Plan Paris by arrondissement

Paris punishes random routing more than most cities. The Métro is excellent, but bouncing from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre to the Marais and back wastes hours and energy. A strong five-day plan groups sights that share a neighborhood and keeps each day geographically honest.

The other rule: book the big-ticket sites ahead. The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs all sell timed slots, and walking up without one is how a day evaporates in a queue.

Day 1: Islands and the Marais

Start on the Île de la Cité with Sainte-Chapelle and the exterior of Notre-Dame, then cross into the Marais for lunch, the Place des Vosges and slow window-shopping. It's a gentle first day that orients you in the historic core without a heavy museum commitment.

Day 2: Louvre and Tuileries

Give a full morning to the Louvre — pick three or four wings and ignore the rest, or you'll burn out. Walk it off through the Tuileries to Place de la Concorde, then up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe for late-afternoon light.

Day 3: Eiffel Tower and the 7th

Book a morning slot at the Eiffel Tower or view it from the Trocadéro and skip the climb. Pair it with the Musée d'Orsay (the best Impressionist collection in the world) and a quiet lunch in the 7th. Don't add Montmartre today — it's the opposite side of the city.

Day 4: Montmartre and the north

Spend a half-day in Montmartre: Sacré-Cœur, the back streets behind the tourist square, and the views over the city. Keep the afternoon flexible — Canal Saint-Martin is an easy, less touristy continuation.

Day 5: your Paris

Use the final day for whatever defined the trip for you: the Latin Quarter and a long café morning, the Musée Rodin or l'Orangerie, or a relaxed return to the neighborhood you liked most. The smartest last day in Paris is rarely a new monument.

For another city that rewards district-based planning, see the Tokyo itinerary. For a sunnier European trip, compare the Barcelona itinerary.