Paris, Versailles & Giverny — the palace and Monet's garden in 6 days
- 6 days, 3 cities
- Balanced pace
- About 35 min walking a day
Four days in Paris, then out to Versailles on the RER C for the palace, the Hall of Mirrors and the Trianons in the park beyond. A train from Saint-Lazare reaches Vernon-Giverny for Monet's house and the water-lily pond he painted for thirty years. Every stop below is human-verified — hours, closing days (Versailles shuts Mondays, Giverny is seasonal) and the timed tickets — and the whole plan works offline once saved.
Day by day
Day 1Eiffel Tower & Trocadéro — a sights dayParis, 6 stops
The Eiffel Tower rises straight from the wide lawns of the Champ de Mars while, across the Seine, the Trocadéro's terrace and the Palais de Chaillot's twin curved wings frame the postcard view every visitor comes for.
- 08:30Rue Cler (Market Street)
A three-block pedestrian street lined with butchers, fishmongers, cheesemongers, greengrocers, bakeries and wine shops — the quintessential Paris market street to graze rather than sit down at. Busiest (and most photogenic) on Saturday mornings and Sunday until early afternoon, when Parisian families shop for the week's lunch; many stalls close or run reduced hours on Mondays. There's no entry fee — just wander, snack, and watch the neighbourhood at work.
- 09:30
A long green lawn running from the Eiffel Tower's feet to the École Militaire — Paris' go-to spot for a picnic with a tower view, especially in the early evening when locals spread out blankets. Unlike most Paris gardens it's never gated, so it stays open day and night.
- 10:30
Paris' 330-metre iron icon rises straight from the Champ de Mars; ride the lift to the summit or climb the stairs to the 2nd floor for skyline views over the city. Tickets sell out same-day in high season — book online well ahead for a specific time slot. Floors 1 and 2 are wheelchair accessible by lift; the summit is not.
- 12:45Lunch La Fontaine de Mars
A red-and-white-check-napkin bistro open since 1908, tucked on a small square just off Rue Cler, serving South-West French classics like duck confit, cassoulet and foie gras. Popular enough that a reservation is essential, especially for dinner.
- 13:45Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (World Cultures Museum)
Jean Nouvel's building holds an outstanding collection of indigenous and non-Western art and artefacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, displayed thematically along one long suspended gallery above a lush garden. Closed Mondays (it opens on Mondays only during spring school holidays); Thursday evenings run until 10pm, the rest of the week until 7pm. Timed-entry tickets are best booked online in advance; the museum is fully step-free with lift access throughout.
- 17:30Dinner Les Cocottes
A cast-iron 'cocotte' bistro a few doors from where the original Café Constant used to be (that spot has since changed hands and names). Hearty South-West-leaning dishes — braised beef cheek, veal blanquette, country pâté — arrive in the pot they were cooked in. Open continuously all day, every day, from noon to around 11pm, so it's a reliable option outside the strict French lunch/dinner windows. Reservations are recommended for dinner, but walk-ins are generally accommodated.
Day 2Île de la Cité & Latin Quarter — an old-town dayParis, 10 stops
Two Seine islands cradle Notre-Dame's rebuilt spire and Sainte-Chapelle's stained glass, while the steep, market-lined lanes of the Left Bank climb past the Panthéon's dome to Rue Mouffetard's crêpe stands and the Sorbonne's oldest bookshops.
- 08:00Breakfast Shakespeare and Company Café
Tucked beside the legendary English-language bookshop facing Notre-Dame across the Seine, this small café pairs specialty coffee with a mostly vegetarian and vegan menu of soups, salads and daily-changing lunch specials. Grab a window seat for a view of the cathedral, or carry your coffee upstairs to read among the shop's stacks.
- 08:30
Reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire and five years of restoration, the cathedral's stone and stained glass look brighter than they have in generations. Entry is free but requires a timed slot booked online or on-site the same day — arrive early or come Thursday evening, when it stays open until 10pm.
- 09:45
Fifteen towering stained-glass windows depicting over a thousand biblical scenes wrap the upper chapel in jewel-toned light — best on a sunny morning. Book a timed slot in advance; the chapel sits inside the working Palais de Justice, so every visitor passes through airport-style security.
- 10:45Musée de Cluny (National Museum of the Middle Ages)
Home to the six 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries in a purpose-built rotunda, plus a Gallo-Roman frigidarium — one of the best-preserved Roman bath halls in France — built right into the medieval mansion. Closed Mondays; the ticket desk shuts at 17:30 though the galleries stay open to 18:15, and the museum stays open until 21:00 on the first and third Thursday of each month. Full price is €12 (free the first Sunday of the month and for under-18s). The frigidarium closes for a few weeks in July–August 2026 for an exhibition changeover — check ahead if that hall is your main draw.
