City guide · Paris, France · 2026

Paris in 3 days: itinerary and top spots

Updated November 13, 2026 · 82 spots · open in 2025–26

Paris, France — art, the seine and backstreet strolls. From 82 spots whose locations we've checked, we picked a full 3-day route (not counting arrival and departure days) and the top 8 in each category. The areas you'll keep coming back to: 8th arr. · 7th arr. · 1st arr..

🏛️ Sights 40
🍜 Food 20
✨ Hot spots 10
🌙 Night 12

3-day route
Where to eat
Hot spots
At night
Top sights

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🗺️ A 3-day route

Each day: two sights, one meal, one hot spot and one evening stop, grouped by neighbourhood so you can walk from one to the next.

Day 1 about 6h 30m at the stops, plus travel

Morning
Eiffel Tower7th arr., Champ de Mars🏛️ Sight
Icon of Paris; catch the 5-minute sparkle show on the hour after dark.
Lunch
Carette TrocadéroTrocadéro, 16th arr.🍜 Food
Brunch stop on the way to the Eiffel Tower; mille-feuille, macarons, hot chocolate; weekend morning queues
Afternoon
Fondation Louis VuittonBois de Boulogne, 16th arr.✨ Hot spot
Closed Tuesday; take the shuttle from Étoile; timed tickets are a must during big shows
Late afternoon
Arc de Triomphe8th arr., Champs-Élysées🏛️ Sight
Climb to the rooftop for the star view down the Champs-Élysées.
Evening
Place du Trocadéro16th arr., Trocadéro🌙 Night
Best head-on Eiffel view; time it for the 5-minute sparkle on the hour.

Day 2 about 6h 45m at the stops, plus travel

Morning
Louvre Museum1st arr., Louvre🏛️ Sight
Home of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo; book a timed ticket online.
Lunch
Rue Montorgueil2nd arr., Les Halles🍜 Food
Pedestrian foodie street home to Stohrer, a pâtisserie since 1730.
Afternoon
Bourse de Commerce - Pinault CollectionLes Halles, 1st arr.✨ Hot spot
Closed Tuesday; the rotunda ceiling is the photo spot; book online, open 11-19
Late afternoon
Sainte-Chapelle4th arr., Île de la Cité🏛️ Sight
Fifteen 13th-century stained-glass walls; most dazzling on a sunny afternoon.
Evening
Rue de la Huchette5th arr., Latin Quarter🌙 Night
Home of the 1946 jazz cellar Caveau de la Huchette and a row of Greek tavernas.

Day 3 about 5h 15m at the stops, plus travel

Morning
Notre-Dame Cathedral4th arr., Île de la Cité🏛️ Sight
Gothic masterpiece reopened in 2024; free entry, reserve via app to skip lines.
Lunch
L'As du FallafelLe Marais, 4th arr.🍜 Food
Closed Friday evening and Saturday for Shabbat; the takeaway line moves much faster
Afternoon
MerciLe Marais, 3rd arr.✨ Hot spot
Photo with the red Fiat 500 at the entrance; open Sundays; used-book café inside
Late afternoon
Le Marais3rd–4th arr., Le Marais🏛️ Sight
Medieval lanes of boutiques, galleries and falafel; shops open on Sundays.
Evening
Little Red DoorLe Marais, 3rd arr.🌙 Night
Unsigned red door, opens 18:00; a World's 50 Best regular, so go early

🍜 Where to eat in Paris: top 8

Specific restaurants, markets and food halls. Where there are queues, go right after opening.

Marché des Enfants Rouges3rd arr., Le Marais
Paris's oldest market (1615); lunch at Moroccan, Japanese and other stalls.
Rue Mouffetard5th arr., Latin Quarter
Medieval market street of cheese, bread and fruit stalls; liveliest in the morning.
Rue Montorgueil2nd arr., Les HallesIn the route
Pedestrian foodie street home to Stohrer, a pâtisserie since 1730.
Rue Cler7th arr., near Eiffel Tower
Market street near the Eiffel Tower; buy cheese and wine for a Champ de Mars picnic.
Bouillon Chartier9th arr., Grands Boulevards
Working-class canteen since 1896; cheap French classics, no reservations, just queue.
Angelina Paris1st arr., Rue de Rivoli
Tea salon since 1903; signature thick hot chocolate and Mont-Blanc pastry.
Bouillon PigallePigalle, 18th arr.
Shortest line right at 11:30 opening; online booking available; three courses for around €20
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte Saint-GermainSaint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arr.
One set menu (salad then steak-frites), no reservations, queue before the 12:00 or 18:30 opening

✨ Paris hot spots: top 8

Trendy neighbourhoods, cafés, photo spots and complexes for the daytime.

