Paris: How Many Sights Can I See?

My 4-Day Paris ‘Speed Run’

This past April, I spent 10 days abroad – I left on the 14th for London, arrived in Paris on the 17th, and left France on the 24th. I devoted four of my days (April 18th-21st) to exploring and experiencing Paris. The problem was that I wanted to see it all – an impossible task… 

Or was it? 

I decided to travel like I’d never traveled before – with strict itinerary mapping out each day so that I could fit in as many things as I could. Was I exhausted at the end of each day? Absolutely. Was it worth it? For me, yes. It was hard, and of course I didn’t see everything, but I felt like I made the most of my limited time and didn’t come home with any regrets.

Day 1

30,131 steps – 13.0 miles – 55 flights of stairs

My day started off with a 4 mile walk to the Eiffel Tower. I was already tired after my full days in London, so my feet were killing me even before I had to climb up the 674 steps to the second floor!

Before heading down approximately two hours after arriving, I spent quite a bit of time wandering around the first and second floors. The views were absolutely astonishing! 

After lunch, my next stop was the Arc de Triomphe! While I would not recommend doing both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in the same day (it was an additional 284 steps!), the Arc was much  less crowded, and the views were even better. Don’t forget – you can’t get a good view of the Eiffel Tower when you’re in it!

Then I headed to the Trocadero to see the City of Architecture and Heritage (Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine). It was an absolutely fabulous museum with life-sized castes of architectural elements from all over France, including the famous Notre Dame de Paris.

My last stop of the day was the Centre Pompidou. Famous for its unique exterior, I headed inside to see the Musée National d’Art Moderne. To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of modern art, and this museum didn’t fully change my mind… but there were indeed some very impressive pieces.

I ended my night with a nice dinner and a (relatively) early bedtime.

Day 2

22,002 steps – 9.5 miles – 23 flights of stairs

I started off a little late on Day 2 since I was exhausted after all the walking I did the day before! Luckily, Day 2 was my most laid-back. After a delicious French breakfast (complete with a croissant), I headed to Le Cordon Bleu to take a class – The Secrets of Tarts.

The class was amazing. I would love to go back and do more – I would highly recommend considering one of these classes if you’re in Paris for at least a few days.

I then walked to Les Invalides where I went to go see the Tomb of Napoleon I. While it was a beautiful place, it was small and didn’t take long.

My next stop was the Rodin Museum, right around the corner. The grounds were absolutely gorgeous, and I could have stayed there for hours.

When I left the Rodin Museum I took a quick lunch before walking to the Pantheon. I spent some time wandering the crypts before heading up to the ground floor. The interior is magnificent – no wonder it is known as the temple of the French nation.

Once I left the Pantheon I took a break at the Jardin du Luxembourg. I was impressed! It felt like a huge community park, which I suppose it is. There’s tennis courts, a playground, a huge water feature and loads of benches. 

Once it started getting darker I headed to the Montparnasse Tower. And boy did it have a view! I made sure to be on the roof at 9pm when the Eiffel Tower lit up for the first time. The tower is absolutely gorgeous when it sparkles – it’s a huge tourist sight for a reason!

I had a late dinner before heading back to the hotel, arriving back at almost 1 am!

Day 3

23,349 steps – 10.4 miles – 34 flights of stairs

I knew that Day 3 was going to be another long one, so I allowed myself to sleep in longer that I had originally planned. The first stop of the day was Musée de l’Orangerie, home to Monet’s famous Water Lilies. The entire first floor was dedicated to these massive paintings. I got there just as it opened, so there was hardly anyone else there!

Then I headed to the Musée du Parfum to participate in a workshop and take a tour of the museum. It was a lot more interesting than I expected! The making of perfume is much more complicated than I thought.

Next I headed to the Musée du Chocolat. It was definitely aimed at kids, but there was plenty of free chocolate which made it worth a visit.

I then walked to Montmartre where I would spend the remainder of the day. I started by taking Le Petit Train, which drove a small circuit around the neighborhood. After the train ride, I took a walking tour around Montmartre before spending some time wandering around Sacré-Cœur and the surrounding area – stopping for lunch and a brief visit to Dalí Paris.

On my way back down the hill I stopped at Boris-Lume Boulangerie, made famous by the French children’s show Miraculous Ladybug. 

After a misadventure with a pigeon, I ended the night with dinner and a show at the Moulin Rouge.

Day 4

31,455 steps – 13.4 miles – 40 flights of stairs

My final day devoted to exploring Paris began with a visit to the famous Musée du Louvre. As one of my most-anticipated activities, I arrived 45 minutes before the museum opened. I’m glad I did, since the crowds were almost immediately overwhelming – I even ended up leaving earlier than planned.

I walked to Île de la Cité and sat in front of Notre Dame while I waited for my walking tour to begin. The tour took us around the island before leading us into the Archaeological Crypt. Unfortunately, I had to rush through the crypt in order to make it to the wine tasting I had booked at the Caves du Louvre.

Now, I don’t actually like wine. But like the perfume workshop, I learned tons of interesting things about wine production.

I rushed from the Caves du Louvre to the Concierge and just managed to make it in time before the guards closed the site down. It was relatively small, and I headed to Sainte-Chapelle after around half an hour.

Sainte-Chapelle…

It was more beautiful than words can describe. Easily the #1 site of the trip.

I stayed at Sainte-Chapelle until closing, upon which I walked to Musée d’Orsay. I wish I had visited when I was less tired and burned out, since the museum is full to the brim with masterpieces!

The last stop of the night was a fancy dinner cruise, where I once again got to see the tower sparkle, and many other sites from the water.

Final Thoughts

Now, strictly speaking, I did have more than 4 days in Paris. I arrived in the early afternoon on the 17th, and wandered around the city before going to dinner. After dinner I wandered around some more before heading back to the hotel. And on the 22nd, once I got back to the city I went to the Catacombs. 

I don’t regret doing the ‘speed run’. While it was truly exhausting and didn’t allow me time to wander and explore the city organically, that just means I’ll have plenty to do next time!

Don’t worry if you want to hear more! Each of the sites, experiences, and restaurants I visited (as well as my time in London, Rouen, and Versailles) will be getting their own detailed posts in the coming weeks and months.