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Paris, France

Paris

Two things changed recently and most advice has not caught up. Both of them cost you money.

Before you go — the Louvre now charges Americans more

€22 if you live in the European Economic Area. €32 if you do not. That is the Louvre's own published pricing, and if you are reading this from the United States it is the number that applies to you. A great deal of Paris advice still quotes €22 as the price.

  • Free for everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6pm, except in July and August. That is the single biggest saving available in Paris and almost nobody plans around it.
  • Closed Tuesdays. Open 9am to 6pm, and until 9pm on Wednesday and Friday.
  • Free for under-18s, and for EEA residents under 26.

Budget tips — and the Museum Pass sum

The Paris Museum Pass is €85 for two days, €105 for four, €125 for six, and covers the Louvre, Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe and Sainte-Chapelle among fifty-odd others. Here is the arithmetic nobody does for you, at the non-EEA rates you will actually pay:

  • Louvre €32 + Sainte-Chapelle €22 + Arc de Triomphe €22 = €76. The pass is €85.
  • Louvre €32 + Sainte-Chapelle €22 + Versailles €35 = €89. The pass is €85.
  • Add the Arc de Triomphe to that and it is €111 against €85 — a saving of €26.
  • So the pass no longer pays for itself at three sights, and it used to. The two-day pass went from €55 to €85 while the sights it covers went up too, and the arithmetic moved against it: three sights only beats it if one of them is Versailles, and even then by four euros. Four sights in two days is where it starts working — which is what the pass's own site now says.
  • The Eiffel Tower is not included, and neither are the Catacombs. Do not buy the pass expecting them.
The Louvre pyramid in the courtyard
The Louvre pyramid in the courtyard

Notre-Dame — open again, free, and a 72-hour window

It reopened on 8 December 2024, five years after the fire. If your last information is that it is shut, it is out of date.

  • Entry is free and no booking is compulsory. You can wait in line and get in.
  • But you can reserve a free timed slot — and reservations only open 72 hours ahead. That is the detail that catches people: there is nothing to book three months out, and everything to book three days out. Set a reminder for the morning three days before.
  • The Treasury is €12 and separate.
  • The towers are €16 and booking online is compulsory. Open 9am to 11pm from 1 April to 30 September, closing 5.30pm from 1 October to 31 March.

We have photographs of it with the spire

Four of the Notre-Dame photographs on this page are dated 26 April 2017, and Viollet-le-Duc's spire is standing in them — from the garden behind the apse, where most people photograph it. It fell on 15 April 2019, two years and eleven days later.

We are not going to pretend that makes them good photographs. They are ordinary vacation pictures of a building everybody photographs. But they are ours, they are dated, and the building does not look like that any more — which is the whole argument for photographing the thing in front of you rather than buying the postcard.

Notre-Dame from the garden behind
Notre-Dame from the garden behind

The Eiffel Tower — which ticket, honestly

  • Stairs to the second floor: €14.80. The cheapest way up and the best one.
  • Lift to the second floor: €23.50.
  • Stairs to the second floor, then the lift to the summit: €28.00.
  • Lift all the way to the summit: €36.70. Under-4s free on everything.

Budget tips

  • Take the stairs and save nine euros. It is about 670 steps to the second floor, the line is shorter, and you see the ironwork instead of the inside of a lift car.
  • The summit is the part to think about. Roughly €13 more than the second floor, for a view that is higher and further from the city. The second floor is the better photograph; the summit is the better brag.
  • Looking at it costs nothing, and the Champ de Mars and the Trocadéro are where every photograph on this page of the whole tower was taken.
The tower from directly underneath
The tower from directly underneath

Sainte-Chapelle — the one to prioritize

  • €22, and it is the best twenty-two euros in this guide. Fifteen meters of thirteenth-century stained glass on all sides of a room, and on a bright day the whole upper chapel is colored light.
  • Go on a sunny day and go early. It is small, the line is real, and the glass needs the sun — this is the one sight in Paris where the weather genuinely decides whether it is worth doing.
  • It is on the Île de la Cité, five minutes from Notre-Dame, so the two make one morning.
In the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle
In the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle

Versailles and Chantilly — the day trips

  • Versailles is €35 for the Passport ticket from 1 April to 31 October, and is on the Museum Pass. It is forty minutes on the RER and it is genuinely enormous — the gardens are the half most people short-change, and on the days the fountains run they are the reason to come.
  • Chantilly is the one nobody makes. Twenty-five minutes north by train, a château on a lake, the Musée Condé's paintings, and a fraction of the crowd. If you have seen Versailles and want the same century without the line, this is it.
The Hall of Mirrors, chandeliers the length of it
The Hall of Mirrors, chandeliers the length of it

The Catacombs

Twenty meters down, two kilometers of tunnel, and the bones of some six million people stacked along the walls. It is not on the Museum Pass, it books out, and it is not for everyone — but nobody who goes forgets it. Book ahead; walk-up tickets are a lottery.

