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10 days in Paris for a first visit

The longer route spreads art across focused museum visits and makes room for canals and large green spaces. Two excursions reveal different royal settings, while the final eastern days avoid retracing the central monument circuit.

10 daysFirst-time visitorsBalanced paceMid-range
Day 1

Palais-Royal, the Louvre and Tuileries

Start with an unticketed garden, build the day around one substantial museum visit, then recover outdoors. This is the day to move if your calendar says Tuesday.

Palais-Royal → Louvre → Tuileries; roughly 30–40 minutes of connecting walks in total, plus substantial walking inside the museum.
Open day route
Morning9:30 AM

Domaine national du Palais-Royal

8 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France

Begin in the gardens and arcades instead of starting the trip in a ticket queue. Keep this a short orientation walk: notice the contrast between the enclosed garden and the larger palace surroundings, then leave enough time to find the Louvre entrance stated on your ticket. Breakfast should come before this stop rather than consume the museum arrival buffer.

Time
45 minutes
Cost
Free garden admission
Hours
Opens at 8 AM; seasonal evening closing times Visitor information

Worth knowing: The official address is the Montpensier entrance. Garden access is free, so this is an easy stop to shorten if transport or breakfast runs late.

Morning11:00 AM

Musée du Louvre

Cour Napoléon, Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France

Choose two or three areas before entering rather than attempting every wing. A small list of priorities, a museum map and a willingness to skip a congested room make this much more manageable. Three hours is a suggested visit length, not enough to see the whole collection. Leave the rest of the afternoon unbooked so a slow entrance does not create another missed reservation.

Time
3 hours
Cost
Paid; age and residency affect admission
Hours
Closed Tuesdays; timed booking recommended Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 15–20 minutes walking, then the entry buffer on your ticket

Worth knowing: Book even if eligible for free entry. The Louvre does not allow re-entry after leaving, so decide about food, toilets and your final gallery before exiting.

Afternoon3:30 PM

Jardin des Tuileries

Jardin des Tuileries, Place du Carrousel, 75001 Paris, France

Follow the garden west at whatever pace still feels pleasant after the museum. This is a recovery stop with room for a chair, a drink and a view along the formal paths, not another attraction checklist. Lunch is deliberately outside the timed museum block. If the weather is poor, take a longer seated meal and shorten the garden instead of forcing an exposed walk.

Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Cost
Free garden admission; refreshments extra
Hours
Daytime visit; garden closing times vary seasonally Visitor information

From the previous stop: About 15–20 minutes walking; lunch fits before this stop

Worth knowing: Temporary events can change routes or access within the garden. Follow posted gates and opening notices rather than assuming every path stays open until sunset.

Day 2

Island churches and a Left Bank afternoon

Pair two very different religious interiors on Île de la Cité, then leave the busiest island streets for lunch and a garden. Services, security and entry lines can move the suggested times.

Sainte-Chapelle → Notre-Dame → Luxembourg Garden; allow roughly 40–50 minutes of connecting walks, broken up by lunch.
Open day route
Morning9:30 AM

Sainte-Chapelle

10 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris, France

Make the stained-glass chapel the first booking of the day and arrive according to its entry instructions. Spend time looking closely in the upper chapel rather than treating it as a quick photograph. The time allowance includes an entry buffer, but a busy security line may still lengthen the visit. The Conciergerie is nearby, yet adding it requires cutting another stop or using a longer day.

Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Cost
Paid timed entry; check eligibility
Hours
Opens at 9 AM; seasonal closing time and holiday closures Visitor information

Worth knowing: Carry a small day bag. The official visitor rules restrict bulky luggage and certain objects; a ticket does not remove security screening or guarantee immediate entry.

Morning11:30 AM

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

6 Parvis Notre-Dame, Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France

Continue to the cathedral for its interior if entry is practical, or appreciate the exterior if the queue or a service makes that unsuitable. An optional reservation can help, but this is still a working place of worship. Keep voices low and follow the visitor route. Do not add the towers or treasury without extra time and their separate admission arrangements.

Time
1 hour
Cost
Cathedral interior free; separate visits may cost extra
Hours
Daily worship and visiting; check celebrations and access notices Visitor information

From the previous stop: About 10 minutes walking, plus the cathedral entry queue

Worth knowing: Do not pay a reseller for basic cathedral admission. The official site issues free reservations, with availability close to the visit rather than a dependable long-range booking window.

