Paris is a city everyone should visit at least once in their life. There are so many things to do and the atmosphere is quite unique. Being the capital of France, the food is of course delicious and I would probably recommend visiting the city just for the food. But Paris has so much more to offer. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, Avenue des Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe. These are all must sees in Paris and they are definitely worth a visit. In fact, you can see all of them in only three days with this itinerary.
How to get around: You can easily get around by metro. Buy a tree-day ticket that gives you access to the metro all three days as many times as you want.
3 day itinerary:
Trip highlights:
- Eat fresh croissants from a Parisian bakery.
- Climb the stairs to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
- Visit Montmartre.
- Explore the catacombs.
- Light a candle for a loved one in Notre Dame Cathedral.
- Walk along the Seine.
- Experience the Latin Quarter.
- Enjoy the Eiffel Tower by night.
- Visit the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.
- Go shopping on Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
♡ Day one:
Breakfast at a local bakery
Start the day out at one of the local bakeries. Find a bakery the locals go to. The less tourists, the better. Be sure to get a croissant – they are unbelievably delicious!
Climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower
If climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower is a challenge you are up for, then be sure to be at the bottom before 9 AM when it opens. Make sure you are in the right queue! I was in the longest queue for about 5 minutes until I realized it was the elevator queue… I turned around and found that the corner with no people was the entrance for the stairs. Going up the 1665 steps is both cheaper and faster than going up in the elevator. AND you don’t have to stand in line for more than 2 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend going straight to the top, as the other levels have their own charm and view too. Don’t worry! You will make it to the top eventually.
Tip #1: If you want to have breakfast with a view, bring your bakery buys to the top of the Eiffel Tower and find a bench to sit on while you enjoy the best pastries with the best view of the city.
Tip #2: If you plan on being at the bottom when it opens at 9 AM, but you have to take photos first, you will meet long queues when you’re done taking photos. Take photos of the Eiffel Tower after you’ve been to the top, instead of before to save some time.
Picnic at Champs de Mars
For a cheap but great french lunch, go to the nearest supermarket to buy a baguette, some cream cheese, tomatoes and ham. This is the perfect sandwich to eat at the Champs de Mars as a picnic. Of course you can buy whatever you want and more, but this is both cheap, delicious and a typical french baguette sandwich. Taking the time to eat your picnic at the Champs de Mars and sit between locals and tourist with a view of the Eiffel Tower is truly an amazing way to spend you lunch time.
Get some crêpes at one of the local cafés
Of course, dessert is needed! You can easily find some amazing crêpes at a small local café somewhere near the Eiffel Tower. These crêpes are the best I have ever had.
Explore Montmartre
For the afternoon you can take the metro to Montmartre. Go explore and enjoy this part of the city. The atmosphere here is great and you can go to the Sacre Coeur to get a beautiful view of the city.
Dinner recommendation: Florenza Pizzeria
Have dinner at this restaurant in the middle of Montmartre. The pizzas here are incredible. This will allow you to experience Montmartre by night which is definitely worth your time.
♡ Day two:
Breakfast recommendation: Brunch at Café du Rendez Vous
On this day try the brunch at Café du Rendez Vous! Especially if you are there on a sunday. This café is right across from the catacombs which will make it easy to get in line as soon as you are done eating.
Visit the Catacombs
If history is something you are interested in, you should visit the catacombs. Actually I would recommend visiting anyway. This a a special and unique experience that you can’t have many places in the world. However, you need to prepare yourself to stand in line for about 1-2 hours if you are there at 10 AM when it opens. If you go later in the day, the queue will be much longer.
Walk along The Seine
After leaving the dead, take the metro to the nearest station close to the Seine. Walk along the Seine to find the Pont des Artes, also known as the love bridge or the lock bridge. It is not allowed to hang a lock anymore, but it is still a place worth a visit. You can read on some of the locks, take some cool photos or just enjoy the view of the river.
Light a candle at Notre Dame Cathedral
The Notre Dame Cathedral is a must-see in Paris. And it is absolutely beautiful! You can even go inside for a tour, a mass or to light a candle for someone who has passed away. I did all of the above and it was a beautiful experience for me and I think it will be for you too. Don’t forget to pose like a real tourist in front of the cathedral!
Explore the Latin Quarter
Go on to explore the Latin Quarter. This is an area that you can spend hours exploring or just experience as you walk through. I didn’t spend more than forty-five minutes to an hour here, which I now regret. So I would definitely recommend spending a bit more time here.
Dinner recommendation: Dinner at Café Le Dôme
Take the metro to the area around the Eiffel Tower before the sun goes down. I would recommend to have dinner at the Café Le Dôme to have a great meal and a great view at the Eiffel Tower as the sun goes down and the lights are turned on. This is a beautiful transition from day to night and you can then go on to the last part of your day.