In the catacombs
In the catacombs

When to come

  • Late April is our pick and what the 2017 photographs here are: the chestnuts out, the light long, the lines not yet at summer length.
  • July is hot and full, and the Louvre on a July afternoon is an endurance event rather than a museum visit.
  • December is underrated — our 2023 set is from it. Short days, but the city lit, the museums quiet, and hotel prices off their peak. Paris also runs Christmas markets, which we have photographed separately.
The lower chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, blue and gold overhead
The lower chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, blue and gold overhead

How long?

Four days, and that is with discipline. Two for the center — Île de la Cité, the Louvre, the tower — one for Versailles, and a fourth for whatever the first three proved you wanted more of. Three works if you cut Versailles. Anything under three and you are buying tickets rather than seeing a city.

Where these numbers come from

Every price on this page was checked on 17 September 2026 against the operators themselves — louvre.fr, toureiffel.paris, parismuseumpass.fr, sainte-chapelle.fr, paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr and chateauversailles.fr — not against a listing site.

Four figures are the exception and you should know which. Notre-Dame's own site sits behind a bot check we could not get past, so free entry, the 72-hour reservation window, the €12 Treasury and the towers' seasonal hours stand unverified at the source. The €16 tower ticket is confirmed, against the CMN operator at tours-notre-dame-de-paris.fr. Paris moves its prices; check anything that decides your day.

Would we plan these exact four days for you?

The order would change, and the order is most of the value in Paris. The days above assume you want the famous things, that a museum on a wet afternoon sounds good rather than grim, and that nobody with you will wilt in a two-hour line. They also assume you saw the Notre-Dame booking window in time and the first-Friday Louvre evening lined up with your dates — and those two alone can be worth more than a day of walking.

Fitting the fixed things to your actual dates, before you book the flights, is the part we do.

Paris in photographs

96 images from Paris, Versailles and Chantilly, taken on our own trips in April 2017, July 2019 and December 2023.

