The Perfect 2 Days In Paris Itinerary

With only 2 days in Paris you have to choose your route carefully. So here’s our easy to follow 2 day Paris itinerary with all the best places to visit.

Getting Around Paris + Tips

Getting around Paris couldn’t be easier. There are generally 3 options:

Before we start, if you’re looking for transfers from the airport to your hotel, you can secure a cheap and easy Charles De Gaulle and Orly Airport Shared Minivan Transfer.

By Public Transport:

There are metro and bus lines running throughout Paris, and these are the easiest ways to get around the capital.

We grabbed a Metro Day Pass which allows unlimited travel for 24 hours on the metro, and jumped on the underground in-between tourist spots.

The Metro Day Passes are available to purchase at any station and cost €7.50 per adult.

Some of the gaps between destinations are walkable, depending on how much ground you wish to cover and how much time you have.

By Hop On Hop Off Bus:

Standard buses are available around Paris.

However, there is also of course the famous Paris Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Bus.

This bus lets you jump on and off throughout the city, and explore monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Notre Dame and the world-famous Musée du Louvre.

This option is always popular among tourists, and a is great way to see many famous landmarks around Paris at ease.

By Tour:

Some of the best days out we’ve had in Paris have been on private tours.

For those short on time, or that prefer everything to be organised for them, there are some awesome tours on Get Your Guide available to book in advance.

From food tours, to river cruises and beer baths, there’s plenty to keep you busy in the French capital!

What To Pack

DSLR Camera: Canon EOS 90D

Tripod: Zomei Z666 Tripod

Day Bag: Manfrotto Manhattan Mover-50

Reusable Water Bottle: Hydro Flask Water Bottle

Rain Jacket: Columbia Lightweight Rain Jacket

Day 1 Of Your 2 Day Paris Itinerary

Eiffel Tower For Sunrise

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic monuments in the whole world, and in our opinion the best time to see it is at sunrise.

There are so many Eiffel Tower Photo spots in Paris to take your pic from.

From our experience, we recommend hitting the Trocadero Steps at around 6am. It will make a great start to day 1 of your 2 day Paris itinerary and it’s a moment we’ll never forget.

There is also of course the option to climb to the summit or the second level of the Eiffel Tower.

You can do this either of two ways:

With a guide: Eiffel Tower Guided Summit Tour.

Or alone: Eiffel Tower Second Floor Priority Access.

Either way we recommend booking your tickets in advance to skip the queue. These options save precious time at the Eiffel Tower with a priority-access ticket and there is always a queue to visit!

To reach the Eiffel Tower we recommend catching the metro to Trocadero station, which drops you just metres away from the viewing platform, and you will walk out to the most incredible view!

If this doesn’t wake you up for an awesome 2 days in Paris then we don’t know what will.

Arc De Triomphe

From the Eiffel Tower the natural next move is to head the second most famous monument in the capital.

Just 3 stops on the metro (or a 20 minute walk) you’ll arrive at Charles de Gaulle – Etoile, which is directly outside the Arc De Triomphe.

A huge tick on the Paris bucket list!

We won’t go too much into its history, but the Arc De Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces.

You will need tickets to visit the Arc De Triomphe rooftop, which can be booked in advance and we recommend the Skip-the-Line Arc de Triomphe Rooftop Tickets.

Tickets cost £11 per person, and allow you to skip the lines to reach the top of the Champs-Élysées and feast your eyes on breathtaking panoramas of the world-renowned City of Love.

Quick tip: If you head there early enough, there will be less traffic on the roundabout and hardly any tourists.

Sacre-Coeur

After our two iconic morning stops, we decided to focus day 1 of our 2 days in Paris on the northern area of capital.

We would head up to Sacre-Coeur, hopping again on the Metro to Anvers, and walk up the steps to the famous Roman Catholic Church.

The option is there to take a Montmartre Walking Tour with a local guide, around not only the Sacre-Coeur, but the whole Montmartre area.

Or alternatively, if you like to explore at your own pace, you can book a Sacré-Cœur and Its Surroundings Audioguide.

The view from the top is incredible, looking over the whole of Paris and the Sacre-Coeur itself is like no other religious building we’ve ever seen.

Take your time exploring the history of the Sacre-Couer before heading down for lunch on our 2 day Paris itinerary.

Sinking House Of Montmartre

Don’t leave too quickly though or you’ll miss a real life illusion.

The Sinking House Of Montmartre has become a bit of a Paris Instagram spot in recent years, and it’s located right next door to the Sacre-Coeur.

This photographic illusion seems as though the grand old block of flats is falling to it’s death. However of course it’s a simple tilt of the camera and WE are in fact supporting ourselves from rolling down the hill!

Within certain dates you are allowed to sit on the grass to the right of the Sacre-Coeur as you face it, and you’ll see immediately why they call it the ‘Sinking House Of Montmartre’.

If you take a Montmartre Walking Tour, I’m sure you’re guide will point this photographic illusion out to you from the base of the Sacre-Coeur.

Walk The Streets Of Montmartre

Back down into Montmartre we go, into one of the quirkiest and most tourist friendly places in Paris.

The streets of Montmartre are old, cobbled lanes and some of the cutest you will find. 

Filled with famous cafes such as Le Consulat or La Mansion Rose, you can spend all afternoon cruising around, admiring the Parisian feel.

