Itinerary · Paris
Paris 5-Day Itinerary
A realistic 5-day Paris itinerary: what to see each day, where to stay, how to move between areas and when to go.
Updated 2026-07-01
How this 5-day Paris plan works
Five days is the length at which Paris stops being a checklist. The first three days follow the classic sequence; days four and five add Versailles and the eastern arrondissements where the city is least performed for visitors.
Slow Paris
Where to base yourself for this plan
The Marais or the 5th both work well over five nights — central enough for the monument days, residential enough that you are not eating tourist menus every evening.
Day 1: Right Bank classics
Focus: 1st and 8th
Morning
Louvre on an early slot, two wings only.
Afternoon
Tuileries, Concorde, Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe terrace.
Evening
Rue Montorgueil for dinner.
Getting between them
Walkable; Métro 1 as backup.
Day 2: Islands and the Left Bank
Focus: 4th, 5th, 7th
Morning
Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle early, then the flower market on the island.
Afternoon
Latin Quarter, Panthéon, then Musée d'Orsay.
Evening
Saint-Germain cafés and a Seine walk after dark.
Getting between them
Walking, about 4 km.
Day 3: Versailles
Focus: Day trip
Morning
RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche for opening. The State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors are bearable only in the first hour or after 15:00.
Afternoon
The gardens, the Grand Canal and the Trianon estate — the part most day-trippers miss and the reason to take the full Passport ticket. Rent a bike or a rowing boat if the weather holds.
Evening
Back in Paris by 19:00; dinner near your base rather than another cross-city trip.
Getting between them
RER C, 40 minutes each way. Buy a Navigo Easy load or a dedicated ticket — a standard métro ticket does not cover the zone.
Day 4: Montmartre and northern Paris
Focus: 18th and 9th
Morning
Montmartre lanes and Sacré-Cœur before 10:00.
Afternoon
Descend to South Pigalle for the Musée de la Vie Romantique, then the covered passages of the 9th and 2nd — Galerie Vivienne and Passage des Panoramas.
Evening
Canal Saint-Martin for dinner; the 10th and 11th have the best-value cooking in the city.
Getting between them
Métro 12 and 2; the funicular saves the Montmartre climb.
Day 5: Marais, eastern Paris and the Eiffel Tower
Focus: 3rd, 4th, 20th, 7th
Morning
Marais on foot: Place des Vosges, Carnavalet, Picasso Museum.
Afternoon
Père-Lachaise, or the Coulée Verte elevated walkway from Bastille if you'd rather stay above street level.
Evening
Trocadéro at dusk for the Eiffel Tower, then a late Seine cruise.
Getting between them
Métro 1, 2 and 6. Around 40 minutes for the final cross-city move.
Adapting this plan
Swap the Versailles day for Giverny or Reims if you have seen Versailles before, and move it to a weekday — weekend crowds in the Hall of Mirrors are the single biggest quality-of-visit variable in the region. If you are traveling with children, split day five and keep afternoons free near your base.
Best time to run this itinerary
April–June and September–October give the best mix of mild weather and fewer queues. July–August are warm but many locals are away; late November through early January adds Christmas markets and low-season rates.
Before you go
Buy a Navigo Easy card at any metro station for tap-and-go transit.
Museums are free the first Sunday of the month — arrive early.
Restaurants close between lunch and dinner; plan meals around 12–2pm and 7:30pm.
Paris FAQs
Is five days too long for Paris?
No. Five days is where the trip stops being a checklist: you gain Versailles, a second museum day and enough unstructured time to walk neighbourhoods rather than move between monuments.
Should Versailles be a day trip or an overnight?
A day trip for nearly everyone. The RER C takes about 40 minutes each way and the estate closes by early evening, so an overnight only makes sense if you want the gardens at opening in high summer.
Where should I stay for a five-night Paris trip?
The Marais or the 5th. Both are central enough for the monument days and residential enough that dinner is a neighbourhood decision rather than a tourist menu.
Ready to book your Paris trip?
Everything in this guide is bookable through Marhaba's licensed partners.
