Six Days in Paris: Experience the City of Light Right

Ready for romance, art and adventure? Here’s your Paris in six days cheat sheet.

Published: March 24, 2026
Paris Skyline at Sunset

No one ever forgets their first trip to Paris—but planning how to spend six incredible days can definitely get overwhelming. With so many museums, legendary landmarks, cozy cafés, and glamorous gardens, Paris promises a magical experience at every corner. Whether you’re after bucket-list sights, secret hideaways, world-famous pastries, or a walk along the Seine, our six-day Paris itinerary helps you make the most of every minute—all with time for lazy lunches, neighborhood strolls, and the occasional chocolat chaud. Ready for an adventure? Here’s how to fall in love with Paris, one impeccably planned day at a time. 

Our must-do Paris picks include: 

  • Musée d'Orsay 
  • Ô Chateau 
  • Centre Pompidou 
  • Arc de Triomphe 
  • Sainte-Chapelle 
  • Notre Dame 
  • Palace of Versailles 
  • Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise 
  • Galeries Lafayette 
  • Les Caves du Louvre 
  • Hôtel de la Marine 
  • Opera National de Paris 
  • Paradox Museum 
  • Gourmet Chocolate Museum 
  • Paris Science Museum 
  • Orangerie Museum 
  • Hidden Gems in Le Marais Walking Tour by Experience First 
  • Tour Montparnasse 

Day 1: Arts and Arches

Aerial View of Arc de Triomphe

Morning: Begin your Parisian odyssey at the Arc de Triomphe. Take the Metro Line 1 to Charles de Gaulle – Étoile. Climb up to the viewing platform for jaw-dropping views down the Champs-Élysées. Early mornings keep the crowds (and lines) at bay—it feels equal parts serene and triumphant. 

Late morning: Walk (or hop on Métro Line 1) to the Musée d'Orsay. Housed in a gorgeous Beaux-Arts railway station, the museum’s Impressionist treasures—Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh—set the tone for a week of beauty. The huge clocks, grand central hall, and light-filled galleries make this a classic that never feels stuffy. 

Lunch: Stroll as the Parisians do over the Seine for a midday break at Le Saint Germain on Boulevard Saint-Germain. Expect croque madames and espresso served up in a plush, bustling brasserie. 

Afternoon: Head to the Orangerie Museum (walk or Metro Line 12/8) and find Monet’s Water Lilies glowing in oval rooms built just to house them. The setting is calming and low-lit—a perfect counterbalance to the busy city streets. 

Evening: For dinner, try Le Relais de l’Entrecôte (near the Orangerie), famous for steak-frites with a secret sauce and world-class people-watching. No menu needed—just say “oui” and let the servers handle the rest. 

Day 2: Seine Scenes & Secret Corners 

Morning: Start at Notre Dame (Metro Line 4 to Cité). While the cathedral is under restoration, it’s still awe-inspiring from the outside and the Île de la Cité’s riverside gardens are blissful. Don’t miss the intricate gothic beauty of Sainte-Chapelle nearby—the stained-glass windows make the whole chapel feel like it’s built from light. 

Midday: Hop over to Hôtel de la Marine (a pleasant 15-minute stroll across Pont Notre Dame or Metro Line 1 to Concorde). This stately home turned museum brings Parisian 18th-century opulence to life. 

Lunch: Secure a table at Le Nemours at Place Colette, a favorite for its open terrace and unbeatable people-watching. Order a tartine, and soak up the comings and goings of Parisian life. 

Afternoon: Hop on the Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise at the Seine’s edge (buy tickets online and board by the Eiffel Tower). Glide past iconic bridges and palatial facades—the commentary brings the city’s history alive while you snap photos (or sip wine) from the top deck. 

Evening: Treat yourself to dinner at Ô Chateau (Metro Line 7 to Pyramides), a chic wine bar with over 40 selections by the glass. Their cheese and charcuterie boards pair perfectly with the Paris buzz, and the cozy, stone-walled ambiance feels delightfully French. 