With so much to see and taste if you’d prefer to have everything organised for you, there is the highly rated Montmartre 2-Hour Walking Tour available to book in advance. 

We spent a couple of hours trawling the narrow streets and picking up snacks and souvenirs. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes or you’ll ruin your 2 days in Paris! 

Day 2 Of Your 2 Day Paris Itinerary

Louvre

With only 2 days in Paris you have to make the most of it, so it was another semi-early rise to visit the Louvre Museum.

The Louvre, or the Louvre Museum, is the world’s largest art museum and a historic monument/central landmark of the city.

Although we didn’t have time to venture inside, maybe that would be asking to much on a 2 day Paris itinerary, it’s most widely recognised as being home to the most famous painting in the world – the Mona Lisa.

Tickets for the Louvre are €15 per adult if bought at the entrance, however the queues can be huge for the this attraction. So we recommend the Louvre Museum Timed-Entrance Ticket.

With this ticket you will be given a time that you must enter, allowing you to skip the queues and spend as much time as you like inside the museum to explore at your own pace.

Alternatively one of the top rated tours in Paris is the Ultimate Louvre: Fast-Track Guided Tour With Ticket.

This tour allows you to head in faster and see art from an expert guide’s perspective, whilst following a smart route through the Louvre to get up close to “Mona Lisa”.

The Louvre buildings comprise two former royal palaces – the Louvre and the Tuileries.

It began life as a 12th-century fort, but was massively expanded and rebuilt by a succession of French kings, all of whom were huge fans of arts.

In short, King Francois I persuaded Leonardo da Vinci to move to France in 1517. He of course brought the Mona Lisa with him, and eventually died in the arms of the king in 1519.

Cathedral Notre Dame

Okay, so being huge Disney fans, we couldn’t visit the city of love without adding Quasimodo’s home to our 2 day Paris itinerary!

From the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral is just a 15 minute walk along the canal.

Apart from being featured in a Disney movie though, this medieval Catholic cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture to date.

Sadly, on April 15, 2019, the spire and the oak room collapsed after a fire destroyed a large part of Notre Dame. The fire burned for several hours, and it took more than 400 firemen to contain it.

With over €800 million raised in the two days that followed, there are current plans to renovate and rebuild the church. However, for now, there still lies a hole in the heart of the French capital.

Moulin Rouge

For our final evening on the 2 days in Paris we were torn.

Torn between treating ourselves to a show at the famous Moulin Rouge, or heading down for a sunset in front of the Eiffel Tower.

This world-famous cabaret, performed in a 19th-century windmill, has been exciting audiences since 1900.

There are two shows each night at 9.00pm and 11.00pm, both lasting 1 hour 30 minutes each. 

Tickets must be booked in advance, and the best place to get them is online via the Moulin Rouge Show with Champagne.

We didn’t manage to get tickets, however if you plan ahead, those that have seen the performance only have great things to say about the fiery can-can show.

So if this sounds like your kind of thing, then a cabaret show and fancy dinner could end your 2 day Paris itinerary perfectly!

Another fancy option, maybe for those celebrating in Paris, is the Eiffel Tower, Dinner, Cruise, & Champagne at Moulin Rouge Package.

Enjoy breathtaking views of the capital from the Eiffel Tower, then cruise along the Seine River. Have dinner either at the tower or on a dinner cruise. Finish with a revue show at the iconic Moulin Rouge.

Picnic At Champ De Mars For Sunset

For us, we grabbed a picnic and headed to the southern side of the tower, known as Champ De Mars.

The huge grassy park area is packed out with locals and tourists come sunset. All laying out their blankets in hope of a pink sky and an incredible end to their stay in the city of love.

We recommend grabbing a bottle of wine or some macarons before you get there. As there are no shops nearby and the locals walking around selling items are extremely over priced.

We got lucky on our final night and spent it laughing away with friends. As the natural light disappeared it called a magical close on our 2 days in Paris!

Where To Stay In Paris

Luxury – Brach Paris

Brach Paris is set in the 16th arr. of Paris within easy reach of the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro.

This Parisian 5-star hotel features a fitness club with pools, sauna, hammam and massage rooms. As well as a barber shop. 

The bright and spacious rooms and suites come with a high quality sound system and soundproofing.

They feature tailor-made toiletries, high quality bedding, a dressing room and an elegant desk.

Some rooms and suites offer a terrace and views over Paris and Haussmanian facades.

Mid-Budget – Generator Paris

Generator Paris is a designer hostel located in the lively 10th district in Paris.

Free WiFi access is available and it features a stylish lounge area with games room.

You can enjoy locally inspired dishes at the on-site Café Fabienand listen to DJs music while having a drink from the bar. 

Each of the contemporary rooms here provide air conditioning, bed linen and a private bathroom with a shower. Some rooms also offer a private terrace.

Budget – ibis budget Paris Porte De Montmartre

Located in the north of Paris near Boulevard Périphérique, ibis Budget Paris Porte De Montmartre is just a 10-minute walk from Porte de Saint-Ouen Metro Station.

Stade de France Stadium is 2.5 miles away. 

Decorated in soft pastel colours, the rooms are contemporary in style and offer an LCD TV.

Each also has a private bathroom with a shower and a separate toilet.

For more places to stay in Paris, you can check the latest prices on Booking.com.

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