This “3-day Paris stay n°1” was a difficult one to organize. It’s very little time indeed for what we wanted to show you of Paris. A visit of Paris could last for months without ever exhausting all the opportunities for “sights”, visits and history that Paris offers. So you need to play tight with your time and not waste it, and have a method for choosing what you want to see and enjoy.
But don’t worry: we’ve already done all the hard work, and we can offer you 2 solutions:
- either pre-organized stays available in our list of stays, with numerous options, for 1 to 10 days. This article is one of them – for a stay of 3 days. Eventually, we’ll have a few dozen of these.
- or “à la carte” stays based on your specific criteria and wishes, which we will organize for you. We’ll put your options “to music”. See Tailor-made stays in Paris that we organize on request (under development)
Organizing stays is our business
We’ve already organized many holidays, we live in Paris and have the professional “tools” to help us. We deliver you a result (file – See below) which programs your stay turnkey. Everything is designed to avoid improvisation, haste and the fatigue that goes with it. Your time in Paris is precious. We manage your program without pressure, just to avoid wasting hours unnecessarily.
“3-day Paris stay n°1“: one of our planned 3-day stays in Paris
The organization of your “3-day Paris stay n°1” is based on 3 programmed walks. The first of these walks starts in Pigalle at the foot of Montmartre, the second (on day 2) at the end of the visit to the Pompidou Museum and the 3rd (on day 3) at the end of the visit to the Louvre Museum. And the photos below illustrate just what you’re about to see.
Note: Our website includes several other “typical” stays that we are gradually making available to our Visitors.
Three full days required for our “3-day Paris stay n°1”
The “3-day Paris stay n°1“ that we’re also calling MoPoLo3 (for Montmartre, Pompidou and Louvre) is designed to make the most of your time in Paris, without unnecessary travel. The photos below give you an idea of what to expect during the 3-day tour we’ve organized. It is a lot to see, so a serious organization is in order.
What is included in our “3-day Paris stay n°1”?
Five visits or major Points of interest listed below
- Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Pigalle, and Montmartre – Day 1
- the Pompidou Museum and the Marais district – Day 2
- and the Louvre Museum, Tuileries Gardens, Place de la Concorde and shopping on the Champs-Elysées – Day 3.
Plus
- a cruise from the Seine to to admire the Eiffel Tower and all the great Paris museums
- an evening show at the Moulin-Rouge
- 1/2 day shopping on the Champs-Elysées
Plus 72 presentations of secondary but original buildings or points of interest.
They are met along the walks specially designed (one walk and one list per day). Rarely-visited points of interest, yet well known to Parisians and a few well-informed tourists..
Plus Five lists of “Relaxation breaks” at merchants rated for the quality of their services
Located in the relevant neighborhoods you visit, which border the self-guided walks.
A daily list of the neighborhood you’re visiting – Over 100 Relaxation Breaks:
- Where to get a good French breakfeast?
- Where to have lunch on your walk?
- Where to dine after a busy day?
- Art galleries, fashion boutiques, souvenir shops, etc.
Plus a shopping list of the Champs-Elysées for a special half-day – Day 3
- 100 merchants to visit on the Champs-Elysées for your shopping spree on one of the world’s most beautiful avenues.
- All the retailers: fashion, restaurants, art …
Plus an evening at the Cabaret Moulin-Rouge
- The charm and grace of its world-famous dancers – Evening Day 1
Map MoPoLo3 : which districts you will visit during your “3-day Paris stay n°1“
On this map, you’ll find all the points of interest you’ll visit or see when following our pre-studied MoPoLo3 tour. You’ll find
- 6 blue “square” markers to visualize major Points of Interest (Must-See)
- 72 markers to locate secondary Points of Interest (red for day 1, green for day 2 and dark brown for day 3). These same colors also indicate the district in which your walks will take place on Day 1 (Montmartre district in red), Day 2 (Marais district in green) and Day 3 (Louvre district and Champs-Elysées in brown).
