36 Hours
36 Hours in Paris
There is a reason Paris remains among the most visited cities in the world. Its scenic, walkable neighborhoods have been shaped by centuries of cultural and political history, and any short visit will involve tough decisions. Monuments like Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower need no introduction. Instead, this guide presents a different side of the French capital: under-the-radar spots in the popular Montmartre hilltop neighborhood, smaller museums without crowds and a taste of Paris’s diverse performance scene. And it’s easier to get around: As the city gears up for the Summer 2024 Olympics, the first it is hosting in a century, the venerable subway (the métro) is undergoing a makeover, with extensions to several lines. Spot the layers of urban transformation underway — while staying alert to the millefeuille of art and architecture you’ll encounter everywhere.
Recommendations
- The Gustave Moreau Museum is an under-the-radar house-museum that opens the doors to the studio of the 19th-century painter with a visionary flair for mythological subjects.
- Madame Arthur has become the cancan-free cabaret of choice for many Parisians, and a symbol of France’s thriving drag scene with its resident troupe of singers and musicians.
- The Petit Palais, an underrated gem on the Paris museum circuit, takes visitors on a delightfully random tour of centuries of French art history.
- The Parc de la Villette is a sprawling urban park with quirky playgrounds and a range of sports activities and cultural venues, like the Paris Philharmonic and the Cité des Sciences.
- The Montmartre Cemetery, under a viaduct, is the slightly anarchic resting place of numerous painters, authors and performers, including Vaslav Nijinsky.
- The Jardin des Plantes is a vast botanical park that started life as a royal medicinal garden in the 17th century. It is home to superb greenhouses and the National Museum of Natural History.
- The Grand Mosque of Paris, with architectural highlights that include a hand-sculpted cedar door, welcomes visitors to its patio, tea room and hammam.
- The Odéon – Théâtre de l’Europe, a prestigious Italian-style theater with a varied program, offers English surtitles for its Saturday performances.
- The Caveau des Oubliettes hosts live music under the stone ceiling of what was once a medieval prison in St.-Germain-des-Prés.
- The small Musée de la Vie Romantique offers a taste of Paris’s Romantic-era artistic salons, with a floor devoted to the trailblazing 19th-century female author George Sand.
- La Verrière, inside the 19th-century InterContinental Paris le Grand Hotel, is a luxurious cafe with plush armchairs under an arresting glass roof.
- Le Bar à Bulles, half-hidden behind the windmill of the Moulin Rouge, is a colorful, theatrical bar and terrace.
- Le 975 is an elevated bistro offering smart twists on French cuisine in a quiet part of Montmartre.
- Polissons serves imaginative dishes derived from traditional French gastronomy in Montmartre, with a six-course mystery menu.
- Bistrot Mee brings visual flair to Korean cuisine in a Zen-like, elegant environment.
- Aki Boulangerie offers a Japanese spin on French desserts, like yuzu- or matcha-flavored éclairs.
- Une Glace à Paris is an award-winning ice-cream shop in the Marais district, with some left-field flavor combinations.
- Pierre Hermé is synonymous with excellent high-end macarons and has many locations throughout Paris.
- Bouillon Racine, a stylish Art Nouveau brasserie, serves well-made French classics like snails and blood sausages.
- Ventrus is a portable, eco-friendly restaurant that currently brings guest chefs to the Parc de la Villette.
- Jardin 21 is a casual open-air bar and restaurant that doubles as a vegetable garden and community space, open from May to September.
- Mam’zelle Swing is a vintage shop specializing in fitted 1920s to 1960s women’s clothing.
- Clara Vintage offers luxury retro fashion for women and a selection of men’s accessories.
- Lapin Boutique Vintage has reasonably priced consignment pieces with striking shapes and colors.
- The Hôtel des Saints-Pères exudes old-world sophistication, and has a long history of welcoming artists to St.-Germain-des-Prés: The painter Francis Bacon was once a regular. Each room (from 220 euros, or $240) has personalized decor with paintings, drawings and sculptures. Guests in the Junior Suite Signature (from €400) sleep under a rediscovered 17th-century fresco that stretches across the ceiling.
- Hôtel Mademoiselle is a cozy, stylish three-star hotel with a cute courtyard for breakfast, conveniently located within walking distance of Gare du Nord (Paris’s Eurostar terminal, with good connections to the airports) as well as Montmartre. Rooms from €150.
- With four central locations, the People is a budget-friendly option for travelers, with bright, welcoming lobbies, on-site restaurants and rooftop cafés in select hostels. Its flagship in the Marais will take you close to the historical city center. Dorm beds from €50, with private rooms also available.
- Paris has stringent regulations to curb short-term rentals on websites like Airbnb, and landlords can only rent residential properties for a maximum of 120 days a year, otherwise they have to be converted into furnished tourist accommodations. Locals will appreciate it if you stay at professionally run hotels and hostels.
- Paris’s neighborhoods are highly walkable, and strolling from attraction to attraction is the best way to encounter unexpected slices of history. The local subway (the métro) is a generally reliable option, and will take you to many destinations more quickly than taxis and ride-hailing services like Uber, which often run into traffic. Paris’s bicycle-sharing system, Vélib’, has grown more convenient since new bike lanes have been installed in recent years.
Itinerary
Friday
Saturday
Sunday