Can you visit Paris in only 3 days?
I will say no at first, but then I’ll say yes… with a twist. It all started when my dad gave me three books for my 14th birthday. One of them was Anna and the French kiss. I particularly enjoyed reading that book because the story was captivating, and the descriptions of the places in Paris were lovely. Check this map to see the exact locations. So, when my dad asked me where we should travel this year, you can guess what I said. We first went to Bulgaria for a week, and then we headed to Paris for three days.
Fast forward to the vacation: we visited multiple iconic streets, cafés, places, and monuments. You can find the list down below, followed by my impressions of each place. P.S.: Clicking on the bolded text, such as the subtitles, will take you to a link with more information about that specific place.
Arc de Triomphe
The entrance was wonderfully organized, with multiple entry points, including a tunnel that goes under the boulevard. If you think the Arc de Triomphe looks big from the outside, I assure you, it seems even more massive when you’re inside. The stairs spiral upward, creating the illusion of never-ending height, and the only elevator is reserved for staff. So, when you visit, make sure you’re in good physical condition. The view was excellent, overlooking the Champs Élysées. We visited during the day, but if you have the chance, I recommend going at night to see all the city lights from above. I believe the ticket was around 12 euros.
Atelier des Lumières
It was a very profound experience with a “chill” and somewhat solitary atmosphere. The music choice was great. When we went, it was a Van Gogh exhibition. His paintings were projected onto the walls, ceiling, and floor, constantly changing through a light projector. The show lasted about 30 minutes. Afterward, we visited a small studio/room in the same building, which had a similar concept but focused on the universe and planets, featuring complex explosions, for example. It was an overall charming and special experience. 🙂
Eiffel Tower
The tower has three levels, and at its base, there’s a vintage carousel and a large water fountain. You can take either the stairs or the elevator to reach the top. The summit was surprisingly chilly and windy, but the view was fabulous—everything I imagined and more. They offered small glasses of champagne for 15 euros. There was also a restaurant on the second floor and some souvenir shops. We bought a few keychains and fridge magnets—they were really cute. The lines to get in were pretty long, even with a “skip the line” ticket (which we had), and it was very crowded inside the tower. The Eiffel Tower is a people magnet, but it’s truly a must-see.
The Louvre Museum
We waited at least an hour in line, even with the “skip the line” ticket. There was a seemingly endless line dedicated to others who had bought the same ticket. A staff member told us that the museum has 17 kilometers of corridors. Once inside, there was another massive line to see the Mona Lisa. When we finally reached the painting, we only had a few seconds before being rushed forward to keep the line moving, hahaha. But despite the wait times, this museum was absolutely fabulous. I was fascinated by all the beautiful art and history carefully preserved, especially when I saw paintings I recognized from my history books at school.
Luxembourg gardens
We had lunch there (from La Brioche Dorée): baguette sandwiches with macarons. It was gorgeous. There were so many cute groups of pigeons. There was an immense fountain and pond, plenty of green space with benches, and beautiful flowers everywhere. We also saw some ponies—I think it was an activity for kids. 😀 The gardens had a very peaceful atmosphere, with people relaxing on the grass and benches while reading, eating, or just hanging out with friends.
Montparnasse Tower
At first, we thought this tower was located in Montmartre because of its name, but we later realized we were mistaken. Nevertheless, the view was superb. Since we had already seen Paris from above (at the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower), we could have visited this tower at night to experience Paris from the heights in the dark. I’m sure that would have been even more charming.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Sadly, due to the fire, there were thick fences surrounding the cathedral, and it was still under construction. I was heartbroken when I found out that I couldn’t make a wish at “Point Zero,” the spot where it all started, located at the steps of Notre-Dame—currently unreachable. However, we walked around the cathedral, and the view from the Seine was marvelous, especially at sunset. In five years, when the construction is hopefully complete, it will definitely be worth visiting again—this time from the inside. 🙂
Opéra Garnier
The architecture of this building, both inside and out, was breathtaking. From ancient books and scripts to old paintings and statues, this opera house truly lived up to its name. The grand entryway featured an audio guide available in English and French, explaining the history behind the building’s masterpieces. There were many rooms for different purposes, like the opera and the theater, and numerous balconies overlooking everything. The old and beautiful chandeliers added to the atmosphere with their soft, dim light. It was magical. Next time I visit, I’d love to see an opera or a theater piece. 🙂
The Panthéon
The Panthéon was impressive, with grandiose columns. The sculptures, carvings, and details were lovely. When we saw it, we were just passing by as we hurried to the Eiffel Tower because we had a ticket, and the gates were closed, so we couldn’t visit the crypts where great historical figures are said to be resting. The Panthéon is absolutely worth seeing, especially for its architecture and history when it’s open to the public. You can’t miss it as you pass by—you can feel its presence.
