Five days in Paris: the grand sights, at a couple's pace

A palace before the city wakes

Palace of Versailles

Palace in Versailles, France and location of the Museum of the History of France.

Arrive at opening and head for the state apartments first; two hours covers the palace proper and a short turn in the gardens.

Morning · 2 hr

Panthéon

Mausoleum in Paris for the most distinguished French people.

Find Foucault's pendulum beneath the dome before the crypt, so the visit ends on the quieter floor.

Afternoon · 45 min

Take the first train and go straight to the state apartments; the palace is calm in that first hour, and the day softens into a quiet turn at the Panthéon.

One straight line, two landmarks

Arc de Triomphe

Triumphal arch in Paris.

Go up for the view down the whole axis, then save the legs for the walk toward the square.

Morning · 45 min

place de la Concorde

Square in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France.

Stand still at the centre for a while; the obelisk and the fountains give the square its point.

Afternoon · 45 min

The Arc and the square share a single sightline; the walk between them is the day's centrepiece, so bring shoes for the distance.

Morning light, afternoon scale

Musée d'Orsay

Art museum in Paris, France.

The great clock on the upper floor frames the river - pause there before the galleries pull you in.

Morning · 2 hr

Louvre Museum

Art and archeology museum in Paris, France.

If the familiar names matter, choose the Denon wing; one wing leaves room to sit in the courtyards.

Afternoon · 2 hr

Go straight to the Orsay's upper floors for the Impressionists, then meet the Louvre with one wing in mind, not three.

Opera gilt, then the hill

Palais Garnier

Opera house in Paris, France.

The grand staircase is many people's reason for visiting; take it slowly before the auditorium.

Morning · 1 hr

Montmartre

Large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement.

The moment you leave the main square the hill quietens; follow the smaller streets as they come.

Afternoon · 1 hr 30 min

Wander rather than march; the side streets away from the main square hold the calm, and the late-afternoon light suits the hill.

Modern art, then the Bastille quarter

Centre Georges Pompidou

National cultural center of contemporary art in Paris, France.

Ride the outside escalators all the way up before the galleries; the view is part of the building.

Morning · 2 hr

Bastille

Former fortress in Paris, France.

The July Column marks where the fortress stood; the day is really spent in the streets around the square.

Afternoon · 1 hr 30 min

Ride Pompidou's outside escalators for a slow panorama over the roofs; at Bastille, the streets around the square are where the afternoon sits.

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