3 Days in Paris: A Perfect Itinerary

By Lee Dales
Published: July 18, 2024
Bateaux Parisiens

Paris is a timelessly charming city that definitely has the power to seduce if you know where to go and what to see. Its famous sights are elegant and iconic, from the slick Eiffel Tower to its chic city streets filled with quaint cafés and dazzling boutiques.

Home to world-class fashion houses, endless Michelin-starred restaurants and beautiful architecture at every turn, it has a grand old reputation that is sometimes hard to live up to. But if you give yourself ample time to explore the city and get under its skin, you’ll find all of the romance and grandeur you could ask for. Just give yourself three days at a minimum to experience it!

Three days in Paris must-see sights:

  • Arc du Triomphe
  • The Louvre
  • Notre Dame
  • Montmartre tour
  • Paris Cheese and Wine Tasting
  • Seine River cruise
  • Dalí Museum

Day 1 – Iconic City Symbols

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Arc du Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is pretty darn masterful. It’s a monumental Parisian emblem that stands guard over perhaps the most visually impressive avenue in the world, the Champs-Élysées. Appreciate the monument’s grand 19th century beauty before strolling down the famous boulevard towards the must-see Musée de Louvre.

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The Louvre

The Louvre is a world-renowned museum and a true grand dame of Parisian art and architecture, featuring over 35,000 pieces of amazing artworks in an opulent palace. Its most famous resident is probably the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, but its futuristic pyramid-shaped entrance is also a key highlight.

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Notre Dame

No one should visit Paris without seeing the exquisite Medieval Cathedral Notre Dame, complete with stunning stained-glass windows. Its decadent Gothic structure has truly stood the test of time, surviving numerous wars and even a fire in 2019. Despite these obstacles, it still stands tall and beautiful, though there are a few scary-looking gargoyles hidden in some of its decorative crevices...

Other major architectural sites of note include the Paris Opera House, the Gardens of Trocadéro and the extravagant Grand Palais exhibition center. A good way to make your way to all of these is with a handy Hop-on-Hop-Off bus tour, included with your pass.

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Disneyland® Paris

If you came to Paris on the search for thrill rides and magical lands, then you could forgo the above options and spend a whole day instead at Disneyland® Paris!

Comprising two awesome theme parks peppered with rides, rollercoasters, experiences and shows featuring all your favorite characters, there really is something for everyone here.

Don't miss the magnificent nightly fireworks spectaculars at Sleeping Beauty's Castle that run all through 2022 in celebration of the park's 30th anniversary!

Day 2 – The Belle Époque

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Magical Montmartre

After an action-packed first day visiting the city’s key buildings, relax with a splash of indulgence as you live the beautiful life in the city’s spectacular streets. The district of Montmartre is the perfect place to do this thanks to its historic cobblestoned streets sprinkled with colorful buildings, cute cafés and fine boutiques.

Sitting in the shadow of the white-domed Sacré-Cœur basilica, and home to the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret show, this arty district is synonymous with the cultural icons who lived here during the city’s Belle Époque, from Picasso and Van Gogh to Monet.

Take a walking tour of the neighborhood to learn all about its fascinating history, enjoy a charming ride aboard the Petit Train de Montmartre, or indulge in Champagne Gourmand at the renowned restaurant Au Cadet de Gascogne, all included with your pass.

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Cheese and Wine Tasting

Continue to satisfy your senses by sampling some of the city’s finest produce with a French cheese and wine tasting session at Les Caves du Louvre wine bar.

This renowned establishment offers over 50 different wines by the glass to try, and a knowledgeable sommelier will help you pick ones that suit you best. You’ll also have the chance to refuel with a delectable selection of French cheeses.

Originally established by King Louis XV's sommelier, you know that this is the place to try the very best produce of France.

Café Couture

Next up, it’s time to shop ‘til you drop in the city’s renowned boutiques. As the home of Paris Fashion Week, luxe lovers will rejoice with the range of famed fashion houses on offer like Chanel, Dior and Givenchy around Rue Royale and Rue Cambon. The historic Galerie Lafayette department store is also a great option for everything from clothes and homewares to furniture and books.

