Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Start at the Louvre Museum, ideally with a timed entry around 9:00 or 9:30. Allow roughly three hours, but choose a focused route rather than trying to see everything: the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo, and the French and Dutch galleries make a good first visit. Tickets are commonly around €22, though prices and entry rules can change; book through the official museum website and arrive 15–20 minutes early for security. The nearest Métro stops are Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre and Louvre–Rivoli. For lunch, keep it light inside the museum or around Rue de Rivoli so you do not lose time to a long sit-down meal.
Walk west through the Tuileries Garden for about 45 minutes, taking a seat beside the fountains or under the chestnut trees. Continue to Place de la Concorde, where the Luxor Obelisk and wide ceremonial axis give you one of Paris’s best city views toward the Champs-Élysées; allow about 30 minutes, while staying aware of traffic when crossing the surrounding roads. Return into the gardens for the Musée de l’Orangerie, located near the southwest corner. Its oval rooms of Monet’s Water Lilies are the highlight, and an hour is enough for a calm visit. Advance tickets are advisable, especially on weekends; check the museum’s current opening day and hours before planning, as it is not open every day.
From the Orangerie, take Métro line 1 from Concorde to Châtelet and change to line 4 for Saint-Germain-des-Prés, or walk for about 25–30 minutes if you still have energy. Finish at Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain, where a classic café stop costs approximately €15–30 per person depending on your order. Expect polished, traditional service and a premium for the historic setting; coffee and a pastry are enough if you are saving dinner for elsewhere. This is a good place to slow down rather than rush into another attraction—sit outside when the weather is pleasant, or choose an indoor table for the old literary-café atmosphere.
Begin on Île de la Cité, the oldest core of Paris, with an easy walk along the Seine before heading into Place Dauphine. Allow about an hour to explore the riverside, quiet lanes, and small triangular square; it is especially pleasant before the central island becomes busy. From Châtelet–Les Halles, walk across Pont Neuf in roughly 10 minutes, or take Metro line 4 to Cité. Keep this first stop flexible, since security queues can build quickly around the island.
Continue to Sainte-Chapelle for your timed visit, allowing about an hour including security screening. The upper chapel’s 13th-century stained-glass walls are the highlight, and late-morning light can be beautiful. Tickets are commonly around €13, with timed entry strongly recommended; arrive 20–30 minutes early and bring photo ID if required by your booking. Afterward, visit Notre-Dame de Paris, allowing another hour for the cathedral and its surroundings. Access arrangements can change, and interior entry may require advance registration or a free timed reservation, so check the official cathedral website shortly before your visit rather than assuming walk-in access.
Walk across Petit Pont into the Latin Quarter—about 10 minutes—and spend half an hour at Shakespeare and Company. Browse the tightly packed English-language shelves, then pause outside for views toward the cathedral; the shop can be crowded, so treat it as a short browsing stop rather than a long museum-style visit. Continue through the nearby streets toward Saint-Germain-des-Prés, roughly a 15–20-minute walk, or take Metro line 4 from Cité to Saint-Germain-des-Prés with a change depending on service. Finish at Le Procope, one of Paris’s historic dining rooms, for dinner. Budget approximately €35–60 per person, reserve ahead for an evening table, and allow 1½ hours; a slightly early dinner around 6:30–7:00 PM is usually easier than arriving at peak time.
Start in Montmartre early, ideally around 9:00, before the hill and steps become crowded. Take the metro to Anvers or Abbesses, then walk uphill to Sacré-Cœur Basilica; the funicular is useful if you want to avoid the steepest climb and is covered by a regular Paris metro ticket. Allow about an hour for the basilica and the panoramic view from the terrace. Entry to the basilica is free, while the dome has a separate charge and involves many stairs. Continue through the lanes to Place du Tertre, where artists set up their easels; 45 minutes is enough to browse without getting caught in the busiest part of the day. Be cautious with anyone offering unsolicited portraits or bracelets.
From Place du Tertre, walk downhill through the quieter streets toward Montmartre Cemetery, allowing roughly 15–20 minutes for the approach and an hour inside. It is a peaceful contrast to the lively upper village, with tree-lined paths, ornate tombs, and graves associated with artists and performers. Cemetery opening hours vary by season, so check the official schedule before setting out; keep the visit respectful, particularly around active funerals. Continue to the Musée de Montmartre, a short walk away, for about 90 minutes among studios, paintings, and displays explaining the neighborhood’s cabaret and artistic past. Reserve timed admission if offered, as the museum is compact and can feel crowded.
After the museum, take the metro or a taxi toward Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen—allow around 20–30 minutes, depending on your starting point and traffic. Set aside two hours to explore, but check the market’s opening days before committing: many stalls operate mainly from Saturday to Monday, and individual dealers keep different hours. Focus on the areas around Vernaison, Dauphine, and Paul Bert Serpette, where you will find everything from small vintage objects to serious antiques; keep valuables secure and ask permission before photographing. Return toward Pigalle for dinner at Bouillon Pigalle, a lively, good-value choice for classic French dishes at approximately €15–30 per person. Expect a queue at peak dinner time, usually around 19:30–20:30, but it generally moves steadily; arrive earlier or later for an easier table.
Start at Luxembourg Gardens around 9:00 for an easy hour among the tree-lined promenades, formal flowerbeds, fountains, and the pond near the Palais du Luxembourg. The gates and garden sections can have seasonal opening times, so check the official schedule that morning; entry is free. From the garden’s eastern side, walk about 15 minutes through the Latin Quarter to the Panthéon. Allow around 1½ hours, including the security queue. The interior and dome may require a timed or separately ticketed entry, and access can change for ceremonies, so reserve ahead if the dome is important to you.
Continue downhill to Rue Mouffetard, roughly a 10-minute walk from the Panthéon. Spend an hour browsing its food shops, bakeries, cheese counters, and small cafés; for a casual lunch, look around the lower end near Place de la Contrescarpe, where you can choose something on the spot rather than committing to a long meal. Then walk or take the short Métro ride from Censier–Daubenton toward Cluny–La Sorbonne for Musée de Cluny – Musée National du Moyen Âge. Give the museum about 1½ hours for the medieval tapestries, sculpture, and remarkably preserved Roman baths. It is commonly closed on Tuesdays, and admission is generally around €12–€15, with reduced prices and free-entry categories; verify the current hours and book if a timed ticket is offered.
Finish at Jardin des Plantes, about 20 minutes from Musée de Cluny by walking via Rue des Écoles and across the Seine, or by Métro toward Jussieu. Allow an hour for the botanical paths and quieter corners beside the river; the outdoor gardens are free, while the galleries and greenhouses require separate tickets and may close earlier than the grounds. From there, take Métro line 5 from Gare d’Austerlitz or a short taxi to Gare de Lyon for dinner at Le Train Bleu, the spectacular Belle Époque restaurant inside the station. Reserve in advance, arrive about 10 minutes early, and budget approximately €50–90 per person before drinks; allow 1½ hours, especially if you have an evening train or onward plans.
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