Are you planning a weekend getaway to Paris and want to explore the Louvre, Versailles, and see the city’s top sights within just two days? It’s entirely possible, and you won’t even need to book a guide or a bus tour. In this post, I’ll share the perfect itinerary to experience Paris, Versailles, and the Louvre in one weekend.
Planning a weekend in Paris
When we went to Paris for the first time, we visited all the popular sightseeing spots in the city. However, we didn’t go to the Louvre or Versailles. Our boys (especially the younger one) weren’t that interested in art museums at the time. Instead, they wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower and explore the city on a double-decker bus. So, we decided to save the Louvre and Versailles for the next time.
That ‘next time’ came a year later, when we were able to leave the boys at home with their grandpa. Yuriy and I went to Paris for a weekend with plans to visit Versailles and the Louvre. We ended up having a perfect weekend, seeing even more than we had planned.
We flew from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday evening and returned to Amsterdam on Sunday evening. Arriving in Paris on Friday gave us an extra evening to explore the city and start fresh and early on Saturday morning.
A piece of advice: book accommodation near the Louvre. This will save you commuting time and allow you to start your visit to the Louvre early on your chosen day.
Day 0 – Paris at night
Catch a glimpse of Paris at night
After arriving on Friday evening, we checked into the hotel, left our suitcase there, and headed out for a walk. Here’s an example of an easy evening stroll in Paris:
Walk via Jardin des Tuileries, towards Place de la Concorde and onto Pont De la Concorde. From the Pont De la Concorde bridge admire the night view to Seine river illuminated by the city lights and the Eiffel Tower.
Cross the bridge and return via the other side of the Seine crossing back by Pont Royal and moving towards Carrousel Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre Pyramid.
You can adjust the walk to make it shorter or longer, or even stop for dinner—it’s entirely up to you.
We didn’t want to make the walk too long. After a full workday on Friday for both of us, followed by a flight to Paris and the journey from the airport to the city, we felt a bit tired. A 1.5 to 2-hour walk to take in some of the city’s nighttime highlights was enough for us to call it a day.
Day 1 – Versailles
Have a French breakfast
On Saturday, we planned to visit Versailles. But first things first! Indulging in a delicious French breakfast at a local café is part of the Parisian experience and the perfect way to start the day. Let’s not forget to enjoy the small things when traveling! 🙂
Most cafés have their menus displayed at the entrance, so before going in, check what breakfast options they offer. We went to a brasserie near our hotel, Le Musset, where they served eggs, fresh croissants with butter and jam, and freshly brewed French coffee. It’s not something to miss!
After breakfast, we decided to call an Uber for a ride to Versailles. There are plenty of Uber cars available in the city center, and a driver was almost instantly assigned to us. However, you don’t need to take a taxi if you prefer not to. Versailles is easily accessible by public transport. RER trains run to Gare de Versailles Château Rive Gauche, which is only a 7-minute walk from the palace gates.
Visit Versailles
The Versailles Palace is open every day starting at 9am. Tickets can be booked online through their official website. Which is what we did to ensure a seamless visit. this allowed us to go straight to Entrance A and begin our visit immediately. We chose the ‘Palace’ ticket, which includes access to all the rooms in the palace, as well as the gardens and the park.
If you’re planning to spend more time at Versailles, consider purchasing the ‘Passport’ ticket. In addition to the Palace ticket, it grants access to the Estate of Trianon.
We began our visit with the Palace, spending around 1.5 hours exploring the rooms and taking pictures. Keep in mind that there is a one-way flow of visitors inside the Palace. You won’t be able to return to the rooms you’ve already passed, so take your time and enjoy the experience without rushing.
In addition to popular attractions such as The Hall of Mirrors and The Gallery of Great Battles, we also enjoyed exploring the many sculptures and paintings inside the palace, including the Cardinal Richelieu statue, the Napoleon Crossing the Alps painting, and numerous other art pieces.
Versailles gardens and parks
After visiting the palace, we went on to explore the gardens and the park. To experience The Gardens in their full splendor, it’s best to visit between late spring and early autumn. However, be prepared for large crowds during this season, including long security lines, packed rooms in the palace, and bustling gardens and park areas.
We visited Versailles at the end of November, and I loved the yellow and red hues of the park, which can only be seen in autumn. Don’t hesitate to visit Versailles (or Paris in general) outside of spring or summer. I’m sure even in winter it’s well worth exploring—plus, you’ll enjoy fewer crowds and benefit from cheaper rates on flights and hotels.
