Two perfect days in Paris? Here's how to plan them

Explore Paris with this two-day itinerary featuring top attractions, hidden gems, local eats and stress-free travel tips.

Published: July 16, 2025
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Got two days in Paris and wondering how to squeeze in the good stuff? Don’t worry—we’ve mapped out the perfect itinerary that blends must-see landmarks, hidden corners, and plenty of café breaks. Whether it’s your first time in the French capital or a return visit, this 48-hour plan hits that sweet spot between seeing the sights and soaking up the atmosphere. We’ll walk you through where to go, how to get there, what to eat, and what not to miss—so you can spend less time stressing and more time enjoying la vie Parisienne. 

🗓️ Day 1: Art, Arches, and Aperitifs 

Start at the Louvre 

Begin your Parisian adventure at the Louvre Museum. Yes, it’s huge—but you don’t need to see it all. Focus on the Denon Wing to admire the Mona Lisa, The Wedding at Cana, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. If you're short on time, grab a highlights map and breeze through the essentials in 90 minutes. 

🛣️ Getting there: Take Line 1 on the Métro to Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre. 

💡 Tip: Book a morning slot to beat the crowds and save time. 

Wander through the Tuileries Garden 

After the museum, step into the fresh air and wander the Tuileries Garden. This leafy escape connects the Louvre to Place de la Concorde and offers shady benches, fountains, and sculptures perfect for a mid-morning pause. 

Lunch at Café Marly 

Tucked under the Louvre’s arcades, Café Marly is a chic choice with a view of the pyramid. Try the duck confit salad or the burrata with heirloom tomatoes. The ambience is stylish but relaxed—perfect for recharging after your museum visit. 

Head to the Arc de Triomphe 

Next, hop on Métro Line 1 again and ride to Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. From here, walk to the base of the Arc de Triomphe. The view from the top offers a panoramic sweep of twelve grand avenues, including the Champs-Élysées and La Défense. It’s far less crowded than the Eiffel Tower and just as rewarding. 

Stroll down the Champs-Élysées 

champs

After your climb, take a gentle walk down the Champs-Élysées. Dip into high-street fashion shops or grab a pastry from Ladurée—famous for their pastel-coloured macarons and Belle Époque interiors. 

Explore Place de la Concorde 

At the end of the Champs-Élysées, stop at Place de la Concorde to admire the Egyptian obelisk and the surrounding fountains. History buffs will appreciate its dramatic role in the French Revolution. 

Sunset at the Seine 

Walk towards the river and head to Pont Alexandre III, one of Paris’s most ornate bridges. As the sun dips, the gold statues glow—ideal for those golden hour photos. 

Dinner near the Eiffel Tower 

Book a table at Les Ombres, located on the rooftop of the Musée du Quai Branly. It offers French cuisine with an unbeatable view of the Eiffel Tower. For something more casual, try Café Constant just a few blocks away—classic bistro fare in a charming setting. 

Evening river cruise on the Seine 

End the day with a relaxing river cruise. Boats leave from near the Eiffel Tower and glide past Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and more, all beautifully lit. Bring a jacket and settle in with a glass of wine—this is Paris at its most magical. 

 

🗓️ Day 2: Churches, Cheese and Montmartre Charm 

Start at Sainte-Chapelle 

Skip breakfast and head to Sainte-Chapelle early (it opens at 9am) for the kaleidoscope of stained glass. The chapel is compact but unforgettable, especially when morning light filters through its towering windows. 

🛣️ Getting there: Take Métro Line 4 to Cité, then walk two minutes to the chapel entrance. 

Grab coffee and croissants on Île de la Cité 

Afterwards, grab a table at Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole. It’s tucked away on a cobbled side street and feels straight out of a fairytale. Order an espresso and almond croissant for a simple but satisfying start. 

Explore Notre-Dame and the Latin Quarter 

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While Notre-Dame is still under restoration, you can admire its majestic façade, then cross into the Latin Quarter for some wandering. The streets here are filled with bookshops, student cafés, and quirky boutiques. 

Don’t miss Shakespeare and Company, the English-language bookshop beloved by Hemingway and still brimming with charm. 

Lunch in the Latin Quarter 

Stop for lunch at Le Petit Prince de Paris—a warm, vintage-style restaurant with seasonal French dishes. We recommend the goat cheese and honey salad or the duck confit if you’re hungry. 

Climb to Montmartre 

Hop on the Métro (Line 4 from Saint-Michel to Barbès-Rochechouart, then walk uphill or take the funicular). Your reward? Sacré-Cœur’s sweeping views and the unmistakable village vibe of Montmartre. 

Explore Montmartre’s artistic side 

Roam around Place du Tertre where artists sketch portraits and musicians fill the air with accordion music. Walk by the former studios of Picasso and Dali, and keep your eyes open for hidden street art along Rue des Saules. 

Indulge in sweet treats 

Grab a scoop of gelato at Amorino or treat yourself to a warm crêpe from a street vendor. For something indulgent, head to Le Grenier à Pain and pick up a flaky Parisian pastry (we love their pistachio escargot). 

Dinner with a view in Montmartre 

Montmartre 

Book ahead at Le Terrass Rooftop Bar & Restaurant. This chic spot has panoramic views, great wine, and a laid-back but stylish atmosphere. Try the seabass tartare or beef with truffle mashed potatoes. If you’re in the mood for something cosy, head to La Maison Rose, a pastel-pink house with rustic charm and hearty fare. 

