How to spend 3 days in Paris

Even typically sceptical Parisians were proud of their city when it hosted the Olympic Games in 2024, and with good reason. The event showcased the French capital’s dazzling architectural heritage, from the Eiffel Tower to the bridges of the Seine, as well as a taste of what Paris has to offer as a contemporary 21st-century city. It’s this combination of enduring beauty and constant activity and change that makes this one of the most loved and visited cities in the world.

This year, you can rediscover some of the city’s most beautiful icons, including the newly reopened Notre Dame Cathedral and the renovated Grand Palais Exhibition Centre, which will host a roster of big exhibitions. There are ever more exciting new restaurants, bars and cafés to visit and hundreds of miles of new cycle lanes, allowing for quick zipping around the relatively small city. For the adventurous, heading out to the fast-developing suburbs, or even the nearby countryside, is more doable than ever thanks to a new ticketing system where public transport to anywhere in the Paris region (barring airport stops) is €2.50 (just over £2).

Jardin du LuxembourgGetty Images

Day One

Morning

Start your Paris exploration on the picturesque Left Bank. Grab a takeaway coffee from the pint-sized Saint-Germain branch of the ultra-cool coffee brand Café Nunances. Head for a morning stroll around Jardin du Luxembourg, the most quintessentially Parisian park.

Now, it’s time to pay homage to the literary heritage of this area.  At the north of the park, you’ll find The Red Wheelbarrow, a charming English-language bookshop complete with dreamy floor-to-ceiling shelves. Amble north past the Odéon Theatre, onto Rue de l’Odéon, noting the plaque that marks the site of the original Shakespeare & Company bookshop. Finish the book-themed browsing in San Francisco Book Co, where you’ll find a treasure trove of second-hand tomes.

After all that intellectual ambling, it’s time to refuel. Head to Treize au Jardin, a popular Franco-American café on the north side of the park; opt for one of their delicious savoury tarts.

Pont des ArtsGetty Images

Afternoon

Cross the river and take in the more buzzy, built-up vibe of the Right Bank. Travelling by foot, you can pootle north through Saint-Germain (bus routes 20 and 27 also make the crossing). Take the gallery-lined Rue de Seine to emerge at the river, before crossing the elegant Pont des Arts, taking in the fabulous views.