3 Days in Paris: The First-Timer Itinerary
3 Days in Paris: The First-Timer Itinerary
Three days adds real breathing room: the Eiffel Tower and a Seine cruise on day 1, the Louvre and Notre-Dame on day 2, then Montmartre’s Sacré-Cœur and Le Marais on day 3. Every big-ticket sight here needs a timed slot booked ahead. Need a different length? See the 2-day , 4-day , 5-day , 6-day or 7-day version of this route.
Book these before you go: the Eiffel Tower’s timed lift (Day 1), the Louvre’s timed entry, closed Tuesdays (Day 2), and Sainte-Chapelle’s 30-minute slot (Day 2). The Catacombs aren’t on this route yet; add a 4th day if you want them, since tickets only release 7 days ahead.
The 3-day route at a glance
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, evening Seine cruise |
| Day 2 | Louvre, Tuileries, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame |
| Day 3 | Montmartre, Sacré-Cœur, Le Marais |
Day 1: The Eiffel Tower and the Seine
Morning: Book the second-floor lift (EUR 23.50) or the summit (EUR 36.70) through toureiffel.paris and take the earliest slot you can get; the tower is emptiest right at opening. Walk Champ de Mars afterward for the view from ground level.
Lunch: Grab something a few streets back from the tower itself, prices drop fast once you’re off the direct sightline.
Afternoon: Cross to Trocadéro Gardens for the postcard shot back across the river, then wander the 7th arrondissement at your own pace.
Evening: A Bateaux Parisiens cruise from Port de la Bourdonnais runs about EUR 19 and an hour, and it’s the easiest way to see the riverside monuments lit up without walking the whole stretch. Book an evening cruise slot since sunset departures fill first. Dinner in the 7th or Saint-Germain afterward.
Day 2: The Louvre and Île de la Cité
Morning: The Louvre needs a booked slot (EUR 22 EEA / EUR 32 non-EEA) at louvre.fr and it’s closed Tuesdays, so check your dates before you set this day. Pick two or three galleries rather than the whole museum; the Objets d’Art rooms are usually far calmer than the Mona Lisa crowd. Reserve skip-the-line entry if your dates are already tight.
Lunch: Rue de Rivoli or the Palais-Royal arcades both have quick, decent options.
Afternoon: Walk the Jardin des Tuileries toward the river, then cross to Île de la Cité. Sainte-Chapelle (EUR 16 EEA / EUR 22 non-EEA, mandatory 30-minute slots) is worth the ticket for the stained glass alone. Next door, Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 and costs nothing to enter; a free timed slot exists but only opens 72 hours ahead.
Evening: Dinner in the Latin Quarter, then a last walk along the river , the whole stretch you’ve covered today is a single UNESCO listing .
Day 3: Montmartre, Sacré-Cœur and Le Marais
Morning: Climb Montmartre for the Place du Tertre’s street artists and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, free to enter. Keep your wrist to yourself on the steps up, the bracelet scam is concentrated right there: someone starts tying a “friendship bracelet” on you and demands payment, a firm no and walking on ends it.
Lunch: A bakery stop on Rue des Abbesses beats any cafe on Place du Tertre itself.
Afternoon: Head to Le Marais for Place des Vosges, Rue des Rosiers, and boutique browsing, it’s one of the few Paris neighborhoods where shops commonly stay open on Sundays too.
Evening: Dinner in the Marais, then a slow walk back if your hotel is central.
Is 3 days enough to see Montmartre properly?
A morning covers the highlights, the Sacré-Cœur, Place du Tertre and the walk down through the village streets, but the neighborhood rewards slower wandering than a single visit allows. If Montmartre is your main draw, weight this day heavier and trim the Marais afternoon instead.
Do you need to book Sainte-Chapelle even with a Museum Pass?
Yes. A Paris Museum Pass covers the entry fee but not the mandatory 30-minute timed slot, so pass holders still need to reserve a specific window online before showing up. Morning slots sell out first in peak season regardless of which ticket type you’re holding.
Buy your Navigo Easy card (EUR 2, reloadable) on Day 1 rather than juggling single paper tickets, paper carnets stopped being sold at the end of 2025.