Two days in Paris go fast, but with a bit of planning, you can soak in the art, culture, food, and spirit of the city without rushing. By focusing on just a few neighborhoods each day and choosing attractions that are close together, you'll cover a lot of ground while still leaving time to linger over a coffee, watch the world go by, and snap that perfect photo. Whether you're travelling as a couple, solo, or with family, this itinerary makes every moment count. 

Enjoyed this? Then you might also like our comparison of Saintee-Chapelle and the Sacré-Coeur. Going to Meudon? Check out our guide to all the great (free!) things you can do nearby.

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The Louvre or Palace of Versailles - Which is Better?

Here’s a clash of the titans if ever we saw one! Limbering up in le bleu corner is the world’s largest and most popular art museum, home to some of the most iconic images in Western art, and former royal palace of some 900 years' standing... it is of course the mighty Louvre Museum! It’s opponent in this battle of the bucket-list biggies is no shrinking violet either: in le corner rouge (please pardon our French) is the picture-perfect palace of Versailles, a fairytale edifice of quite magical beauty, and perhaps the planet’s most celebrated château. But which is better? Check out our comparison of the Louvre and Palace of Versailles to discover which is bigger, which contains the finest art, which has the better grounds, and which the, er, most windows. The Louvre Name: Napoléon made significantly more of an impression on the Louvre than he did on the Palace of Versailles, grandly renaming the beloved art museum ‘Musée Napoléon’ during his reign from 1804-1815. The world’s most comically extravagant château on the other hand he treated as a mere summer residence to be used casually then unceremoniously abandoned. Lifestyles of the rich and famous, eh? Age: Built in the late 12th Century during the long reign of King Philip II, the Louvre Palace ceased to be used as a royal residence around 600 years later, paving the way for its rebirth as the Louvre Museum, which opened with its debut exhibition of 537 paintings in August 1793. The Louvre in Brief: It isn’t the world’s most popular museum for nothing, you know. Inside the Louvre is where you’ll find some of the planet’s most recognizable works of art: the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace, to name but three. The ‘big three’ are complemented by another 40,000-ish pieces, ranging from Ancient Egyptian sculpture to medieval Islamic silverware, Roman statuary, Greek pottery and masterpieces by the likes of Caravaggio, Picasso, Michelangelo and Raphael. It’s basically the entire history of human endeavor in one handy location. The Louvre in Numbers Size: it’s only the largest museum on Earth, covering 652,300 square feet (60,600 square meters). The combined length of the museum’s many labyrinthine levels is around eight miles. Artworks: there are around 35,000-40,000 pieces on display at any one time, taken from a collection of in excess of 600,000 works of art from across the ages. Panes of glass: conspiracy theorists will tell you there are 666 panes in the courtyard’s central pyramid, but it simply isn’t true: in fact there are 673. Visitors: 7.8 million art-lovers flock here every year, making the Louvre the world’s most-visited art museum. The Louvre: What to Expect To say the Louvre can be a tad overwhelming would be an understatement: it’s big, it’s busy, and it would take you more than half a year to see all the beautiful art on display here. With that in mind, we recommend you grab a map and plan your must-sees in advance to maximize enjoyment and avoid wandering this cavernous palace in aimless frustration for hours on end. So yes, come for a glimpse of da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa and the museum’s’ unparalleled collection of Hellenistic masterpieces, but be aware that you’ll likely be viewing these over an ocean of heads. You might find it easier to get a good look at marginally less popular (but no less impressive) attractions like Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa, Vermeer’s Lacemaker, Caravaggio’s Death of the Virgin, and the monumental Great Sphinx of Tanis. It’s also worth taking a peep at how the other half live while you’re here: Napoleon III’s personal apartments come complete with lavish state dining rooms and a gilded drawing room in the 18th-century rococo style. 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You could easily spend a day here, wandering the palace’s vast interior and multitude of impossibly opulent rooms, pausing to admire the King’s sumptuous private apartments and enjoy a moment of quiet reflection in the famous Hall of Mirrors. Across 2,000 epic acres, this grand royal estate also features manicured gardens peppered with precious statues (many of them hundreds of years old), plus ornate fountains, royal stables and tennis courts, and more masterpieces of 16th-19th century painting and sculpture than you could shake a heavily jewel-encrusted royal mace at. The Palace of Versailles in Numbers Size: the palace covers over 700,000 square feet and sits on an estate of over 2,000 acres – well over twice the size of Central Park! Artworks: There are over 60,000 works in the Palace’s collections, spanning the history of France from the Middle Ages to the present day, with a particular focus on 16th-19th century painting and sculpture. Panes of glass: there are 2,143 windows in the Palace of Versailles, a significant job for even the most industrious window cleaner. Visitors: A regal 15 million annually. The Palace of Versailles: What to Expect Sure, there’s art here – and great art, too – but where the Louvre focuses almost exclusively on its collection, the Palace of Versailles provides a more rounded experience thanks to its lavish halls and splendid gardens. But let’s begin with the art. There are around 100 rooms filled with the stuff, drawn from a collection of some 60,000 pieces founded by Louis-Philippe in 1837 and comprising paintings from the 16th-19th centuries. But there’s more, so much more to see here! 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The Paris Pass gets you entry to dozens of Paris attractions – including both the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles – for one money-saving price.
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