How to Make the Most of 2 Days in Paris: Weekend Itinerary + Tips!

It may require several lifetimes to discover all there is to do and see in the City of Lights, but 2 days in Paris is definitely long enough to get a tantalizing overview of the city!

If you plan your couple of days in Paris right, you’ll walk away with beautiful memories, sore feet, and–just maybe–an overwhelming temptation to return to Paris on a longer trip.

This 2 day Paris itinerary is designed for those who want to see as much of the city as they can in 48 hours or so, like someone planning a weekend trip to Paris or someone squeezing 2 days in Paris into a broader trip.

We have curated this itinerary after 10+ trips to Paris, with many more to come in the future! The list of reasons that Paris is one of our favorite cities in the world could fill a novel, and our hope is that after a couple days in Paris, you’ll consider it one of your favorites as well.

We’ll cover many of the top things to do in Paris in this weekend guide, from admiring the Eiffel Tower to strolling the streets of Montmartre to wandering the halls of the Louvre.

Our goal for this guide is to keep things moving at a pace fast enough to keep you slightly tired and wondering about your next café break (luckily, there’s no shortage of cafés in Paris), but slow enough that you’ll get to amble a bit and appreciate the beauty and charm of what is widely considered the most romantic city in the world.

Here’s exactly how to spend 2 perfect days in Paris!

The Perfect 2 Day Paris Itinerary

Day 1 in Paris: Île de la Cité and Classic Paris Sights

Start your morning at Notre Dame on Île de la Cité.

What better way to kick off a couple of days in Paris than to visit one of the city’s most beloved landmarks?

Notre Dame’s status as an icon of Paris and its convenient location in the center of the city make it the perfect place to kick off your 2 days in Paris!

That’s especially true now that the interior is finally reopened after more than 5 years of being closed to visitors, and the towers are going to be reopened in September 2025.

We were lucky enough to visit Notre Dame’s rooftop before the tragic 2019 fire, and it remains one of our absolute views of Paris (or from any monument in Europe, really).

Post-restoration, Notre Dame’s interior feels brighter, but is incredibly beautiful.

Visiting the interior of the cathedral is free, though booking a timed-entry slot is highly encouraged, and there’s no charge to do so through the official website.

If you’d prefer to take a guided tour of the cathedral and/or the official reservations are sold out, this guided tour of Notre Dame gets excellent reviews!

Book your tour of Notre Dame today!

Duck into Shakespeare and Company.

Located right across the Seine from Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company is the most famous English-language bookshop in Paris, stuffed full of gorgeous books, beautiful decor, and a down-the-rabbit-hole vibe that perfectly fits the space.

Once the haunt of Lost Generation writers like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and later (in its current location), the gathering place of writers like Langston Hughes and Ray Bradbury, Shakespeare and Company has a storied history that includes many famous names, an eccentric owner or two, and even a closure during the Nazi occupation of France.

If you’re interested in the store’s long and storied history, this article is a great read.

While inside, be sure to check out the view of Notre Dame through the second-floor window and purchase a book (they’ll stamp the title page with their seal at checkout, which we think makes for one of the best Paris souvenirs you can get).

However, make a note to avoid snapping photos inside during your weekend trip to Paris, however tempting it may be. They are explicitly forbidden.

I will note that in recent years, the lines to get in have gotten a bit absurd, especially during the summer!

If you are planning to visit Paris during the high season, we recommend visiting as early in the morning as you can (Shakespeare and Company opens at 10:00 AM).

And, while it’s beyond the scope of this already long itinerary, fellow bibliophiles should note that The Abbey Bookshop is another beautiful English-language bookstore in the Latin Quarter, and it’s both a short walk away and tends to be less crowded!

Grab breakfast or a snack at a beautiful Parisian cafe.

Having checked a couple of sights off your list, it’s officially time to enjoy a typical French breakfast of a delicious coffee and pastry–though admittedly, it may be more like a mid-morning snack for some!

Here are a few cafés nearby (and by nearby, I mean practically hidden in plain sight) that you may want to check out.

Odette

Famous for its beautiful building nestled into the corner of a cobblestone street near Notre Dame, Odette is a lovely and photogenic choice for grabbing breakfast on your first morning in Paris.

