A Week in Paris: The Itinerary I Send Every Client
Paris is one of those cities where most people come home feeling like they saw it but didn't quite get it — too many museums, too much rushing, too little time to just sit and be somewhere. The itinerary I've built over years of planning Paris trips is designed around the opposite: enough structure to hit what matters, enough breathing room to actually feel like you're in Paris.
This is the version I send clients whether it's their first time or their fifth.
Where to Stay
The hotel decision shapes everything else. I almost always put clients in the 6th or 7th arrondissement — close enough to walk to the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d'Orsay, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés without being directly in the tourist thick of it.
My two go-to properties: Hôtel Lutetia on the Left Bank — a recently restored Art Deco landmark with serious history, beautiful rooms, and an exceptional bar — or Le Relais Saint-Germain for something more intimate. Both are in brilliant walking neighborhoods. Through my preferred partnerships, clients receive room upgrades and breakfast inclusions at both.
If the 1st or 2nd is your preference, Hôtel du Louvre puts you steps from the Palais-Royal gardens and the Louvre itself — a genuinely useful location and one I've personally stayed at.
The Itinerary, Day by Day
Don't try to do too much on arrival day. Check in, walk to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and spend the afternoon doing nothing more ambitious than sitting at Café de Flore with a glass of wine and watching the street. Dinner at Semilla on Rue de Seine — reservations are essential, the menu changes daily, and it's consistently one of the best meals I've had in Paris.
Book a timed entry for 9am — the museum is large enough that arriving first thing actually matters. Don't try to see everything. I tell clients to pick three areas: the ancient Egyptian collection, the Dutch Masters (Vermeer alone is worth the trip), and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Have lunch in the Palais-Royal gardens at Le Grand Véfour — it's under the arcades, beautiful, and has been feeding Parisians since 1784. Spend the afternoon exploring the 1st and 2nd arrondissements on foot.
The Marais is the neighborhood Paris keeps for itself. Start at Place des Vosges, walk north through the Jewish quarter, and make your way to the Marché des Enfants Rouges on Rue de Bretagne — Paris's oldest covered market and one of my favorite lunch spots on earth. Get there by 12:30 or you'll queue. After lunch, walk to the Centre Pompidou for the collection, not the building — the Brancusis and Matisses are genuinely worth it.
The d'Orsay needs a full morning — Monet, Degas, Van Gogh's self-portrait. Book timed entry in advance and go when it opens. Afternoon: walk across the Pont d'Iéna to the Eiffel Tower. I recommend skipping the summit queue unless you have specific reasons — the second-floor view is actually better and the wait is a fraction of the time. Stay for sunset. Dinner in the 7th at Au Bon Accueil — a proper French bistro with an Eiffel Tower view from the terrace and a prix fixe that's exceptional value.
Take the RER C from Saint-Michel to Versailles Château — about 35 minutes. The palace itself is extraordinary, but the part most people miss is the gardens: 800 hectares, perfectly formal, and especially beautiful in the morning before the tours arrive. Book the palace entry in advance. Spend at least 3 hours total. Back in Paris by late afternoon for a slow evening — this is a good night for apéro in a wine bar rather than a full restaurant dinner.
Walk up to Sacré-Coeur early, before 10am when the tour groups arrive. The views over Paris from the steps are the best free panorama in the city. Explore the streets behind the basilica — Rue Lepic, the small squares, the old vineyard. Lunch at Le Miroir on Rue des Martyrs. Afternoons in Paris should always be kept loose: a bookshop, a gallery, a long coffee. Dinner reservation at Frenchie in the 2nd — book weeks ahead, it's worth it.
Walk to Île Saint-Louis for your last morning — it's a small island in the Seine that most tourists skip entirely, which is exactly the point. One main street, beautiful old buildings, a handful of small shops, and Berthillon for ice cream even if it's 10am. Cross over to Île de la Cité to see Notre-Dame's ongoing restoration from outside. Leisurely lunch and a slow transfer to CDG.
A Few Things Nobody Tells You
- The best croissants are rarely at the most famous bakeries. Du Pain et des Idées in the 10th is exceptional and worth a detour.
- Monday closures are real — the d'Orsay and many smaller museums are closed. Build your itinerary around this.
- Taxis from CDG are flat-rate fixed prices now. Don't take the unofficial drivers who approach you at baggage claim.
- Restaurant reservations in Paris should be made 2–4 weeks ahead for anywhere good. For places like Frenchie or Le Grand Véfour, book as soon as your travel dates are confirmed.