No products in the cart.
A weekend trip in Paris is guaranteed fun! No matter if you are looking for a short break, a romantic trip or want to see the highlights. On all occasions, you can see Paris in two days perfectly. This 2 days itinerary for a weekend in Paris is focused on seeing the highlights of the city of love. You will have the Eiffel Tower view, See the Notre Dame Cathedral, enjoy some crepes (with Nutella? YUM!) and walk through the nicest streets. Avoid too much research by following our itinerary below. Pack your bags and get ready for the loveliest weekend getaway.
Is a weekend trip to Paris worth it?
Weekend trips in Europe are so easy to do. And a weekend trip in Paris is for many on the bucket list. Obviously after so many movies, delicious pastries and French charm. It is very convenient to travel to Paris by bus, train or aeroplane (Charles de Gaulle or Orly). Of course, depending on where you travel from. However, in general, you have some connections with the train like the Thalys or TGV (national trains) from multiple bigger European cities like Amsterdam and Cologne. The only inconvenience could be travelling to Paris by car. You need to be a confident driver to not feel stressed on the packed and chaotic roads in Paris. Also, parking is limited and not all hotels offer parking.
Must-know tip: we advise you to arrive on the evening before to ensure you have two full days in Paris. If you can extend your trip, always extend it to the Monday after the weekend instead of Friday. The city will be less busy and hotels and flight tickets are often cheaper.
Do not ignore those feelings of wanting to go to Paris any longer because the city is more than worth it! It is the ultimate city to visit with your partner or with your friends. Do note that the city is a real tourist hype and therefore busy. Especially at the weekends (a Saturday in Paris is booming) and summertime.
Are 2 days enough to visit Paris?
It is possible to explore big parts of Paris in 2 days. Especially if you have limited holidays per year or when it is your first time you can tick off quite some highlights like the Eiffel Tower or the Sacre Coeur. But visiting museums like the famous Louvre Museum will not be possible. It does mean that you will need to wake up early. Besides that, you also need to consider if you want to travel around quickly with the metro or if you can walk a lot in one day. It is no secret that walking is way nicer than going underground. Which is actually also a unique story in Paris with the mysterious catacombs! Good for another story alright 😉 Or look for yourself if you are getting curious and want to include it in this Paris weekend trip.
If you wish to take it a bit slower, we recommend you to visit for a long weekend in Paris for at least 3-5 days. Let’s face it, Paris is a massive city itself and you might then even be able to do overnight trips from Paris or a day trip to for example Versailles. Overall, 2 days is also enough if Paris is part of a bigger Europe trip or road trip in France. Why? Because there is so much beauty to see around this big city as well!
Do you want to combine Paris with a fantastic road trip in the South of France? Check out France to Italy, an epic South European roadtrip
What is the best month to visit Paris?
We’ve visited Paris in many different months of the year and mostly for a weekend Paris. But which one is the best? In general, we would recommend you to go between April and June and September and October. It can however already get rainy and colder by the end of September and October. But if you do like the fall vibes, these months will be perfect for you! The months after from November to March are cold and rainy. And what we like least: the skies are grey. Resulting in the city looking darker and less attractive.
Above all, Spring from April towards June is it for us! The grass is green again so irresistible to eat a crepe in the grass under the Eiffel Tower! And of course, better weather, happier people and greater views from the viewpoints with a blue sky. Summer in Paris is not necessarily a no-go. It can just get too busy in the high season and very hot on real summer days.
How much does a weekend trip to Paris cost?
Short trips to Paris are not automatically cheap trips. The city has a huge variety of accommodations, entree fees and restaurants. Based on our own experience and online research you can keep the following costs in mind:
Below we will share more information on the best place to stay in Paris for a weekend. And of course, that location is of great importance to decide on your hotel costs. In general, we always stayed in mid-range hotels between Gare du Nord going in a line south towards Latin Quarter and Notre Dame. You need to keep in mind that you will be out in the city most of the time. For us, it is then enough to have a clean room, a good bed and a bathroom. Perhaps a breakfast would be nice, but other facilities will not be used.
