Paris
A city that turns every street corner, every café terrace, and every golden hour into an unforgettable moment.
1 day in Paris
Only got 24 hours? Here's how to experience the best of Paris in a single action-packed day.
The Essential Paris in 24 Hours
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
Start early at the Sacré-Cœur basilica before the crowds — the view over the entire city from the steps is unbeatable. Wander the cobblestone streets of Montmartre past Place du Tertre where artists still paint en plein air. Grab a croissant and café crème at Le Consulat on Rue Norvins, one of the most photogenic corners in Paris. Walk down through the Abbesses neighbourhood.
The Louvre, Tuileries & Seine
Metro to Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre. Even if you skip the museum (€22), the glass pyramid courtyard and Tuileries Garden are free and stunning. If you go in, beeline for the Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, and Mona Lisa — then explore Egyptian antiquities where it is far less crowded. Grab a crêpe from a street vendor in the Tuileries for €5–7.
Eiffel Tower & Le Marais by Night
Walk along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower — the Pont Alexandre III bridge is the most ornate crossing in the city. Watch the tower light up at sunset from Trocadéro esplanade for the best angle. Then metro to Le Marais for dinner — Rue des Rosiers has legendary falafel at L'As du Fallafel (€8–12). End with drinks at a wine bar on Rue Vieille du Temple.
3 days in Paris
A carefully curated route mixing iconic landmarks, hidden gems, street food, culture, and adventure — designed for younger travelers.
Montmartre, Louvre & Le Marais
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
Start at the Sacré-Cœur basilica before 9am — the panoramic view over the rooftops from the steps is magical in the morning light. Wander the cobblestone lanes of Montmartre past Place du Tertre, Maison Rose, and the vineyard on Rue Saint-Vincent. Café crème and croissant at Le Consulat (€6–8) before the crowd arrives. Take the funicular back down.
The Louvre & Tuileries
Metro to the Louvre (€22, free first Saturday evening of each month). Enter via the quieter Passage Richelieu entrance. Prioritise the Denon wing for the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Italian Renaissance galleries. Two hours is enough for the highlights. Walk through the Tuileries Garden afterwards — the basins and statues are free and gorgeous.
Le Marais — Food & Nightlife
Le Marais is the beating heart of Parisian nightlife for young travelers. Dinner at L'As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers (€8–12 for an enormous pita) or sit down at Breizh Café for proper Breton galettes (€11–16). Drinks at Le Mary Celeste for natural wine and oysters, then hop between the bars on Rue Vieille du Temple and Rue des Archives.
Eiffel Tower, Left Bank & Latin Quarter
Eiffel Tower & Champ de Mars
Book the Eiffel Tower summit online weeks ahead (€29.40 summit, €18.80 second floor). Morning slots have the shortest queues. The view from the second floor is actually better for photos than the summit because the city is closer. Picnic on the Champ de Mars lawn afterwards — grab pastries from nearby Boulangerie Pichard on Avenue de La Bourdonnais.
Saint-Germain & Luxembourg
Cross the river to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Browse the bookstalls along the Seine quays (free and atmospheric), then duck into Shakespeare and Company — the legendary English-language bookshop. Walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg for people-watching by the fountain. Students sail model boats here, pensioners play chess, and joggers circle the palace.
Latin Quarter & Seine at Night
Dinner in the Latin Quarter — avoid the tourist traps on Rue de la Huchette and head instead to Rue Mouffetard for authentic bistros. Le Bouillon Chartier (Grands Boulevards) serves classic French dishes at canteen prices — steak frites for €12, wine from €4.50. Walk back along the Seine after dinner — Notre-Dame (still under reconstruction) is beautifully lit at night.
Versailles, Canals & Hidden Paris
Canal Saint-Martin & Local Paris
Skip the tourist trail and spend the morning on Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement — iron footbridges, tree-lined banks, and independent cafes. Coffee at Ten Belles (€3.50), then browse the vintage shops and record stores along Rue de Marseille and Rue Beaurepaire. This is where young Parisians actually hang out.
Musée d'Orsay or Orangerie
The Musée d'Orsay (€16) is essential for Impressionist fans — Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, all in a converted train station. The top-floor terrace with its giant clock face offers a unique view of the Seine. Alternatively, the smaller Musée de l'Orangerie (€12.50) houses Monet's Water Lilies in two oval rooms purpose-built for the paintings.