You can also seek out great antiques at the city’s many flea markets such as Puces de Clignancourt, so there’s something for everyone. Once you’re weighed down with bags, find a fancy café to relax in and while away the rest of your day over coffee and sweet French pastries. Café de Flore is an atmospheric choice.

Day 3 – River relaxation

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Bateaux Parisiens

A visit to Paris simply isn’t complete without a trip down its picturesque River Seine. A cruise down this beautiful river will allow you to see the city from a whole new perspective as you float past everything from the Notre Dame to Musée d'Orsay while enjoying jaw-dropping views at a leisurely pace.

You’ll be able to see these views from open-air observation decks on the boat, giving you a fantastic opportunity to take great pictures of the sights as you glide past them. The scenic riverbanks were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, so expect some truly lovely vistas.

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Dalí Museum

Round off your bewitching three-day trip with a dash of surrealist splendor from Salvador Dalí. This famous Spanish painter lived in Paris for a time in the creative Montmartre neighborhood, where he met Pablo Picasso and joined the Surrealist art group to further develop his avant-garde style.

Over 300 pieces of his are housed in the unique Dalí Museum, which showcases a vast range of colorful paintings, drawings and sculptures from the artist, making it one of the most important museums in the whole of Paris, if not the world.

With Go City, this unmissable attraction is free to enter and offers a fantastic chance to see one of the world’s most important artists.

Save on admission to top Paris attractions

Explore a wealth of amazing things to do in Paris with Go City. Select from top attractions with our All-Inclusive and Explorer Passes, where you’ll enjoy access to must-see museums, exciting river cruises, fun tours and much more.

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Lee Dales
Go City Travel Expert

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5 reasons to visit Paris in July

