Expect lots of art & culture — museums, galleries, and cultural experiences. A moderate mix of walking and active experiences, with a mix of self-guided and guided activities. Includes 14 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, Seine River Cruise
Your Route — ordered to minimize backtracking
49+ 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
Paris
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 📍 Map
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
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 pm
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
Eat 100% gluten-free French pastries, eclairs, and croissants at Paris's first dedicated celiac patisserie
$18 Year-round; Saint-Honoré location Tue-Sat; verify current hours via Instagram 📍 MapBrunch 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 📍 MapLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Lunch at Le Potager du Marais, a beloved plant-based bistro serving vegan French classics since 2004
$18 Year-round; check current hours — many Paris bistros close Sunday evenings and Mondays[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
Brunch at Biosphère Café, a certified organic, 100% gluten-free and plant-based café near Parc Monceau (8th arr.)
$26 Year-round; dinner Saturdays, brunch Sundays; lunch Mon-Fri 📍 MapStop at Cloud Cakes for Instagram-worthy 100% vegan pastries and cakes in the Marais
$10 Year-round; cakes often sell out by mid-afternoon — visit in the morningLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Spend unstructured time in Paris — shop, picnic, or follow your own path through the city
Le Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Visit Claude Monet's legendary lily pond and water garden that inspired his most famous paintings
$12 Verified Mar 2026 Garden open Apr-Oct only; peak bloom May-June; closed MondaysLearn to taste and decode French wine in an atmospheric underground cellar with cheese pairings
$93 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; ideal for rainy daysLe 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
Stand inside floor-to-ceiling projections of Renaissance masters at Paris's most innovative art space
$20 Verified Mar 2026 Year-round; exhibitions change seasonally Book this experience →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
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 →Pipe, 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
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) 📍 MapWatch 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 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 📍 MapShop 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
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 Mondays
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
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
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 MondaysLe 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 TuesdaysSpend 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
Join 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 →Friday night Shabbat dinner with the local Chabad community — open to all Jewish travelers and curious visitors
Every Friday year-round. Contact Chabad in advance via chabad.org 📍 MapLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
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 →
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 viewsLe Marais / Saint-Germain / Latin Quarter
Take the 75-min train from Paris to Chartres to see the world's finest Gothic cathedral and intact medieval stained glass
$16 Year-round; May–June Chartres en Lumières festival adds evening projections; Malcolm Miller English tours Mon-Sat at noon and 2:45 pm 📍 MapLe 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
Nice
Nice
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 OctTaste 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
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 📍 MapSpend unstructured time on the Riviera — swim, browse the market, or follow your own path
Promenade 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 📍 Map
Take the 35-minute train to Cannes, walk the Croisette, and see the Palais des Festivals where stars walk the red carpet
$9 Verified Mar 2026 Cannes Film Festival May 12-23, 2026 brings high energy and big crowdsPromenade des Anglais / Old Nice / Port
Glide along the Bay of Angels from Nice harbour past Villefranche and Cap de Nice by boat
$24 Verified Mar 2026 Operates April-October; best in calm summer seas Book this tour →
Ride the train to Menton's pastel old town, lemon gardens, and the Cocteau Museum by the sea
$8 Verified Mar 2026 Lemon Festival in February; warmest beach days July-AugustPromenade 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 recommendedSpend unstructured time in Lyon — browse a bouchon menu, walk along the Saône, or visit the Fourvière hill
Presqu'île / Vieux Lyon / Croix-Rousse
Explore Lyon at your own pace
Best spring through fall with mild weather 📍 MapPresqu'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
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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