Home » Destinations » Europe » France » Paris » Paris Itinerary: 1 Day
- Last Updated on November 3, 2024
This romantic city is packed with enough things to do to fill two weeks. To help you plan your trip and figure out what to see, what to do, and how to get around, here is our suggested 1-day Paris itinerary . We also included other suggestions in case you have additional time in the city. We recommend doing the activities in the order listed to optimize your time.
Paris is one of the world’s greatest cities. A capital of fashion, food, and art, it’s no wonder this is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. Spend one afternoon eating patisserie and strolling the romantic boulevards, and you’re sure to fall in love too.
Table Of Contents - Paris Itinerary For 1 Day
Champs-Élysées ★★★
Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) ★★★
Sainte-Chapelle ★★★
Musée d’Orsay ★★★
Paris City Walk ★★★
Things To Do After Hours In Paris
Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) ★★★
Stroll Montmartre: From Moulin Rouge to Place du Tertre ★★
Avoid the Paris Sewer Museum (Les Egouts de Paris)
Versailles ★★★
Giverny ★★
Loire Valley ★★
STAR RATING KEY:
★★★ Top priority
★★ Highly recommended
★ Worthwhile
No Star – Skippable if not interested
Paris Itinerary For 1 Day
Louvre (Musée du Louvre)
Start your 1-day Paris itinerary visiting The Louvre, which is perhaps the best museum in the world. It holds a huge collection, including masterpieces from Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Reubens, and more. You can’t see the whole museum in a day, so focus on the Denon wing. There are also some interesting Egyptian antiquities in the Sully Wing. Book a timed entry ticket in advance online, as ticket lines are notoriously long.
Pro Tip: Consider taking a guided tour if you aren’t a connoisseur of the arts. Book online when you buy your ticket (at least 2 weeks in advance to guarantee a spot). Offered Fri-Mon at 11:00am.
Cost and Hours: €17 per adult. Open Wed-Mon 9:00am-6:00pm (closes 9:45pm Fridays). Closed Tuesdays.
Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.louvre.fr
Jardin des Tuileries
This beautiful garden, designed for Catherine de Medici in the 1500s, stretches from the Louvre to Place de la Concorde. It is one of the biggest gardens in Paris, and the most central. You will certainly visit this place during your trip, as you will inevitably have to walk through it at some point. These park grounds are full of manicured foliage, fountains, sculptures, groves, and flowerbeds. This is the perfect spot to rest your feet after a long day at the Louvre.
Musée de l’Orangerie
This museum hosts perhaps the most famous impressionist paintings of all time – Monet’s Nympheas (water lilies). These two small rooms of huge paintings are a very quick, but highly rewarding stop on this 1-day Paris itinerary. You can skip the rest of the museum, unless you have a particular interest.
Cost and Hours: €12.50 per adult. Free the first Sunday of every month (online booking mandatory). Open Wed-Mon 9:00am-6:00pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Address: Jardin Tuileries, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-orangerie.fr/en
Place de la Concorde
This square, which marks one end of the Champs-Élysées, is one of France’s greatest. It has been an important square since its inauguration in the 1800s. Not only is it beautiful, with its palatial buildings and ancient Egyptian obelisk, it is also a significant historic landmark. This was the site of the executions of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.
Address: 75008 Paris, France
Champs-Élysées
First opened in the 1600s, the Champs-Élysées is the quintessential Parisian boulevard. For hundreds of years, Paris has been famous for its broad, tree-lined boulevards, which have inspired cities around Europe. Whether you go for the cafés, shopping, or people watching, no visit to Paris is complete without a stroll down this street.
Address: Champs-Elysees, Paris, France
Arc de Triomphe
This arch was built by Napoleon in the 1800s to commemorate the French Imperial Army and their many military victories. It has survived to be a symbol of France and has witnessed the most important moments in history since, including the burial of the ashes of the unknown soldier who fought in WWI, the arrival of the Nazis, and General de Gaulle’s victory lap after the end of German occupation. You can appreciate it from the outside for free, or pay to climb 284 stairs to reach the top for skyline views of Paris, with particularly good views of the Champs-Élysées. Buy your ticket online to save time at the entrance.
Pro Tip: Don’t cross the traffic circle to get to the arch; instead use the underpass near the Champs-Élyées metro entrance.
