Three days in Paris for art lovers, from the Louvre to Giverny

Why this itinerary puts the Louvre, Orsay, Montmartre, and Giverny in one trip

This three-day plan is built around a single thread: the story of art in and around Paris, from the old masters in the Louvre to the Impressionists in the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain, the artist-village history of Montmartre, and finally the real garden that inspired one of them, in Giverny. It is the only itinerary on this site that leaves Paris for an artistic reason, and the only one that reaches Giverny, which is what sets it apart from itineraries that also pass through Montmartre for romance or for budget reasons rather than for art history.

Two constraints shape the order of days. First, the Louvre closes on Tuesday and the Musee d’Orsay closes on Monday, so the two cannot both be visited on the same day if that day happens to fall on either closing day, and it is safer to keep them on separate days regardless. Second, a reserved time slot is required to enter the Louvre, even for travellers carrying a Paris Museum Pass, so that slot needs to be booked before arrival, not chosen on the spot. The Centre Pompidou is left out of this itinerary entirely: it is closed for a multi-year renovation, with reopening not expected before around 2030.

Choosing where to stay for these three days makes the days themselves easier to plan. A base in Saint-Germain-des-Pres or the Latin Quarter puts the Musee d’Orsay and Day 2’s walking within easy reach on foot, while still leaving the Louvre and Montmartre a short metro ride away. Wherever the base ends up, the Paris metro covers every stop on this itinerary except the Giverny day itself, so no car is needed at any point, and driving in Paris is worth avoiding in any case given the traffic and limited parking.

Day 1: The Louvre and the Tuileries

Start the day at the Louvre and Tuileries, on the Rive Droite. The museum is vast, and trying to see everything in one visit tends to produce exhaustion rather than appreciation, so it helps to pick two or three wings in advance, such as the Italian Renaissance galleries, French and Northern European painting, or Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities, rather than wandering without a plan.

Because the Louvre requires a booked entry slot, this is the one museum on the itinerary that cannot be improvised. Travellers who want a structured first pass rather than a self-guided wander can book a guided visit through the Louvre’s most important galleries, which is a reasonable way to get oriented before returning independently for anything missed. For a trip that will also take in Orsay and other museums on the Paris Museum Pass list, it is worth comparing that pass against single tickets before Day 1, since the pass still requires the same reserved Louvre slot.

After the museum, the Tuileries gardens make an easy, unhurried way to close the day: gravel paths, fountains, and views back toward the glass pyramid and across to the Musee de l’Orangerie, home to Monet’s large-scale water lily panels. Visiting the Orangerie on this same afternoon, if time and energy allow, is a natural bridge toward the Giverny day later in the trip, since the water lilies painted there were grown in the same garden the itinerary visits on Day 3. For background on what makes the Louvre’s collection so large, see the guide to Louvre highlights and the Mona Lisa.

Whatever the season, it is worth packing a light rain layer: Paris can see rain at any time of year, and a damp afternoon is no reason to cut the Tuileries short or skip the walk toward Orsay the next day. Spring and early autumn tend to be the most comfortable stretch for a day spent mostly on foot between museums, without the heat that can build up in the middle of summer. The guide to what to pack for Paris covers this in more detail for anyone building out the rest of their packing list.

Day 2: Musee d’Orsay, the Latin Quarter, and Montmartre

Day 2 covers two very different sides of Paris art history in one day: the Impressionists at the Musee d’Orsay, and the artist-village history of Montmartre.

Begin at the Musee d’Orsay, on the Rive Gauche across the Seine from the Tuileries, housed in a former railway station. Its collection runs from mid-19th-century academic painting through Impressionism and post-Impressionism, and it is a natural counterpart to the Louvre’s older collection. Remember that Orsay closes on Monday, so this day should be scheduled around that closing day the same way Day 1 was scheduled around the Louvre’s Tuesday closure. After the museum, the streets of Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Latin Quarter reward slow walking, with bookshops, small galleries, and cafes that were once meeting points for painters and writers.

In the afternoon or evening, move north to Montmartre, the hill village that Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, and later Picasso all painted or lived in before it became the tourist landmark it is today. The Sacre-Coeur basilica and the steep streets around the Place du Tertre are the obvious anchors, but the real value of Montmartre for an art-focused visit lies in the smaller streets around them, where studios and cabarets once clustered. A guided option worth considering is a walking tour that traces Montmartre’s art history and its bohemian past, which does a better job of connecting specific streets to specific painters than wandering alone. For more context on the neighbourhood, see Montmartre walking tours.

