7-Day Paris Itinerary by Arrondissement--Help Us Prioritize Sights and Activities?

You are packing a lot into each day, but I like that you have set your priorities. Just realize that you won't be able to do everything, and to really savor Paris you need to spend some time just being there. You are doing much more than what I would do each day, but then I am twice your age.

Rue Montorgueil and Rue Mouffetard are both market streets - each has its own flavor, but if you manage to do one of them, you can probably skip the other. I wouldn't plan to spend a lot of time on the Champs Elysees. It is really just a busy street full of tourists and chain stores. A quick look down from the Arc de Triomphe is all it really needs.

Have a wonderful 9nderful trip.

Thanks Carolyn! We do hold our plans rather loosely and are likely to simply skip things if we feel rushed. And we aren't "shoppers," so thanks for the tip on the Champs. Would you have a suggestion on which market street is more enjoyable to visit?

We just got back from Paris yesterday, so some of this is pretty fresh for us. We also are older and couldn't do this interary, you seem to be realistic and flexible, so go for it. Is this in the order you plan to visit, or just what you'd like to fit in a day?

I like that you're seeing the Cluny before Notre Dame, because they have some of the original artifacts from Notre Dame. But, Notre Dame is very close to St. Chapelle and those two could be combined. I'm assuming you're starting day#2 with Musee d'Orsay? We rolled down the hill from the Sacre Coeur to Galleries Lafayette and Printemps and that area. Not a big fan of the Champs Elysee, bit it doesn't take long to do. I am sure you'll get lots of great advice from others.

We did pretty well this trip googling the area where we were looking for restaurants. If you end your day in one part of town, it may not be convenient to chase a restaurant in a completely different area. We were looking for places in the 8th near St. Augustin and the ratings seemed to be pretty correct.

You're going to have a fabulous time!

High-energy but doable I guess. I too am twice your age and I'd find it too much, but I think your approach is right (by arrondissement more or less) and also your priorities. Personally I'd put the Invalides and Place des Vosges in italics, and minimize the Champs by just walking downhill from the Arc to whatever Metro station you choose. And I'd look for a way to throw in one of the cemeteries, like Pere Lachaise (bigger, more iconic) or Montparnasse (less tiring, more centrally located).

I'm not clear why you put the Ste-Chappelle on day 4 when it's right across the street from Notre Dame which you visit on day 6. You might consider seeing both on day 6 and switching Sacre Coeur, and wandering around Montmartre, to day 4 after the Champs. Line 12 runs from Concorde to Abbesses.

You probably already know that buses can be a great way to get around, taking a load off your feet while you marvel at the passing street scene. Slower than Metro but often more fun.

If you're at the point of a day-to-day itinerary a year ahead of your trip you're a more careful planner than I'll ever be. But you've built in some flexibility, which you'll need. Have a great time!

Rather than visit "market streets", why not schedule your trip around the open air food markets of Paris?
Here's a list of them by arrondissement and days of the week:
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/paris-markets/

Remember that opening and closing times are approximate and most markets close about an hour earlier than the closing time, so the City can clean up.

The Notre Dame Towers now have ticket booths around the left side facing the cathedral, so you just enter the number in your party and the machine tells you when to come back. Don't be late.

There is no "Place des Francs-Bourgeois". It's a major thoroughfare which runs East/West through the Marais. Full of shops and cafes.

I would recommend going on a sunny day to see Sainte-Chapelle. Otherwise, the magic of the stained glass will be lost on you. Try to go around 1 PM.

You might have issues with the weather, so maybe have a Plan B for a picnic. There is no shelter anywhere around the Eiffel Tower or Square Santiago de Chili.

Carrefour de Buci is just an intersection with a lot of touristy cafes, so there is really nothing to see there.
Cour du Commerce Saint Andre is probably worth 15 minutes of your time. Be careful of the cobblestones. You probably won't be able to see Cour de Rohan - usually the gate is locked.
Jardin des Plantes is in the 5th - worth it, if you aren't too tired from wandering around the 6th arrondissement.
Galeries Lafayette is actually 3 stores, the main store is where the look-out spot is.
Printemps is just down the street from there.
Many shops and some restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday.
If you go to rue des Francs-Bourgeois on Sunday, it will be open around noon.

