If you’re planning a trip of 2 days in Paris, you can see many famous landmarks, have delicious food at Parisian cafes, see art, and do much more.
Paris is a city with a lot to offer and there’s always something new to explore. But during a city trip of two days to the city, there’s enough time to see the highlights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, and do much more.
I made this itinerary for those who are traveling to Paris for 2 days. This itinerary makes sure you’ll have a fun time in the city with sightseeing, delicious food, and beautiful spots such as a gorgeous covered passage.
How To Get To Paris
Getting to Paris is easy and there are many ways to reach the city.
When you are going to Paris from a city in France, often the most convenient way to travel is by train. Which train station you’ll arrive at depends on where you are coming from. For example, when you travel to Paris from a place in the south of France, you likely will arrive at Gare de Lyon.
A way to save money when you go to Paris is to travel by Ouigo. This is a budget alternative for regular high-speed trains.
There are also great high-speed train connections to nearby countries. For example, you can travel to Paris from London, Belgium, and the Netherlands using the Eurostar train.
Paris has two major airports. These are Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport. From the airports, you can travel by RER or by bus to the city center.
Besides by airplane and train, you can also reach Paris by bus. For example, you can get to the city with Flixbus.
2 Days in Paris Itinerary
Day 1
See Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower
Let’s start the first day of this itinerary by going to the most famous landmark in Paris, the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower is a 300-meter (984-foot) tall tower that opened in 1889. It was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel. Gustave Eiffel is also famous for building the metal framework of the Statue of Liberty in New York City.
You can go to Champ de Mars, which is a large public park next to the Eiffel Tower to enjoy a great view of the famous tower.
At Champ de Mars, you can find many benches where you can sit down and relax.
During the holiday season, there’s a Christmas market at Champs de Mars.
Visit Trocadéro
Because you only have 2 days in Paris, you likely don’t have enough time to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but if you really want to you can skip the next two activities of this itinerary.
After seeing the Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars, I recommend going across the Seine via Pont d’Iéna, which is one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris, and going to Trocadéro.
At Trocadéro, you can see beautiful gardens as well as a large square and steps from where you can enjoy an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower.
Have Brunch at Carette
Location: 4 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris
Next to the square of Trocadéro, you can find Place du Trocadéro, which is a square with many cafes.
One of the cafes that you can find here and which is one of the most famous cafes is Carette.
This cafe has a large terrace that offers a view of the Eiffel Tower, and there is also an indoor area.
I recommend having brunch at Carette or having a cup of hot chocolate with pastries, such as macarons.
For brunch, you can have classic French food, such as onion soup.
Keep in mind that Carette is a very popular spot in the city, so you might have to wait in line before being able to have brunch here.
See the Arc de Triomphe and Shop at the Champs-Élysées
It’s now time to see the next famous landmark: the Arc de Triomphe. From Place du Trocadéro, you can walk to the Arc de Triomphe in about 30 minutes, but you can also go there by metro.
From Place du Trocadéro, you can take metro line 6 to Place Charles de Gaulle, which will take you about 10 minutes. When you are going to travel by metro, I recommend reading my guide about using the metro in Paris.
Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. It is a triumphal arch that opened in the year 1836. It honors the people who fought and died for the country during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
On the arch, you can see the names of French victories and important generals.
The Arc de Triomphe plays an important role in many annual events, such as Bastille Day.
The Arc de Triomphe is located at the start of the Champs-Élysées, which is one of the best shopping streets in Paris.
I recommend shopping there. On the street, you can find many well-known retailers and luxury stores.
In addition to that, there are many restaurants and other venues.
You can also find a Ladurée store on the Champs-Élysées, where you can get delicious macarons.
See the Moulin Rouge and Go for a Walk in Montmartre
Location: 82 Bd de Clichy, 75018 Paris
From the Arc de Triomphe, you can take metro line 2 or bus 30 to the next spot on this list. You’ll ride the bus or the metro to the Blanche metro station.
It’s time to explore Montmartre!
Next to the Blanche metro station, you can see Moulin Rouge. This is the most famous cabaret in Paris. The cabaret dates back to the year 1889. On the outside, you can see an iconic red mill.
After seeing the Moulin Rouge, you can go to the Sacré-Cœur. Montmartre is a very walkable neighborhood, so I recommend going there on foot, which also allows you to see more of the neighborhood.
From the Blanche station, you can walk through Rue Lepic, which is a historic street where many artists, including Vincent Van Gogh, lived.
After walking on Rue Lepic for a while, you need to turn right and walk through Rue des Abbesses. Along the way, you can see the Wall of Love.
At the end of the street, turn left, and then immediately turn right, and then keep on walking until you reach Square Louise Michel.
See the Sacré-Cœur and Enjoy a View of Paris
Square Louise Michel is a square in front of the Sacré-Cœur with a carousel and nature. You can walk the steps to get to the Sacré-Cœur, or you can use the funicular, which is located to the left of the steps. To ride the funicular, you can use the same tickets that you use for the metro or the bus.
Once you have reached the top, you can enjoy an incredible panoramic view of Paris. You’ll also be able to see many of the city’s most famous landmarks from here.
The Sacré-Cœur is a basilica that opened in 1914. It has a unique Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque design.
You can see the Sacré-Cœur from the outside, and when you still have enough time before dinner you can go inside the church for free. Keep in mind that there might be a long line of people waiting to get in so this might not be convenient if you’re only in Paris for 2 days.
Alternatively, and when you have a lot of time left, you can climb the dome of the basilica. This is one of the best lesser-known activities in Paris. For this, you need to climb about 300 steps, but the view from the top is worth it!
Have Dinner at Place du Tertre
For dinner, you can go to the famous Place du Tertre. This is the center square of Montmartre and its history dates back to the 12th century. It opened to the public in 1635.
