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.