Thanks for posting!
I plan to make a list similar myself. On my rough draft I have a whole day set aside for Versailles as well. My husband seemed to think we didn't need a whole day but I am convinced he's wrong.

LESS
One Musume a day and the big ones will milk your brain dry.
Wander around and enjoy the city. Get lost. Stop and have a coffee or a glass of wine.

LESS
Understand that unless you are 70 years old your WILL be back.
Have a good time, enjoy yourself, and walk slowly down a side street not knowing where you are going.
Enjoy
John

Thank you, Patty and Dick, for the tip on combining Notre-Dame and Ste-Chappelle. I must have neglected to actually map the distance between them!

Patty this order is based on our current planned day of arrival (a Sunday), but may change if flights change between now and the time of booking. It's taking quite a lot of coordination to fly in and out of the cities we want to in the time period we want to! I like to have a list of restaurants I've looked into beforehand for each neighborhood, because I make impetuous (and usually bad) eating decisions when I'm hungry.

Dick thanks for the logical order tips regarding where to fit in Montmartre and info about the metros and buses. We are, indeed, very flexible. I tend to overplan and throw out about 50% of any given itinerary, but we like waking up each day knowing what our options are!

Chexbres great idea about the open-air markets--I'll check into that. And much appreciated tips on sunny days for stained glass and picnics; that's info that no guide books have! I'm not even sure where I got the Carrefour de Buci, Cour du Commerce Saint Andre, Cour de Rohan recommendations, but thanks for the real talk. We really do enjoy gardens, so it's quite possible it will make it higher up on our list when we're actually on the ground. I was aware of the shops/restaurants situation for Sundays and Mondays (though I didn't know about the rue des Francs-Bourgeois) so we tried to make those days when we had nothing particular planned. We'll be staying in an apartment and plan to have food on hand :).

Natalierensick My pleasure--I've learned so much by searching other people's posts here.

John Wise counsel! Wandering is our favorite, so we're really trying to balance our desire to see some "bucket-list" things with our treasured pasttime of strolling aimlessly.

Much appreciated to all of you. So glad I ended up here in my travel planning!

Supermarkets might stay open in your neighborhood until 12 or 1 PM. I'm not certain if you are in a "tourist zone" or not.
I would avoid going to a "general alimentation" or "epicier" because the prices are very high and quality is not too good.
Otherwise, you will have to eat out, if any restaurants are open.
Cafes and brasseries will certainly be open.

Dick's advice is good. Otherwise I think this is a good itinerary and I generally agree with your priorities taking into account the tweaking mentioned in the comments about what's really just a silly street and whatnot. Also agree that you should try to visit one of the cemeteries.

Les Invalides - it's huge. Worth seeing (I have been dragged to every military museum in Europe thanks to my husband) but I enjoyed this one quite a lot - if you're remotely interested in Napoleon, WWI, or WWII I would say it's a must, but plan on several hours there. I've had to go twice because we got there too late in the day to see it all the first time. So you wouldn't be able to do it on day 2, if you decide to do it, consider it on day 7.

Let's talk food:
Day 1: If the weather is nice, a picnic in the Jardin Luxembourg is a must. There's a bakery (with like, quiches and ham pies and what not) on the road from the Parthenon to Luxembourg that is delicious - Dalloyau is the name. There are a lot of "famous" brasseries in the Latin Quarter due to their connection to literary figures, but the menus were always pricey and the food is not supposed to be terribly great, so it's only worth eating at say, Les Deux Margot if you're a huge Hemmingway fan or whatever.

I don't know if any of the restaurants are any good, but the setting in the Rohan Court is hard to beat for this otherwise quite touristy area. I always have a glass of wine at Brunch Le Dimanche because I enjoy sitting outside in the court so much.

Day 2: Can't help you, seems I've only ever eaten crepes or mediocre chinese food while in this area. I've tended to go to see the sights and get back to a neighborhood I prefer. I'm sure Rick Steves' books has many recommendations for the Rue Cler area, it's popular with people here so may be a good stop for lunch or dinner.

