4 days in Paris is the perfect amount of time to get a taste of the vibrant French capital city. Within four days, you will not “see it all”, but certainly can visit many tourist attractions and Parisian neighborhoods. Here is a 4-day itinerary perfect for a first time visit. Each day is intentionally outlined briefly to give you a quick overview. Do some pre-planning, but the best way to explore Paris is simply wandering the streets, stumbling across cafes, and getting ‘lost’ in the streets.

In addition to a 4 days in Paris itinerary, this article includes:

• Recommendations on where to stay in Paris including best hotels, apartments, and hostels.
• Suggestions on how to modify this itinerary to suit your Paris trip needs.
• A word on safety in Paris.
• Activities you may enjoy (especially as a solo traveler).
• Helpful resources for planning your trip.
• Items you may wish to add to your packing list.
• FAQs about visiting Paris.

Top Hotels in Paris

• Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile
• Elysées Union
• Hotel Alfred Sommier

Best Apartment Rentals in Paris

• Beautiful Flat in Montparnasse
• Charming colored apartment next to the Eiffel Tower
• Beautiful Apartment in the Heart of Paris

Recommended Hostels in Paris

• Les Piaules
• Generator Hostel
• Joe & Joe Paris

• The Louvre: Begin your first day at the stunning Louvre. (I recommend purchasing tickets in advance to save time or you can pre-book a guided, skip-the-line tour. Plan for at least 2-3 hours at the Louvre. (Of course, you can also spend an entire day there!)
• Jardin des Tuileries: This picturesque park is right next to the Louvre. It is a great place to relax, enjoy a picnic, and simply people watch.
• Place de la Concorde: Once you walk through the park, Place de la Concorde is on the other side. This is a large city square. Be sure to walk down to the bridge. It is gorgeous and you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower from it!

• Champs-Elysees: This famous, busy Paris street begins on the other side of Concorde. If you walk straight down Champs Elysees with zero stops, you’ll hit the Arc de Triompe in approx. 30 minutes. However, take your time to stroll through the shops, cafes, and sites.
  
• The stores along Champ Elysees are the usual brand names stores. (My favorite is the Louis Vuitton flagship store (even if it’s just to window shop). Plus, there is a busy Laudree on the main street. I highly recommend their chocolate pistachio croissant!).

• Place du Trocadéro & The Eiffel Tower: From the Arc de Triompe to Place du Trocadero, simply walk straight down Avenue Kléber for approx. 20 minutes. Enjoy sunset from this area! It’s a busy spot for tourists but has a great straight ahead view of the Eiffel Tower. Walk straight and get up, close, and personal with the Eiffel Tower. (And FYI, it sparkles every hour from sunset to 1AM).
• This is the perfect night to do a dinner cruise along the Seine River.

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• Montparnasse: Start your second day in this Parisian neighborhood. It’s a great area to grab a crepe for breakfast.
• Paris Catacombs: Located underground are these ossuaries in a small tunnel network. It’s a pretty neat experience. You can purchase tickets upon arrival or book guided tour, skip-the-line tour.
• Tour Montparnasse: Get some great views of Paris from this observation deck.

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• In the afternoon head to Île de la Cité, which is about a 35 minute walk (or you can take the metro to Cité).  If you are walking, you cut through the Latin Quarter. (I recommend stopping by the famous Shakespeare and Company Bookstore which is on route).
• On Ile de La Cite is the Notre Dame Cathedral. The church is currently close and being re-built after the unfortunate fire. However, it is visible from the outside. A short walk from Notre Dame is Sainte-Chapelle, which is another cathedral. The stained glass windows here are STUNNING!

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• Before sunset, head to the Montmartre neighborhood. Plan accordingly as this trip will take about 30 minutes on the Metro from Cité to Barbès-Rochechouart Station.
• Walk over to Sacré-Cœur. Visit the church and catch the sunset from the steps in front. This is a busy spot for tourists and locals alike.  And one of my fave spots for sunset in the city!
• After sunset, walk down about 15 minutes to a busy main street called Boulevard de Clichy. This is a lively area filled with restaurants, bars, and more. And be sure to walk to the Moulin Rogue on this street. It looks pretty fantastic lit up at night. (I personally did not go in, but you can certainly book a dinner and show).

From the Paris city center to Versailles, it is a fairly easy day trip. If you’re taking the train, the most common route is the RER C train to Versailles-Chantiers Station. This takes just under an hour. Alternatively if you are close by Gare Montparnasse, the SNFC train is a 35 minute ride to Versailles-Chantiers Station. The walk from the train station to Palace du Versailles is about 20 minutes. Tickets can be purchased upon arrival or pre-book a guided, skip-the-line tour. The must-see is the Palace and its the gardens, but it is also worthwhile to see the Petit Trianon and Marie-Antoinette’s hamlet.

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While the first three days in Paris on this itinerary are jam-packed with tourist must-sees, I recommend keeping your fourth day “open” or focusing on an activity you wish to do (for me this was vintage shopping!). Here’s a few options on how to spend your last day.

