The Perfect 5-Day Paris Itinerary
(+ Top 10 Free Things to Do in Paris)

Land, drop bags, eat pastry, then chase the Iron Lady from every angle until she sparkles.

• 📍 Stohrer + Rue Montorgueil
  Paris’s oldest pâtisserie (since 1730). Order the baba au rhum or a puits d’amour.
  ⏱ 30–45 min · 💶 Free to browse, pastries ~€4–7 · 📸 Shoot the gold shopfront from across the street.
  💡 Tip: Montorgueil is a pedestrian food street. Grab picnic cheese here for tonight.
• 📍 Trocadéro Terrace
  The classic front-on view. Metro Line 9 goes straight here.
  ⏱ 30 min · 💶 Free · 📸 Stand centre-terrace, shoot slightly low to hide crowds.
  💡 Tip: Best before 9am or at blue hour. Midday is a wall of selfie sticks.
• 📍 Avenue de Camoëns
  A quiet Haussmann street with a stone balustrade framing the tower.
  ⏱ 20 min · 💶 Free · 📸 Sit on the steps; tower rises over the rooftops.
  💡 Tip: It’s residential. Keep voices low and don’t block the stairs.
• 📍 Avenue de New York
  Riverside angle with the Seine and bridges in frame.
  ⏱ 20 min · 💶 Free · 📸 Use a zoom lens to compress tower + bridge.
  💡 Tip: Golden hour light hits the tower from this side beautifully.
• 📍 Champ de Mars + Eiffel Tower Carousel
  Cross Pont d’Iéna. Lie on the lawn, spot the vintage carousel near the tower.
  ⏱ 60–90 min · 💶 Free (carousel ride ~€3–4) · 📸 Carousel lights + tower = storybook shot.
  💡 Tip: Picnic here. A €12 supermarket spread beats a €60 tourist dinner.
• 📍 Optional: Professional Eiffel Tower Photoshoot
  Typically €150–350 for 30–60 min with 20–50 edited photos.
  📸 Book sunrise. Empty streets, soft light, zero photobombers.
  💡 Tip: Book on GetYourGuide and use code WALKINGTALKINGCA5.
• ✨ Finale: The Eiffel Tower Sparkle
  After dark, the tower glitters for five minutes at the top of every hour.
  Watch from Trocadéro or the Champ de Mars lawn. It’s free — and it never gets old.

The big-ticket day. Start early, end on the steps of Sacré-Cœur. ⚠️ Don’t do this on a Tuesday — the Louvre is closed.

• 📍 The Louvre + Cour Napoléon
  Pick the highlights. Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Napoleon III apartments.
  ⏱ 2.5–3 hrs · 💶 €32 non-EEA / €22 EEA · 📸 Shoot the pyramid from the arcade corners.
  💡 Tip: Book a 9am slot on ticket.louvre.fr. Enter via Carrousel du Louvre, not the pyramid.
• 📍 Notre-Dame + Sainte-Chapelle
  Notre-Dame reopened after the fire — entry is free. Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass is unreal.
  ⏱ 2 hrs total · 💶 Notre-Dame free · Sainte-Chapelle €22 non-EU (€30 with Conciergerie) · 📸 Go on a sunny day for glass colour.
  💡 Tip: Sainte-Chapelle sits inside the courthouse. Security can take 30–60 min even with a slot.
• 📍 Arc de Triomphe
  Metro Line 1 from Châtelet. Climb 284 steps for the star-shaped avenue view.
  ⏱ 1 hr · 💶 €16 Oct–Mar & Wednesdays / €22 Apr–Sep · 📸 Face down the Champs-Élysées from the roof.
  💡 Tip: Use the underpass. Never try to cross the roundabout.
• 📍 Lunch on the Champs-Élysées
  Honestly? Eat one street off the avenue. Same vibe, half the price.
  ⏱ 1 hr · 💶 €15–25 lunch formule · 📸 Ladurée’s green façade for the macaron shot.
• 📍 Le Consulat, Montmartre
  Metro Line 2 to Anvers or Blanche. The most photographed café corner in Paris.
  ⏱ 45 min · 💶 Coffee ~€4–6 · 📸 Shoot from Rue Norvins looking downhill.
• 🌅 Finale: Sacré-Cœur + Montmartre Steps Sunset
  Basilica entry is free. Find a step, face west and wait for gold.
  💡 Ignore the “friendship bracelet” guys. Hands in pockets, keep walking.

My favourite day. Free rooftops, pastel streets and scenes straight off Netflix.

