Paris in 3 Days: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Timers (2026)

Three days in Paris is enough to see the big icons, visit two or three of the world’s great museums, and still have time for long café lunches and evening walks along the Seine. The secret is to group sights by neighbourhood and book the time-slot attractions (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame) in advance.

This Paris 3-day itinerary gives you a realistic day-by-day plan with times, 2026 prices, Google Maps routes, closing days to watch out for, and versions for 2 days, 4 days, families with kids and travellers on a budget. Prices come from official and recently updated sources such as the Eiffel Tower website, the Louvre and Art Visit Guide.

Paris in 3 days at a glance

Best days to start: Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, so that the Louvre (closed Tuesday) and Orsay (closed Monday) are both open on the right days.

Day 1: Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay and the Seine

Morning: Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro

9:00 – Trocadéro for the classic photo before the crowds.

9:30 – Eiffel Tower at opening. The lift to the 2nd floor costs €23.50 and to the summit €36.70 for adults; youths 12–24 pay half (source). Book your slot weeks ahead — all the details are in our Eiffel Tower tickets guide.

Midday: lunch and a walk along the Seine

12:30 – Lunch on rue Cler (7th), a lovely market street, then walk past Les Invalides and across the gilded Pont Alexandre III.

Afternoon: Musée d’Orsay

14:30 – Musée d’Orsay (about €16, closed Mondays; price source). Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas in a former railway station. Don’t miss the view through the giant clock on the top floor.

Evening: Seine river cruise

Sunset – Seine cruise (about an hour; see our Seine cruise guide) from near the Eiffel Tower or Pont Neuf: you see Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the tower lit up from the water. Compare Seine river cruises. After dark, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes every hour.

Open the Day 1 route in Google Maps.

Day 2: the Louvre, Palais-Royal and Le Marais

Morning: the Louvre

9:00 – Louvre (€32 for visitors from outside the EEA, €22 for EEA visitors, free under 18; closed Tuesdays; source). Book the first slot and go straight to the Mona Lisa, then the Winged Victory and Venus de Milo. Allow 2–3 hours. Tips in our Louvre tickets guide.

Midday: Tuileries and Palais-Royal

12:30 – Tuileries Garden for a break, then the arcades and striped columns of the Palais-Royal. Lunch on rue Montorgueil.

Afternoon: covered passages and the Opéra

14:30 – Galerie Vivienne and the covered passages — 19th-century shopping arcades with glass roofs.

15:30 – Opéra Garnier (daytime visit about €14; source), then the free rooftop terrace of Galeries Lafayette for views over the city.

Evening: Le Marais

18:30 – Le Marais: Place des Vosges, falafel on rue des Rosiers, wine bars and dinner in one of the liveliest districts in Paris.

Open the Day 2 route in Google Maps.

Day 3: Notre-Dame, the Latin Quarter and Montmartre

Morning: Île de la Cité

9:00 – Notre-Dame de Paris. Reopened in December 2024 after the fire, the cathedral is free to enter; book a free time slot online to skip the long queue (source).

10:30 – Sainte-Chapelle (about €22 for non-EEA adults, €16 for EEA; source): 13th-century stained glass that glows on a sunny morning. Book ahead.

Midday: Latin Quarter and Luxembourg Gardens

12:00 – Latin Quarter: Shakespeare and Company bookshop, the Panthéon and lunch on rue Mouffetard (avoid the tourist restaurants on rue de la Huchette).

14:00 – Jardin du Luxembourg — palace, fountains and the famous green chairs.

Afternoon and evening: Montmartre

16:30 – Montmartre: take the metro to Abbesses, wander the village streets and Place du Tertre, and watch the sunset from the steps of Sacré-Cœur (free). Dinner in Montmartre — or end with a cabaret show.

Open the Day 3 route in Google Maps.

