Paris Itinerary OK?

Even if you're just trying for "highlights", going to the Louvre, Orsay and Orangerie on the same day is a bad idea. Two of those buildings are huge and there are long walks between the "highlights".

Thursday and Friday look fine. We just got back last week, and we did the Louvre, Orangerie, and Orsay all in the same day (Orsay was open late) with no problem. The others look a bit busy, given travel time, but I guess it will depend on how much time you spend at various places. Here's what we did, for comparison:

Day 1 - got in around 3pm, dinner in Marais, walked along the Seine, Vendetta boat tour
Day 2 - Napoleon'sTomb/Invalides Museum, walked along Reu Cler & had lunch, Eiffel Tower (2:30 tickets), rest at the hotel (20ish minute metro from city center), back out in the evening for Champs Elysees & Arc de Triomphe
Day 3 - Louvre right at opening till 1pm, lunch in Tullieres Gardens, Orangerie, back to the hotel to rest, Orsay (open late) dinner in the St. Germaine area
Day 4 - Catacombs right at opening, Notre Dame, lunch and stroll on Ile de la Cite, Sainte Chapelle, Conciergie, hotel to rest, picnic dinner in Luxembourg Gardens, walked around the St. Germaine area where there were a lot of live performers, street art, etc., went back to hotel to pack for the next morning :(

Thoughts for your consideration:

1. Vedettes de Pont Neuf is very pleasant after dinner, with spotlights from the boat on the buildings. I don't think it was a coincidence that our "cruise" ended on the hour, just as the Eiffel Tower was lit up on the horizon.

2. If you are inclined, a nice way to see Sainte Chapelle without the crowds is for an evening concert. They seem to be available any night but Wednesday, at 7:00 or 8:30. See: https://www.classictic.com/en/special/concerts-in-la-sainte-chapelle/216/ (If you do this: we saw no advantage in paying extra for the "VIP" seats up front. It's a small venue with great acoustics. The concert was about an hour; it doesn't consume an entire evening.)

3. Conciergerie: noting your "question mark": the self-guided tour takes an hour or less, we found it interesting. Regardless, it's an easy place to pick up your Museum Pass. We experienced no line at all, around 10:00 a.m. on a weekday.

I agree that Friday is pretty museum-heavy, though the Orangerie doesn't take long. But if you plan what you want to see at Orsay and Louvre you should be OK.

Saturday, St-Germain-des-Pres is one of the oldest churches in Paris, worth seeing if only for architectural contrast with Ste-Chapelle and other later ones. An evening concert is a good way to see Ste-Chapelle if you like music, and if it's summer so there's daylight coming in the stained glass windows. If it's going to be dark outside, you'll miss that part of the experience.

Sunday, I'd skip Rue Cler if you'll be in any other other street market areas on your visit. They're not all the same, of course, but what distinguishes Rue Cler is all the Americans walking around with blue and yellow guidebooks. You're right to visit the Rodin garden and skip the museum (unless you're big Rodin fans, which I guess you're not). The garden is a nice break after a big museum like Invalides and before a walking tour. If, after the Marais walk, you take the Metro all the way to the Arc, you'll be walking downhill on the Champs Elysees. After a day like this, that's the direction I'd want to go.

Monday, I'd definitely include the Opera, especially since you're staying nearby. You'll be seeing it often from the outside, why not see what's inside? With 5 pm tickets, whether you experience sunset from the Eiffel Tower will depend on time of year. Right now it's considerably later and you'd have to stay up there quite awhile.

I think this is a well-planned, though ambitious, five-night itinerary. Just remember to stay flexible, spend some time in cafes and parks, and assume that you'll return so you don't have to see everything this time.

Great responses here! I'm taking notes for my trip in October. 😀