Day 3: Because I live in Germany and am cut off from my god-given-as-a-Californian right to good Asian food, I tend to visit some of the fairly authentic and good Japanese and Chinese restaurants near the Opera. Since you're coming from CA you may not care but the two blocks going up from Rue St. Anne have never let me down and I'm fairly picky about authenticity. The hand made noodles at Les Pates Vivantes are stunning too.

Day 6: Now you're talking my language. Le Marais is my favorite neighborhood in Paris. In the Jewish quarter for lunch L'as Du Falafel is the classic joint, but there's also the option of a sit down lunch at Chez Marianne, which is a mixed Sephardic/Askhenazi Jewish Deli restaurant . For dinner I'd recommend Chez Janou, which is a Provencial restaurant - very different food compared to the rest of France but utterly delicious. I know you say you're not big drinkers, but they have dozens of different kinds of pastis, and I have many fond memories of whiling away some time on a sunny afternoon sipping pastis there. Another option in a culinary tour of France is the buckwheat crepes at Breizh Cafe. Yet another option is the hole in the wall Bahn Mi sandwich shop, then eaten in the park Square du Temple.

I'm afraid to say that on my last trip I was with non-foodies who prioritized sightseeing over eating well so I don't have any recommendations from that trip, and my previous trip was for a wedding so our meals were largely planned around festivities. But hopefully I've given you some starting places!

With your free day I would consider either a cemetry, or exploring the area around the Canal St. Martin. I had a wonderful evening there, being given some very generous and delicious free chacuterie there with my wine, but I can't find the specific place on Google Maps (it was like 4 years ago!) But it's very untouristy, pleasant, with lots of interesting little bistrot lining the banks.

If you have a museum pass you should pop into the Conciergerie. It's right next to St. Chapelle.

Only thing I disagree with is the suggestion to see Ste. Chapelle at 1 p.m. On our last visit we went there early (8:30 ? 9 ??) and had a line of 10 people, but walking by at 1 p.m. the line snaked around for a substantial wait. But you DO want to see it with full sunshine.

chexbres We haven't decided exactly where we're staying within the 5e/6e, as that will depend on what's available when we actually book. So I don't know if we'll be in a "tourist zone" or not, either. Thanks for the tip on "epicier" front. Haven't come across that info anywhere else, and I certainly don't want to waste money. One must-have for whatever lodging we choose is an in-room fridge, so we can store a small amount of food and beverage.

Sarah Glad you popped in to give your input! It sounds like we might have to skip Les Invalides, as we hadn't planned to spend several hours and would probably feel like we weren't doing it justice by "popping in." Re: food, we are not at all interested in "famous" eateries of any kind, especially because in our experience such places tend to live on the fame long after the quality has ceased to live up to the reputation. Solidly prepared and tasty food is what we're after.

Day 1: Is Dalloyau a chain? I see it come up in several locations. Sounds good, either way. And I'll make a note on Rohan Court.

Day 2: It's possible we might not actually eat in this area, but if we do it'll be at a place that only has a menu in French. I've heard enough about the tourist-focused restaurants to know if the menu's in English, it's probably going to have a nice tourist markup with lesser quality.

Day 3: If I were traveling solo, I'd be all over the Asian food--but my husband takes some convincing even here in the states. I doubt he'll be up for Japanese or Chinese in Paris, but thanks for the recs just in case.

Day 4: I'd heard that recently L'as Du Falafel hasn't been as good as Maoz. Thoughts? Chez Janou is on my list to research, now. I had heard about Breizh, so this cements my desire to partake there.

Sounds like some wandering might lead us to a bistrot of our own :).

Karen Good idea--thanks!

Day 1: Is Dalloyau a chain? I see it come up in several locations. Sounds good, either way. And I'll make a note on Rohan Court.

Believe it is a chain, but trust me, in France even chain bakeries will probably knock your socks off. There's the chain bakery Paul which is in every train station, but their croissants still beat the pants off anything I can get in Germany. The French take their bakeries seriously. Here's an example:

I was on a week long canal boat trip with friends in France, one of whom is is a native Parisian. In the morning he bought some baugettes for breakfast. Come 2pm, it was time for cheese and appertifs, and I started slicing up the baugettes from the morning. "What are you doing?" he asked. I told him I was cutting up some bread to go with the cheese and meat. "Don't be ridiculous. This is stale. I will go get new bread." Seriously, it's hard to fuck up with regard to pastries anywhere in that country.

