Three days
in Paris.

Spend one day around the Louvre and Palais-Royal, one on Notre-Dame and the Marais, and one on the Eiffel Tower and Saint-Germain. This is a first-visit route with one major attraction per day, meals in the same part of town and room to sit down.

Move the Louvre day away from Tuesday and check the official calendar for exceptional closures. The other two days can move around your tickets and restaurant bookings. These are planning blocks, not guaranteed entry or queue times.

1. Louvre entry. Choose your day and slot through the official Louvre website. Keep lunch flexible enough for a slow exit. The museum has flagged possible disruption on 7 September 2026; check notices if that is your date.
2. Eiffel Tower ascent, if you want one. Select the floor and access option you actually want. The official site says a second-floor ticket cannot be upgraded to the summit during your visit. Check rates, hours and ticket options before arranging that day.
3. Notre-Dame. Cathedral entry is free. The cathedral offers optional free reservations through its official reservation page; separate attractions such as the towers have their own arrangements.
4. One or two meals. Book tables you care about after setting the attraction times. Leave at least one evening open.

08:00–09:00: breakfast and the journey in

Eat near your hotel. If your weekday route comes down from Opéra, Café Nuances at 25 rue Danielle Casanova opens at 08:00 for coffee. On weekends it opens at 09:00, so leave it until after the museum if you have an early ticket. This is a coffee suggestion, not a verified full breakfast menu.

09:30–12:30: choose your Louvre visit

Use a morning ticket if available. Pick two or three works or collections before entering, then check the museum map to see how far apart they are. Give the morning to those choices. An extra collection means less time with the one you came for.

13:00–16:00: lunch, then Palais-Royal

Le Fumoir, at 6 rue de l’Amiral de Coligny, is a practical lunch stop on the museum’s eastern side. Book its restaurant directly. Continue toward Palais-Royal afterward; use the afternoon for the garden, arcades and any shops that catch your attention. Choose the Tuileries instead if you want to head west. You do not need both gardens to make this a full day.

Late afternoon and evening: stop adding things

Return to your hotel for a break. Have dinner nearby rather than crossing Paris again because a list says you should. If museums are your main interest, the museum itinerary adds an Orsay day and more detailed meal and transport options.

Morning: the islands

Have breakfast at your base, then make Notre-Dame the morning’s main stop. Use the official free reservation system if you want a slot; entry without a reservation may involve waiting. Allow the visit and security process to set the pace. Continue toward Île Saint-Louis afterward if you have time, then cross to the Right Bank.

Lunch: Brittany in the Marais

Head toward Breizh Café at 109 rue Vieille du Temple for galettes and crêpes. Its Breton focus makes it a specific choice for lunch, rather than a generic stop for something quick. Reserve through the restaurant’s site and check the current menu. Eater covered this address in its 2016 Marais guide; that is longstanding coverage, not evidence of a new opening.

Afternoon: shops, then Place des Vosges

Follow rue Vieille du Temple south and wander toward Place des Vosges. Leave time to enter shops and sit in the square. The neighborhood is the afternoon activity. If you prefer a museum, replace this block with one visit and check its opening day and tickets separately.

Evening: keep the neighborhood you enjoyed

Stay for dinner if you find a menu you want, or go back to your base. You have already crossed from the islands through the Marais; adding Montmartre tonight would mean another transfer and another hill when you may be ready to sit down.

Morning: decide whether to go up

If the ascent matters to you, give it the whole morning and follow the access instructions for your booked ticket. If you mainly want to see the tower, walk around the area and keep the morning flexible. This route works either way. Check the official tower calendar for your date rather than relying on a fixed opening time in a guide.

Lunch: continue toward rue du Bac

After the tower, use public transport or a taxi toward the Orsay/rue du Bac area if you have had enough walking. L’Arrêt by The Grey, at 36 rue de l’Université, brings Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano’s Southern American cooking to a Paris bistro. It is closed Sundays, so check that your chosen day works before reserving. Eater’s recommendation explains the restaurant’s background. On Sunday, compare the current service at Les Antiquaires, 13 rue du Bac.

Afternoon: Saint-Germain

Continue along rue du Bac toward boulevard Saint-Germain. Give yourself time for a café and browsing rather than adding another ticketed attraction. If your train or flight leaves today, drop this block and collect your bags; station and airport transfers need their own time.

Evening: cocktails and design at Cravan

If you have a third evening, consider Cravan at 165 boulevard Saint-Germain. Its cocktail bars, Rizzoli bookstore and Ramy Fischler interiors suit an evening that continues the trip’s cultural thread. Check the menu and book directly. Use this address, not the original Cravan in the 16th arrondissement. See Eater’s 2024 guide for its coverage.

Keep one hotel for the three days. Saint-Germain is convenient for the final evening and the central river crossings; Palais-Royal favors the Louvre day. Compare total prices for your dates, room size and cancellation terms before choosing.

• Hôtel d’Orsay, 93 rue de Lille: a Left Bank option near the final day’s lunch area. The Marais day involves a longer journey east.
• Hôtel du Louvre, Place André Malraux: useful for the first morning and Palais-Royal, with a river crossing for the final day.

These are location-based candidates, not personally inspected or budget picks. If neither fits your budget, compare places with a straightforward transport connection to the center. Check the route home after dinner as well as the route to your first attraction.

Walk within each neighborhood when that suits you, and use transport between distant parts of the city. The links below provide live routing choices from named landmarks; your museum exit or hotel address will change the journey.

• Day 1: Louvre to Palais-Royal.
• Day 2: Notre-Dame to Breizh Café in the Marais. Leave time for the walk before choosing lunch.
• Day 3: Eiffel Tower to the lunch area by public transport.

These are not audited step-free routes or measured journey times. If mobility, luggage or weather changes the plan, compare a taxi from your actual starting point. Arrange the airport or station transfer separately.

Is three days enough for Paris?

Three full days are enough for this route: one major museum, the islands, the Marais, the Eiffel Tower and part of the Left Bank. They are not enough for every major collection or a relaxed Versailles day as well. Choose what you want to spend time doing before adding more stops.

What if arrival and departure fall within the three days?

Count usable hours. If you arrive at lunchtime, start with the neighborhood afternoon and move the Louvre to another morning. If you leave on the third afternoon, remove Saint-Germain and cocktails. Leave luggage at your hotel if it can store it; do not assume attractions will accept it.

What if the Louvre is closed?

Move that whole day within the trip. If the available dates still do not work, choose another museum and rebuild the afternoon around it. Our museum calendar guide explains the Louvre and Orsay closure pattern.

What does this leave out?

Montmartre, Versailles, a second major museum and a river cruise. Add one by replacing a substantial block, or extend the trip. For a different pace, compare Paris for couples.