Three Days in,
Paris.

Overview

After yesterday's Louvre marathon, today trades galleries for open air and one very tall landmark. The morning starts on Rue Cler, still waking up around its market stalls, before the short walk over to the Eiffel Tower for the first big view of the trip. From there the pace stays easy: a lawn picnic on Champ de Mars with the tower overhead, then a quieter stretch at the Rodin Museum where the garden does most of the talking. Late-summer light is the whole point of the evening, a Left Bank stroll along the Seine toward the Musee d'Orsay footbridge, ending with bistro classics at Cafe Constant. Tomorrow's an early climb up to Montmartre, so tonight's dinner is a good one to linger over.

Tips

• Wear real walking shoes. Between Rue Cler, the tower grounds, Champ de Mars, and the river walk, you'll cover a few miles on foot by evening.
• Book the Eiffel Tower summit lift ticket online before you go. Same-day lines can run over an hour, and the stairs-to-second-floor option is the fallback if you'd rather skip the wait.
• Grab picnic supplies (baguette, cheese, fruit) at the Rue Cler stalls right after breakfast, before the morning rush thickens.
• Rodin Museum tickets are cheap to buy online in advance and skip the ticket-counter line, especially useful right after the Eiffel Tower crowds.
• Cafe Constant doesn't take reservations, so arrive by 7:45pm for an 8pm dinner or expect a short wait at the bar.
• Pack a light layer for the evening river walk. Even in August, the breeze off the Seine picks up once the sun starts dropping.

Getting Around

Everything today is walkable, no metro needed. Cafe du Marche to the Eiffel Tower is 16 minutes on foot, then just 9 more minutes to the picnic spot on Champ de Mars. The walk to Rodin Museum takes about 26 minutes, longer than the others, so budget time if you're picnicking late. From there it's 14 minutes to the river, and Cafe Constant is a quick 4-minute stroll from the evening walk's end point.

Local Tips

Rue Cler stallholders appreciate a quiet "bonjour" before you start pointing at pastries, it's a small courtesy that goes a long way here. At the Eiffel Tower, security bags checks mean arriving a few minutes before your lift slot, not right at it. Picnicking on Champ de Mars is completely normal and expected, just pack out your own trash since public bins fill up fast on sunny days. Along the Seine in the evening, the quays get lively with locals doing the same golden-hour walk, so it's a good time for people-watching as much as the view.