They specialize in (delicious) cream puffs!

A. Lacroix Patissier

This patisserie and cafe isn’t famous, but it is delicious, cozy, and boasts views of Notre Dame!

We’ve been eating here for years and can highly recommend it.

Shakespeare & Co. Cafe

Surprisingly affordable and home to delicious coffee, if you want to keep your 2 day Paris itinerary simple this morning, head next door to Shakespeare & Company for breakfast at their popular cafe by the same name.

(Odette is mere steps away from here, so if you’re a huge Parisian cafe lover, you could even visit both).

Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole

This one is more for the photo snappers and late risers among us, as it doesn’t open until noon and is a restaurant rather than a cafe, but Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole is worth mentioning here due to its location.

Famous for its gorgeous wisteria, this Parisian hotspot is practically next door to Notre Dame, is quite well known among places to eat in Paris, and is incredibly charming.

Stop by the oldest clock in Paris.

En route to Sainte-Chapelle during your 2 days in Paris, be sure to make your way past the Tour de l’Horloge on the side of the Conciergerie.

Here you’ll be able to take a peek at the oldest clock in Paris, which was installed in the 14th century and is still ticking along to this day!

It also happens to be incredibly beautiful and is worth keeping an eye out for during your time on Île de la Cité.

Marvel at the stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle.

Soaring ceilings that reach 15 meters high and walls made almost entirely of intricate stained glass: the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle almost defies belief, and it is, in my opinion, one of the most magnificent houses of worship anywhere on the planet.

Built in the 13th century to house an impressive collection of Christian relics (including the Crown of Thorns, which now typically lives at Notre Dame), Sainte-Chapelle is a Gothic masterpiece.

The stained glass tells detailed stories from the Bible, and also happens to be around 70% original. That’s truly impressive when you consider the number of disruptive changes Paris has endured since Sainte-Chapelle was built!

It is colorful, magical, and absolutely beautiful–I haven’t seen anything quite like it anywhere else in the world, and it’s well worth fitting into your itinerary for Paris.

We recommend grabbing a timed-entry ticket in advance (for no extra fee!) to save time in lines and ensure that this small and very popular attraction doesn’t sell out.

Get your ticket for Sainte-Chapelle today to skip the ticket line!

Stroll to the Luxembourg Gardens.

Created by Marie de Medici and modeled after the Boboli Gardens in Florence, the Luxembourg Gardens are home to the stunning Luxembourg Palace and all kinds of quiet Parisian life.

It’s impossible to visit without running into plenty of people reading, relaxing, or strolling through the flowers.

In the summer, you’ll also see children floating sailboats in the fountains!

If you’d like to stray away from the beaten path when exploring the gardens, consider keeping an eye out for the beautiful Medici Fountain or looking for the garden’s beehives!

The Luxembourg Gardens are on the boundary between the Latin Quarter and the neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which are two of the best neighborhoods to explore with a couple of days in Paris!

In other words, feel free to meander a bit on your way here from Sainte-Chapelle, especially if you got an early start this morning.

Hop the metro to the Palais Garnier.

In my opinion, a weekend in Paris really isn’t enough time to justify a trip out to Versailles, but it is easy enough to explore the next best thing!

The Palais Garnier, also known as the Paris Opera House, is gilded, glamorous, and gorgeous–and it’s also home to its very own Hall of Mirrors.

Sure, it’s not quite as big as the one at Versailles (fun fact: did you know that they say that when the Versailles Hall of Mirrors was built, mirrors were so expensive it would have been cheaper to cover the walls in diamonds instead?), but it is incredibly beautiful and well worth visiting.

During your visit to the Palais Garnier, you’ll also be able to tour the regal staircase, check out the theater itself, and step out onto the beautiful balcony.

Book your timed-entry ticket to visit the Palais Garnier today!

Optional: check out the rooftop view at Galeries Lafayette.

The 7th-floor rooftop terrace of the Galeries Lafayette department store boasts lovely views of the city, including an up-close-and-personal view of the Palais Garnier and a clear view of the Eiffel Tower–and as a bonus, it’s completely free to visit.