- 12:30Lunch Au P'tit Grec
A walk-up window on Rue Mouffetard turning out oversized savory galettes since 1981 — try the feta-and-eggplant or the classic ham-egg-cheese, folded thick enough to eat one-handed while you keep browsing the market street. Cash only, and there's almost always a short queue after dark.
- 13:30
Voltaire, Rousseau, Curie and Hugo rest in the crypt beneath Soufflot's neoclassical dome, reached via a steep spiral or monumental staircase that isn't wheelchair-friendly. The rooftop colonnade view is currently closed for restoration work, but the nave and crypt alone are worth the visit.
- 15:00
Paris's oldest structure — a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre that once seated 15,000 for gladiator fights — sits genuinely free and unfenced inside a quiet garden (Square Capitan), complete with a children's playground and pétanque pitches where locals play most afternoons. Gate hours shift with the season: as early as 08:00 on weekdays / 09:00 weekends, closing as early as 17:30 in winter and as late as 21:30 in high summer, so check the posted board if visiting at the edges of the day. There's no on-site signage explaining the history, so a quick read-up beforehand helps.
- 15:40
Non-Muslim visitors can walk the marble Grand Patio and the gardens daily 9:00–18:00 (closed Fridays and Muslim holidays) for a small entry fee (€5, €3 reduced); cover shoulders and knees, and women should bring a headscarf. The mint-tea salon and hammam sit around the corner at 39 Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire and run on their own separate hours: the tea room serves mint tea and pastries like baklawa daily until midnight, no booking needed. The hammam (10:00–21:00 daily, walk-in only, no reservations) is women-only most days — men only Tuesday afternoon and Sunday. 2026 is the mosque's centenary year (inaugurated July 1926), so expect occasional extra closures around anniversary events on top of the usual Friday/holiday closures.
- 16:45
Gravel paths, the octagonal Grand Bassin where kids sail toy boats, and the shaded Medici Fountain make this 23-hectare garden the Left Bank's favourite escape. Gates open and close with the season — in July that's roughly 7:30am to 9:15pm — and the free green metal chairs can be dragged anywhere for people-watching.
- 18:30Dinner Brasserie Balzar
An Art Nouveau brasserie steps from the Sorbonne, serving daily since 1894 — order the choucroute (from €25) or a grilled entrecôte (from €26), and expect the house's famously brusque-but-fond waiter banter as part of the experience. Continuous service from 08:00 to 23:45 every day of the week, so it's a reliable fallback outside the usual French lunch/dinner windows. A vegetarian plate (€15) is on the menu, but this is classic Alsatian-brasserie cooking built around pork and cured meats, so options are narrow. Reserve ahead, especially for dinner and weekends.
Day 3Montmartre & nearby — a sights dayParis, 10 stops
A hilltop artists' village of steep cobbled stairways and café terraces, crowned by the Sacré-Cœur's white domes and Paris's finest skyline view.
- 08:30Rue de l'Abreuvoir & the Montmartre Vineyard
Widely considered Montmartre's prettiest lane: a cobbled slope of ivy-covered walls and old street lamps leading past La Maison Rose, with Sacré-Cœur's dome visible over the rooftops. The Clos Montmartre vineyard runs along the parallel Rue des Saules — its vines are visible over the fence but the plot itself is locked and only opens to visitors during the October grape-harvest festival or on Heritage Days, otherwise via a paid guided tour booked through the Musée de Montmartre. The cobbles and slope make this a walk best done in flat shoes; there's no step-free route.
- 09:05
Montmartre's old village square, ringed by around 140 licensed street artists sketching portraits and painting canvases at their easels, much as they have since the Belle Époque. Go early morning to see the artists set up before the tour groups and restaurant touts take over the square.
- 09:50
Paris's second-most-visited landmark, its white travertine domes crowning the Butte de Montmartre with a free panorama over the whole city from the front steps. Entry to the basilica itself is free; climbing the 300 steps to the dome costs extra and keeps separate, shorter seasonal hours.
- 11:00
An iron-and-glass 19th-century market hall at the foot of the Montmartre butte, now Paris's home for art brut (outsider art), naive art and pop-culture-themed exhibitions — a striking contrast to the neighbourhood's Impressionist-tourist image. Unusually for a Paris museum it opens every day of the year with no weekly closure; the ticket desk and café stop serving an hour before closing time, so arrive with that in mind. Step-free access and an accessible restroom are available, and disabled visitors get a reduced rate.
- 12:45Lunch Le Valentin
An old-fashioned tea room tucked into the Passage Jouffroy, with a team of pastry chefs baking everything on-site — the thick, spoon-worthy hot chocolate and the seasonal fruit tarts are why regulars keep coming back, at prices well below the grander salons de thé near the Opéra. Weekend mornings bring a full brunch menu; arrive outside the lunchtime rush for a table.
