Only spending 24 hours in Paris is a little like only dunking your big toe into a shimmering mediterranean sea; and then never swimming in it. But I understand that sometimes time is not on your side, and 24 hours is better than nothing, right? Here is my itinerary for making the most out of your first (or only) 24 hours in Paris.
A handful of the big sites in Paris would take you 2-3 days at least, but in this one day guide I’ll show you a few highlights, and some walking routes around the city to take in some great spots to kick off your visit.
Itinerary : 24 hours in Paris
As with most of my 24-hour guides, they run midday to midday, ensuring you can enjoy a breakfast, lunch and dinner in the city. But feel free to rearrange the itinerary to suit your needs.
Lunch at a Bouillon
A Bouillon is a restaurant that gained popularity in the Belle Époque era. These restaurants would serve hearty meals (often with a bouillon soup) to blue collar workers. They are generally trestle-tables, or lots of small tables, squeezed into often beautifully art-deco decorated bistro settings.
Bouillon Chartier in Montparnasse or Bouillon Racine or Polidor in the 6th are two of my favourites. Polidor was made famous by the movie ‘Midnight in Paris’, so has become more popular in recent years.
Bouillons serve workers food – they often write your order on the paper table cloth, and the food isn’t fussy or fancy. It’s rotisserie chicken, or confit of duck, generous steak frites, or rich bourguignons. The workers lunch tradition remains strong, and the prices are fantastic as a result!
Notre Dame & The Left Bank
The Seine is the beating heart of Paris, and no trip to the city is complete without a stroll down a part of it!
Admire the beautiful Notre Dame de Paris – the church had a catastrophic fire in 2019, but which is now back open again. Shop at the Bouquinistes – the booksellers along the river. Or get great views from the various bridges across from south of the river to the two islands – Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis.
The Left Bank is a joy, so read my dedicated south of the river guide here!
The Marais + Musée Carnavalet + Place des Vosges
The Marais is an extremely trendy central neighbourhood north of the river. Home to artisan stores, barista coffee, and refined art galleries, it’s a wonderful neighbourhood to wander around. Marais means swamp in french, but it is far from a swamp now!
The Musée Carnavalet showcases the history of Paris. It was renovated a few years back and is an absolutely fantastic introduction to the history of Paris. The best part? It’s free!
Grab yourself a coffee at nearby Place des Vosges. It is the oldest planned square in the city, dating back to 1605. Originally named Place Royale, it’s known for its perfectly symmetrical red-brick façades, arcaded walkways, and manicured central garden. It’s a lovely spot, surrounded by art galleries, cafés, and boutiques.
Montmartre for the Evening
After your afternoon of museums and wandering, it’s time to head north, and up to Montmartre. If you are feeling energetic, you can walk the couple of kilometers up from the Marais, via Canal Saint-Martin up to Anvers and the Pigalle neighbourhood. Otherwise, take the metro, bus or Uber.
From the Anvers train station, walk up the hill to the captivating Sacre Cœur church that sits atop the Montmartre hill. Designed by Paul Abadie and completed in 1923, the white domes of the Sacred Heart church are iconic. Walk up the gardens in front of the church, or use the funicular to reach the top.
The views of Paris from the steps in front of Sacre Cœur are captivating, and you’ll recognise this area from many movies!
Enjoy the painters and restaurants of Place du Tertre, and find yourself a bistro for dinner. La Bonne Franquette is one of the oldest restaurants in the area, and Le Consulat is a cheap and cheerful option opposite. As you sup on your onion soup, imagine this area 150 years ago, full of artists and vagabonds!
Wander down the hill via Moulin Rouge before heading to bed. Take in a show if you’ve got the stamina!
Morning Eiffel Tower Views
Grab yourself a croissant and coffee at any one of the thousands of cafés in Paris, and get yourself ready for your morning!
The Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World’s Fair, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world. I’ll admit, I don’t particularly care for the view from up the tower, it’s the views you glimpse of it from around Paris that are a treat.
Seeing the tower can be done in many ways:
- Trocadero – the view from the Trocadero is probably the most instagrammable
- From a Bateau Mouche – a convivial way to see Paris is by boat, and it offers beautiful views of the tower (there are boat docks right in front of the tower)
- Montparnasse Tower – one of my favourite views of the tower is from another (more modern) tower – Tour Montparnasse!
