Day 1: The Seine and the Eiffel Tower
Begin at the Eiffel Tower, then cross the river for the classic view. Book a timed tower ticket and leave the evening open for a Seine-side walk.
A romantic week in Paris
Art, gardens and golden-hour walks without racing the city. The schedule groups nearby stops and leaves realistic room for meals, transit and the unexpected.
Day 2: Montmartre at an easy pace
See Montmartre before the busiest hours, then climb to Sacré-Cœur. Stay for a long lunch and return at dusk rather than packing in another district.
Day 3: Opera and stained glass
Tour Palais Garnier in the morning and Sainte-Chapelle after lunch. Reserve both ahead; the stained glass is brightest on a clear afternoon.
Day 4: Gardens and left-bank wandering
Pair the compact Musée de l’Orangerie with Luxembourg Gardens. This is deliberately a low-mileage day with time for cafés and the left bank.
Day 5: Canal-side Paris
Finish around Canal Saint-Martin, where footbridges, small shops and waterside tables make a gentle final day.
When to go
April to June and September to October are the easy months: long light, mild days and walkable evenings. July and August bring heat and the biggest crowds at the Eiffel Tower and Sainte-Chapelle. Winter is cheaper and quieter, and the gardens on Day 4 are bare, so swap them for an extra museum.
Getting around
Paris is compact enough that most of this plan is on foot, with the Metro for the longer hops (Eiffel Tower to Montmartre, for example). A single carnet or a contactless tap-in works for most trips; you do not need a pass for a five-day visit unless you plan many rides a day.
What to book ahead
Eiffel Tower tickets with a time slot sell out in busy periods, and Sainte-Chapelle and Palais Garnier tours also run on timed entry. Book those first, then fit the free parts of the day around them. Check opening days before you lock the order: many Paris museums close one day a week, and it is not the same day everywhere.
How this trip is paced
Each day has one anchor and a lot of open time. That is on purpose. Couples tend to remember the long lunch in Montmartre and the walk along Canal Saint-Martin more than the fourth landmark of a day. If you want more, add a second museum on Day 4, not a second district on Day 2.
Common mistakes
Starting at the busiest hour, trying to cover both banks in one afternoon, and booking dinner too early to enjoy the evening light. Treat the first and last hours of each day as the quiet ones, and keep one evening with no reservation at all.
What to pack
Comfortable walking shoes matter more than any outfit: this plan covers many kilometers a day on pavement and stone. Bring a light layer even in summer, because evenings by the Seine cool down quickly, and a compact umbrella, since showers can pass through in any month. Churches and some museums ask for covered shoulders. A small cross-body bag is easier than a backpack, which many sites make you check or leave at the door.
Food worth planning around
Paris rewards eating where locals eat. A weekday lunch menu at a neighborhood bistro is usually the better value, and a bakery stop for a morning pastry fits any day. Many small restaurants close one or two days a week, and some close in the middle of the afternoon, so look up the hours before you walk across the city for a specific table. Dinner is usually served from the early evening and runs late.
Who this trip suits
This plan suits couples who like to walk, linger and see a few places well. It is a poor fit if you want every major museum in a short visit, or if long stretches of walking are hard for one of you. In that case, cut the second half of Day 2 and Day 4 and add taxi rides instead.
Make it shorter or longer
For three days, keep the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, Sainte-Chapelle and the Opera, and drop the rest. For a sixth day, a day trip by train to Versailles or Giverny is the usual choice, but both have fixed opening days, so check those before you pick a date. Do not add another central district: the plan is already full.
Before you go
Check the entry rules for your passport, the current opening days of each museum, and whether your tickets are timed. Keep a screenshot of every booking on your phone, because signal can be poor inside old buildings. Carry a payment card with no foreign-transaction surprise, and keep a little cash for small cafes and public toilets.
Make it your trip
Add the full plan, choose your dates, then reorder or remove any stop.
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