5 Days in Paris: Itinerary With Map
5 days · 25 stops
What to do in Paris in 5 days: one area per day, 25 stops, short walks and a map with directions for every stop.
By Amit KerenDay 1
Classic Paris: the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe
13 min walk
8 min walk
29 min walk
4 min walk
Day 1 total: 3.8 km between stops
Day 2
Eiffel Tower, Seine cruise & Les Invalides
10 min walk
6 min walk
29 min walk
12 min walk
Day 2 total: 3.9 km between stops
Day 3
Montmartre
5 min walk
3 min walk
10 min walk
2 min walk
Day 3 total: 1.5 km between stops
Day 4
Notre-Dame, Latin Quarter & Luxembourg
8 min walk
5 min walk
13 min walk
12 min walk
Day 4 total: 2.6 km between stops
Day 5
The Marais & Canal Saint-Martin
4 min walk
9 min walk
19 min walk
Day 5 total: 2.6 km between stops
Is 5 days in Paris enough? Yes. Five days covers all the big sights and leaves time for cafés, a river cruise and slow walks. This 5-day Paris itinerary takes one area per day, so you walk between nearby stops and only take the metro to get to the start of each day.
Day 1 is classic Paris: the Louvre, the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Day 2 is the Eiffel Tower and the Seine: the view from Trocadéro, the tower, a one-hour cruise, Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides and sunset on Pont Alexandre III. Day 3 is Montmartre: Sacré-Cœur, the painters of Place du Tertre, La Maison Rose, Amélie's café and the Moulin Rouge.
Day 4 covers the islands and the Latin Quarter: Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame, Shakespeare and Company, the Panthéon and the Luxembourg Gardens. Day 5 is the Marais: Place des Vosges, the Paris history museum, falafel on Rue des Rosiers, the Picasso Museum and an evening by the Canal Saint-Martin. The Centre Pompidou closed in September 2025 for renovation until 2030, so it is not on this route.
Day 1
About 3.8 km on foot along the grand axis of Paris, from the Louvre to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
Open day 1 in Google MapsStart here · Attraction · Art museum
The world's most visited museum, home of the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Book a timed ticket online and pick two or three wings rather than trying to see everything. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Tip: Book a timed ticket and enter by the Carrousel entrance for a shorter queue. Closed on Tuesdays.
Stop 2 · Park & garden · Formal garden
The formal garden between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, laid out in the 1660s by André Le Nôtre. Grab one of the green chairs by the ponds, then walk on to the Orangerie at the far end.
Tip: Grab a green chair by the Grand Bassin pond and rest your feet.
Stop 3 · Area · Square
Paris's largest square, between the Tuileries and the Champs-Élysées. The 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk stands in the middle, with two fountains and views up to the Arc de Triomphe.
Stop 4 · Area · Avenue
Paris's most famous avenue, almost 2 km from Place de la Concorde up to the Arc de Triomphe, lined with flagship shops, cinemas and cafés. Walk it from the Concorde end and finish at the arch.
Tip: Walk up the avenue towards the arch. Ladurée at no. 75 is the classic macaron stop.
Stop 5 · Viewpoint · Monument and viewpoint
Napoleon's triumphal arch at the top of the Champs-Élysées, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath it. Climb the 284 steps to the roof for a view down twelve avenues to the Eiffel Tower and La Défense. Reach it through the underground passage, never across the roundabout.
Tip: Use the underpass from the Champs-Élysées, never cross the roundabout. Go up the 284 steps for sunset.
Day 1 total: 3.8 km between stops
Day 2
About 3.9 km, from the Trocadéro view to the tower, a river cruise and sunset on the prettiest bridge in Paris.
Open day 2 in Google MapsStop 6 · Viewpoint · Gardens and viewpoint
The terrace and gardens across the river from the Eiffel Tower, the classic spot for a photo of the whole tower. Go at sunrise for an empty terrace, or after dark to watch the tower sparkle.