Day 3: Quirky Culture & Montmartre Magic

Sacré Cœur Basilica

Morning: Begin at Centre Pompidou (Metro Line 11 to Rambuteau), Paris’ anything-but-ordinary modern art Mecca. Exposed pipes, colored tubes, and a rooftop view give the gallery a fun, energetic feel—plus, the permanent collection spans Picasso to Duchamp. 

Lunch: Slide into a banquette at Le Georges, the Pompidou’s panoramic rooftop restaurant. The décor is hyper-modern, the crowd is fashion-forward, and the city unfolds beneath you. 

Afternoon: Grab Metro Line 4 north to Barbès – Rochechouart, then stroll (or take the funicular) up to Montmartre. Meet your guide for the Montmartre & Sacré Coeur Walking Tour by Experience First—a breezy, story-packed ramble through cobbled lanes, café terraces, and artist haunts. The Sacré Coeur basilica gleams atop the hill, giving you sweeping views over Paris. 

Evening: Settle into dinner at Le Consulat, a classic Montmartre eatery with hearty boeuf bourguignon and a lively crowd. If you want to see the quarter at its best, linger for a late stroll as the city lights twinkle below. 

Day 4: Palaces, Gardens & Hidden Treasures 

Morning: Board the RER C train at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame for a half-hour ride west to the Palace of Versailles. Gilded halls, manicured gardens, and tumbling fountains all combine for a setting that feels both stately and magical. Check out the Hall of Mirrors and, if the weather’s good, rent a rowboat on the Grand Canal. 

Lunch: Try La Petite Venise inside the palace gardens. The menu leans Italian (pasta, antipasti) and the setting, under ancient trees, makes for a peaceful break. 

Afternoon: Take the RER back to central Paris, switching to Metro Line 1 for Les Caves du Louvre—a wine tasting adventure tucked beneath the city. Expert sommeliers guide you through France’s signature regions in candle-lit cellars filled with history and laughter. 

Evening: Dine at Chez Janou in Le Marais for Provençal specialities (the chocolate mousse is legendary). The atmosphere: leafy, bustling, and joyful. 

Day 5: Science, Sweets & Shopping Sprees

Galeries Lafayette Roof

Morning: Start at the Paris Science Museum (Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie) (Metro Line 7 to Porte de la Villette). An absolute hit with families and curious minds—it’s all hands-on, from robots to planetariums to future-forward exhibitions. 

Lunch: Grab an easy lunch at Le 104, a creative hub nearby. It feels equal parts café and community art space, and their tartines and daily specials hit the spot. 

Afternoon: Metro Line 12 south to Madeleine, then walk to Galeries Lafayette. The glass-domed ceiling is a highlight in itself. Snap a photo from the rooftop terrace, then sink into the world of Parisian fashion, food halls and gourmet souvenirs. 

Don’t leave the neighborhood without a side trip to the Gourmet Chocolate Museum. Indulge in tastings and chocolate-making demos, and learn why France takes its sweets so seriously. 

Evening: Enjoy dinner at Le Bouillon Pigalle (Metro Line 2 to Pigalle), where classic French comfort food—think escargots, duck confit, and decadent crème brûlée—is served in a convivial, Belle Époque-inspired setting. 

Day 6: Creative Spaces & Farewell Views 

Morning: Start your day at the Picasso Museum (Metro Line 8 to Saint-Sébastien – Froissart). Set in a grand 17th-century mansion, this museum houses the world’s largest collection of Picasso’s works—everything from early sketches to fascinating sculptures. It’s bright, airy, and full of surprises at every turn. 

For a break after the museum: Wander through the Marais district, stopping for a buttery croissant and a coffee at Carette Place des Vosges. The salon’s elegant space and the view of the oldest square in Paris give a refined, romantic feel to your breakfast stop. 

Midday: Now it’s time to delve deeper with the Paris’ Hidden Gems in Le Marais Walking Tour by Experience First. Follow your guide through quiet courtyards, medieval alleys, vintage shops, and secret squares—the sort of places you’d never stumble across on your own. This tour feels like a backstage pass to the real Paris. 

