4 Days in Paris: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
A first-timer Paris itinerary covering the Eiffel Tower, Seine cruise, Louvre, Le Marais, Versailles, Montmartre and Musee d'Orsay across four balanced days.
How to Spend 4 Days in Paris
Four days in Paris is the sweet spot - long enough to cover the essential landmarks without rushing, with time left over for the neighbourhood wandering that makes Paris genuinely memorable. Here's the day-by-day plan.
Day 1 - The Icons: Eiffel Tower & Seine
Morning: Eiffel Tower skip the line. Book the first slot of the day, around 9am. With a skip-the-line ticket you go straight to the lifts with no 2-hour queue. If you have booked a guided tour, your guide meets you at the base. The tower is most beautiful in the morning light before the summer heat and crowds arrive. Book Eiffel Tower skip-the-line on Pin Plan Go at pinplango.com/activity/eiffel-tower-tickets-skip-the-line.
Day 1 Afternoon - Champ de Mars & Les Invalides
Walk south from the Eiffel Tower through the Champ de Mars park, then cross to Les Invalides - Napoleon's tomb and the Musee de l'Armee, the Army Museum, which contains one of the finest military history collections in Europe. Entry is affordable and the crowds are a fraction of the Louvre.
Day 1 Evening - Seine River Cruise
A small-boat evening cruise on the Seine, capped at 12 guests rather than 200, departs around 7pm and covers the most illuminated stretch of the river. Notre Dame, the Musee d'Orsay, Pont Alexandre III and the Eiffel Tower lit at night from water level make this one of the most beautiful hours available in any European city.
Day 2 - Art & History: The Louvre & Marais
Morning: The Louvre small group guided tour. Book a small-group guided tour, ideally max 8 people, for your Louvre visit. The museum covers 60,000 square metres, so without a guide you can spend 3 hours walking and still miss the most important works. A 2.5-hour guided tour takes you to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and the Richelieu Wing in sequence, with context that transforms what you are seeing.
Day 2 Afternoon - Le Marais
Walk east from the Louvre to Le Marais, Paris's most fashionable neighbourhood. The Place des Vosges, Paris's oldest planned square, finished in 1612, the Picasso Museum and the concentrated gallery scene around Rue de Bretagne make for an excellent afternoon with minimal planning. The best falafel in Paris is on Rue des Rosiers.
Day 2 Evening - Dinner in Saint-Germain-des-Pres
Cross to the Left Bank for dinner. Brasserie Lipp, Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots are the historic options - expensive but worth one visit for the atmosphere. For better food at lower prices, the streets behind Boulevard Saint-Germain hide excellent bistros.
Day 3 - Palace of Versailles Early Access Tour
An early-access guided tour gets you into the Palace of Versailles before it opens to the general public, walking the Hall of Mirrors in near silence before the daily crowd of 15,000 arrives. The Gardens alone require 2 hours. Add the Trianon palaces, Marie Antoinette's private estate, if you have energy. Allow a full day. Most early-access tours depart from central Paris at 8-8:30am and return by 5pm. Book Versailles early access on Pin Plan Go at pinplango.com/activity/palace-of-versailles-tickets.
Day 3 Evening - Montmartre at Dusk
Return to Paris in time for a walk around Montmartre at dusk. The steep streets of the 18th arrondissement are at their most atmospheric in the late afternoon, culminating at the Sacre-Coeur steps for the best free view in Paris at sunset.
Day 4 - Montmartre & Musee d'Orsay
Morning: Montmartre Food & Art Walking Tour. Start Day 4 with a small-group food and art walking tour of Montmartre - the best croissant in Paris, hidden ateliers, the original Moulin Rouge exterior and the story behind Sacre-Coeur that no guidebook properly explains. The neighbourhood is at its most charming before midday.
Day 4 Afternoon - Musee d'Orsay
Housed in a converted 1900 railway station, the Musee d'Orsay holds the world's greatest Impressionist collection - Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat and Toulouse-Lautrec. It is less crowded than the Louvre, in a more beautiful building, and the collection is more emotionally accessible. Pre-book timed entry to skip the queue at pinplango.com/activity/orsay-museum-tickets-skip-the-line.
Day 4 Evening - Farewell Dinner & Eiffel Tower Light Show
For your last evening, book a restaurant within walking distance of the Trocadero or Champ de Mars, then position yourself at the Trocadero at 10pm for the Eiffel Tower's hourly 5-minute light show. It is free, extraordinary, and the best possible end to a Paris trip.
Practical Tips for 4 Days in Paris
Getting around: the Paris Metro covers everywhere. Buy a carnet, a book of 10 tickets, or a Navigo Easy card loaded with tickets for the best value. Book in advance: Eiffel Tower, 2 weeks minimum in summer; Louvre, 1 week; Versailles, 2 weeks; Musee d'Orsay, a few days. Best time to visit: May-June and September-October. Avoid August if possible because the city is at peak heat and tourist density. Language: a basic Bonjour and Merci go a long way. Paris is significantly more welcoming than its reputation suggests.
Book Your Paris Activities on Pin Plan Go
All experiences in this itinerary are bookable at pinplango.com/destinations/paris. Browse all Paris experiences and choose the activities that fit your travel pace.
Explore Paris experiences or Eiffel Tower skip-the-line tickets or Versailles tickets or Musee d'Orsay tickets.