Paris in 3 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Three days adds a free day between two paid ones
Three days keeps the Eiffel Tower and free Notre-Dame nave on day one and the Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle on day two, then adds a third day that costs almost nothing: Montmartre, Sacre-Coeur’s free basilica, and Le Marais. It nests inside the 4-day , 5-day , 6-day and 7-day versions, or drops back to the 2-day plan if you need to cut a day.
Book these before you go
- Reserve Eiffel Tower timed entry ; the stairs-only EUR14.80 slot to the second floor is the cheapest way up.
- Book Louvre timed entry , or skip-the-line access on GetYourGuide if the official dates are gone; it’s closed Tuesdays.
- Reserve a Sainte-Chapelle 30-minute slot at tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr , or check availability on Viator if morning slots are gone.
- Compare budget stays in the Marais on Booking.com .
The 3-day route at a glance
| Day | Focus | Est. daily cost |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Eiffel Tower (stairs option) + free Notre-Dame nave | EUR40-60 |
| Day 2 | Louvre + Sainte-Chapelle | EUR60-90 |
| Day 3 | Montmartre + free Sacre-Coeur + Le Marais | EUR25-40 |
Day 1: The Eiffel Tower and the free walk along the Seine
Morning: The cheapest ticket up the Eiffel Tower is the stairs-only climb to the second floor at EUR14.80, roughly EUR9 less than the second-floor lift (EUR23.50) and over EUR20 less than the summit (EUR36.70). All three are timed entry, booked up to 60 days out through toureiffel.paris , so fix your date before you land. From the top, the Champ de Mars below is free to walk, and Trocadero across the river is the free wide-angle photo everyone actually wants.
Lunch: A boulangerie sandwich and pastry runs EUR5-8 total, roughly a third of a sit-down bistro bill, and there’s one on nearly every block back from the tower itself.
Afternoon: Walk the Seine east, roughly 45 minutes at an easy pace, or take the Metro (flat EUR2.55 fare) to Ile de la Cite. Notre-Dame’s nave is completely free, no ticket required; book a free timed slot at resa.notredamedeparis.fr if you want to skip a second queue, but slots only open a few hours ahead, so don’t plan around getting one in advance.
Evening: Dinner in the Latin Quarter. A formule (fixed two-course menu) runs EUR18-28 at most bistros, and service is already included in the price, so tipping is a rounding-up gesture, not an obligation. Book an evening Seine cruise for about EUR19 if you want the illuminated version of today’s walk, or skip it, the riverbank at night is free and covers most of the same view.
Day 2: The Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass
Morning: The Louvre costs EUR22 for EEA residents, EUR32 for everyone else, mandatory timed entry, closed Tuesdays. Book at ticket.louvre.fr as early as your dates allow; the free first-Friday-evening slot (6pm-9pm, every month except July and August) is the single best deal in the building if an evening visit fits your schedule instead of a morning one. Pick two or three galleries rather than the whole museum, the Mona Lisa crowd is real, but the Objets d’Art and Near Eastern rooms are usually calm.
Lunch: Rue de Rivoli or the Palais-Royal arcades both have quick boulangerie-standard lunches under EUR10.
Afternoon: Reserve a 30-minute Sainte-Chapelle slot for EUR16 EEA or EUR22 non-EEA; a 10am booking has to be used by 10:30am, so don’t wander in late. The stained glass alone earns the ticket price, and it’s a two-minute walk from Notre-Dame.
Evening: Compare budget stays in the Marais or Latin Quarter before committing to a neighborhood; both keep you walking distance from everything covered over these three days.
Day 3: Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur, free both ways
Morning: Climb to Sacre-Coeur before 10am, both to beat the crowds and the bracelet-scam crews who work the steps up from Anvers Metro station, grabbing a wrist to tie a friendship bracelet before you can refuse it, then demanding payment. Say non and keep walking. The basilica itself is free, no ticket, no timed slot. The dome climb is a separate on-site-only ticket, EUR8 adult, no advance booking exists for it.
Lunch: A crepe from a Montmartre street stand runs EUR4-6, the standard budget lunch here.
Afternoon: Wander Place du Tertre and the side streets below Rue des Abbesses, all free. Then head to Le Marais, one of the only central neighborhoods where shops stay open on Sundays if that’s the day you land here.
Evening: A EUR18-28 formule if you want a sit-down meal, otherwise a falafel from Rue des Rosiers runs closer to EUR8-10 standing up.
Is 3 days enough to see Montmartre properly?
It’s enough for the basilica, Place du Tertre, and a slow wander through the side streets, which is most of what Montmartre offers on a budget trip. A longer stay adds the Musee de Montmartre or a cabaret evening, but the free version above covers the neighborhood’s actual highlights.
Which day should you book furthest ahead?
Day 2. The Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle are both mandatory timed entry with sell-out morning slots, while day 3’s Montmartre and Marais wandering needs no booking at all. Lock day 2’s tickets first, then build the rest of the trip around them.
Load a Navigo Easy card (EUR2, reloadable) at your first Metro station rather than hunting for paper tickets; they stopped being sold entirely after 31 December 2025.