A mix of art & culture and history. A moderate mix of walking and active experiences, with a mix of self-guided and guided activities. Includes 16 must-see landmarks across Paris and Nice and Lyon.
Highlights: Eiffel Tower, Paris, Louvre Museum, Paris, Palace of Versailles Day Trip from Paris, Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Paris, Promenade des Anglais & Vieux Nice
Hotels and experiences are selected at the luxury tier — expect premium stays, skip-the-line access, and fine dining.
Your Route — ordered to minimize backtracking
47+ activities scored and ranked · route optimized across 3 cities
Day-by-Day Schedule — heavy and light days alternate so you don’t burn out
Paris
ParisJoin a small group with a local expert for skip-the-line Louvre access and art history insight
$113 Verified Mar 2026 Closed Tuesdays; book ahead in summer Book this tour →Get a fully tailored private Louvre tour with skip-the-line access and a dedicated expert guide
$171 Verified Mar 2026 Closed Tuesdays; book 2+ weeks ahead in peak season Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Ride the elevator to the summit of the world's most visited monument for 360° views over Paris
$40 Verified Mar 2026 Open year-round; timed entry required — book online weeks ahead in peak season (Apr-Sep) 📍 Map
Take the RER C to Versailles for the Hall of Mirrors, royal apartments, and Le Nôtre's vast formal gardens
$38 Verified Mar 2026 Garden fountain shows Apr-Oct weekends; pre-booking strongly recommended Apr-Sep; closed MondaysLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Walk past the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory at the world's most visited museum
$35 Verified Mar 2026 Shorter queues Oct-Mar; closed Tuesdays; book timed entry online in advance 📍 Map[CLOSED 2025] Gentle Gourmet — Paris's acclaimed vegan fine-dining tasting menu restaurant — permanently closed in 2025
$75 PERMANENTLY CLOSED as of 2025 — verify before including in itineraryLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Tour Moët & Chandon cellars, sip Champagne in Épernay vineyards, and visit Reims cathedral
$217 Verified Mar 2026 Harvest season in September is especially atmospheric Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Visit Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise châteaux on a guided day trip through the Loire Valley
$229 Verified Mar 2026 Best April-September; gardens in bloom Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Walk Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc cliffs, and WWII German bunkers on a guided Normandy day trip
$229 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; June 6th anniversary draws large crowds Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Zip around Paris's iconic sights in a restored vintage motorcycle sidecar with a local guide
Spring and summer best; rides run in dry weatherFloat past the illuminated Eiffel Tower and restored Notre-Dame on an evening Seine dinner cruise
$98 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; outdoor deck seats best in summer Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Join a small group on a full-day coach trip to the legendary tidal island of Mont Saint-Michel
$217 Verified Mar 2026 Available year-round; tidal walks possible at low tide Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Visit the château gardens that inspired Versailles, then the royal forest palace of Fontainebleau
$173 Verified Mar 2026 Vaux-le-Vicomte open April to November only Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Master the laminated dough technique for authentic croissants and pain au chocolat with a pastry chef
$132 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round morning classes Book this tour →Taste croissants, aged cheese, éclairs, and wine across Montmartre's best artisan stops
$128 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; morning tours best for fresh pastries Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Taste artisan cheese, wine, and pastries in Paris's trendiest quarter with a local guide
$92 Verified Mar 2026 Best spring-fall; market open Tue-Sun mornings 📍 MapPipe, fill, and assemble French macarons using the Italian meringue method with a pastry chef
$120 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; great rainy-day activity Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Browse Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas in Paris's finest Impressionist museum, a converted railway station