Expected costs based on the above are €110 – € 140 per night for 2 people when booking far in advance.
FIND HOTEL DEALSIt will be hard to give you the costs for your flight or train ticket as you all come from all over the world 🙂 There is a tip we can give for travellers within Europe using the Thalys train. Tickets for the Thalys are always cheapest when booking 3 months before departure. This is also the earlier possibility to book tickets in advance. It is truly worth keeping an eye on the first possible booking moment. For example tickets from Amsterdam to Paris are then often € 35 per person one way. Booking later can already result in prices towards €100 per person and way higher the closer you get to the departure date.
Metro tickets (RATP PARIS) in Paris are relatively cheap compared to other European countries. You can get 10 metro tickets for € 14,90 euro or one for €1,90. Still, we highly recommend exploring Paris by foot as much as possible.
Food is an element that you can spend big on or save much to stay on your budget. Paris has a huge variety from street food options to restaurants. Of course, there are also several fast food chains, but they do not always offer the best deals. The main rule counts as in every city: get away from the tourist attractions if you want to find better prices. Other tips? Ask the locals, eat at the French Bakeries (Boulangerie) and eat from the street food stands like crepes and other culinary highlights from countries worldwide in Rue des Rosiers.
On average we keep the following costs in mind:
- € 5 – € 8 per person for a breakfast at a Boulangerie (French bakeries, YUM!)
- € 15 – € 20 per person for lunch with a drink
- € 5 – € 10 per person for street food or groceries lunch (FUN: go for a baguette picnic!)
- Around € 25 per person for dinner in a non-tourist restaurant
- Other dinners go from € 35 and up in restaurants
It is optional to spend money on several attractions. But wow, some are really fun and worth it! We will also share the costs for the attractions that are not recommended in this itinerary for your weekend trip in Paris. However, these could be added if you have more days in the city of love.
- Eiffel Tower – from €36 per person
- Notre Dame – Currently not open for visitors inside
- Opera Garnier Paris – from €12 per person
- Louvre museum – from €20 per person
- Arc de Triomphe – from €29 per person
- Seine cruise – from €16 per person
Click HERE for the most updated prices
Note: our content may contain affiliate links for products we love. This won’t cost you anything, but it helps us to keep this travel blog updated and live.
This way we can keep inspiring you to explore and discover the world with our recommendations.
Best place to stay in Paris for a weekend
As mentioned before, we advise you to arrive the evening before so you will have two full days in Paris for this itinerary. However, for a weekend away in Paris, you would need to stay in the city centre as well to avoid losing time travelling. We prefer to stay in the following areas and also link a few hotels where we stayed before:
- Notre Dame / Latin Quarter: our favourite place to stay in the heart of the city! It has many highlights around and good restaurants as well.
- Around Le Marais and Les Halles: still in the city centre but on the other side of the water from the Latin Quarter. From here it is easy to visit highlights like Louvre and Notre Dame.
- Around Gare du Nord: well, this is not our favourite area of Paris. But it can be highly convenient for you if you visit Paris by train. It is easy to go around Paris from here with the metro and also closer to the Montmartre neighbourhood.
Find accommodation deals in Paris now:
Weekend trip in Paris – a 2-day itinerary
Here we go! Our favourite things to do in Paris for a weekend are listed for you! We cannot wait to see you enjoying this walking route. But of course, change the route according to your own wishes if you want to. Some good things to keep in mind for this trip:
- Both days require quite a lot of walking. We do not take the metro in between attractions.
- Day 1 is the most packed. Make sure you leave on time.
- Day 2 is a little bit more relaxed. You might even need to sleep a bit longer in the morning to recover from the evening before.
- If you finish day 2 earlier, you might want to go for some shopping or to the Louvre Museum.
- Do not forget to take a break for a coffee or lunch at some of the cute corner brasseries in Paris!
