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Paris New Year: 1-Day Itinerary

31 December: Notre-Dame in the morning, then New Year’s Eve dinner and midnight on the Champs-Élysées.

Plan with your own dates

Relaxed pace — The city, the Seine and the New Year celebration

The city, the Seine and the New Year celebration: 1–2 main stops a day is plenty; the rest is for long meals, café breaks and a rest before midnight.

Thursday 31 December10:00–01:00

New Year’s Eve: Notre-Dame & Midnight on the Champs-Élysées

One main stop: inside Notre-Dame in the morning. Then Île Saint-Louis, lunch in the Marais and a long rest; New Year’s Eve dinner at Madeleine and midnight on the Champs-Élysées. If you’d rather skip the crowds, see in the New Year at your restaurant.

  1. 10:00

    Notre-Dame Cathedral (inside) 50 min

    The cathedral restored after the 2019 fire and reopened in December 2024: bright stone vaults, the rose windows and the new altar. Entry is free; the queue is shorter in the morning.

    15 min queue + inside + the façade

  2. 10:50

    Walk · 15 min

    Behind Notre-Dame to the Pont Saint-Louis.

  3. 11:05

    Île Saint-Louis & an ice cream 45 min

    The quiet island in the middle of the Seine: 17th-century mansions, famous ice-cream makers and the quay facing the back of Notre-Dame.

  4. 11:50

    Walk · 15 min

    Over the Pont Marie into the Marais.

  5. 12:05

    Place des Vosges 30 min

    The oldest square in Paris: red-brick arcades, lime trees and the garden in the middle.

  6. 12:35

    Walk · 8 min

    Along Rue des Francs-Bourgeois.

  7. 12:43

    Lunch: the Marais 75 min

    An unhurried bistro lunch in the Marais; dinner will be late and long.

  8. 13:58

    Metro · 25 min

    Line 1 from Saint-Paul back to your hotel.

  9. 14:23

    Rest at the Hotel 302 min

    Rest at the hotel; it’s a long night.

  10. 19:25

    Metro · 25 min

    From your hotel to Madeleine (lines 8, 12 and 14). Last year the stations at Concorde and on the Champs-Élysées were closed from 4 pm, so don’t get off at Concorde.

  11. 19:50

    New Year’s Eve dinner: Madeleine 150 min

    A 15-minute walk from the Concorde entrance. Restaurants serve a set réveillon menu (menu de la Saint-Sylvestre) and fill up early, so book in October or November.

  12. 22:20

    Walk · 20 min

    Down Rue Royale to Concorde and the entrance to the Champs-Élysées; security check.

  13. 22:40

    Midnight: the Champs-Élysées & the Arc de Triomphe 105 min Our pick

    The 2026/27 programme comes out in early December. Last year the Champs-Élysées went pedestrian from 7 pm; at 11:50 pm there was a video-mapping show and countdown on the Arc de Triomphe, with fireworks around the Arc at midnight. Free and very crowded: the main way in is from Concorde, with security checks, so don’t bring a big bag. Find your spot on the lower half of the avenue by 11 pm.

    Other options

    The Trocadéro: The Eiffel Tower view and smaller crowds; last year there were no fireworks from the tower.

    A New Year’s Eve boat on the Seine: See in midnight on the Seine aboard a dinner cruise. Sells out early. Find tickets

    Midnight at your restaurant: If you’d rather skip the crowds, linger over the réveillon menu and toast midnight with champagne at your table.

  14. 00:25

    Metro · 35 min

    Back to your hotel: last year the metro, RER and suburban trains ran free all night; stations nearby stayed closed until 1 am. Walk to Madeleine; line 14 is the easiest. The 2026 arrangements will be announced in late December.

Open the route on the map or open in Apple Maps

Balanced pace — The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and midnight on the Champs-Élysées

Explore the city: nearby stops come in one flow (Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle and the Marais; the Louvre, the Tuileries and the Eiffel Tower; Montmartre, the Opera and Galeries Lafayette). You can skip anything marked “Optional” and the day still works.

Thursday 31 December09:00–01:00

New Year’s Eve: Notre-Dame, the Marais & Midnight on the Champs-Élysées

Inside Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle in the morning, Île Saint-Louis and the Marais; a long rest in the afternoon, New Year’s Eve dinner at Madeleine and midnight on the Champs-Élysées: video mapping and fireworks on the Arc de Triomphe.

  1. 09:00

    Notre-Dame Cathedral (inside) 50 min

    The cathedral restored after the 2019 fire and reopened in December 2024: bright stone vaults, the rose windows and the new altar. Entry is free; the queue is shorter in the morning.

    15 min queue + inside + the façade

  2. 09:50

    Walk · 5 min

    Across the island to the Palais de Justice.

  3. 09:55

    Sainte-Chapelle (inside) 50 min

    The upper chapel, walls made almost entirely of stained glass: 1,113 scenes of 13th-century glass. Brightest in the midday sun.

