It’s always been my contention that you should never spend more than three days in a single city or place on vacation at a time. This isn’t to say that you can’t come back (this was my return trip to rediscover the beauty of Paris), but you don’t want to get bored and you also don’t want to overbook your schedule. This is a suggested itinerary based on my two trips (Thanks Dr. Isaacson, Dr. Decker, Dr. DePaul and the rest of the FSU London Study Centre staff for the first trip!) and please keep in mind that I am more into art than shopping and that my budget was pretty much on the economy side.

Day 1
08:00 – Breakfast (Either grab a coffee and roll at your hostel or a nearby cafe)
09:00 – Start at Notre Dame, tour the inside and definitely check out the Rose Window
10:30 – Visit the Conciergerie and see the cell Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI occupied shortly before their beheadings. It’s a pretty small museum, so I wouldn’t anticipate needing more than a half hour to make it all the way about.
11:00 – Take Pont Neuf (one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris) to the left bank (Rive Gauche). Walk along the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay and explore the museum. 
13:00 – There’s a lovely cafe in the museum, but as is usually the case of food vendors in museums, it is pretty highly priced. While the food is delicious, I would recommend lunching a few blocks south of the museum at one of the local cafes.
14:00 – Make your way back to the Seine and stroll along to the west. If you or any of your travel companions are interested in military history, I highly recommend you stop by the Hotel des Invalides. And even if you aren’t, it’s a beautiful building that showcases the height of French Baroque architecture, perfect eye candy for your stroll toward the Eiffel Tower
15:00 – The walk from D’Orsay to the Eiffel Tower should only take you about 15 minutes, so assuming the line isn’t ridiculous, you should be able to start your ascent of the Tower by 3. When purchasing your ticket, make sure to say “Vers le haut (vayr-le-oht)” so you get a ticket to the top of the tower. My first time visiting the Tower, I made the mistake of assuming the ticket seller understood when I said “all the way up” in English and was quite dismayed when after standing in a queue for a good half hour my ticket wasn’t valid. Make sure to visit the observation deck on the lower level and snap some photos before ascending all the way. Sacré Cœur is especially visible to the northeast of the Tower.
16:30 Most museums in Paris close around 5 PM, so if you would rather duck into the Musée Rodin, do this before heading to the Eiffel Tower. However, if you happen to be doing this leg of the itinerary on a Wednesday, the museum is open until 8 PM, so take advantage! This museum is a delightful collection of Rodin’s sculptures, as well as his sketches and paintings. 
18:00 If you’re up for a bit of a stroll, head across the river on Pont Alexandre III, another one of Paris’ famed bridges, and stay on Avenue Winston Churchill until you reach the Champs Elysées. One of Paris’ most famous boulevards, the Champs Elysées is home to fantastic shopping including some of Paris’ most coveted brands (I’m looking at you Chanel). While I wouldn’t recommend actually shelling out for luxury goods, window shopping never hurt anyone 😉 If you head to the left (northwest), it’s about a mile walk to get to the Arc de Triomphe, and the walk is well worth it. Going to the top of the Arc gives you some of the best views of the city, and a very nice, relatively unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower. An adult ticket for the lift is 9,50 euros, however, if you’re an under-26 you may be eligible for the reduced rate of 6 euros (and it’s free if you’re a citizen of an EU country!). The last lift goes up at 10 PM in the summer and 9:30 in the winter, so it’s quite easy to fit this into your schedule at any point.
19:00 Take a break for dinner and wine, but again, I recommend not eating directly on the Champs Elysées. There are some beautiful cafés in the 16éme. I love Comptoir de l’Arc on Avenue Marceau, it’s reasonably priced for the area and has traditional French fare. If you’re traveling solo, I recommend eating at the bar. It’s pretty casual and either the bar keep or fellow travelers around you will keep you company.

If you want to explore the Champs Elysées some more at night, by all means, knock yourself out. I usually end any planned touring around 7 so I can take a few hours to wind down and get a good night’s sleep.

