1 Day In Paris Itinerary (Layover Itinerary Guide)

Are you looking for 1 day in Paris itinerary? One day seems like such a short time but if you’re in Paris for a long layover and it’s your first time to visit the “City of Love“, this one-day itinerary for Paris will let you visit the top attractions in the city.

1 Day In Paris Itinerary (Layover Itinerary Guide)

If you are looking for a longer itinerary in Paris, you can also check our other itineraries: 

• 2 Days in Paris Itinerary
• 3 Days in Paris Itinerary

If you’ll ask me, one day in Paris is not enough. There are many things to do in Paris alone that it requires weeks to even scratch the surface. But with this 1 day in Paris itinerary, you’ll be able to visit the top attractions in Paris with transport options and tips.

So without further ado, here’s a one-day layover itinerary for Paris that will let you maximize your time in this magical city.

Whether you’re coming from the airport or your hotel, start your itinerary with Eiffel Tower. So at least, even if you can’t make it to other attractions, you have already crossed the number one visited attraction, not just in Paris but all over the world. Plus it’s convenient to start in the area as it’s closed to the other attractions.

If you’re coming from CDG Airport, check out our CDG to Eiffel Tour guide for transport options.

If you’re coming from Orly Airport, check out our Orly Airport to City Centre for transport options.

And if you are coming from your hotel, you can take the metro that will take you to the closest metro station to the Eiffel Tower which is the Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel on line RER C. Other metro stations close to the Eiffel Tower include Ecole Militaire on Line 8 and Bir-Hakeim on Line 6.

From the metro stations, just walk towards the tower. You won’t miss it for sure.

1st stop of 1 day in Paris itinerary: The Eiffel Tower

RELATED READ:

• 4 Days in Paris Itinerary
• 5 Days in Paris Itinerary
• 6 Days in Paris Itinerary
• 7 Days in Paris Itinerary

Without a doubt one of the most iconic French monuments,  the Eiffel Tower is the ultimate Parisian symbol.

Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the tower was inaugurated during the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Many influential Parisians at that time called this an eyesore.

Today, it remains to be one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, an ultimate symbol of Paris and a beloved tourist destination.

And to make sure you maximize your time as the line in Eiffel gets very crowded, try to book your tickets in advance to skip the line.

Recommended Hours – 1-1.5 hours

Ticket: 

Adult Rate	Youth Rate (aged 12-24)	Child Rate(1) (aged 4-11)	Disabled(1)	Child under 4 Rate(2) (under 4)
Ticket with access lift Second floor	16,60€	8,30€	4,10€	4,10€	Free
Ticket with access lift The top	25,90€	13,00€	6,50€	6,50€	Free
Ticket with access stairs Second floor	10,40€	5,20€	2,60€	2,60€	Free
Ticket with access stairs 2nd floor +lift The top	19,70€	9,80€	5,00€	5,00€	Free

If you want to save time, you can buy your skip-the-line ticket for the Eiffel here. 

From Eiffel Tower, you can walk towards Arc de Triomphe for around 15 minutes. It’s actually faster to walk than finding a metro. It’s also only a straight road for the most part.

2nd stop of 1 day in Paris itinerary: Arc de Triomphe

One of the iconic monuments in France, Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France.

This famous landmark has the names of those generals and French victories inscribed to its outer and inner surfaces but do you know beneath its vault lies the remains of an unknown soldier? He symbolizes all those unnamed heroes who died during World War I.

Arc de Triomphe is located at the center of Place Charles De Gaulle connecting all the 12 major avenues in Paris. The juncture formed by these twelve avenues creates a star thus the official name of this landmark is Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, which translates to Triumphal Arch of the Star.

Recommended Hours – half hour to one hour 

Ticket: If you are planning to go up the arc, a ticket is around €13. 

From Arc de Triomphe to Louvre, you can either walk or take a metro. If you walk, you can enjoy the view along Champs-Élysées Avenue but it will take around 45-50 minutes. Or you can take the yellow line from Charles de Gaulle – Étoile to Louvre – Rivoli station. It’s only around 13 minutes for €1.90.