On your way up, you’ll be able to admire all the glitz and glamour of one of Paris’ most prestigious department stores.

Be sure to check out the interior of the gorgeous dome! It’s set right above the ground-floor cosmetics department.

The Galeries Lafayette is a fun, quick stop in Paris during any time of year, but if you happen to be visiting Paris in winter, all the better: the store’s Christmas tree is one of the best things to see in Paris during the holiday season!

Optional: visit the Passage des Panoramas.

Depending on what time it is, you may or may not have the time or inclination for this next stop, and I wouldn’t say it’s entirely necessary.

However, if you’re up for it, walking about 10 minutes out of the way to visit the Passage des Panoramas is a great addition to your 2 days in Paris itinerary.

Paris is covered in covered passages (pun very much intended), which are essentially interior shopping-centers-slash-walkways that function as a shortcut from one street to the next.

They also provide the highly practical benefit of a chance to stay out of the famously rainy Paris weather while shopping!

Each remaining passage has its own attitude and whimsy, with some dedicating themselves to certain kinds of wares, but the Passage des Panoramas has a couple of things (other than local) going for it that help it make our recommendations list.

First, with an opening date of 1799, it’s one of the oldest covered passages in Paris, and second, many of the original storefront facades have been maintained, giving it a beautiful charm.

Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Head to Trocadero for Eiffel Tower views and a beautiful sunset.

At this point, you’ll want to hop on the metro again.

Now that your weekend in Paris is almost halfway over, it’s time to see the most famous view in the city: that of the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero.

This is the perfect place to watch the sunset over Paris, and while you’ll undoubtedly be sharing the view with hundreds of others, the spectacle really isn’t to be missed.

If you’d like to search out some other views of the Eiffel Tower, consider a stroll from Trocadero in the direction of the tower, passing the Trocadero Carousel and the Seine itself, while heading toward the spot where Rue de l’Université practically dead-ends into the Eiffel.

Along the way, you’ll find plenty of unforgettable views.

Set off on a Seine river cruise.

After a long day of walking all over Paris, it’s time to rest your feet while continuing to see some beautiful Parisian sights!

To be perfectly honest, it took us many trips to Paris before we signed up for this Seine river cruise… and after taking it, we can’t believe that we waited so long!

Yes, they’re a bit touristy, but there’s nothing quite like admiring Paris and its many gorgeous monuments from the water.

Add in the possibility of a sunset, and the view is even better.

We absolutely loved it and fully expect to cruise the Seine several more times in the future!

Many Seine river cruises leave from very close to the base of the Eiffel Tower, too, making taking one an easy addition to this 2 day Paris itinerary!

Want to splurge a bit for your first night in Paris?

You can even sign up for a full dinner cruise if a standard one-hour cruise doesn’t sound like quite enough time on the Seine.

Book your Seine river cruise today!

Day 2 in Paris: Montmartre, Arc de Triomphe + the Louvre

Head to Montmartre to start your morning.

With only 2 days in Paris to work with, you won’t want to head to many far-flung neighborhoods, but there is one exception: exploring the streets of Montmartre.

Home to an artistic culture that thrived during the Belle Époque, one of the prettiest basilicas around, incredible views of Paris, gorgeous winding streets, and excellent cafes, a trek out to Montmartre is the perfect way to start the second half of your weekend trip to Paris.

Once the home of artists like Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Matisse–just to name a few–visiting Montmartre today provides plenty of glimpses into the neighborhood’s Belle Époque past.

That being said, we do recommend getting an early start to ensure you have enough time to see everything you’d like without being rushed!

Here’s our recommended walking tour of Montmartre (and if you’re looking for more ideas, we have lots in this blog post).

Admire the view from Sacré-Cœur.

The view of Paris from Sacré-Coeur, whether you’re talking about the view from in front of the church or from the top of it, is far-reaching and phenomenal.

It’s the perfect place to start your morning!

Be sure to see the inside of the basilica (the mosaics remind me of Ravenna) as well as the exterior.

Around back, Square Marcel Bleustein Blanchet offers excellent views of the basilica itself.