Afternoon2:30 PM

Jardin du Luxembourg

Rue de Médicis entrance, Jardin du Luxembourg, 75006 Paris, France

Walk through the Latin Quarter after lunch and use the Médicis side to enter the garden. Choose the fountain, central basin and a place to sit rather than making a circuit of every corner. The generous gap between stops allows for cathedral delays without sacrificing lunch. Families can adapt the afternoon around available children's activities, but those are separate from the free garden visit.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Free garden admission; activities and refreshments extra
Hours
Seasonal gate hours; check the date-specific schedule Visitor information

From the previous stop: About 25–30 minutes walking; allow a separate lunch break en route

Worth knowing: Opening and closing times change through the year. Respect lawn restrictions and leave through an open gate before closing announcements begin; this is not an all-night park.

Day 3

Orsay to the Eiffel Tower

Follow the Left Bank west with two focused indoor visits and a final landmark view. Keep this day off Monday for Orsay and extend the evening only if you have a tower ticket.

Musée d'Orsay → Invalides → Eiffel Tower; about 50–65 minutes of connecting walks, with taxis or buses as alternatives.
Open day route
Morning9:30 AM

Musée d'Orsay

Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris, France

Use the former station as the setting for a focused art morning. Decide whether paintings, sculpture or the architecture matter most, then spend your energy there. The visit finishes around noon, leaving a genuine lunch break before Invalides. If you would rather have only one major art museum on the trip, extend the Louvre day and replace this morning with an unhurried neighborhood walk.

Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Cost
Paid admission; concessions available
Hours
Opens at 9:30 AM; closed Mondays Visitor information

Worth knowing: Check the official booking instructions for your admission category. A pass or free-entry entitlement can still require a reservation, and special exhibitions may have separate conditions.

Afternoon2:00 PM

Musée de l'Armée at Les Invalides

129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France

Choose the dome and one section of the museum instead of trying to cover the whole complex. This gives a different historical perspective after two art museums and keeps the afternoon contained. If military history is not of interest, make this a shorter exterior visit and move the saved time to the Eiffel Tower area. An exterior stop does not include access to Napoleon's tomb.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Paid museum admission
Hours
Museum advertises 10 AM–6 PM; check exceptional closures Visitor information

From the previous stop: About 25–30 minutes walking, with lunch before arrival

Worth knowing: Use the museum's visitor entrance and check which collections your ticket covers. Security, stairs and the size of the complex make a rushed half-hour interior visit unrealistic.

Evening5:00 PM

Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars viewpoint

5 Avenue Anatole France, Champ de Mars, 75007 Paris, France

Finish with a ground-level view from the Champ de Mars side and decide whether to stay nearby for dinner. The listed ninety minutes is for an exterior visit, not a promise that an ascent fits into that time. For a booked climb or lift visit, replace this block with your entry slot and allow additional queue and descent time. Sunset varies with the season, so five o'clock is not automatically a sunset booking.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Exterior view free; tower ascent separately ticketed
Hours
Exterior-view plan; follow the dated ticket for any ascent Visitor information

From the previous stop: About 25–35 minutes walking; allow longer for photographs and crossings

Worth knowing: Tower security and weather can affect access, including the summit. Buy only the level and access method you want, and keep the evening flexible if an ascent is essential.

Day 4

Versailles as a full estate day

Book the morning palace slot, eat before walking to Trianon and keep the garden route selective.

Paris → Versailles Palace → Trianon → gardens → Paris.
Open day route
Morning09:00

Palace of Versailles

Place d'Armes, Versailles 78000, France

Explore the principal royal apartments and historical displays, leaving time for security and crowded rooms rather than rushing the interior.

Time
3 hours
Cost
Paid timed admission
Hours
Normally closed Monday; reserve the palace entry time. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Allow 75–105 minutes from your Paris base before the booked entry.

Midday13:30

Estate of Trianon

Domaine de Trianon, Versailles 78000, France

Choose a focused route through the smaller royal residences and their grounds, contrasting them with the palace's ceremonial scale.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Paid; check ticket coverage
Hours
Normally opens at noon Tuesday–Sunday. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 30–45 minutes on foot or estate transport, plus lunch.

Worth knowing: Check your pass includes the estate and choose which residence to prioritize.

Afternoon16:00

Gardens of Versailles

Jardins du Château de Versailles, Versailles 78000, France

Follow a selected axis and grove circuit on the way toward the exit, with time to pause rather than attempting every part of the landscape.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Seasonal charges and show tickets
Hours
Check garden gates, seasonal closing and fountain schedules. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 20–30 minutes from the Trianon area; leave station time afterward.

