48 Hours in Paris: A Real Itinerary for Food, Views & Slow Mornings
Paris in 48 hours sounds impossible, and in a way it is - you cannot do it all, and you should not try. What you can do is pick two neighbourhoods, eat very well, walk a lot, and let the city do the rest. This is the itinerary I send friends when they say they only have a weekend: light on museums, heavy on bakeries, with enough viewpoints to feel like you actually saw the place.
Day 1 - Morning: Montmartre before the crowds
8:30am - breakfast at La Bossue (Montmartre). Start the day up the hill. La Bossue is the most beautiful spot in Montmartre for a warm drink and a slice of cake - go for the chai and whatever is sitting in the cabinet. You want to be eating before 10am, otherwise the queue takes over.
10am - walk to Sacré-Cœur via the back streets. Skip the main funicular drag. Wind up through Rue des Abbesses and Rue Lepic instead. The white-domed basilica has the best free view of Paris from its forecourt; pay the €8 to climb the dome only if it is a clear day.
11:30am - wander the artist square and Rue de l'Abreuvoir. Place du Tertre is touristy but worth a five-minute look. The prettier shot is around the corner on Rue de l'Abreuvoir - the pink café (La Maison Rose) on the bend is the one you have seen on every Paris Pinterest board.
Day 1 - Lunch & Afternoon: bakeries, the Louvre & the Seine
12:30pm - lunch at Au Levain d'Antan (Montmartre). A small patisserie with some of the best filled baguettes in the area - perfect, affordable, and you can eat it on a bench on the way down the hill. Grab one to go.
2pm - the Louvre, but smartly. Book a timed entry in advance for around 2pm when the morning rush has eased. Pick three things you actually want to see (Winged Victory, Vermeer's Lacemaker, the Mona Lisa if you must) and leave after 90 minutes. The building itself is the point.
4pm - pastry pit stop at Cédric Grolet. The world's most-photographed pâtisserie is a short walk from the Louvre. The fruit sculptures are unreal - get one to share and eat it in the Tuileries.
5:30pm - rent a Lime bike along the Seine. From the Tuileries, cycle the riverside path past the Musée d'Orsay, over Pont Alexandre III, and on to the Eiffel Tower. €1 unlock and €0.25 a minute - it is the cheapest, fastest way to see central Paris.
"Two days is enough to fall for Paris - you just have to pick the right bakeries."
Day 1 - Evening: Eiffel Tower at golden hour, then dinner
7pm - Trocadéro for the view. Skip climbing the tower at sunset (the queue eats your evening). Cross the river to the Trocadéro terrace instead - you get the postcard photo without the wait, with the sky doing its peach-and-lavender thing behind it.
8:30pm - dinner at Homer. Famous lobster rolls and prawn rolls - so fresh and exactly the right energy after a long walking day. Order two between you and a glass of something cold.
10:30pm - nightcap at your hotel rooftop. If you are staying at Terrass Hotel in Montmartre, head straight up - the rooftop bar has views over the whole of Paris with the Eiffel Tower lit up in the distance. End night one here.
Day 2 - Morning: pastries, the Marais & a perfect Paris breakfast
8:30am - breakfast at Copains. A cute cafe with good coffee and perfect pastries - the right kind of slow morning start, especially if last night ran long.
10am - The French Bastards for a second pastry. Yes, two. Their pastry selection covers all the OG options (pain au chocolat, kouign-amann, the croissant) done properly. Eat one walking, take one for later.
11am - wander Le Marais. Narrow streets, vintage shops, the Place des Vosges (Paris's oldest planned square). It is the best neighbourhood for an aimless hour with a coffee.
Day 2 - Lunch & Afternoon: Notre-Dame, Île de la Cité & a small luxury
1pm - lunch at La Baguette du Relais. Home of the famous steak frites baguette - great flavour, perfect lunch, takeaway it and eat on a bench by the Seine.
2:30pm - Notre-Dame Cathedral. The reopened Gothic icon on Île de la Cité is free to enter. Go early in the afternoon for the quieter slot; the new lighting inside is genuinely beautiful.
4pm - watch hunting at Charly's. A very small shop with timeless, genuinely unique vintage pieces - worth seeking out if you collect, or just want to browse something most tourists never see.
5pm - rooftop of Galeries Lafayette. Stained-glass dome, free rooftop terrace with an Opéra Garnier view - go up even if you do not shop. The best free viewpoint in central Paris.
Day 2 - Evening: a proper Paris night out
7:30pm - dinner at Maxim's (if you want the moment) or back to Le Marais. Maxim's is the Belle Époque institution - gilt, velvet, the room is the meal. If you would rather something low-key, eat in Le Marais and walk it off after.
10pm - Moulin Rouge or the Champs-Élysées. The original cabaret is a proper Paris night out (book months ahead). If you skip it, walk up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and climb it - sunset slot gives you the twelve-avenue star at its best.
Where to stay: Terrass Hotel, Montmartre
If I am picking one place to stay for a 48 hour Paris trip, it is Terrass Hotel in Montmartre. The rooftop has views over the whole of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the frame, the rooms are calm and well-designed, and you can walk straight out into the prettiest neighbourhood in the city without dealing with the Métro every morning.
If Montmartre is not for you, base yourself in Le Marais or Saint-Germain instead - both are walkable to most of this itinerary.
What you need to know before you go
- Best time to visit
- April–June or September–October for the light and the queues
- Getting around
- Walk + Lime bikes along the Seine; Métro for longer hops
- Where to stay
- Terrass Hotel (Montmartre) for the rooftop and the walk-out neighbourhood
- Book ahead
- Louvre timed entry, Moulin Rouge, any dinner at Maxim's
- Budget
- From around €400/night accommodation; €60–100/day food if you mix bakeries with one nicer meal
Frequently asked
Is 48 hours enough to see Paris?
It is enough to fall for it - not enough to do everything. Pick two neighbourhoods (this itinerary uses Montmartre and the central Right Bank/Île de la Cité), commit to walking, and skip anything that requires more than an hour of queueing. You will leave wanting to come back, which is the right way to leave Paris.
Which neighbourhood is best to stay in for a short Paris trip?
Montmartre for romance and views (this is where I stay - Terrass Hotel has the best rooftop). Le Marais for walkability and great food. Saint-Germain for the classic Left Bank café energy. Avoid anything too far from a central Métro line on a 48 hour trip.
What are the best bakeries to visit in Paris?
Cédric Grolet for the fruit sculptures, The French Bastards for the OG pastries, La Bossue and Au Levain d'Antan in Montmartre for an affordable, beautiful local stop. Copains for a proper sit-down pastry-and-coffee morning.
Do I need to book the Louvre and Eiffel Tower in advance?
Yes for both. The Louvre requires a timed entry slot - early afternoon (around 2pm) is the calmest. The Eiffel Tower lift sells out days ahead in peak season; if you have not booked, skip climbing it and shoot the view from Trocadéro instead.
Pair this itinerary with my full France toolkit
- Where to eat, drink & explore in France — the full local map of Paris bakeries, restaurants, accommodation and South of France spots.
- Tourtour: The Village in the Sky — if you want to extend the trip into Provence after Paris.
- SALTO Beach Club, St Tropez — the obvious second leg if you are heading south for sun.
- Follow me on TikTok — for weekly first-hand food, drink and travel recommendations.
