2 Days in Paris Itinerary
Paris is a huge city with SO much to see and do! You could spend weeks there and not get bored, but unfortunately, usually most of us are operating on a shorter timeline for our vacations. I’ve been to Paris many times and have fallen more in love with the city every time. There’s absolutely a reason it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world. On my recent trip, I only had two days in Paris, but was able to squeeze a ton of things in those two days. Keep reading below for my ultimate two days in Paris itinerary.
If you have more time to spend in Paris, check out my full Paris travel guide here!
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Day 1
Visit the Louvre & Explore the 1st Arrondissement
The Louvre is one of the most visited museums in the world and is most well-known for being home to the infamous Mona Lisa. The museum itself is huge and contains thousands and thousands of artworks in addition to the Mona Lisa. If you’re an art fan, this is a must see on your trip to Paris. Even if you don’t love art, you’ll want to see the stunning architecture of the Louvre itself and the infamous pyramid – you don’t have to go inside to see these!
If you’re going to the museum solely to see the Mona Lisa, I feel like I should mention, to me it was a little underwhelming. The painting is super small, you can’t get close to it & three are roughly 100 other people in the room trying to see it at any given time. If you’re short like me, good luck seeing over anyone’s heads!
Tickets cost 17 Euro and you can be purchased online in advance (highly recommend) The museum is open every day except Tuesdays.
While you’re in the 1st Arrondissement I recommend exploring the area around the Louvre. This is one of the most popular areas of Paris and has other sites worth seeing, even if you’re just walking by. Some of the highlights are the Place de la Concorde, Fontaine des Mers, & Tuileries Garden. If you venture across the river you can also see the Orsay & Invalides. This is a lovely part of Paris to explore!
See Notre Dame & The Île de la Cité
From the Louvre, I recommend heading farther down the Seine towards Notre Dame. Notre Dame is located on a small island in the middle of the Seine called the Île de la Cité. The beginning of the island is only about a ten minute walk from the Louvre, but you’ll need to venture about another ten minutes once you cross the bridge to the island to reach Notre Dame itself. The island is home to some of Paris best cafes, and is a great place to stop for a coffee and a croissant.
Notre Dame itself is still under heavy construction after the fire of 2019. Slowly the building is becoming more visible from the outside. The full reopening is not planned until April of 2024. You can see the current situation and what is open by checking this website, as things are changing regularly.
Spend the Afternoon in Montmartre
Montmartre is one of my favorite areas of Paris! It is a charming neighborhood that has long been favored by artists, writers, etc. (Picasso and Monet lived and had studios there) I highly recommend spending a least an afternoon wandering around the quaint streets of Montmartre. It’s a great place to grab a long lunch or some afternoon cocktails at one of the many quintessential Parisian cafes.
Montmartre is best accessed via the metro, as it’s quite a walk from most of the other areas of Paris you’ll be spending your time in. There are several stops on the metro that are accessible to Montmartre depending on which direction you’re coming from. The closest metro stops are from Line 12 (Abbesses) and Line 2 (Anvers and Blanche)
- Anvers – is the best stop to use if you want to see Square Louise Michel & the Paris overlook. You can take the funicular to the top from here, or climb the (many) steps to the top
- Blanche – If you also want to see Moulin Rouge and a bit of what the Paris nightlight scene is like in Montmartre, Blanche is the best metro station to travel through.
- Absesses – sits roughly in the middle of the two other stops if you’re trying to see all that Montmartre has to offer!
Climb the Arc de Triomphe
I prefer the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe over most other view in Paris. It offers stunning 360 views of the entire city, including some of the best Eiffel Tower views. The climb to the top isn’t too bad there are 284 steps and costs 13 Euro.
If I had to choose, I’d recommend climbing the Arc de Triomphe over going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, simply because to me, the Eiffel Tower is the most beautiful part of the Paris skyline & you can see it from the Arc de Triomphe.
Wander the Champs-Élysées
The Champs-Élysées runs right through the Arc de Triomphe, so this is a perfect time to explore one of the most infamous streets in the world! Champs-Élysées is dotted with quintessential Parisian cafes and stores from all of the worlds most luxurious brands. Even if you’re not looking to splurge on a purse or some shoes, it’s worth taking a walk down the Champs-Élysées while you’re in this area!
Dinner at Le Relais de Venise
For the ultimate Paris dining experience I recommend trying Le Relaise de Venise.Le Relais De Venise is a super unique dining experience – there is no menu, everyone gets the steak frites and a dijon salad. When you sit down the waitress will come to your table ask you two questions 1. what do you want to drink and 2. how do you want your steak cooked. The steak frites is some of the best I’ve had in my life, and your second serving is included.
