72 hours in Paris

09:00am  Arc de Triomphe - Visit duration 1h
10:25am  River Cruise - Visit duration 1h
11:30am  Eiffel Tower - Visit duration 2h
02:00pm  Rodin Museum - Visit duration 1h
03:15pm  Hotel des Invalides - Visit duration 1h
04:30pm  Orsay Museum - Visit duration 1h30

Situated at the Place de l’Etoile, overlooking the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe is the biggest arch in the world.

It was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to celebrate his victory at Austerlitz.

The architects Chalgrin, Joust and Blouet all worked on the monument. Sculptures were designed by Cortot, Rude, Etex, Pradier and Lemaire.

Beneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and each evening at 6:30PM its flame is rekindled. From the top of the monument, visitors benefit from a panoramic view of Paris, during the day and at night, and two viewpoint indicators.

A museum retracing the history of the Arc de Triomphe, situated within the structure, completes the visit.

Address: Place de l'Etoile, 75008 Paris
Access: RER A Charles de Gaulle Etoile
Opening times: 10:00AM – 10:30PM

More information about the Arc de Triomphe here. 

For more than 60 years, the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches has told a love story to generations of passengers, those who are curious, poets, those who are romantic or in love...
Our crew is waiting for you on board one of our 9 boats enclosed in glass and bathed in light to cast off and accompany you on a journey through time. Daily departures throughout the day and in the evening.
The 6 boat restaurants of the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches travel all over Paris every day to reveal the heart of the City of Light. They will allow you to discover or rediscover all of the magic of the banks of the River Seine, which are enhanced, in no predictable order, by the most prestigious monuments, which have marked history.
The Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches makes it a point of honour to only serve dishes made from fresh products, which are selected each morning and are cooked to order.

Address: Port de la Conférence, Pont de l’Alma, Rive droite, 75008 PARIS
Access: Underground line 9 - Alma-Marceau / Underground line1 - Franklin Roosevelt / Bus 28, 42, 49, 63, 72, 80, 83, 92 / RER (regional express network line) C : Pont de l’Alma station
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 25 96 10

More information about the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches. 

A not-to-be-missed monument and symbol of the capital, the Eiffel Tower stands 324 m tall, and weighs 10,100 tons.

Created in 2 years, 2 months and 5 days, it was built for the World Expo of 1889 and celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2009.
 
You can go up the Eiffel Tower by steps or with the lifts. 
- On the 1st floor: walk around the shops
- On the 2nd floor: treat yourself to a gastronomic meal at the famous Jules Verne restaurant, at 125 metres above ground
- On the 3rd floor: you are at cloud level and have an exceptional 360° view! 

Address: 5 avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France
Opening times: 9:30AM – 11:00PM
Access: Metro (6) Bir-Hakeim / RER C Champs de Mars
Phone reservations: for individuals: +33 (0) 8 92 70 12 39 / for groups: +33 (0) 8 92 70 00 16

More information about the Eiffel Tower here. 

Close to Invalides and the Eiffel Tower, the Musée Rodin is situated within the Hôtel Biron, an 18th century mansion. The museum features a number of the great artist's sculptures as well as some of the works of Camille Claudel. 

The collections demonstrate Auguste Rodin's taste for art collections: drawings, engravings, paintings, ceramics, photographs and antiques. 

The French garden at the museum is a must-see! 

Address: 79 rue de Varenne 75007 Paris
Access: Metro: Varenne / Buses: 69, 82, 87, 92 / RER: Invalides
Phone: +33 (0) 1 44 18 61 10
Opening Hours: 10am to 5.45pm (closed on Mondays)

More information about the Rodin Museum here. 

Église du Dôme has a sparkling golden dome (1677–1735) and is one of the finest religious edifices erected under Louis XIV.
It received the remains of Napoleon in 1840. The very extravagant Tombeau de Napoléon 1er, in the centre of the church, comprises six coffins fitting into one another like a Russian matryoshka doll.

Address: Avenue de Tourville, 75007 Paris, France
Access: Metro: Invalides, Varenne and La Tour-Maubourg
Opening Hours: 10am-7pm Jul & Aug, to 6pm Sep & Apr-Jun, to 5pm Oct-Mar

Internationally renowned for its rich collection of impressionist art, the Musée d'Orsay also displays all western artistic creation between 1848 and 1914. Its collections represent all expressive forms, from painting to architecture, not forgetting sculpting, decorative arts and photography. 

You're sure to be dazzled by the beauty of the place: a palace-like railway station, launched for the 1900 Universal Exposition.

