Paris in 5 Days: Eiffel Tower to Versailles Complete 2026 Guide

TL;DR: Paris 5 days covers the essentials—Eiffel Tower (€26 summit ticket), Louvre (€17 skip-the-line), Versailles (€21 train+entry), Seine cruise (€15). Best months: April-June or September-October. Budget accommodation in Le Marais runs €120-180/night. Buy the Paris Museum Pass for €65 (covers 50+ museums) and save hours of queuing.

Paris is the world’s most visited city for a reason—every corner hides a masterpiece, every café serves history with coffee, and the city itself feels like walking through a living art gallery. Here’s how to do it right in 5 days.

Day 1: Classic Paris — Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro, Seine Cruise

💡 Shore excursions: Book shore excursions on Klook to save 20–30% versus onboard ship pricing, with free cancellation.

Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

• Standard lift to 2nd floor: €17 (ages 25+), €8.50 (under 25)
• Summit ticket (2nd floor to summit): +€26 for adults, €13 for under 25
• Stairs to 2nd floor: €10/€5 (under 25) — 674 steps, no lift wait
• Best time to visit: First slot (9:30am) or last slot (9:30pm) to avoid queues
• Booking: Book directly at tour-eiffel.paris — slots go fast 2-3 weeks ahead

Practical tip: The stairs entry is at the South pillar, not the main lifts. Look for the “Accès par escalier” sign.

Evening Seine Cruise

After the Eiffel Tower, walk to the Bir-Hakeim bridge (the Inception bridge from the movie) for photos, then take a Seine cruise with Vedettes de Paris (€15/adult) departing every 30 minutes from the Eiffel tower pier. The 1-hour cruise passes Notre-Dame (still under restoration), the Louvre, and the Musée d’Orsay.

Day 2: Louvre — The World’s Largest Museum

Louvre Strategy

The Louvre is enormous—over 35,000 objects on display, 73,000 sq meters of gallery space. You cannot see it all in one day. Focus on three zones:

Skip-the-Line Tickets

• Standard entry: €17 (free for under 18)
• Paris Museum Pass (€65/2 days, €85/4 days): Covers Louvre + 50+ museums, skip most entry lines
• Louvre’s own timed ticket: €17 + €5 booking fee

Best entry: Pyramide entrance is iconic but crowded. Use the Carrousel entrance (99 Rue de Rivoli) for a shorter wait.

Day 3: Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur

Montmartre Walking Route

Start at Anvers metro → climb the steps past Place Saint-Pierre → Sacré-Cœur Basilica (free entry) → Rue Lepic (scene from Amélie) → Le Consulat (the café from Amélie) → vineyard of Montmartre (Clos Montmartre, free) → Place du Tertre (artists’ square) → Moulin Rouge (exterior).

The walk takes 2-3 hours. Sacré-Cœur’s dome (€8 to climb, 300 steps) offers the best panorama of Paris—on clear days you can see La Défense, the Eiffel Tower, and all 20 arrondissements.

Tip: Avoid restaurants on Place du Tertre—they’re tourist traps with mediocre food. Walk 2 blocks east to Rue Botzaris or Rue des Saules for authentic bistros at half the price.

Day 4: Versailles Day Trip

• Train: RER C from Paris (any station) to Versailles Rive Gauche, €10.30 each way, 35-40 minutes
• Palace entry: €21 (Palace + Gardens), €28 (Palace + Gardens + Domaine de Trianon + Queen’s Hamlet)
• Train+entry combo: Book via Klook or GetYourGuide, €45-55, includes expedited entry

Key areas to prioritize:

1. Hall of Mirrors (1.5 hours minimum)
2. King’s State Apartments
3. Gardens (rent a golf cart €35/hour if your feet hurt)
4. Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet (Le Hameau de la Reine) — the fairytale farm

Best time: Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday when the Fountains Show (musical fountains dancing to classical music) runs. Check the Versailles website for the musical fountain schedule before you go.

Day 5: Le Marais, Père Lachaise & Canal Saint-Martin

Le Marais — The Coolest Neighborhood

Le Marais is where Parisians actually hang out. Walk from Place des Vosges (oldest planned square in Paris) → Rue des Rosiers (Jewish quarter, best falafel at L’As du Fallafel, €10-12) → Musée Picasso (€16, or free with Museum Pass) → Musée Carnavalet (free, Paris history museum) → Place de la République for drinks.

Père Lachaise Cemetery

• Entry: Free
• Famous graves: Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf
• Map: Download a free map at pere-lachaise.com before you go, or follow the numbered grave signs

Budget Accommodation in Paris

Practical Information

Budget (5 days, 2 people)

The Takeaway

Paris rewards slow travelers. Five days isn’t enough to see everything, but it’s enough to fall in love. Walk everywhere, eat at whatever bistro looks local, sit by the Seine at sunset, and remember: the best views of the Eiffel Tower are from the Trocadéro gardens at night, when it sparkles every hour on the hour.

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