They do not take reservations and there will be a line outside for the entire night! I went after 10PM and still had to wait about 20 minutes, but it was so worth it. They turn tables over really quickly and there are two floors so the restaurant is bigger than it seems!
After Dinner Rooftop Drinks with Eiffel Tower Views
You can’t leave Paris without trying out at least one rooftop bar with some skyline views. Paris is stunning at night and the whole city comes to life. The sparkling Eiffel Tower dominates the scene, so you’ll want to find a good spot with views. There are tons of options, but I recommend Le Rooftop at Hotel The Peninsula Paris, as it’s located not far from the Arc de Triomphe and Le Relaise de Venise! You pay for the views, so be prepared to splurge a bit on drinks, but how often are you in Paris, right?!
The bar has a minimum 30 euro per person spend!
Day 2:
For me, Day 1 consists of can’t miss Paris activities. But there are so many other things to do in Paris I tried to provide some options based on what you’re interested in seeing and doing! You really can’t go wrong with any of these suggestions!
Visit the Orsay & Catacombs OR Take a Day Trip to Versailles
Orsay
The Orsay is another infamous Paris museum and is situated across the Seine from the Louvre. The Orsay is known for housing many famous impressionist paintings from artists like Monet, Renoir & Manet. Tickets are 16 Euro and I recommend purchasing online in advance. If you’re into art and museums you definitely will want to add the Orsay to your list!
The Catacombs
The Catacombs are a super unique Parisian experience for those interested in history (and the macabre) I definitely do not recommend the Catacombs if you’re claustrophobic or squeamish! The Catacombs are an underground labyrinth that house the remains of over 6 million Parisians. The Catacombs were created when health problems linked to cemeteries led to their contents needing to be moved to an underground site.
You can learn more about the Catacombs and buy tickets here. You need to purchase tickets in advance to visit, as space is limited!
Versailles
If the Catacombs and the Orsay (or any of Paris other many, many museums) is not of particular interest to you I recommend using your morning/early afternoon to take a day trip to Versailles! Versailles is a royal residence that was built by King Louis XIV as an escape from the city. It is reachable from Paris in 1-2 hours, depending on which train you take. Details on getting there can be found here!
The grounds and palace itself are stunning! Both can be explored, or you can choose to visit one or the other. Tickets can be found here. Prices vary based on what you want to see while you’re there. While the palace itself is obviously super impressive, I think I enjoyed the sprawling, perfectly manicured grounds even more!
Get a Bottle of Wine & a Crepe and Watch the Sunset at the Eiffel Tower
My absolute top Paris recommendation is to make sure you leave time just to admire the Eiffel Tower from the gardens, preferably at sunset! Grab a bottle of wine and/or a crepe from one of the many vendors in this area and find a patch of grass to admire the tower as the sun sets behind it! Stick around for it to get dark and watch the tower light up and come to life!
Take a Night Cruise on the Seine OR Go to the Top of the Eiffel Tower
Speaking of night time in Paris, you’ll want to see the rest of the city at night time. All of the major monuments of Paris are beautifully lit at night on either side of the Seine. There are two great options for seeing Paris by night
Night Cruise on the Seine
I love exploring Paris by water, and to me a night cruise on the Seine is one of the best ways to see the city! There are tons of options for night cruises, from large barge-style boats that run every hour to smaller private tours. On my last visit, I went on one of the larger boat tours that run hourly. These are cheap and easy to get tickets for the night of if you haven’t planned ahead.
Go to the Top of the Eiffel Tower
Another great option is to go to the Top of the Eiffel Tower at night. The lines are much shorter at night and the “Bubbly Bar” at the top of the Eiffel Tower is a great place to grab a drink. To me, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower is more for the experience than the views, but it’s definitely worth doing once! The lines can be long, but there are two entrances, so make sure you check both, as one line always tends to be shorter!
Details: The elevator to the top is 27 Euro, to take the stairs it’s only 11 Euro, but be warned it’s a lot of stairs! All the details on the visiting the Eiffel tower can be found here.
Dinner & Drinks in the Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter houses many of Paris universities and is home to many of its younger students. It’s one of my favorite neighborhoods to explore in Paris, particularly at night when the bars and restaurants become lively! This neighborhood is a great place to grab dinner and drinks one night you’re in Paris!
For more Paris recommendations/tips see below!
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