France Europe City 4 days Art

Paris in 4 days — the itinerary that breathes the city

I went looking for the clichés and stayed for the side streets. Paris is better when you slow down.

R
Rita Mendes
Lisbon  ·  June 2026  ·  8 min read
The Eiffel Tower at dawn seen from the Trocadéro, with the city of Paris still empty

Trocadéro at dawn — the view worth the early alarm.

I was always afraid Paris would let me down. Everyone has an idea of the city before they get there — and reality rarely matches it. I went anyway, in June, with Sofia, without big expectations and with one rule: no trying to see everything.

We saved half a dozen places in Dream and Trip, kept the mornings full and the afternoons free, and that is how Paris finally made sense — not in the monuments, but in the time between them.

📅 Best time
Spring or September
🗓️ Duration
4 days
👣 Style
Art · cafés · for two
✈️ Arrival
RER B from CDG · ~35 min

How we got around

RouteTransportTimeCost
CDG Airport → centerRER B~35 min~€12
Around the cityMetro—~€2/ride
Up to MontmartreFunicular2 min1 metro ticket
Center → Versailles (optional)RER C~45 min~€4
Day 1 · Arrival

Île de la Cité and Le Marais

The RER B brought us from the airport to the center in a little over half an hour. We dropped our bags at a small hotel in the Marais and headed out on foot — the best way to enter this city is with no plan at all for the first few hours.

1

Île de la Cité & Notre-Dame

The ancient heart of Paris, in the middle of the Seine. The cathedral is still being restored, but the square and the surrounding lanes are worth the morning walk.

⏱ Morning 🚶 On foot 💶 Exterior free
2

Sainte-Chapelle

The surprise of the day. From the outside it says nothing; inside, the upper-floor stained-glass windows leave you speechless. Go early and with a ticket already bought.

🎟️ Online ticket ⏱ 45 min
3

Le Marais

Lanes, independent shops and the best falafel in the city on Rue des Rosiers. We ended up sitting in the Place des Vosges with no rush to leave.

🍽️ Lunch 🛍️ Shops 💡 Place des Vosges
4

Banks of the Seine at sunset

We went down to the river with a bottle of wine and watched the bateaux go by. It is the most honest cliché in Paris — and just as well.

🌅 Late afternoon 💶 Free
Falafel without the queue: Rue des Rosiers fills up at lunchtime. Arrive before noon or after 2pm — and take it to eat in the Place des Vosges, right next door.
Banks of the Seine in Paris with classic buildings and a bridge in the background
A typical street in the Marais district of Paris, with old facades and cafés
Day 2 · Art and avenues

Louvre and Champs-Élysées

Louvre day. The rule that saved us was simple: pick three things to see and leave the rest. Trying to see the whole museum is the fastest way to hate art.

1

The Louvre

Immense. We went with a timed slot and a short list: the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the French painters' rooms and, yes, the Mona Lisa (seen from afar, with patience). We left before we were exhausted.

🎟️ Online, timed slot ⏱ 2–3h 💡 Porte des Lions entrance
2

Tuileries Garden

The perfect exit from the museum. Green chairs around the ponds, people reading in the sun. We bought a crêpe and did absolutely nothing for an hour.

💶 Free 🌳 Break
3

Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe

We walked up the avenue in the late afternoon to the Arc. It is worth going to the top — the view of the twelve avenues fanning out like a star is better than the one from the Tower itself.

🎟️ Top with ticket ⏱ Late afternoon
"We chose three paintings and ignored the other thirty thousand. It was the best decision of the trip."
The Louvre's glass pyramid lit up at dusk, in Paris

The Louvre courtyard at dusk — better without the crowd, after closing time.

Day 3 · Bohemia

Montmartre and Orsay

We woke up early on purpose. Montmartre at nine in the morning is another city — no tour buses, no queues for the photo, just the cafés opening and the smell of bread.

1

Sacré-Cœur & Montmartre

The white basilica at the highest point of Paris, with the whole city at its feet. We climbed the stairs on foot; if you prefer, there is the funicular with a metro ticket.

⏱ Early morning 💶 Church free 🚶 Steep climb
2

Place du Tertre & Montmartre streets

The painters' square and the lanes around it. Touristy, yes, but if you wander two streets away you find the real neighborhood — vineyards, windmills and cafés with no English menu.

🎨 Artists 💡 Stray from the square
3

Musée d'Orsay

In the afternoon, we headed down to the Orsay — a former railway station turned museum. The Impressionists and the view through the giant clock are worth the trip on their own.

🎟️ Online ticket ⏱ 2h 💡 The 5th-floor clock
"Montmartre at nine in the morning is a village. By eleven it is a postcard. It makes all the difference."
The Sacré-Cœur basilica in Montmartre, Paris, at the top of the staircases

Sacré-Cœur atop Montmartre — go early and you have the stairs to yourself.

Day 4 · Goodbye

Eiffel Tower and goodbye

We left the Tower for last, and just as well. After three days of walking, reaching it with the city already under your skin is different from seeing it in the first minute, still strangers.

1

Trocadéro

The view. We went before eight in the morning and the esplanade was almost empty — the whole Tower in front of us, golden, without a single selfie stick around.

🌅 Early morning 📸 Best view 💶 Free
2

Eiffel Tower

We went up. Yes, there is a queue and yes, it is worth it — but only with a ticket booked weeks in advance, especially for the top. From the second floor you can already see all of Paris.

🎟️ Book in advance ⏱ 2h
3

Champ de Mars & Rue Cler

A picnic on the lawn in front of the Tower, with cheese and bread bought on Rue Cler nearby. The last lunch of the trip and, perhaps, the best.

🧺 Picnic 💶 Cheap
Versailles, if you have a 5th day: The Palace of Versailles is a whole day (RER C, ~45 min). Well worth it, but in just 4 days it steals too much time from the city. If you go, head out first thing and book online.
Paris at night with city lights and the Eiffel Tower lit up in the background

The last night. Bread, cheese, the Champ de Mars — and the certainty of coming back.

How we organized the trip: We saved everything in Dream and Trip before leaving — places on the map, booked tickets, a budget split between the two of us. It helps you avoid juggling ten tabs open on your phone.

Tickets & bookings

PlaceBook ahead?How
The LouvreYesOnline, timed slot
Eiffel TowerYesOnline, weeks ahead
Sainte-ChapelleRecommendedOnline ticket
Musée d'OrsayRecommendedOnline ticket
Arc de Triomphe (top)RecommendedOnline · go late afternoon
Sacré-CœurNoFree entry

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need to see Paris?
Four days are enough for the essentials without rushing: historic center and Marais, Louvre and Champs-Élysées, Montmartre and Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower. To add Versailles, allow a fifth day.
When is the best time to visit Paris?
Spring (April to June) and early autumn: mild weather and fewer crowds than in August. Winter is cold but with near-empty museums.
Is Versailles worth it in 4 days?
On a first visit, it may be better to focus on the city — Versailles takes a whole day (RER C, ~45 min). With a fifth day, it is well worth it: go early and book online.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
For the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, yes — they sell out days ahead and have timed entry. Sainte-Chapelle, Orsay and the top of the Arc de Triomphe are also worth booking online.
R
Rita Mendes

From Lisbon, 29 years old. I travel whenever I can, preferably with Sofia and without a rigid itinerary. Paris was the trip I kept putting off for fear of being let down — I was not.

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