Carte du Séjour référencé MoPoLo3
How the map of your “3-day Paris stay n°1” works:
- Click on About – at the very bottom, right or center. You’ll get a list of the walks planned for each day of your stay, plus a list of the 6 “Main Points of Interest” we’ve selected for you. On the map, these are represented by a blue square. The others are in the form of water drops, and each day has a different color.
- Click on View data – top right – the drop-down menu lists each “secondary” point of interest, sorted by day of visit and numbered. Each is represented by a brown, green or red blob, depending on the day it will be “visited”.
- Clicking on any point of interest in this drop-down menu (e.g.: 3rd day brown, 9 – Eglise Saint-Roch ) opens a window with the coordinates of this church (Note: it can be hidden under the drop-down menu – Move map).
- Conversely, if you click directly on a marker, you’ll get the same window for that marker.
- To remove the drop-down menu, click on Close at the top right (of the drop-down menu).
- The map zoom is at top left (+ and -) or can be activated directly with the mouse wheel (Computers).
- The map can also be viewed in full screen mode, by clicking at bottom left.
- The distance scale is shown in the bottom left-hand corner of the map.
- To make the map easier to read, you can hide all indications corresponding to 1 of the days, by clicking on the eye next to this day at the top of the list. In this way, you can temporarily eliminate from your screen any days that are of no immediate interest to you. Return to normal by clicking again on the “closed” eye.
Organizing your days in Paris – Daily Planning for your “3-day Paris stay n°1″
The 3-day Paris stay n°1 we’ve planned for you revolve around 3 of our self-guided walks (eventually, there will be several dozen).
- The first of these walks starts in Pigalle at the foot of Montmartre (on day 1),
- the second (on day 2) at the end of the visit to the Musée Pompidou
- and the 3rd (on day 3) at the end of the visit to the Musée du Louvre.
Note that you can reverse the order of the days, starting with day 2 for example, if that suits you best. You even reverse the direction of each of your walks. But if possible, to maintain the overall balance of your stay, move a full day, not just part of it.
DAY 1: Theme of the day “Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur Basilica” + Cabaret evening at Pigalle
Reminder: Points concerning Day 1 are indicated in RED on the map above “MoPoLo3 referenced stay”. The chronological schedule for your “1st day” is as follows:
1.1. Start Day 1 with the “Promenade de Pigalle à Pigalle” (Walk from Pigalle to Pigalle)
This walk takes you all the way around Butte Montmartre and the Pigalle district, returning to the starting point in Pigalle. Unlike our other Paris tours we have planned, this is a long circuit made up of 3 end-to-end walks – but it can be stopped at any point along the route.
- Complete tour: allow 4 h
- We’ve divided the Pigalle to Pigalle stroll into 3 sections, as you can see on the General map of the 3 walks in Montmartre just below. So you can choose to visit only 1 or 2 of these routes, especially as we’ve planned an evening at the Moulin-Rouge (nearby, on the Pigalle side – see Point 4. below). To access details maps and comments on each of these walk sections, click on the corresponding link
1. Walk Pigalle to Sacré-Coeur by south of Montmartre Hill – Take the funicular up to the top of the hill – shown in red on the general map. In addition when you open thuis link you will aulso get a detailed map of your route.
2.Montmartre hill self-guided stroll on the top of Paris – The summit of the Butte . In blue on the general map. Detailed map of the route when you open the link.
3.Walk Museum of Montmartre to Pigalle via Moulin-Rouge – Walk down the west side. Green on the general map.
- Detailed map (MoQuart3wal) of the route of the 3 walks
- If you follow the walks you will visit the Butte Montmartre automatically in its entirety (39 points of interest to see or visit along the Promenade itinerary). Our walks are designed to entertain you, but also to inform you about everything you can see around you. These are informative walks!
- Each point of interest is documented with information to help you form your own opinion.
