Yes for the core around Landmarks. Switch to 5 days if you want a trip outside Paris.

Base near Landmarks so the first walking day starts at the hotel. Search hotels after you pick the neighborhood.

Sit down once a day near that day's stops. Keep the rest as snacks.

Paris 3-day itinerary

3 days in Paris on foot. The plan moves through Landmarks, Landmarks, Museums and galleries, starting with Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, Champs-Élysées. No car.

Best for: A long weekend walking Paris.
Pace: Three full walking days.
Base: Landmarks
Estimated budget: $240–$840

Day-by-day plan

Follow the stops in order. Walk times are estimates between nearby places.

Day 1

Landmarks

Walk Landmarks in Paris. Start at Eiffel Tower, then Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and Champs-Élysées. Stay on foot.

Stop 1
Eiffel Tower
No other monument better symbolizes Paris.
Stop 2 · 23 min walk
Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
The Arc de Triomphe exudes grandeur and offers a central view of the city.
Stop 3 · 14 min walk
Champs-Élysées
Widely regarded to be one of the most recognizable avenues in the world
Stop 4 · 48 min walk
Notre Dame Cathedral
Impressive Gothic cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Stop 5 · 50 min walk
Sacré Coeur
A church perched on top of the highest point in Paris. Behind the church is the artists' area, in front are spectacular views of the whole city.
Stop 6 · 25 min walk
Opera Garnier
Masterpiece of theatre architecture of the 19th century built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 housing the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV.

Eat · Eat near Landmarks. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

Browse Paris tours

Day 2

Landmarks

Walk Landmarks in Paris. Start at Père-Lachaise Cemetery, then Sainte-Chapelle and The Louvre. Stay on foot.

Stop 1
Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Unlike any cemetery in the world. Ornate grave stones, monuments set among tree lined lanes. See the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Frédéric Chopin, among many others.
Stop 2 · 49 min walk
Sainte-Chapelle
Exquisite stained glass chapel. More beautiful interior than the gloomy Notre Dame Cathedral.
Stop 3 · 12 min walk
The Louvre
One of the finest museums in the world of art and culture. Home of the Mona Lisa and innumerable others. Enormous building and collection, plan at least two visits. .
Stop 4 · 9 min walk
Musée d'Orsay
Incredible collection housed in a former railway station. Works by the great artists of the 19th century (1848-1914) including Monet's "Blue Water Lilies, Renoir's "Bal du moulin de la Galette", van Gogh's "Bedroom in Arles", Whistler's "The Artists Mother", etc.
Stop 5 · 12 min walk
Rodin Museum
Collection and archives dedicated to the sculptor Auguste Rodin, in a charming home with garden.
Stop 6 · 46 min walk
Picasso Museum
Contains the master's own collection.

Eat · Eat near Landmarks. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

Day 3

Museums and galleries

Walk Museums and galleries in Paris. Start at Centre Georges Pompidou, then Les Invalides and Musée national du Moyen Âge. Stay on foot.

Stop 1
Centre Georges Pompidou
The museum of modern art. The building and adjoining Stravinsky Fountain are attractions in themselves. Closed for renovation until 2030.
Stop 2 · 40 min walk
Les Invalides
Very impressive museum of arms and armor from the Middle Ages to today. Also contains the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Stop 3 · 31 min walk
Musée national du Moyen Âge
A medieval museum exhibiting the five "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, housed in a part Roman, part medieval building.
Stop 4 · 20 min walk
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Showcasing eight centuries of French savoir-faire.
Stop 5 · 29 min walk
Carnavalet
Museum of Paris history; exhibitions are permanent and free. Renovated 2017–2021.
Stop 6 · 62 min walk
Cité des sciences et de l’industrie - La Villette
Science museum primarily for children.

Eat · Eat near Museums and galleries. Sit down once, keep the rest as snacks.

Where to stay

Sleep near the walking base. Pick an area, then search hotels by neighborhood.

Landmarks
Walking this plan
Base here if you want Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, Champs-Élysées on foot.
Museums and galleries
Walking this plan
Base here if you want The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Rodin Museum on foot.

Full where-to-stay guide →

Things to book

Tours and tickets that match this plan. Book anything that needs timed entry.

Budget

Rough mid-range spend for 3 days in Paris, excluding long-haul flights. Hotel nights drive most of the range.

Budget: about $240 (hostel/budget hotel, transit, street food)
Mid-range: about $420 (3★ hotel, sit-down meals, a tour or two)
Comfort: about $840 (nicer hotel, taxis, paid attractions)

Trip budget calculator →

Transportation

Get in

( ), is the primary airport. Colloquially known as Roissy Airport, it is north of the city and is used mainly for long haul flights. The airport consists of three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, connected by the CDGVAL people mover. It is connected to Paris by train, bus and taxi.

Get around

thumb|Navigo Easy Travel Card Paris has an excellent public transport system that spans every inch of the city. It is well-known for its Métro (short for Chemin de fer métropolitain, "Metropolitan Railway"), RER (short for Réseau Express Régional, "Regional Express Network,"), and Transilien rail networks. The Métro, RER and Transilien are complemented by a large network of trams and buses. Île-de-France Mobilités is the authority that controls and coordinates the different transport companies operating in the Île-de-France region, including Paris.

Optional alternatives

Add one if a walking day finishes early. Don’t stack them onto the same afternoon.

French Open
One of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments. It is scheduled for two weeks from the last Sunday in May. The event, on clay courts, features the world’s top-ranked tennis players.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain is a listed stop in this neighborhood.
Stade de France
France's national stadium has a capacity of 81,338, and hosts concerts and various events. Soccer clubs sometimes play here when their home stadium is unavailable.
Maison Européene de la Photographie
Important center for contemporary photography with a large exposition area having three or four major expositions per year dedicated to contemporary photography. Housed in an updated hôtel particulier built in 1706. There is a large library, auditorium and café. Their archive houses over twenty thousand works of art.
Better Paris Photos
Better Paris Photos offers instructional tours and workshops that combine hands-on learning of essential photographic techniques with guiding to, and commentary about, the most photogenic spots of Paris. Led by English-speaking photographers and instructors, these tours are open to all skill levels and interest.
Paris Opera
Paris Opera is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

Before you go

Questions

Do I need a car in Paris?: No for this plan. The days stay inside walking range, then local transit to XXX. thumb|Navigo Easy Travel Card Paris has an excellent public transport system that spans every inch of the city. It is well-known for its Métro (short for Chemin de fer métropolitain, "Metropolitan Railway"), RER (short for Réseau Express Régional, "Regional Express Network,"), and Transilien rail networks. The Métro, RER and Transilien are complemented by a large network of trams and buses. Île-de-France Mobilités is the authority that controls and coordinates the different transport companies operating in the Île-de-France region, including Paris.
Is 3 days enough?: Yes for the core around Landmarks. Switch to 5 days if you want a trip outside Paris.
Where should I stay?: Base near Landmarks so the first walking day starts at the hotel. Search hotels after you pick the neighborhood.
Where do I eat?: Sit down once a day near that day's stops. Keep the rest as snacks.

Other Paris trip lengths

Daily stops compiled from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), and Wikipedia. Updated 2026-10-06. Edited by Lina Varela.