Day 3: A full day trip to Monet’s Giverny

Day 3 leaves Paris entirely for Giverny, Claude Monet’s home and garden, about 75 km northwest of the city. This is treated as a full day, not a half-day add-on, because getting there and back takes real time: the standard route is a train from Paris to Vernon, followed by a short shuttle into Giverny itself, and a guided day tour covering the same route is the simpler choice for travellers without a car. For the full route breakdown, see how to get to Giverny from Paris.

One detail that matters more here than almost anywhere else on this itinerary: Giverny is seasonal. The house and gardens are open only from spring to autumn, and the exact opening and closing dates shift slightly from year to year, so they should always be checked directly rather than assumed. A winter visit to Paris cannot include Giverny at all, and this itinerary should not be attempted outside the open season.

Inside the garden, the water lily pond and the Japanese bridge are what most people come for, and they are the direct source for the Orangerie panels seen, or skippable, back on Day 1. The house itself, with Monet’s Japanese print collection and the yellow dining room, rounds out the visit. Travellers who prefer not to manage trains and shuttles on their own can book a private guided day trip that connects Van Gogh and Monet sites outside Paris, or a more direct transfer such as a transfer to Giverny village and Monet’s house for small groups. For background on the museum, see Giverny day trip from Paris and Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny.

By early evening, the train back into Paris closes out the itinerary, with the water lily panels at the Orangerie and the paintings at Orsay likely reading differently after seeing the garden that produced them.

Scheduling the three days around museum closing days

Day	Focus	Watch for
Day 1	Louvre and Tuileries	Louvre closed Tuesday; reserved entry slot required
Day 2	Musee d’Orsay, Latin Quarter, Montmartre	Orsay closed Monday
Day 3	Giverny day trip	Open spring to autumn only; long day, no shortcuts

If Day 1 or Day 2 of an actual trip falls on the relevant closing day, swap the two days rather than trying to combine both museums into a single visit. Day 3 should be kept flexible enough to move to another day of the trip if the Giverny season, weather, or train schedule makes that necessary, since it is the one day in this plan built entirely around something outside Paris.

Money, tickets, and what to book before the trip

None of the three days requires much cash: cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere in Paris, including at museum ticket desks and on the metro, with only a little cash useful for small purchases along the way. A look at money, cards, and payments in Paris is worth it before the trip for anyone unfamiliar with local tipping habits, since service is already included in cafe and restaurant prices and rounding up is a courtesy rather than an obligation. Travellers weighing the Paris Museum Pass against buying tickets one museum at a time can compare the two directly in Paris Pass vs Paris Museum Pass; either way, the Louvre’s reserved entry slot has to be booked separately in advance, no matter which pass or ticket ends up covering the museum itself.

Frequently asked questions about this Paris art itinerary

Can the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay be visited on the same day?

They can, but on this itinerary they are kept on separate days on purpose, because the Louvre closes on Tuesday and Orsay closes on Monday. Checking both closing days before booking avoids arriving at a shut museum.

Do you need a reserved time slot for the Louvre?

Yes. A reserved entry slot is required at the Louvre even for holders of the Paris Museum Pass, so this should be booked ahead of the trip, not decided on the day.

Is Giverny open all year?

No. Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny only open from spring to autumn, with exact dates changing each year. Anyone planning a winter trip should check the season before adding Giverny to the plan.

How do you get from Paris to Giverny?

The usual route is a train from Paris to Vernon, then a short shuttle to Giverny itself. A guided day tour that includes transport is the simpler option for a single day trip without a car.

Should this itinerary include the Centre Pompidou?

No. The Centre Pompidou is closed for a multi-year renovation, with reopening expected around 2030, so it is left out of this plan entirely.

Is three days enough to cover the Louvre, Orsay, Montmartre, and Giverny?

It is enough to get a real sense of each without rushing, provided the museums are split across different days and the Giverny day is treated as a full day on its own, not squeezed in alongside a city visit.

What if only two of the three days can be used for art?

Giverny is the piece hardest to drop back in later, since it requires a dedicated day outside Paris. If time is short, keep the Giverny day and choose between the Louvre and Orsay on the remaining day.

Where should you stay for a Paris art itinerary like this one?

Saint-Germain-des-Pres or the Latin Quarter put the Musee d’Orsay and Day 2’s walking within reach on foot, while the Louvre and Montmartre stay a short metro ride away. No area on this itinerary requires a car.