3 Days Itinerary Paris: A Perfect Long Weekend in Paris, France!
Paris is one of the best cities in the world and somewhere everyone wants to visit at least once in their lives. And if you don’t, I’m going to show you why you should spend at least a weekend in Paris and fall for this city. It is the city of love, after all.
So don’t pick any ol’ 3 Day Paris itinerary to follow, pick THE 3 Days itinerary Paris (this one)!
Disclosure: Please consider clicking any links on this site as they may be affiliate links which means, at no extra cost to you, I may earn commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting The Happy Days Travels. For more information, see my Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
In This Paris Itinerary
I’m going to detail the perfect way to spend 3 days in Paris just as I did myself to make the most of your time here.
3 Days in Paris Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Museums, French Food, River Cruise
Day 2: Filming Locations, Montmarte, Cabaret
Day 3: Iconic Sights, Comedy Show
Paris Weekend: Fast Tracked
Stay connected: Get an Airalo esim for data, calls and texts in France.
Airport transfer: A private transfer from the airports to Paris city centre.
Where to stay in Paris: Home Latin was my accommodation. It was cheap, highly-rated, clean and perfectly-located in the Latin Quarter.
Top-rated tour of Paris: This half-day walking tour is the best-rated tour by travellers and includes seeing over 30 Paris sights with a guide
Paris car hire: I strongly recommend against driving in Paris (more below) but use discover cars to compare prices if you really want to.
Planning Your Paris Trip
How to Get to Paris
There are three airports in Paris: Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Paris-Orly (ORY), and Paris-Beauvais (BVA).
CDG and ORY are well-connected to Paris city centre.
The biggest expense during my Paris weekend away was getting to and from the airport. This is because I used Uber both ways for several reasons: late flights, I wanted an easy airport to hotel experience, and the metro to the airport was shut down on the day I was flying home.
If you don’t have these barriers, however, you can get from CDG airport to Paris city centre by using the RER B train from CDG to Gare du Nord. You can get from ORY to Paris city centre via Metro Line 14.
Prefer to get to your hotel by car? You can use Uber when you arrive or pre-book a transfer from CDG to Paris or from ORY to Paris.
Getting Around Paris
Paris is made up of 20 Arrondissements (neighbourhoods) that is numbered in a snail-like shape starting with the 1st Arrondissement in the centre of the right side of the Seine River and goes up in numbers, clockwise.
I do not recommend driving in Paris as the traffic is heavy, the roads can get confusing and the city is not only walkable but has an excellent public transportation system. I walked and used the metro/subway throughout the whole Paris 3 days itinerary.
I paid each time I used the metro but you can purchase a Paris weekend metro pass.
Is There Such Thing as a Cheap Weekend in Paris?
Yes and no. Yes, there are lots of free things to do in Paris to minimise spending and avoiding taxis/metro by walking everywhere. I personally found food in Paris budget-friendly with some of the best 3-course meals for under €17 which proves that you can find a 3 day itinerary Paris on a budget.
On the other hand, this is one of the most-visited cities in the world and the prices can reflect that such as having a drink with an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower, most museums have an entrance fee and experiencing a Parisian culture as much as you can will add up the expenses. But, you are in Paris so go for it!
Where to Stay in Paris in 3 Days
Deciding on your Paris accommodation can get quite overwhelming and I took a long time researching travel blogs and studying Google maps to find an ideal area to stay.
On my personal Paris in 3 days itinerary, I went for the Latin Quarter as it was close to lots of places I wanted to see in Paris, had excellent metro access and was reasonably-priced.
I stayed in Home Latin which was the perfect place for my three days Paris itinerary with my sister. The room was spacious, clean, private bathroom, WiFi, good breakfast and on the second floor. The staff were helpful and available 24/7 with the building being locked at all times. Plus, we were just a few streets from the Notre Dame and we heard its bells ringing on for the first time in 5 years!
