Trip Plan X

Paris in 1 Day – The Best Paris Trip Itinerary

Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world which offers a big number of worldwide famous attractions to its visitors. How to plan a visit to city’s most important attractions, such as Notre Dame, the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower and other main tourist spots if you only have 1 day in the capital of France? The itinerary of our Paris in 1 day trip plan will help you to plan a trip to Paris by yourself and not to miss the most important sights.

1 Day Paris Trip Itinerary

Starting a day early is always a good idea when planning a trip to Paris. The infamous queues of tourists at the attractions of the city are shorter in the morning and waking up early enough can easily save you a couple of hours.

08:00 Notre Dame Cathedral *temporarily closed*

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris or simply Notre Dame Cathedral is such a spiritual place and we visit this magnificent place of worship every time we come to the capital of France. Starting your Paris in 1 day trip plan at Notre Dame Cathedral is always a good idea, especially if you are willing to start your day quite early in the morning. The cathedral opens its doors earlier than most of other important attraction in the city and you can skip long queues if coming there just at the opening time.

Notre Dame Cathedral is located on the west side of central Paris. Construction of the cathedral began in 1163, during the reign of King Louis VII, and was completed in 1345. Notre Dame Cathedral is a symbol of medieval Paris and represents the glory of Gothic architecture. Today, the cathedral is still used as a Roman Catholic temple and is the seat of the Archbishop of Paris. The 'Paris Point Zero' marker is situated in the cathedral square just in front of the main entry.

Opening hours: 7:45 - 18:00

Duration of visit: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes

Admission fee: Free

As you might have heard already, Notre Dame Cathedral was badly damaged by fire in 2019 and currently is closed for visitors. You can still admire it from a distance but it won’t take that long so you can start your day an hour later or move to other attractions a bit earlier than the trip plan suggests.

In a walking distance (500 m or 6 mins) from Notre Dame Cathedral, you can find another wonder of Gothic architecture in Paris - Sainte Chapelle or The Holy Chapel.

10:00 Sainte Chapelle or The Holy Chapel

Sainte Chapelle is a Roman Catholic Church was founded by the ultra-devout King Louis IX of France, who constructed it as a chapel for the royal palace and to house precious relics. Sainte-Chapelle is a nice example of Gothic architecture and the highlight of this wonderful church is its huge stained-glass windows of biblical scenes.

Opening hours:

  • January – March: 9:00 - 17:00
  • April – September: 9:00 - 19:00
  • October – December: 9:00 - 17:00

Duration of visit: Approximately 1 hour

Admission fee: the regular ticket price is 10 Euro

For completing this Paris in 1 day itinerary, you will need to get a Skip-The-Line Ticket in advance as it will help you to avoid the hassle of waiting in line. Open dated Skip-The-Line tickets can be purchased here: Sainte-Chapelle Skip-The-Line Ticket in Paris.

If you will come to Sainte-Chapelle earlier, you might wish to combine it with a visit to the nearby Conciergerie - the architectural splendor of the revolutionary court and Marie-Antoinette’s famous prison. Open dated Skip-The-Line combo tickets for these two attractions can be booked online here: Sainte-Chapelle & Conciergerie Skip-the-Line Combo Tickets in Paris.

You should grab something for lunch before heading to the next attraction as you will definitely spend lots of time there.

If a walking distance of about 1 km doesn’t bother you, from Sainte-Chapelle you can reach the next spot of this trip plan in about 15 minutes. Otherwise, you can take metro from Châtelet station to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre station which is located nearby the Louvre Museum.

12:00 Louvre Museum

Louvre Museum, originally a royal palace but now the world's most famous museum, is a must-visit attraction in Paris for anyone with a slight interest in art. The prominent feature of the clear glass pyramid is located in the front courtyard. The museum is full of art collections focused on two important eras in art history: Art and Craftwork from ancient civilizations (especially those that laid the foundation for Western art) and Western European Art from the Middle Ages to 1848. The most famous painting housed at Louvre Museum is Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Paris in 1 Day – The Best Paris Trip Itinerary

Opening hours:

  • Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays: 9:00 - 18:00
  • Wednesdays & Fridays: 9:00 - 21:45
  • Closed on Tuesdays and the following holidays: January 1, May 1, December 25

Duration of visit: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes

Admission fee: the regular ticket price is 17 Euro

As your time is very limited when making a Paris in 1 Day trip, you must prepare and book all your tickets in advance.

