Ok, ok, I’ll start with the obvious, because I know you might be thinking it already: two days isn’t nearly enough time to spend in Paris! The city is so big, so historic, so beautiful, and so jam-packed with things to see and do that it feels a bit impossible to fit everything into two days. And the truth is, you really can’t.
But sometimes two days is all you have, and it’s better to visit the City of Lights for a short amount of time than to not go at all! That’s how M and I felt when we discovered a great travel deal that would allow us to spend a week visiting Paris and Amsterdam. The deal included roundtrip flights, three nights in a hotel in each city, and the train ride between the two. The price was right, so we took advantage!
Funnily enough, while Amsterdam was the city that originally sold us on the deal, it was Paris that stole our hearts. (We actually ended up being a bit underwhelmed with Amsterdam, if I’m honest!) Our two days in Paris were just enough to make us fall in love with the city, and we left Europe already dreaming about what a return to Paris and the rest of France might look like.
Today, I want to share some suggestions about how you can structure your own short trip to Paris. Read on for my two-day Paris itinerary, and get ready to revel in whatever time you are fortunate enough to have in the City of Lights!
PS: If you’re short on time, make sure to check out my tips for making the most of a short trip to Paris!
Spend the first of your two days in Paris experiencing the heavy hitters. Day 1 includes some of the most recognizable landmarks not just in Paris, but the entire world. This is the Paris you came to see.
Where better to start your two days in Paris than with the most iconic spot in the entire city: the Eiffel Tower. Soaring a thousand feet into the sky, it’s shape is synonymous with Paris and it is one of the most recognizable constructions in the entire world.
There are lots of ways to visit the Eiffel Tower. You can buy tickets to go up into the tower, where a variety of delights await you. The first floor contains restaurants, a boutique and other shops, decent views, and even a glass floor. The second floor features a Michelin-starred restaurant, other shops and dining, and even better views. And for the truly bold, a trip to the top of the tower rewards you with spectacular, panoramic vistas out over the city as well as a champagne bar.
Adult admission prices range from €11 to €27, depending on how high you’d like to go and whether you’d like to hike up the stairs to take the lift.
But you don’t need to go up into the tower to appreciate it. Picnicking in the adjacent Parc du Champ de Mars is a popular activity; just grab some wine, cheese, bread, sandwiches, pastries, or other goodies and enjoy them in the tower’s shadow. It’s also nice just to walk through the park, passing under and around the tower before crossing the Pont d’Iéna bridge to take in the views of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero.
Note: Unfortunately, pickpockets and scam artists frequent the areas around the Eiffel Tower to prey on tourists. Keep a careful eye and hold on your belongings and be wary of anyone approaching you for help or to sell you something.
Not far from the Eiffel Tower is another of the most famous landmarks in France: the Arc de Triomphe. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 but not completed until 1836, the Arc stands over 160 feet high and sits at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
There’s a lot going on at the Arc de Triomphe, from elaborate sculptures and historical engravings to the somber Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the arches. Inside is a exhibit on the Arc’s construction, and the rooftop is open to take in the sights of Paris from 164 feet up.
While many people take in the views from the top of the Eiffel Tower, we were advised that the views from the top of L’Arc were much more appealing, partly because you can see the Eiffel Tower as part of the Paris cityscape rather than being inside of it. Simply walking around the monument is impressive enough, but M and I were glad that we visited the top. The panoramic views of Paris were certainly worth the price of admission.
The Arc de Triomphe is open from 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM every day, with the exception of certain holidays and official ceremonies. Adult admission is generally €13 but is free on the first Sunday of each month between November and March. Children under 18 are free, as are young adults from 18-25 who are residents of the EU or French territories, as well as disabled persons and their companions. You can find more information about visiting the Arc on the official website.
Perhaps the most famous avenue in Paris, the wide, wooded boulevard of the Champs-Élysées is lined with shops and restaurants. Once home to high-end fashion houses and chic cafés, these days you’ll see more multinational brands like the Gap, Foot Locker, and even an Apple Store. (Resist the urge to eat here, as many restaurants are sub-par “tourist traps” and you’ll find much better cuisine elsewhere.)
Even if international consumerism has taken over, the Champs-Élysées is still a pleasant way to get from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Which, conveniently, is your next stop!
By now, you’ve probably worked up a bit of a hunger, and even if you haven’t – you’re in France! The sightseeing in Paris is second only to the the food, so it behooves you to take advantage of every opportunity you have to enjoy the quality and deliciousness of Paris’s cuisine. A great lunch option is crepes, which are sort of like very thin pancakes that are stuffed with all kinds of deliciousness. Some are sweet – think strawberries and nutella – and others are savory. A combination of both makes for a fantastic lunch.
Again, you’ll find higher quality crêperies if you turn off the Champs-Élysées.
At the end of the Champs-Élysées, the Place de la Concorde is the biggest public square in Paris. Many of the major events of the French Revolution took place here, when it was known as Place de la Révolution, including the beheadings of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
One of the most notable landmarks in the Place de la Concorde is the Luxor Obelisk, a massive tower of granite that was carved in Egypt over 3,000 years ago. It was gifted to France in the 1830’s, when it was brought across the Mediterranean on a barge and erected in the Place de la Concorde on the very spot that had once housed the guillotine during the French Revolution.