La SamaritainePont-Neuf, 1st arr.
Reopened 2021; shoot the Art Nouveau staircase and peacock fresco; daily 10-20, food hall downstairs
Bourse de Commerce - Pinault CollectionLes Halles, 1st arr.In the route
Closed Tuesday; the rotunda ceiling is the photo spot; book online, open 11-19
Fondation Louis VuittonBois de Boulogne, 16th arr.In the route
Closed Tuesday; take the shuttle from Étoile; timed tickets are a must during big shows
Canal Saint-MartinCanal Saint-Martin, 10th arr.
Weekend strolls and evening canal picnics; watch the locks operate; vintage shops all around
MerciLe Marais, 3rd arr.In the route
Photo with the red Fiat 500 at the entrance; open Sundays; used-book café inside
Shakespeare and CompanyLatin Quarter, 5th arr.
No photos inside, afternoon entry queue; the café next door has a Notre-Dame view
Café Kitsuné Palais RoyalPalais-Royal, 1st arr.
Daily 8:30-19; take your coffee to a bench in the Palais-Royal garden
Palais-Royal Garden & Colonnes de BurenPalais-Royal, 1st arr.
Striped columns are quietest in the morning; free garden, right next to the Louvre

🌙 Paris at night: top 8

Bars, izakaya and night views — one to end the evening.

Place du Trocadéro16th arr., TrocadéroIn the route
Best head-on Eiffel view; time it for the 5-minute sparkle on the hour.
Bateaux Mouches Seine Cruise8th arr., Pont de l'Alma
Cruising since 1949; a sunset departure captures both dusk and city lights.
Place du Tertre18th arr., Montmartre
Artists' square; evening means bistro lanes and hilltop city lights.
Moulin Rouge & Pigalle18th arr., Pigalle
Red windmill photo spot at night; book the cancan show in advance.
Tour Montparnasse Observation Deck15th arr., Montparnasse
56th-floor deck; the skyline view that actually includes the Eiffel Tower.
Rue Oberkampf11th arr., Oberkampf
Paris's go-to bar street packed with local pubs and live venues.
Rue de Lappe11th arr., Bastille
Narrow lane behind Bastille packed with bars and tapas; lively past midnight.
Rue de la Huchette5th arr., Latin QuarterIn the route
Home of the 1946 jazz cellar Caveau de la Huchette and a row of Greek tavernas.

🏛️ Top sights in Paris

The places most first-timers don’t want to miss. Add a day in the app for the ones not in the route.

Eiffel Tower7th arr., Champ de MarsIn the route
Icon of Paris; catch the 5-minute sparkle show on the hour after dark.
Louvre Museum1st arr., LouvreIn the route
Home of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo; book a timed ticket online.
Arc de Triomphe8th arr., Champs-ÉlyséesIn the route
Climb to the rooftop for the star view down the Champs-Élysées.
Notre-Dame Cathedral4th arr., Île de la CitéIn the route
Gothic masterpiece reopened in 2024; free entry, reserve via app to skip lines.
Palace of VersaillesVersailles (suburb)
Hall of Mirrors and gardens; 40 min by RER C, closed Mondays.
Sacré-Cœur Basilica18th arr., Montmartre
White basilica atop Montmartre; the front steps are a top city viewpoint.
Avenue des Champs-Élysées8th arr., Champs-Élysées
2 km avenue from the Arc to Concorde, lined with luxury shops and cafés.
Musée d'Orsay7th arr., Left Bank
Impressionist masterpieces in a former rail station; the giant clock window is the photo spot.

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