The mass exodus of Parisians keen to head south to the shores of the French Riviera begins in July, which seems a little like Monet putting down his paintbrushes in favor of some gardening. Why? Because July is one of the best times of year to visit Paris. Paris in July experiences wonderful summer temperatures of around 23°C, and also hosts some of France’s top annual events. Intrigued? You should be! Here’s 5 very good reasons to visit Paris in July. 1. Bastille Day celebrations Better known in Paris as Le Fête Nationale (National Celebration) and Le Quatorze Juillet (July 14) Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison. Taking place on July 14 1789, it kicked off the French Revolution. Little remains of the prison itself, except for a star-shaped outline on the sidewalks of Place de la Bastille. However, as France’s national day, it’s far from forgotten. The main event is a military parade – the largest in Europe. This makes its way along the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Attended by the French President and notable guests – most famously US President Donald Trump – it ends with a magnificent fly past by the Patrouille de France aerobatics team. For more on them, head to the Museum of Air and Space. The attention then turns to the Eiffel Tower. Constructed to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the base of the Eiffel Tower is the location of a major concert. As darkness falls, the biggest fireworks display of the Paris year erupts around the tower. Whilst that’s enough for many, the celebrations continue all night long at the central fire stations of each of the 20 arrondissements (districts), which fling open their doors to the public. 2. Museums by night Part of the European Night of Museums extravaganza, Paris’s Nuit des Musées (Museums Night) sees many of the city’s much-loved collections offering free after hours opening. Guests can explore their treasures and take part in special events including workshops. Just some of those which take part are the Picasso Museum and the Museum of Arab History. But if you miss this one-night-only event there are several other options for exploring Paris’s landmark attractions after dark. Nights at Les Invalides combines an immersive sound and light show with the chance to explore Napoleon Bonaparte’s burial place on the banks of the Seine by candlelight. Alternatively, you could turn to the Palace of Versailles gardens on Saturday evenings throughout July. Specially lit for the occasion, music drifts around the groves and fountains before the sky erupts into a sea of fireworks. 3. Make the most of the good weather With glorious July sun and warm evenings pretty much on tap, there’s plenty of reason to linger in Paris’s public outdoor spaces. Take a Bateaux Parisiens Seine river cruise and you might be surprised to see beachgoers lining the river’s banks. Those unable to up sticks to the French Riviera for the summer season are at least able to sink their feet into the imported sand of the Paris Plages beaches. Of the many reasons there are for exploring the parks and gardens of Paris in July, one of the best has to be the Fête de Tuileries. Located just behind the Louvre, it takes the form of a traditional funfair, complete with wooden carousels, a ghost train and hall of mirrors. Meanwhile, Parc de la Villette hosts an open-air cinema for much of the summer. One best suited for night owls, screenings can only take place once it’s got dark enough, meaning the mix of classic and modern movies don’t get their curtain call until 10:00 – 10:30PM. 4. Join the festival crowds On the eastern side of the city, the Parc Floral within the Bois de Vincennes becomes the site of the two month long Paris Jazz Festival. The eclectic line-up includes many of the greatest names in jazz, which in the past has seen both Gregory Porter and Sandra Nkaké take to the stage. Crossing musical genres, Festival Fnac Live has a commanding position in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) building. The free event lasts three nights and welcomes somewhere in the region of 100,000 revelers keen to see acts that have included Sting, Shaggy and Ed Sheeran. The lesser-known Canal de l’Ourcq around the Bassin de la Villette also comes into its own in July. As well as being a lovely place to soak up the sun with a canal-side stroll, it hosts a number of July events ranging from concerts to urban art trails suitable for all the family. 5. Bikes and shopping bags If one major July spectacle on the Champs-Élysées in July wasn’t enough in the form of the Bastille Day celebrations, then there’s the grand finale of the Tour de France to look forward to. The bike pack arrives in the capital after a route covering approximately 2200 miles. Ending with several laps of the Arc de Triomphe – and the impressive feat of cycling over cobbles whilst sipping from a Champagne flute – it’s a great way to get close to any cycling heroes. If it’s shopping bags rather than bikes that interest you, Paris in July is still the place to be. The time of the traditional summer sales, stores throughout the capital can offer significant discounts on ordinary retail prices, with the best deals generally appearing towards the end of the sales period. Should luggage space prevent you from making too many purchases, the stores of streets like Boulevard Haussmann are still well worth visiting. They include department stores Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, whose impressive art nouveau interiors have been drawing crowds for over 100 years. Saving on attraction admission in Paris in July With so much going on, you might think you’re going to need a significant win on the loto (the French lottery) to pay for it all. But even if lady luck isn’t standing by your side, it’s still possible to do all you want without worrying about the cost. Although Paris is considered an expensive city to both visit and live in, there are ways visitors to the French capital can ensure their money lasts. Explore Paris with Go City and you’ll get the benefit of reduced admission on many of the city’s top tourist attractions. What’s more, you can do this without needing to make any firm decisions about what you’d like to visit or when until you’re all set to immerse yourself in Paris in July.
Ian Packham
A toddler enjoys a snow shower in Paris in January
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What to do in Paris in January