And, if you’re wondering if it’s worth taking the time to climb Sacré-Coeur, the answer is absolutely yes, if you can fit it into your schedule. The view is one of the absolute best in Paris!

Check out Paris’ most famous optical illusion.

If you stand on the hill while climbing up to Sacré-Coeur and look to the right, you’ll see a red brick building jutting out into the view.

With a twist of the camera, this spot becomes the famous sinking house of Montmartre–which is, of course, not actually sinking at all.

Visit the Place du Tertre.

As the congregation point of artists in Montmartre, this square bustles all day long with visitors and artists alike–and while it may be very touristy these days, it’s still beautiful and worth a stop during your weekend in Paris.

Lined with picturesque cafes and covered with artists’ easels, the beautiful Place du Tertre is the heart of Montmartre’s artistic culture and has been for centuries.

If having your portrait drawn by a local artist is on your Montmartre bucket list, this is the place to do it!

The artists with easels set up in the Place du Tertre are licensed and regulated, and have to apply with the city to set up there–not just anyone can join.

For that reason, we recommend approaching a sitting artist if you’re interested in buying art here.

Roving artists who pitch their wares to you are not regulated, technically not allowed (though they always seem to be around), and much less likely to provide a product you’ll be satisfied with.

Regardless of whether or not you’re in the market for artwork, the atmosphere in the Place du Tertre is lovely, and visiting is a great addition to a trip to Montmartre.

Don’t forget to turn back toward Sacré-Coeur for a view of the domes peeking up over the square!

Stroll the streets of Montmartre & check out its famous cafes.

Montmartre’s winding streets combine with its steep hills for some absolutely gorgeous views, and it’s worth taking an hour or two during your Paris weekend trip to explore them somewhat aimlessly.

Here are a few things to keep an eye out for (or make a beeline for, depending on your priorities): the colorful Le Consulat Cafe, La Maison Rose (the Instagram-famous pink cafe that Picasso was a patron of), Montmartre’s few surviving windmills, Vignes du Clos Montmartre (the small, private vineyard in the middle of the city), and Rue de l’Abreuvoir, which may just be one of the prettiest streets in Paris.

If you’re a fan of the movie Amelie, you can find plenty of filming locations for the movie here as well, including but definitely not limited to the Montmartre Funicular and the Maison Collignon Grocery Store.

Here’s our full guide to what to do in Montmartre.

As you get ready to head back toward central Paris for the final afternoon of your 2 days in Paris, head toward the Moulin Rouge for a (very quick) photo op and also to get yourself headed in the right direction geographically.

Grab a typical Parisian lunch.

No 2 days in Paris are complete without a hearty Parisian meal, and your sightseeing is taking you in the direction of two tasty, affordable French restaurants perfect for lunch.

Option one: Bouillon Chartier, which is a bit further away (in the 9th, about a 25-minute walk back toward central Paris from Moulin Rouge). It’s also, in my opinion, slightly tastier and cozier.

Option two: Bouillon Pigalle, which is located practically next door to the Moulin Rouge and is perfect for those too starving to wait.

Both restaurants are affordable, casual, and well-reviewed, so order a couple of courses and dig in!

Bear in mind that as both of these spots are popular with locals and tourists alike, you’ll want to get there as close to opening as you can, which is 11:30 AM for Bouillon Chartier and 12:00 PM for Bouillon Pigalle.

Looking for something a bit different?

A stroll down Rue des Martyrs will take you past a fabulous concentration of specialty food shops, from fromageries to patisseries, and is an amazing place to build your own Parisian picnic! There are restaurants to choose from there, as well.

Take the metro to the Arc de Triomphe.

From the cozy streets of Montmartre to the wide avenue of Champs-Élysées: after you wrap up lunch, it’s time to see a whole different side of Paris at the Arc de Triomphe!

Without a doubt, the top of the Arc de Triomphe is home to one of our absolute favorite views of Paris (it’s more or less tied with Notre Dame and Sacré-Coeur, hence why you’ll find all 3 of them on this itinerary!).

If your legs aren’t already completely exhausted from navigating the hills of Montmartre (and possibly the climb up Sacré-Coeur) this morning, we absolutely recommend heading to the top!

