4 days in Paris: itinerary for first-timers (2026)

Each day sticks to one part of the city: the islands and the Louvre, the Left Bank and the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, then Montmartre and the Latin Quarter. Check the day of the week before you go: the Louvre is closed Tuesdays, Orsay and Versailles are closed Mondays, and the Grande Mosquée doesn't open to visitors on Fridays.

Day 1: Île de la Cité and the Louvre

Morning: Start at Notre-Dame when it opens (7:50 a.m. on weekdays), then walk to Sainte-Chapelle when it opens at 9 a.m.
Afternoon: Cross the river to the Louvre for your booked time slot; on Wednesdays and Fridays it stays open until 9 p.m.
Evening: Walk through the Tuileries Garden next to the Louvre (open until 9 p.m. in spring and fall, 11 p.m. in summer).
Getting around: Métro 4 to Cité in the morning; the Louvre is a walk across the Seine (Métro 1/7 Palais-Royal – Musée du Louvre to get home).

Tours for day 1 ↗

Day 2: Musée d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower

Morning: Musée d'Orsay from 9:30 a.m. with a pre-booked ticket (closed Mondays).
Afternoon: Ride RER C from Musée d'Orsay to Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel and walk the Champ de Mars.
Evening: Go up the Eiffel Tower (open until 11 p.m.) for the view after dark, with tickets booked in advance.
Getting around: RER C links both stops directly.

Tours for day 2 ↗

Day 3: Day trip to Versailles

Morning: Take RER C to Versailles Château – Rive Gauche and enter the palace at your booked time (closed Mondays).
Afternoon: Spend it in the gardens and the Trianon estate (open from noon); the Passport ticket covers both.
Evening: Head back to Paris for a quiet dinner.
Getting around: RER C each way (about 10 minutes' walk from the station to the palace).

Tours for day 3 ↗

Day 4: Montmartre and the Latin Quarter

Morning: Climb to the Sacré-Cœur early (open from 6 a.m.) and wander Montmartre's lanes before the crowds.
Afternoon: Cross the city to the Grande Mosquée de Paris (open 9 a.m.–6 p.m., not Fridays) for the gardens, prayer and mint tea.
Evening: Dinner at the mosque's restaurant or in the Latin Quarter. If it's a Thursday, Notre-Dame is open until 10 p.m.
Getting around: Métro 12 to Lamarck-Caulaincourt in the morning; Métro 7 to Place Monge in the afternoon.

Tours for day 4 ↗

Go deeper

Details for every stop

Things to do in ParisHours, prices and how to get to each sightSee the sights → Tours in ParisGuided tours and tickets on GetYourGuideBrowse ↗

Plan the rest

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Getting there

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Sources

Checked October 1, 2026. Prices, rules and fees change, so confirm before you travel.

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