Quick Facts on Paris
- Population: 2 million+
- Currency: Euro €
- Language: French
- Nickname: City of Lights, City of Love, Paname
- Random Fact: Every city in France has a street named after author Victor Hugo. Paris’s is in the 16th Arrondissement, where Hugo lived.
3 Days Itinerary Paris
Below is an itinerary for a long weekend in Paris including the top sights, tours, food, drinks and activities.
Day 1 of 3 Days Itinerary for Paris
Breakfast
The first day of this itinerary is a celebration of French food day. And what better way to start the Paris weekend trip than with the pinnacle of pastries: The Croissant. Or Pain au Chocolate. Have both!
Paris is filled with bakeries, like every few buildings there’s some sort of pastry being sold so you won’t have to go far to find somewhere for breakfast. The French know what they’re doing.
The best way to enjoy this is to do it the Parisian way, out the front of the bakery watching the city wake up. I personally went to La Parisienne and Eric Kayser for my espresso and pastries.
Musee d’Orsay
Situated on the left bank of the Seine, you’ll find the impressive Musee d’Orsay with equally as impressive art pieces inside. Plus, the iconic Musee d’Orsay clock looking out to the river.
Famous finds include Manet’s Olympia, Monet’s Poppies, and Van Gough’s self-portrait. To skip the line and get recommendations as well as secrets of the museum, find a guided tour here.
Lunch in Palais-Royal
After your morning at the museum, cross the bridge and head straight to Baguett by Maison Mayser where you’ll find a queue of locals grabbing their lunch.
Then walk about 10 minutes to Palais-Royal, a calming green-space in the middle of the busy city. Here you’ll see tree-lined streets and fountains surrounded by green benches to enjoy your lunch.
The Louvre
If you’re struggling to decide if the Musee d’Orsay or Louvre is better, why not visit both?
The Louvre is a HUGE museum on the right bank of the Seine that was once a palace (when you see it, you’ll understand). It is about 652,000 square foot and home to half a million objects, including one of the most famous art pieces in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
It’s best to research in advance what you want to see at the museum and plan your route to navigate this large space or take a guided tour of the Louvre.
3 Course Dinner
Le Latin was our choice for the first night dinner of the weekend away in Paris as it was close to our accommodation and it DELIVERED.
The service was excellent, restaurant was cute and the food was cheap and tasty. I got a three course meal for just €17: French Onion Soup to start, Steak for main and Creme Brulee for dessert. Had to be done.
Seine River Night Cruise
Something I would do on any weekend Paris breaks would be a river cruise at night because it was truly one of the highlights. We chose Vedettes du Pont Neuf Night Cruise because it started and finished in the Latin Quarter.
The boat tour perfectly timed passing the Eiffel Tower when it sparkled and the other monuments, bridges and sights were lit up lovely at this time too. The boat guide was knowledgeable, funny and helpful for letting us know where we were and when to get out the camera.
3 Days Paris Itinerary: Day 2
Once again, you have to start the day with a pastry and coffee. An amazing alternative to Croissant and Pain au Chocolate is the Aiglon, a plaited pastry filled with chocolate and cream/custard (I had them all during my weekend break to Paris. Judgement-free blog here)!
Best of Paris Filming Locations
Paris is a usual contender for the setting of novels, plays, movies and TV shows. Quite often, filming takes place on location and the streets of Paris play their part on our screens.
Some of the most famous TV shows filmed in Paris include Emily in Paris, Lupin, Sex and The City, Killing Eve, Gossip Girl.
Notable novels set in Paris, and use real-life locations, include All The Light We Cannot See,
And the big screen movies filmed in Paris are Midnight in Paris, Amelie, James Bond, The Da Vinci Code, The Devil Wears Prada, Inglorious Basterds, La La Land and much more.
Research these spots using my filming locations guides to relive your favourite scenes and experience Paris like the stars do!
Croque Monsieur
Although I’ve placed this incredible French sandwich as a lunch option, you can eat it at any time or day just make sure you try an authentic Croque Monsieur at some point during your weekend to Paris.