Like many sights around Paris, the lines can get incredibly long here, but you can skip the ticket line by pre-booking tickets for no extra charge, so we recommend grabbing them before you arrive.

Even if you have zero intention of climbing any more stairs than necessary for the rest of your weekend in Paris, you’ll still want to admire the Arc de Triomphe from the ground: it’s a truly impressive structure.

Visiting the Arc de Triomphe outside of the rooftop is free, so even if you don’t book tickets, be sure to step underneath the arch–it’s incredibly impressive from below, too.

Here’s our full guide to visiting the Arc de Triomphe.

Book tickets to visit the rooftop of the Arc de Triomphe today!

Stroll down the Champs-Élysées.

Ambling down Paris’ most famous avenue is quite the experience, with everything from giant department stores to glamorous designers to Disney lining the streets.

As you walk down the street, be sure to look back once in a while to check out the Arc de Triomphe behind you!

With only a couple days in Paris to work with, I wouldn’t recommend dedicating too much time to taking in the Champs-Élysées, but it’s worth a look since you’ll already be there to see the Arc de Triomphe!

Walk to the Louvre while sightseeing along the way (or take the metro).

To walk from the Arc de Triomphe to the entrance to the Louvre the scenic way (so swerving down to the Pont Alexander III and then more-or-less following the Seine up to the Tuileries Gardens) takes a bit under an hour.

If your feet are up for it and you have enough time left in the day, we absolutely recommend it!

If you set your GPS first for the Pont Alexander III and then the Louvre Pyramids, you’ll stroll down the Champs-Élysées, check out what is possibly the prettiest bridge in Paris, walk past the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, and amble through the Tuileries Gardens.

However, if you’re in a hurry or just plain tired of dragging yourself all over Paris, you can also easily hop the metro from the Arc de Triomphe and head directly to the Louvre.

Explore the Louvre.

There’s nowhere quite like the Louvre.

As the largest art museum in the world, it truly has some of (read: a lot of) everything.

In the Louvre, time and geography are at your fingertips. Paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from all over the world are present.

The collection is magnificently diverse. Stroll through the apartments of Napoleon III (the Louvre was once a palace, after all), and along the foundation of the Louvre as it once stood (because yes, it was a fortress even before a palace).

Admire world-famous works like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and then decide for yourselves whether they’re really the best examples of art in the place.

There’s truly no way to see all that the Louvre has to offer in one visit or 20, so we recommend picking 2-3 things you’d like to see, ensuring you get to those, and then leaving the rest up to fate (or to these handy Louvre trails).

Alternatively, of course, you can book a tour!

It took us 3 visits to the Louvre before we booked a tour, and wow do we wish we had done it sooner.

The itinerary has changed slightly, but we absolutely loved our Louvre tour with Walks. The context was incredible, our guide did a magnificent job, and we walked away feeling like we had learned much more than we would have on our own.

This is the updated version of the tour we took, or if you prefer to avoid as many crowds are possible, this closing time tour from the same company is a special experience.

Whether you book a tour or not, though, one thing is certain: you need tickets before you arrive to guarantee entrance to the museum.

These days, pre-booked tickets for a specific time slot are the norm for visiting the Louvre!

It makes sense, of course–the Louvre is one of the most popular tourist attractions on Earth–but it does mean that you’ll be well served by planning in advance a bit for this one.

Ready to book your visit to the Louvre?

You can book timed-entry tickets on their website or through Get Your Guide (one will often sell out before the other).

Alternatively, you can book this cool tour with Walks like us, or book a special closing time tour to see the museum at its least crowded!

Stop by the Colonnes de Buren or grab hot chocolate at Angelina.

Once you wrap up at the Louvre, you’ll probably have time during your 2 days in Paris for just a tiny bit more sightseeing.

If you’re searching for popular Paris photo spots, this is a great time to stop by the Colonnes de Buren in the Palais Royale!

They’re free to visit and fun to see in the evening, when there will be plenty of people hanging out (and even working out–we’ve seen everything from group lunges to kids playing soccer) nearby.