To avoid long waits at the Louvre, we strongly recommend buying tickets online to ensure entry to the museum. Long ticket queues outside the Louvre can be beaten with this priority access ticket: Priority Access Entrance Ticket to the Louvre Museum.

However, getting the Louvre Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket is even a better option as you will not to wait not only for getting a ticket but entering the museum as well. You can get it here: The Louvre Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket with Audio Guide.

Get out from the crowded Louvre Museum and breathe some fresh air at the nearby park.

15:00 Tuileries Garden or Jardin des Tuileries

Tuileries Garden or Jardin des Tuileries is the largest park in Paris, located midway between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre Museum. The park occupies 175 acres. It is originally a garden of the Tuileries Palace and it was opened as a public park after the French Revolution during the 19th -20th century.

Opening hours:

  • October – March: 7:30 - 19:30
  • April, May & September: 7:00 - 21:00
  • June – August: 7:00 - 23:00

Duration of visit: Approximately 30 minutes

Admission fee: Free

After taking a break at Tuileries Garden, you can continue your trip along the most famous street of Paris - Avenue des Champs-Élysées. If you will be ahead of the schedule, you might wish to do some fashion shopping there as the street is lined up by the stores of various worldwide famous brands.

As the distance from the park to the next attraction of Paris in 1 Day trip itinerary is about 3 km and it can easily take about 40-50 minutes to get there on foot, you might consider taking metro from Tuileries Garden station to Charles de Gaulle – Étoile station where Arc de Triomphe can be found.

16:00 Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe is one of the highlights of any visit to the capital of France. The arc is located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées as it stands in the center of the square Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the “Place de l’Étoile”. Arc de Triomphe in Paris is the second largest triumph arch in the world. The triumphal arch was built in an honor of those who fought for France (and, in particular, those who fought during the Napoleonic wars).

When visiting Arc de Triomphe, you not only get really close to one of the best known icons of French history but also can enjoy 360° panoramic views of Paris, Montmartre, Eiffel Tower, and Montparnasse Tower from the top of it.

Opening hours:

  • April – September: 10:00 - 23:00
  • October – March: 10:00 - 22:30

Last admission is 45 minutes before closing time.

Duration of visit: Approximately 1 hour

Admission fee: the regular ticket price is 12 Euro

As the schedule of this trip plan is really tight, you should get your ticket in advance as it will help you skip the hassle of waiting in line. Skip-The-Line tickets can be booked here: Arc de Triomphe Skip-The-Line Ticket in Paris.

The last stop of this Paris in 1 Day trip plan can be reached on foot from Arc de Triomphe but it can take about 30-40 minutes as the distance between the attractions is about 2.2 km. Taking metro from Charles de Gaulle – Étoile station to Bir-Hakeim station might be a better option at the end of such a busy day.

17:30 Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower is by far the most recognized icon of Paris and even a symbol of Paris and France to this day. Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower, located on the Champ de Mars. 324 meters high Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 by the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. You can go up with an elevator or climb the stairs to see the city from a high angle.

Opening hours:

  • June – August: 9:00 - 00:45
  • September – June: 9:30 - 23:00

Duration of visit: Approximately 2 hours

Admission fee: the regular ticket price is 10.20 – 25.50 Euros, depending on the access level

As it’s the last stop of the day trip, you should be tired enough to consider skipping the line instead of waiting few hours in a queue here as well. Skip-the-Line tickets can be booked here:

20:00 End of Trip

Your intense Paris in 1 Day itinerary is over and you can spend your evening enjoying dinner with a glass of French wine in one of many fabulous restaurants that can be found in Paris.

Tips

You've got one more day in Paris? We recommend to spend it this way: Paris in 2 Days – Recommended Paris Trip Itinerary.

Instead of walking or using public transportation, choose the most convenient way for getting between attractions - Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. You will not only travel between the main sights easily but will get a chance to enjoy the view of Paris from the open top deck along the way.

Other useful tips for independent travel in Paris can be found here: Paris Travel Tips.

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