Three days in Paris work best by area: the Île de la Cité and the Louvre on day one, the Left Bank and the Eiffel Tower on day two, and Versailles on day three. At official adult prices for non-EEA visitors, the six main tickets on this route cost €148.50. The Paris Museum Pass does not save money here: a 2-day pass used on the first two days brings the total to €163.50.
Watch the closing days. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and the Musée d’Orsay and Versailles on Mondays. Starting on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday avoids all three.
Prices were checked on 18–19 October 2026. Each stop shows the official price first, then the cheapest reseller option we found. Where we could not open an official site directly, we used its pages as shown in search results and say so.
Day 1: the Île de la Cité and the Louvre
Don’t plan this day for a Tuesday, when the Louvre is closed.
Early morning
Notre-Dame de Paris
Entry is free, with an optional free time slot. According to the official site as shown in search results, it opens on weekdays 7:50–19:00 and at weekends 8:15–19:30.
Morning
Sainte-Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle costs €22 for non-EEA visitors (from 12 January 2026) and €16 for EEA visitors. With the Conciergerie it costs €30 (€23 EEA). Under-18s and EU residents aged 18–25 go free. From October to March it opens 9:00–17:00, and from April to September 9:00–19:00. Entry is by time slot, so arrive on time.
Afternoon and evening
Louvre Museum
The Louvre costs €32 for non-EEA visitors and €22 for EEA visitors, and it is free for under-18s and EEA residents under 26. Only advance booking guarantees entry, and from 17 October to 1 November 2026 booking is mandatory. On Wednesday and Friday it stays open until 21:00, which suits this day best. See our Louvre tickets guide.
Break
Tuileries Garden
The free Tuileries Garden next to the Louvre is the place for a break before or after your slot.
Day 2: the Left Bank, the Eiffel Tower and the Seine
Don’t plan this day for a Monday, when the Musée d’Orsay is closed.
Morning
Musée d'Orsay
According to the museum’s official site as shown in search results, the full-rate ticket costs €16 online, €14 at the desk, and €12 on Thursdays from 18:00. Entry is free for under-18s and EU residents under 26, and on the first Sunday with booking. It opens Tuesday to Sunday 9:30–18:00, and until 21:45 on Thursdays. Tiqets listed entry at €13, below the official price, for reasons we could not verify.
Afternoon
Eiffel Tower
According to the official site as shown in search results, the adult lift ticket to the 2nd floor costs €23.50, the summit €36.70 and the stairs to the 2nd floor €14.80. Lift tickets go on sale 90 days ahead, stairs 60 days. Our Eiffel Tower tickets guide has youth rates and the 2027 prices.
Evening
Seine river cruise
A one-hour Bateaux Mouches cruise costs €20 for adults, or €17 online, and €10 for children under 13 (€8 online). Boats leave the Pont de l’Alma every 30 minutes, 10:00–22:00, from April to October, and every 45 minutes, 10:15–21:30, from November to March. Vedettes de Paris charges €21 (€18 online) from Port de Suffren.
Day 3: Versailles
Don’t plan this day for a Monday, when the palace is closed.
Full day
Versailles day trip from Paris
The Passport ticket costs €35 in high season (1 April to 31 October) and €25 in low season (1 November to 31 March), with EEA visitors paying €32 and €22. A Late Passport from 16:00 costs €28 in high season. Under-18s and EU residents under 26 go free but still need a time slot. Every visitor, Museum Pass holders included, books a slot. The palace opens 9:00–18:30. Tiqets sells packages with transport from Paris from €84 with a guide, or €89 for entry and round-trip transport.
Prefer to stay in Paris? Spend day three in Montmartre and on the Champs-Élysées. According to the basilica’s official site as shown in search results, the Sacré-Cœur is free and open 6:30–22:30, and the climb to the dome costs €8 for adults. Then walk the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe, which the Museum Pass includes.
What this itinerary costs
What this trip costs
| Sainte-ChapelleNon-EEA visitors | €22.00 · Paris Museum Pass |
| Louvre MuseumNon-EEA visitors | €32.00 · Paris Museum Pass |
| Musée d'OrsayFull rate, online | €16.00 · Paris Museum Pass |
| Eiffel TowerLift to 2nd floor, adult | €23.50 |
| Seine river cruiseBateaux Mouches 1-hour cruise, adult | €20.00 |
| Versailles day trip from ParisPassport, high season (1 Apr–31 Oct) | €35.00 |
| Total at official prices | €148.50 |
|---|---|
| With Paris Museum Pass | €163.50 |
Entry tickets at official adult prices, checked 18 October 2026. Transport, food and tours are extra.
The total uses the standard non-EEA adult price for each stop: €22 + €32 + €16 + €23.50 + €20 + €35 = €148.50. The pass row uses the 2-day Paris Museum Pass at €85, used on days 1 and 2 for the Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay (€70 at full price), plus the tickets it does not cover: €163.50.
Is the pass worth it? On this route, no. To cover Versailles on day three as well, you would need the 4-day pass at €105, which is exactly what the four covered tickets cost separately. EEA visitors pay less for single tickets, so the pass makes even less sense for them. Pass prices come from the official site as shown in search results, so check them before you buy.
Entry tickets only: transport, food and tours are extra. From 1 November, Versailles drops to €25 and the total to €138.50.
Tips for the 3 days
- Book ahead: the Louvre, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles all use time slots.
- Late openings: the Louvre until 21:00 on Wednesday and Friday, the Musée d’Orsay until 21:45 on Thursday.
- Free entry: under-18s at the Louvre, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Musée d’Orsay and Versailles, and young EU or EEA residents up to 25 at all four. Notre-Dame and the Sacré-Cœur basilica are free for everyone.
See all Paris guides.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 days enough for Paris?
Yes, if you group sights by area. Spend one day on the Île de la Cité and the Louvre, one on the Left Bank with the Musée d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower, and one at Versailles or in Montmartre.
How much do the main sights in Paris cost?
At non-EEA adult prices checked in October 2026, the Louvre costs €32, the Sainte-Chapelle €22, the Musée d'Orsay €16, the Eiffel Tower lift to the 2nd floor €23.50, a Bateaux Mouches cruise €20 and the Versailles Passport €35 in high season. Together that is €148.50.
Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it for 3 days?
Not on this route at full prices. A 2-day pass at €85 used on days 1 and 2 covers €70 of tickets. A 4-day pass at €105 that adds Versailles costs the same as the four tickets.
Which Paris sights are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays?
The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. The Musée d'Orsay and the Palace of Versailles are closed on Mondays.
What is free in Paris?
Notre-Dame is free to enter, with an optional free time slot. The Sacré-Cœur basilica is free, and its dome costs €8.
Sources
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