Day 12 of 18 · Paris

Montmartre early, the Marais by night.

Sacré-Cœur at 08:30 · Carnavalet · l'As du Fallafel · Berthillon

Morning Afternoon Evening Meals Tickets

☼ 57°F / 45°FCloud, a shower possibleWear: Layers, waterproof, comfortable shoes, Montmartre is steep and cobbled.

School-holiday week in France · busier than a normal weekday

Beat the Montmartre crowd by being there at 08:30, then spend the evening in the Marais.

Optional, before the day starts. A 1-hour gym session or a run (nearest option is on the Paris page), and an afternoon nap block is built into the schedule below, take it on the long days.

01Morning

Sacré-Cœur + Montmartre

08:30

Montmartre, Sacré-Cœur (free, the highest point in Paris), Place du Tertre before the painters set up, the vineyard, Rue de l'Abreuvoir, the Café des Deux Moulins (Amélie).

11:00

Funicular or the steps down. Back to the hotel, regroup.

02Afternoon

Le Marais + Carnavalet · LV drop-off · Île Saint-Louis

13:00

Le Marais, Place des Vosges (the oldest square in Paris, arcades all the way round), the Musée Carnavalet (free, the history of Paris) or the Musée Picasso.

15:00

Rue des Rosiers, falafel at l'As du Fallafel, the old Jewish quarter. See Meals.

16:15

Drop the two passport covers at Louis Vuitton, La Samaritaine (Pont Neuf) for the hot-stamp. Paris quotes ~48 hours, so this is a drop-off today and a pickup Monday. Phone ahead to confirm they take existing covers and the timing works.

16:45

Cross to the Île Saint-Louis, a Berthillon ice cream, the quiet quays.

03Evening

20:00

Dinner in the Marais, Provençal or a bistro. See Meals.

22:30

Last night at the Marriott. Pack tonight. L'Empire's front desk will hold bags for an early drop tomorrow (Sun) on your way to Versailles if you want to call ahead, or the Marriott bell desk holds them for the day either way.

The table

Breakfast~$14

A Montmartre boulangerie

house pick Coffee + a croissant, on your feet.

Lunch~$22

l'As du Fallafel, Rue des Rosiers

house pick Green door, always a queue, and it moves fast. Take it away and eat walking (the one time it's fine) or grab a stool inside.

Order: The falafel spécial (aubergine, hummus, cabbage, harissa) and a fresh lemonade.

Dinner~$70

Chez Janou (Provençal) or Robert et Louise (Marais)

house pick Chez Janou is a lively corner bistro with 80 pastis and a self-serve chocolate mousse in a giant bowl. Robert et Louise cooks over an open wood fire in a tiny room.

Order: At Chez Janou: the chocolate mousse (serve yourself), a daube provençale. At Robert et Louise: the côte de bœuf for two, off the fire.

Tickets and bookings

Item	When	Est.	Link	Status
Musée Carnavalet (free) or Picasso ($30 / on the pass)	13:00	$0-30	open	,

+ add this day to your calendar

Confirmations and vouchers live in Europe 2026 / Reservations & Vouchers on Google Drive, shared with the two of you. Nothing sensitive is on this page.

Before you leave the door

Insider edge

“It's super crowded, and you'll see people from home in the queue for Sacré-Cœur.” Beat it by being there by 08:30, the church opens at 06:30 and the light off the city is best early.

Dr. Trace & Dr. Leticia

Avoid this

The string-bracelet men on the steps below Sacré-Cœur, they grab your wrist. Hands in pockets, don't stop. Skip the restaurants on Place du Tertre.

House pick

Backup move

Rain on those cobbles is miserable, flip the day: the Marais and its covered spots (Carnavalet, Picasso, the Marché des Enfants Rouges) by day, Montmartre another morning.

House pick

Ideal window

Sacré-Cœur 08:30; the Marais is best late afternoon into evening. Carnavalet and the Picasso are closed Mondays, today is Saturday, fine.

House pick

If time, or if a deal lands

Option	Added	Note
Musée Picasso, Paris (on the pass)	+$0	the Hôtel Salé, Marais, not the Barcelona one
Catacombs of Paris	+$58	book well ahead; near Denfert-Rochereau

What today runs

Estimates. Swap in the real figure as you go.

Breakfast, Montmartre boulangerie	$14
Musée Carnavalet (free) / Picasso	$0
Lunch, l'As du Fallafel	$22
Berthillon ice cream, Île Saint-Louis	$12
Dinner, Chez Janou / Robert et Louise	$70
Wine	$16
Today, Paris	$134

Flights and the places to stay are on the costs page, not counted here.

How it went

Written after the day: what you did, what you loved, what you'd skip, the photographs, a voice note or two. It fills in here and in the album.