After you finish at the Colonnes de Buren, the Galerie Vero-Dodat is just around the corner and is another one of Paris’ beautiful covered passages, so you can consider swinging by there for a quick look as well.

If you’re done seeing the sights and simply want to sit down and indulge, the famous Angelina is a short walk away, ready to serve you a steaming cup of their legendary hot chocolate.

Close out your 2 days in Paris with an evening stroll past your favorite sights.

As your weekend in Paris comes to a close, odds are that you’re not ready to return to your hotel for the night–and we recommend spending some time after dark enjoying one of our absolute Paris pastimes: wandering the city.

Looking for ideas on where to go?

Consider walking along the Seine and crossing the Pont des Artes to see Île de la Cité sparkling ahead, enjoying the Louvre Pyramids as they’re lit up at night, soaking in the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, or, for movie buffs, strolling over to Saint Etienne-du-Mont to see the Midnight in Paris steps at probably-not-quite-midnight (but at least after dark).

If you want to do as the Parisians do, so to speak, consider heading over to Canal Saint-Martin!

Here are 21 of the best things to do in Paris at night.

Where to Stay for 2 Days in Paris

In a city as large and dense as Paris, deciding where to stay can be quite daunting!

Paris is famously divided into 20 arrondissements, or neighborhoods, that are named via a number system that starts with 1 in the center of the city (where you’ll find the Louvre) and circles outward like the shell of a snail.

After 10+ trips to Paris, we’ve stayed in many neighborhoods spread across the city, from Montmartre (we loved this aparthotel) to the Bastille area (an underappreciated place to stay, and this hotel was wonderful).

And, while everyone has their own opinions about where to stay in Paris (there’s no one right answer), we love and highly recommend Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th arrondissement) or the Latin Quarter (5th arrondissement) to travelers visiting Paris for the first time and frequently choose to stay there ourselves.

In these areas, you’ll be within walking distance of attractions like Île de la Cité (home of Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle), the Seine, the Luxembourg Garden, the Louvre, and many more.

And, by choosing a hotel near a metro stop, you’ll also have the rest of Paris at your fingertips!

Here are a few hotels we’ve personally stayed in and loved in the 5th and 6th, arranged more or less from most budget-friendly to most luxurious (though if it’s Parisian charm you’re after, this one is the clear winner).

Hotel Abbatial Saint Germain (Centrally Located & Cozy)

We love this cute boutique hotel in Paris, mostly because of its truly unbeatable location less than a 10-minute walk from Notre Dame and therefore an easy walk away from many of the attractions of Île de la Cité (and a metro stop, of course).

Despite the super central location, the streets outside were still quiet at night, a huge benefit, and the views during the day were lovely.

The customer service was excellent, the bed cozy, and the room, while still very small by global standards, was a bit roomy compared to what we’ve gotten used to in Paris.

We’d be happy to stay again!

Check rates & book your stay at Hotel Abbatial Saint Germain!

Relais Hôtel du Vieux Paris (Classic Parisian Charm)

Located on a quiet street less than a block from the Seine and Île de la Cité, Relais Hôtel du Vieux Paris offers all the advantages of a central location while maintaining its peace and quiet.

… and it does all that while still managing to have one of the most charming interiors we’ve experienced in a Paris hotel!

The ceilings, wallpaper, and overall decor never let you forget that you’re in the City of Light, and we loved every second.

The breakfast is also delicious, served at the table, and includes a generous selection of pastries as well as fruit, cheese, orange juice, coffee, and tea.

Check rates & book your stay at Relais Hôtel du Vieux Paris!

Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris (Modern Amenities + Kitchens on the Seine)

Located right on the Seine in one of the most convenient locations in Paris, the crisp and modern Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris offers ease at every turn.

And that includes the fact that studios and apartments here include kitchens or kitchenettes!

If you’re looking for a peaceful retreat from sightseeing in Paris, a chance to enjoy an occasional dinner of cheese and baguette you picked up at the market, and a bit more elbow room than is traditional in the City of Light, this is the place for you.

We loved our stay here–and, thanks to the hotel being pet-friendly, so did Ranger.

Check rates & book your stay at Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris!

Have more than a weekend in Paris?