Cost and Hours: €13 per adult, free admission the first Sunday of every month from Nov-Mar. Open daily 10:00am-11:00pm.
Address: Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France
Website: www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
Place du Trocadéro
This is hands-down the best place to see the Eiffel Tower. It’s worth going out of your way to go there. After all, if there’s one thing you need from your trip to Paris, it’s a good picture of the Eiffel Tower. There are great benches and grassy areas here to have a picnic or just sit and relax for a while.
Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel)
Visiting the Eiffel Tower is the most iconic activity you can do on this 1-day Paris itinerary. This is the most visited monument in the world. You can go to the base of the tower for free, or pay to go up to the top for spectacular views of the city. (2nd floor views are also great and are about half the price). You can even have dinner at one of the Eiffel Tower restaurants. You should buy your timed-entry ticket online in advance, as the ticket line can be hours long. Expect long lines and serious crowding throughout the experience, even with advance tickets.
Pro Tip: Arrive 15-30 minutes prior to your time to get through security. You must bring an ID that matches the name on your ticket (they may or may not actually check it). Non-folding strollers and large bags are prohibited (normal-sized backpacks are fine).
Cost and Hours: €27 to go to the top, €17 to go to the 2nd floor. Open 9:30am-10:45pm (open 9:00am-11:45pm Jun 18 – August 31).
Address: Champ de Mars, 5 Av. Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France
Website: www.toureiffel.paris
If You Have Time, Add To Your Paris Itinerary
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral is the most famous church in the world. With its stained glass, pointed spires, and gargoyle-studded flying buttresses, it is the epitome of gothic architecture. Having survived since the 1100s, the church has witnessed France evolve over the centuries since Napoleon was crowned here. This once was the most important landmark to visit in Paris. Unfortunately, the amazing interior was closed following a fire in 2019, and continues to be closed indefinitely. The exterior is also often barricaded off. Therefore, as long as you see Notre-Dame from the Seine, that is enough of a visit for now.
Cost and Hours: Closed indefinitely.
Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France
Website: www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/
Sainte-Chapelle
This chapel is the most magnificent example of Gothic stained glass in the world. It is a relatively small building, but definitely worth the stop. The upper level of the chapel is the main attraction here. Purchase tickets in advance online to avoid a long line at the entrance.
Pro Tip: If you’re also visiting the Conciergerie, buy the combo ticket to save a few euros.
Cost and Hours: €11.50. Open daily 9:00am-7:00pm (closes 5:00pm Oct-Mar).
Address: 10 Bd du Palais, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.sainte-chapelle.fr
Musée d’Orsay
This is the best impressionist painting museum on earth. If you love impressionism, a journey here is nothing short of a pilgrimage. You will see the best combined collection of Degas, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Pissarro. This is one of our favorite museums in Europe.
Cost and Hours: €16 per adult. Free the first Sunday of every month (online booking recommended). Open Tues-Sun 9:30am-6:00pm (closes 9:45pm Thurs). Closed Mondays.
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-orsay.fr/en
Paris City Walk
Walking around Paris is one of the most important activities you must make time for on your trip. You can easily explore the city on your own, and there are several separate neighborhoods to stroll in this 1-day Paris itinerary. However, some people prefer a guided experience. If that’s you, there are tons of options for this. We recommend taking a walk with the company Paris Walks, as they are uniformly recommended by everyone. However, their website is not user-friendly, and their walks are all very specifically themed. If none of those themes seem interesting to you, go for a more general walk. For this, companies come and go – click the link to find the best walking tour of Paris for the day you have in mind.
Things To Do After Hours In Paris
Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel)
The Eiffel Tower is great to do after hours. The views are beautiful at night and every hour on the hour the tower lights sparkle for 5 min. See more info on the Eiffel Tower above.
Stroll Along the Seine
Strolling along the Seine is one of the most important activities on this 1-day Paris itinerary. Look for areas where there is a pedestrian promenade next to the water (below street level). This is present in most tourist areas, but the sections that have been particularly beautified by the city are on the Left Bank between Pont d’Alma and Musée d’Orsay, and on the Right Bank between the Tuileries gardens and Place de la Bastille. This is one of the few activities that you will find tourists and locals alike enjoying. You can even take a bottle of wine down there and enjoy it picnic-style with your feet dangling over the water. During the summer, the city of Paris even trucks in a bunch of sand and creates beaches on these banks (more on Paris beaches here.)
