in another major sight.
Continue south to Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris, about a 12-minute walk. Plan around two hours for its rooms on Parisian history, from aristocratic interiors to revolutionary-era objects; admission to the permanent collection is generally free, though temporary exhibitions may require a ticket. The museum is spread across historic mansions, so allow extra time for finding the sections you most enjoy. From there, walk toward Centre Pompidou in roughly 15 minutes, passing through the lively Beaubourg area. Set aside about 2½ hours for modern and contemporary art, but verify its current opening status and exhibitions before relying on this stop—access and galleries may be affected by renovation or changing programming.
Finish at Au Petit Bonheur la Chance, allowing about an hour for vintage shopping and a relaxed wander through the neighborhood. It is a gentle way to end a museum-heavy day: browse without a strict timetable, then choose dinner nearby in the Marais. Keep a little flexibility in the evening, since market crowds, museum queues, and temporary closures can easily shift the afternoon by 30 minutes.
Leave Le Marais around 8:30–9:00 and walk west via Île Saint-Louis, then across toward the Latin Quarter; allow 25–40 minutes, with a little extra time for photos along the Seine. Start at the Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, where roughly two hours is enough for the Roman baths, medieval sculpture, and the luminous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Check the current opening day and reserve a timed ticket if offered; admission is typically around €12, and security can add 10–20 minutes.
Walk about 10 minutes toward the river to Shakespeare and Company, near Notre-Dame, for a relaxed 45-minute browse through its tightly packed English-language rooms. It is a popular stop, so keep bags small and expect a short queue at busy times. Continue inland for approximately 15 minutes to the Panthéon. Allow 1½ hours, including security and entry queues, to see the vast neoclassical interior and the crypt’s historic tombs; admission is generally around €13, with summit access sometimes sold separately or seasonally.
For lunch, walk 15–20 minutes west through the Latin Quarter and across toward Le Procope in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This historic restaurant is atmospheric rather than quick, so allow the full 1½ hours and budget approximately €30–50 per person. A weekday set menu can be better value than ordering à la carte, but check the current menu and reserve if you want a specific lunch time.
Afterward, take a leisurely 10–15-minute walk or use the local bus toward the Musée de la Curie in the 5th arrondissement. Spend about an hour with its compact exhibits on Marie Curie, her laboratory, and the development of radioactivity. Opening days and hours can be limited or change around holidays, so verify the schedule before building the afternoon around it; admission is often free or low-cost. Finish with an unhurried hour in the Jardin des Plantes, exploring the formal beds and botanical paths around the museum quarter. The gardens are free, though individual galleries and greenhouses require separate tickets.
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