{"id":7914,"date":"2026-10-25T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T07:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/what-to-do-paris"},"modified":"2026-10-25T08:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T07:00:12","slug":"what-to-do-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/what-to-do-paris","title":{"rendered":"What to Do in Paris: The Must-Sees and an Itinerary That Holds Together"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.sayna-article .quick,.sayna-article .tip{background:#f4f7fb;border-left:4px solid #467AFF;border-radius:8px;padding:14px 18px;margin:20px 0}.sayna-article .tip{background:#fff7ef;border-left-color:#ff7900}.sayna-article .h{font-weight:700;font-size:1.05em;margin-bottom:6px;color:#0a0a0b}.sayna-article table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:18px 0}.sayna-article th{background:#eef1f7;text-align:left;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:700;border-bottom:2px solid #dfe3ec}.sayna-article td{padding:10px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f7}.sayna-article .faq details{border-bottom:1px solid #e5e8ee;padding:4px 0}.sayna-article .faq summary{font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;padding:9px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box{background:#fff5ec;border:1px solid #ffd8b0;border-radius:12px;padding:22px;text-align:center;margin:26px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box a{display:inline-block;background:#ff7900;color:#fff;padding:12px 26px;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;margin-top:8px}<\/style>\n<div class=\"sayna-article\">\n<div class=\"quick\">\n<div class=\"h\">\u26a1 In short<\/div>\n<p>To <strong>visit Paris<\/strong> without wearing yourself out, plan two or three big sites a day and link them on foot. The <strong>Paris Museum Pass<\/strong> pays off from three or four museums. The <strong>Louvre<\/strong> is best done by targeting three or four wings, not a whole day, and you must book a timed slot even with the pass. Three days cover the must-sees: one historic axis, the Left Bank, then the Paris of Parisians.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\"><span class=\"h\">Stay connected on arrival<\/span> Set up your <a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/france\">eSIM for France<\/a> before you go: 100% online activation, no physical SIM to swap.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Table of contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<div class=\"h\">Contents<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#areas\">The neighbourhoods and how to chain them<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#monuments\">The monuments worth the detour<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#louvre\">The Louvre without losing the day<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#stay\">Where to stay, and where to avoid<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#scams\">The scams to know<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#when\">When to come, and for how long<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#itinerary\">3-day itinerary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#getaround\">Getting around and staying connected<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>The first mistake when visiting Paris is trying to do everything. You tick the Eiffel Tower in the morning, the Louvre at midday, Montmartre in the afternoon, and end up wiped out without really seeing anything. Paris is best savoured on foot, by neighbourhood, accepting that you will leave half the list aside.<\/p>\n<p>Here is how to organise a visit that holds together: the neighbourhoods to chain cleverly, the monuments that earn their price, the right use of the Museum Pass, the tourist traps, and a three-day itinerary we have actually tested.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"areas\">The neighbourhoods and how to chain them<\/h2>\n<p>Good news: Paris is small. The historic centre fits in a handkerchief, and walking from one neighbourhood to the next rarely takes more than twenty minutes. The trick is to group your visits by arrondissement rather than zigzag across the whole city.<\/p>\n<p>The tourist core clusters around the \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9, the Louvre and the Marais, on the Right Bank. The Left Bank gathers the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain and the Eiffel Tower area. These two blocks take two days, on foot, stopping in cafes along the way.<\/p>\n<p>For the third day, leave the postcard. The <strong>Canal Saint-Martin<\/strong>, <strong>Belleville<\/strong> and the <strong>Buttes-Chaumont<\/strong> give a Paris where people actually live: cheaper terraces, markets, hilly parks. That is where you understand why Parisians stay in Paris.<\/p>\n<p>A marker that helps you place yourself: the Seine splits Paris into the Right Bank (north, livelier and more commercial) and the Left Bank (south, more student and cultural). The arrondissements spiral out from the Louvre, the 1st, to the 20th in the east. The higher the number, the further from the tourist centre. Staying between the 1st and the 7th keeps you within walking distance of almost everything.