Day 1 of your Paris weekend trip
Start at the Notre Dame Cathedral
Today we are starting in the heart of the city. If you arrive by the metro from your hotel, make sure to get off at Saint-Michel Notre Dame or Cité. You will quickly see the impressive front of the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is currently a sad sight after the big fire in 2019. Luckily big parts of the cathedral survived and they are currently rebuilding. So you might see a lot of construction work, but the beautiful front is still great to admire.
After your visit to Notre Dame, we cross the waters towards the Latin Quarter in the south. Get lost in some of the smaller streets and maybe cheat already a bit with a small bite of French deliciousness or a coffee. A good reference point to walk towards to is Odette, an upscale and famous bakery. When you are done walking the streets you can head back across the waters towards the Sainte Chapelle. A very impressive church with Gothic architecture you will never forget again.
The last part in this area is to cross the water towards the north. A good reference point is the great-looking Hotel de Ville. Currently the city hall of Paris. But do not walk too much inside the streets, stay along the Seine river for the next part of this route.
Walk along the Seine river
The Seine is the famous river of Paris. If you decide to do a boat tour over the Seine, you will see all the highlights as they are nearby. But a walk is also a great and entertaining idea! Now navigate yourself along the Seine from the Notre Dame / Hotel de Ville area towards the Louvre Museum. What we love about this part are the many small shops and stands with many books, paintings and souvenirs. It gives such a vibe in between the many buildings with great architecture! Stroll slowly and enjoy the artistic scenery. Or well, buy yourself a nice gift! Keep walking and more precious memories are coming…
Admire the Louvre Museum
Once you reach the Pont des Arts you know you are close to the Louvre museum. From the outside, you cannot see much yet so let’s continue walking towards the Pavillon de la trémoille. Here you can access freely and quickly see the Place du Carrousel and the thing we all want; Louvre Museum with the pyramids. Now, is that a bucket list item for you?
Take a moment to soak up the surrounding. Or visit! The Mona Lisa painting and the building inside attract many who love museums or those who are curious for a one-time visit. In the end, is this not the world’s most famous museum and painting? However, keep in mind that this does not really fit in this 2-day itinerary. In that case, you should extend your weekend trip in Paris as the Louvre museum can easily take up to a full day. Ready for the next stop?
Enjoy the Tuileries Garden
It is now time for a walk through a quieter area in Paris. Continue your walk from Louvre Museum through the Tuileries Garden towards Place de la Concorde. When it is a nice spring or summer day you might even like to sit down on the chairs around the fountains or picnic on the grass in between the new flowers coming up in spring.
Once you reach the Place de La Concorde you might be lucky if you see the big Ferris wheel. It is not always there. Do you like to go sky high and have some good city views? Get yourself a ticket and hop on board for a nice Ferris wheel experience! It could be a nice break for the rest of the walk.
Walk the famous Champs-Elysees
From Place de la Concorde you will access one of the most popular streets in Paris, the Champs-Elysees. You know, the place where the rich and famous wander on the big boulevard while shopping at Louis Vuitton? If you do not like to shop, it is still worth it to walk the street as your next destination is at the very end. Do hop in a shop if you wish to, but keep an eye on the time. You can always come back tomorrow. You will surely see some of the nicest shops, like the unique Louis Vuitton store.
Arc de Triomph
And there you are, at the end of the Champs-Elysees, you see a true highlight. And let’s be real, a place some might fear if they would ever need to drive here! The Arc de Triomph and its massive roundabout of 8 lanes wide! The Arc de Triomph is another special building with impressive architecture. You can stand under it, or decide to go up. If you do wish to go up you will need to BUY A TICKET. Watch out do not cross the street, but use the underpasses!
Trocadero and Eiffel Tower
The stop that cannot be missing in any Paris itinerary! Many hours of the day passed by already, but now you are going to see the one and only Eiffel Tower! And that will be done first from Trocadero. You could walk from the Arc de Triomph or decide to take the metro. It is one straight street to walk with a lovely surprise at the end.
