Take a flight that arrives in Paris as early as possible on Day 1. Check into your hotel and hit the nearest cafe for a pick-me-up café au lait and a croissant before sightseeing. Take the Métro to the Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre for a visit to the Musée du Louvre. Spend at least 2 hours here viewing world-class masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. After leaving the Louvre, walk south toward the Quays of the Seine, spending an hour taking in the tree-shaded banks and panoramic vistas of Paris. Head for that island in the Seine, Île de la Cité, to explore its attractions, including Ste-Chapelle and the monumental Notre-Dame and its gargoyles. As the evening fades, head for the Eiffel Tower for the greatest cityscape view in Europe.
On Day 2, arrive at the place de la Concorde and its Egyptian obelisk, and take a stroll up the 1.8km (1-mile) avenue of French grandeur, the Champs-Élysées, until you reach the Arc de Triomphe, which you can scale for another panoramic view of Paris. Afterward, head for the Ile St-Louis, which, after Cité, is the second island in the Seine. Lacking monumental attractions, this little isle is a sight in itself, with quays to stroll and small side streets where you can discover hidden wonders such as antiques shops and little bistros.
After lunch in one of those bistros, visit Musée d’Orsay and the world’s greatest collection of Impressionist paintings. As the afternoon fades, head for Basilique du Sacré-Coeur for a crowning view of Paris as the sun sets. Have a final dinner in a Montmartre cafe.