Enjoy the Eiffel Tower by night
You have already seen the Eiffel Tower, but you haven’t seen it by night. This is an experience you should not miss. The Eiffel Tower is absolutely stunning at night when the lights are on and it starts sparkling. Take a seat on the grass at the Champs de Mars, relax and enjoy a night out in Paris.
♡ Day three:
Breakfast from a local bakery
Breakfast from a local bakery is always a good idea. AND it’s pretty cheap compared to brunch at a restaurant. However, if your budget allows it, this is an option too.
Visit the Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum is another must-see in Paris! However you need to stand in line for about 2 hours or more. It will hopefully be a bit shorter it you are there when it opens at 9 AM. But it is a beautiful museum inside and out. Many famous pieces of art call it home and I’m sure you will find a few you know about already. The Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo are just two of the unique and famous art pieces you can find at this museum.
Walk by Arc de Triomphe
Take the metro to the Arc de Triomphe. Here you can take photos of the famous building or even decide to go to the top to get a great view of the city.
Go shopping in Avenue des Champs-Élysées
From the Arc de Triomphe continue down Avenue des Champs-Élysées for some shopping. Huge stores stand beside each other and the trees along the way make it a beautiful place to go shopping in Paris. Here you can find everything from Zara to Louis Vuitton. If you continue all the way to Avenue Montaigne you will find one designer store after the other.
Make sure to go by Laduree to get the famous macarons
The famous macarons are to be found along Avenue des Champs-Élysées in the Laduree store/restaurant. This is a must-try. You can’t go to Paris without trying a macaron – or at least you shouldn’t!
Dinner recommendation: Dinner at Brassiere du Louvre
For dinner I would recommend going back to the Louvre area. If you want a bit of a luxurious experience, try the restaurant at Hotel du Louvre right beside the museum. Otherwise find a restaurant nearby. However, you should still go to the Brassiere du Louvre for dessert! Their Crème Brûlée tastes like heaven and is too big for one to eat, which means you can share it!
Take pictures of Louvre by night
When the sun is down and the Louvre is starting to send out a red light, go back into the square of the Louvre to take some beautiful pictures of the Louvre by night – or just enjoy the view. You can also get one of the street artists to draw you! This is the perfect way to end a great three-day trip to Paris.
Florenza Pizzeria:
Address: 7 Rue Tardieu, 75018 Paris, Frankrig
Café du Rendez Vous:
Address: 2 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 75014 Paris
Café Le Dôme:
Address: 149 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007, Paris
Brassiere du Louvre:
Address: Hôtel du Louvre, 1 Place André Malraux, 75001, Paris
Lovely itinerary! I only been to Paris once and always want to go back there again so hopefully soon!
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Thank you! I want to go back soon too!
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Paris is always a great idea. I used to work for a company in Paris so I had to go there like once a week. And still, even if I have been there a lot, I always love to visit again. I love your tip to have breakfast at a local bakery. Nothing beats a good french croissant or baguette 😉
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Paris is just amazing, especially the french croissants and baguettes! Sounds so nice going once a week!
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This is a super helpful itinerary for a quick trip. I’ve been to Paris a couple times, but there are some things here I haven’t done. I’ll keep them in mind for next time!
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I would love to hear your best Paris tip!
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This is a really nice plan for 72 hours as it’s not too rushed and you can do a lot. I think 5 days in Paris is perfect, but 3 days would be nice too!
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Thank you! I agree with 5 days, that leaves a lot of time for shopping!
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Love this! Paris is such a beautiful city and every time I go back I find new amazing things to do
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That’s the great thing about Paris!
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I’ve been to Paris a couple times, but of course I’ve found few things here I haven’t done yet. Paris is a beautiful city and there are so many things to see and to do ! I’ll keep some of your tips in mind for my next trip in Paris 🙂
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I’m very happy to hear that!
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Some great ideas in here! We were in Paris 2 years ago, and there are still things we didn’t get to do – like going in the Louvre, and getting macaroons from Laduree. What a shame, I guess we have to go back!
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You really should! Those are some of the most important things to do! Haha
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I don’t think I will ever get bored of Paris! Still haven’t done Catacombs though so definitely need to make a trip for that!
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The catacombs are a must!
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Reading this brings back memories 🙂 You’re right when you say everyone should visit Paris at least once in their life ❤
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With so many wonderful things to do and see in Paris, it can almost be overwhelming. These are some great recommendations for those who want a taste of what Paris has to offer. Of all the times I’ve been, I have yet to see the catacombs…adding that to the list now! 🙂
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The catacombs are definitely worth a visit!
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