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"monuments\">The monuments worth the detour<\/h2>\n<p>Not all monuments are equal, and some cost a lot for what they offer. Here are the ones we recommend, with 2026 prices and the hours that matter.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Notre-Dame de Paris<\/strong>: reopened in December 2024 after the fire, entry is <strong>free<\/strong>. The cathedral now draws close to <strong>35,000 visitors a day<\/strong>. Without a booking, the wait quickly hits 30 minutes to an hour on weekends and public holidays. Book a free slot on resa.notredamedeparis.fr, it opens 2 to 3 days ahead.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sainte-Chapelle<\/strong>: \u20ac13, and probably the best emotion-for-price in Paris. Its 13th-century stained glass is worth the look on a clear day, late morning when the light comes through.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Arc de Triomphe<\/strong>: \u20ac16 to climb to the terrace. The view over the twelve star-shaped avenues justifies the climb, especially at sunset. Access via the underground passage, never by crossing the roundabout.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mus\u00e9e d&#8217;Orsay<\/strong>: \u20ac16 to \u20ac18, the impressionist must-see. Note, it is <strong>closed on Monday<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eiffel Tower<\/strong>: separate ticket, around <strong>\u20ac36.70<\/strong> for the summit by lift, against <strong>\u20ac14.80<\/strong> by the stairs to the 2nd floor. Importantly, it is <strong>not included in the Museum Pass<\/strong>. Many visitors prefer to photograph it from the Trocad\u00e9ro or the Champ-de-Mars rather than pay to go up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Paris Museum Pass, really useful?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, provided you string visits together. The pass comes in three formats: <strong>\u20ac85 for 2 days, \u20ac105 for 4 days, \u20ac125 for 6 days<\/strong>. It pays off from three or four major sites. Do the maths: the Louvre, Orsay, the Arc de Triomphe and Sainte-Chapelle together already top \u20ac85, and you cut part of the queues.<\/p>\n<p>Two honest caveats. The Eiffel Tower is not in it, and even with the pass you must book a slot at the Louvre. And a detail that trips people up: the pass days are <strong>consecutive calendar days<\/strong>, not 24-hour slices. A 2-day pass activated at 3pm on Monday expires at closing on Tuesday, not Wednesday. So activate it in the morning to get the most from it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"louvre\">The Louvre without losing the day<\/h2>\n<p>The Louvre is huge, and that is exactly the trap. Wanting to see everything guarantees leaving exhausted with nothing retained. Target three or four wings, no more, and set a route before you go in.<\/p>\n<p>On price, entry rose to <strong>\u20ac22 for visitors from the European Economic Area and \u20ac32 for non-European visitors<\/strong> on 14 January 2026. Entry stays free for under-18s and EU residents under 26. In every case, <strong>booking a timed slot is compulsory and free<\/strong>, even if you have the Museum Pass. Without a slot, you are turned away at the door.<\/p>\n<p>The detail that changes the day: the pyramid is not the only entrance, and it is the most clogged. Favour access via the <strong>Porte des Lions<\/strong> or the <strong>Carrousel du Louvre<\/strong> (the underground shopping mall), where the queue is far shorter. And note it well, the Louvre is <strong>closed on Tuesday<\/strong>. That day, the crowd shifts to Orsay and Versailles, so it is best to avoid those on Tuesday too.<\/p>\n<p>For a first visit, three targets are enough: the <strong>Mona Lisa<\/strong> and the Italian paintings on the first floor of the Denon wing, the <strong>Venus de Milo<\/strong> and the Greek antiquities, and the <strong>Galerie d&#8217;Apollon<\/strong> with the Crown Jewels. Allow two full hours, and keep energy for the rest of the day. The Louvre is also open late on Wednesday and Friday until 9.45pm, a far calmer slot than mid-afternoon.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stay\">Where to stay, and where to avoid<\/h2>\n<p>The neighbourhood where you sleep matters almost as much as your programme. Well placed, you walk home in the evening and save on journeys.<\/p>\n<p>Our favourite areas: the <strong>Marais (4th)<\/strong>, central, lively, full of small streets; the <strong>Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain (5th and 6th)<\/strong>, perfect for the Left Bank; and the <strong>7th<\/strong>, calmer and smart, a step from the Eiffel Tower and Orsay.<\/p>\n<p>The classic mistake is booking near the <strong>Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es<\/strong> because the name reassures. The area is expensive, noisy, and actually quite far from the real living neighbourhoods. You pay for the address, not the experience. Two other traps: <strong>Pigalle and around the Gare du Nord<\/strong>, handy on paper but less pleasant at night, and the hotels glued to the Eiffel Tower, overpriced for what they offer. If the budget is tight, look at the <strong>11th and 12th<\/strong>: well connected, lively, and 20 to 30% cheaper than the tourist core.