- 13:45
The square at the foot of the Montmartre hill, framed by one of only two surviving original Hector Guimard Art Nouveau glass canopies on the whole Paris Métro network (Abbesses station) — instantly recognisable from countless postcards and from the film Amélie. A vintage carousel, a Wallace drinking fountain and café terraces make it an easy, free spot to pause on the way up or down the Butte. The square itself is flat and paved and reachable step-free from street level; the Métro platforms below are among the deepest in Paris and only reachable by the two lifts, not the spiral stairs.
- 14:20
The red windmill and can-can cabaret that has anchored Pigalle's nightlife since 1889 — most visitors just photograph the illuminated facade from the boulevard. The dinner-and-show inside is a separate, pricey, book-ahead affair (from around €100 per person; doors from 19:00, shows at 21:00 and 23:00).
- 15:00
Charles Garnier's opulent 1875 opera house — climb the Grand Staircase, wander the mirrored Grand Foyer, and look up at Marc Chagall's 1964 ceiling mural above the auditorium's giant chandelier. The self-guided day visit covers all public areas but not performances; book the timed ticket online ahead. The auditorium is sometimes closed to visitors during rehearsals, so access isn't guaranteed even with a ticket, and last entry is an hour before closing.
- 16:45
The 17th-century manor house where Renoir and Utrillo once lived and painted, telling Montmartre's bohemian art history around a garden the Impressionists themselves painted. Open every day, unlike most Paris museums; steps at the main entrance mean only the garden and temporary galleries are reachable for wheelchair users (ask staff to open the side door).
- 18:30Dinner Chez Georges
A wood-panelled, mirror-lined classic bistro near Place des Victoires, serving rich standards like veal head, herbed poultry liver terrine, and a well-known grilled turbot — best paired from the deep wine list. Reserve ahead, as tables are tight and the small dining room fills fast; closed Saturday and Sunday, plus roughly three weeks every August.
Day 4Le Marais — a museum dayParis, 8 stops
The historic aristocratic quarter turned Paris's hippest district — 17th-century mansions, Picasso's private townhouse, and the Pletzl's falafel counters packed into a few walkable, car-light blocks straddling the 3rd and 4th arrondissements.
- 08:30
Paris's oldest covered market, trading since 1615 — a produce-and-flower market by day that doubles as a lunch spot, with small stalls cooking Moroccan tagines, Japanese bento, Lebanese mezze and oysters side by side around shared tables. Busiest (and best) at lunch; closed Mondays, shorter hours on Sunday afternoon. Most stalls take cards but keep some cash on hand — a few still prefer it.
- 09:30
Paris's oldest planned square (1612) — a perfect quadrangle of pink-brick arcaded mansions wrapped around a garden of lindens, fountains, and an equestrian statue of Louis XIII. The arcades and perimeter are open around the clock; the central lawns close in the evening (20:30) and open a little later on weekends.
- 10:30
The writer's apartment on Place des Vosges, where he lived for 16 years and wrote much of Les Misérables — Chinese-inspired salons, his own drawings, and the desk he wrote standing at. The permanent collection is free; closed Mondays, and a paid ticket currently applies only to the temporary exhibition.
- 12:00Lunch Chez Janou
A sun-yellow Provençal bistro tucked behind Place des Vosges, self-declared temple of pastis with over 80 varieties behind the bar, plus a bottomless bowl of chocolate mousse to finish. Open daily for lunch and dinner; reservations are strongly recommended, especially for the terrace.
- 13:00Musée Cognacq-Jay
A department-store magnate's private collection of 18th-century art and furniture — Fragonard, Boucher, Reynolds, Chardin — installed in a Marais mansion exactly to the scale of a real home rather than a grand gallery. Free entry to the permanent collection (a paid ticket applies only to temporary shows); closed Mondays. Not wheelchair accessible — the historic townhouse has stairs throughout.
- 14:15
Paris's own history museum, free to enter, tracing the city from prehistory to today across two connected mansions — highlights include reconstructed period rooms and Marcel Proust's actual bedroom. Closed Mondays; the permanent collection needs no advance ticket.
- 16:00
The artist's largest single collection anywhere, spread across the 17th-century Hôtel Salé mansion — paintings, sculpture, and Picasso's own private art collection. Closed Mondays; book a timed slot online in high season to skip the entry line, and the first Wednesday of the month stays open until 22:00.
- 17:45Dinner Jacques Genin
A former leather-tanner turned self-taught chocolatier, working in full view behind glass at his own Marais workshop — caramels (mango-passionfruit is the signature), pâtes de fruits and a millefeuille assembled to order are the draws, alongside chocolate bars and ganaches with no additives or flavour enhancers. The once-famous upstairs tea room closed in 2019, so this is now mainly a boutique visit rather than a sit-down stop. Closed Mondays.
