Day 1 focuses on Paris’s most legendary landmarks and a romantic Seine perspective. Start early to beat crowds and enjoy golden light at the Eiffel Tower. This day covers the city’s postcard classics and gives you that “I’ve really been to Paris” feeling.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair and was meant to be temporary. Gustave Eiffel’s iron lattice design was revolutionary and initially hated by many Parisians. Today it’s the world’s most visited paid monument. The Seine has been the lifeblood of Paris since Roman times; the Île de la Cité is the historic heart where the city was founded as Lutetia. Notre-Dame, begun in 1163, is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in the world and survived the 2019 fire with major restoration completed by late 2024.

Day 2 dives into world-class art, bohemian charm, and some of Paris’s most atmospheric neighborhoods. You’ll see masterpieces, climb to Sacré-Cœur, explore artists’ squares, and finish with a classic Parisian evening.

The Louvre began as a 12th-century fortress, became a royal palace in the 14th century, and opened as a public museum in 1793 during the Revolution. It now holds over 380,000 objects, including the Mona Lisa (acquired by Francis I in 1519). Montmartre was a separate village until 1860, famous for its bohemian artists (Picasso, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec) and the Moulin Rouge cabaret (opened 1889). Sacré-Cœur was built 1875–1914 as a symbol of national penance after the Franco-Prussian War and Paris Commune.