- And to find out more about Montmartre and its hill, you can access our database by clicking on
1.2. The next step of Day 1 is an evening show at the Moulin Rouge
- La prochaine étape est un evening show at the Moulin Rouge “Evening 1st day”. (after returning from the Place Pigalle walk, at the foot of Montmartre).
- To find out more on Moulin Rouge: Click on Moulin Rouge, legendary cabaret and French Cancan still on the bill
- To make a reservation and to choose among the different show formulas click on Booking Moulin Rouge – Shows lasting approx. 2 h.
1.3. Icing on the cake for day 1 : Relaxation breaks in Montmartre
As la Butte Montmartre is a hill and the 3 walks in a row could be tiring, we have added a list of recommend merchants along each routes of your walks. You can stop for a drink, lunch, a pastry or just a break. They have been selected for the quality and the price level of their products : you’ll appreciate what’s on your plate without being taken for a sucker. For list and address map of them click on the following links :
- Relaxation breaks on the way to Sacré-Cœur via Montmartre-sud
- Relaxing breaks on Butte-Montmartre and a stroll over the summit of Paris
- Relaxation breaks to walk down Montmartre without fatigue
- Lunch takes: 1h30 to 2 h – between 12:00pm and 2:00am
1.4. Complementary information on your 1st day in Paris
If you need further information before or after your 1st day tour in Paris, simply enter the database of VisitingParisByYourself by clicking on the subjects listed below that interest you.
- 0 – Montmartre and its hill – History, religion, festivals and Paris
- 1 – Musée de la Vie romantique
- 2 – Petit Train de Montmartre
- 3 – Moulin Rouge
- 4 – Villa-des-Platanes
- 5 – Place Pigalle – Quartier de Pigalle
- 6 – La Cigale (Theater)
- 7- Théâtre de l’Atelier
- 8 – Théâtre Trianon
- 9 – Marché Saint-Pierre et Place Saint Pierre
- 10 – Funiculaire de Montmartre
- 11 – Les escaliers de la Butte)
- 12 – Parvis de la Basilique du Sacré-Coeur
- 13 – Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre
- 14 – Statue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre
- 15 – Eglise Saint Pierre de Montmartre
- 16 – Place Jean Marais
- 17 – Place du Tertre
- 18 – Espace Montmartre-Salvador Dali
- 19 – Statue de Passe-Muraille
- 20 – Maison de Tzara
- 21 – Le Moulin de la Galette (Restaurant)
- 22 – Square Suzanne-Buisson
- 23 – Château des Brouillards
- 24 – Buste de la Chanteuse Dalida
- 25 – Rue de l’Abreuvoir
- 26 – La Maison rose
- 27 – Musée de Montmartre – Jardins Renoir
- 28 – Clos de Montmartre (Vignes de Montmartre)
- 29 – Au Lapin Agile
- 30 – Cimetière Saint Vincent
- 31 – Square Joël Le-Tac
- 32 – Maison de Dalida à Montmartre
- 33 – Bateau-Lavoir
- 34 – Le mur des je t’aime
- 35 – Place des Abbesses
- 36 – Église Saint-Jean de Montmartre
- 37 – Théâtre des Abbesses
- 38 – Cimetière de Montmartre
- 39 – Tombe de Dalida (18e division Cimetière de Montmartre)
DAY 2: “Pompidou Museum and Marais district” theme of the day + Cruise and view of the Eiffel Tower and Parisian monuments from the Seine River
The points corresponding to Day 2 are shown in GREEN on the map above “Séjour référencé MoPoLo3”.. The timetable for your “2nd day” is as follows:
2.1. Centre ou Musée Pompidou (Pompidou Museum):
Visit the museum.
All the information you need (opening hours, prices, etc.) is on Musée Pompidou d’art moderne et contemporain – Bâtiments et collections –> ¨Photo Musée Pompidou
Allow 2h30 to 3 h without waiting time
2.2. Walk from Pompidou-museum to the Bastille via the Marais
To get all the information on this walk click on Walk from Pompidou-museum to the Bastille via the Marais. It begins at the Musée Pompidou exit and includes 17 Points of Interest in the historic Marais Quarter before reaching the Bastille Square.