Lunch: Pause at L’As du Fallafel for the city’s most famous falafel sandwich. The atmosphere is bustling, the pita is overflowing, and the queues (often wrapped around the corner) are proof you’re in the right place. 

Afternoon: Next, savor a touch of whimsy at the Paradox Museum (Metro Line 10 to Duroc). This funhouse of illusions is perfect for some quirky photos and interactive exhibits that defy logic and stir up plenty of laughter, making for a playful afternoon capstone. 

Evening: For your final Parisian dinner, book a table at Le Procope—Paris’s oldest café, renowned for its velvet banquettes, historic décor, and classically French menu (try the coq au vin or their famed profiteroles). The buzz of other diners, the candlelit charm, and centuries-old walls make it special for a last night. 

Nightcap: Head to Tour Montparnasse (Metro Line 4 to Montparnasse-Bienvenüe) for a dazzling end to your trip. The 56th-floor observation deck offers panoramic views that sweep across the entire city—Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance, the city lights glittering far below. It’s the perfect spot to snap that “au revoir, Paris” photo before heading home. 

 

From art-filled mornings and underground wine tastings to lazy afternoons in leafy gardens and evenings with the skyline glittering at your feet, Paris delivers at every turn. Grab your Metro tickets and your camera—this is a city made to sweep you off your feet. 

Enjoyed this? Check out Everything You Need to Know About Go City’s Paris Passes or Eiffel Tower vs. Tour Montparnasse 

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Guide to the Louvre Museum - Tips for Visiting