Tip: Come early in the morning for the classic tower photo without the crowds.
Stop 7 · Attraction · Landmark
Gustave Eiffel's 330 metre iron tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair. Book a timed ticket for the lift or the stairs to the second floor, or go all the way to the top. After dark it sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour.
Tip: Book lift tickets online weeks ahead. The stairs to the 2nd floor are usually easier to get.
Stop 8 · Attraction · Seine river cruise
Seine sightseeing cruises from Port de la Bourdonnais, right below the Eiffel Tower. The classic cruise lasts about an hour and returns to the same dock, passing Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.
Stop 9 · Attraction · Museum and monument
Louis XIV's veterans' hospital, now home to the Army Museum and Napoleon's tomb under the golden dome. One ticket covers the museum and the tomb.
Tip: Walk across the Champ de Mars to get here. Napoleon's tomb is under the golden dome.
Stop 10 · Viewpoint · Bridge
The most ornate bridge in Paris, with gilded statues and Art Nouveau lamps, linking the Invalides to the Grand Palais. One of the best spots in the city for a sunset photo of the Eiffel Tower.
Tip: Stay for sunset, then watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour.
Day 2 total: 3.9 km between stops
Day 3
A short but hilly 1.5 km, from Sacré-Cœur down through the village streets to the Moulin Rouge.
Open day 3 in Google MapsStop 11 · Attraction · Basilica and viewpoint
The white basilica at the top of Montmartre, with one of the best free views over Paris from its steps. Entry is free; the dome has its own ticket and about 300 steps. Afterwards, wander the lanes around Place du Tertre.
Tip: Take the metro to Anvers and ride the funicular up with a metro ticket. Climb the dome for the highest view in Paris.
Stop 12 · Area · Artists' square
The small square at the top of Montmartre where painters and portrait artists set up their easels every day, surrounded by old cafés and restaurants.
Tip: Portrait artists will offer to draw you. Agree on the price first.
Stop 13 · Restaurant · Café and restaurant
Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00, closed Monday and Tuesday
The pink house on the corner of Rue de l'Abreuvoir, one of the most photographed spots in Montmartre. Painted by Utrillo, it is still a small restaurant today.
Tip: The photo is free any day. To eat here, come Wednesday to Sunday.
Stop 14 · Café & dessert · Café
Daily from 7:00 (weekends from 9:00) to late
The Montmartre café where Amélie worked in the film. Still a neighbourhood café on Rue Lepic, with a crème brûlée on the menu in her honour.
Stop 15 · Attraction · Cabaret
The cabaret with the red windmill, home of the French cancan since 1889. Shows run every night at 21:00 and 23:00. Book ahead, or just see the windmill lit up after dark.
Tip: Book the show weeks ahead, or just come after dark to see the windmill lit up.
Day 3 total: 1.5 km between stops
Day 4
About 2.6 km, from the stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle across the river to the Luxembourg Gardens.
Open day 4 in Google MapsStop 16 · Attraction · Gothic chapel
A 13th-century royal chapel inside the Palais de Justice, with walls made almost entirely of stained glass. Go on a sunny day, when the upper chapel glows. Book a timed ticket, as the security queue can be long.
Tip: Book a timed ticket for the morning, when the sun lights up the windows.
Stop 17 · Attraction · Gothic cathedral
Paris's Gothic cathedral on Île de la Cité, reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire. Entry is free, and booking a free time slot online skips most of the queue. The towers can be climbed with a separate ticket.
Tip: Entry is free. Reserve a free time slot on the cathedral website to skip most of the queue.
Stop 18 · Shop · Bookshop
Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00, Sunday 12:00 to 19:00
The famous English-language bookshop facing Notre-Dame, with creaky floors, reading nooks upstairs and a café next door.
Stop 19 · Attraction · Monument
The domed neoclassical monument in the Latin Quarter where France buries its great citizens, including Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. Foucault's pendulum swings under the dome, and in the warmer months you can climb to the colonnade for a view.