Le Pont des Arts
The “Lovers’ Bridge.” Its ambiance is like no other—melancholic yet friendly, with a romantic atmosphere. There are benches where you can sit and listen to musicians playing love songs on the guitar while admiring the Seine River. Sadly, they started removing the love locks from the bridge around 2015 because they were too heavy and risked damaging the bridge. I really wished I could have seen that iconic aspect before it was removed, but the bridge was still fantastic. Now you can find some locks in other places, like on street lanterns, bike lock cables, and near the Eiffel Tower.
The Seine River
We took a “Bateau Mouche” river cruise. We chose to sit at the back of the boat and were lucky to have gone during sunset, making everything look even more charming. It wasn’t crowded at all in the back, as most people were on the second level, which was very pleasant. As we passed under different bridges, facts and information about each one were shared over the boat’s speakers. Our ticket included two sandwiches and one drink. We also passed by the Louvre Museum, Pont des Arts, Pont Alexandre III, and the Eiffel Tower, which was extraordinary to see at night. The promenade lasted about an hour. 🙂
Fly over Paris 360*
For this experience, you stand in a sort of metal structure that represents a jet pack and wear virtual reality glasses. The “jet pack” starts moving, and you see a recording made by a drone, as if you’re the one flying. Although the video wasn’t always the clearest, some details were really nice to see from above, like the top of the Eiffel Tower. During our visit, there was a power outage in the building, so we had to return the next day. At the end, there was a photo booth where you could add Paris attractions like Notre-Dame Cathedral in the background, and it was really fun.
Catacombs
We arrived late for our visit, but we had the “skip the line” ticket, and the staff was kind enough to let us skip the entire extremely long line and go right in. It was pretty chilly underground, and seeing all those skulls from different cemeteries and prisons was definitely overwhelming, especially considering the long pathway. Just take a moment to imagine. There was also an audio guide headset that explained everything along the way, making it captivating to learn about what was going on back then. It was a very dark, profound, yet interesting experience.
I truly loved this trip—so much that I even tried to convince my dad to move there, hahaha, so I could visit Paris more often. *Still working on it 😉* The people I interacted with in French were so nice and helpful, and most of them spoke English as well. I must say that at times it was very crowded. Every time we tried to take a picture, people would walk into the shot, talking on their phones, hahaha—it was a bit of madness. The metro stations were absolutely beautiful. Never in my life did I think I would enjoy taking the metro this much, mainly because of all the art—statues, paintings—that was displayed in the stations.
One downside was that you couldn’t pay with your phone to buy a ticket, so you had to have cash on you at all times, but it was very cheap. Pro tip: When leaving the airport to go to your hotel, don’t take those buses that cost around 36 euros; use the RER instead. We only learned about RERs when it was time to leave, and it’s much, much cheaper—I think it was around 2 euros per person. 🙂
My smartwatch showed that my dad and I each walked around 22 km every day. We had planned to visit numerous locations, and I must admit that we managed to see a lot of them. It was exhausting, but it was more than worth it! As for the places we didn’t have time to visit—no worries, we’ll catch them next time. Be ready, Dad! ;D
So, to answer the question from the beginning: No, you definitely can’t see absolutely everything in Paris in just three days, but don’t let that discourage you. You can still cover a lot of ground and see many of the sights on your list. So go for it!
