Paris in 4 Days: The Louvre, Montmartre and the Seine

Start with the tower from Champ de Mars, then cross Pont d’Iéna to Trocadéro for the view across the Seine. Reserve an ascent through the tower’s official website if you want to go up. Afterwards, walk along the right bank towards Pont de l’Alma.

Board the sightseeing boat on the right bank at Pont de l’Alma after the Eiffel Tower walk. The cruise follows the Seine past central Paris’s riverfront monuments and returns to the same landing. Finish with a walk along the river or dinner nearby.

Choose two or three collections for the morning, such as Egyptian antiquities, Greek sculpture or French paintings. Reserve a timed ticket; the Louvre closes on Tuesdays. Afterwards, walk to the Palais-Royal for lunch and the garden.

Walk north from the Louvre to the Palais-Royal’s striped columns, arcades and garden. Have lunch in the surrounding streets, then head back towards Rue de Rivoli and enter the Tuileries for the afternoon walk.

Walk west through the Tuileries towards Place de la Concorde. Pull up a chair beside a pond for a break, then continue towards the Seine. The gardens give the afternoon some space after the museum and Palais-Royal.

Start near Abbesses and climb Rue des Trois Frères and the steps towards Sacré-Cœur. Go inside the basilica, then take in the view from its forecourt before walking across to Place du Tertre.

Pass the painters’ square, continue to Rue de l’Abreuvoir, then loop back along Rue Lepic towards Abbesses. Finish downhill at Pigalle; Bouillon Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy serves French brasserie dishes in a busy dining room.

The upper chapel’s stained glass is the reason to come. Make this the booked visit on Île de la Cité, then walk towards Notre-Dame before crossing to the Marais.

Go inside Notre-Dame, then walk along the Seine and across to Île Saint-Louis. Cathedral entry is free; the cathedral’s own free reservation system can shorten the queue. Continue over Pont Louis-Philippe towards the Marais for lunch.

Walk through the Marais along Rue des Rosiers and Rue des Francs-Bourgeois to Place des Vosges. Browse the shops and stop for lunch on the way, then sit beneath the square’s arcades or in its central garden.