First Trip to France: FInal Itinerary Critique

This sounds good to me, though you will be busy. Planning is a great idea, but be prepared to miss things, or to change your order around, in case you spend longer at one place than you originally thought, or less time at others. The Orangerie is AMAZING; I went twice in the 5 and 1/2 days I was in Paris - it has way less people than the Orsay or Louvre. For your unplanned day on the 13th, consider going to Sacre Coeur (though be prepared for the craziness that is Montmartre), or Napoleon's Tomb - the Army Museum wasn't that great, but the tomb itself is pretty spectacular. Have you looked into the Paris Museum Pass? It lets you skip most lines, and if August is anything like late June, man are the lines long!

Hope this helps!

I think your plans sound great, particularly that you're leaving the last day open. That way if you do modify your plans on the first part of your trip, you have the 13th to repeat or do whatever you missed.

A lot of my enjoyment of Paris is just enjoying the daily life -- getting up early on your jet-lagged first mornings and eating breakfast at a cafe as the day begins for Parisians, etc.

Bon voyage --

Oh yes, go to Sacre Cour. It is beautiful, and if you climb up in the dome, you have all of Paris laid out before you. It was our favorite place we visited in Paris, though we also enjoyed walking through the cemetery nearby. It just looked so different. We were there for Bastille Day, so that in itself was the most fabulous show we had ever seen. Enjoy walking the streets and meeting people too.