A 5-day travel itinerary for Paris, France, planned by [email protected].
Five classic days in Paris from a central Le Marais hotel, organized so each day covers one coherent slice of the city on foot. Day one settles into the Marais and Île de la Cité; then the Louvre, Tuileries and Champs-Élysées; the Eiffel Tower with the Left Bank and a Seine cruise; a full day trip to Versailles; and a Montmartre finale ending with shopping under the Galeries Lafayette dome. Every day has a named café lunch and a dinner reservation, from falafel on Rue des Rosiers to steak-frites and a grand 1896 bouillon.
Arrival & Le Marais
Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais
Classic 18th-century lodging offering free Wi-Fi & classic rooms, some with private balconies.
L'As du Fallafel
Simple Middle Eastern eatery for fast falafels, shawarma & kebabs washed down with Israeli wines.
Place des Vosges
Paris's oldest planned square — arcades, symmetry, and Victor Hugo's house in the corner.
Centre Pompidou
Inside-out modern-art museum; ride the escalators for a rooftop city view.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Towering, 12th-century cathedral with flying buttresses & gargoyles, setting for Hugo's novel.
Chez Janou
Mellow option serving Provençal-style dishes in a convivial setting, plus an extensive pastis list.
Louvre, Tuileries & Champs-Élysées
Louvre Museum
Former historic palace housing huge art collection, from Roman sculptures to da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."
Cafe Marly
Upscale dining in old-world interiors & an open-air arched passageway with Louvre views.
Jardin des Tuileries
Expansive, 17th-century formal garden dotted with statues, including 18 bronzes by Maillol.
Place de la Concorde
Featuring an Egyptian obelisk, this public square was the site of King Louis XVI's execution.
Arc de Triomphe
Iconic triumphal arch built to commemorate Napoleon's victories, with an observation deck.
Le Relais de l'Entrecote
Dinner: no menu — just steak-frites with the secret sauce, and seconds. No reservations; arrive early.
Eiffel Tower & the Left Bank
Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel's iconic, wrought-iron 1889 tower, with steps and elevators to observation decks.
Trocadero
Sprawling, elevated plaza offering striking views of the Eiffel Tower, lush gardens & museums.
Les Cocottes Tour Eiffel
Refined takes on bistro classics & French wines at a chic stop with high tables & stools at the bar.
Musee d'Orsay
Major 19th- & 20th-century European art collections housed in a monumental, former railway station.
Bateaux Mouches
Classic restaurant set aboard a barge offering cruises along the Seine, plus Eiffel Tower views.
Le Comptoir du Relais
Casual French bistro with outdoor tables, serving breakfast, traditional meals & desserts.
Day Trip to Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Immense, 18th-century palace with gilded apartments, chandeliered Hall of Mirrors & fountain show.
La Flottille
Classic French brasserie dishes on a large garden terrace overlooking Versailles' Grand Canal.
Gardens of Versailles
Huge 17th-century ornamental palace gardens, with orange trees & canals, statues & fountains.
Hameau de la Reine
Lakeside folly commissioned by Queen Marie-Antoinette in 1783, designed to resemble a working farm.
Bouillon Chartier
Long-standing restaurant offering regional fare, wine & desserts in an elegant, art nouveau space.
Montmartre & Departure
Sacre-Coeur
Iconic, domed white church, completed in 1914, with interior mosaics, stained-glass windows & crypt.
Place du Tertre
Montmartre's artists' square — portraitists and easels behind Sacre-Coeur.
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
Grand, century-old department store with a steel-frame art nouveau glass dome ringed by loggias.
Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais
Classic 18th-century lodging offering free Wi-Fi & classic rooms, some with private balconies.
Things to do in Paris, France
- Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais
- L'As du Fallafel
- Place des Vosges
- Centre Pompidou
- Notre-Dame de Paris
- Chez Janou
- Louvre Museum
- Cafe Marly
- Jardin des Tuileries
- Place de la Concorde
- Arc de Triomphe
- Le Relais de l'Entrecote
- Eiffel Tower
- Trocadero
- Les Cocottes Tour Eiffel
- Musee d'Orsay
- Bateaux Mouches
- Le Comptoir du Relais
- Palace of Versailles
- La Flottille
- Gardens of Versailles
- Hameau de la Reine
- Bouillon Chartier
- Sacre-Coeur
- Place du Tertre
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann