1 Week Paris Itinerary: How To Spend A Perfect Week In Paris

Paris is one of those cities that is on everyone’s bucket list. Understandable so with so much to see and do and so many pastries to eat. We opted to spend a week there since we had an 18-month-old at the time of our trip. This one-week Paris itinerary is great for any type of traveler and is easy to customize to fit your needs and likes.

Our normal adventure-style trips just are as convenient with a toddler. They need so much stuff! We loved the idea of being in a place where we could see a lot but not have to drive, which means no lugging around a car seat. We picked a home base Airbnb and made just explored at whatever pace worked. I can definitely recommend a trip to Paris with younger kids. Even without kids though it is the perfect place to just hang out for a few days, there is plenty to see.

Before we get into the itinerary let me give you some important things to consider when planning your trip.

Before your trip to Paris

When to go to Paris

There are pros and cons to going at any time of the year just like anywhere. We went in April, this meant the weather hovered around 60 and there was the potential for a good amount of rain but the prices were much lower and there were fewer crowds. This was a good trade-off for us. A light rain jacket did just fine and we lucked out and really only had one day of light rain.
I have been in the summer for a short 36-hour trip many years ago, this is the peak time to go, and it was hot and crowded. Unless it is the only time you can go I would recommend against July.

Winter brings cold and snow so unless that is your thing maybe stick to the shoulders, spring and fall are always great times to travel if a little weather doesn’t bother you.

Should You Get a Paris Pass?

If you are staying in Paris for more than a couple of days and plan to see some of the major sites then the Paris Pass might be the best bet for you. It included most of the attractions on a visitors list as well as most of the museums. When I added up the costs without it based on what we wanted to see we broke even, then because so many things were included we added on several things that we might not have done otherwise, so overall it was a great value.

Here is where you can find a list of all the attractions included in the Paris Pass

If you are only really planning on seeing the museums on this attraction list then you can also get the Paris Museum Pass this comes included with Paris Pass or is sold separately if you only want to see museums.

You will collect your Paris museum pass at the Big Bus Information Center open daily 10 AM – 5 PM. This is also a stop for the Big Bus tour so if you plan to take that make it for the same day you pick up the pass.

Book Your Tickets in Advance!!

You will see the trend in this one-week Paris itinerary to book your tickets in advance. Thanks to Covid the majority of places offer advance ticket sales and allow you to choose what time to show up. This is awesome since you want in way fewer lines but it can be hard since you have to predict where and when you will be somewhere months in advance. Try to choose only one or two activities each that require advance booking so you have more flexibility in the day. I booked 6 weeks in advance and already had issues getting the times I wanted for a few places, like the Eiffel Tower, so I would say plan to book at least 2 months in advance, if not a little more if you can.

Pro Tip: All of the places take the digital copies of the tickets so just save them all in a folder on your phone so they are in one place!

Map for This One-week Paris Itinerary

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?mid=1fYNNkbiljPTLZwx2_ykwc2rH4_h9DILI&usp=sharing

Day 1- Settling in

Chances are you will get into Paris mid-day. Depending on when you get in will dictate what you can do for the day. For us, but the time we landed, made our way to the city, and settled into the Airbnb it was almost dinner time so we got some dinner in town at Le Procope. This is cool since it is considered the oldest restaurant in Paris in continuous operation. It was a perfect introduction to Paris with its tasty french cuisine.

Day 2 – Paris Hot Spots

If you got the Paris Pass then plan for a Parisian Breakfast at Café Louise, it is included in the pass. We missed them since we got a late start but worth it to make it over there. it includes a croissant, freshly-squeezed orange juice, a baguette, coffee, and fresh fruits. (Monday – Saturday: 9AM-11.30AM, Sunday: 8:30AM-10:00AM)

Big Bus Tour

After Breaky head over to the Big Bus Information Center and pick up the museum pass and hitch a ride on the Bus. It features pre-recorded commentary in 11 languages via complimentary headphones. Buses run every 40 minutes, daily 10 AM – 5 PM.

You can find the Big Bus Tour route map here.

Arc de Triomphe

While on the route of the Big Bus Tour stop at the Arc de Triomphe (Which is also included with the Paris Pass) or €13 without it. You can gawk at it from the street corners, and watch the crazy traffic, then take the underground pathway to get up close to it (you do NOT want to cross that street!) at the top stand on the viewing deck and take in the views over Paris. See if you can spot some famous landmarks while you are up there! The Arc de Triomphe is open 10AM – 11PM daily

Prepare for your visit here.