Afternoon in Montmarte
Montmarte is probably my favourite neighbourhood in Paris as it’s so picture-perfect.
Some of the best places to visit include the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Le Maison Rose, Rue de l’Abreuvoir (one of the prettiest streets in Paris), and shopping in the outdoor market.
My favourite things in Montmarte were visiting the I Love You wall which has ‘I Love You’ in several languages and is a great photo spot. But the best photo spot is queuing up for the vintage photo booth where you pay €6 and get a black and white strip for the best Paris memorabilia. While we were queuing there was a live singer and dancers in the street – very Parisian!
During our afternoon in Montmarte, we rode a town-train that took us to all these top places in the area along the cobbled streets.
Montmarte is also home to Moulin Rouge so you could easily hang out here before heading to the dinner and show. Speaking of…
Cabaret Show
Seeing a Cabaret Show is a must-do during a weekend trip in Paris. There are three top places to catch a show including Paradis Latin, Crazy Horse or the most famous of them all: Moulin Rouge.
- Crazy Horse: Experience true Parisian nightlife with champagne at a Crazy Horse Cabaret show located on the luxurious Champs-Elysées. Famous place but no dinner
- Moulin Rouge: See the most iconic Paris Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, from the comfort of a private table including half a bottle of champagne and a 3-course dinner. Bucket List
- Paradis Latin: Watch the can-can in its birthplace city at a Paradis Latin Cabaret show, a cheaper alternative to the more-known Moulin Rouge. Includes a 3-course dinner, water and wine/champagne. Best value
Day 3 of Weekend Break in Paris
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is a memorial for those who fought and died for France during various wars. It’s a famous monument in Paris situation between 16th, 17th and 8th Arrondissements.
Although lots of people will naturally pass the Arc while in Paris, if you’re following this three days itinerary in Paris then you’ll be staying in the Latin Quarter and will need to go out of your way to see this monument.
The rest of this day will lead you from the Arc back toward the Latin Quarter.
Eiffel Tower Photo Spots
The landmark of all landmarks is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Glimpsing this is probably one of the top bucket-list items in the world. Here are four places to take an iconic picture with the Eiffel Tower during a weekend trip Paris:
- From the River Seine during Vedettes du Pont Neuf night boat tour
- Avenue de Cameons (a small walk at a heightened place)
- Pont d’Iena (as close as you can get)
- Bambini Patio (exclusive spot – read on)
Lunch at Bambini
Looking for Italian food in Paris? Why not. It’s a major European city so you know there’ll be diverse cuisines and I really fancied Italian.
I found Bambini, an upscale Italian restaurant in Palais de Tokyo in the 16th Arr. And it was well worth the trip.
Bambini have a great selection of French and Italian wines and a full Italian menu. I went for an Arancini appetiser and Tuna Tartare linguini – both were so delicious!
Related: Best Italian Street Food in Naples
Paris Bridges & Flame of Liberty Memorial
After lunch, take a stroll down the river’s edge and see Paris by foot. You’ll pass the best bridges in Paris like the Pont Alexandre III, Pont des Arts and Pont Neuf.
Where is the lovelock bridge Paris? It used to be Pont des Arts but because there were so many locks (almost 5 tonnes), the city took them away and put up glass barriers either side of the bridge. To leave a locked memory in Paris, head to Ile de la Cite bridge or the fence in front of the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur.
Along this walk, be sure to stop at the Flame of Liberty Memorial which is a replica of the flame on New York City’s statue of liberty. Why? Because France gave the USA the statue of liberty as a symbol of the two countries’ friendship.
The Flame statue is also a memorial for Diana, Princess of Wales, as it is directly above the tunnel where she tragically lost her life.
Coming: New York City in 3 Days
Crepe
Ooh la la, what is Paris without a mid-afternoon sweet treat?!
