Paris Tour in Four Days

Striking monuments. Couture guru. Humongous museums. Gastronomic connoisseur. All these and more define this French metropolis that is simply, breathtaking to behold. With the reported 23.5 million excursionists each year, it is no wonder why it is considered a formidable global city.

As a tourist, you may be placed in bewildered state on what place to visit first then where would be the next stop. That is pretty normal. Everybody goes through that, especially in a foreign land where it offers a wide array of sights and activities. So here is an itinerary of a Paris tour in four days.

Paris Tour Day 1
Begin in Paris's chronological heart, Île de la Cité, where you can see the stained glass in nearby Sainte- Chapelle. Climb up Notre-Dame's tower for a panoramic city view then head over to Île St-Louis to wander the atmospheric streets. For a Seine-level view of the city, go to place Du Pont Neuf at the far end of the island to catch the Vedettes du Pont Neuf boat tour. Cross the Pont au Change to the Châtelet métro station to catch Line 1 to the Champs-Élysées. If you'd like to walk most of the broad avenue, get off at the Franklin-D.-Roosevelt stop. If not, get off at George V or Charles de Gaulle Étoile and head to the Arc de Triomphe. If platinum-card shopping is on your list, head to avenue Montaigne. Otherwise, hop back on the métro at the Charles de Gaulle Étoile station and take Line 6 to the Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel station to see one more monument. This graceful iron giant is especially romantic at twilight.

Paris Tour Day 2
It is time to brave the Louvre Museum, better start early to avoid the worst of the crowds. In the afternoon, dip into the Tuileries park then double back on Rue de Rivoli and stroll through the arcades and garden of the Palais-Royal. Next, take Rue St-Honoré west, window-shopping on your way past the place Vendôme, toward the Madeleine church. Catch the métro's Line 12 at the Madeleine stop and zip north to the Abbesses station. Take the elevator up to ground level, step out from underneath the Art Nouveau canopy, and you'll be in Montmartre. Catch the city view from the plaza in front of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, and settle into a bistro or café.

Paris Tour Day 3
Start the morning admiring the Impressionists in the Musée d'Orsay. Head west along the quais, passing the Assemblée Nationale, to the Pont Alexandre-III, an ornate Belle Époque bridge. Above you gleams the dome of the Église du Dôme in the Hôtel des Invalides. From the Invalides it's just a short walk to the Musée Rodin, where you can pair sculpture viewing with time in the beautiful gardens. Continue east toward the enormous church of St-Sulpice. To wind down, take a walk in the Jardin du Luxembourg or St-Sulpice.

Paris Tour Day 4
Devote the morning to the Quartier Latin, wandering the cobblestone streets, rifling through the offerings of the bouquinistes and peeking through bookstores. Visit the Musée National du Moyen-Age to see the unicorn tapestries then loop back toward the Seine to see the dynamic facade of the Institut du Monde Arabe. Take the port De la Tournelle to cut across the Île St-Louis to the Rive Droite and Marais neighborhood. Here you'll find a cluster of terrific museums and evocative architecture. The elegant place des Vosges is a good place to relax. If modern art is your thing, go farther west to the Centre Pompidou.