A la Fontaine

A La Fontaine is a super cute French restaurant near the Eiffel tower that was recommended to us that we had planned to have dinner at but since we got a late start we ultimately skipped it in favor of the River Cruise. If you have time, definitely check it out.

Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise

The Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise is included in the Paris Pass and is a great little relaxing trip down the River Seine. It departs every hour on the hour from the Eiffel Tower (12 pm-9 pm). The Big Bus Tour stops at the Eiffel Tower so just ride it there. Spot the tower then look the other way, you will see the stairs to the pier, show your pass at the main ticket desk at Pier 3. 

The Eiffel Tower

Once you are finished with the River Cruise head across the street to the Eiffel tower. Be sure to book this well in advance! Tickets to the top sell out a much a few months in advance, especially the sunset time slots, we went at 8 pm in April and it was timed great for twilight. Tickets run €17-27 depending on how far you go up.

I highly recommend going ALL THE way up. I am afraid of heights so I almost skipped it and I am so glad I didn’t. There is an enclosed viewing area as well as an open (that is well gated) The view is absolutely incredible.

Since we missed dinner we were hungry after the elevator ride we opted for sandwiches from a guy making them in a shopping cart in front of the tower. We laughed at this idea but we were hungry. I have to say, they were DELICIOUS. Can recommend some Parisian street food lol.

If you want a great view from a distance then head over to the Trocadero.

You can find more information about the Eiffel Tower here.

Day 3 – Montmartre

Gourmet Chocolate Museum

Who doesn’t like chocolate? If you want to do a fun little activity, especially with kids you can check out the Chocolate Museum and learn all about the history of chocolate and even enjoy some tasty treats. It’s only €12.00 or included Paris Pass. You should not need more than 60 to 90 minutes.

We were staying just a short walk from here so we walked over in the morning before heading to Montmartre. You can plan this differently if you are staying elsewhere or skip it in favor of more time in Montmartre.

Click here to plan your visit.

Hours of operation

Daily 10AM – 6PM (last admission 5PM)

Live demonstrations: daily 10.40AM – 1PM and 2PM – 5PM

Montmartre

Day three of this one-week Paris itinerary explores the very cute and hilly arrondissement of Montmartre.

Sacré Coeur

Sacré Coeur is the basilica at the top of the hill. Very Famous, you must see it. Heads up: there are 300 steps to climb and no lift! but the panoramic view of Paris is stunning. The Basilica is open every day from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm. The entrance is free. You will walk inside and then around and back out. They have active mass at times so you will have to be pretty quiet inside. It is a beautiful piece of architecture.

Access to the Dome is outside the Basilica on the left and will cost you extra. We opted not to do this since we had already seen the city from the Eiffel Tower but it is only a few dollars if you decide to check it out.

Opening hours:

Every day from 10.30 am to 8.30 pm. (June to September)

Every day from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm from November 1st.

Montmartre Walking tour

There is a walking tour of the town included with the Paris Pass held Thursday – Monday at 2 PM. We did not opt to do this but if the town’s history interests you and you like the tour thing it’s a great idea!

Wall of Love

The Wall of Love is a famous wall with I love you in every language written on it, be sure to spot it on your walk about the area.

Dali Paris

Dali Paris is a small museum featuring art and sculptures by Salvador Dalí. I am a huge fan of his so I was so happy to see some of his work in person. It is fairly small, shouldn’t need more than an hour to explore and it is included in your Paris Pass or €13.00 on its own. (see how quickly we are getting the value of this Paris Pass?)

You can find more information about Dali Paris here

BAPBAP Brewery

My boyfriend loves to try craft beers all over the world. We always try to find one local brewery when we travel. This isn’t an easy feat in Paris where wineries are a dime a dozen. I was happy to come across BAPBAP Brewery and had to add it to our one-week Paris itinerary. It isn’t all the close to Montmartre but easy enough to get to on the metro. There is even a tasting included with your Paris Pass. It is open Monday to Friday: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday: 2 pm – 10 pm and closed on Sundays.

Day 4 – Disneyland Paris

How do you go to Paris and NOT visit Disneyland Paris? Ok, so if you are not a DisNerd like me or have younger kids then this might not be as high on your to-do list on your one-week Paris itinerary, If it is I have a whole post coming for you! If it isn’t then that’s ok, you can skip it and fill it in with some of the other activities at the end of this post.

