Paris in 3 Days: A Local's Perfect Itinerary
A tested three-day route through Paris that covers the icons without the tourist traps — plus where to eat between them.
Three days is enough to see Paris well if you plan the geography carefully. Group sights by arrondissement to avoid crisscrossing the city, and book skip-the-line entries for the Eiffel Tower and Louvre — they're the two biggest time sinks.
Day 1: The Iconic Right Bank
Start at the Louvre at opening (9am), spend 2.5 hours on the highlights, then walk to Palais Royal for lunch. Afternoon: Tuileries → Place de la Concorde → Champs-Élysées → Arc de Triomphe. Dinner in the 8th.
Day 2: Left Bank & Eiffel Tower
Morning at Musée d'Orsay, then wander Saint-Germain-des-Prés for lunch at a real neighborhood bistro (not the ones on Boulevard Saint-Germain). Late afternoon: Rodin Museum. Sunset ascent of the Eiffel Tower with a champagne toast.
Day 3: Montmartre & the Marais
Montmartre in the morning before the crowds — Sacré-Cœur, Place du Tertre, the hidden vineyard. Lunch at a wine bar in the 9th. Afternoon in the Marais for boutique shopping and Place des Vosges. End the day with a dinner cruise on the Seine.
One thing to skip
The Bateaux Mouches during peak season. Book a smaller private boat instead — same views, no crowds, half the noise.
