France rewards curiosity. From Roman ruins and Gothic spires to Impressionist canvases, every arrondissement and alley has a story. This 7-day itinerary stitches together Paris—its museums, neighborhoods, and riverfront—with Lyon, the country’s culinary capital and a UNESCO-listed old town.

Paris dazzles with the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre‑Dame, and café culture that hums from breakfast to midnight. You’ll cruise the Seine, walk Montmartre’s lanes, and slip out to Versailles to tread where kings and revolutionaries collided. In Lyon, hidden traboules, a hilltop basilica, and bustling food halls set the scene for classic bouchon feasts.

Practical notes: Museums often close one day per week (the Louvre is usually closed Tuesday; many restaurants close Sunday/Monday). Book timed entries where possible. The high‑speed TGV links Paris and Lyon in ~2 hours, making this duo ideal for a 7‑day France itinerary.

Paris

Paris is a collage of villages—Marais for medieval streets, Saint‑Germain for literary cafés, Montmartre for artists and views. Landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre headline, but the magic lives in boulangeries, riverbanks at golden hour, and zinc-topped bistros.

• Top sights: Louvre, Île de la Cité and Notre‑Dame, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre & Sacré‑Cœur, Musée d’Orsay, Tuileries, Le Marais.
• Good to know: Metro lines run late; buy a day pass if riding often. Reserve popular restaurants and museum entries in advance.

Where to stay: Browse central options on Hotels.com Paris or apartment stays on VRBO Paris. Great picks include The Ritz Paris (legendary service and Bar Hemingway), Hotel du College de France (Left Bank gem), and Hôtel des Arts Montmartre (steps to Sacré‑Cœur).

Getting there: Compare flights into Paris (CDG/ORY) on Omio flights. Within Paris, use Metro or walk; taxis are reliable, rideshares plentiful.

Day 1: Arrival, Le Marais stroll, and a Seine dinner cruise

Morning: Fly into Paris. Search competitive fares to CDG/ORY via Omio flights. Aim to land by midday for an easy first evening.

Afternoon: Check in and stretch your legs in Le Marais. Peek into Place des Vosges, browse Rue des Francs‑Bourgeois, and grab a late-lunch galette and cider at Breizh Café (buttery buckwheat crêpes; try the smoked herring with crème fraîche).

Evening: Celebrate night one with a glass‑canopy dinner cruise past the Louvre, Notre‑Dame, and glittering bridges.

Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Gourmet Dinner & Sightseeing Cruise

Prefer to eat on land? Book Bistrot Paul Bert for textbook steak‑frites and pepper sauce, or Bouillon Pigalle for fast, classic fare (oeuf mayo, boeuf bourguignon) at friendly prices.

Day 2: Île de la Cité, Latin Quarter, and the Louvre

Morning: Coffee and a croissant at Du Pain et des Idées (the “pain des amis” loaf is a local favorite). Walk Île de la Cité to admire the restored façade of Notre‑Dame and the flower market. Continue to Saint‑Germain for Café de Flore people‑watching and a hot chocolate.

Afternoon: Dive into the world’s most visited museum with an expert guide to hit the essentials without the overwhelm.

Louvre Museum Masterpieces Guided Tour with Access

Refuel nearby at Café Verlet (single‑origin roasts) or drop by L’As du Fallafel in the Marais for a stuffed pita dripping with tahini and cilantro.

Evening: Sunset in the Tuileries, then dinner at Le Servan (modern French with Southeast Asian riffs—blood sausage wontons are a staple). Nightcap at Experimental Cocktail Club on Rue Saint‑Sauveur.

Day 3: Montmartre views and a gourmet food tour

Morning: Take the funicular or wander Rue Lepic to Sacré‑Cœur for sweeping city views. Grab brunch at Hardware Société (Aussie‑style plates; the baked eggs rotate seasonally) or KB Coffee Roasters for filter coffee.

Afternoon: Eat like a local on a guided tasting through Montmartre—cheeses, charcuterie, pastries, and wines while hearing the neighborhood’s bohemian backstory.

Authentic Parisian Gourmet Food Tour with 10 Local Dishes & Wines

Evening: Catch live jazz at Le Caveau de la Huchette (a vaulted 16th‑century cellar where dancers swing) or New Morning (eclectic bookings). Casual dinner at Bouillon Chartier (since 1896; handwritten bills) or a cozy crêpe at Crêperie Brocéliande on Rue des Trois Frères.

Day 4: Versailles and Eiffel Tower evening

Morning: RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche (~40 min). Explore the State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, and designed gardens with a guide to place the Sun King in context.

Versailles Palace Guided Tour with Reserved Entry

Afternoon: Picnic by the Grand Canal (grab baguettes, Comté, and saucisson at a local marché) or rent a bike to loop the groves. Return to Paris for a late pastry at Stohrer (oldest pâtisserie in the city).

