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Paris was the first stop on our big Europe trip, and we planned every hour of it. We went through more spreadsheets than we’d like to admit, worked out which museums close on which days, booked time slots weeks ahead, and still left room for hot chocolate breaks and far too many pastries.
This is the exact four-day plan we followed, written for first-timers. It covers the big sights (the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, Notre-Dame, Montmartre) in an order that actually works, plus the cafés, pâtisseries and little spots that made the trip feel like ours.
[ADD: one or two lines about when you went (late May) and what the weather was like]
Is 4 Days in Paris Enough?
For a first visit, four days is a sweet spot. It’s enough to see the headline sights, spend a full morning at the Louvre, do a proper day trip to Versailles, and still have a slower day to wander, eat and take photos.
This itinerary assumes four full days, plus an arrival afternoon. We landed at CDG around lunchtime and squeezed in the Eiffel Tower that first evening, which is a great way to beat jet lag.
4 Days in Paris at a Glance
- Arrival evening: Eiffel Tower, hot chocolate at Carette, dinner near the Champ de Mars
- Day 1: Louvre Pyramid at sunrise, Angelina, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Palais Garnier, Galeries Lafayette, Place de la Concorde
- Day 2: The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Pont Alexandre III at night
- Day 3: Palace of Versailles, Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre
- Day 4: Morning photoshoot, a pastry and chocolate crawl through Saint-Germain and Rue Montorgueil, Seine River cruise
HoloHoloDuo Tip: the order matters. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and Versailles and the Musée d’Orsay are closed on Mondays. We arrived on a Monday, so we did the Louvre’s outside on Tuesday (Day 1), went inside on Wednesday, and saved Versailles for Thursday. If your days fall differently, shuffle the days around those closures.
Arrival Evening: The Eiffel Tower
Afternoon: Getting from CDG into Paris
Our flight landed at Charles de Gaulle around 12:30 pm. By the time we were through the airport, we took the train (the RER B) into the city and were at our Airbnb by about 4 pm, with just enough time to freshen up.
[ADD: how long the train took, any tips about buying tickets at CDG]
5:30 pm: Eiffel Tower
We booked a 5:30 pm slot for the Eiffel Tower, and there’s no better first-evening plan. You see the whole city laid out below you, which helps everything click into place for the days ahead.
[ADD: which level you went up to, what the view was like, how busy it was]
Hours: 9:30 am to 11 pm (last ascent 10:45 pm)
Cost: €23.50 to the 2nd floor by lift, €36.70 to the summit by lift, €14.80 to the 2nd floor by stairs
Metro: Bir-Hakeim or Trocadéro, or RER C to Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel
Tickets: book a time slot on the official website as early as you can
8:00 pm: Hot Chocolate at Carette
Across the river at Trocadéro, Carette is a classic Parisian tearoom known for its thick hot chocolate and pastries. It’s a lovely stop after the tower, and the walk over gives you some of the best views back at it.
Dinner: Le Bosquet
We had a 10 pm reservation at Le Bosquet, a bistro close to the Champ de Mars. [ADD: what you ate and what you thought] Other spots on our shortlist nearby were Le Pavillon Paris 15, Firmine and Au Dernier Métro.
Paris Itinerary Day 1: Louvre Pyramid, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées & Palais Garnier
Day 1 at a glance: start early at the Louvre for photos, then work your way west to the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs-Élysées, before an afternoon at the opera house and the department stores. Reservations needed: Palais Garnier (and dinner).
7:30 am: Photos at the Louvre Pyramid
We were out the door before 7 am to get to the Louvre courtyard while it was nearly empty. Since the museum is closed on Tuesdays, this was all about the glass pyramid and the palace around it, without the crowds you’ll find later in the day.
[ADD: what it was like being there that early, any photo tips]
9:00 am: Breakfast at Angelina
Angelina on Rue de Rivoli, right by the Tuileries, is famous for its rich hot chocolate and its Mont-Blanc pastry. It’s a perfect, slightly indulgent breakfast after an early start. Lines build quickly, so going right after your photos helps.
[ADD: what you ordered]
10:30 am: Arc de Triomphe
From Angelina, we headed up to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed to the rooftop. It’s one of our favourite views in Paris because you get the Eiffel Tower and the twelve avenues fanning out from the Arc all in one look.
We used the Paris Museum Pass here. At the time we visited, pass holders didn’t need a time slot, but check the current rules before you go.
Cost: €16 (October to March) or €22 (April to September), or included with the Paris Museum Pass
Metro: Charles de Gaulle–Étoile
Good to know: use the underground passage to reach the Arc. Don’t try to cross the roundabout.
12:30 pm: Walk the Champs-Élysées
From the Arc, it’s downhill all the way along the Champs-Élysées. We grabbed lunch along the way and stopped at Ladurée for macarons, which is pretty much required on your first trip.