    20 min security (through the law courts) + inside

    Ticket needed: book at least 5 days ahead
  4. 10:45

    Walk · 15 min

    Behind Notre-Dame to the Pont Saint-Louis.

  5. 11:00

    Île Saint-Louis & an ice cream 35 min

    The quiet island in the middle of the Seine: 17th-century mansions, famous ice-cream makers and the quay facing the back of Notre-Dame.

  6. 11:35

    Walk · 15 min

    Over the Pont Marie into the Marais.

  7. 11:50

    Place des Vosges 25 min

    The oldest square in Paris: red-brick arcades, lime trees and the garden in the middle.

  8. 12:15

    Walk · 8 min

    Along Rue des Francs-Bourgeois.

  9. 12:23

    Lunch: the Marais 60 min

    A Marais bistro; dinner is late and long, so keep lunch light.

  10. 13:23

    Rue des Rosiers 20 min

    The Marais’ historic Jewish street: falafel counters, bakeries and small boutiques. Some shops close on Saturdays.

  11. 13:43

    Metro · 25 min

    Line 1 from Saint-Paul back to your hotel.

  12. 14:08

    Rest at the Hotel 317 min

    Rest at the hotel; it’s a long night.

  13. 19:25

    Metro · 25 min

    From your hotel to Madeleine (lines 8, 12 and 14). Last year the stations at Concorde and on the Champs-Élysées were closed from 4 pm, so don’t get off at Concorde.

  14. 19:50

    New Year’s Eve dinner: Madeleine 150 min

    A 15-minute walk from the Concorde entrance. Restaurants serve a set réveillon menu (menu de la Saint-Sylvestre) and fill up early, so book in October or November.

  15. 22:20

    Walk · 20 min

    Down Rue Royale to Concorde and the entrance to the Champs-Élysées; security check.

  16. 22:40

    Midnight: the Champs-Élysées & the Arc de Triomphe 105 min Our pick

    The 2026/27 programme comes out in early December. Last year the Champs-Élysées went pedestrian from 7 pm; at 11:50 pm there was a video-mapping show and countdown on the Arc de Triomphe, with fireworks around the Arc at midnight. Free and very crowded: the main way in is from Concorde, with security checks, so don’t bring a big bag. Find your spot on the lower half of the avenue by 11 pm.

    Other options

    The Trocadéro: The Eiffel Tower view and smaller crowds; last year there were no fireworks from the tower.

    A New Year’s Eve boat on the Seine: See in midnight on the Seine aboard a dinner cruise. Sells out early. Find tickets

    Midnight at your restaurant: If you’d rather skip the crowds, linger over the réveillon menu and toast midnight with champagne at your table.

  17. 00:25

    Metro · 35 min

    Back to your hotel: last year the metro, RER and suburban trains ran free all night; stations nearby stayed closed until 1 am. Walk to Madeleine; line 14 is the easiest. The 2026 arrangements will be announced in late December.

Open the route on the map or open in Apple Maps

Tips

  • Since October 2026 there have been cost-of-living protests and strikes (the next big day is 5 November). Big marches usually run between Bastille, République and Nation, and on those days some metro stations and museums can close. Check the RATP and the museum’s website before you go, and keep away from the crowds.

  • Staying 2–4 days and visiting 2–3 museums a day? The Paris Museum Pass can pay off; it covers the Louvre, the Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle and the Arc de Triomphe. Even with the pass, most places need a timed booking. Paris Museum Pass

  • Paper metro tickets are gone: buy a Navigo Easy card from the station machines and load single tickets or a day pass onto it. You can also pay by phone (the Bonjour RATP app).

  • Pickpockets work the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadéro, the Sacré-Cœur steps and the metro: keep your bag in front and don’t stop for petition or bracelet sellers.

  • If you live outside the EU, tax free works in the department stores: ask at the till and complete it at the PABLO kiosk at the airport on your way home.

  • Restaurants serve lunch from 12 to 2 pm and dinner from 7:30 pm; the kitchen may be closed in between. The lunchtime set menu (formule) is the best value, and service is included in the bill.

Times are for Thursday 31 December. Some are official for 2026, some are last year’s; check before you go. The guide’s table shows which is which: New Year’s Eve in Paris

Frequently asked questions

Is 1 day enough for Paris New Year?

One day is enough for New Year’s Eve itself: Notre-Dame and the Marais in the morning, then dinner and midnight on the Champs-Élysées.

Which museums and landmarks can you visit inside on a 1-day New Year trip to Paris?

Relaxed: no ticketed museums; markets, streets and churches. Balanced: Sainte-Chapelle.

How far ahead should I book tickets?

Sainte-Chapelle at least 5 days ahead. Queues are long in the holiday week.

I’m going on different dates; how does the route change?

Enter Paris and your arrival and departure in the planner on the home page. If your trip includes 31 December or 1 January and is up to 4 full days, you get the New Year routes; on other dates, our year-round Paris routes, built around that day’s opening hours.