January is a month many of us like to forget. The Christmas festivities have come to an end, yet the warm days of spring still seem a lifetime away. Paris in January is different. Whilst spurned by spoiled Parisians, if you come prepared, there’s no reason you can’t start the new year with a bang. Other advantages include smaller crowds at big name attractions and the chance to update your wardrobe with the winter sales. Wondering what’s on in Paris in January? You’ve come to the right place. What’s the weather like in Paris in January? The Parisian penchant for fluffy scarves is actually the result of an icy wind that can whip through the boulevards from the River Seine in the first months of the year. With temperatures ranging between 3 – 8°C and averaging 5°C much off the day, decent winter clothing is a must for visiting Paris in January. Skies can be a little overcast throughout the month, although the lack of rain means you can probably do without the waterproofs. Average levels for January are just 18 mm. It may also snow. However, it’s very unusual for snow to settle, so if you see flakes begin to drift across the city be sure to take a selfie! What to expect from Paris in January First off, it’s wrong to say that the Christmas period is all done and dusted. The first week to 10 days of January continues to spread much of the cheer of the season. Ice rinks and marché de Noël – that’s Christmas markets to you and me – often don’t shut up shop until after the new year begins. It varies by market – there are up to 20 each year – but the biggest in Paris at the Tuileries Garden is generally a reliable friend right into January. The Festival of Lights at the Jardin des Plantes botanic garden goes one step further, lighting up the 70 acre site until the end of the month. No ordinary light show, the festival is made up of large-scale lanterns in the form of various animals and other designs. At the same time, most of those taking advantage of these events after Christmas week will be Parisians rather than travelers. Visit Paris in January and you therefore don’t face the same crowds you will at other times of year. Now’s the time to experience Paris at its most authentic. Check out the Paris stores Paris is known as one of the finest shopping destinations in the world. Those keen to add a touch of Gallic elegance to their apparel are in luck. Not only do department stores including Galeries Lafayette host regular fashion shows, but January is the time of the winter soldes (sales) too. Nor do any passing rain showers have to put you off. Covered shopping arcades are hidden across the city. Often bathed with natural light on even the gloomiest of days, their history dates back several centuries. Passage de Panoramas has some excellent dining options, whilst Galerie Vivienne is lined with luxury boutiques. You might even find a patisserie selling galette de rois. Made from layers of puff pastry and almond paste, ‘king cake’ is a specialty of epiphany on January 6. Look out for the fève or figurine placed in each one. It grants the finder good luck for the following year, but has also been responsible for its fair share of broken teeth! Join the café culture Another way to fight off the January chill in Paris is in its cafés. A key part of French culture, each has its own ambience and clientele, be that the out of work artists of Montmartre or the bankers of the La Défense business district. Stop by for a freshly-brewed café, and you’re sure to be tempted into also buying a pastry. The only real question is which do you choose – croissant, madeleine or éclair? To feel at one with your adopted home, you might instead decide on a traditional Parisian breakfast at Café Louise. But that doesn’t have to stop you checking out the cake counter here or in any of the hundreds of independent coffee shops lining the streets of Paris. For drinks with a little more potency, the heritage of Harry’s New York Bar is hard to beat. Shipped across the Atlantic from the Big Apple in the first part of the 20th Century, it became a favorite watering hole of Nobel prize for literature winner Ernest Hemingway. Order a bloody Mary, sidecar or Paris 75 cocktail – the bar claims to have invented all three. Don’t miss Paris’s January events By far January’s biggest event is the New Year celebration. It is centered on the Arc de Triomphe rather than the Eiffel Tower. Hundreds of thousands of people gather at the monument to enjoy a spectacle that includes fireworks and live music. The cabaret clubs of Montmartre and the Paris Opera ballet company put on special new year’s shows too. Other places to spend the day include the city’s churches, who put on a host of concerts. Don’t expect much else to happen on January 1 though. A national holiday, many stores and restaurants give their staff the day off to be with family. Gear heads should also keep an ear to the ground for the Traversée de Paris winter vintage car and motorbike rally. Roughly 700 vehicles make the departure from Vincennes chateau in the southeast of the city before following a route that takes them to Les Invalides and the Place de la Concorde amongst other attractions. Save on Paris January attraction admission January is a great time of year for anyone who loves a bargain to visit Paris. There are the winter sales, some fantastic deals to be had on hotels and the ability to explore with Go City. Our passes give you reduced admission at many of the top museums and attractions in Paris. Our flexibility allows you to choose as you save. If the weather brightens up, you don’t have to find yourself trapped indoors all day, and vice versa.
Ian Packham
Alexander III Bridge over the Seine lit up at nightfall
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Free things to do in Paris