3:00 pm: Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, the Paris opera house, was one of the biggest surprises of the trip for us. The Grand Staircase and the Grand Foyer are over-the-top gorgeous, and it feels nothing like visiting a regular museum. We had a 3 pm reservation.
[ADD: your favourite part of the opera house]
Cost: €25 (€15 for EEA visitors) for the self-guided visit
Metro: Opéra
Tickets: online booking is mandatory. No visit tickets are sold on site.
After Garnier: Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
Galeries Lafayette is right behind the opera house. Even if you’re not shopping, go in for the stained-glass dome, then head up to the rooftop terrace for a free view over the city.
Place de la Concorde
On the way back toward the river, stop at Place de la Concorde, the city’s largest square, with its Egyptian obelisk and fountains. It’s free and makes a nice end to the afternoon.
9:00 pm: Dinner at La Jacobine
La Jacobine is a small, cozy bistro in Saint-Germain that’s very popular, so reservations are a must. Our Airbnb host booked it for us, which is a handy trick if you’re having trouble reserving yourself. [ADD: what you ate]
Paris Itinerary Day 2: The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame & the Left Bank
Day 2 at a glance: a big museum morning, Paris’s most beautiful stained glass in the afternoon, then crêpes, pastries and a slow walk through the Luxembourg Gardens. Reservations needed: the Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle.
9:00 am: The Louvre
We booked the first slot of the day at 9 am, and it made a huge difference. The Louvre is enormous, so go in with a plan instead of trying to see everything.
Our route started in the Denon wing and finished in the Sully wing, with a few must-sees along the way:
- Mona Lisa: Room 711 (Salle des États). Head here first, before the crowds build.
- Apollo Gallery: Room 705. The gallery reopened in July 2026 after the 2025 jewel theft, but without the crown jewels on display.
- [ADD: any other favourites from your visit]
Hours: 9 am to 6 pm, until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Closed on Tuesdays.
Cost: €32 for non-EEA visitors (€22 for EEA visitors), or included with the Paris Museum Pass
Metro: Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre
Tickets: book a time slot online. We’d allow at least 3 to 4 hours.
HoloHoloDuo Tip: download the museum map from the Louvre website before you go. It saves a lot of wandering.
3:00 pm: Sainte-Chapelle
After lunch, head to the Île de la Cité for Sainte-Chapelle. From the outside it doesn’t look like much, but walk upstairs into the upper chapel and you’re surrounded by floor-to-ceiling stained glass. Go on a sunny afternoon if you can, when the light pours through.
[ADD: your reaction walking into the upper chapel]
Cost: €22 for non-EEA visitors (€16 for EEA visitors), €30 combined with the Conciergerie, or included with the Paris Museum Pass
Metro: Cité
Tickets: book a time slot ahead. We had a 3 pm reservation.
4:00 pm: Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame is a short walk from Sainte-Chapelle. The cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire, and seeing the restored interior is something special.
Cost: free. You can reserve a free time slot online to skip most of the line, but it’s optional.
Metro: Cité, or RER B/C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame
[ADD: how it felt seeing the restored interior]
5:30 pm: Crêpes and Pastries on the Left Bank
Cross over to the Left Bank for crêpes at La Crème de Paris Notre-Dame, then save room for Pâtisserie Carl Marletti, a much-loved pâtisserie near Rue Mouffetard. [ADD: what you tried at each]
Evening: Jardin du Luxembourg
The Luxembourg Gardens are where Parisians go to slow down, with green metal chairs around the fountains, tidy flowerbeds and the palace in the background. After two busy days, an evening stroll here was exactly what we needed.
9:00 pm: Pont Alexandre III
End the day at Pont Alexandre III, the most ornate bridge in Paris. It’s lovely at dusk, when the lamps come on and you can see the Eiffel Tower down the river. For a nightcap, Bar du Central was on our list, and it’s open late.
Paris Itinerary Day 3: Versailles & Montmartre
Day 3 at a glance: a morning at the Palace of Versailles, then back into Paris for Sacré-Cœur and an evening wandering Montmartre. Reservations needed: Versailles (and dinner).
9:00 am: Palace of Versailles
We left our Airbnb at 6:30 am to be at Versailles for our 9 am entry. Getting there early is the single best thing you can do here, because the Hall of Mirrors gets packed as the morning goes on.
We spent the morning in the palace and gardens and were back in Paris by about 2:30 pm. [ADD: your highlights (Hall of Mirrors, the King’s apartments, the gardens?)]
Cost: the Passport ticket is €35 from April to October and €25 from November to March. With the Paris Museum Pass, you still need to get a free Passport ticket with a time slot.
Closed: Mondays
Getting there: RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, then a short walk
3:00 pm: Sacré-Cœur
Back in Paris, we took the Funiculaire de Montmartre up the hill to save our legs and went straight to the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur. The basilica itself is free, but the real treat is climbing the dome for one of the highest views in the city.