Day 5Château de Versailles (Palace, Gardens & Trianon) & nearby — a sights dayVersailles, 3 stops
The Sun King's full-day estate — the Hall of Mirrors and the King's and Queen's State Apartments inside the Château, the geometric parterres and Grand Canal of André Le Nôtre's gardens, and the more intimate Grand Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's Petit Trianon estate a further walk (or little train) beyond. The Palace and Trianon estate are closed every Monday and need a timed-entry Passport ticket for guaranteed palace access; the gardens are free most days but charge admission on Grandes Eaux Musicales fountain-show days (April–November).
- 08:40Check out of your stay
- 09:00
Paris's oldest and largest formal garden, laid out for Catherine de' Medici in 1564 and redesigned by Le Nôtre in the 1660s — gravel allées, chestnut trees, round and octagonal ponds, and a vintage carousel and Ferris wheel near Place de la Concorde. Free entry, open daily from 7am; closing time shifts with the season (as late as 11pm in summer, 7:30pm in winter). Paved main paths are wheelchair-friendly; some side paths are loose gravel.
- 10:15
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterworks (Monet, Van Gogh, Degas) inside a converted Belle Époque train station; closed Mondays, and timed-entry booking is now required in advance for everyone, with last entry an hour before closing.
- 12:15Train
- 12:41Drop your bags at your stay
- 14:11
Louis XIV's state apartments and the 73-metre Hall of Mirrors, reached with a timed-entry Passport ticket (from €35 adult, €32 for 18–25-year-old EU residents, free under 18) that also covers the Trianon estate and gardens the same day. Book the specific palace time slot online before you go — it's the only part of the estate with a fixed entry window, and arriving up to 30 minutes after your slot is fine. Closed every Monday; last entry 16:45. Lifts serve every floor of the Palace for wheelchair users, free of charge with priority access.
Day 6Giverny (Monet's Gardens) & nearby — a garden dayGiverny, 5 stops
Monet's own water-lily pond, willow trees and Japanese footbridge sit behind his pink farmhouse at the Fondation Claude Monet, a short walk from the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny's changing exhibitions on the wider movement he helped found; between them, a single street of small galleries, gift shops and creperies makes up the rest of the village. SEASONAL — everything here opens only April 1 through November 1 and closes completely over the winter, so a visit needs to be timed to the season, not just the day.
- 08:40Check out of your stay
- 10:00
Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie's working 17th-century kitchen garden for Louis XIV, still growing heirloom fruit and vegetables on 9 hectares of terraces behind the town's Saint-Louis cathedral. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–6pm, April to October (closed Mondays and shorter days the rest of the year); full price is €8, €3 reduced, free under 12. A genuinely calm counterpoint to the Château's crowds, and it doesn't need the Passport ticket.
- 11:15Notre-Dame Market
Two 17th-century covered halls plus an outdoor market square, selling cheese, charcuterie, produce and fish six days a week — locals' Versailles, no ticket required. The covered Halles run Tuesday to Sunday (mornings and afternoons, with a midday break most days; Sunday mornings only); the outdoor Carrés Notre-Dame stalls add extra choice on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings only. Closed Mondays. Bring cash — many small producer stalls don't take cards.
- 12:00Train
- 12:50Drop your bags at your stay
- 13:20Lunch Restaurant Baudy
The former hotel that lodged Cézanne, Renoir and the American Impressionist colony in the 1880s–90s, now a restaurant with a rose-covered terrace and the original 1888 artist's studio still standing in the garden. Straightforward French bistro cooking (menus from about €29–38); closed Mondays and every evening in low season, and shut entirely from November through March along with the rest of Giverny. Cards and cash both accepted, wheelchair accessible.
- 14:20Museum of Impressionisms Giverny
A modern museum devoted to the wider Impressionist movement Monet helped found, with rotating exhibitions rather than a single permanent collection — a short walk from his gardens. Opens a little earlier in the season than the Fondation (late March) and closes November 1; fully wheelchair accessible with wheelchairs available on request, unlike Monet's own house. A combined ticket with the Fondation is sold on-site only.
- 15:50
Monet's own pink farmhouse, water-lily pond and Japanese footbridge — the garden he designed and painted for over 40 years, immortalized in his late Nymphéas series. Open only April 1 to November 1 each year, closed completely over the winter; book online ahead, especially for the peak May–June water-lily and June wisteria weeks, since on-site queues can be long once online slots sell out. The upstairs of the house is not wheelchair accessible; garden paths are mostly firm gravel with a couple of stepped sections near the pond tunnel.
