One Day in Paris Itinerary: Louvre, Seine and Eiffel Tower in One Timed Day
Your day in Paris, in order
- 9:00 AMLouvre MuseumClosed Tuesdays, book a time slot
- 11:30 AMTuileries GardenFree walk west to east views
- 12:30 PMLunch on the Left BankSaint-Germain area
- 2:00 PMNotre-Dame and Ile de la CiteWalk along the Seine
- 3:30 PMMontmartre and Sacre-CoeurMetro up, walk down
- 6:00 PMDinnerEarly by Paris standards
- 8:00 PMEiffel TowerBook ahead, views after dark
Paris one-day plans live or die on one detail: the day of the week. Plan a Louvre morning on a Tuesday and you'll be standing outside a closed glass pyramid. So check your calendar first. Then use this.
It's built for any day that isn't Tuesday. Art in the morning, the river after lunch, Montmartre in the afternoon, Eiffel Tower at night. Hours and prices change, so check before you go.
The plan at a glance
Louvre at opening. A slow walk through the Tuileries, lunch on the Left Bank, then along the Seine to Notre-Dame. Metro up to Montmartre. Dinner, then the Eiffel Tower once it's lit.
Stop by stop
9:00 AM: Louvre Museum
Opens at 9:00. It's open until 6:00 PM on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, until 9:00 PM Wednesdays and Fridays, and closed every Tuesday. Last entry is an hour before close. Tickets were 32 euros for visitors from outside the EEA and 22 euros for EEA residents, under 18s free. A time slot is recommended for everyone, and from October 17 to November 1, 2026, the museum says reservations are required for basically all visitors.
Don't try to see it all. Pick three things, see those, and leave while you still like it. Two hours is plenty.
Get tickets: Louvre (official site)
11:30 AM: Tuileries Garden
Walk out the west side into the Tuileries. Free, open from 7:00 AM in October. Grab one of the green metal chairs by the big pond and do nothing for ten minutes. It's the best museum recovery there is.
12:30 PM: Lunch on the Left Bank
Cross the river into Saint-Germain or the Latin Quarter. Sit at a cafe, order a croque monsieur or the plat du jour, and people-watch. It's the most Paris thing you'll do all day and it costs less than the Louvre.
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2:00 PM: Notre-Dame and Ile de la Cite
Walk east along the river, past the green bookstalls on the quays. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after the fire, and it's free. Weekday hours are 7:50 AM to 7:00 PM (until 10:00 PM on Thursdays), weekends 8:15 AM to 7:30 PM. You can book a free time slot on the cathedral's own site, but only on the day or a day or two before. Anyone charging you for a Notre-Dame ticket is scamming you, the cathedral says so in plain words.
If you've got an extra hour, Sainte-Chapelle is a five-minute walk away and the stained glass is ridiculous. It's ticketed and timed, so book it ahead.
Get tickets: Notre-Dame free time slot (official site)
Get tickets: Sainte-Chapelle (official site)
3:30 PM: Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur
Metro north to Anvers. Take the funicular (it uses a regular Metro ticket) or walk the steps up to Sacre-Coeur. The view from the top is free and it's one of the best in Paris. After that, skip Place du Tertre's caricature hustlers and wander the side streets instead. That's where it still feels like a village.
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6:00 PM: Dinner
Paris eats late, so 6:00 gets you a table without a reservation more often than not. Pick a bistro a block off the busiest square.
8:00 PM: Eiffel Tower
Metro over to Bir-Hakeim. The tower is generally open 9:30 AM to 11:45 PM. Adult prices when I checked the official site: 23.50 euros for the elevator to the second floor, 36.70 to the summit, 14.80 for the stairs to the second floor. Since September 29, 2026, stairs tickets need an advance booking too.
Honestly, the second floor is enough. You're closer to the city and the line's shorter.
The light show: once it's dark, the tower turns gold, and then it sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour until it closes. In mid-October it's dark by about 8:00, so you'll catch at least one sparkle. Walk across to Trocadero for the classic view.
Get tickets: Eiffel Tower (official site)
What to skip
- The whole Louvre. It's one of the biggest museums on earth. A focused two hours beats a four-hour slog.
- The summit if the line is huge. The second floor gives you most of the view.
- The Champs-Elysees as a main stop. It's mostly chain stores. Walk a few blocks if you're curious.
- Anyone waving a menu at you on the street. Keep walking.
Mistakes people make in Paris (number 1 ruins the whole morning)
- Louvre on a Tuesday. Closed. The most common way people lose their only Paris morning.
- No Eiffel time slot. Book on the official site. Stairs need a booking now too.
- Walking everything. Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower is about an hour on foot. Take the Metro.
- Paying for Notre-Dame. It's free. The only real booking is on the cathedral's site.
- Phone in the back pocket. Busy Metro lines are pickpocket territory.
- Doing the tower in daylight. If you only go once, go after dark.
Quick questions about one day in Paris
Is one day in Paris enough?
Enough for the headline sights and a real feel for the city, if you plan around opening days. You won't see the whole Louvre. Nobody does.
What day is the Louvre closed?
The Louvre is closed every Tuesday. It also closes on January 1, May 1 and December 25. On Wednesdays and Fridays it stays open until 9:00 PM. Check before you go.
How much does the Eiffel Tower cost?
When we checked the official site, an adult elevator ticket to the second floor was 23.50 euros and an elevator ticket to the summit was 36.70 euros. Since September 29, 2026, stairs tickets also need an advance reservation. Prices change, so check before you go.
Should I go up the Eiffel Tower during the day or at night?
At night, if you only go once. It's usually open until 11:45 PM, and the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour once it's dark. Book a time slot either way.
Do I need the Metro in Paris for one day?
You can walk most of this plan, but take the Metro up to Montmartre and over to the Eiffel Tower. It saves your legs and about an hour.