Paris Travel Planner   4- to 5-Day Trip to Paris, France
Here's an itinerary for what to see and do in 4 or 5 days in Paris, including a day-trip excursion to Versailles or another royal château near Paris.





Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Montmartre, Paris, France
Basilique du Sacré- Coeur
, Montmartre, Paris








Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris, France
Avenue des Champs-Élysées
, Paris.






Istanbul Love Bus, the new novel by Tom Brosnahan

 

Four or five days is a sensible time for a visit to Paris, enough time to see all the top sights, make a day-trip excursion out of the city, and to get the flavor of living like a Parisian. (If you have a week or ten days, so much the better.)

Here are maps of Paris.

Paris City Pass

The Paris City Pass is a good way to save money as soon as you land in France. It takes you from the airport to the city, around the city by Métro and bus for three days, up to a panoramic view, crusing on the Seine, and a 20% discount on virtually any other thing you want to see or do in Paris and Versailles:

—One-way shared shuttle transfer from CDG or Orly airport to central Paris

—3-day Métro pass valid on Métro trains, buses, trams & funiculars (including the Montmartre funicular to Sacré-Coeur)

—Admission to the Tour Montparnasse Panoramic Terrace(better views than the Eiffel Tower!)

River cruise on the Seine

20% discount on admission to 60 other museums, attractions and activities in Paris and Versailles. More...

Other Money-Saving Passes

Alternatives to the Paris City Pass are the Paris Museum Pass or the Paris Pass. More...

A one- or two-day Paris Visite transit ticket gives you unlimited use of the Métro, buses, trams, etc. More...

For any tour or attraction in Paris, save time, trouble, and waiting in line by buying your skip-the-line admission tickets in advance from Ticketbar. More...

Day 1

Follow the itinerary for One Day in Paris: Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, Palais d l'Élysée, Place de la Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, Musée du Louvre, Île de la Cité, Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, Place St-Michel, the back streets of the Left Bank (Quartier Latin) and, if you choose, a cruise on the River Seine, followed by a good dinner in a simple bistro or elegant restaurant. More...

Day 2

Go to the Île de la Cité to visit the Towers of Notre-Dame, then to the nearby Palais de Justice to admire the splendid Sainte Chapelle and the gloomy Conciergerie, then explore the Latin Quarter and the Invalides before taking the Métro to the Trocadéro station for a walk downhill to the Eiffel Tower and Champ-de-Mars.

If you haven't yet taken a cruise on the River Seine, that would be a good way to end the afternoon, or— especially— the evening. More...

Day 3

In the morning, go to Montmartre to see the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur and the artist-filled Place du Tertre.

In the afternoon, choose a few more of Paris' excellent museums for visits. There are dozens. The one(s) you choose can be dictated by your own tastes, but I'd recommend the Musée d'Orsay, the Carnavalet (the museum of the history of Paris) and, depending upon the exhibitions, the displays in the Centre Pompidou or the Grand Palais.

If you have time left, spend it people-watching in Parisian cafés, and in nice restaurants at dinnertime. More...

Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
Le Musée du Louvre.


Day 4

Take a morning or afternoon stroll through Le Marais, once a swamp, historically Paris's bohemian and Jewish quarter, but today also a trendy, lively arts and crafts neighborhood.

Spend some time in the many lovely Paris parks and gardens, (start with the Jardin du Luxembourg) and explore some of the medieval monuments such as the Église St-Germain-des-Prés and the Musée de Cluny. More...

Day 5

Make a day-trip excursion to a château outside of Paris, such as Louis XIV's splendid Château de Versailles, only a short ride from Paris by RER suburban train. More...

A few more days? See our itinerary for A Week in Paris.


1 Day in Paris

2 Days in Paris

3 Days in Paris

A Week in Paris

7-10 Days in Paris

Planning Your Time in Paris

What to See & Do in Paris

Finding Your Way in Paris

Paris Hotels & Apartments

Paris Restaurants

Paris Transportation

 

Paris Girls Secret Society, a novel by Tom Brosnahan

 

Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, Paris, France

Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles.
You'll have enough time to visit it, and any of the passes described on this page will get you in (or at least get you a discount).







Fountains at the Château de Versailles, Paris, France
Fountains at the Château de Versailles.


 

Paris Girls Secret Society, a novel by Tom Brosnahan

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