Place du Tertre is known for its art scene and in the 20th century many famous painters lived here or near the square.
You can find many artists at the square who sell their paintings and it is possible to get a portrait made of yourself by these artists.
There are many restaurants on the square where you can have delicious French food for dinner.
Instead of having dinner at a restaurant on the square, you could also have dinner at La Maison Rose, which is a famous and historic pink house. This restaurant can be reached by walking a very short distance.
Day 2
Explore the Collection of the Louvre
It’s day 2 of your trip. Let’s start this day by going to the most famous museum in Paris: the Louvre.
The Louvre is an art museum and a must-see if you’re in Paris for 2 days. It’s housed inside the Louvre Palace. The museum has a collection that consists of more than 600,000 objects.
The works of art that you can see at the museum are very diverse and come from all around the world. From paintings to sculptures to decorative arts, there’s much to see at the Louvre.
The collection is divided into several departments. For example, there’s one department with paintings and there’s a department with objects from ancient Rome.
Besides seeing the collection of the Louvre, the historic building of the museum and the iconic glass pyramid are great to see as well.
Go to Palais-Royal
After going to the Louvre, I recommend going to Palais-Royal. This is a former royal palace that you can find very close to the Louvre. It is located to the north of the museum and can be reached by walking through the Passage Richelieu.
At Palais-Royal, there’s a beautiful courtyard with a large garden. This is a great place for a relaxing walk.
You can also get a cup of coffee at Café Kitsuné Palais Royal and sit down on any of the benches in the garden.
Another highlight of Palais-Royal is the Colonnes de Buren art installation. This modern art installation consists of 260 black-and-white striped columns of varying heights.
Have Lunch at Jardin des Tuileries
From Palais-Royal, you can go to the Jardin des Tuileries or the Tuileries Garden. This is the largest garden in Paris and is located between the Louvre Museum and Place de la Concorde.
The garden has many great features, such as two large fountains with green chairs next to them, and many other places where you can sit down.
In the garden, there are several restaurants where you can have food for dinner. Two of these in the center of the garden are the Pavillon des Tuileries and Café des Marronniers. Both restaurants have a menu with many food options.
You can also get a sandwich from a sandwich car next to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (which is a triumphal arch close to the Louvre, not to be confused with the famous Arc de Triomphe).
Shop at Rue Saint-Honoré and Place Vendôme
Close to Tuileries Garden, you can find Rue Saint-Honoré, and if you want to shop during your two days in Paris, this is perfect. This is one of the most famous streets in Paris.
On the street, there are many luxury stores, including famous brands and independent boutiques, making the street great if you want to shop.
You can also check out Place Vendôme next to the street. This is a very wide square where you can also find luxury shops and see beautiful architecture.
In the center of the square, there’s a large column with on top of it a statue of Napoleon that looks very impressive.
See the Palais Garnier
To the north of Place Vendôme, and easy to reach on foot, you can find Palais Garnier. Palais Garnier, which is also known as Opéra Garnier, is a historic opera house with close to 2,000 seats.
The opera house dates back to the end of the 19th century and was designed by the architect Charles Garnier.
The building was the primary theater of the Paris Opera and the Paris Opera Ballet.
The opera house has a beautiful design which features a lot of monuments and incredible decorations.
It is possible to do a self-guided tour of the building.
See Window Displays and Shop at Galeries Lafayette and Printemps
Location: 40 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris (Galeries Lafayette) and 64 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris (Printemps)
After seeing Palais Garnier, you can walk a bit north, to Boulevard Haussmann.
This is an avenue where you can find two famous department stores: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
At both of these department stores, there are many luxury brands as well as other brands.
Both department stores also have a rooftop from where you can see the city from above.
During the holiday season, Galeries Lafayette has incredible window displays that you should check out when visiting the city during that time. The interior of the department store is also beautiful and during the holiday season, you can see a unique Christmas tree here.
Walk Through the Passage des Panoramas
Location: 11 Bd Montmartre, 75002 Paris
When you walk along Boulevard Haussmann to the east, you can get to Passage des Panoramas. This is one of the most beautiful covered passages in Paris and it is the oldest of the covered passages.
Through Paris, you can find several covered passages, which are small indoor streets where you can find all kinds of stores and restaurants. Even though many covered passages in the city are great to see, I’d recommend just seeing this one if you’re only 2 days in Paris.
Passage des Panoramas has a beautiful design and the stores at the Passage des Panoramas can be great to check out.
Have Dinner at Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards
Location: 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
For dinner, I recommend going to Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards.
This is a popular restaurant in the city that you can reach from Passage des Panoramas in about 2 minutes on foot.
This restaurant has a beautiful classic interior and it has a simple menu with classic French dishes. The restaurant was founded in 1896 and the staff working at the restaurant is dressed in traditional clothing.
Having dinner here is a great experience that you do not want to miss out on during your trip to the city.
What’s great about this restaurant too is that it isn’t very expensive to have dinner here.
Keep in mind that you often have to wait a very long time to have dinner here.
How To Get Around Paris
Getting around Paris is very easy because of the city’s great bus and metro system. Wherever you want to go in Paris, you can get there by bus or metro.
Want to know which metro or bus you need to take? I recommend using the Bonjour RATP app or Google Maps. The Bonjour RATP app is the official app of the public transportation system of Paris and provides you with up-to-date information about cancellations and delays.
Besides that, you can get around by taxi.
Paris is also a very walkable city, so you can often walk to where you want to go. In this itinerary, I recommend walking a lot. An advantage of this is also that you can see more of the beautiful city by walking through its streets!
Paris in 2 Days Map
This was my itinerary for 2 days in Paris. I hope you’ll have a lot of fun during your trip!