Paris in Four Days: Four Day Paris Itinerary
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A packed four day Paris itinerary including all the top things to see in Paris
4 Day Paris: (Jump To)
Climb the Eiffel Tower
Shop on Rue Cler
Visit the Rodin Museum
See the Arc de Triomphe
Take a Le Seine Night River Cruise
See the Stained Glass of Sainte-Chapelle
Visit (or see) the Notre-Dame Cathedral
Lunch in Luxembourg Gardens
Tour the Catacombs of Paris
Climb the only skyscraper in Paris
Day trip to the Palace of Versailles
See Masterpieces at the Louvre
See Montmartre
Four Days in Paris: Day 1
Climb the Eiffel Tower
There’s no better way to start your time in Paris than a trip to the Eiffel Tower. If you plan to go up the tower, it’s best to buy your tickets in advance to avoid lines at the ticket windows. Our advice is to wait until you can get a dependable weather forecast for the day so you’re not stuck with a foggy morning view.
If you’re interested in the architecture of the Eiffel Tower or just need to check it off your bucket list, you should absolutely go to the top. If you’re looking for the best view or best photos of Paris the top of the Eiffel Tower is not it, for one simple reason, you can’t see the Eiffel Tower from the Eiffel Tower!
There are two great places to view the tower without going up. The first is Trocadéro Gardens. Located directly across the Seine River here you can view the iconic structure with beautiful fountains in the foreground.
The huge park surrounding the tower is called Champ de Mars. Walking the treelined gravel paths while sipping a coffee from one of the park kiosks is a magical way to spend a morning.
From Chap de Mars, take the short walk to our next stop, Rue Cler.
Shop on Rue Cler
Rue Cler is a traditional shopping street. The short one-block(ish) portion of the street is a great place to sample some of Paris’ finest bites. Start at the intersection with Rue de Grenelle and end at the intersection with Avenue de la Motte-Picquet.
You’ll find local chocolates, cheeses, meats, wine, and pastries. With your belly full of Parisian delights, walk onward about 1/2 mile (1km) to The Rodin Museum.
Visit the Rodin Museum
The museum and courtyard gardens are home to the works of Auguste Rodin, who is often considered the father of modern sculpture. While the interior museum is interesting, the real star is the courtyard garden. Discount tickets are available for a visit to the gardens only.
You’ll get the chance to walk through the gorgeous garden while appreciating the artist’s top works, including The Thinker.
After enjoying the museum find the Metro station and take the subway to the Arc de Triomphe.
See the Arc de Triomphe
The largest triumphal arch in the world is located in the center of the world’s largest traffic circle. Look for the underground foot tunnel that takes you under the busy street and into the circle's center.
An inexpensive ticket will allow you access inside the arch to see a small exhibit as well as a trip to the viewing platform on top. Take as much time as you need to admire the rooftops of Paris and the near-perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. This is one of the best views in town.
As the sun sets, get ready for the lights of Paris.
Take a Le Seine Night River Cruise
End your day by treating yourself to a night cruise on the Seine. Check out our partner Viator for some great tour options. The surprisingly affordable tickets will take you on an hour-long cruise up and down the river. You’ll pass under all the bridges and see the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. They do a great job of lighting everything up in the most magical way. Sit back and take it all in. This is the beauty of Paris.
Paris in Four Days: Day 2
See the Stained Glass of Sainte-Chapelle.
Start the day with an early morning visit to Sainte-Chapelle. Visiting in the morning allows you to better appreciate the breathtaking stained glass windows. This is some of the oldest stained glass in the world.
The chapel was built in the 13th century to house religious artifacts, most significantly the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during his crucifixion. The crown is not on display outside of a few days around the Easter Holiday. It is wise to buy tickets for the chapel in advance.
Visit (or see) the Notre-Dame Cathedral
Nearby is the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The church was saved from complete destruction after a fire in 2019. Hopefully, you’re reading this in the near future when you can again visit the interior. For now, make a stop in the courtyard to see the bell towers.
Navigate yourself on foot to Luxembourg Gardens.
Lunch in Luxembourg Gardens
Filled with beautiful flowers, fountains, sculptures, and an actual palace, Luxembourg Gardens is one of the best places in Paris to see Parisians do what they do best, relax and enjoy life.
Grab something to eat from La Terrasse de Madamem, located near the center fountain, then pick a spot on the lawn, at a table, or on a fountain adjacent bench. Enjoy the delicious food as you watch children push tiny sailboats in the pool.
Before leaving the park make sure to see the Medici Fountain.
Things have been a little too light and cheery so far today, for a full change of tone hop on the Metro or a bus for the short ride to the Catacombs of Paris.
Tour the Catacombs of Paris
Buy a ticket and descend the staircase into the dark limestone caverns. As you proceed you’ll see a sign in French that reads "Arrête, c'est ici l'empire de la mort!” (“Stop! This is the empire of death!”)
This is not for the squeamish, nor is it recommended for children. See our full post on the catacombs here.
The pathway is one-way. You’ll come out of the tunnels on a seemingly random street. After you readjust to the light, find your way to the nearest Metro station. Another short ride will get you to Montparnasse Tower.
Climb the Only Skyscraper in Paris
Montparnasse Tower was so hated by locals for its uninspired style in the otherwise picaresque Paris skyline that laws were passed preventing anything like it from ever being built in the city again.
The attached mall is a sad collection of shops that seem to be barely holding on. The rooftop deck is the only saving grace. Being the only skyscraper for miles makes the rooftop views of Paris worth the ticket price to the top.
Skip this on a cloudy day.
Paris in Four Days: Day 3
Day Trip To the Palace of Versailles
It’s very easy to reach Versailles from central Paris on the Metro. You can be at the historic palace gates in under an hour.
Read our full post about visiting the Palace from Paris here.
This is a full day of exploring the palace, gardens, and adjacent buildings.
Paris in Four Days: Day 4
The other icon in Paris we’ve skipped until now is the Mona Lisa. Located in the behemoth Louvre museum the painting is as adored as it is maligned.
See Masterpieces at The Louvre
A visit to the Louvre requires some planning. Tickets should be bought in advance to avoid long lines. Art lovers could spend weeks viewing the massive collection. (The museum owns over 550,000 pieces). We recommend navigating between 10-15 masterpieces you’d love to view, then moving on.
Rick Steve’s website, books, and smartphone app are by far the best planning tools for a day at the Louvre.
After you've had your fill of some of the greatest art ever created go outside and hop on the nearest subway. Navigate to the hilltop Montmartre neighborhood.
See Montmartre
The bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre has been home to artists, musicians, thinkers, and poets past and present. Start with a ride in the funicular to the top of the hill. Finish with a few more steps to Sacré-Cœur. This basilica stands at the highest point in the city.
Inside the church are some impressive tile mosaics. Climb to the top of the dome for another view of the Paris skyline.
The nearby neighborhood has lots of artistic shops with art filling the streets. There are plenty of small chocolate shops and ice cream parlors to soothe your sweet tooth.
While much of the shopping and dining caters to the tourist crowd, the neighborhood still holds on to much of its charm.
After watching the sunset from the lawn of the Sacré-Cœur finish the evening with a long relaxing dinner at one of the restaurants around Place du Tertre.
If it’s on your list you could also choose to see a show at the Moulin Rouge which is nearby.
As you say goodbye to the city of light promise yourself you’ll return soon.