I recognise you’ll likely want to go up the tower if this is your first visit to Paris. So book a slot in advance and get there early. Be aware that if it’s cloudy, it’s not worth going up.
Arc de Triomphe Or Petit Palais + Champs-Élysées
The Arc de Triomphe is the grand arch at the top end of the Champs-Élysées. Surrounded by a huge multi-lane roundabout, it is everything you’d expect from a triumphal monument.
Commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 to honour those lost in the Revolution and Napoleonic wars, it was completed in 1836. You can climb to the top for stunning views over Paris, including a perfect alignment with the Avenue des Champs-Élysées leading to Place de la Concorde and the Louvre.
If you don’t fancy a climb up many many stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, I suggest a visit the Petit Palais instead – a museum of fine arts near the bottom of the Champs-Élysées. Take some photos of the arch, then walk down the Champs-Élysées to the Petit Palais.
HOT TIP: Food and drink (and all the shops really) along the Champs-Élysées are expensive, so hold your appetite for later!
The Petit Palais was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, and now has both free permanent collections on display as well as touring exhibitions for a fee. It’s one of my favourite places to visit for free in Paris.
Laduree or Relais de l’Entrecôte
Ladurée is one of the most famous patisseries in Paris, best known for its delicate macarons. Founded in 1862, this historic tea room has become a symbol of Parisian elegance, offering a variety of beautifully crafted pastries, desserts, and fine teas. If you want to have lunch here, you would be wise to book in advance. If not, you can stop by for some macarons on your walk down the Champs-Élysées.
A Parisian institution, Relais de l’Entrecôte is famous for serving just one dish—steak frites with their signature secret sauce. Instead of a menu, diners are simply asked how they’d like their steak cooked (for the love of beef, please don’t ask for it well-done!). The meal comes with a walnut salad, followed by perfectly cooked steak and crispy fries, served in two portions to keep it warm.
Suggestions for Longer in Paris
- Spend some time outdoors – From parks to walking the old railway line – La Promenade Plantée – Paris has lots of outdoor gems.
- Tick off the most famous sites – Paris is awash with iconic and historically significant sites – visit as many or as few as you wish –
- Day trips – If you’re in Paris for a while, take day trips out of Paris – Versailles, Fontainebleau, Giverny, Reims etc.
- Dog-friendly – Paris is very dog-friendly – check out my recommendations!
While it’s tempting to schedule every minute to make the most of your time in Paris, I would encourage you to leave time to sit in cafes, enjoy people-watching and the cafe-culture of the city!
Where to stay in Paris
I have written countless recommendations on where to stay in Paris (see my beginner’s guide), so I’ll just mention a couple of places here.
Amusingly, two of my favourite hotels share the name ‘Jacques’!
- I love the centrally located Hotel Saint Jacques, on Rue des Ecoles.
- The Relais Saint Jacques, near the Luxembourg Gardens is a boutique hotel on a lovely quiet street – very romantic!
24 hours in Paris
Paris is my soul city. Over the last 25 years, it has been the place that has continually drawn me back (and I now live in SW France!). I always hope to share just a fraction of that love for this city with my readers, and inspire people to open their hearts to this heaving beauty of a city!
Hopefully this itinerary for 24 hours in Paris is just a jumping off point to a longer stay.
Visit Paris in the springtime for the prettiest foliage!
See my beginner’s guide to Paris for more!
All photos © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF Lens 50mm 1:1.8 STM; and an iPhone6s.
Hi hannah i have been enjoying reading your blog and your latest pieces on what to do if you have 24 hours in a city, i would like to nominate your blog for the “one lovely blog award” . I look forward to reading your future posts. Clare
Thanks Clare! What a neat idea – I’ll try to get to this sometime this week! Thanks so much for the nomination 😉
this is such a great 24 hour guide, i feel like it gives you a good overview of paris. i was there for 10 days a few years ago and reading this makes me want to go back! paris is so beautiful, so much to discover!
I have always had a sneaky plan and hop on the eurostar over to paris for a day; what a fab roundup of things to do! one day i’ll make it there!
I would never think I can see so many things in Paris in just one day! I have never been, but like this, I can see that it is possible to see everything even during just a weekend.
This is such a great guide! I wouldn’t have thought you could be able to see so many things in 24 hours. I can’t wait to visit paris one day, hopefully soon!