The château reflected in its moat — Paris, France · July 2019 The château reflected in its moat The turrets and roofs above the water — Paris, France · July 2019 The turrets and roofs above the water A monument inside the château chapel — Paris, France · July 2019 A monument inside the château chapel A painting in its frame in the gallery — Paris, France · July 2019 A painting in its frame in the gallery The Louvre pyramid in the courtyard — Paris, France The Louvre pyramid in the courtyard The Eiffel Tower lit across the Seine — Paris, France · April 2017 The Eiffel Tower lit across the Seine The tower from directly underneath — Paris, France · April 2017 The tower from directly underneath The city at night from the tower — Paris, France · April 2017 The city at night from the tower The Seine and the Conciergerie from the quay — Paris, France · April 2017 The Seine and the Conciergerie from the quay The rose window at the west end of Sainte-Chapelle's upper chapel — Paris, France · April 2017 The rose window at the west end of Sainte-Chapelle's upper chapel The painted lower chapel of Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · April 2017 The painted lower chapel of Sainte-Chapelle The gilded gates outside the Petit Palais — Paris, France · April 2017 The gilded gates outside the Petit Palais
Show the other 83 photographs
The west front of Notre-Dame — Paris, France · April 2017 The west front of Notre-Dame Gothic detail on the front of Notre-Dame — Paris, France · April 2017 Gothic detail on the front of Notre-Dame Notre-Dame from the garden behind — Paris, France · April 2017 Notre-Dame from the garden behind The Palais Garnier opera house — Paris, France · April 2017 The Palais Garnier opera house Tracery in a Sainte-Chapelle window — Paris, France · April 2017 Tracery in a Sainte-Chapelle window The great rose window of Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · April 2017 The great rose window of Sainte-Chapelle The upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, wall to wall glass — Paris, France · April 2017 The upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, wall to wall glass The starred blue vault of Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · April 2017 The starred blue vault of Sainte-Chapelle Notre-Dame and its flying buttresses from the east — Paris, France · April 2017 Notre-Dame and its flying buttresses from the east The Arc de Triomphe above the traffic — Paris, France · April 2017 The Arc de Triomphe above the traffic The Arc de Triomphe in full daylight — Paris, France · July 2019 The Arc de Triomphe in full daylight The tomb of the unknown soldier under the arch — Paris, France · July 2019 The tomb of the unknown soldier under the arch The spiral stair inside the Arc de Triomphe — Paris, France · July 2019 The spiral stair inside the Arc de Triomphe Statues and glass in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · July 2019 Statues and glass in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle The vault and windows of the upper chapel, Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · July 2019 The vault and windows of the upper chapel, Sainte-Chapelle The Arc du Carrousel by the Louvre — Paris, France · July 2019 The Arc du Carrousel by the Louvre Sunset over the Seine from a bridge — Paris, France · July 2019 Sunset over the Seine from a bridge The lower chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, blue and gold overhead — Paris, France · July 2019 The lower chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, blue and gold overhead A window of Sainte-Chapelle close up — Paris, France · July 2019 A window of Sainte-Chapelle close up The river at night, the Assemblée Nationale and the tower beyond — Paris, France · July 2019 The river at night, the Assemblée Nationale and the tower beyond The tower lit gold against a black sky — Paris, France · July 2019 The tower lit gold against a black sky Under the Arc de Triomphe — Paris, France · July 2019 Under the Arc de Triomphe The Seine running west, from the tower — Paris, France · December 2023 The Seine running west, from the tower The rooftops of the city from above — Paris, France · December 2023 The rooftops of the city from above Dusk over the river from the tower — Paris, France · December 2023 Dusk over the river from the tower The ironwork of the tower against a blue sky — Paris, France · December 2023 The ironwork of the tower against a blue sky The city and the river at dusk — Paris, France · December 2023 The city and the river at dusk The lit tower from its foot — Paris, France · December 2023 The lit tower from its foot In the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · December 2023 In the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle The crowd and the chandeliers in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · December 2023 The crowd and the chandeliers in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle Under the tower after dark — Paris, France · December 2023 Under the tower after dark The Champs-Élysées at night from the arch — Paris, France · December 2023 The Champs-Élysées at night from the arch The city lights from the top of the arch — Paris, France · December 2023 The city lights from the top of the arch The tower over the rooftops in gray weather — Paris, France · December 2023 The tower over the rooftops in gray weather Looking up the spiral stair of the arch — Paris, France · December 2023 Looking up the spiral stair of the arch Under the vault of the Arc de Triomphe — Paris, France · December 2023 Under the vault of the Arc de Triomphe The Seine at night, the tower beam sweeping — Paris, France · December 2023 The Seine at night, the tower beam sweeping In the catacombs — Paris, France · December 2023 In the catacombs At the entrance to the ossuary — Paris, France · December 2023 At the entrance to the ossuary Sacré-Cœur from the steps below — Paris, France · December 2023 Sacré-Cœur from the steps below In the Louvre courtyard by the pyramid — Paris, France · December 2023 In the Louvre courtyard by the pyramid Under the Eiffel Tower, lit — Paris, France · December 2023 Under the Eiffel Tower, lit Steak tartare and frites on the table — Paris, France · April 2017 Steak tartare and frites on the table The Eiffel Tower against a pink sky — Paris, France · April 2017 The Eiffel Tower against a pink sky The tower lit, its beam across the cloud — Paris, France · April 2017 The tower lit, its beam across the cloud The upper windows of the Sainte-Chapelle — Paris, France · April 2017 The upper windows of the Sainte-Chapelle The full height of the Sainte-Chapelle glass — Paris, France · April 2017 The full height of the Sainte-Chapelle glass Notre-Dame from the south, scaffolding up — Paris, France · April 2017 Notre-Dame from the south, scaffolding up The chapel roof above the Palais de Justice — Paris, France · April 2017 The chapel roof above the Palais de Justice The gilded gates of the Palais de Justice — Paris, France · April 2017 The gilded gates of the Palais de Justice The spire over the courtyard buildings — Paris, France · April 2017 The spire over the courtyard buildings The west front of Notre-Dame across the wet square — Paris, France · April 2017 The west front of Notre-Dame across the wet square The east end and the fountain in the garden — Paris, France · April 2017 The east end and the fountain in the garden Onion soup under its crust — Paris, France · April 2017 Onion soup under its crust Salmon and rice, the last of it — Paris, France · April 2017 Salmon and rice, the last of it The Arc de Triomphe with the traffic around it — Paris, France · April 2017 The Arc de Triomphe with the traffic around it The tower at dusk, the sky going pink behind it — Paris, France · April 2017 The tower at dusk, the sky going pink behind it Lit gold under a red sky — Paris, France · April 2017 Lit gold under a red sky The tower alight against the dark — Paris, France · April 2017 The tower alight against the dark The opera house in afternoon sun — Paris, France · April 2017 The opera house in afternoon sun The gilded gates of the palace — Paris, France · April 2017 The gilded gates of the palace The Royal Chapel from the gallery — Paris, France · April 2017 The Royal Chapel from the gallery A painted ceiling in the state apartments — Paris, France · April 2017 A painted ceiling in the state apartments The garden front and the parterres — Paris, France · April 2017 The garden front and the parterres The Hall of Mirrors, chandeliers the length of it — Paris, France · April 2017 The Hall of Mirrors, chandeliers the length of it The crowd under the chandeliers — Paris, France · April 2017 The crowd under the chandeliers The Gallery of Battles — Paris, France · April 2017 The Gallery of Battles In the Hall of Mirrors — Paris, France · December 2023 In the Hall of Mirrors The long gallery with its glass roof — Paris, France · December 2023 The long gallery with its glass roof A shell-headed alcove in gilt and marble — Paris, France · April 2017 A shell-headed alcove in gilt and marble Chandelier and paintings against red hangings — Paris, France · April 2017 Chandelier and paintings against red hangings The windows down the Hall of Mirrors — Paris, France · April 2017 The windows down the Hall of Mirrors The checkered forecourt from under the arcade — Paris, France · April 2017 The checkered forecourt from under the arcade A chandelier above the state bed — Paris, France · April 2017 A chandelier above the state bed The brick and stone wings from the balcony — Paris, France · April 2017 The brick and stone wings from the balcony The Gallery of Battles under its glass roof — Paris, France · April 2017 The Gallery of Battles under its glass roof The gallery end, busts along the wall — Paris, France · April 2017 The gallery end, busts along the wall Busts along a checkered corridor — Paris, France · April 2017 Busts along a checkered corridor Statues either side of a vaulted passage — Paris, France · April 2017 Statues either side of a vaulted passage The avenue of trees leading out of town — Paris, France · April 2017 The avenue of trees leading out of town The chapel interior, white stone and gold — Paris, France · April 2017 The chapel interior, white stone and gold An empty roundabout on the way back — Paris, France · April 2017 An empty roundabout on the way back The Hall of Mirrors under its chandeliers — Paris, France · April 2017 The Hall of Mirrors under its chandeliers

