Paris in 2 days Itinerary
Unsure what things to see in Paris in 2 days? I’ve got your back!
Perusing online forums, I’ve noticed lots of travellers only have a couple of days to spend in Paris as they make their way through the rest of France or using it as a commuting point for the rest of Europe. With this in mind, I’ve put together a 2 days in Paris itinerary to cover the many of the city’s greatest highlights!
Visual summary of my 2 Day Paris Itinerary
Day One - Greatest Hits
Start your morning the Parisian way - out the front of a cafe with a croissant, coffee and a bit of people watching. Or if you’re more of a sweet tooth - buy a sweet treat from a bakery or patisserie and take it with you to enjoy alongside our first big hit of the day - the Eiffel Tower! We’re limited on time so I don’t recommend going up - plus Paris views are better with the Eiffel Tower in them! But, do sit on the grass for a moment and get some photos from a few different, nearby viewpoints (across the river, side streets, bridges to the left and right - so many angles!).
Then make your way to the Arc du Triomphe. The Arc can be reached from the Eiffel Tower easily by foot or metro. Witnessing the monument up close and the craziness of the traffic around it is exciting enough on the ground, but you can go up for a nicer view. You can also pre-book entry tickets which makes things nice and easy when you’re in a time crunch.
Straight from the Arc du Triomphe you can make a beeline to the centre of Paris on the metro. Get off at Chatalet. Grab a prix-fixe lunch from a bistro one of Paris’s centre islands (or a baguette if on a budget). There’s a lot of sites in the centre of Paris to wander through, all lined up in a neat little row - Notre Dame, the Louvre & Tuileries Gardens, Place de la Concorde - tick, tick, tick.
Now before we go any further, I am indeed suggesting you DO NOT go into the Louvre! I get why everyone feels they should, but, honestly, there are so many galleries and museums that are full of impressive stuff without being crazy busy and overwhelming. For example, you could spend the rest of the afternoon visiting the Musée D’Orsay, or, add on the shockingly less popular but amazing Musée Rodin (this is smack-bang between our starting in point of the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde so could be done earlier or later).
As the sun sets, enjoy a walk along the Seine River and it’s many bridges (or loop back for the Eiffel Tower’s night lights). Organise a dinner cruise if thats your thing, but I think grabbing a few picnic essentials and sitting by the river bank is just as nice!
Day Two - ‘Real” Paris
Start your second day in the Marais. While this is hardly a “secret gem,” it is an area locals definitely frequent just as much as tourists as there’s so much to see and do. For example, visit the Place des Vosges (the most stately square in Paris, and featuring the home of Victor Hugo), Rue Des Rosiers for Jewish cuisine, the interesting and free Musée Carnavalet - with a picture perfect courtyard cafe - Fabula. But really, it’s an old and beautiful area (and filled with boutiques) so just explore.
After exploring the Marais, make your way to the start of the Canal St Martin by foot or by metro at République. This whole area is so cool and trendy and there is no shortage of great places to eat if you’re hungry too. To name drop just a few local food places - Plan D sandwiches, Miznon Israeli, Tien Hiang vegetarian. Walk your way up the canal, all the way to end of the Bassin de la Villette. You’ll see people hanging out by the canal sharing a wine or even playing pétanque. Have a rest by ending in the sprawling and local Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.
Again, to make the most of sunset, head over to Montmartre. Stroll the cobblestone streets the west of the imposing hilltop Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Head back to the steps of the church for an amazing sunset view and buskers. Chill here, or make your way down to trendy “So-Pi” aka South Pigalle for dinner and bars.