Belleville & Multicultural Paris
Metro to Belleville for a completely different Paris. This multicultural neighbourhood has the best Chinese food in the city (Rue de Belleville), incredible street art, and the Parc de Belleville viewpoint — a secret panorama rivalling Sacré-Cœur. Dinner at a Belleville bistro, then drinks at Le Barbouquin or Aux Folies for €3–5 beers on the terrace.
7 days in Paris
A full week to go deep — from famous landmarks to local neighbourhoods, day trips, hidden gems, and proper local immersion.
Montmartre, Louvre & Le Marais
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
Start at the Sacré-Cœur basilica before 9am for golden-hour views over the city rooftops. Wander through the cobblestone lanes of Montmartre past Place du Tertre, the pink-walled Maison Rose, and the vineyard on Rue Saint-Vincent. Breakfast at Le Consulat — a croissant and café crème for €6–8. Take the funicular down to Abbesses.
The Louvre
Metro to Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre (€22, free first Saturday evenings). Enter via the Passage Richelieu for almost no queue. Prioritise the Denon wing — Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Italian Renaissance galleries. Then explore the Egyptian antiquities where it is far less crowded. Allow 2–3 hours minimum.
Le Marais — Food & Nightlife
Le Marais is the beating heart of young Paris. Dinner at L'As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers (€8–12 for a massive pita) or Breizh Café for Breton buckwheat galettes (€11–16). Drinks at Le Mary Celeste for natural wines and oyster happy hour, then bar-hop along Rue Vieille du Temple. The Marais stays lively until 2am.
Eiffel Tower & Left Bank
Eiffel Tower & Champ de Mars
Pre-booked summit tickets (€29.40) are essential — morning slots have the shortest waits. The second floor actually offers better photo angles than the very top since the city feels closer. Afterwards, picnic on the Champ de Mars lawn with pastries from Boulangerie Pichard on Avenue de La Bourdonnais — their pain au chocolat is legendary.
Saint-Germain & Luxembourg
Cross to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and browse the Seine bookstalls (bouquinistes) — free, atmospheric, and a UNESCO-listed tradition. Pop into Shakespeare and Company bookshop, then walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Grab a green metal chair by the Medici Fountain — students sail model boats, old men play chess, and the Palais du Luxembourg glows in the afternoon light.
Latin Quarter Dining & Seine Walk
Skip the tourist traps on Rue de la Huchette and eat on Rue Mouffetard instead — real bistros with locals. Or try Le Bouillon Chartier near Grands Boulevards — classic French dishes at canteen prices: steak frites €12, wine from €4.50. Walk back along the illuminated Seine — Notre-Dame's reconstruction scaffolding is impressive in its own right.
Versailles Day Trip
Palace of Versailles
RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche (€7.50 return with Navigo or €4.50 single). Arrive by 9am when the gates open — the Hall of Mirrors with morning light streaming through is breathtaking before tour groups arrive. The palace ticket (€21) covers the main château. The King's and Queen's Grand Apartments are the highlight.
Versailles Gardens & Trianon
The gardens are free except on Musical Fountain Show days (Apr–Oct weekends, €10.50). Walk the Grand Canal, get lost in the groves, and visit the Grand Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Estate (€12 or included with estate passport €22). The Petit Trianon hamlet — a fake rustic village built for the queen — is surreal. Pack a picnic lunch to eat by the Grand Canal.
Return & Oberkampf Nightlife
Train back to central Paris. Head to the Oberkampf neighbourhood for one of the best bar strips in the city. Start with dinner at Café Charbon — a converted 19th-century dance hall with affordable bistro food (mains €13–18). Then hit the bars along Rue Oberkampf and Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud — Chez Justine, La Mercerie, or the cramped but electric Nouveau Casino.
Art, Canals & Hidden Paris
Canal Saint-Martin
Spend the morning on Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th — iron footbridges, tree-lined banks, and independent cafes. Coffee at Ten Belles (€3.50 espresso), then browse vintage shops and record stores along Rue de Marseille and Rue Beaurepaire. This is where young Parisians genuinely hang out on weekends.
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay (€16) is essential — Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cézanne, all in a breathtaking converted Belle Époque train station. The top-floor Impressionist galleries have the best light, and the giant clock face windows offer a unique framed view of the Seine and Sacré-Cœur in the distance. Allow 2 hours minimum.