I’ll give you a couple of tips if you are going to go. You can get your tickets here. Get them as soon as you can in advance to be sure you get them and to get the best price. The Price varies by the day.

Disneyland Paris is small. If you are familiar with the California park it is maybe a little more than half the size even if you include Walt Disney Studios. You could spend 2 days there if you really wanted to do every ride and see every single thing. We did just the one day and use the premiere passes to see everything we wanted to see so you can definitely do it in a day but plan to be there ALL day.

Getting to Disneyland Paris is easy, there is a train that ends at Disneyland Paris so just get to that train station and hop on the train till it ends. They have a couple of trains waiting at closing so it isn’t difficult to get on one but you may or may not have a seat.

Day 5 – The Catacombs and the Latin District

The Catacombs

The Catacombs of Paris are pretty famous and were on our must-see list. You will have to get over the creepiness of walking through tunnels of old human remains but it is worth it. There is so much history in there. This will be by far the creepiest stop on your one-week Paris itinerary.

Here are a few things to know.

The entrance looks like just a regular unassuming building, not at all what you might think a crypt entrance would look like, it’s also right in the middle of town on a regular road next to some restaurants and shops.

Don’t bring anything you don’t have to. For most of the tour, you will have to wear your bags in front of you so as not to accidentally hit any of the remains. They also don’t allow strollers, no matter how small, not even ones you can fold and wear. If you have to have a stroller for a later stop at the pizza place with the blue awning and ask if they will store it, they likely will but be prepared to have pizza for lunch thereafter your tour unless you want to pay them 5 euro. On the bright side, the pizza wasn’t too bad.

The 1.5-kilometer path is one-way only. You will enter at 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy and exit at 21 bis, Avenue René-Coty. The walk back to the entrance is a little less than a mile.

The temperature in the catacombs is fairly constant at about 57 degrees Fahrenheit. This was close to the average temperature for our spring visit but keep this in mind if you go other times of the year so you can dress accordingly.

Prepare to close those rings since the trip also includes 131 steps to go down and 112 steps to climb up.

Buy your tickets in advance and reserve a time to ensure you get in. The €29 includes the audio guide which is nice to have, you will learn a lot about the Catacombs. You can visit Tuesday to Sunday from 9.45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and the visit will take you about 45 minutes to an hour.

Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens is not a far walk from the Catacombs so it is an easy ass to your one-week Paris itinerary. It is a beautiful garden of Luxembourg Palace and is open to the public. There are plenty of chairs around to sit and have a rest. There is also a great park for children on the grounds with lots of fun equipment to play with. It’s an awesome place to spend the afternoon.

Panthéon

The Panthéon is a short walk from the Luxemburg Gardens. The Panthéon has been reconsecrated several times during the 19th century. It served as a church from 1828 to 1830 and from 1851 to 1870. Today, it is used as a civic building and serves as a crypt for the remains of many great French citizens, including Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Èmile Zola, and Marie Curie.

Entrance to the Pantheon is €9.00 or is included in the Paris Pass. I would get tickets in advance or get there earlier. My boyfriend’s mom and I took the little one to the playground in the gardens and by the time we made it to the Panthéon they were not admitting anyone else in. Fortunately, my boyfriend and his dad made it and had a good time looking around. Note: The Tombs are located downstairs if they are on your must-see list.

Hours of operation

April – September

Daily: 10.45AM – 7PM (last admission: 6.15PM)

October – March

Daily: 10AM – 6PM (last admission: 5.15PM)

Allow 60-90 Minutes

Explore the Latin Quarter with a Secret City Trails Scavenger Hunt

Explore the Latin Quarter with a fun twist by adding in this fun Secret City Trails scavenger hunt, this app is so fun, we did one of these in Spain, and it was such a fun want to learn about the area and make the walk even more fun. They are a perfect way to add a little pazazz to your one-week Paris itinerary. Sites include the Pantheon, the Jardin des Plantes, and also lesser-known sights such as the Arènes de Lutèce. There is even add a stop from the movie Midnight in Paris!

You will start at Place Saint Michel and then end the hunt at Jardin des Plantes while solving 10 riddles. It will take you about 2-3 hours and you will have walked 4 km. (This trip is a ring closer for sure!)

