Paris 7-day itinerary

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.