Buy your ticket online here.

3rd stop of 1 day in Paris itinerary: The Louvre

Louvre is another Paris attraction that draws over a million visitors every year. It has a longer, and more colorful history than the Eiffel Tower.

The Louvre that we know today wasn’t always a massive repository of the world’s greatest fine art collections. The museum palace was initially built as a fortress at the start of the 13th century, then it became a palace, and then the Parisian museum that we know today. To read more about Louvre, check our guide here. 

And to make sure you maximize your time as Louvre gets very crowded, try to book your tickets in advance to skip the line.

Recommended Hours: At least 4 hours to peruse some of the world’s most coveted fine arts but if you don’t have enough time, you can do it for 1-2 hours. 

Ticket: €17

If you want to save time, you can buy your skip-the-line ticket for the Louvre here. 

From the Louvre, you can walk towards Musee d’Orsay. It’s only around 10 minutes and it will be the same if you take a bus. So I recommend walking instead.

4th stop of 1 day in Paris itinerary: Musee d’Orsay

Housed in a converted railway station from the Belle Epoque era is one of the best museums in Paris. Musée d’Orsay is home to an enviable collection of stunning art from the 19th to the 20th centuries.

You simply won’t get enough of great art once inside Musée d’Orsay.

There are pieces that are distinctly Bonnard, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh from the post-impressionist era. Musée d’Orsay is also home to drawings and paintings by the Bohemian artist of Montmartre, Toulouse Lautrec.

Other must-see works in d’Orsay include Pommes et Oranges by Cézanne, La Classe de Danse by Degas and Coquelicots by Monet.

Recommended Hours: At least 1 hour. 

Ticket: €16. It’s also free for the following: 

• Everyone on the first Sunday of the month
• Under 18-year-olds
• 18-25 year-olds who are citizens or long-term residents of an EU member state

From Musee d’Orsay, you can either walk or take the metro to Notre Dame de Paris. If you walk, it’s around 2km so it might take up to 30 minutes. If you take the metro (RER C yellow line) from Musee d’Orsay, it will only take you 3 minutes as there are metro stations in both locations and it will only take 5-6 minutes for €1.90.

READ MORE: 8 Interesting Facts about Musée d’Orsay

5th stop of 1 day in Paris itinerary: Notre Dame

Notre Dame is literally across the river from the bookstore and it’s a short walk from Shakespeare and Company.

Regarded as one of the most important cathedrals in France, Notre Dame de Paris is also one of the most famous in the world.

Built in 1163, this medieval Catholic cathedral is said to be one of the best examples of French Gothic architecture.

It is located on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Notre Dame is known as the most visited monument in Europe, even after the April 2019 fire. The affected areas are slowly being reconstructed based on an accurate reconstruction plan.

From Notre Dame, the easiest way to get to Montmarte is via subway (line 4) from Cite. Get off at Château Rouge and then just walk towards Sacré-Cœur. It will take around 20 minutes for €1.90. You can also take Uber if you are in a hurry but it might cost you between €10-12.

Recommended Hours: Between 15-20 minutes. The church is still being reconstructed so you can’t really enter. I just spent my time taking pictures of the surrounding area on my last visit there. 

Ticket: Free

6th stop of 1 day in Paris itinerary: Montmarte

Situated in the north of Paris at 130 meters high hill of Montmartre. It’s a fascinating area that’s known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacré-Cœur) and as an artist hub.

A must visit in the area is the Square of Tertre, not too far from the basilica. This is where artists set up their workspaces or showcase their art.

This part of Montmartre is a reminder of how this very same place was the hub of modern art in the early 20th century.

It was where artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh worked.‬

Recommended Hours: 1-2 hours 

So there you go for our 1-day itinerary in Paris! As you can see, you can actually visit these top attractions in Paris for less than 8 hours if you plan your itinerary well. 

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