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"scams\">The scams to know<\/h2>\n<p>Paris is not dangerous, but a few scams target tourists at the same spots, year after year. Knowing them is enough to defuse them.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Sacr\u00e9-C\u0153ur bracelet<\/strong>: on the Montmartre steps, men tie a thread to your wrist &#8220;as a gift&#8221;, then demand money. Keep your hands in your pockets and do not hold out your arm.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The &#8220;deaf-mute&#8221; petition<\/strong>: you are handed a sheet to sign for a fake cause, long enough to search your bag or demand a donation. A classic around the museums.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The shell game<\/strong>: three cups or three cards, on the Seine quays and at the foot of Montmartre. It is rigged, you always lose. The &#8220;winners&#8221; around are accomplices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The &#8220;found&#8221; gold ring<\/strong> at your feet, which a stranger offers you to buy, and the <strong>fake waiter<\/strong> who adds drinks to the bill on a very touristy terrace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On pickpocketing, two areas come up in every account: <strong>metro line 1<\/strong> between \u00c9toile and Ch\u00e2telet, and the <strong>RER B<\/strong> linking the airport to the centre, where families loaded with suitcases get targeted as they step off. The useful reflex: bag closed and in front of you in crowded carriages, phone never left on a terrace table. If you arrive from the airport with luggage, a taxi or ride-hail is well worth the extra cost. General rule: if someone approaches to offer you something for free in a tourist spot, it is rarely free.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"when\">When to come, and for how long<\/h2>\n<p>The best window comes in two blocks: <strong>April to June<\/strong> and <strong>September to October<\/strong>. You get mild weather, pleasant terraces and reasonable crowds. July and August are hot and very touristy, with part of the Parisians away on holiday, which shuts many neighbourhood shops and good tables.<\/p>\n<p>Winter has its merits if you come mainly for the museums: little queuing, low raking light on the stone, and the festive mood from late November. The downside is short days, with night falling around 5pm in December. On duration, three full days cover the must-sees without rushing. Four to five days open the door to Versailles and one or two more museums. In just two days, you have to choose from the start.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"itinerary\">3-day itinerary, tested on the ground<\/h2>\n<p>Here is a realistic programme, calibrated to see the essentials without rushing. It alternates big sites in the morning (before the crowd) and strolling in the afternoon.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Day<\/th>\n<th>Morning<\/th>\n<th>Afternoon<\/th>\n<th>Evening<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Day 1<\/strong><br \/>Historic core<\/td>\n<td>\u00cele de la Cit\u00e9, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle<\/td>\n<td>Louvre (booked slot, 3-4 wings)<\/td>\n<td>Dinner and stroll in the Marais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Day 2<\/strong><br \/>Left Bank &amp; west<\/td>\n<td>Eiffel Tower and Trocad\u00e9ro early<\/td>\n<td>Mus\u00e9e d&#8217;Orsay, then the Latin Quarter<\/td>\n<td>Aperitif in Saint-Germain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Day 3<\/strong><br \/>Local Paris<\/td>\n<td>Montmartre at opening (before the crowd)<\/td>\n<td>Canal Saint-Martin, Belleville, Buttes-Chaumont<\/td>\n<td>Neighbourhood bistro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>A firm view on <strong>Montmartre<\/strong>: the Place du Tertre and its portrait artists are overrated in high season, packed and touristy. The neighbourhood keeps its charm if you go up early in the morning, before 9am, when the lanes are still quiet and the light is good. And if you have a fourth day, it is the right time for <strong>Versailles<\/strong>: 45 minutes on the RER C, the chateau closed on Monday, and grounds so vast they fill a whole day.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"getaround\">Getting around and staying connected<\/h2>\n<p>Paris is above all a walking city. For longer distances, the metro is still unbeatable, but how it works has changed. The <strong>paper ticket carnet is gone<\/strong>: there is now a single metro\/RER ticket at <strong>\u20ac2.55<\/strong> across the whole Paris region, and everything is handled on mobile.<\/p>\n<p>For a stay, two practical options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Navigo Day at \u20ac12.30<\/strong>: unlimited for the day, the smart buy if you take the metro more than five times.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Navigo Libert\u00e9+<\/strong>: each journey charged at month end, handy for moderate use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Navigo Week at \u20ac32.40<\/strong>: worth it beyond four full days (it runs Monday to Sunday, not a rolling 7 days).