Two Days In Paris
The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Marais and Montmartre — done properly.
Two days in Paris is a proper visit. You can see the three essential museums (Louvre, Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle), the Eiffel Tower, the Marais, and Montmartre without rushing. Day one is the Left Bank; day two is the Right Bank.
Day 1: The Left Bank Masterpieces
The Louvre — 2 Hours Maximum
Book skip-the-queue entry online. Arrive at 9am when it opens. Pick 8–10 things from the map and see them properly. Must-see: Winged Victory of Samothrace (top of the Daru staircase — overwhelming), Venus de Milo (Sully Wing), The Wedding at Cana by Veronese (Room 711 — opposite the Mona Lisa, nobody looks at it), and yes, the Mona Lisa (Room 711 — smaller than you think, bigger crowd than you want). Two hours is enough. More than that and it becomes a death march.
Cost: €17
Download the Louvre app and the floor plan before you go. Pick your 8 things in advance.
Tuileries Garden & Walk to Orsay
Exit the Louvre via the Carrousel du Louvre and walk through the Tuileries Garden to Pont de la Concorde. The walk takes 20 minutes and gives you Place de la Concorde, the view up the Champs-Élysées, and the garden itself. Cross the Seine to the Left Bank.
Cost: Free
The Tuileries outdoor café is overpriced. Buy a sandwich from any boulangerie on Rue de Rivoli.
Lunch at a Left Bank Bistro
The 7th arrondissement around the Musée d'Orsay has excellent bistros. Au Bon Accueil (28 Rue de Monttessuy) is a neighbourhood classic. Otherwise: Le Cinq Mars (51 Rue de Verneuil), unpretentious, good value, local.
Cost: €18–25
Order the formule (set lunch menu) — usually €18–22 for two courses and infinitely better value than ordering à la carte.
Musée d'Orsay — Impressionism
Book timed entry online. The top floor has the Impressionists: Van Gogh's Bedroom, Monet's series paintings (haystacks, Rouen Cathedral in different lights), Renoir's Dance at the Moulin de la Galette, Degas's ballet dancers. Look through the original station clock faces at Paris. The café under the gilded ceiling is worth a stop.
Cost: €16
Thursdays the museum stays open until 9:45pm — much quieter in the late afternoon. If you're flexible, go Thursday evening instead.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés Aperitivo
Walk 10 minutes to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. One drink standing at the bar of Café de Flore (the authentic experience, priced accordingly). Then find a wine bar on the side streets — Le Bar du Marché (75 Rue de Seine) is good, very local, not expensive.
Cost: €8–15
Stand at the bar inside Café de Flore — never sit outside. The outside seats are the tourist markup.
Dinner at Au Pied de Fouet
The classic Paris bistro that everyone who knows Paris goes back to. No reservations. Two tiny rooms. Ancient chalkboard menu. Steak frites, blanquette de veau, wine carafe. Cash only. Arrive at 7pm if possible — it fills immediately.
Cost: €25–35 including wine
Cash only — there is no card reader. The wine is not the point; the food and the atmosphere are.
Day 2: The Eiffel Tower, Marais & Montmartre
Eiffel Tower — First Entry
The first entry slot of the day, booked months ahead. Second floor for the best balance of views and atmosphere. Summit if the visibility is good (phone the tower the day before to ask about conditions). The champagne bar at the summit is €19 for a glass of Moët and worth every centime.
Cost: €18–34
Book summit tickets even if conditions are uncertain — you can decide on the day whether to continue up.
Seine Cruise
Pier at Port de la Bourdonnais, 10 minutes' walk from the tower. The cruise from here gives the full river panorama — perfect day-2 context now you know the city better.
Cost: €15
Book tickets →Le Marais — Falafel & Exploration
Metro to Saint-Paul (line 1). L'As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers for lunch. Then: Place des Vosges (sit in the garden), the free Musée Carnavalet (Paris history, extraordinary), Rue de Bretagne for coffee, the Picasso Museum (€14) if time allows.
Cost: €7 falafel
The upper Marais (3rd arrondissement, around Rue Charlot) has better boutiques and fewer tourists than the main tourist strip.
Montmartre — Golden Hour
Metro to Abbesses. Walk up through the village. The view from the Sacré-Cœur steps at sunset is worth the climb. Stay for dinner in the village below — the area around Rue Lepic has excellent neighbourhood restaurants.
Cost: Free
The steps at Sacré-Cœur face west — golden hour light directly on the city below is spectacular from late April to September.
Optional: Eiffel Tower After Dark
Metro back to Trocadéro for the 10pm or 11pm sparkling show. Every hour on the hour, 20,000 gold lights flicker for 5 minutes. From the Trocadéro esplanade it's the defining Paris image.
Cost: Free
Arrive 15 minutes early for a front-row spot at Trocadéro.
Have three days? Add Versailles.
A third day opens up Versailles as a full day trip, plus Monet's Water Lilies at the Orangerie and Canal Saint-Martin.