Paris in 2 days

Short on time? Combine the essentials: Day 1 — Eiffel Tower, Seine walk to Orsay or the Louvre, and a sunset cruise. Day 2 — Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Marais, and Montmartre at sunset. Choose either the Louvre or Orsay, not both.

Paris in 4 or 5 days

• Versailles: (tickets guide) a half-day or full-day trip to the palace and gardens (about €35 for non-EEA adults; source).
• Disneyland Paris: about 35–45 minutes by RER A — see our Disneyland Paris tickets guide.
• The Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées: the rooftop costs €16 from October to March (€22 April–September, €16 on Wednesdays); 284 steps, and the lift has been out of service since August 2026 (source).
• The Catacombs, Canal Saint-Martin or the Musée de l’Orangerie (Monet’s Water Lilies).

Paris 3-day itinerary with kids

• Day 1: Eiffel Tower (children 4–11 from €3.80), picnic on the Champ de Mars, and a Seine boat ride.
• Day 2: a short Louvre visit (free under 18) with a “treasure hunt”, then the Tuileries playground and carousel.
• Day 3: Luxembourg Gardens (puppet shows, pony rides, toy sailboats), the Jardin des Plantes and its small zoo.

Plan one big sight per morning and a park in the afternoon. A base in the Latin Quarter or the north Marais helps — see where to stay in Paris with kids.

Paris on a budget: free and cheap things to do

• Free: Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur, the Galeries Lafayette rooftop, the parks, the Seine riverbanks, the Marais and Montmartre streets.
• Free museum days: the Louvre is free for everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6 pm (except July–August) (source); many national museums are free for EEA residents under 26.
• Youth discounts: the Eiffel Tower’s 12–24 rate is half price for everyone.
• Transport: single metro tickets cost €2.55; for a busy day, the Navigo day pass is €12.30 (source).
• Food: bakeries, market picnics and lunchtime set menus (formules) are the best value.

Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it for 3 days?

Full details in our Paris Museum Pass guide.

The pass costs €85 for 2 days and €105 for 4 days (source). On this itinerary, a non-EEA adult would spend €32 (Louvre) + €16 (Orsay) + €22 (Sainte-Chapelle) = €70 — less than the 2-day pass. Add Versailles (€35) or the Arc de Triomphe and it starts to pay off. The Eiffel Tower is not included.

Getting around Paris

• Walk: central Paris is compact — many days in this plan are mostly on foot.
• Metro: €2.55 per journey; buy tickets on a Navigo Easy card (€2) or in the Île-de-France Mobilités app (source).
• From the airport: read CDG to Paris for every option.
• Mobile data: an eSIM for France makes maps and bookings easy.

Best time to visit Paris

• April–June and September–October: pleasant weather and beautiful light — the best time for walking.
• July–August: long days but crowds, heat and some closed restaurants in August.
• November–March: fewer tourists and lower hotel prices; Christmas lights and markets in December.

Plan your trip

Still to book: hotels in Paris, flights to Paris and travel insurance. For more ideas, see our Paris travel guide.

FAQ: Paris 3-day itinerary

Is 3 days in Paris enough?

Yes for a first visit: enough for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Orsay and Montmartre. With 4–5 days, add Versailles or Disneyland.

What should I see in Paris in 3 days?

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, the Marais, the Latin Quarter and Montmartre with Sacré-Cœur.

Which museums are closed on Monday and Tuesday in Paris?

The Musée d’Orsay is closed on Mondays and the Louvre on Tuesdays — plan your days around them.

Do I need to book Paris attractions in advance?

Yes for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and a free slot at Notre-Dame, especially from April to October.

Is Notre-Dame open to visitors?

Yes. It reopened in December 2024, entry is free, and booking a free time slot online saves queuing.

What is a good Paris itinerary with kids?

Eiffel Tower and a Seine boat ride on Day 1, a short Louvre visit and the Tuileries on Day 2, and the Luxembourg Gardens and Jardin des Plantes on Day 3.