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The point that surprises many visitors: everything now goes through the phone. The <strong>Bonjour RATP<\/strong> app sells tickets and plans routes in real time, the Navigo goes digital on mobile, and museum skip-the-line QR codes show on screen. You book your museum slots online, you navigate with Citymapper, you scan your ticket at the gate. Without a connection from arrival, you are quickly stuck.<\/p>\n<p>That is why we suggest arriving already connected. Rather than hunting for a shop at the airport, activate a <a class=\"cta-inline\" href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/france\">eSIM for France<\/a> before you leave: you scan the QR code emailed to you, and you have internet on the 4G\/5G network the moment you land at Roissy or Orly. Enough to book, navigate and pay for your journeys without stress. For the details by country of origin, our France SIM card guide compares every option.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"h\">\ud83d\udca1 Worth remembering: visiting Paris smartly<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Two or three big sites a day, the rest on foot. Do not try to do everything.<\/li>\n<li>Museum Pass pays off from 3-4 museums (\u20ac85 for 2 days), but without the Eiffel Tower, and in calendar days.<\/li>\n<li>Louvre: slot compulsory even with the pass, closed Tuesday, enter via Porte des Lions or Carrousel.<\/li>\n<li>Stay in the Marais, the Latin Quarter or the 7th. Avoid the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es.<\/li>\n<li>Everything goes through mobile: tickets, museum slots, skip-the-line QR. Arrive connected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>With Orange, the service of <strong>more than 300 million customers<\/strong>, you travel with peace of mind: <strong>200+ destinations<\/strong> covered, human support <strong>24\/7<\/strong>, and <strong>100% refunded<\/strong> if you do not use your eSIM.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-box\">\n<p>Ready to arrive in Paris already connected?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/france\">Discover the France eSIM from Orange Travel<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<section aria-label=\"Frequently asked questions\" class=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>What to do in Paris in 3 days?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Day 1, the historic axis: Ile de la Cite, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre in the afternoon, the Marais in the evening. Day 2, the Left Bank: Eiffel Tower, Trocadero, Orsay, Latin Quarter. Day 3, the Paris of Parisians: Canal Saint-Martin, Belleville, Buttes-Chaumont, and Montmartre early. Two or three big sites a day, no more.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How many days to visit Paris?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Three full days cover the must-sees without rushing. With four or five days, you add Versailles, one or two museums and time to stroll. In two days, you have to choose: a historic axis on day one, the Eiffel Tower and a museum on day two.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes from three or four major sites. The pass costs \u20ac85 (2 days), \u20ac105 (4 days) or \u20ac125 (6 days). The Louvre, Orsay, Arc de Triomphe and Sainte-Chapelle together already top the pass price, and you save on queuing. Note: the Eiffel Tower is not included, and you must book a slot at the Louvre even with the pass.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>When should I visit Paris?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">April to June and September to October give the best balance of weather and crowds. July and August are hot and very touristy, with neighbourhood shops closed. Winter is quiet for museums, but the days are short.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How do I stay connected in Paris?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Everything goes through mobile: the paper ticket is gone, the metro is paid via the Bonjour RATP app or a digital Navigo, museum slots are booked online, and skip-the-line QR codes show on screen. A data eSIM activated before you leave gives you internet from the airport.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":7913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"What to Do in Paris: Must-Sees + 3-Day Itinerary | Orange Travel","_seopress_titles_desc":"What to do in Paris: must-see monuments with 2026 prices, the Louvre done right, where to stay, the scams to know and a tested 3-day itinerary.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/what-to-do-paris","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-turism","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":7914,"fr":7912,"es":7916},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7914"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7918,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7914\/revisions\/7918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}