You could spend months in Paris and still not see or experience everything the city has to offer. But you can also have a memorable Parisian experience in a day. And take it from me, a day in Paris is better than no day in Paris.
I say this as someone who’s getting accustomed to spending long layovers wandering around the city eating croissants and sipping espresso. The keys to experiencing Paris in a day are managing your expectations and choosing your priorities wisely. There really is only so much you can fit into 24 hours.
If it’s your first trip to Paris, start with the Louvre. See the Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Italian Renaissance masterpieces that line the Grande Gallery’s walls. Pop into Notre Dame Cathedral, then stroll along the Seine River.
Instead of heading to the top of the Eiffel Tower, go to the Champ de Mars gardens at its base for an evening picnic. The Eiffel Tower lights up every hour on the hour for three minutes after dark.
If you do want to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower, buy your tickets in advance. If you plan it right, you can visit both the Eiffel Tower observation deck and the Louvre in a day. Save Notre Dame for your next trip to avoid feeling rushed.
If you’ve already been to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame, take a sidecar tour of the city and wander around Montmartre, the hilltop arrondissement defined by the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Montmartre can get busy on weekends, but it’s a great time to visit if you want to shop from the local artists that set up shop here.
This is the neighborhood where the 2001 movie Amelie was set. I find it most charming during the week when it’s quieter and I can aimlessly wander winding cobblestone streets shopping for accessories or enjoying the sunshine outside a cute cafe.
Whenever you go, check out the Wall of Love, a collection of 612 enamel tiles that say ‘I love you’ in 250 languages, and the Moulin Rouge, a famous cabaret that’s been around since the late 1800s.
You could spend your day museum-hopping with visits to Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie, Hôtel de la Marine, Musée Rodin, Bourse du Commerce or Centre Pompidou. In the evening, take a stroll along the Champs Elysees and check out the Arc de Triomphe.
In case you’re wondering, it is possible to go inside the arch where you’ll find a small exhibit with more information about its construction and history. There’s also a rooftop with a view.
If you’ve got money to spend, take yourself shopping at Samaritaine and Galeries Lafayette Haussman. While you’re at Galeries Lafayette, check out the dome above the cosmetics department, the pink-themed E&L Cafe and the rooftop. I love this rooftop because you can see the Sacré-Cœur, Palais Garnier and Eiffel Tower from here.
If you plan to shop at Galeries Lafayette, consider planning around a tour of the Palais Garnier. There was so much more than I expected inside this opera house, and I loved seeing costumes and artifacts in addition to the theater.
The view from the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann The dome of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann 
Palais Garnier Inside the opera house Samaritaine, another luxury shopping destination Inside Samaritaine 
Guerlain perfume, anyone? A gorgeous space, even if you’re not shopping 
Expensive jewelry ✅ In case you want to outfit your own luxury train car
If you love bookstores, visit the Shakespeare Bookstore, an English-language bookstore that’s been a hotspot for bohemian intellectuals since 1951. Because it’s nearby, it’s easy to combine a visit to the Shakespeare Bookstore with a visit to Notre Dame.
The bookstore is in the Latin Quarter, one of the oldest parts of Paris. Latin was taught here during the Middle Ages. Today, it’s home to the Sorbonne, making it especially popular with university students.
From here, it’s a short walk to Montparnasse, a neighborhood that’s been popular with writers and artists since the end of World War I. This is where Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dali and Edgar Degas hung out, and one of my favorite places to people-watch from a cute cafe. There’s also a local farmer’s market.
If you’ve just got a long layover in Paris and are flying into Charles de Gaulle, take the RER B train to Gare du Nord. Switch to the Paris Metro for the 2 train to Père Lachaise Cemetery, which is where you’ll find Jim Morisson’s grave. Morisson moved to Paris in 1971 and died later that year. The Phillipe Auguste stop is nearest to his grave.
I once spent an eight-hour layover taking an eight-mile walk across the city. I took the RER B train from the airport to Les Halles for a stroll past the Louvre pyramid and through the Jardin des Tuileries. I had a freshly baked croissant, said hello to a friend and took a long, winding route back.
It really was a glorious day in Paris.
*Support this site by booking through partner links. We earn commissions when you purchase, but our editorial reviews are independent and not subject to review by the companies mentioned.