Four days in one city. The trip is the harder part.

Notice what this guide never tells you. It does not name a hotel or say which arrondissement to stay in. It gives you no way into Paris from wherever you were the night before, no view on whether it opens your trip or closes it, and nothing about what four days become when the weather turns and Sainte-Chapelle is gray inside.

Those answers change with your budget, your dates and who is traveling with you. Working them out, and booking them, is the job.

Tell us about your trip

The day above is free and yours to use. What it cannot do is decide where this fits in a two-week trip, which hotel works with your arrival time and your walking pace, what needs reserving months ahead, or what happens on the day it rains. That is the part you would be hiring me for, and planning starts at $750.

Or read the questions we are asked most — what a trip includes, how far ahead to book, deposits and cancellation.

The same place in December

Paris at Christmas

16 more photographs of Paris, taken in December 2023 when the Christmas market was on. It is the same streets and a completely different trip.

The boulevards radiating out from the Arc de Triomphe — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The boulevards radiating out from the Arc de Triomphe The Eiffel Tower over the rooftops at dusk — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The Eiffel Tower over the rooftops at dusk The Champs-Élysées lit for Christmas from above — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The Champs-Élysées lit for Christmas from above A lit street in the old quarter — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 A lit street in the old quarter Crêpes outside a corner café — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 Crêpes outside a corner café The tree under the station roof at La Défense — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The tree under the station roof at La Défense Place Vendôme in the rain — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 Place Vendôme in the rain A department store front lit for the season — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 A department store front lit for the season At the Marché Gourmand sign — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 At the Marché Gourmand sign The market chalets and the carnival ride behind — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The market chalets and the carnival ride behind Chouquettes and pastries stacked on a stall — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 Chouquettes and pastries stacked on a stall The gilded carousel lit at night — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The gilded carousel lit at night The carousel and the crowd on the market street — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The carousel and the crowd on the market street At the market with the family — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 At the market with the family The Louvre courtyard and pyramid at night — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 The Louvre courtyard and pyramid at night Outside the Louvre in the cold — The Christmas market in Paris, France · December 2023 Outside the Louvre in the cold
The Christmas markets, town by town