France | Paris in 48 hours

Paris is a glorious city, with the perfect mix of old-world culture and modern conveniences. It is a great city for food, fashion, architecture and museums. On our first trip to Paris we spent an entire week here. On our second, we made the most of our time by doing some of the things we had missed and repeating some we loved. It is possible to enjoy the city in a short time by grouping nearby sights together and reserving time slots ahead. If you are short on time, here is a two- or three-day plan for the best of Paris.

The stone embankment of the Seine, lined with bare trees and cream Parisian apartment buildings, under a grey sky.

The view from the banks of the Seine.

For this itinerary, arrive in Paris the day before to make the most of the 48 hours. Try to find a place to stay in the centre of town, close to the major sights or near a well-connected metro station.

Before you leave

Get the Paris Museum Pass — it gives preferred entry at the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Versailles
Reserve a late-morning time slot at Sainte-Chapelle
Reserve an after-lunch time slot at the Musée de l’Orangerie
Optional: tickets for the Notre-Dame bell tower, and a time slot at the Musée d’Orsay
Book the 10 am perfume-making class at Galimard on Rue de Provence
Reserve a time slot at Versailles or the Louvre for Day 2
Reserve dinner at Big Love, and at Bollynan
Pack clothes that cover shoulders and knees, and no hats, for Notre-Dame

Day 1 — Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Tuileries and the Eiffel Tower at night

Begin the morning early, around 8 am.
Find a quaint café near where you’re staying for coffee and a croissant. This is obligatory and must not be skipped. There is nothing better than a fresh croissant from a local bakery first thing in the morning in Paris.

A small café with a pale blue painted front and tall windows on a Paris street corner.

A small café near our apartment.

Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral from the inside. This magnificent cathedral is one of the main reasons people visit Paris. The French Gothic cathedral, with its flying buttresses and fearsome gargoyles, is a must. The stained glass windows and the paintings inside are exquisite in their detail.

Two of us standing in the square in front of Notre-Dame’s twin towers, with the crowd waiting behind.

Waiting in the no-reservation line outside Notre-Dame.

Worth knowing: The cathedral doors open at 7:50 am on weekdays and 8:15 am at weekends. Time slots can be reserved on the official Notre-Dame website, but joining the no-reservation line first thing in the morning gives you a decent chance of only a short wait. The line moves fast because the cathedral is vast. The dress code is strictly enforced: no bare shoulders, no shorts and no hats.

A tall stained glass window of blue and red panels set into a pale stone wall inside the cathedral.

One of the stained glass windows inside Notre-Dame.

Optional: Climb the cathedral’s bell tower for a grand view of Paris — you can see the Eiffel Tower from up there. Buy tickets ahead of time.

Some of us smiling in the aisle of Notre-Dame, beside a carved and painted red screen, on a black-and-white checked floor.

Inside Notre-Dame, newly reopened after its restoration.

From here, walk about 10 minutes to Sainte-Chapelle. It is best to buy a late-morning time slot ahead of time. Sainte-Chapelle is quite small, so the line without reservations moves incredibly slowly. The chapel is one of the finest surviving examples of French Gothic stained glass.

Three of us with arms outstretched in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, surrounded by towering purple and blue stained glass.

Sainte-Chapelle — all the colours of the stained glass windows.

Walk towards the Louvre, stopping at the bridges, cafés and interesting street corners for photos. This stop is just for taking pictures of the Louvre and its pyramid from different angles.

Three of us in winter coats in the Louvre courtyard, with the glass pyramid and the palace behind.

The Louvre.

Worth knowing: The arch across the street, the entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries, gives an interesting perspective.

Looking through a tall stone archway towards the Louvre, with people walking through.

The entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries.

Eat lunch around here. We found a Thai restaurant, an Indian restaurant and even a taco place in this area.

Plates of fried rice, steamed rice and spring rolls on a restaurant table.

Thai food near the Louvre.

Book an after-lunch time slot at the Musée de l’Orangerie. This museum usually has a long line even with a reservation, and you must arrive no later than 30 minutes after the start of your slot.

One of Monet’s Water Lilies panels stretching along a curved white wall, with a bench in front of it.

Monet’s Water Lilies in the Musée de l’Orangerie.

Worth knowing: By Paris standards this is a small museum. The Monet paintings here are larger than life, with amazing use of colour and light. It may work better for kids, or anyone who gets overstimulated by crowds: there are benches to sit on, silence is encouraged (signs are posted everywhere) and the crowds are smaller than at the other popular museums. It only takes about 60 to 90 minutes, so it works even when you’re short on time.

One of us standing in the oval gallery, looking at a long panel of Water Lilies.

Admiring the gorgeous art.

Spend some time in the Jardin des Tuileries, finding a bench to sit and people-watch. Enjoy the large pond, where kids bring toy boats to sail.

The large round pond in the Tuileries, with green metal chairs at its edge and the obelisk in the distance.

The pond in the Jardin des Tuileries.

From here, choose one of two options.

Option 1: Walk 10 minutes to the Musée d’Orsay. Book entry ahead here too. The museum, built in an old train station, holds mostly Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. It is larger than the Orangerie, so allow at least two hours to get a good sense of it.