$17 Verified Mar 2026 Closed Mondays; Thursday evenings open until 9:45 pm with reduced €12 admission after 6 pmWatch the legendary Féerie cabaret with 100 dancers, acrobats, and dazzling costumes at the Moulin Rouge
$131 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; book 3-4 weeks ahead; two shows nightly Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Walk Paris's intellectual heart: bookshops, Sainte-Chapelle's stained glass, and the Luxembourg Gardens
$17 Verified Mar 2026 Gardens best spring to autumn; Sainte-Chapelle open year-round daily
Climb Paris's bohemian hilltop village to Sacré-Cœur for the city's widest unobstructed view
Year-round; arrive early morning to avoid midday crowds 📍 MapLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Ride the Eiffel Tower elevator then browse Rue Cler market and Rodin Museum in the 7th
$28 Verified Mar 2026 Book Eiffel Tower tickets weeks ahead in peak season; Rodin Museum closed MondaysShop at a Paris market then cook Coq au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon with an expert chef
$229 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; menu changes with market seasons Book this tour →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Walk through the Louvre in 3 hours, hitting Mona Lisa, Tuileries, and Musée de l'Orangerie
$35 Verified Mar 2026 Shorter queues Oct-Mar; closed Tuesdays
Float past the Eiffel Tower, restored Notre-Dame, and the Louvre on a 1-hour Seine cruise
$17 Verified Mar 2026 Best spring-summer 📍 MapLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Spend a full day inside the Louvre to cover its 9 wings and 35,000 artworks at a relaxed pace
$35 Verified Mar 2026 Closed Tuesdays; open late on Wednesdays and FridaysLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Stroll Paris's grand boulevard from luxury boutiques to the iconic triumphal arch
$17 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; festive illuminations in December; visit rooftop at sunset for Eiffel Tower views
Climb Paris's bohemian hilltop village, once home to Picasso, Van Gogh, and Renoir
Year-round; best in morning before tour groups arriveLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Descend into the ossuary beneath Montparnasse holding six million remains — now with a new immersive audio experience
$34 Verified Mar 2026 Reopening Spring 2026 after renovation — verify status before booking; year-round once open Book this experience →Step inside the Gothic jewel of Île de la Cité, whose 15 floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows cover 600 sq m
$14 Year-round; sunny days light up the windows most brilliantly in morning; open daily 9 am-7 pm (Apr-Sep), 9 am-5 pm (Oct-Mar) 📍 MapLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Walk the Pletzl — Paris's historic Jewish quarter — and the Mémorial de la Shoah documenting France's role in the Holocaust
Open year-round; Mémorial de la Shoah closed Saturdays and on Jewish holidays; open Sun-Fri (Thu until 10 pm) 📍 MapFind Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, and Chopin in Paris's oldest and most atmospheric cemetery
Year-round; autumn foliage (Oct-Nov) is especially atmospheric; free map at entrance Book this experience →Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Brunch or lunch at NoGlu, a stylish 100% gluten-free restaurant and grocery near the Palais Royal
$24 Year-round; Grenelle location open daily; hours vary by branch 📍 MapView original documents spanning seven centuries of French history — and access free genealogy records in the reading rooms of this magnificent Marais palace.
Museum closed Tuesdays; reading rooms Mon–Sat by appointmentLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Nice
Nice
Walk the 7 km Riviera promenade then dive into Vieux Nice's Baroque lanes and Cours Saleya market
Best May-Jun and Sep; avoid August crowds; Cours Saleya flower/food market Tue-Sun mornings; Mon is antiques/brocante day 📍 MapDrive into Provence for a full day of tastings at three wineries, local lunch, and winemaking history
$199 Verified Mar 2026 Harvest season September-October is most atmospheric Book this tour →Promenade des Anglais / Old Nice / Port
Take the 25-minute train to Monaco for the Prince's Palace, Monte Carlo Casino, and a yacht-filled harbour walk
$5 Verified Mar 2026 Best spring/autumn; avoid Monaco Grand Prix weekend in late May (2026: May 21-24); Prince's Palace guard change daily at 11:55 am 📍 MapPromenade des Anglais / Old Nice / Port