Play 7 days a week, starting between 9 am – 7 pm (summer) and 9 am – 3 pm (winter) for €20,00 per group (1-5 people).

Moulin Rouge

Finished the day with a show at Moulin Rouge, sure it’s a bit pricy (over $100 per ticket just for the show) but it is well worth it to get to see this world-famous show.

I have been a dancer most of my life, I am no pro but I love it. Since I can remember and even more so after Christina’s movie I wanted to see a show at Moulin Rouge. On my first visit to Paris I was only able to walk by it so on this trip I was determined to see one. I had to add it to this one-week Paris itinerary.

Like with most things, you will want to

Also, note that children under 6 are not allowed. Since we were traveling with my toddler we opted to spilt it up, my boyfriend and I went one night, and then his parents went another night so someone would be with the little and we could still go. It was a nice little adult time too, so win-win.

Day 6 – Museums and Wine

The Louvre

Can you even go to Paris without a visit to the Louvre? I don’t think you can. Of course, it is on this one-week Paris itinerary. I went back in 2011 when my dad and I spent 36 hours there and I went again on this trip. It is huge and incredible. If you have ever taken an art class or heck, a history class, you will see familiar works there. It is amazing. Famous statues from Greece, artifacts from Egypt, and tons of paintings, including, of course, the Mona Lisa. You have to pay the Louvre a visit.

Good to Know for Your Visit

You will hear tons of advice about how long you need, some can spend days there. both times I went I found 4 hours to be enough but I did not see every single thing. If you are an art person and want to see the whole thing I would recommend breaking it up over a couple of days. It is ALOT and after a few hours, your brain and eye want to explode so to truly enjoy seeing it all definitely break it up. If you don’t have the extra days then allow 5 hours and prioritize your favorite artists and areas.

Also, note they close certain rooms on certain days, so I would recommend looking at what days those are if you are looking for a specific artist. The room with the Rembrandts was closed the day we went.

I recommend getting there at the open. There is always a line to get in even with reservations but getting there first you will have the least amount of crowds at the start it also means you have some cushion if you need a little more time to look around.

The Louvre is included in the Paris and Museum Passes or costs €17.

Hours of operation

Wednesday – Monday: 9 AM – 6 PM

L’Orangerie Museum

This small museum is the home of some of Monet’s famous ‘Water lilies’ series as well as art by many old masters. The building itself is very cool. You could spend a couple of hours here if it interests you but I was coming from the Louvre so I wasn’t really there to hang out, It is across the garden from the Louvre so it was a pleasant walk over I went in just to see the Monets so I spent about 30 min there. It was included in my Paris pass so I wasn’t too worried about getting my money’s worth but it is just €9.00 without it.

French Wine Tasting at Les Caves du Louvre

A wine tasting is a perfect addition to any one-week Paris itinerary. Even better that it was included in our Paris pass so we decided it would be a great way to rest our minds after a day of Museums, if you want to join without the pass it’s €35.00. It was a small, quaint little wine cellar where a professional Sommelier will walk you through what makes French wine what it is and you will also get to taste 3 different ones. As of this writing, the tour is 1 hour and takes place at 2:30, 3, 4, or 4:30.

We had the Museum of d’Orsay on our one-week Paris itinerary, we had it planned after the wine tasting but our brains were fried and opted to just do dinner instead.

Day 7- The Palace of Versailles

I have heard about Versailles about it as much as I have heard about Paris. So we had to see what all the hubbub was about. Take a day trip out to see it for sure. I would recommend getting an early start so you can take your time. It is big and beautiful, the gardens alone will take the afternoon. We did not explore every part but we got tired so we were ok with that but you could spend the entire day there completely. They have options for dining but looking back I wish we would have packed a lunch and had a picnic in the gardens.

Important Information about the Palance of Versailles

Cost

The Palace of Versailles is included in the Paris Pass or €18.00 per adult. Reserve your visit in advance to ensure you have a spot.

Hours of operation

Tuesday – Sunday: 9 AM – 5.30 PM

9:30 am to 10:00 am – Arrive at the train station (Versailles Rive Droite).

For more information, you can visit the official website for the Palace of Versailles.

Bonus! The Marché Notre Dame Food Market

Pay a visit to the Marché Notre Dame food market (Tue, Fri and Sun, 7 am–2 pm) before you head to the Palace for picnic supplies to take to the gardens. They are huge, and a perfect place for a picnic.

