France · 5 days · 5 days · 20 stops
5 days in Paris with a trip to Versailles
Five days in Paris follow one simple rule: each day has one neighbourhood and at most one big museum. In the middle sits a full day at Versailles, so the palace, the park and the Trianon don't turn into a rush. The last day takes you where Parisians spend their own weekends – along the Canal Saint-Martin and in the northern Marais.
In short
- Length
- 5 days, 20 stops
- Highlights
- Sainte-Chapelle, Louvre, Musée Rodin, Palace of Versailles, Sacré-Cœur
- Day trips
- Day trip to Versailles
- Where to stay
- Le Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Getting around
- Paris is good to explore on foot, and the metro gets you quickly between neighbourhoods.
- Best time to go
- April to June and September to October: pleasant temperatures, long days and fewer crowds than in high summer.
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Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Day 1
The islands and the Latin Quarter
Sainte-Chapelle
Take the first time slot: the windows tell the Bible in more than a thousand scenes, and mornings are still quiet.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Sainte-Chapelleabout 5 min on foot
Notre-Dame de Paris
Free entry to the restored cathedral. Look out for the new spire and the bright, freshly cleaned vaults.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Notre-Dame de Parisabout 20 min on foot
Rue Mouffetard
The old market street of the Latin Quarter: fruit and cheese stalls at the bottom, crêperies and small restaurants further up.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Rue Mouffetardabout 10 min on foot
Panthéon
Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie lie in the crypt. A copy of Foucault's pendulum swings under the dome.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Panthéonabout 10 min on foot
Luxembourg Garden
The garden in front of the Senate: chairs around the big pond, the Medici Fountain in the shade and boules players under the trees.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Luxembourg Garden
Day 2
Louvre, Palais-Royal and Étoile
Louvre
With half a day: the Egyptian galleries, the huge French canvases in the Denon wing and Napoleon III's apartments.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Louvreabout 5 min on foot
Palais-Royal
Lunch around the palace garden, then a stroll between the striped Buren columns in the main courtyard.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Palais-Royalabout 15 min on foot
Musée de l'Orangerie
At the end of the Tuileries: Monet's Water Lilies rooms, with Renoir, Cézanne and Modigliani downstairs.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Musée de l'OrangerieMetro line 1 from Concorde to Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, about 10 min.
Arc de Triomphe
From the roof you look down the Champs-Élysées all the way to the Louvre, where the day began.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Arc de Triomphe
Day 3
The Left Bank and the Eiffel Tower
Musée Rodin
The Thinker and the Gates of Hell stand in the rose garden. The mansion itself is light and easy to see in an hour or two.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Musée Rodinabout 5 min on foot
Les Invalides
Napoleon's tomb lies under the golden dome, and the army museum next door has armour from several centuries.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Les Invalidesabout 20 min on foot
Eiffel Tower
Visibility is often clearest in the afternoon. If you are fit, take the stairs up to the second floor.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Eiffel Towerabout 15 min on foot
Seine cruise with Bateaux Mouches
An hour on the river to the Île Saint-Louis and back – a good rest for tired legs after a museum day.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Seine cruise with Bateaux Mouches
Day 4
Day trip to Versailles
RER C from Paris (e.g. Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel) to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, about 40 min, then about 10 min on foot to the palace. Book a timed ticket and check opening hours before you go.
Palace of Versailles
Get into the state apartments early, before the tour groups. The highlight is the Hall of Mirrors with its 357 mirrors.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Palace of Versaillesabout 15 min on foot
Gardens of Versailles
Picnic or lunch in the park, then walk to the Grand Canal, where you can hire rowing boats and bikes.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Gardens of Versaillesabout 15 min on foot
Marie-Antoinette's estate
The Petit Trianon and the Queen's little village, the Hameau, sit at the far end of the park – a contrast to the palace's pomp.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Marie-Antoinette's estate
Day 5
Montmartre, the canal and the Marais
Sacré-Cœur
The view over the rooftops is calmest in the morning. You can climb the dome with a ticket.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Sacré-CœurMetro line 2 from Anvers towards Nation to Jaurès, about 10 min, then walk south along the canal.
Canal Saint-Martin
Iron footbridges, locks and plane trees. Parisians sit on the banks with coffee from the cafés around.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Canal Saint-Martinabout 10 min on foot
Marché des Enfants Rouges
The city's oldest covered market, with stalls from Moroccan to Japanese. You eat at long shared tables.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Marché des Enfants Rougesabout 5 min on foot
Picasso Museum
Picasso's own collection in a Baroque mansion in the Marais. Calmer than the big museums.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Picasso Museum
Good to know
Not Versailles on a Monday
The palace closes one weekday and is busiest at weekends. Keep the day trip flexible and check before you go.
Consider a museum pass
With many museums in five days, the Paris Museum Pass can pay off. Most places still need a separate time-slot reservation.
Metro tickets
Navigo Easy or a ticket on your phone is easier than paper tickets. Since 2025 the Metro–Train–RER ticket is valid across the whole region except the airports, so it covers the RER to Versailles too.
For the best time to go, public transport and where to stay, see the 3-day plan for Paris.
Your plan
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5 days in Paris: frequently asked questions
Are 5 days in Paris too many?
No. Five days cover the Louvre, the Orsay or Rodin, Montmartre and Versailles without rushing – and leave time for areas like the Canal Saint-Martin.
How do I get from Paris to Versailles?
The easiest way is RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, about 40 minutes. Trains from Saint-Lazare and Montparnasse also run to other stations in Versailles.
What is the best day for Versailles?
Tuesday to Friday. Weekends and fountain-show days are the busiest – exact opening days are on the palace's website.
More plans for Paris
- One dayOne day in Paris – walking route with mapFrom the Île de la Cité along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower – with the Orsay in the afternoon and dinner on Rue Cler.
- WeekendA weekend in Paris: Marais, Louvre, MontmartreFriday in the Marais, Saturday from the Louvre to a Seine cruise, Sunday in Montmartre – back in time for the train.
- 3 days3 days in Paris – a ready-made itineraryThe islands and the Marais, the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the Opéra Garnier.
- With kidsParis with kids: 2 easy daysPushing boats in the Luxembourg, animals at the Jardin des Plantes, then the Eiffel Tower, an aquarium and fountains.
- On a budgetParis on a budget: 2 days with free museumsTwo days in Paris with churches, parks and city museums whose collections are free – plus food from bakeries and takeaways.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
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