Each point of interest is documented with the information you need to make any necessary decisions.
Don’t forget to consult our lists of Relaxation Breaks on this Promenade (–> URL)
Walk ends at Place de la Bastille
Length of walk: approx. 3 h
2.3. Return to the banks of the Seine to embark on one of the cruises
For more information, click on “Cruise on the Seine, choose services, port of embarkation and price”.
Please note that the distance from Bastille is the best way to reach the port of embarkation. The nearest is the “Vedettes de Paris” – (1.5 km on foot) on the Ile de la Cité, but the others are just as close (metro).
Last but not least, Batobus is a “bus” service on the water with 9 stops.
Journey time: approx. 1/2 h on foot or by metro.
You have many options for each of the shipping companies (Meals or other services).
Vedettes du pont Neuf
Vedettes de Paris
Bateaux Mouches
Bateaux Parisiens
Paris Seine – la Marina de Paris (with meals only)
Paris Canal
Capitaine Fracasse
Paris en Scene
Batobus
Boat cruise
Late afternoon/early evening. Crossing Paris and passing in front of the Eiffel Tower and other monuments and museums.
See “Cruise on the Seine, choose services, port of embarkation and price” and the website of the chosen shipping company – –> Photo Boat cruise
Duration: 2 h to 2h30 (waiting time)
2.4. For your 2nd day in Paris, you may also need additional information
You will find below complementary information on the points of interest you’ll encounter on your walk from the Musée Pompidou to Place de la Bastille. We’ve listed them below, so you can access them directly by clicking on each item:
- 1 – Musée Pompidou D’art Moderne Et Contemporain – Bâtiments Et Collections
- 2 – Musée D’Arts-Et-D’Histoire-Du-Judaïsme, Objets De Culte Et D’œuvres D’art
- 3 – Musée Picasso, Collection D’œuvres D’art, Unique, Personnelle, 200000 Pièces
- 4 – Théâtre Café-De-La Gare, Idée Originale Pour Faire Du Théâtre
- 5 – Rue Sainte-Croix-De-La-Bretonnerie, Du 13e Siècle, Dans Le Quartier Gay
- 6 – Boutique Pierre Hermé, Monde Des Macarons Et Pâtisseries Haut-De-Gamme
- 7 – Boutique À Thé Mariage-Frères, L’art De Préparer Des Thés Raffinés
- 8 – Rue Des Rosiers À Voir Dans Le Quartier Juif Du Marais Touristique
- 9 – Rue Pavée Du Marais, Du 13e Siècle, Une Histoire Encore Présente
- 10 – Bibliothèque Historique De Paris Et L’hôtel Particulier Lamoignon
- 11 – Rue Des Francs-Bourgeois, Nommée D’après Un Hôpital Pour « Bourgeois Misérables ». En 1334
- 12 – Musée Hôtel-Carnavalet, Mémoire De Paris, Ambiance Unique Originale
- 13 – Place-Des-Vosges Dans Le Quartier Très Tendance Du Marais De Paris
- 14 – Maison De Victor Hugo Où Furent Écrites Ses Œuvres Majeures
- 15 – La Bastille Au Temps De La Prise De La Bastille
- 16 – Colonne De La Bastille Et La Révolution De Juillet – Un Mémorial Et Une Tombe
- 17 – Opéra Bastille, Site De La Prison, 200 Ans Après
DAY 3: Theme of the day “Louvre, Concorde and shopping on the Champs-Elysées” + Shopping on the Champs-Elysées
The points corresponding to Day 3 are shown in BROWN on the above map of the Séjour référencé MoPoLo3. The timetable for your “3rd day” is as follows:
3.1. Louvre Museum
Visit the museum before your walk
Duration 2h30 to 3 h without waiting
All the information you need (opening hours, prices, etc.) can be found at Musée du Louvre: 8 collections and 35,000 works to see.
