48 hours in Paris: a first-visit itinerary

This itinerary assumes two full days and a first visit. It groups stops geographically, limits timed reservations to one major museum and the Eiffel Tower if you intend to go up, and leaves genuine room for lunch and pauses. If you arrive on Friday, consider the Louvre on Friday evening; if the trip includes Tuesday, remember that the museum is normally closed.

Before you begin

Reserve only the visits that require a time. The Louvre recommends booking a slot online, while the Eiffel Tower advises buying official tickets in advance. Download an offline map and check the right ticket on Île-de-France Mobilités, as products and fares can change.

To minimise travel, stay in the Marais, Latin Quarter or Louvre–Opéra area. Our first-visit accommodation guide compares those bases.

Day 1 morning: the river islands and Marais

Begin around 8:30 am near Pont-Neuf or Île de la Cité. Walk beside the Seine, see Notre-Dame from the square, then cross towards Hôtel de Ville. The purpose is to understand the shape of Paris before the busiest hours, not to stack three indoor visits.

Continue through smaller Marais streets to Place des Vosges. Depending on your pace, choose one stop: the Shoah Memorial, Musée Carnavalet or a long unstructured pause in the area. Confirm opening conditions on the chosen venue’s official website.

Have lunch in the Marais or near Arts-et-Métiers. A reservation is useful only when a specific restaurant truly matters; keeping two options in the same area makes the day more resilient.

Day 1 afternoon: one major museum, not two

From the Marais, walk to the Louvre through Les Halles and Palais-Royal. Allow roughly three hours and choose two departments rather than attempting the whole museum. On 13 September 2026, the Louvre listed Tuesday closure, evening opening on Wednesday and Friday, and recommended online reservations. Confirm the details for your date.

If the Louvre is not for you, substitute the Musée d’Orsay; do not try to combine both in one afternoon. Afterwards, cross the Tuileries and return to the river.

Day 1 evening: let Paris breathe

Walk along the embankments towards Pont des Arts or Pont Alexandre-III, depending on your energy. Eat in the area where the walk ends rather than crossing the city again. A river cruise can replace the walk, but check its departure point and the route back to your hotel before paying.

Day 2 morning: Trocadéro and Eiffel Tower

Reach Trocadéro early, then walk down towards the Eiffel Tower. If going up, allow time for security and use only the official ticket office. The summit can close in bad weather or at busy times even when the tower remains open.

Afterwards, choose a walk through Champ-de-Mars towards Les Invalides or a café around Rue Cler. Avoid adding the Arc de Triomphe merely because it looks close on a map; it creates a significant detour before the afternoon’s route.

Day 2 afternoon: Saint-Germain and Latin Quarter

Travel to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, then continue on foot towards Luxembourg Gardens. Carry on to the Panthéon or Rue Mouffetard according to your interests. This section is deliberately flexible: a garden, bookshop and café may create a better final afternoon than a third timed attraction.

If leaving by train that evening, shape the finish around your departure station. Keep at least an hour of margin for collecting bags and reaching the platform.

A wet-weather or low-energy plan

• Replace the first morning’s longer walk with Musée Carnavalet or the covered passages.
• Keep the reserved major museum and remove an outdoor stop.
• Use the Metro between the two main zones, but continue to explore within each area on foot.
• If Eiffel Tower tickets are unavailable, enjoy Champ-de-Mars and save the ascent for another trip.

What to reserve

Book first: the major museum slot, Eiffel Tower if going up, and a restaurant that genuinely matters to you. Leave open: cafés, walks, lunch and the final half-day. That margin protects the itinerary from rain, partial closures or simply wanting to slow down.

Official sources

• Louvre opening times, admission and booking
• Eiffel Tower calendar and official tickets
• Île-de-France Mobilités visitor ticket guide
• Paris je t’aime district guide

Sources consulted on 13 September 2026. Recheck opening times, prices and exceptional closures shortly before visiting.