For map details, click on the icon in the top left corner.
Stroll Montmartre: From Moulin Rouge to Place du Tertre
Montmartre is perhaps the most beautiful neighborhood in Paris and deserves a tour on its own. This is where artists like Picasso and Van Gogh once lived, and where new artists continue to live and work today. Make a point of getting off the beaten path and exploring the side streets. This is easy to do on your own, but you will learn more with a guide. Consider this inexpensive walking tour, which is highly informative, though it can get a little crowded.
Beware, Montmartre is full of steep hills. If you have limited mobility, or aren’t in the mood for a workout, consider the low-priced tourist train guided tour.
Cruise The Seine
The Seine river is so integral to Paris that it is only right that you spend some of your sightseeing time on the water. These cruises are touristy, to be sure, but there is no other way to get this experience. We recommend taking this one-hour Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower. It can be done at any time, but we like to go just after sunset when the sights start to be illuminated. You can also book a dinner cruise for an unforgettable meal on the Seine.
Practical Info
Getting Around Paris
Paris is easy to get around. You can get anywhere on the subway (AKA metro). Avoid bringing a car into Paris.
How To Avoid Pickpockets
Paris is one of the world’s top destinations for pickpockets. You always have to be on the lookout. Assume anyone trying to get your attention is just creating a ruse for someone else to pickpocket you. This includes people begging for money, offering to give you directions, trying to sell you things, etc. The only sure way to keep your things safe is to keep your valuables in a money belt tucked into your clothes. However, neither of us is willing to do that, so we just hold onto our valuables tightly in crowded places and maintain hyper alertness. If we carry a backpack, we always wear it in front on the street and in the metro.
Avoid The Paris Sewer Museum (Les Egouts de Paris)
Do not go to this museum! There is minimal signage and little to learn from a visit here. Most importantly, you will literally be walking around looking into a bunch of sewer streams. You can see and smell the human feces floating with the current. Avoid at all costs.
Day Trips From Paris
Versailles
Versailles is perhaps the most famous palace in the world, and the one that inspired so many others around Europe. These stunning grounds were the residence of French kings and queens until the French Revolution. Today, you can (and should) tour the palace, gardens, and the Trianon / Marie Antoinette’s estate.
Pro Tips: Crowds can be insane – buy a timed-entry ticket online in advance to save time at the entrance. Avoid Tuesdays and weekends if you can.
If you don’t have time for all three stops, skip the Trianon / Marie Antoinette’s estate.
Beware – the fountains are only turned on during “Musical Fountain Shows” (click the link for the schedule).
Getting There: Getting to Versailles is easy. Take the RER – C from Paris. Use Google Maps to get from your hotel to an RER – C stop.
Cost and Hours: €22 per adult (€29 on fountain show days). Palace open daily 9:00am-6:30pm (closes 5:30pm Nov-Mar). Trianon open 12:00pm-6:30pm (closes 5:30pm Nov-Mar). Gardens open 8:00am-8:30pm (close 6:00pm Nov-Mar).
Address: Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles, France
Website: en.chateauversailles.fr
Giverny
Giverny is a must for Monet fans. This is the home of Claude Monet’s garden, which he created and used as inspiration for hundreds of paintings. Walking through this garden is like walking into an impressionist painting. Best of all, Giverny is only about 75 minutes from Paris. See our guide for a day trip to Giverny from Paris.
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is considered an “outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty” by UNESCO. This is where French royalty built their castles during medieval times and their palaces during the Renaissance. This region is full to the brim with historic towns, villages, and outstanding châteaux to choose from. See our Loire Valley day trip itinerary to plan your trip.
Normandy D-Day Sights
June 6th, 1944, D-Day, is perhaps the single most significant day in World War II history. It marked the beginning of the end for Hitler and his allies. This is the day that allied forces landed in Normandy as part of the largest seaborne invasion in history. There is so much to see in this area, you really need several days to cover it all. Unfortunately, you also need a guide to understand what you’re seeing, so it’s not practical to take more than one day seeing the sites. Our day trip to Normandy itinerary covers the major D-Day beaches and related sites.
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