On the construction of the Musée du Louvre see Construction of the Palais-du-Louvre by 13 kings over 8 centuries to see–> photo Musée du Louvre
3.2. Walk from the Louvre to Place de la Concorde
, starting at the exit of the Louvre Museum and including 16 Points of Interest, a guided tour of the Jardins des Tuileries and arrival at Place de la Concorde.
Duration: approx. 2h30
3.3. Shopping on the Champs-Elysées
by clicking on Magasins des Champs-Elysées: a list of 100 shops to visit in the late afternoon and/or early evening.
The itinerary for this walk is currently (still to come) from Arc-de-Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, whereas we suggest you take the reverse route from Place de la Concorde to Arc-de-Triomphe. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Duration of Champs-Elysées walk: approx. 2h30
3.4. Don’t forget to check our lists of Relaxation Breaks
for this Louvre-Concorde Walk and the Shopping Tour on the Champs-Elysées –> URL to add when ready – ScreenHunter of part of the article on Breaks
3.5. For your “3-day Paris stay n°1”, you may also need additional information
on the Points of Interest you’ll encounter on your walk from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde. We’ve listed them below, so you can access them directly by clicking on each article:
- 1 – Construction Du Palais-Du-Louvre Par 13 Rois Sur 8 Siècles
- 2 – Pyramide-Du-Louvre Objet De Controverses, Avancées Esthétique Et Technique
- 3 – Musée Du Louvre: 8 Collections Et 35 000 Œuvres À Voir
- 4 – Arc-De-Triomphe Du Carrousel, Surmonté Du Quadrige De Venise
- 5 – Jardin-Du-Carrousel Entre Louvre Et Tuileries, 20 Sculptures De Maillol
- 6 – Palais Des Tuileries, Un Fantôme Présent Dans L’histoire De France
- 7 – Carrousel Du Louvre, Part Du Grand Louvre, Une Destination Shopping
- 8 – Musée Des Arts-Décoratifs, Meubles, Bijoux, Mode, Publicité, Collection Unique
- 9 – Eglise Saint-Roch, Paroisse Des Artistes, Collection D’art Religieux Unique
- 10 – Colonne Vendôme, Un Tonneau Réalisé Avec Des Canons Prussiens
- 11 – Jardin-Des-Tuileries, 4 Siècles D’histoire, 80 Statues De Maîtres À Voir
- 12 – Place De La Concorde, Un Début Sanglant, Un Lieu Grandiose Et Central De Paris
- 13 – Musée De L’Orangerie, Claude Monet Et Autres Peintres À Voir
- 14 – Obélisque De Louxor, Place De La Concorde, Un Cadeau De L’Egypte
- 15 – Musée Du Jeu-De-Paume : Photographie, Image, Art Vidéo, Cinéma Expérimental
- 16 – Musée Hôtel-De-La-Marine, 200 Ans …
Report on visits made during your “3-day Paris stay n°1“
We could provide you with a complete dossier on the set proposed in “3-day Paris stay n°1″, but that would represent around a hundred cards and almost 200 “paper” pages. It would be a “small” paper book or a rather bulky ebook. What’s more, we realize that you probably wouldn’t have the time or patience to read the whole thing.
So we’ve opted for a simpler, “lighter” solution: we’re giving you access to our database, which you can consult throughout your stay and your self-guided walks, according to your needs. If you’d like to find out more about what you discover in the street, on your walks or at your hotel, click on the link you’ll find in the complementary daily lists.
For the time being, access to the “Three-days-in-Paris: stay program n°1” folder is free. However, the investment in research and testing required to set up pre-organized stays will lead us to ask users for a small contribution. This will enable us to continue funding other similar studies, for a variety of stays of different durations.
What other choices do you need to make before you’re finally ready for your 3-day Paris stay n°1 ?