Notre Dame

O course your one-week Paris itinerary can’t be complete without a visit to Notre Dame. Sadly, due to the fires in 2019, you can not go inside the cathedral so this is just a quick stop to gawk at its glory. You can also see information about it and the fires on the enclosure around the outside.

We had planned to do this on the day we arrived but didn’t so since the train from Versailles ends at Norte Dame we opted to stop on the way back to check it out. We were actually there on the anniversary of the fires so there were a lot of reporters there and stuff also. It is a shame to not be able to see it but it is so great the firefighters were able to save so much and they can restore it. It is worth a look though, so add it to one of your days when visiting.

Time to Go Home

Catch a flight out the next day, and allow plenty of time for the airport, it is large, has no trams, and has very long lines. I would say at least 5 hours ahead, especially on the weekend. We only arrived with 3 hours to spare and ended up running to our gate and nearly missing out flight.

Other Activities and Sights in and around Paris to add to Your one-week Paris itinerary

There is so much to see and do in Paris it is hard to do it all in just a week. The above itinerary is the perfect overview of what the city has to offer but if you have more time or if something we did doesn’t interest you here are some other activities we would have done had we had more time in Paris.

Take Day Trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise

H train, Leaves every 15 minutes from Gare de Nord. It takes approximately 39 min trip and will run you 5-7 Dollars. This is an especially cool trip if you are a Van Gogh fan since this is where he spent his last days and painted many paintings. While there pay a visit to the gardens of the Château d’Auvers, église d’Auvers (the subject of one of Van Gogh’s famous paintings), van Gogh’s Tomb and the musée de l’Absinthe.

Musée d’Orsay

Musee d’Orsay was on our day 6 list but it didn’t work out. It has some great works of art though so if museums are your thing this is definitely worth a stop. It costs €16.00
or is included in the Paris Pass or Museum Pass

Hours of operation

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – Sunday: 9.30AM – 6PM

Thursday: 9.30AM – 9.45PM

Picasso Museum

I mean it’s Picasso, need I say more? If you are a fan and have the time pay it a visit. It is included in the museum and Paris passes or is €14.00.

Hours of operation

Tuesday – Friday: 11.30AM – 6PM

Saturday – Sunday: 9.30AM – 6PM

Allow 90 minutes

Museum of Music 

The Museum of Music, is in the Cité de la Musique, located in the Parc de la Villette. Here you can see 1,000 instruments and art objects including such rare pieces as a tortoise guitar, an octobass, and a crystal flute. Some of the items on display once belonged to musical celebrities like Django Reinhardt, Frédéric Chopin, and Frank Zappa. It is €8.00 or included in Paris and Museum Passes.

Hours of operation

Tuesday – Saturday: 12PM – 6PM

Sunday: 10AM – 6PM

Le Duc des Lombards

This was recommended to me by a Parisian friend, she said it was the best jazz club.

The Centre Pompidou

Very cool more modern museum. If Modern art is your thing then this is the kind of palace for you.

Stand KENZO Maroquinerie Homme

Amazing famous mall Galleries Lafayette. If anything, go inside it and go to the top floor there is a see-through overlook to see the whole inside the mall.

Restaurants and Food for a One-week Paris Itinerary.

There is so much to eat in Paris. You can find a good place to eat on literally every corner. Below you can find a few places we loved or were on the list to try and didn’t make it.

Bo & Mie

This little boulangerie is located very close to the Louvre. They have so much good stuff! I loved the olive rolls they had and, of course, all of the pastries. Everything was so good, in fact, we went twice it was so yummy. Very reasonably priced too.

Le Procope

This place has been around since 1686. We stumbled upon it looking for dinner and were pleased with the meal. We did the pre-set menu. It was cool to dine in a little bit of history.

Pierre Sang in Oberkampf

This restaurant takes down your dietary restrictions and then cooks you a custom never been made meal, after you’re done they tell you what it was. You will need a reservation.

Les Duex Magots Cafe

The cafe opened in 1885. it is another iconic, yet charming spot to grab a bite.

Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole Cafe

The cutest little restaurant, and it’s in one of the oldest buildings in Paris

Swipe My One Week Paris Itinerary

Would you like to have a copy of the exact one-week Paris itinerary I used for this trip to Paris? I am happy to share, and it is fully editable for your to make your own! Just enter your email address below and I will send it over with directions on how to use it!