• 📍 Galeries Lafayette — Dome + Free Rooftop
  Stand under the stained-glass dome, then ride up to the 8th-floor terrace.
  Eiffel Tower, Palais Garnier and Sacré-Cœur — one frame, zero euros.
  ⏱ 1 hr · 💶 Free · 📸 Glasswalk over the dome, then the terrace rail.
  💡 Tip: Arrive at opening (10am Mon–Sat). The rooftop can shut in bad weather.
• 📍 Palais Garnier — Grand Staircase
  Two minutes’ walk. Gilded, marble, Phantom-of-the-Opera energy.
  ⏱ 1 hr · 💶 Paid, from ~€15 self-guided · 📸 Shoot the staircase from the first balcony.
  💡 Tip: Rehearsals can close the auditorium. Check the day’s notice before paying. (Price may change — confirm on operadeparis.fr.)
• 📍 Canal Saint-Martin
  Iron footbridges, leafy locks — the Season 1 double-date location.
  ⏱ 45 min · 💶 Free · 📸 Shoot from the green footbridge at Rue de la Grange-aux-Belles.
  💡 Tip: Grab coffee at a canal-side café and people-watch like a local.
• 📍 Rue Crémieux
  Candy-coloured houses near Gare de Lyon.
  ⏱ 15 min · 💶 Free · 📸 One quick photo, then move.
  ⚠️ Real people live here. Be quick, be quiet, no group posing on doorsteps.
• 📍 Place des Vosges
  Paris’s oldest planned square. Mindy and Benoît’s first kiss (Season 2).
  ⏱ 30 min · 💶 Free · 📸 Shoot through the arcades for symmetry.
• 📍 Village Saint-Paul
  Hidden Marais courtyards full of antique shops. Most tourists walk straight past.
  ⏱ 30 min · 💶 Free · 📸 Look for the ivy-covered inner passages.
• 📍 Île Saint-Louis — Café Le Flore en l’Île
  Emily’s solo scene at the end of Episode 1. Order a hot chocolate and play the part.
  ⏱ 45 min · 💶 Drinks ~€5–9 · 📸 Terrace table with Notre-Dame behind.
  💡 Tip: Berthillon ice cream is on the same island. Worth the queue.
• 📍 La Samaritaine Rooftop
  The Art Nouveau department store at Pont Neuf.
  ⏱ 30 min · 💶 Free to enter · 📸 The peacock staircase inside is the real star.
  ⚠️ Rooftop access is not guaranteed for the public. Worth trying — don’t plan around it.
• 🌅 Finale: Square du Vert-Galant → Pont Neuf
  Walk down to the tip of Île de la Cité. Sit by the water for sunset.
  Bring a bottle and a baguette. The cheapest luxury in Paris.

A full day. Go in with a plan or spend it in queues.

• 🚆 Getting there: RER A from Châtelet–Les Halles or Gare de Lyon to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy. ~40–45 min.
• 💶 Train cost: just €2.55 each way on a standard Metro-Train-RER ticket.
• 🎟 Tickets: 1-day/1-park from ~€62 to €135+ depending on date. Always dated — buy online.
• 🏰 Which park? One day = Disneyland Park. The castle, parade and night show live here.
• 🆕 2026 note: Walt Disney Studios is now Disney Adventure World, with World of Frozen.
• ⚡ Premier Access: ~€9–18 per ride. Buy only for one or two headliners.

• ✔ Arrive 45 min before opening. Rope-drop Big Thunder Mountain.
• ✔ Pirates of the Caribbean + Phantom Manor mid-morning.
• ✔ Eat lunch at 11:15 or 14:30 — never at noon.
• ✔ Claim a parade spot 30 min early.

Royal morning, slow afternoon, river goodbye. Flying out tonight? Skip the cruise.

• 📍 Palace of Versailles
  RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche (~40 min, €2.55). Hall of Mirrors, gardens, Trianon.
  ⏱ 4–5 hrs · 💶 Passport €25 Nov–Mar / €35 Apr–Oct (non-EEA) · 📸 Hall of Mirrors at the opening slot.
  💡 Tip: Closed Mondays. Book the 9am timed slot and see the Trianons after lunch — they’re quieter.
• 📍 Saint-Germain + Luxembourg Gardens
  Back in Paris, wander the Left Bank. Browse Shakespeare & Company.
  ⏱ 2 hrs · 💶 Free · 📸 Green Luxembourg chairs by the pond.
• 📍 Seine River Cruise
  One-hour sightseeing cruise at golden hour. Skip the pricey dinner cruises.
  ⏱ 1 hr · 💶 ~€17–20 · 📸 Sit at the back, outside, left side for the tower.
  💡 Tip: Time it to finish near 9pm — you’ll catch the sparkle from the water.