The Calm Journal 
Image by Alex Harmuth on Unsplash
You have 36 hours. You want to see the hits. This plan gets you to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Montmartre, but it hacks the timing so you aren’t stuck in “tourist hell.”
The Golden Rule: Wake up early. You can sleep on the plane home.
Logistics
- Transport: Download Citymapper. Buy a Navigo Easy pass at any metro station.
- Tickets: You MUST book the Louvre and Seine Cruise online before you leave home. If you don’t, you won’t get in.
- Shoes: Do not wear heels. Do not wear new leather loafers. Wear your ugliest, most comfortable sneakers. You will walk 25,000 steps.
Day 1: The Icons (The “Is This Real?” Day)
08:30 AM | The Iron Lady (From the ground)
Most people try to go up the Eiffel Tower. Don’t. It takes 3+ hours, it’s windy, and you can’t see the tower when you’re on it.
- The Move: Take the metro to Trocadéro.
- The Experience: You walk out of the station, turn the corner, and BAM! the best unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower across the river. It is huge. It is emotional. Take your photos here.
- The Walk: Walk down the stairs, cross the bridge (Pont d’Iéna), and walk right underneath the tower to see the ironwork.
10:30 AM | The “Louvre Raid”
Take the RER C or Bus 72 along the river to the Louvre.
- The Strategy: The Louvre is too big. Do not try to see everything. You are here for a 90-minute “Smash and Grab.”
- Pre-Book: 10:30 AM or 11:00 AM slot.
- The Route: Enter via the Carrousel du Louvre (underground shopping mall entrance)—the lines are often shorter than the Glass Pyramid entrance outside.
- The Targets:
- The Mona Lisa (Wing Denon, Room 711). Go here immediately.
- Winged Victory of Samothrace (The headless angel statue on the stairs).
- Venus de Milo.
- Get Out: Once you see these three, leave. Grab a sandwich from a bakery (boulangerie) nearby and eat in the Tuileries Garden right outside.
02:00 PM | The Latin Quarter
Cross the Seine river to the “Left Bank” (Rive Gauche). This is the Hemingway/midnight-in-paris vibe.
- Walk: Stroll past Shakespeare and Company bookstore (don’t wait in line to go inside, just look at the outside).
- See: Look at Notre Dame Cathedral from the outside (it’s breathtaking even during reconstruction).
- Eat/Relax: Sit at a café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
- Tourist option: Les Deux Magots (Expensive, famous, good people watching).
- Local option: Café Louise or any random brasserie on Blvd Saint-Germain. Order a Café Crème.
05:30 PM | Sunset Cruise (Non-Negotiable)
This is the single best thing a first-timer can do.
- Company: Vedettes du Pont Neuf (smaller boats, better location).
- Timing: Book a slot around sunset.
- Why: You sit on a boat for hour, your feet get a break, and you see the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower from the water. It is magic.
08:00 PM | Dinner: Classic French
You want the loud, bustling, “I’m in Paris” dinner.
- Spot: Le Relais de l’Entrecôte (Multiple locations, try St-Germain).
- The Menu: There is no menu. They ask you “How do you want your steak cooked?”
- The Meal: You get steak, a secret green sauce, and unlimited fries. It is efficient and delicious.
- Dessert: Profiteroles. Essential.
10:00 PM | The Sparkle
Walk to the river or a bridge. Every hour on the hour (e.g., 10 PM, 11 PM), the Eiffel Tower sparkles for 5 minutes. Watch it. Cry a little. Go to sleep.
Day 2: The Romance & The Village
09:00 AM | Montmartre
This is the artistic village on the hill. It feels like a movie set.
- Metro: Abbesses (Note: taking the stairs up at this station is a workout. Take the elevator if you’re tired).
- The Breakfast: Coquelicot for a croissant or a baguette with jam.
- The Walk: Walk up to Place du Tertre (where the artists paint). It’s touristy, but you have to see it.
- The View: Go to the front of Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The view over the whole city is free.
11:30 AM | The Final Stroll (Le Marais)
Take the metro across town to Saint-Paul (Line 1).
- Vibe: Old Paris. Narrow cobblestone streets, mansions, fashion.
- Lunch: L’As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers.
- The Move: Grab the falafel pita to-go (€8-10). It is messy. Eat it standing up or find a bench in a nearby park (Jardin des Rosiers).
- Last Minute Shopping: This area is great for buying clothes or small gifts that aren’t tacky magnets.
02:00 PM | Departure
Grab a box of macarons from Pierre Hermé (better than Ladurée, fight me) as a souvenir. Head to the station/airport. You did it.