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Official sources checked Oct 4, 2026

A Tuesday to Sunday route from Île de la Cité to Montmartre, mostly on foot, timed to finish on the Sacré-Cœur steps as the light goes. Avoid Monday, when Carnavalet and the Oval Room are closed. The only money you need is for transit and food.

The route, stop by stop

8:30 am
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Go in before the tour groups; the line without a reservation is short at this hour. Afterwards cross Pont d'Arcole and walk 15 minutes east along Rue de Rivoli and Rue Pavée into the Marais.
Always free45 min to 1h
Details
Free when
Always · Mon–Wed and Fri 7:45–19:00, Thu 7:45–22:00, Sat–Sun 8:15–19:30
Free for whom
Everyone. The Treasury (€12) and the towers are separate paid visits.
Reservation
Optional free time slot on notredamedeparis.fr or the official app. Without one, join the walk-up line on the square.
Time needed
45 min to 1h
How to get there
Metro 4 to Cité, or RER B/C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame
Worth it? Yes.Worth it, and Thursday evening is the calm slot since it stays open until 22:00. Anyone selling you a cathedral entry ticket on the square is selling nothing.
Source: Paris je t'aime, Paris Tourist Office · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
10 am
Musée Carnavalet
Be at the door for opening and give it two hours, shop signs first, Revolution rooms last. Then take Metro 1 from Saint-Paul to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre, four stops.
Always free2h
Details
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed for the permanent collection
Time needed
2h
How to get there
Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 8 to Chemin Vert
Worth it? Yes.It is big, so pick a period instead of trying to walk it all. The shop sign gallery on the ground floor and the Revolution rooms upstairs are the two to keep.
Source: Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
12:30 pm
Palais-Royal garden and Buren's columns
Eat a sandwich on a green chair by the fountain. Leave by the north end of the garden, climb the steps of Passage du Perron and cross Rue des Petits-Champs.
Always free30 to 45 min
Details
Free when
Always · every day. April to September 8:00–22:30, October to March 8:00–20:30.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 min
How to get there
Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre, entrance on Place Colette
Worth it? Yes.The best bench break near the Louvre. Walk the full length under the lime trees and leave by the north end, which puts you in front of Galerie Vivienne.
Source: Domaine national du Palais-Royal · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
1:30 pm
Galerie Vivienne and the covered passages
Walk the length of Galerie Vivienne, entering at 4 Rue des Petits-Champs. The Rue Vivienne exit puts you one minute from the library.
Always free1h for the full chain
Details
Free when
Always · Galerie Vivienne every day 8:30–20:30. The other passages are generally open daily, and some shut at night or on Sundays.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h for the full chain
How to get there
Metro 3 to Bourse for Galerie Vivienne (4 Rue des Petits-Champs); Metro 8 or 9 to Grands Boulevards for Panoramas and Jouffroy
Worth it? Yes.A dry walk on a wet day. Do Vivienne first, then go up Rue Vivienne to Panoramas and carry straight on through Jouffroy and Verdeau. Many shops close on Sunday, which makes for clearer photos and less to look at.
Source: Paris je t'aime, Paris Tourist Office · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
2:15 pm
Oval Room, BnF Richelieu
Sit under the glass oval for half an hour with a comic from the open shelves. Then walk 15 minutes north-west past the Opéra to Boulevard Haussmann.
Always free30 min
Details
Free when
Always · Tue 10:00–20:00, Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays and most public holidays.
Free for whom
Everyone, no reader card, no age limit. The museum upstairs is paid.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 min
How to get there
Metro 3 to Bourse, or Metro 7 and 14 to Pyramides. Enter at 5 Rue Vivienne or 58 Rue de Richelieu.
Worth it? Yes.The best rainy-hour stop in central Paris. It is a working library, so keep your voice down and expect a short line at the door on weekend afternoons.
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
3:30 pm
Galeries Lafayette rooftop terrace
Look up at the dome from the ground floor first, then ride the escalators to floor 8. From here walk to Saint-Lazare and take Metro 12 to Abbesses.
Always free30 min
Details
Free when
Always · Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun and public holidays 11:00–20:00. Can close in rain or strong wind.
Free for whom
Everyone, no ticket, no purchase
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 min
How to get there
Metro 7 or 9 to Chaussée d'Antin La Fayette, main building at 40 Boulevard Haussmann, escalators to floor 8
Worth it? Yes.The easiest free view in the city. Part of the roof is given over to a seasonal bar, but the viewing side stays open; the last hour before closing has the best light.
Source: Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
5 pm
Sacré-Cœur Basilica and its steps
Climb from Abbesses through Place du Tertre, visit the basilica, then take a spot on the steps facing south for sunset. Metro 2 at Anvers is at the foot of the hill.
Always free1h with the view
Details
Free when
Always · every day 6:30–22:30
Free for whom
Everyone. The dome is a separate paid visit.
Reservation
Not needed. Expect a 10 to 15 minute wait between 10:30 and 17:00.
Time needed
1h with the view
How to get there
Metro 2 to Anvers then the stairs, or Metro 12 to Abbesses and a 10 minute climb. The funicular costs one transit ticket.
Worth it? Yes.Go before 9:30 or after 19:00. Midday the steps are packed and the bracelet sellers at the bottom of the stairs are persistent, so keep your hands in your pockets and keep walking.
Source: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps

PAID · ONE PER CITY

If you spend on one thing in Paris, make it this.

Eiffel Tower, stairs to the second floor

The free viewpoints all look at the tower, and none of them puts you inside the ironwork. Climbing the stairs is the cheapest ticket and the best way to see how the thing is built, with the city dropping away between the girders. Go near dusk and stay for the lights on the hour.

Everything above is free. This is the only paid pick on the page, chosen because no free option replaces it.

See tickets and prices