What to Do in Paris in 6 Hours: A Guide for Short Layovers

June 13, 2025
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Paris, the city of love, and a busy layover hub in the world of air travel. If you find yourself in between flights or simply with a short time in Paris, this is the guide for you. Enjoy the magic of France’s capital in just six hours and make the most of every minute!

I have visited Paris several times now and each time is as memorable as the time before. The city has a certain charm about it, a magic in the air that makes you want to wander the streets for hours on end.

While Paris has a ton to offer, including the famous Eiffel Tower, it is possible to see the big highlights in less than six hours. That makes it the perfect city to leave the airport on a layover or to visit before heading elsewhere in France or Europe.

This guide will include everything from how to get to the city centre from the airport, how much time you’ll need, a suggested itinerary and more. Sign up to my e-mail newsletter below to receive my personalised Paris Itinerary Map for your layover:

Table of Contents

Can I leave the airport in Paris during my layover?

There are a few things to consider regarding whether you can and should leave the airport during your layover in Paris, mostly time and entry requirements. I will lay out the details below, but you will need around 4 hours time to leave and re-enter the airport, including transport to and from the city. A layover of 6 hours is the absolute minimum time to consider leaving the airport, anything more is better. If you need to collect and re-check bags for the layover, you will need more than 6 hours.

Entry Requirements to leave Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport during a layover

We will be talking about Charles de Gaulle Airport in this guide as that is Paris’ international airport. If you have an EU passport, you will not need a visa to enter Paris. Many from a non-EU country, including the UK, Australia, Canada and US, can enter the Schengen area visa-free for a period of 90 days within a 180 day period. Other countries will require a visa, so make sure to check on your Embassy’s page your entry requirements for France.

Time to pass through immigration in Paris and leave Charles de Gaulle Airport

If you are coming from a country within the Schengen zone, there will be no passport control or security check when exiting the airport. That means you could be out of the airport in around 30 minutes. When coming from a non-Schengen country, you will need to go through passport control and customs. Time to leave the airport could hence increase to 60-90 minutes, even more if you are requiring a visa.

Transport from Paris Airport to Paris city centre

We will discuss transport and exact options further down, but you need to schedule at least 30-60 minutes each way, depending on mode of transport taken.

Getting back to Paris airport in time

You need to arrive back at the airport with at least 2 hours to spare so that you can go through security and passport control. The airport recommends 3 hours for international flights, I would say this is only necessary during the holidays and busy periods. Your bags should have been transferred automatically, but if you booked with different airlines you may need to re-check it too. Allow enough time for this.

How to get from Paris Airport to Paris City Centre:

You have a couple of different options to get from the airport to the city centre in Paris.

Taxi:
Travel Time: usually 30-60 minutes depending on traffic
Cost: 35-60€ (Uber tends to be the most affordable option)

RER local train – I would recommend to take this train:
Travel Time: 30 minutes to Gare du Nord
Cost: 13€

Roissybus Shuttle:
Travel Time: around 60 minutes
Cost: 13.20€

How to get around Paris?

Paris has a very extensive public transport system, but it is also a very walkable city. In this itinerary we will use both for maximum efficiency, but if you have more time, you can easily walk everywhere. Use Google Maps or Citymapper to navigate transport.

You pay for public transport using a Navigo card. You can buy this at the airport station or through an App using your smartphone. A single metro ride is 2.50€ and a bus/tram ride 2€. You could also get the Paris Visite travel pass which offers unlimited travel on any transportation in Paris, including to the airport, for 29.90€ for one day. I’d say the pass is actually worth it as the journey to the airport is 13€ each way already so 26€.

Things to do in Paris Layover Itinerary

Overview

The total itinerary is 9 stops and will include some walking and some metro journeys. You can personalise this itinerary to the time you have and leave out or add in any of the activities as per your interest. I have included additional stops you could add at the end. If your layover is only 6 hours, you will have roughly 2 hours in Paris, depending how quickly you are able to get to the city centre, so keep that in mind.

Another tip is that while many places take a few hours to fully explore, you can still enjoy their stunning architecture from the outside in much less time.

Start the day with the stunning Sacre Coeur Basilica and sweeping views over Paris (1-2 hours if visiting inside)

Located in the Montmartre district, just a 20-minute walk from Gare du Nord, Sacre Coeur is the perfect start for your Paris itinerary. It is sat on top of a hill, making for spectacular views over Paris. You can either walk the 270 stairs if you need to stretch your legs or take the Funiculaire (€1.90).

If you only have a short time in the city, you will likely not be able to have more than a quick look inside, but the magnificent white façade and architecture is a must-see. The entrance to the basilica is free, but you need to pay 6€ for the dome and 3€ for the crypt (or 8€ for a combined ticket). It will take you around 90 minutes to fully explore the inside and it’s 100% worth it.

A piece of Parisian history at Moulin Rouge (~20 min)

For more than 135 years, the Moulin Rouge has stood as one of the central points of the Montmartre district. It is now a must-visit theatre for evenings in Paris. If you are only in Paris for a short layover, you probably won’t have time to visit a show. However, seeing the famous building and taking in the atmosphere of the surrounding neighbourhood is still a must-do while in Paris. It’s only a 15-minute walk from Sacre Coeur.