Day 2: It's possible we might not actually eat in this area, but if we do it'll be at a place that only has a menu in French. I've heard enough about the tourist-focused restaurants to know if the menu's in English, it's probably going to have a nice tourist markup with lesser quality.

Good rule of thumb, but in the more touristy areas around the major sights, everything will sort of be in this vein. Some good restaurants will still have English menus, but if they've got the big outside placards with the menus in 4 different languages with pictures, you're better off elsewhere in my experience.

Day 4: I'd heard that recently L'as Du Falafel hasn't been as good as Maoz. Thoughts? Chez Janou is on my list to research, now. I had heard about Breizh, so this cements my desire to partake there.
I've had both and I don't find one particularly better than the other. Last time L'as had the shorter line, so I went there. There's also a lot of good Muslim-run falafel shops in other streets near Pompidou. If people just look happy with what they're eating, try it! It's hard to go wrong.

Sounds like some wandering might lead us to a bistrot of our own :).
Absolutely. I didn't mention a few actual bistrot I'd been to because they weren't in neighborhoods you're going to (I usually stay with my friends who live in the 14th, but that's a delightful area with no real "sights" and I just go wherever they take me, which is always delicious, ditto for a few nice places near Pere Lechaise and Montmarte. Just strolling, checking out the menu of the day on the chalkboards and how people appear to be enjoying their meals...you can discover some great places.

My methodology for food when traveling (which I obviously take seriously!) is to do some research and highlight recommended places on Google Maps with a star, so no matter where I am, I always know where there's a nearby recommended place. But I don't bother with reservations and if I see a pleasant place that appears to be a decent value (Paris is not cheap) I'm happy to throw our existing plans to the wind to check out something new. That's how we discovered Chez Janou and we have gone back every time. So it's basically exploring with a well-researched backup plan. But of course if you want something popular on a weekend you would do well to make reservations even if it's not particularly fancy. I tend towards street food/ethnic food in Paris just because I can drive 90 minutes to get fancy Michelin starred french food in Alsace if I want - but I can't get a great bahn mi there!

Sarah Point well taken on the bakery angle. I'm starting to get worried that I'll return from Paris to realize just how far short every pastry I've ever eaten here probably is. And you reminded me about Google Maps--I have a bunch of stuff pinned for the Germany half of our trip, but I should do the same thing with restaurants for Paris.

Seven Days In Paris
Using a 6 day Paris Museum Pass**

Monday
•Pere Lachaisse
•Sacré-Coeur & Montmartre
•Evening Seine Cruise

Tuesday
•Versailles**

Wednesday
•Arc de Triomphe**
(open 10am)
•Place de la Concorde & Madeleine
•Palais Garnier Opera
•Tuileries Gardens & Orangerie Museum**
•Louvre Museum**
(Closes late Wed,Fri at 9.45pm)

Thursday
•Sainte-Chapelle** (open 9am)
•Cluny Museum**
•Panthéon**
•Luxembourg Gardens
•Musee d'Orsay**
(Closes late Thu at 9.45pm)

Friday
•Pont Neuf
•Notre-Dame de Paris**
(open 8am)
•Picasso Museum**
•Place des Vosges
•Centre Pompidou**
(Closes late at 10pm - ex Tue)

Saturday
•Invalides (Dome Church)** (open 10am)
•Rodin Museum**
•Eiffel Tower
•Trocadero Gardens
•Musee Quai Branly**
(Closes late Thu,Fri,Sat at 9pm)

Sunday
•Giverny
•Or, Chartres
•Or, revisit sights in Paris

Dalloyau (Dahl - why - oh) - is a chain, and a very good one.
Lenotre is also a chain, but I don't like it as much.