Belleville & Multicultural Paris
Metro to Belleville for a completely different Paris. This multicultural neighbourhood has the best Chinese food in the city along Rue de Belleville, vibrant street art, and the Parc de Belleville viewpoint — a panorama rivalling Sacré-Cœur that locals guard jealously. Dinner at a Belleville bistro, then €3–5 beers on the terrace at Aux Folies.
Markets, Food & Père-Lachaise
Marché d'Aligre & Bastille
The Marché d'Aligre (Tue–Sun, metro Ledru-Rollin) is Paris's most authentic market — cheaper and more local than most. Stock up on cheese, charcuterie, bread, and fruit for a picnic lunch. The covered Beauvau market hall next door has incredible delis. Walk through the Bastille neighbourhood — the column at Place de la Bastille marks where the prison once stood.
Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Père-Lachaise is not just a cemetery — it is a sculpture park, a history lesson, and one of the most atmospheric walks in Paris. Free entry. Find the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Chopin, and Molière among tree-lined cobblestone paths. Download a free map from the cemetery website. Allow 2 hours to wander properly.
Rue Mouffetard & Wine Bars
Rue Mouffetard in the 5th is one of the oldest streets in Paris — a sloping market street with fromageries, wine shops, and restaurants spilling onto the pavement. Dinner at a bistro here — expect moules-frites for €14–18 or duck confit for €16–20. End the night at a natural wine bar like Le Verre Volé on Canal Saint-Martin or La Cave à Michel.
Marais Deep Dive & Islands
Île de la Cité & Île Saint-Louis
Start on Île de la Cité — Sainte-Chapelle (€11.50) has the most stunning stained glass in Europe, 15 metres of floor-to-ceiling windows that glow like jewels on a sunny morning. Walk past Notre-Dame's ongoing restoration, then cross to Île Saint-Louis for Berthillon ice cream (€3.50 a scoop, Paris's best) and a stroll along the quays.
Le Marais — Museums & Boutiques
The Marais rewards slow exploration. Visit the Musée Carnavalet (free, Paris history), browse the boutiques on Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, and discover the hidden Place des Vosges — Paris's oldest planned square with perfect symmetry and arcaded galleries. Lunch at Marché des Enfants Rouges (Tue–Sun), the oldest covered market in Paris with Japanese, Moroccan, and French stalls.
Seine-side Apéro & South Pigalle
Grab a bottle of wine (€5–8 from any caviste), a baguette, and cheese — join the Parisians sitting along the Seine banks near Pont des Arts for an outdoor apéro as the sun sets. It is free, social, and quintessentially Parisian. Later, head to South Pigalle (SoPi) — the hip bar district around Rue des Martyrs with cocktails from €10.
Street Art, Flea Markets & Farewell
Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen
Metro to Porte de Clignancourt for the world's largest flea market (Sat–Mon). Over 2,500 stalls selling vintage clothing, antique furniture, vinyl records, and curiosities across several sub-markets. Marché Vernaison is the most atmospheric. Grab breakfast at one of the market cafes — omelette and coffee for €8–10. Haggling is expected.
Street Art in the 13th
Metro to Place d'Italie for an open-air gallery — the 13th arrondissement has enormous murals on apartment buildings curated by the Galerie Itinerrance. Walk Boulevard Vincent Auriol and Rue Jeanne d'Arc for dozens of large-scale works. Lunch at one of the authentic Chinatown restaurants on Avenue de Choisy — phở for €10–12.
Farewell Dinner & River Cruise
For a final evening, take a Bateaux Mouches river cruise (€16, 70 minutes) along the illuminated Seine — the monuments lit up at night are unforgettable. Then a farewell dinner at a classic bistro — Le Comptoir du Panthéon in the 5th for a prix fixe menu (€22–28 for three courses) with views of the Panthéon.
Budget tips
Free museums
Many major museums are free on the first Sunday of each month — Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie, Pompidou. Under-26 EU residents get free entry to all national museums year-round.
Eat affordably
Boulangeries sell sandwiches for €4–6. Bouillon restaurants (Chartier, Pigalle, Julien) serve classic French mains for €8–14. Supermarkets like Monoprix have excellent prepared meals for €4–7.
Navigo Easy card
Load a Navigo Easy card (€2) with t+ tickets at €2.15 each or a carnet of 10 for €17.35. Weekly Navigo Découverte (€30.75) covers all zones including airport RER rides.
Picnic culture
Buy wine (€5), baguette (€1.20), cheese (€3–5), and charcuterie (€3–5) — picnic on the Seine banks, in Luxembourg, or on the Champ de Mars. Cheaper and more Parisian than any restaurant.
