Paris 3-day itinerary

When French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel won a competition to design a building that would be unveiled at the 1889 World Fair in Paris, no-one could have foreseen that it would become one of the most iconic structures on the planet. Eiffel’s design won out against 106 other entries, with digging begun in January 1887, and the tower completed in time for the Exposition Universale two years later, held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

Much derided at the time – in spite of being the tallest building in the world – it was only meant to stand for twenty years. More than a century later it remains a much-loved and iconic symbol of Paris; if you can stomach the crowds and the ride up in the vintage lift, the view from the top remains an enchanting treat.

There’s no better way to see the sights in one magical sweep than by boat along the Seine.

From the filigree girders of the Eiffel Tower to the giant clock of the Orsay Museum and the Mansard rooftops of the Louvre – not to mention the statue-studded bridges – the waterway provides a unique and crowd-free viewpoint for taking in the city’s treasures.

Book a dining cruise on a riverboat, hire your own private boat or opt for the hop-on-hop-off boat-buses. They’re all good, but for extra romance, go at night, when the monuments are lit up and the Eiffel Tower sparkles.

Built 1758-1790 at the behest of Louis XV of France, this grandiose monument to France’s ‘great men’ was originally intended to be a church dedicated to Sainte Genevieve. But during the French Revolution, it was converted into a mausoleum to house the remains of distinguished French citizens – to acknowledge and honour their contribution to the nation. The crypt contains the remains of 80 people, including the tombs of Voltaire, Hugo, Zola, Pierre and Marie Curie and Louis Braille.

Modelled on Rome’s Pantheon, the building is an early example of Neoclassicism, with a striking interior. The dome was designed to rival St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It’s 83m high, compared to 136m for St. Peter’s. You can climb the dome for city views.

The world’s most visited museum, the Louvre dates back to the 13th century, and was the primary residence of the French Royal family until Louis XVI moved the household to the Palais of Versailles in 1682. It opened as a museum in 1793 with 537 paintings – mainly from the Royal collection; today it houses 35,000 works of art and 380,000 objects.

The building is almost as much of an attraction as the exhibits; explore the grand galleries with ornately painted ceilings, opulent stairways and remnants of a medieval Parisian palace. Let yourself wander – and wonder – your way through the museum’s beautifully laid out, labyrinthine halls and discover world-class Italian Renaissance and French Neoclassical and Romantic painting, antique sculpture, treasures from Ancient Egypt and Assyria, or medieval gold and silverwares.

The sheer wealth of exhibits in the Louvre can be intimidating on the one hand; on the other, it means there’s always something fascinating to discover.

Napoleon III’s former citrus greenhouse is (along with the Orsay Museum) one of the loveliest places in Paris to admire Impressionist and Modernist art.

Works by many of the big 19th- and 20th-century names are there— Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse—but the stars of the show are Monet’s monumental ‘Water Lilies‘, which wrap around the gallery’s curved walls in pastel-hued beauty and draw crowds by the dozens.

Regular temporary exhibitions complete the offerings.

If you like coffee table books, you’ll be well-served in the bookshop, which sells an excellent array of art-themed tomes.

The museum sits within the Jardin des Tuileries – after your visit, you should take a stroll through the park (former royal gardens), up towards the Louvre.

This ornate, 50m-high arch is an iconic Parisian landmark, situated at the heart of 12 avenues that branch out from it like the spokes of a wheel.

The Arc was commissioned by Napoleon to honour all those who fought and died for France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars – the names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces, and an eternal flame burns in memory of the unknown soldier of World War I (whose tomb lies beneath the arch).

The vast, opulent Chateaux de Versailles began life as a hunting lodge, built in 1623 for King Louis XIII, before being expanded and developed over a period of fifty years by King Louis XIV. In 1682, he moved the royal household from Paris to the palace, making Versaille the de facto capital of France.

It remains a brilliantly over-the-top ode to the power of Louis XIV, with lavish Baroque rooms and sparkling mirrors lining the heavily-gilded Galerie des Glaces.

The opulent interiors are the main event, but a splendid park and gardens have plenty to keep visitors busy, too – with two further (Grand and Petit Trianon) palaces, a sheep farm, a Grand Canal and Marie Antoinette’s private hameau (hamlet or mini-village).

This large hill in Pari’s 18th arrondissement may be overrun with visitors, but the village-like neighbourhood of Montmartre is also incredibly charming, with its cute houses, artists’ studios and steep stairways.

It’s known for its long artistic history – in the 18th and 19th centuries many artists lived and worked or had studios in Montmartre, leaving it a unique bohemian charm.

Its other claim to fame is the sugary-white domed church of Sacre-Coeur, built in 1914 – the interior is a feast of glittering neo-Byzantine mosaics. It crowns Paris’s highest hill and offers the best panoramic views of the city from atop its dome (open to visitors).

The main square – Place du Tertre – is horribly crowded with tourists and packed with pseudo-artists, but there are still authentic corners to be discovered in the side streets lower down the hill. For a more laid-back side of Montmartre, explore the cafés and shops along Rue des Abbesses, Rue Lepic and Rue des Trois-Frères.

Other attractions here include Montmartre Cemetery, the Montmartre Museum, and the Dalí Paris Museum.

It’s a go-to for all tourists and first-timers, but the area still has charm and a wonderfully bohemian air.

The sugary-white domed church of Sacre-Coeur crowns Montmartre. Built in 1914, the interior is a feast of glittering neo-Byzantine mosaics.