Stop 20 · Park & garden · Park
The Left Bank's favourite park, around the palace where the French Senate sits. Rent a toy sailboat on the big pond, find the Medici Fountain and sit in the famous green chairs.
Tip: Bring a snack and find a chair by the Medici Fountain.
Day 4 total: 2.6 km between stops
Day 5
About 2.6 km, from the oldest square in Paris through the Marais to drinks by the canal.
Open day 5 in Google MapsStop 21 · Area · Historic square
The oldest planned square in Paris, from 1612, with matching red-brick houses, arcades and a garden in the middle. Victor Hugo's house at number 6 is a free museum. It is the perfect start for a walk through the Marais.
Tip: Visit Victor Hugo's house in the corner of the square. It is free.
Stop 22 · Attraction · History museum
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, closed Monday
The museum of the history of Paris, in two Marais mansions with a quiet garden courtyard. The permanent collection is free.
Tip: Closed on Mondays, like the Picasso Museum. Do this day on another day of the week.
Stop 23 · Area · Street
The heart of the old Jewish quarter of the Marais, known for its falafel shops, bakeries and small boutiques.
Tip: L'As du Fallafel is the famous one. Most shops here close on Saturdays.
Stop 24 · Attraction · Art museum
Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 to 18:00, closed Monday
The world's largest Picasso collection, in a 17th-century Marais mansion: paintings, sculptures and drawings from every period of his life.
Stop 25 · Area · Canal
A 4.5 km canal in the 10th arrondissement with iron footbridges, locks and plane trees. Locals picnic on the banks on summer evenings, and the streets around it are full of cafés, bakeries and independent shops.
Day 5 total: 2.6 km between stops
Recommended hotels
Rue de Rivoli, Tuileries
Best for: Palace hotel
Palace hotel facing the Tuileries Garden, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and a short walk to the Louvre.
Avenue Montaigne
Best for: Fashion and luxury
Dorchester Collection palace hotel on Avenue Montaigne, with many rooms looking toward the Eiffel Tower.
Trocadéro
Best for: Eiffel Tower views
Former home of Prince Roland Bonaparte facing the Eiffel Tower across the Seine, with an indoor pool.
Place des Vosges, Le Marais
Best for: Romantic stay
Ivy-covered hotel hidden behind the arcades of Place des Vosges, with a spa, in the heart of the Marais.
Louvre, near the Tuileries
Best for: Location
Classic hotel next to the Louvre, a short walk from the Tuileries, Place Vendôme and Avenue de l'Opéra.
Grands Boulevards
Best for: Rooftop bar
Design hotel by the Experimental group with a rooftop bar and an Italian restaurant, close to the Opéra and the department stores.
Saint-Germain and Montparnasse
Best for: Couples
Boutique hotel with a small spa on a quiet street near the Luxembourg Gardens.
Latin Quarter
Best for: Latin Quarter
Small boutique hotel near the Arènes de Lutèce and Rue Mouffetard, a 10 minute walk to Notre-Dame.
Latin Quarter
Best for: Value
Small boutique hotel in the Latin Quarter, handy for Notre-Dame, Saint-Michel and Rue Mouffetard.
Near Gare de l'Est
Best for: Budget
Budget hostel with private rooms near Gare de l'Est, close to Canal Saint-Martin and Belleville.
Recommended activities
2 hours
Skip the ticket line and see the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory with a guide.
Book2 hours
Timed entry by lift to the second floor and the top, with views across all of Paris.
Book2 hours
The famous cabaret show with the French cancan, with champagne or dinner options.
BookFull day
If you have a sixth day, take the RER C to the Palace of Versailles and its gardens. Closed on Mondays.
BookBefore you go
spotz.guide is a collection of travel maps and step-by-step routes, made to be opened on your phone and followed on the ground. Every guide is put together and checked by founder and editor Amit Keren.
Spots come from time on the ground and strong recommendations, and each one is checked before it goes on the map.
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