Worth knowing: A garden ticket does not mean fountains run continuously.

Day 5

Montmartre's art and lived-in streets

Begin with the museum before the busiest hilltop period, then slow down for lunch and the neighborhood.

Musée de Montmartre → Sacré-Cœur → village streets.
Open day route
Morning10:00

Musée de Montmartre

12 Rue Cortot, Paris 75018, France

Explore the artistic history of the hill through the museum and garden setting, adding context before the crowded public squares.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Paid
Hours
Check special early closures and current exhibitions. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Travel light; the museum says it has no luggage room.

Midday12:00

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, Paris 75018, France

Visit the basilica quietly and spend time understanding the interior; a dome climb is optional and not built into this one-hour stop.

Time
1 hour
Cost
Basilica entry free; dome separate
Hours
Active worship site; check sightseeing and dome access separately. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Walk 10–15 minutes, allowing time for the entrance queue.

Worth knowing: Follow silence and photography rules and avoid interrupting services.

Afternoon14:00

Montmartre village walk and lunch

Place des Abbesses, Paris 75018, France

Explore the lower village streets around Abbesses after lunch, choosing a few quieter lanes instead of circling the busiest artist square.

Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Cost
Free walk; lunch extra
Hours
Public streets; individual businesses have their own hours. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 15–25 minutes downhill; the stop includes a seated meal.

Worth knowing: Use the funicular or a suitable downhill route if steps are difficult.

Day 6

The Marais through history, art and literature

Choose a day when all three museums open and keep lunch between the larger collections.

Carnavalet → Picasso Museum → Maison de Victor Hugo.
Open day route
Morning10:00

Musée Carnavalet

23 Rue de Sévigné, Paris 75003, France

Choose periods of Parisian history that interest you and use the historic rooms to connect objects with changes in city life.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Free permanent collection; exhibitions extra
Hours
Normally closed Monday; check temporary gallery closures. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Pick a few eras instead of trying to read every label.

Midday13:30

Musée national Picasso-Paris

5 Rue de Thorigny, Paris 75003, France

Spend a focused afternoon with the displayed Picasso works and the mansion setting, rather than assuming a fixed list of masterpieces is always on view.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Paid
Hours
Check opening day and available admission slots. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Walk 10–15 minutes; the gap protects a proper lunch.

Worth knowing: Check the current exhibition before deciding which ticket to buy.

Afternoon16:00

Maison de Victor Hugo

6 Place des Vosges, Paris 75004, France

Visit the writer's former apartment for a smaller-scale literary finish, giving its rooms and interpretation attention after the two larger museums.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Free permanent apartment; exhibitions may cost
Hours
Check Monday closure and last admission. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Walk 15–20 minutes through the Marais.

Worth knowing: Make sure you select the Paris house, not the Guernsey property.

Day 7

Fontainebleau and the painters of Barbizon

Arrange a car or driver and choose a non-Tuesday date, with a lunch break between palace and gardens.

Paris → Fontainebleau → Barbizon → Paris.
Open day route
Morning10:00

Château de Fontainebleau

Place du Général de Gaulle, Fontainebleau 77300, France

Explore a selected route through the royal and imperial apartments, comparing their layered history with the earlier Versailles visit.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Paid
Hours
Normally closed Tuesday; check exceptional closures and included rooms. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Allow 90–120 minutes from Paris and choose the general visit, not an assumed special tour.

Midday13:00

Fontainebleau palace gardens

Grand Parterre, Château de Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau 77300, France

Take a substantial garden circuit after lunch, selecting the formal landscape and waterside paths rather than a distant forest hike.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Check current garden access
Hours
Garden gates and seasonal hours differ from palace interiors. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Walk 5–15 minutes after a separate lunch near the palace.

Worth knowing: Finish near your agreed pickup point so the onward journey stays simple.

Afternoon15:30

Musée départemental des peintres de Barbizon

92 Grande Rue, Barbizon 77630, France

See the artists' village through its museum and historic inn setting, connecting landscape painting with the nearby forest environment.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Paid
Hours
Check weekly closure, afternoon opening and last entry. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Drive approximately 20–35 minutes, with parking and entry buffer.

Worth knowing: Allow 90–120 minutes for the return to Paris after the visit.

Day 8

Sculpture, fine art and the western skyline

Keep two focused museum visits and use metro for the final monument rather than adding a long avenue walk.