I used to live around the corner from Chez Janou. People go there to drink pastis, and generally get drunk and make a lot of noise. Mostly Americans and Anglophones here - French go for lunch because it's nearby. Just go for a drink, don't eat there.
The only thing people rave about at Chez Janou is the chocolate mousse. Which the servers used to leave on the table, but they don't anymore. It is prepared from a mix, just so you know...

Frankly, I'd venture into the 11th or even the 12th arrondissements for good food.
There's lots of it around Marche Aligre and rue du Faubourge Saint Antoine.
ParisByMouth's website is good to look over.

Dalloyau is a quality pastry company with several outlets, not a bakery. The one at Luxembourg Gardens, formerly called Pons, has a tea room upstairs, a bit drab, but excellent hot chocolate, not nearly as sweet as Angelina's. Their products are well made.

On the other hand, Paul, Brioche Dorée, Au Bon Pain are industrial chains, that produce both industrial bread and industrial pastry products in their factories.

djp_syd Thanks for the ideas, but I would worry about this itinerary being packed too full of museums and sights and not enough time to just wander streets and explore. We are also not fans of modern art, so the Picasso museum and Centre Pompidou would not interest us (that's why we left them out of our tentative itinerary).

chexbres and Bets I appreciate the finer points re: Dalloyau and the other bakery choices. I know we have some Au Bon Pain stores here in the States, so I figured that was more a factory production. But I wouldn't have known about the others! I've found ParisByMouth to be a bit overwhelming, but I'll give it another try now that I have some more specific ideas about food. Chez Janou might not be our style, from what you've said. We don't drink much to begin with, so it's unlikely that we would go somewhere just to have a drink and not stay to eat.

The 11th and 12th are much less talked about--are they known for a particular food culture, or is it just better food choices in general?

Bonjour, You will have a wonderful time!! I have just returned but would go back tomorrow! I would re-think the Latin Quarter to sleep in. Apart from the Cluny and the Sorbonne we really were not a huge fans. I think your itinerary is great and look into getting the Kings Apartment tour at Versailles. Also, we had great fun going to the Lourve at night: check the Rick Steves book as I think it is Thursday they are open late! We stayed on the Ile St Louis and there is a nice restaurant there L' Orangerie a little expensive but a great meal! Definately go on the Seine cruise at night it is so romantic. St Chapelle is beautiful and offers concerts if you like say Bach, Motzart ect... Bon Voyage and safe travels Val

giftcharis54/Val What turned you off about the Latin Quarter, if I may ask? I haven't booked anything, so now's the time to know what the downsides are....I double-checked, and the Louvre's late closing days are Wednesday and Fridays. I'm not sure what the guidebook says, but that's what the Louvre website says.

Correct- Wed. and Fri. Louvre.
Thursday- Orsay.

Monet's 'Water Lilies' at the Orangerie is a modern work, as are most of the works in the Orsay. The Impressionists of course were considered crude and shocking in the 1880s and refused entry to the Salon. Beauty is everywhere, even in the modern. Contemporary Art (post WW2), however, can be another story.

Just scroll through ParisByMouth's website in the 11th and 12th arrondissements.
Look at the photos and prices. It's hard to recommend something when you don't know what you're looking for. Meat? Fish? Vegetarian?

The trendy restaurants are going to be hard to get into. Try to book soon.

Do not recommend L'As de Felafel for any reason.
Chez Marianne is good, if you like Mediterranean food - same street.
In the 10th, Le Petite Cambodge has good Vietnamese food.
Paul Bert has very good meat - no salads - and there's his fish place right next door in the 11th.

Otherwise, I'd go to Chez Dumonet in the 6th for classic takes on boeuf bourguignon and Grand Marnier souffle. You can order half-portions, if you like.

As planned, Day 4 will probably be an hour at St Chapelle, an hour on Champs Elysees and an hour at the Arc de Triomphe. Since Notre Dame is a six minute walk from St Chapelle I suggest you remove Notre Dame from Day 6 and place it after the visit to St Chapelle.

Since you like impressionism, Musee d'Orsay will be the highlight of your trip. Ensure you arrive rested and ready to spend three hours on your visit to the small/medium size museum. The art is amazing. I would make d'Orsay the first stop of my day.