When you arrive in Trocadero you might wonder why you are there. However, that is only until you see the balcony with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. It is truly our favourite spot to see the Eiffel. But, yes it is touristy and you need to watch your belongings. In this area, pickpockets are more active. Also, do not fall for the tourist traps and games that many play around or the souvenirs that they sell on the blankets.
Once you took a good deep breath soaking in these views from Trocadero you can continue walking through the gardens of Trocadero towards the Eiffel Tower. You will cross the fountains and the bridge “Point D’Lena”. Soon you will get closer and closer to a true bucket list item.
You have different options at the Eiffel tower to entertain yourself. For example, you can decide to grab a crepe and lay down in the gardens around the Eiffel tower (Champs de Mars). Or get your ticket and go up! For a first-time visit, we highly recommend you to actually visit the Eiffel Tower to its highest tip. It is so worth it. And after your first day, you will recognize many highlights that you visited already today. Then you might need to think timing-wise if you want to visit in daylight, sunset or evening. Enjoy!
Paris in the evening
This was a packed day but we hope that you enjoyed everything you have seen so far! The evening in Paris is starting and that could mean several things. If you did not go up the Eiffel Tower at night, you could go for dinner in one of the many restaurants in Paris. But what about an evening boat tour over the Seine? You could combine this with dinner for example. It is highly recommended for couples as it’s very romantic with all the lights. Take your time and make the most of your night in the city of love.
Day 2 of your Paris weekend trip
Going red in Moulin Rouge
Good morning! We hope you had a good sleep! Time to visit a different part of the city. Depending on your hotel location, we recommend you to take the metro to “Blanche”. This way you will end up right away in front of the red bar and windmill – The Moulin Rouge! It is a true eye-catcher. If you like to you can always get tickets and be entertained. However, you might need to come back in the evening. From this area, it is easy to continue the tour to the home of the artists: Montmartre.
Discover Montmartre
There is no place like Montmartre! It has many small streets, Parisian vibes and the most adorable corners. Do not be mistaken, you might have some steep streets or stairs to walk here. In Montmartre, you should just get lost, and walk without a map. Go and visit the “I love you Wall”, the typical old photo boots, Place Emile where Picasso used to live, art shops, the cafe’s around Le Consulat, La Maison Rose or Place du Tertre with all the painters showing their skills while giving a live painting show. One rule: just take it easy and discover Montmartre with the flow.
Perfect details at the Sacre Coeur
The biggest highlight of Montmartre is the Basilique the Sacre Coeur. High on top of the hill, overseeing many other neighbourhoods in Paris. Firstly a warning: watch out for pickpockets! The surrounding of the Sacre Coeur can be frustrating, to be honest. Pickpockets and many beggars around are very pushy and know the tricks on tourists. Now the good news: in the 5+ times that we have visited, we never lost any belonging. Head up high and do not let them distract you.
But why would you go there then? Well, a no-brainer! Because the Sacre Coeur is a beauty. Architecture with details on point and beautiful views over the city. So you might even want to take some picnic groceries to just lay down and realise that you are actually in Paris. Is it a dream coming true?
Final thoughts of a weekend trip in Paris summarized
Paris is always a good idea, also for the weekend! You will have two full days but that is all fine. You can tick off more bucket list items, see several movie sceneries, enjoy romance and dive into the nicest streets of Paris. Paris is a great destination for a short break and you should take advantage of that.
So what do you think of this trip? Did you follow our itinerary? Let us know!
Best trips from Paris
If you do decide to continue exploring after your weekend in Paris, you can always go and explore an after-weekend getaway from Paris. See below some options for a great adventure in France. There are multiple options for many interests. Think of visiting the royal palace of Versailles or the impressive village of Mont Saint Michel. Another option, if you are into historical day trips is visiting the D-Day Landing beaches in Normandy. This area is well known for the landing of army troops from several countries in during the Second World War. You might have seen the movies. We have visited the beaches, museums and monuments in this area and it is a truly impressive story. A story that provided us the freedom we currently live in!