If you wish to explore more Parisian neighborhoods:

• La Marais: This is formerly a Jewish quarter and one of my favorite Parisian neighborhoods. (I spent my 4th day wandering through it). It’s the perfect place for vintage shopping (I picked up a ton of scarves for under five euros!). Plus, there is also a crazy popular falafel shop here, L’as du Falafel.
• Belleville: Further east in Paris is this area best known for its street art, especially on Rue Denoyez. You have the option to book a street art tour. Also, nearby is the Pere Lachaise Cemetery which is the resting place for famous people including Edith Piaf, Chopin, Jim Morisson, and Oscar Wilde. And the Canal Saint Martin is not too far from this neighborhood.
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter: These two neighborhoods are next to each other and great to spend your last day in. There are tons of cafes, beautiful architecture, and more. (I recommend checking out the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in the Latin Quarter which is a beautiful church, and walking along Rue Mouffetard).

If you wish to indulge in more Parisian food, there are a ton of cooking classes and food tour in Paris. Some worthwhile ones to book are:

• Pastry and chocolate tour in La Marais
• Bread making class
• Macaron making class
• Have dinner with a local Chef

If you wish to take another day trip:

• Disneyland Paris is about an hour from the city centre. I didn’t get a chance to visit the park but here’s info on how to get there. And alternatively, you can book a public or private transportation from Paris city centre.
• Champagne is about an hour from Paris. I’m saving a trip there for a Paris wine bucket list trip, but here is how you can get there by car or train. Get Your Guide also offers a pretty popular wine tastings with lunch day trip.
• Giverny: Located in Normandy, Giverny is best known for being home to Claude Monet and where he painted all of his gorgeous works, including the famous The Water Lily Pond. It is about an hour from Paris. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to get there. And you do have the option to pre-book tours to the Monet’s House and Gardens.

While you see many main attractions in Paris in 4 days, you may wish to move at a slower pace. Or you may like to add on other attractions not mentioned on the above itinerary. Here are some suggestions on how you can modify your days.

• Add on Musee d’Orsay or Musée de l’Orangerie: Both of these museums are within walking distance of the Louvre. Technically you can do two in one day, but keep in mind you will not get to see everything in the one day. If you are planning to visit all the museums, look into a Museum Pass to save money and time.
• Paris does have a Hop on/Hop off Bus which is an option if you wish to move quickly from site to site. (Personally. I prefer walking or taking the metro). However, one pro of the bus versus the metro is you do see more of the city itself in the open air opposed to spending time underground.
• If you wish to go up the Eiffel Tower, I recommend pre-booking your ticket and going first thing in the morning or towards the evening.

• If Day 2 is too jam packed with the morning/afternoon sites I suggested, save Sacre Coeur for Day 3 after the Versailles day trip. Versailles can be done in half a day if you are only doing the palace and gardens.
• If you only have three full days, some ways to save time: skip Ile de la Cite since the Notre Dame is under construction or skip Champs-Élysées if you’re not keen on shopping. Or omit the day trip to Versailles. (For me it was a must-see, but completely valid to spend your time in Paris itself).

And my final advice is don’t forget to get “lost” in the streets of Paris. While I followed a basic itinerary, I also found a lot of place by “accident”. One of my favorite moments during my first trip to Paris is when I was trying to find the Jardin du Luxembourg (without using a map). I thought I was walking in the right direction, but it was actually the opposite and somehow, I stumbled across the Louvre. It was an amazing way to see it as I didn’t expect it to be there!

What is your favorite attraction in Paris? Share in the comments!
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Paris is a relatively safe city, but it does have a number of scams and cons. I’ve seen some of these firsthand, but still felt safe both as a solo traveler and while traveling with friends in the city. Simply do some reading in advance so you are aware of the common scams in France . (Fun fact: I read about scams in any country before I go simply to keep myself aware). And I do advocate for travel insurance. If applicable to you, check with your employee benefits to see if you are covered. Otherwise, I like World Nomads as it’s quite reputable and provides 24-hour assistance.

[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h4″ question-0=”Is 4 days in Paris enough?” answer-0=”4 days is a good amount of time for a first trip in Paris for tourists who wish to visit the main attractions.” image-0=”” headline-1=”h4″ question-1=”What is the best month to go to Paris France?” answer-1=”June to October are the best months to visit. July and August are the most busy.” image-1=”” headline-2=”h4″ question-2=”Is it safe to walk at night in Paris?” answer-2=”Absolutely. Use common street smarts and avoid hidden alleyways or streets with no lights.” image-2=”” headline-3=”h4″ question-3=”Is Paris expensive to visit?” answer-3=”Yes and no. You can certainly visit Paris on a budget by sticking to taking the metro, seeing attractions from the outside only, and eating at local shops.” image-3=”” headline-4=”h4″ question-4=”How should I dress in Paris?” answer-4=”Dress however you like! There are no rules. Dress how you are comfortable anywhere you go.” image-4=”” count=”5″ html=”true” css_class=””]