I would like to try to talk you out of visiting the top of the Eiffel Tower. The view from the top is just rooftops so don't spend three hours standing in lines. The best place to view the Eiffel Tower is across the river from the tower at from Jardins du Trocadero. The crowd there is really interesting. I love viewing the Eiffel Tower but not waiting in the lines to visit it.

The Basilica on Montmartre is quite interesting but there is no food nearby.

The crowds and hence the wait at Versailles is crazy. You could substitute & take the Loire Valley Chateau tour. https://www.pariscityvision.com/en/loire-castles-tour
It is a 12 hour bus coach tour. It leaves about 7AM and you get to see three of the best chateaux along with a stop in Amboise for lunch. It is first class and quite relaxing. I took this trip the day after my Rick Steves Paris in 7 Days tour completed and I enjoyed it much more than the Versailles visit. Chenonceau is fantastic. Book early. Departs from their office three blocks north of the Louvre.

My recommendation for food:
You can get good French food anywhere but to quickly pop in and get a very tasty organic veg or regular sandwich and drink for 5 euro, find a Marks and Spencer convenience store (... not their clothing store). I save their locations on google maps before I depart for Paris.

Speaking of food, the roasting chestnuts smell good but the vendor will give you one warm chestnut and a dozen cold, stale chestnuts.

Instead of going to Marks and Sparks, go to a boulangerie and look for a "formule" or "menu". You'll get a baguette sandwich with a choice of fillings, a drink and a cookie - all for 5 to 7 EU. You'll spend much more at Marks and Spencer's.

Don't buy the chestnuts, instead, buy the praline (sugar-coated) nuts. They're more reliable.

Another helpful food blog that may help. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/paris/

If you are looking for something to eat near the Sacre Coeur, we had one of the best fish &chips at Chez ma Cousine, 12 Rue Norvins, just off the Place du Tertre. My husband & I split it for lunch and my nephew & girlfriend, who live in Paris, enjoyed it as well.

Any chance, with your love of impressionists, that you can fit in Musee Marmottan -Monet?

Less Less Less.
nice plan but LESS
John

Unless the person who had cold, stale chestnuts can confirm that this happened multiple times in many locations, I'd count it as an unfortunate occurrence that happened to one person, maybe even a scam.. However, I've been buying and consuming chestnuts from Parisian street vendors for forty years without a bad experience. They are a late fall/winter treat.

chexbres I have indeed spent many hours on the ParisByMouth website, and I've ended up with a long list of restaurants that I've pinned on my Google Maps or put on my "not for us" list (so we don't waste our time). We're not really looking for one type of meal--just putting together a list of options so we know what's around when the mood strikes. I think the one thing we're not looking for is a trendy restaurant that needs a booking well in advance! Thanks for the resto tips--I'll check them out. And I like the boulangerie idea for a sandwich and the pralines info.

Greg Helton Good advice on the d'Orsay. I think that will be the biggest portion of our time spent in one place on that day. On the Eiffel Tower, we really had no plans to go to the top. If we do go up at all, it will be by the stairs. We have lots of little notes about different viewing points for it; what makes the crowd at the Trocadero "interesting" for you? In terms of bus tours, that's one we'll skip. We change our minds frequently during the day about what we want to do next, and that's not possible on a 12-hour tour, I'm afraid. And large vehicles with high centers of gravity (i.e., buses/coaches) make us both motion sick. But I appreciate the sandwiches tip!

keith Thanks--I'll check into it.

John Was "Less Less Less. nice plan but LESS in response to me (OP), or djp_syd, who posted a different itinerary on the 10th? You had suggested "less" to me back on the 7th, and I agreed!

Patty I don't think we're going to end up eating in Montmartre, and we probably don't have room for another museum on this trip, but you never know....

Bets I guess that would be the ymmv view--thanks for the reminder!

The Grand 8 - is very good and good value for the money. No reservations needed.
www.yelp.com/biz/le-grand-8-paris

chexbres Le Grand 8 looks wonderful--thanks for the rec!

Agree wholeheartedly with John. Less, less, less!
As Chani said, and as I tried to remember on my last trip, "Don't try to do everything but enjoy everything you do."
Assume you'll return...