If it’s the idea of Parisian prices that’s putting you off visiting one of the world’s favorite cities, we’ve got a secret to share with you. You don’t have to spend a fortune to be able to see its world-famous attractions and landmarks. There are enough free things to do in Paris to keep even the most hardcore travelers busy for several days. Not convinced? Just check out our pick of the crop below. Discover Montmartre Whilst its hidden sights are perhaps best uncovered as part of a Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour, or by making use of the Petit Train, it is possible to take in much of Montmartre on a self-guided exploration of the area. Paris’s bohemian artistic quarter, it has been the haunt of a fascinating cast of characters since before it even became part of the city in 1860. Its atmospheric cobbled side streets and public staircases are the perfect place for a stroll, with sights including Renoir’s Garden and the Lapin Agile cabaret club to look out for. For those with budgets that don’t stretch as far as a show, check out the quarter’s street artists instead. Popular spots include the steps leading to the doors of the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur, which are free to enter (the crypt and dome require a ticket). Rather unusually for a Paris suburb, you can also take in the ripening grapes of the vineyard in Rue Saint-Vincent, producing just 750 bottles of wine in any one year. Look out for special events Even the popular kids don’t have as much in the diary as Paris. Pick a month and there’s probably a public spectacle that awaits, from Chinese New Year to Christmas markets. Many of the French capital’s top annual events are also pleasingly light on the wallet. June, for instance, sees Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) fill the streets of the capital with sound on the longest day of the year. A significant number of major parks and squares get in on the act with performances spanning the world of classical works and the latest urban music. More frequently, free concerts take place from January through to June and September to November at the American Church in Paris. It lies between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides – the burial place of Napoleon Bonaparte. Less than a month later on July 14 the Champs-Élysées is cleared of its usual traffic for the grand military parade which forms the centerpiece of the nation’s Bastille Day celebrations – perhaps the most important day in the cultural calendar. Museums open their doors long into the small hours during October’s Nuit Blanche (White Night), whilst those including the Louvre also offer free entry on the first Sunday of each month. Enjoy the art scene Art fans looking for other free things to do in Paris won’t be disappointed. In addition to the Louvre’s gratis entry days, there are several museums with important collections free to enter 365 days a year. The Paris Museum of Modern Art (Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris) is one. Ignore the ‘Paris’ in its name, the artworks it contains come from some of the world’s greatest 20th and 21st Century artists whatever their home city. Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Bridget Riley are all represented, alongside their many contemporaries. To discover artworks that are yet to make it into any museum head to the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin. It’s a hotspot for street art, which creates an intriguing contrast between the old locks and ironwork footbridges along its three-mile length. Take advantage of Paris’s green spaces Perfectly aligned with the south side of the Eiffel Tower, the Champ de Mars is an exquisite place to spend a couple of hours. The mix of trimmed lawns, mature trees and tower views makes it an ideal place for a picnic. The older sibling to New York’s High Line, the Promenade Plantée brings the idea of a public park into the 21st Century. Raised above much of the city on a disused railway viaduct and even passing narrowly between buildings, it has plenty of spots to take in the vistas. Elsewhere, Paris’s largest cemetery, Père Lachaise, attracts a steady stream of visitors. Covering 110 acres, its tombstones and mausoleums span more than 200 years and two million interments. Amongst the better known are singers Édith Piaf and Jim Morrison, and Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. Admire the architecture There’s nothing freer or more freeing than getting about a new city on foot, uncovering the hidden sights you might otherwise miss, smelling the aromas of bakeries, cafés and restaurants, and hearing the everyday sounds of an area. Paris has no shortage of free walking tours taking place with an English language guide, although you’ll have to be at the designated starting point for their launch times. Going solo, it’s difficult to get lost if you stick to the right or left banks of the Seine, which are dotted with many of Paris’s most important landmarks from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Jardin des Plantes botanic gardens. The river’s banks are even more magical after nightfall, when its landmarks are picked out in stunning clarity by illuminations. Continue into the east of the city and you’ll quickly catch sight of the four striking towers that make up the National Library’s François-Mitterrand campus. They mark the corners of a lovely hidden garden at the same time as preserving a collection containing an estimated 14 million individual documents. Cross the Seine on the undulating form of Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir Bridge and you’ll end up in Parc de Bercy, liberally sprinkled with monuments. Knowing where to splash the cash in Paris Taking advantage of free things to do in Paris is a great way of staying on budget and exploring much of the French capital. However, there are some attractions you won’t want to miss which require an entry ticket. There’s help at hand here too though, and it comes in the shape of Go City. Save on admission to attractions you were going to visit anyway with our Paris passes!
Ian Packham

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