If you do one thing in Paris, it should be the Louvre. Pay a visit to the world’s largest art museum and spend an entire day marveling at their exhaustive collections of art and artifacts. It's consistently among the most-visited art museums and one of Paris’ most popular attractions. While their collections encompass some 380,000 objects, only a portion of these are on display at any given time. Items hail from all around the globe and throughout human history, including objects from prehistory all the way up to twenty-first-century works of art. The Louvre has particularly notable strengths in Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Sculpture, and Painting, among others. The museum itself is a work of art—housed in the Louvre Palace (originally built in the late twelfth century as the Louvre Castle), it’s a veritable maze of art and artworks. Creative types will find a haven here, with something from just about every period and field to marvel at. Don’t forget about the signature I. M. Pei pyramid out the front which acts not only as a piece of art but a stunning entranceway to the museum! The Louvre Tickets Looking for discount tickets to the Louvre? Grab a pass from Go City. Spend less on admission to the Louvre and dozens of other museums, tours, cruises, and other great Paris attractions. Enjoy 2, 3, 4 or 6 days of unlimited sightseeing and save big on combined admission versus paying at the gate. See more on pricing for our passes. Louvre Tips for Visiting Be sure to download an interactive floor plan prior to your visit — it’s available in seven languages and will be invaluable in helping you plot out your course through the museum. Consult the museum calendar to see what special events, gallery talks, or tours are going on during the day of your visit. You may also wish to grab an audio guide for the Louvre. Available in seven languages, this is one of the coolest and more comprehensive audio guides around. The Louvre is big—like, really big. Wear comfortable shoes and plan to rest periodically. The Louvre is also difficult to navigate, but they’ve really simplified things by making their collections color-coded. Each of the eight curatorial departments is assigned a color, and then each room within the department is given a number. Follow your map and the signs on the wall and you’ll be good to go. Take your kids to the Touch Gallery. It’s the only place in the entire museum where visitors are encouraged to touch the sculptures (which are replicas of those found in the museum’s collections). Other important places like elevators, restrooms, and restaurants are identified via pictograms—so no worries if you don’t read French. For those visitors traveling with little ones, check out the Tuileries Gardens, which are filled with kid-friendly activities like a carousel, trampolines, and little boats. What is the Best Time to Go to the Louvre? You should plan to spend most of the day at the Louvre if you want to see a representative sample of the exhibits; it is also possible, however, to organize a “highlights” tour and accomplish it all in a few hours. We recommend visiting the museum first thing in the morning as soon as they open to maximize your time spent inside the institution. Crowds will be heavier mid-morning and late afternoon. If you're trying to attend a special docent tour, it’s wise to consult the museum’s schedule of events to see what’s available during the day of your visit. What to Bring to the Louvre Comfy walking shoes – the floors are hard and you’ll be traipsing around quite a bit. Money for souvenirs – their bookstore is one of the best places to shop for tourists in the entire city and it’s worth spending some time there. Layers – the museum is climate controlled, but this can differ depending upon the type of art. As a result, you may feel cool in some rooms but warmer in others. A camera—there are places in the Louvre where photography is limited or prohibited, but you’ll want it on hand for the opportunities that do arise. What to Do at the Louvre The museum collections are all sorted into one of eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Islamic Art; Paintings; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; and Prints and Drawings. We’ve listed a few of the highlights of each department below. Egyptian Antiquities One of the most famous collections within the Louvre’s vast holdings, the department of Egyptian Antiquities is filled with hundreds of items from Nile Valley civilizations. Items date as far back as the prehistoric period (about 4000 BCE) all the way to the early Christian period (around the fourth century CE). The objects in this department include everything from small pieces of jewelry, games, funeral urns, and amulets to large sarcophagi, engraved portions of tomb walls, and statuary. Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities Spanning the rich, diverse cultures of Greece, Italy, and the broader Mediterranean area, the objects and artifacts in this department range from the Neolithic era to the sixth century CE. Here is where fans of classical archaeology and mythology will find their inspiration. With art objects that cover everything from the iconic amphoras to intricate statues of the gods to the signature black and red Greek pottery, you’ll be amazed at the breadth and depth of these collections. Near East Antiquities One of the broadest categories of art and objects at the Louvre, the Near East Antiquities department spans an astonishing nine thousand-year period—from prehistory to the early Islamic period. Artifacts were discovered in a wide range of territory, from North Africa to Central Asia, and from the Black Sea to the Arabian Peninsula. Highlights of this department include tablets bearing some of the earliest forms of writing, ancient beaded jewelry, board games, and dozens of religious statues and figures. Islamic Art New galleries in this department opened in 2012, allowing for an expanded display of Islamic artwork for Louvre visitors. There are a few thousand objects on display here, ranging geographically from Southeast Asia to Spain, and temporally across nearly 1,300 years of human history. A few of the objects you might see in this department include dishware and pottery, sculptures, textiles and texts, and manuscript pages. Paintings With a couple hundred works currently on display, paintings are one of the larger curatorial focus points at the Louvre. This department is among the most famous as well, with particular strengths in Italian Renaissance art and Dutch Old Masters. The collection encompasses every major European school of painting as well, including works from the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Some of the most famous works in this collection include Leonardi da Vinci’s world-renowned Mona Lisa, Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, and Johannes Vermeer’s The Astronomer. Sculptures The Department of Sculptures has had a long and varied history, currently encompassing Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern sculptures. Every work here dates prior to 1850, and only includes those that do not qualify for the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Department. Some of the most stunning art objects in the entire Louvre are found here, ranging from statues of gods and goddesses to biblical characters to modern individuals of note. Decorative Arts One of the best departments for those who appreciate and/or study the history of material culture in a global context, this area of the Louvre boasts a simply stunning collection of objects from around the world. Objects were created between the early Middle Ages and the mid-nineteenth century. You’ll find everything from jewelry and ivory work to stained glass and furniture. Many of these objects inspire us to wonder what will happen to our own precious goods after we’re gone. Prints and Drawings This is one for the history of the book people. Here you’ll find a wide selection of printed material, including drawings, pastels, printed books, manuscripts, woodcuts, and lithographic stones. The unique thing about this department is its approach to displaying the collections—because of their innate fragility, most works are kept in careful storage and are circulated in and out of temporary displays. As a result, all exhibits here are temporary, so what you see during your visit will be totally unique! Save on Louvre Tickets with a Go Paris pass A Go City attraction pass for Paris provides admission to the Louvre and dozens of other Paris and area museums for one low price. You’ll also get admission to tours, cruises, and other top Parisian attractions to round out your weekend getaway.
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