Bottom Line: Paris is best experienced on foot, with a café seat, and zero agenda. Two days lets you hit the essentials—Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Montmartre, and at least three meals worth remembering. Book skip-the-line Louvre tickets to avoid the 3-hour queue.
Paris isn’t a city you visit—it’s a city you absorb. The Left Bank’s bookshop-lined streets, the gold-domed Invalides catching evening light, a morning pain au chocolat from a boulangerie that’s been there since 1903. Here’s how to do it right.
Morning: Art Overload at the Louvre
The Louvre is enormous. You cannot see it all—don’t try. Pick three wings maximum:
Must-sees: Mona Lisa (bewildered smile, always crowded), Winged Victory (breathtaking in person), the Egyptian antiquities on the ground floor, and the Napoléon III apartments.
Pro tip: Enter through the Carrousel du Louvre underground mall—shorter lines, climate-controlled, easier to navigate. Afternoon tickets are cheaper than morning.
[Book Louvre timed-entry tickets in advance]
Sainte-Chapelle: Gothic Architecture at Its Peak
A 10-minute walk from Notre-Dame (still closed; check before you go), Sainte-Chapelle is a 13th-century royal chapel whose upper chapel walls are 75% stained glass. When sunlight hits the rose windows at noon, the entire space turns electric blue, violet, and gold. It’s one of Europe’s most transcendent spaces.
Tickets: €20 combined with Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie (former prison).
[Book Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie tickets]
Lunch: Le Marais
Le Marais is Paris’s gaybourhood and foodie heart. Break for lunch at:
- Café des Musettes: French bistro classics, great wine list
- Breizh Café: Best crêpes in Paris, wait times be damned
- L’As du Fallafel: Legendary falafel on Rue des Rosiers, often cited as Paris’s best
[Book a food tour of Le Marais]
Afternoon: Montmartre
Take the funicular (or walk—the stairs are worth it) up to Montmartre. This was Picasso, Van Gogh, and Renoir’s neighborhood. Today it’s touristy, but the Sacré-Cœur basilica’s view of Paris is genuinely one of the world’s great panoramas.
Off-the-beaten-path: Walk south from Place du Tertre toward Rue de l’Abreuvoir. This is the quiet, residential Montmartre that painters actually lived in.
Evening: Latin Quarter & Saint-Germain
The Latin Quarter’s narrow medieval streets lead to the Sorbonne. Best evening circuit:
- Shakespeare and Company: The legendary English bookshop (with a surprisingly good café)
- Rue de la Glacière: Quiet backstreet with several excellent bistros
- Le Pure Café: Classic Parisian zinc bar, immortalized in Amélie
[Book a Paris evening food tour]
Sunday Morning: Market Day
Marché d’Aligre (south of Bastille) is where real Parisians shop. Local vendors, cheap wine, cheese, olives, and impeccable bread. Arrive by 9am before the good stuff sells out.
Le Marché des Enfants Rouges (3rd arrondissement): Paris’s oldest covered market, with vendors selling Moroccan tagines, Japanese bentos, and Corsican cheese.
Dinner: The Classic Bistro
Paris’s best bistro meal isn’t the expensive one. It’s:
Le Comptoir du Panthéon (5th): Daily menu, €18-22, honest food.
Bouillon Chartier (9th): Historic workers’ canteen aesthetic, still incredibily cheap, expect a line.
Chez Janou (4th): Provence-style, generous portions, exceptional pastis selection.
Getting Around
Paris is walkable but the Metro is faster for long distances. A single ticket (t+ ticket) costs €2.10, or grab a Navigo Découverte card for unlimited rides. The Montmartobus (#40) is €2 and covers the hill.
[Book Paris Museum Pass for skip-the-line access]
Costs
| Category | Daily | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Meal (bistro) | €25-40 | Lunch menus (formules) are better value |
| Museum | €15-20 | Many first Sundays are free |
| Metro | €2.10/trip | Day pass (Mobilis) €7.70 |
| Coffee | €3-5 | Sit-down vs. counter is 2x price |
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