At the end of 2011, the museum reopened all of its entirely renovated spaces as well as some new rooms: an additional 400 m² for the Pavillon Amont, post-impressionist artists at the heart of the museum, the restructuring of the Galerie des Impressionnistes, a new space for temporary exhibitions, and a new aquatic decor in the Café des Hauteurs, designed by Brazilian designers, the Campana Brothers.

Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris
Access: Metro Solférino / RER C : Musée d'Orsay / Buses: 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94
Opening times: 9:30 am – 9:45 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +33 (0) 1 40 49 48 14

More information about the Orsay Museum here. 

09:00am  Pantheon - Visit Duration 1h
10:10am  Notre Dame - Visit Duration 1h25
11:40am  Holy Chapel - Visit Duration 1h
12:55am  Louvre Museum - Visit Duration 2h
03:00pm  Palais Royal - Visit Duration 1h
04:15pm  National Opera - Visit Duration 1h
05:25pm  Tuileries Gardens - Visit Duration 1h

A masterpiece created by Soufflot (1713-1780) and a former church, during the French Revolution the Panthéon became the burial place for famous French figures. 

72 famous greats rest here, including Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Jean Jaurès, Jean Moulin, and since 1996, André Malraux.

Address: Place du Panthéon 
75005 Paris
Access: Metro: Cardinal Lemoine / Buses: 21, 27, 83, 84, 85, 89 / RER: Luxembourg
Opening times: From 1 April to 30 September: 10am to 6.30pm. From 1 October to 31 March: 10am to 6pm
Phone: +33 (0) 1 44 32 18 00

More information about the Panthéon here. 

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, is the most visited monument in France.

It was built in the Middle Ages, at the far end of the Île de la Cité. Work started in the 13th century and finished in the 15th century. Badly damaged during the French Revolution, the cathedral was restored in the 19th century by the architect, Viollet-le-Duc.

Its many visitors come to admire its stained glass and rose windows, the towers, the steeple and the gargoyles. They can also discover the Notre-Dame treasury and try and climb the towers to enjoy a panoramic view of Paris. 

Address: 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, 75004 Paris
Access: District Notres-Dame - Ile Saint-Louis / RER Saint-Michel - Notre-Dame / Buses: 21, 24, 27, 38, 47, 85, 96
Opening hours: 8AM - 6.45PM (7.15PM on Saturdays and Sundays)
Treasury hours: 9.30AM - 6PM (Monday to Friday) / 9.30AM - 6.30PM (Saturdays) / 1.30PM - 6.30PM (Sundays)
Phone: +33 (0) 1 42 34 56 10

More information about Notre-Dame Cathedral here.

Situated on the Ile de la Cité, a short walk from Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Sainte-Chapelle chapel is a jewel of Gothic art. 

It was built in the 12th century, upon the order of King Saint-Louis, to house Christ’s Crown of Thorns, now held at Notre-Dame. The upper chapel of the monument is covered in 600 m² of stained-glass windows, of which 2/3 are authentic. 

It’s one of the most complete and remarkable sets of stained glass of this era.

Address: 8 boulevard du Palais 75001 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 53 40 60 80
Access: Metro: Cité / Buses: 21, 27, 38, 85, 96 and Balabus / RER: Saint-Michel - Notre-Dame
Opening hours: From 1 March to 31 October: 9.30am to 6pm. From 1 November to 28 February: 9am to 5pm

More information Holy Chapel here.

The Louvre is the one place nobody can miss on any trip to Paris. Occupying the former Palace of the Kings of France, it is one of the richest buildings in the world. A magical place visited by over 8 million art lovers every year.
Enlarged and embellished over the centuries: the Louvre consists of 135.000m2 of space dedicated to the art of great civilisations from Antiquity to the 19th century.

Address: Musée du Louvre, 75001 Paris, France
Access: Metro: Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre / Bus: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 76, 81, 95
Opening times: 9AM - 6PM (closed on Tuesdays) and 9AM - 9:45PM on Wednesday and Friday
Phone: +33 1 40 20 50 50

More information about the Louvre here.

Created by the Cardinal Richelieu in 1633, the Palais Royal and its gardens, just a short walk from the Louvre, housed royal families up until the Palace of Versailles was built. Prestigious and peaceful, the gardens are surrounded by a superb futuristic architecture with contemporary sculptures by Buren and Bury. 

The Colonnes de Buren were designed by artist Daniel Buren and are situated in the courtyard, near the garden and Ministry of Culture. The 260 black and white striped octagonal columns are definitely worth a visit and are one of the symbols of Paris.

Address: Place du Palais Royal 75001 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 47 03 92 16
Access: Metro: Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre

The Palais Garnier or the Opéra Garnier is "probably the most famous opera house in the world, a symbol of Paris like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, or the Sacré Coeur Basilica."
This is at least partly due to its use as the setting for Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera and, especially, the novel's subsequent adaptations in films and Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular 1986 musical.