Free experiences
Walking the Seine quays, Père-Lachaise, Sacré-Cœur view, canal-side lounging, park afternoons, Notre-Dame exterior, Palais Royal gardens, and window-shopping in Le Marais all cost nothing.
Skip the tourist traps
Rue de la Huchette and the Champs-Élysées are overpriced. Eat where students eat — around Oberkampf, Belleville, Ménilmontant, and the 11th arrondissement.
Budget breakdown
Daily costs per person in euros. Paris rewards smart choices — picnics, free museums, and local neighbourhoods keep costs surprisingly manageable.
| 🎒 Budget | ✨ Mid-Range | 💎 Splurge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation Hostels → boutique hotels → luxury hotels | €25–50 | €80–150 | €200+ |
| Food Boulangeries & markets → bistros → fine dining | €15–25 | €35–60 | €80+ |
| Transport Metro/bus → taxi/Uber → private transfers | €5–10 | €12–20 | €30+ |
| Activities Free sites & parks → museums → guided tours & shows | €0–15 | €20–45 | €60+ |
| Drinks Supermarket wine → café terraces → cocktail bars | €5–10 | €15–25 | €40+ |
| Daily Total $55–120 → $175–325 → $445+ | €50–110 | €162–300 | €410+ |
Practical info
Visa & Entry
- Schengen Zone — most nationalities get 90 days visa-free within any 180-day period
- Passport must be valid for 3+ months beyond your planned departure date
- No border checks arriving from other Schengen countries (but carry ID)
Health & Safety
- No vaccinations required. Tap water is safe to drink — ask for une carafe d'eau at restaurants (free)
- Pickpocketing is common at tourist hotspots, metro lines 1/4, and around Gare du Nord — use a money belt
- Emergency number 112 (EU-wide) or 15 (medical). Pharmacies marked by green crosses are everywhere
Getting Around
- Paris Metro: 16 lines, runs 5:30am–1:15am (2:15am Fri/Sat). Navigo Easy card (€2) + t+ tickets (€2.15 each)
- Weekly Navigo Découverte (€30.75, Mon–Sun) covers all zones including CDG/Orly airport RER — bring a passport photo
- Walking is the best way to explore — most major sights are within 30 minutes of each other on foot
Connectivity
- Free WiFi in most cafes, all McDonald's, libraries, and some parks. Paris WiFi hotspots marked with purple signs
- EU roaming: if you have an EU SIM, it works at home rates. Otherwise, Orange or SFR tourist SIMs from €10 for 10GB
- Download CityMapper (best Paris transport app) and Google Maps offline before arrival
Money
- Cards accepted almost everywhere — even small cafes. Contactless widely used. Carry €20–30 cash for markets and small shops
- ATMs (distributeur) are everywhere. Avoid currency exchange bureaus — use your bank card for best rates
- Tipping is not expected (service included by law) but rounding up or leaving €1–2 for good service is appreciated
Packing Tips
- Layers — Paris weather changes quickly. A light jacket works year-round. Umbrella essential Oct–Mar
- Comfortable walking shoes — cobblestones destroy unsupported soles. Break in shoes before the trip
- A reusable water bottle (free refills at green Wallace fountains found across the city) and a tote bag for market shopping
Cultural tips
Parisians have strong social norms — a simple 'Bonjour' opens doors, and respecting café culture goes a long way. Blend in and you will be treated like a local.
Greet in French
Always say "Bonjour" when entering a shop, cafe, or restaurant, and "Au revoir" when leaving. This is not optional — skipping it is considered rude and will get you worse service.
Café Culture
Standing at the bar (au comptoir) is cheaper than sitting at a table (en salle). Terrace seats cost even more. A coffee can take an hour — nobody rushes you, and that is the point.
Bread Etiquette
Bread comes with every meal and goes directly on the table, not on a plate. Tear it with your hands, never cut it. Use it to push food onto your fork — it is expected, not rude.
Service Included
Service est compris — a service charge is included in all restaurant bills by law. You do not need to tip, but leaving small change or rounding up for good service is a nice gesture.
Metro Etiquette
Stand on the right side of escalators, walk on the left. Let passengers exit before boarding. Keep your bag in front of you. Eating on the metro is frowned upon.
Sunday Closures
Most shops close on Sundays. Le Marais and the Champs-Élysées are exceptions. Supermarkets open until 1pm. Plan your shopping accordingly — Monday mornings many museums are also closed.
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