Rodin Museum → Petit Palais → Arc de Triomphe.
Open first stop
Morning10:00

Musée Rodin

77 Rue de Varenne, Paris 75007, France

Pair the sculpture displays with the garden setting, allowing time to compare works indoors and outside rather than collecting quick photographs.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Paid
Hours
Normally closed Monday; check garden and room access. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Choose the ticket that includes the spaces you want to see.

Midday13:30

Petit Palais

Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 75008, France

Select part of the city's fine-art collection in its grand exhibition building, leaving time for the architecture as well as the paintings.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Free collection; exhibitions extra
Hours
Normally closed Monday; check exhibition slots. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 25–35 minutes walking or by bus, with lunch before entry.

Worth knowing: Use the permanent collection if a temporary exhibition is sold out.

Afternoon16:00

Arc de Triomphe

Place Charles de Gaulle, Paris 75008, France

Visit the monument and, if suitable, its terrace for the radiating avenues and a wider understanding of the city's planned western axis.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Paid terrace; ground memorial separate
Hours
Check ceremony restrictions, weather and last admission. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 20–30 minutes by metro and walking, including station access.

Worth knowing: Use the pedestrian underpass; never cross the traffic circle.

Day 9

Eastern Paris: memory, light and a canal walk

Visit the cemetery respectfully, then leave a lunch buffer before a booked digital-art session.

Père-Lachaise → Atelier des Lumières → Canal Saint-Martin.
Open first stop
Morning10:00

Père-Lachaise Cemetery

16 Rue du Repos, Paris 75020, France

Follow a modest, preplanned route through this active cemetery, giving families and ceremonies priority over sightseeing and photography.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Free
Hours
Check seasonal gates and severe-weather closures. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Download the municipal map and avoid blocking graves or funeral routes.

Midday13:30

Atelier des Lumières

38 Rue Saint-Maur, Paris 75011, France

Experience the currently programmed projected-art show as a different format from the trip's museum collections, with time to sit if needed.

Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Cost
Paid timed session
Hours
Book the current program; session schedules change. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 20–30 minutes on foot or local transit, plus lunch.

Worth knowing: Review sound and flashing-image suitability before booking.

Afternoon15:30

Canal Saint-Martin

Quai de Jemmapes, Paris 75010, France

Walk a selected canal section past bridges and locks, pausing at a cafe rather than trying to cover the entire waterway to La Villette.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Free walk; refreshments extra
Hours
Outdoor public route; use daylight and follow works diversions. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 25–40 minutes by walking or local transit.

Worth knowing: Keep a safe distance from the water's edge and working locks.

Day 10

Vincennes: fortress, botany and lakeside paths

Use the metro east and keep the afternoon outdoors, shortening it if weather or daylight is poor.

Château de Vincennes → Parc Floral → Lac Daumesnil.
Open first stop
Morning10:00

Château de Vincennes

Avenue de Paris, Vincennes 94300, France

Explore the medieval royal fortress and available interiors for a very different defensive setting from the ornate palace excursions.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Paid monument access
Hours
Check keep and chapel access independently. Visitor information

Worth knowing: Ask about stairs and accessible routes before choosing the keep visit.

Midday13:00

Parc Floral de Paris

Route de la Pyramide, Paris 75012, France

Spend time in the botanical displays and landscaped paths, including a picnic or cafe break instead of simply passing through the park.

Time
2 hours
Cost
Seasonal admission; events may differ
Hours
Check seasonal gates and event-related charges. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Walk 15–20 minutes; the duration includes lunch.

Worth knowing: Check whether a concert changes admission on your chosen day.

Afternoon16:00

Lac Daumesnil

Route de Ceinture du Lac Daumesnil, Paris 75012, France

Choose a lakeside circuit in the western Bois de Vincennes, finishing near the Porte Dorée side for an easier metro return.

Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cost
Free walk; boat rental extra
Hours
Use daylight; boating is optional and seasonal. Visitor information

From the previous stop: Allow 40–55 minutes walking or 25–40 minutes with local bus connections.

Worth knowing: This is a shore walk, not a swimming stop.

Before you decide

Questions about this trip

Must I rent a car for all ten days?

No. Only the Fontainebleau–Barbizon day assumes a car or driver. Keeping a car in Paris otherwise adds little value.

Why so many museum days?

They are grouped by district and subject. If art is not a priority, replace a full museum block rather than reducing every visit to a rushed photograph.

Can the green-space days work in winter?

Yes with earlier finishes and suitable weather. Gardens have seasonal gates; move outdoor walks forward and keep them shorter.

Official visitor information

Use these operator and visitor pages to confirm tickets, opening times and access for your dates. Details checked .

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