If you have more than 2 days in Paris–perhaps a long weekend in Paris instead of a standard one, for example–you certainly won’t run out of things to do!

If you love museums, consider heading directly to the the Musée d’Orsay (one of our favorites, and full of impressionists), the Musée de l’Orangerie (another favorite, where you’ll find Monet’s water lilies along with lots of Renoir and Matisse), Centre Pompidou (modern art and a great view of Paris), or the Musee Rodin (focused on sculpture by, of course, Rodin).

Paris’ smaller museums are also delightful to explore, and some of them are even free to enter!

Consider hitting up the Museum of Romantics, the Counterfeiting Museum, the Cluny Museum, the Victor Hugo House, or the Musée Curie–just to name a few options!

Other cool things to see in Paris include the catacombs, the Rue Cler street market, the Conciergerie, the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, and more, which are all options with more than a quick weekend trip to Paris.

Those looking to shop have plenty of options, from designer boutiques to shops in the covered passages to quirky options like the Vanves Flea Market.

For the foodies among us, we absolutely adored this Paris food tour in Le Marais, and this cozy macaron baking class!

For those looking for a taste of France outside of Paris, a day trip to Versailles, Giverny, or Château de Fontainebleau can add a wonderful taste of France outside of Paris (and they’re far from the only options! Here are 17 of the best day trips from Paris.).

Looking for even more things to do in Paris?

Our detailed Paris bucket list and our guide to exploring Paris off the beaten path both have even more ideas!

Suffice it to say that a lifetime wouldn’t be long enough to discover all the amazing sights in the City of Light–but when planned well, 2 days in Paris is long enough to get a great start.

Getting Around During 2 Days in Paris

This Paris itinerary assumes that you’ll be using a combination of walking and the well-connected Paris metro to reach these places to visit in Paris in 2 days.

Paris’ metro is one of the densest metro networks in the world, and it’s incredibly efficient at helping you move around the city.

Generally speaking, the metro is not only cheaper but faster than taking a car/taxi between destinations.

You’ll want to purchase a Navigo Easy Pass at a metro station or download the RAPT app to buy (and validate) tickets on your phone.

You can get details on setting up the pass and/or your phone here.

What to Pack for a Weekend Trip to Paris

With only a weekend in Paris to work with, the key to packing for your 2 days in Paris is to pack light and bring comfortable, classic clothes that you look (and feel) great in.

Trust us–you don’t want to be climbing the hills of Montmartre in brand-new shoes, no matter how adorable they might be!

Here are a few things you should definitely bring on your Paris weekend trip.

Travel Insurance — We don’t ever suggest traveling without travel insurance–anything can happen, and this is definitely a case of better safe than sorry.

Travel Adapters for Paris — If you’re coming from outside of Europe, you’ll definitely need adapters for your electronics once you arrive for your 2 days in Paris.

Umbrella — Option A: Plan on buying an umbrella when it starts pouring down rain. Option B: Plan ahead and buy a (probably much sturdier) umbrella before leaving. Option C: Hope you get lucky with the weather. We’ve tried all of these options with varying results, but we are happy to have had this travel umbrella with us for years.

Money Belt — This is up to you: we no longer use one, but if you’re more comfortable with one, you can consider it. We used to use this one and had no complaints. These days, we prefer just to leave valuables in our Pacsafe during the day.

Travel Journal — If you want to keep a travel journal during your fall trip to Europe but can’t commit to a huge amount of writing each night, I can’t recommend the One Line a Day Journal enough–I’ve been using it for more than 8 years now and absolutely love it.

Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L GII Portable Safe — We bring this with us everywhere these days.

Simply place your important belongings inside before you leave for the day, string it around the sturdiest thing in the room (the base of the toilet or a pipe under the sink is a good option), and voila! You’re good to go off and enjoy a couple of wonderful days in Paris.

2 Days in Paris Itinerary Map

Take This Map With You! Click each highlight to pull up the name of the destination. To save this map to “Your Places” on Google Maps, click the star to the right of the title. You’ll then be able to find it under the Maps tab of your Google Maps account! To open the map in a new window, click the button on the top right of the map.