The square is also home to two large fountains and is a nice place to people watch. You don’t need to spend much time at Place de la Concorde – especially with only two days in Paris – but it’s worth a few moments as you move through your day.
Beyond Place de la Corcorde lies the Jardin des Tuileries, or Tuileries Garden. This beautiful urban park was originally commissioned by the formidable Catherine de Medici as a garden and park for her Tuileries Palace. Now, it is a popular place to stroll, picnic, or relax among its lovely statues, ponds, greenery, and flowers.
If you have some extra time, the adjacent Musée de l’Orangerie houses an excellent art collection.
Continuing through the Jardin des Tuileries will eventually deposit you at the Louvre. While you won’t have sufficient time to wander the halls, it’s at least worth taking a few moments to appreciate the architecture of this iconic building.
After a long day of exploring Paris, you’ve earned a delicious dinner! You can find any type of food you’d like in the City of Light, but I suggest using your first night to experience true French cuisine.
On our first night in Paris, M and I had a fantastic dinner at Le Colimaçon, a cozy restaurant in Le Marais. That said, there are so many amazing places to eat in Paris that you almost can’t go wrong!
Regardless of where you choose to dine, reservations are highly encouraged. You can make some online, but the staff at your hotel may also be willing and able to assist if you need to call.
After experiencing so many great landmarks yesterday, it’s time to slow things down a bit. Happily, you can slow down in Paris and still experience some of the best the city has to offer.
I can feel your shock from here. The Musée d’Orsay? What about the Louvre?!
I know this may be a controversial choice, and I certainly mean no disrespect to one of the most venerable and famous museums on the planet. In my opinion, however, the Louvre deserves an entire day at least, and with only two days to spend in Paris the smaller and more manageable Musée d’Orsay is the way to go. You should take in at least one museum while you’re in Paris, and the Musée d’Orsay is one of the best.
Located in a former railway station that dates to the turn of the 20th century, the Musée d’Orsay houses an impressive collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces. All the heavy-hitters are here, including van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Cézanne, Degas, and more. Even a complete fine-art novice like me was seeing familiar paintings around every corner, and I was moved to tears by the beauty of some of them.
Advance booking is highly recommended.
You could easily spend an entire day in the Musée d’Orsay, so if you have more than two days in Paris feel free to really linger. That said, M and I spent a full morning there and were able to feel like we saw and appreciated most of the museum without feeling rushed. We even stopped for a coffee and a decadent hot chocolate in the Café Campana on the top floor.
Time to eat again! This time, I suggest grabbing some handheld goodness in the Jewish Quarter. The Rue des Rosiers is lined with delicious falafel stands, and there’s very little that’s more satisfying than wandering the pretty neighborhood streets with a mouthwatering falafel in hand.
There are plenty of establishments to choose from, with L’As Du Fallafel being one of the most popular. We got ours from Mi-Va-Mi and they were fantastic.
Three years ago, my next recommendation would easily be to visit Notre Dame Cathedral. I would encourage you to scale its soaring towers, get up close and personal with some gargoyles, and witness the breathtaking views out over Paris. Unfortunately, following the devastating fire in April of 2019, the towers and interior of the cathedral are closed to visitors while restoration efforts are underway.
Today, you can visit the square in front of the building to admire what architecture can be seen through the restoration scaffolding and infrastructure. The archaeological crypt is also open to visitors who would like to gain an understanding of the history of the site. Ultimately, the goal is to have the cathedral fully open to visitors by 2024, so stay tuned!
With so much to do in Paris, it can be tempting to try to hit as many sights and experiences as possible in a short amount of time. You can run yourself ragged sprinting from place to place, but resist the urge! There are few things more enjoyable – or more iconically Parisian – than leisurely sipping an espresso at a tiny table on the sidewalk as you watch the city bustle by.
For American coffee-lovers in particular, ordering at a French cafe can be a little confusing or even intimidating. Use this helpful guide to make sure you get what you want, how you want it! For non-coffee drinkers (raising my own hand here), hot tea or hot chocolate are delightful alternatives.
You’ve seen it during the day, but there’s no better way to end your two days in Paris than by revisiting the Eiffel Tower when it’s lit up at night. Before or after your final dinner in Paris, return for a stroll in the Parc du Champ de Mars or head straight to the Trocadero for a more elevated view. It’s stunning and romantic, and it really feels like you’re putting a cap on your time in the City of Light.
Make sure to time your visit so that you’re there at the turn of the hour, as the lights sparkle for the first five minutes of each new hour.
Note: Again, take care of your belongings when visiting the Eiffel Tower at night and stay aware of your surroundings. It’s not unsafe, per se, but it’s a tremendously popular tourist area and that comes with an increased risk of pickpocketing and other petty crime.
As I said at the beginning, there is absolutely no way to fit all the worthwhile things to do in Paris into just two days. If you find yourself with more time or want to swap out something listed above, here are a few other options:
There are so many amazing places to stay in Paris, but our travel deal included three nights at the Grand Hôtel Français. Located in the 11th arrondissement, the hotel was a few steps from a metro stop and had some of the friendliest staff we’ve encountered.
For a city as large as Paris and with so much to do, having a guidebook can be a huge help. I have personally always used Lonely Planet, but Frommer’s, Fodor’s, and Rick Steves are also well-respected.
Protect the investment of your travel with an inexpensive but comprehensive travel insurance policy.
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