In chronological order of use, you still need to :
1. Choose your plane (or other means of transport)
Your flight reservation can easily be made directly from our site
Your train reservation can also be made directly from our site
2. Choose your hotel or accommodation
Reservation of your Lodging in Paris
You can already consult our lists of hotels, classified by number of stars and also rated by the Tourists who have preceded you, with indicative prices and located on maps:
Montmartre Hotels – Choice, affordable prices for your Paris stay
Champs-Elysées Hotels – Choice, affordable prices for your Paris stay
3. Make also other reservations as soon as possible before your stay
Make reservations directly from our site: as many as possible, at least the essentials spots to visit (there are a lot of tourists, and places are limited).
Immediate practicality from the moment you arrive in Paris
Go to your hotel if you are arriving from one of the airports
Note that Charles-de-Gaulle -Airport is 25 km north east of Paris Center and Orly Airport 15 km south of Paris. Le Bourget is an airport for private jets.
To get around Paris, you can take public transport (train and metro), buses or cabs – See URL VVV . If you haven’t had time to read our recommendations in this article and would like to take a cab, please note that
- You’re likely to be approached by people offering to take you around “cheaply”. These are unofficial, forbidden cabs that YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE. You’ll pay 1.5 to 2 times the normal price, and you won’t be covered by insurance in the event of an accident.
- You must take an official cab at the official pick-up point (Panels). These cabs are regulated, insured and charge a flat-rate fare to take you around Paris, whatever your destination (if it’s within Paris):
- from Roissy: if your destination is “rive droite” (i.e. “on the right bank of the Seine, which runs through Paris), the fare will be XX€. If your destination is “Left Bank” below the Seine, it will be YY €.
- From Orly the price is ZZ € whatever your destination in Paris.
Go to your hotel if you are arriving from one of the Paris stations (Gare)
You’re likely to be approached by people offering to take you around “cheaply”. These are unofficial, forbidden cabs that YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE. You’ll pay 1.5 to 2 times the normal price, and you won’t be covered by insurance in the event of an accident.
Go to your hotel if arriving by car (A motorways)
When booking your hotel, don’t forget to ask about the hotel’s parking facilities or local parking facilities, and how much they cost.
Plan how you will get around Paris during your stay
- on foot: Google maps (https://www.google.fr/maps/) or Michelin maps (https://www.viamichelin.fr/web/Cartes-plans/Carte_plan-Paris-75000-Ville_de_Paris-France)
- in metro, RER, bus and streetcar: special cards and tickets – RATP maps (https://www.ratp.fr/plans) – See RATP, special prices for holidays (to be completed)n métro, RER, bus et trams.
- by cab: official cabs all have an indication on the roof showing that they are in service and/or occupied (green and red lights). What’s more, they all have an identification number (to report in the event of a complaint). Finally, they all have a meter on which you can keep track of the cost of your journey, and which only needs to be switched on at the start of the journey (note that a pick-up charge of €4.18 at the start is charged). For more details, click on Taxis: Taxis : les tarifs applicables à partir du 1er février 2023.
Cab fares from Paris airports are flat rates. As of February 1, 2023, they are €55 between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Paris “rive droite” de la Seine; €62 between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Paris “rive gauche”; €41 between Paris-Orly airport and Paris rive droite; €35 between Paris-Orly airport and Paris rive gauche.
Beware: at airports and train stations, you may be approached by “fake cabs”. Never (ever) accept a ride in one of these. On the one hand, they are often 2 to 3 times more expensive than official cabs, some drivers have threatened their “customers” who refused to pay what they asked because the fare had been “extended” and, finally, they are not insured (in the event of an accident, you will not be compensated).
Special ticket for museums and monuments
The very practical Paris Museum Pass is a low-cost, fast-return ticket: priced at €52 for 48 hours (2 days), €66 for 96 hours (4 days) or €78 for 144 hours (6 days), it gives access to over fifty monuments and museums in Paris and the surrounding area – can be purchased online, and the paper version at airports and most museum ticket offices (see our article – coming soon).
Think French-style cuisine
Since you’ll be in the heart of the kingdom of gastronomy, so book ahead (for high-end evening dining).