Spend a day on the pebble beaches of Nice and the Côte d'Azur — free public beaches and private beach clubs
Swimming best June-September; beach clubs close Oct
See the world's largest Matisse collection in a 17th-century Genoese villa above Nice, surrounded by Roman ruins
$11 Verified Mar 2026 Open year-round; closed Tuesdays and public holidays; monastery gardens best in spring 📍 MapPromenade des Anglais / Old Nice / Port
Hike red porphyry rock cliffs above turquoise coves in the Esterel Massif west of Cannes
Best spring and autumn; fire risk can close trails Jul-Aug — check Var Préfecture restrictions before going 📍 MapTaste socca, pissaladière, and panisse at nine stops through Vieux Nice's specialist eateries
$86 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; morning tours best for market freshness at Cours SaleyaPromenade des Anglais / Old Nice / Port
Lyon
Lyon
Browse Lyon's legendary indoor food market with 60+ vendors, then lunch at a traditional Lyonnais bouchon
Open Tue-Sun 7am-10:30pm; food stall activity peaks 8am-1pm; bouchon reservations recommendedVisit Beaujolais wineries for tastings and drive through the best-preserved medieval village in France
$122 Verified Mar 2026 Beaujolais Nouveau released third Thursday in November — a festive time to visit Book this tour →Presqu'île / Vieux Lyon / Croix-Rousse
Walk Lyon's UNESCO-listed Renaissance district and duck through the famous traboules — hidden silk-merchant passageways
Year-round; Fête des Lumières light festival in December transforms the old town 📍 MapWalk Vieux Lyon's UNESCO streets in 3 hours: traboules, Fourvière basilica, and the Cathedral of Saint-Jean
Year-round; Fête des Lumières light festival in DecemberPresqu'île / Vieux Lyon / Croix-Rousse
Stroll the peninsula between two rivers: Place Bellecour, the Opera, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts
Year-round; ice rink on Place Bellecour in December; Musée des Beaux-Arts closed TuesdaysClimb or take the funicular to Lyon's hilltop pilgrimage basilica with panoramic views over the city
Year-round; open daily 7 am-7 pm; 8 Dec Festival of Lights is exceptional but very crowded 📍 MapPresqu'île / Vieux Lyon / Croix-Rousse
Check out of your hotel, grab a final breakfast, and head to the airport. Safe travels from Lyon!
Where You’ll Stay
Estimated total: €2,936–€4,404
Trip Budget Estimate
Estimates based on listed activity prices and hotel rates. Actual costs vary by season, availability, and personal spending.
Typical range for France
$2,520 – $14,000 per person for 28 days
Similar Destinations
Similar vibes, fewer crowds — destinations our algorithm rates as close matches to France.
🧳 Practical Info for France
- Visa
- Schengen Area — visa-free for up to 90 days for US, UK, CA, AU citizens. EU/EEA nationals have freedom of movement.
- Tipping
- Service charge included by law (service compris). Round up the bill or leave 1–2€ for good service.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR). Cards accepted almost everywhere; some markets and small vendors prefer cash.
- Power
- 230V, Type C/E plugs. US/CA travelers need a plug adapter.
- Connectivity
- SIM cards at airport shops (Orange, SFR, Free Mobile). Good 4G/5G coverage nationwide.
- Emergency
- 112 (general emergency), 15 (medical/SAMU), 17 (police)
🚄 Getting Around France
TGV high-speed trains via SNCF Connect link Paris to Lyon (2h), Marseille (3.5h), and Bordeaux (2h). Book early for best fares.
TER regional trains cover shorter routes without reservation. Buy at the station.
Car rental recommended for wine country, Provence, and the Loire Valley where trains are infrequent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 5 days enough for France?
5 days works for Paris (3 days) plus one region — Normandy, Loire Valley, or Provence. For the French Riviera and wine country, plan 7-10 days.
What is the best way to travel around France?
TGV high-speed trains connect major cities in 1-3 hours. Book on SNCF Connect for best prices. Renting a car is better for wine country and rural Provence.
What is the best time to visit France?
May-June and September are ideal — warm weather, fewer crowds than July-August. Lavender blooms in Provence peak late June to early August.
How much does 5 days in France cost?
Budget: $90-120/day. Mid-range: $200-350/day. Luxury: $500+/day. Paris is 30-40% more expensive than the rest of France.
Do I tip in France?
Service is included in the bill (service compris). Rounding up by a euro or two for good service is appreciated but not expected.
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