Another contributing factor is that among the buildings constructed in Paris during the Second Empire, besides being the most expensive, it has been described as the only one that is "unquestionably a masterpiece of the first rank." 

The Palais Garnier also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum). Although the Library-Museum is no longer managed by the Opera and is part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the museum is included in unaccompanied tours of the Palais Garnier.

Address: Corner of Rues Scribe and Auber, 75009 Paris
Access: Metro Alight at Opéra, lines 3,7,8 / RER: Auber stop, line A / Bus: lines 20, 21, 22, 27, 29, 42, 52, 53, 66, 68, 81, 95
Opening Hours: 10AM - 5PM

More information about the National Opera here. 

The famous gardener of King Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre, re-landscaped the gardens in 1664 to give them their current French formal garden style. The gardens, which separate the Louvre from the Place de la Concorde, are a cultural walking place for Parisians and tourists where Maillol statues stand alongside those of Rodin or Giacometti. 

The gardens’ two ponds are perfect for relaxation. The Musée de l’Orangerie, where visitors can admire the works of Monet, is located south-west of Tuileries. From March to December, free tours in French are organized. For lovers of candyfloss, rides and thrills, go to the Fête des Tuileries from June to August.

Address: Place de la Concorde, 75001 Paris
Access: Metro: Concorde, Tuileries / Buses: 21, 24, 27, 42, 68, 72, 73, 81, 84, 94, 95 / RER: Musée d'Orsay

09:00am  Luxembourg Gardens - Visit Duration 2h
11:15am  Pont Neuf - Visit Duration 15min
11:45am  Pompidou Museum - Visit Duration 2h
02:15pm  Sacre Coeur - Visit Duration 1h30
03:45pm  Place du Tertre - Visit Duration 1h30

The Luxembourg Gardens is the second largest public park in Paris located in the 6th arrondissement. The park is the garden of the French Senate, which is itself housed in the Luxembourg Palace.

Address: Rue Guynemer, 75006 Paris, France
Access: Metro(4): Odeon / RER B : Luxembourg

The Pont Neuf Bridge, the New Bridge, with its sparkling-white stone, is actually Paris' oldest standing bridge built in 1578 to connect the right bank with the left from the 1st to the 6th arrondissements. 

The stone structure was considered radical from an architectural point of view when it was built. As it happens, Pont Neuf Bridge is also has one of Europe’s earliest pedestrian sidewalks. 

It is a popular road for strolls even today when no tourist should be allowed to miss the view of Notre-Dame de Paris or the Eiffel Tower while standing in the middle of the bridge. 

The tip of the island is Square du Vert-Galant, named after Henry IV (was called the green gallant). 

The arches on which the Pont Neuf Bridge is built are decorated with figures. 

The bridge is actually composed of two separate parts - one of five arches connecting the left bank to the Île de la Cité while the other seven arches connect the island to the right bank.

Access: Metro Pont Neuf

Constantin Brancusi, a major artist in the history of modern sculpture, was born in Romania in 1876, and went on to live in France from 1904 to 1957. He created most of his works in the workshops which he occupied in the 15th arrondissement. In his will, he left his entire workshop, reconstructed on the piazza of the Centre Pompidou in 1997, to the French state. 
It features a unique collection of 137 sculptures, 87 pedestals, 41 drawings, 2 paintings and more than 1,600 photographic glass plates and original photos by the artist.

Address: Place Georges Pompidou 75004 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 44 78 12 33

More information about the Georges Pompidou Centre here. 

The Sacré-Coeur, consecrated in 1919, is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris.

At the top of the Butte Montmarte, it provides one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital, from more than 400 metres above ground.

In a Roman-Byzantine style, the Sacré Coeur is recognizable by its white colour. Inside the building, the ceiling is decorated with 
the largest mosaic in France measuring about 480 m². The crypt is worth a visit.

A bit higher up, visitors can access the dome where the 360° view of Paris is magnificent. A short walk from the Sacré Coeur is the Place du Tertre, the district of Abbesses with its steep, winding roads, and at the bottom of the hill, the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Address: Parvis du Sacré Coeur, 75018 Paris
Opening Hours: 9AM - 11PM

More information about the Sacred Heart here. 

Here, folklore is in full swing, between the restaurant terraces and easels belonging to the artists who share 140 spaces, giving 1 m² for two artists working in alternation. But the village's historical square is definitely worth seeing! 

Address: Place du Tertre 75018 Paris
Access: Metro: Abbesses, Lamarck - Caulaincourt