3 nights · Paris for a first visit

Paris in 3 Days: A First-Timer’s Itinerary

Three nights is enough for the Paris most first-timers come for, if each big visit lands on a day it is open and the evenings do some of the work.

The Eiffel Tower beyond the Seine and the slate rooftops of central Paris. — The Seine in ParisPhotograph by Yann Caradec · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗

3 nights in France

Where you unpack

For a short first visit, a long weekend, or the Paris end of a longer France trip.

Paris · the Marais3 nights: The Marais keeps the Louvre, the islands and the evening walks close on foot. Check whether the street is lively at night before you book a front room.
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Dots show geographic locations. Blue connects rail stops. Everything in this plan is in central Paris, on foot or by metro. Check dated directions with the operator. Land: Natural Earth.

The daily route

Day by day

Day 01 · Paris

Arrive and walk to the islands

Take RER B from Charles de Gaulle or Métro 14 from Orly on the €14 airport ticket, or the official taxi rank at the flat 2026 fare. Once your bags are in, walk to the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis and keep dinner close to the hotel. Watch out: ignore anyone in the terminal who offers you a ride.

Île-de-France Mobilités · €14 airport ticket (2026)Service Public · 2026 Paris taxi flat fares (French)

Day 02 · Paris

Sainte-Chapelle in the morning, the Louvre at night

Start with a booked slot at Sainte-Chapelle (€22 at the non-EEA rate). If today is a Wednesday or Friday, the Louvre stays open until 9 p.m.: book an evening slot at the €32 non-EEA rate and spend the afternoon resting or in the Tuileries. The Louvre is closed on Tuesday, so swap this day with the next if needed.

Sainte-Chapelle · hours and prices Louvre · visit hours and admission

Day 03 · Paris

Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre

Orsay opens at 9:30 a.m., is closed on Monday and stays open until 9:45 p.m. on Thursday; tickets are €16 online. Book the Eiffel Tower for early evening, up to two months ahead, then end at Sacré-Cœur, free and open until 10:30 p.m. Watch out: on the steps, keep walking if someone asks you to sign a petition or play a card game.

Musée d’Orsay · visit information Eiffel Tower · rates and opening times Eiffel Tower · booking up to two months ahead Sacré-Cœur · opening hours

Day 04 · Departure

Leave from the airport on your ticket

Read the airport code and terminal from the airline confirmation. Plan the journey from the hotel door and use the airline’s check-in guidance. Look up any engineering work or service changes before you go to bed.

Île-de-France Mobilités · Paris airports

The parts to time

Transfers at a glance

CDG → central Paris: RER B on the €14 airport ticket. Or the flat-fare taxi from the rank: €56 Right Bank, €65 Left Bank in 2026.
Orly → central Paris: Métro 14 on the €14 airport ticket. Or the flat-fare taxi: €45 Right Bank, €36 Left Bank in 2026.

Before paying

What to book first

Book the Eiffel Tower first: tickets open up to two months ahead.
Then the hotel, then the Louvre slot on a Wednesday or Friday evening and the Sainte-Chapelle slot.
Buy Orsay online the week before.

Free printable

Three pages to save before you fly: passport and EES/ETIAS status, the proof the border police can ask for, cards and phones, driving rules and the bookings worth making early. Every line links an official source, checked November 9, 2026.

See what’s inside

Research desk

Sources and date checks

Checked November 9, 2026. Rail times are examples for planning. Recheck opening days, direct trains, tour stops and rental arrangements before booking.