🗼 Paris

Day 8 — Sunday, October 25

Arrive by TGV ~1pm · Tuileries stroll · Sunset Seine cruise · Brasserie dinner

TGV from Lyon arrives Paris Gare de Lyon ~12:30–1:30pm. Taxi to the hotel (~15–20 min, ~€15–25). With four people and cruise luggage, queue for a larger taxi or book a G7 van. Drop bags; standard check-in is usually 3pm.

3:00pm: Easy first walk through the Tuileries Garden to Place de la Concorde and back along the Seine (flat, ~1 hr).

5:00pm: 1-hour Seine river cruise from Pont Neuf (Vedettes du Pont Neuf) as the light fades. Clocks went back this morning, so sunset is ~5:30pm and you'll see the city lights come on. This is the easiest way to see all of Paris's landmarks on arrival day.

7:30pm: Dinner at Le Grand Colbert, a gorgeous 1830s brasserie in a covered arcade by Palais-Royal (open Sundays; book ahead).

Day 9 — Monday, October 26

Louvre 9am · Lunch overlooking the Pyramid · Opéra Garnier · Galeries Lafayette · Eiffel Tower at sunset

9:00am: Louvre (timed ticket required). Arrive at the Pyramid entrance by 8:45. Spend 2.5–3 hrs on the highlights: the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, the huge French paintings in the Denon wing, and Napoleon III's apartments. Consider a guided highlights tour (Viator, below) to skip the guesswork.

12:30pm: Lunch on the arcade terrace at Café Marly, looking straight at the Pyramid.

2:30pm: Palais Garnier (15 min walk). Self-guided visit, ~1 hr: the Grand Staircase, gilded foyer and Chagall's painted ceiling.

3:45pm: Galeries Lafayette (across the street). See the stained-glass dome, step onto the glass walkway, and head up to the free rooftop for views to the Eiffel Tower. Browse Lafayette Gourmet. Option: go back to the hotel for a 1-hour rest instead if the Louvre has tired you out.

5:00pm: Taxi to the Eiffel Tower (~25 min). 5:30pm: Summit by lift. Sunset is ~5:25pm, so you'll watch dusk turn to city lights from the top. Allow ~2 hrs. After dark, the tower sparkles for 5 minutes on the hour. Catch the 7pm sparkle from the Champ de Mars on the way to dinner.

7:45pm: Dinner at Café Constant, a much-loved neighbourhood bistro 10 min from the tower.

⚠️ Buffer check: Galeries Lafayette → Eiffel Tower is 20–30 min by taxi in rush hour. Leave by 5:00pm for a 5:30 summit slot.

Day 10 — Tuesday, October 27

Sainte-Chapelle & Notre-Dame · Île Saint-Louis lunch · Montmartre · Moulin Rouge 9pm

9:30am: Sainte-Chapelle (timed ticket). A 13th-century chapel that is almost entirely stained glass. Go on a bright morning if you can. ~45 min.

10:30am: Notre-Dame, 5 min walk. Reopened in December 2024 after the fire, gleaming inside. Free entry; the optional free timed reservation skips most of the queue.

12:30pm: Walk across to the Île Saint-Louis for lunch and a Berthillon ice cream.

2:30pm: Taxi to Montmartre (~20 min). Ride the funicular up to Sacré-Cœur, then wander Place du Tertre's painters, the pink Maison Rose, Rue de l'Abreuvoir and the Montmartre vineyard. It's hilly: take the funicular up and walk gently down.

6:30pm: Early dinner in Montmartre at La Bonne Franquette, where Van Gogh and Renoir drank.

8:15pm: Walk downhill 15 min to the Moulin Rouge. Doors open ~8pm for the 9pm show (with champagne), which runs ~2 hrs. Taxi back to the hotel ~11:15pm. Dress is smart casual: no shorts, sportswear or trainers.

Day 11 — Wednesday, October 28

Fly home from Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Flight time is still to be confirmed. Plan to arrive at CDG 3 hrs before an international departure. The taxi from central Paris is a fixed €56 from the Right Bank (€65 from the Left Bank) and takes 45–60 min. Four people with big suitcases need a van: pre-book a G7 Van the day before.

If the flight is in the afternoon: croissants and a café crème, then a last stroll through the Palais-Royal gardens and the glass-roofed Galerie Vivienne arcade, both 5–10 min from a 1st-arrondissement hotel.