Option 2: Walk back towards the Louvre and take the metro to the Arc de Triomphe.

At the Arc, stand in the line for the Paris Museum Pass if you have one. It gives you almost no-line access to the stairs up the Arc de Triomphe.
Worth knowing: There is a lift for elderly visitors, but the attendant is very particular that only those with a real need use it.

Looking down a tight stone spiral staircase, with one of us smiling up from a few steps below.

The stairs up to the observation deck of the Arc de Triomphe.

Take time to enjoy the exhibits on the way up the many stairs to the viewing deck. The view takes in the Eiffel Tower and the avenues leading away from the Arc in every direction.

The rooftops of Paris and a long tree-lined avenue seen from the top of the Arc, with the Eiffel Tower faint in the haze.

The view towards the Eiffel Tower (sadly it stayed in the clouds).

The underside of the Arc de Triomphe lit in purple light after dark, with its carved reliefs.

The Arc gets special lights after dark too.

Next, visit the Eiffel Tower after dark to see it sparkle on the hour. Just walking around the park under the tower, or the neighbourhoods around it, gives great views.

All of us bundled up in winter coats in front of the Eiffel Tower.

The mandatory Eiffel Tower picture.

Reserve dinner at Big Love, an amazing plant-based Italian restaurant with fresh pasta, pizzas and amazing food.

Two of us at a white-clothed table in a busy restaurant with shelves of bottles behind.

An amazing dinner at Big Love.

Day 2 — A perfume class, the Eiffel Tower by day, and Versailles or the Louvre

Begin the day early again at a local café for coffee and breakfast.
Optional: Mamiche, one of the most recommended bakeries in Paris, is about a 10-minute walk from the perfume class. Beware of extremely long lines, and arrive early to try this amazing bakery.

Trays of pastries and breads on the counter, seen through the bakery’s window.

Through the window of the Mamiche bakery.

Walk or take the metro to the 9th arrondissement.

A quiet street of cream stone buildings and closed shopfronts in the 9th arrondissement.

A street in the 9th arrondissement.

Take a perfume-making class at the Galimard studio on Rue de Provence. The class begins at 10 am and can be done as a pair or on your own. It lasts about two hours and is an extremely immersive fragrance experience. Kids are allowed too.

Two of us at a long bench lined with rows of fragrance bottles, mixing scents.

Mixing fragrances at the perfume-making class.

Lunch: We recommend Mezzencore for fresh falafel and Mediterranean bowls. They have lots of mezze and fresh French fries too. It’s close to a metro station and some department stores.

Four of us outside Mezzencore, a restaurant with a bright blue awning.

Mezzencore.

Two of us on a bench seat waiting for food, under a green neon “Habibi” sign.

Waiting for our meal.

Take the metro to the Eiffel Tower. Walk from the station towards this world-famous monument, enjoying all its angles and perspectives as you get closer. Once in the park, walk under the tower.

Looking up at the Eiffel Tower’s iron lattice through bare winter branches.

The Eiffel Tower.

Walk to Rue de Buenos-Ayres for a quieter, less crowded street view of the Eiffel Tower. Many other viewpoints around Paris also have spectacular views of it.

One of us smiling on a cobbled street, with the Eiffel Tower rising between the buildings at the end.

The Eiffel Tower from Rue de Buenos-Ayres.

Option 1: Take the train to Versailles.

Walk from the station to the Palace of Versailles. Tour as much as you can of the grounds, the gardens, the smaller palaces and the palace itself.
Worth knowing: Get off at Versailles Château Rive Gauche station and walk straight down the main road to the palace. There is another station in Versailles that is not close to the palace, so check that your train stops at Versailles Château Rive Gauche before you get on.

The palace’s front courtyard, with a long line of visitors waiting at the entrance.

The entrance to the Palace of Versailles.

Our son in a winter coat in the Hall of Mirrors, crowded with visitors under its chandeliers.

The famous Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.

A painted ceiling in gilded frames, crowded with mythological figures.

The art on the ceiling of one of the rooms.

The formal gardens of Versailles seen from above, with patterned hedges, a round pond and a misty lake beyond.

The palace gardens.

Option 2: Visit the Louvre. Pre-book a time slot with the Paris Museum Pass. You could spend several days inside the Louvre and still not see everything.

The Louvre’s glass pyramid and the palace wings around the courtyard, busy with visitors.

The Louvre.

Worth knowing: Give yourself a few hours in the Louvre. Make a list beforehand of the specific pieces, galleries or artists you want to see, and prioritise those to use your time well. Unless your kids are very knowledgeable about or interested in art, it might be overwhelming for young or easily overstimulated children. The building’s architecture is notable in itself, as well as the stunning art and sculpture.
Dinner: Bollynan (reservation needed) for an interesting take on Indian food, or Little Yak for Tibetan food.

A table full of Indian dishes — curries, rice and naan — at Bollynan.

Bollynan.

The dark storefront of Little Yak on a Paris street at night.

Little Yak, a Tibetan restaurant.