Discover Paris

Paris Itinerary

A vacation in Paris will never be pretty as simple as a swift gaze at a small number of landmarks. Each neighborhood has its own riches, and you must be prepared to discover tempting scenes in this most fascinating of cities. Mentioned here are the focal areas on which to focus, depending on the duration of your visit. Remember that the duration of time spent seeing monuments- and museums particularly- is not something you can foresee with any firmness, nor would you want to. Just to see the city's larger museums, let alone its smaller ones, would most likely require an entire week.

3 day visit On your first day start at the center: the Ile de la Cite, inhabited for more than two thousand years ago and home to the church of Notre Dame. Take a cue from Victor Hugo and go up the 387 steps of one of its towers to enjoy spectacular views of the city. Then head several blocks over to wonder at the Saint Chapelle, a precious box of Gothic art glittering with hundreds of colored glass panels. When you finish visiting the near by Conciergerie, the last residence of Queen Marie-Antoinette, walk over the Pont Neuf, which spans the Seine, and turn left to reach the best museum in the world- the Louvre (remember its closes doors on Tuesday), home to the Winged Victory, the Venus de Milo, and the cynic, sarcastic smile of the Mona Lisa. After a prolonged visit, get out into a tranquil, green Tuileries Gardens, celebrated by the Impressionists, then turn west to the city's heart, the place de la Concorde. March through the park of the Champs-Élysées, heading over to the Seine and its Belle Epoque bridge- the Pont Alexandre III. On day two you're prepared to undertake picture-postcard Paris. Begin at the Eiffel Tower, then take in some culture at the Palais de Chaillot museums, or the close by Musee Guimet (for great Asian art) and the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (for modern art). At the place de l'Ama choose a ride on the Bateaux Mouches along the Seine. Head along avenue Montaigne- home to Dior and numerous other houses of fashion- over to the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. On the third day discover the Faubourg St-Honoré, Paris's famous center for luxury products, where first-class shopping, and two of Paris's most gorgeous metropolitan set pieces- the place Vendome and the Palais Royal- await. Carry on north for the Grand Boulevards, well-known for their sidewalk cafes, the impressive Opéra Garnier, and then enjoy a serene afternoon in the elegant and rich uptown quarter around the Parc Monceau, with a stop at the art-filled mansion of the Musée de Camondo.

5 day visit Stick to the three-day schedule above, and then on your fourth day start at the Musee d'Orsay which houses the most famous Impressionist paintings in the world. Pay your respects to Napoleon, at the nearby church of the Invalides, and then to the great sculptor Rodin, at the Musee Rodin, housed in one of the loveliest hotels particuliers in the city. Continue along the boulevard St-Germain to the charming place Furstenberg to visit Atelier Delacroix. South a few blocks is the Jardin du Luxembourg, ideal for a short break. End at Paris's astonishing Musee Nationale du Moyen-Age, which embraces Hotel de Cluny. On your fifth day start on the Ile St-Louis - the small island sitting next to the larger Ile de la Cite in the Seine. Although there are no main tourist attractions to see here, you'll find a pleasant neighborhood that has more than a feel of the time machine to it. Cross over the Seine to the Marais- one of the city's most venerable quarters, full of great Baroque and Rocco mansions, many of which have been converted to museums, such as the Musee Picasso. In close proximity is another attraction for modern-art lovers, the centre Beaubourg, while those who have more traditional tastes will enjoy the Musee Carnavalet, or Paris History Museum, and the brilliant 17th century square place Vosges.

7 day visit On your sixth day, visit Versailles to enjoy its huge park. On your seventh day wake up early and hurry to the Butte (mound) of Montmartre which graces a spectacular rise over the city. Get here to see the sun rise over the entire city from your bench on the place du Parvis, in front of the basilica of the Sacré-Coeur. Then make a short visit to the Musee de Montmartre. For your last afternoon, descend back down into the city to either see some of the city's museums (the Cognacq-Jay and the Maillol) or to explore Montparnasse. You can also spend your last day on excursion out to the grand chateau in Fontainebleau or the magnificent Gothic cathedral in Chartres.