Evening: Time your Eiffel Tower visit for blue hour. Book a timed lift ticket in advance; dine nearby at Café Constant (unfussy bistro classics) or head to Rue Cler for a DIY feast—cheesemongers, green grocers, and a bottle from a caviste pair well with a Champ de Mars picnic.

Lyon

Lyon is France’s gastronomic soul: bouchons serving porky decadence, a cathedral’s shadow over Renaissance lanes, and a basilica crowning the city. Two rivers meet here—the Rhône and Saône—framing quay-side promenades and striking contemporary architecture at Confluence.

• Top sights: Vieux Lyon and traboules, Fourvière Basilica, Roman theaters, Presqu’île, Croix‑Rousse, Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, Musée des Confluences.
• Signature bites: quenelles in Nantua sauce, salade lyonnaise, and praline rose brioche. Don’t skip a mâchon—Lyon’s hearty morning meal.

Where to stay: See options on Hotels.com Lyon or VRBO Lyon. Favorites: Villa Florentine (pool with city views above Vieux Lyon), Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache (great value near Presqu’île), and Aparthotel Adagio Lyon Patio Confluence (suite-style rooms by the rivers).

Paris → Lyon: Take a TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon Part‑Dieu (~2:00). Book on Omio trains; advance fares often run ~€25–€75. Morning departures around 8–9am get you sightseeing by late morning.

Day 5: Travel to Lyon, Vieux Lyon, and a bouchon dinner

Morning: Depart Paris on the TGV (~2 hours via Omio trains). Drop bags and fuel up at Café Mokxa (Croix‑Rousse roastery; excellent flat whites).

Afternoon: Explore Vieux Lyon’s Renaissance streets and hunt for traboules (hidden passageways once used by silk workers). Climb (or funicular) to Basilique Notre‑Dame de Fourvière for sweeping views, then loop the Roman theaters.

Evening: Dine at a classic bouchon. Good choices: Le Bouchon des Cordeliers (quenelles and tablier de sapeur), Le Garet (old‑school vibe, hearty portions), or Café Comptoir Abel (paneled rooms, pike quenelle in crayfish sauce). Pair with a Beaujolais or Northern Rhône syrah.

Day 6: Markets, rivers, and Confluence

Morning: Savory start at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. Graze on oysters at a seafood counter, charcuterie from Sibilia, and Saint‑Marcellin from Mère Richard. Grab a praline brioche at Boulangerie du Palais for the road.

Afternoon: Stroll the Presqu’île from Place des Terreaux to Place Bellecour. Tram to the Musée des Confluences, a dramatic glass-and-steel museum where the Rhône meets the Saône; walk the riverbanks after for modern architecture and people‑watching.

Evening: Wine bar hop: Antic Wine in Vieux Lyon for impeccable Rhône picks, then La Cave Café Terroir near Hôtel‑Dieu for by‑the‑glass discoveries. Dinner at Daniel et Denise (MOF chef Joseph Viola; pâté en croûte masterclass) or Le Musée (warm, convivial, set menus).

Day 7: Croix‑Rousse craft, silk, and departure

Morning: Coffee at Café Piha, then wander the Croix‑Rousse plateau—murals like the Fresque des Canuts tell the silk story in giant trompe‑l’œil. Pop into a silk workshop to see jacquard looms in action.

Afternoon: Last tastes at a bouchon for a mâchon (charcuterie, cheese, Beaujolais) before you depart. For flights out of Lyon–Saint‑Exupéry (LYS), check Omio flights. TGVs also return to Paris (~2 hours via Omio trains) if you’re catching an evening transatlantic flight.

Evening: If staying late, toast the trip by the Saône at Le Sucre’s rooftop (check programming) or keep it low‑key with gelato on Place des Jacobins.

Optional Paris Add‑Ons (if you swap activities)

Prefer a daytime cruise or museum combo? Consider a comprehensive day of highlights:

Paris in a Day: Louvre or Orsay, Eiffel Tower, City Walk & Cruise

Note: Swapping this in would replace one of the Paris days above; keep total guided tours to 3–4 across the week for balance.

Additional Paris hotel ideas: For Left Bank boutique charm near the Eiffel Tower, try Hôtel du Champ de Mars. For palatial style along Rue de Rivoli, consider Le Meurice or Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Browse more neighborhoods on Hotels.com Paris and VRBO Paris.

Summary: In one week, you’ll trace France from royal Versailles mirrors and the Louvre’s masterpieces to Montmartre’s cafés and Lyon’s convivial bouchons. With a swift TGV ride knitting the cities together, this itinerary balances big‑ticket icons with neighborhood flavors you’ll keep craving long after wheels up.