Dome cost: €8 for adults, cash or card on site only (no advance tickets)
Dome hours: 10:15 am to 5:30 pm, last admission 5 pm
Good to know: it’s about 280 steps up a narrow staircase with no lift
Metro: Anvers, then the funicular
Montmartre: Wall of Love, La Maison Rose and Place du Tertre
Spend the rest of the afternoon wandering Montmartre’s hilly lanes. Our stops:
- Le Mur des Je t’aime (Wall of Love): in Square Jehan Rictus near Abbesses, with “I love you” written in hundreds of languages.
- La Maison Rose: the pink café on Rue de l’Abreuvoir that you’ll recognise from Emily in Paris.
- Place du Tertre: the square full of painters and caricature artists.
9:00 pm: Dinner at Sacrée Fleur
We finished the day with dinner at Sacrée Fleur, a small restaurant in Montmartre. Reservations are recommended. [ADD: what you ate]
Paris Itinerary Day 4: Photos, Pastries & a Seine River Cruise
Day 4 at a glance: an early photoshoot, then our favourite kind of day: a slow crawl through some of the best pastry and chocolate shops in Paris, ending with an evening cruise on the Seine. Reservations needed: the cruise.
8:00 am: Morning Photoshoot
[ADD: where you did your photoshoot and any tips for getting photos without crowds]
10:00 am: Saint-Germain: Jean-Paul Hévin and Café de Flore
Start in Saint-Germain-des-Prés with chocolate from Jean-Paul Hévin, one of the city’s top chocolatiers, then sit down at Café de Flore, the historic café that’s been a Left Bank institution for over a century.
Afternoon: A Pastry Crawl
From there, we zig-zagged across the Right Bank to some of the most famous pâtisseries in Paris:
- Éclair de Génie on Rue Montmartre, for éclairs in every flavour you can imagine
- Pierre Hermé on Avenue de l’Opéra, for macarons
- Stohrer on Rue Montorgueil, the oldest pâtisserie in Paris
- Jeffrey Cagnes, also on Rue Montorgueil
- Hanami in the Marais, for Japanese-style fluffy pancakes
[ADD: your favourite treat of the day]
HoloHoloDuo Tip: share everything. It’s the only way to make it through the list.
Evening: Pont des Arts
Walk off the sugar along the river to the Pont des Arts, the pedestrian bridge between the Louvre and the Institut de France, with lovely views of the Île de la Cité.
9:15 pm: Seine River Cruise
We ended our time in Paris on a night cruise along the Seine. Seeing the monuments lit up from the water, and the Eiffel Tower sparkling on the hour, was the perfect goodbye. [ADD: which cruise company you used]
Plan B: Musée d’Orsay
If the weather turns or you have a spare few hours, the Musée d’Orsay was our backup plan. It’s in a beautiful former railway station and has the world’s best collection of Impressionist paintings. It’s closed on Mondays and stays open late on Thursdays, and it’s included with the Paris Museum Pass.
Tips for Your First Trip to Paris
Book Time Slots Early
Almost everything big in Paris now runs on timed entry. Book the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Palais Garnier, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles as soon as your dates are set, and popular restaurants too.
Know the Closing Days
- Closed on Mondays: Versailles, Musée d’Orsay
- Closed on Tuesdays: the Louvre
Start Early
We started most days before 8 am. Early mornings meant quieter streets, better photos and shorter lines, and it left the afternoons for slower café time.
Watch for Pickpockets
Keep your phone and wallet zipped away in crowded spots like the metro, the Eiffel Tower area and Montmartre.
Should You Get the Paris Museum Pass?
We used the Paris Museum Pass for the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles, and it was worth it for us. It saves money once you visit three or four of the bigger sights, and it means fewer ticket lines.
Current prices: €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 days, €125 for 6 days
A few things to know: the pass doesn’t include the Eiffel Tower or Palais Garnier, and many sites still require you to book a free time slot even with the pass.
Where to Stay in Paris
We stayed in an Airbnb, which worked well for us. [ADD: which neighbourhood you stayed in and why you’d recommend it]
[ADD: 2 or 3 hotel suggestions by area, e.g. near the Eiffel Tower, Saint-Germain, Le Marais]
Make Your Reservations in Advance
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Palais Garnier
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Palace of Versailles
- Seine River cruise
- Dinners at popular spots like La Jacobine
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 4 days in Paris enough for a first trip?
Yes. Four days covers the main sights, a day trip to Versailles and some unhurried time to explore neighbourhoods and eat well.
Should you visit Versailles if you only have 4 days?
We think so. It takes most of a day, but it’s unlike anything else in the Paris area. Just don’t plan it for a Monday.
What should you book before you go?
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Palais Garnier, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles all need time slots, and Garnier only sells tickets online.
What’s the best way to get around Paris?
The metro, plus a lot of walking. Most of this itinerary is walkable within each day, with the metro or RER for the longer hops.