Day 2
08:00 – Start at Place de la Concorde. Formerly Place de la Révolution, this beautiful square was the home of the infamous guillotine during the Jacobins’ Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. The beautiful fountains and obelisk now commemorate those who gave their lives for the République. The Place gives way to the Jardins des Tuileries, an example of the beautiful French Gardens that were popular from the 14th to the late 18th centuries. If you are a fan of impressionist artists, be sure to stop by the Musée Orangerie in the southwest corner of the Jardins. It’s the near-permanent home of eight of Monet’s water lily murals as well as several paintings by Cézanne, Matisse and Renoir.
09:00 – The Jardins des Tuileries lead up to the Musée du Louvre. I will warn you now, the museum is massive and even if you only spent thirty seconds looking at every piece of art and artifact in the museum, it would take you several lifetimes to see everything in the museum. I recommend following the highlights listed on the tourism brochure they have at the information desk and taking a guided tour. The docents are very knowledgeable and may introduce you to pieces you didn’t know were in the collection.
12:00 – Take a break. You can only look at so much art before it all blurs together and you cease being able to appreciate it. The café in the museum is actually quite good with a diverse array of food that anyone could appreciate.
13:00 – Head to the Musée D’Orsay RER station. Take the C5 toward Versailles – Rive Gauche. The train ride is about 45 minutes long, so I recommend you bring a book or magazine to peruse. You’ll get off where the train terminates, so you don’t really need to pay attention to the stations along the way. It’s a quick hike from the train station to the palace, you should be fine if you follow the crowds, or if by some miracle there aren’t many people about when you arrive, follow the signs that point toward Chateau Versailles.
17:00 – Make your way back to Paris. A good place to wrap up your day after looking at tons of art and grandeur will be Père Lachaise. The cemetery is home to several famous grave sites including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and
Georges Bizet.
19:00 – Being a bit out of the way from the center of Paris, the 20ème is home to a number of affordable restaurants for dinner. When I visited, I went to L’Entropot on Rue Sorbier, but there are tons of options, so just stroll about until you find something you fancy.

Day 3
08:00 – Start the day by heading to the Abbesses metro station. When you exit the train, please please please take the lift to the top of the station. Abbesses is the deepest metro station in the Paris system and has an ungodly number of stairs from the platform to the exit. The exit of the station drops you in the heart of picturesque Montmartre. Fans of Amélie will recognize the neighborhood from various scenes in the movie. From the metro station, head east until you reach the Funicilaire. You can either take it to the base of Sacré Cœur, or you can climb the stairs. I’ve done both and highly recommend taking the stairs if you’re fit enough to do so. It’s quite rewarding once you’re climbing that last flight and you see the basilica rising above you, it’s just a nice memory to have stored away. Also, beware the “bracelet people” hanging out by the funicular, they’ll try to lure you in with hand made bracelets or string and once they’ve gotten a bit tied about your wrist, they’ll demand payment in an absurd amount for the product. Just say “Non, merci” or ignore them and at whatever cost, do not let them get near you. Take the time to tour the basilica and definitely take advantage of the panoramic views of the city.
09:00 – If you haven’t already had breakfast, there’s a lovely little shop right by the basilica which has fantastic pétit café and pan au chocolat. It looks like a tourist shop because they do sell all manner of tchotchkes and souvenirs, but they do have an espresso bar and pastries as well.
09:30 – Make your way back down into Montmartre. If you take the street that winds behind the basilica, and follow it to the base of the hill, you will pass one of the apartments which Vincent Van Gogh stayed in while he was living in Paris. Although a private residence, there is a blue remembrance plaque by the door of 54 Rue Lepic.
10:00 – Instead of hopping on the metro at Abbesses, walk a little further south to Pigalle and hop on the #2 in the direction of Nation. Transfer to the #11 in the direction of Châtelet at the Belleville station and get off at Rambuteau. A short walk southwest from the station will put you at one of Paris’ most famous modern art museums, Centre Georges Pompidou, Take a few hours to enjoy the more whimsical and abstract art on display
12:00 – Head south on Rue de Renard and you’ll pass Paris’ beautiful City Hall (Hôtel de Ville), cross the Pont d’Arcole and the Petit Pont and continue along Rue de Petit Pont. If you’re traveling with a book lover, be sure to stop by the Shakespeare Book Company and purchase a book as a souvenir. They’ll stamp any book you buy! Once you hit Boulevard Saint-Germain, head east until Rue de Condé, then head south. This will bring you to the famed Luxembourg Gardens and Palace. The gardens are a great place for a picnic lunch, so grab a sandwich at one of the local cafés or grab a baguette and some cheese from one of the corner shops and enjoy the rest of your afternoon by strolling about.

Of course these are only suggestions on how to best maximize your time in Paris. Please feel free to add or subtract items from this list at your pleasure. I thoroughly hope you’ll enjoy your time in one of my favorite cities and that you’ll love it enough to visit more than once!