The park, gardens, and groves of Versailles are vast. We strolled through the park, admiring its alleys, gardens, sculptures, and water features. We could have easily spent even more time exploring every hidden corner of the park and its smaller Estate of Trianon.
In total, we spent about 3.5 hours at Versailles, including a half-hour coffee break. Plan to spend at least 3–4 hours visiting Versailles; otherwise, you risk rushing through and missing the majority of its sights.
Coach Gallery
After exploring the Palace and park of Versailles, visit the Coach Gallery, located outside the main gates in the Great Stable.
The Coach Gallery is open daily from 12:30 p.m., and access is free. Although your Versailles ticket indicates that it includes entry to the Coach Gallery, you can visit it without a ticket at all
The exhibition of royal carriages is relatively small (but beautiful, nonetheless), and you only need about half an hour to see it all.
Explore the famous sights of Paris
We finished at Versailles by 2 p.m. and took the RER train back to Paris. The direct train from Versailles Château Rive Gauche to Invalides station takes approximately 30 minutes. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket machines at the station, which offer multilingual support.
Get off the train at Invalides station, located right in the city center, and head over to the beautiful Pont Alexandre III. Staying on the left (south) bank of the river, start walking along the Seine towards the Musée d’Orsay. Then continue on to Pont Neuf and finally to Pont Saint-Michel. It’s a nice spot to take photos of the Notre-Dame de Paris.
Take a stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens. From there, make your way to Pont Saint-Michel, then continue on to Pont Neuf, the Musée d’Orsay, and finally to the Pont Alexandre III.
After the walk, we had dinner (did I mention how much we love French cuisine?), recharged, and then headed to the Jardins du Trocadéro to see the Eiffel Tower.
Enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower and lights of Paris at night
Take the metro to the ‘Trocadéro’ station – or, if you’re still up for it after a busy day, enjoy a walk to reach the spot and admire the Eiffel Tower from there.
It was getting dark by the time we arrived at the Jardins du Trocadéro, and that was exactly what we had planned—to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up and sparkling.
“The Eiffel Tower lights up once it gets dark and flashes every hour on the hour for about 5 minutes. If you want to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, plan to arrive at Trocadéro 10–15 minutes beforehand. Find a good viewing spot (the area is always bustling with people) and get your camera ready.
After that, you can walk down towards Pont d’Iéna and take in the stunning view from the foot of the Eiffel Tower. If you’re walking back to your hotel (as we did), you’ll also have the chance to admire the lit tower from nearly every bridge along the way.
We walked to the Debilly Footbridge and then made our way to Avenue Winston Churchill to admire the Grand Palais and Petit Palais beautifully illuminated in the darkness.
Another stunning nighttime view is the Arc de Triomphe. If you don’t walk all the way to it, you can still admire its beauty from a distance along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
We ended the day at Place de la Concorde around 9 p.m. There is a metro station at Place de la Concorde, making it easy to travel to any part of the city you still wish to explore. I recommend visiting Montmartre—it’s a direct line from Concorde to Abbesses station, so getting there is simple.
We didn’t go to Montmartre that night—we had visited it during our last trip to Paris. This time, we decided to explore a Christmas market (yes, at the end of November!) in the Jardin des Tuileries park. We ended Day 1 by enjoying French street food and sipping mulled wine—not bad at all! 🙂
Day 2 – Louvre
The Louvre
Begin the next day with a visit to the Louvre Museum.
We checked out of the hotel in the morning but left our suitcase there to enjoy the last day of the trip baggage-free. By 9 a.m., we were at the Louvre Museum.
We spent about 6 hours there and managed to see everything we had planned—and even more. Besides booking tickets in advance and staying at a hotel nearby to save time, I would also recommend making a list of the must-see exhibits you want to explore in the Louvre
I wrote a dedicated post on how to better plan and prepare for a day visit to the Louvre. You can read it here – 20 Things To See in the Louvre in One Day.
Goodbye Paris
After visiting the Louvre, if you still have time before your flight or train back home, have lunch at a café and enjoy a leisurely walk around the area. There are a few places close to the Louvre that you can explore in under an hour: the Palais-Royal, with its lovely park and fountains; the Stravinsky Fountain, known for its unique and quirky design; or, perhaps, take the metro to Galeries Lafayette, the iconic Parisian department store.
We didn’t have much time before our flight back home. After retrieving our luggage from the hotel, we made our way to the ‘Châtelet’ RER station to catch a train to the airport. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a café, where we enjoyed our meal and reflected on our weekend trip to Paris—it was absolutely perfect!
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Awesome article.