If you do have the time, make sure to visit a show or take a historical tour of the area and its fascinating history. Prices for the show start at 118€ for the 11pm showing and go up to 255€ for the dinner one.

Get the metro to the impressive Arc de Triomphe (~30 min)

It’s time to hop on metro 2 to Arc de Triomphe, one of Paris’ most famous landmarks. It’s iconic style makes for incredible photos. Be careful of the many cars in this area, the arc is surrounded by a huge “roundabout”.

If you have extra time, you can even go inside the Arc. It has a terrace where you get 360° views of Paris. Entry is 22€ or free for under 26-year-old residents of the EU.

Shop French delicacies and souvenirs in Champs-Élysées (45 min)

The 1.9km long Champs-Élysées connects the Arc de Triomphe with our next stop in one straight line. The street itself is world-famous for its beautiful architecture, incredible shopping and many restaurants and bars.

Make sure to sample some French delicacies such as Macarons, Foie Gras and Crème Brûlée while here.

Check out the Place de la Concorde & Jardin des Tuileries (~30 min)

At the end of Champs-Élysées you will find the Place de la Concorde, a huge octagonal square. In the middle stands tall an Egyptian obelisk and two big fountains.

Right beside it lies the Tuileries Garden, a beautiful green space to relax in.

Discover the famous Louvre Museum (20 min - 3 hours)

If you only have a few hours in Paris, you will likely not be able to visit the Louvre’s famous exhibition, however it is SO worth seeing it from outside. The entire courtyard is stunning and the glass pyramid which marks the museum’s principal entrance is a sight in itself.

If you do head inside, you will be met with an art collection like no other – nearly 300,000 works are displayed here, including famous paintings like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue. It’s highly recommended to buy your ticket in advance as queues on the day can often be up to 2 hours. You can then skip the crowds by entering via the Carrousel du Louvre shopping centre. Alternatively, you can also book an exclusive guided tour that skips the lines here.

Marvel at the restored Notre Dame (15 min - 2 hours)

A short walk crossing the river onto the Île de la Cité will bring you to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. It burned down in April of 2019 and was rebuilt and reopened in December 2024. The cathedral is absolutely breath-taking, the Gothic-style architecture visible in every detail.

You can also visit the inside, however you will need at least an hour to do so. Entry is free and you can pre-book a time slot online to skip the queue. Tickets are released at midnight up to 2 days in advance and sell out quickly.

Get the best view of the Eiffel Tower at Jardins du Trocadéro (~30 min)

Get back on the Metro (C) and head to Trocadero gardens for world-class views of the Eiffel Tower and Paris. Head up the stairs to the Esplanade Joseph-Wresinski to get to the best vantage point for photos.

In the garden, you will also see the beautiful Warsaw Fountain which provide an aquatic spectacle with the Eiffel tower as the backdrop. Many people stop here for a picnic too.

Visit the world-famous Eiffel Tower (1.5-3 hours)

Finish the day with Paris’ most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower. The 300 metres tall wrought-iron structure is impressive from up-close and welcomes almost 7 million visitors each year.

If you are planning to head up the Eiffel tower, you will need at least 1.5 hours. Make sure to pre-reserve your tickets online to avoid the huge queues on the day (available from 2 months in advance). There are three floors, the first, second and top floor. You can either reach the second floor by stairs (14,50€) or by lift (23,10€) and the top floor only with lift access (lift only 36,10€, lift+stairs 27,50€).

For the best views, I’d recommend a slot close to sunset so you can get the views at daylight, sunset and even night time. The stairs will usually save you some time as the elevator queues are notoriously long. Make sure to see the Eiffel Tower at night too, where it sparkles for 5 minutes at the start of every hour after sunset.

If you have extra time:

If you find yourself with some time to spare and are up for more exploring, these are some great additions to the itinerary:

See Paris from a different angle on a Seine River Cruise

The Seine river runs right through Paris and a cruise will allow you to see the top attractions from a completely different angle. Make sure to walk along the riverbanks of the Seine too, there are usually markets and local artists there.

Visit the Musée d’Orsay

Another museum with a world-class art collection, this one of Impressionist art. Admission costs 16,00 € and you will works from the most famous painters such as Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Renoir here.

Live your best Bridgerton life at Palace of Versailles

About an hour outside of Paris you will find the stunning Palace of Versailles. The majestic 18th-century architecture is breath-taking and the interior grandiose. The gardens are an artwork in themselves. A full ticket to the palace and gardens cost 32€ during high season and 24€ the rest of the year.

Book your Versailles Palace tour from Paris here.

Explore the lively Latin Quarter

One of the oldest districts in Paris, the cobblestone streets are a reminder of what medieval Paris would have looked like. Nowadays, the area is one of the liveliest in Paris and is also featured in many scenes of Netflix’s Emily in Paris.