As the rest of the day is spent in the Latin Quarter, head to x, which is a few blocks away from the Notre Dame and indulge in one of their many crepe options. Lots of people say this is a touristy street and there are better crepes in Paris but honestly, how can any crepe go wrong? My Nutella and strawberry one was perfectly fine, thanks drive.
Plus, this one is less than half the price of the diner crepe place that has direct views of the Notre Dame. Just walk a few doors down, get this crepe to go and sit on the river for an even better view!
Notre Dame
On your 3 days itinerary in Paris, you probably won’t see Quasimodo and Esmerelda but you will see an iconic building, the Notre Dame. This impressive medieval Catholic cathedral has been here since the 13th century and has seen desecration, burials, coronations, wars, novels, movies and most recently a fire in 2019.
All is well and the magnificent bells are ringing once again. Visits to the cathedral are free whether you’re there for mass, architecture, history or just browsing.
Shakespeare & Co Bookshop
Paris has long been the place where artists flock and art is formed.
- Art: Birthplace of Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso moved here.
- Philosophy: Frenchmen Voltaire, René Descartes, and thinking power-couple Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir all lived in Paris.
- Literature: Famous literary periods and movements had a focus in Paris and the city attracted writers like Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, Djuna Barnes, to name a few.
It’s true that this is an inspiring city so what else better to do that visit one of the famous expat writers’ hangouts: Shakespeare & Co bookstore.
But it’s not just a bookstore looking out to Notre Dame, it’s a museum, cafe and landmark – a must-visit for literary lovers!
Dinner
Another dinner called for another three course meal. This time I had escargots for starters (which I opened perfectly on the first attempt), steak frites for main and chocolate mousse for desert. Oh and Bordeaux wine with it of course (A must in any Paris for 3 days itinerary).
Comedy Show
One of my favourite things to do in a new city is to go and see a comedy show. Many cities have small comedy clubs with English-speaking comedians on a rotation and it’s one of the best ways to relax after a day of sightseeing.
I went to an English Stand Up, Coucou Comedy show, held at Le Noddi Cocktail Bar, in the 5th Arr. They had 4 comedians. It was a buy a drink on arrival and pay-as-you-leave type gig so on the way in you buy a drink from the bar before heading upstairs for the show and on the way out you ‘tip’ what you think based on the performances.
Alternative comedy shows include Oh My God She’s Parisian or How to Become a Parisian in 1 Hour.
I highly recommend going to watch comedians on the last evening of your trip because they often make jokes/commentary about the city you’re in and it’s a fun experience to hear things that you’ve probably noticed during your time.
Voila. That’s a wrap for this perfect itinerary 3 days in Paris. Isn’t it epic?!
Paris Tours
- You can book a full 3 day tour Paris to be chauffeured around with a private, local guide for 5 hours per day for expert advice, recommendations, history and insider tips.
- See the very best Paris sights in this Paris in a Day tour. You’ll get 9 hours with a small group and guide who will take you around. Plus, tickets to the Louvre, metro passes and a cruise is all included.
- For a totally unique experience in Paris, this Paris Without People tour does what it says: guides you around Paris’ best spots before the sun rises and before the crowds are ruining your pictures and feeds you croissants and coffee. Oh, and it’s all on provided bikes!
More than a Paris Weekend?
If you’re staying longer in the city or have more weekend breaks in Paris coming up, there are LOTS more things to do. These are the top things I’d do upon returning: Paris Catacombs, Palace of Versailles, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Musée de l’Orangerie, Marché d’Aligre, and of course Disneyland Paris!
Thanks for reading. I hope you use this itinerary Paris 3 days to see one of the best cities in the world!
More Like a Paris Weekend Break
- A Weekend in Bordeaux, France
- 2 Days in Porto, Portugal
- 3 Days in Prague, Czechia
- 3 Days in Brussels, Belgium
- 1 Day in Naples, Italy
- 1 Day in Bath, England
- 1 Day in Salzburg, Austria
- 1 Day in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Please Pin This Paris Itinerary 3 Days!
