4 days in Paris — icons, islands, and real bistros
“Louvre and Eiffel without the zigzag: each day stays in one slice of the city, with sit-down lunches and dinners already placed.”
The plan
Day by day- 9:00 AM115 minNotre-Dame Cathedral of ParisSouth Paris
Towering, 12th-century cathedral with flying buttresses & gargoyles, setting for Hugo's novel.
- 10:55 AM10 minTransit
- 11:05 AM115 minSainte-ChapelleSouth Paris
Ornate, 13th-century, Gothic chapel with relics & notable stained-glass windows of biblical scenes.
- 1:00 PM10 minTransit
- 1:10 PM120 minLa JacobineSouth Paris
Traditional French dishes like onion soup & coq au vin in a snug setting in a historic passageway.
- 3:10 PM15 minTransit
- 3:25 PM115 minLouvre MuseumSouth Paris
Former historic palace housing huge art collection, from Roman sculptures to da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."
- 5:20 PM15 minTransit
- 5:35 PM115 minTuileries GardenSouth Paris
Expansive, 17th-century formal garden dotted with statues, including 18 bronzes by Maillol.
- 7:30 PM20 minTransit
- 7:50 PM120 minBO&MIE Louvre-RivoliSouth Paris
High-end, handcrafted breads & pastries offered in a bright bake shop with a mezzanine.
- 9:00 AM115 minEiffel TowerSouth Paris
Gustave Eiffel's iconic, wrought-iron 1889 tower, with steps and elevators to observation decks.
- 10:55 AM10 minTransit
- 11:05 AM170 minChamp de MarsNorth Paris
Champ de Mars
- 1:55 PM20 minTransit
- 2:15 PM120 minSphèreSouth Paris
Sphère
- 4:15 PM20 minTransit
- 4:35 PM115 minPlace du TrocaderoSouth Paris
Paved open space anchored by a military monument & known for its dramatic views of the Eiffel Tower.
- 6:30 PM10 minTransit
- 6:40 PM115 minPalais de ChaillotSouth Paris
Architectural, naval & ethnographic museums, above fountains & gardens with Eiffel Tower views.
- 9:00 AM115 minMusée d'OrsaySouth Paris
Major 19th- & 20th-century European art collections housed in a monumental, former railway station.
- 10:55 AM20 minTransit
- 11:15 AM115 minMusée RodinSouth Paris
18th-century mansion & sculpture garden displaying Rodin's influential works, such as The Thinker.
- 1:10 PM20 minTransit
- 1:30 PM120 minLoulouSouth Paris
Bustling, vintage-style diner featuring traditional Australian comfort food & outdoor seating.
- 3:30 PM15 minTransit
- 3:45 PM115 minPanthéonSouth Paris
18th-century mausoleum with colonnaded facade, housing remains of notable French citizens.
- 5:40 PM20 minTransit
- 6:00 PM180 minNational Museum of Natural HistorySouth Paris
Centuries-old institution housing rare plant & animal life, dinosaur skeletons & tropical hothouses.
- 9:00 AM180 minCarnavalet MuseumSouth Paris
Museum in neighboring mansions with Paris art & history exhibits focused on 16th & 17th centuries.
- 12:00 PM15 minTransit
- 12:15 PM180 min59 RivoliSouth Paris
Art collective in a former squat, with 30 artists' studios, an exhibition space & a concert venue.
- 3:15 PM30 minTransit
- 3:45 PM120 minCaretteSouth Paris
Elegant, long-standing cafe known for its sandwiches, creative macarons & classic French pastries.
- 5:45 PM30 minTransit
- 6:15 PM115 minPlace de la BastilleSouth Paris
The July Column rises above this iconic square's bars & cafes, former site of the Bastille prison.
- 8:10 PM90 minVedettes de ParisSouth Paris
Vedettes de Paris
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