Paris After Dark: 3 Days and 3 Nights

Paris was the first city in Europe to light its streets, and it still looks its best after dark. The bridges are lit, the monuments glow gold, the Eiffel Tower sparkles at the start of every hour, and the cafés, jazz cellars and cabarets fill up as the museums close. This route turns the usual day upside down: slow mornings, one sight in the afternoon, and three evenings that each show a different side of the city at night.

Night one is the grand Paris of the Right Bank: the Louvre during its late opening, a cruise on the Seine as the bridges light up, and the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadéro. Night two is the Latin Quarter: dinner near the Panthéon, swing dancing in a medieval jazz cellar and a cabaret show at the Paradis Latin, built by Gustave Eiffel. Night three is the Eiffel Tower itself: up in the dark, down to the lawns of the Champ de Mars and on to the jazz clubs of the rue des Lombards.

The arrival day is for an early night, because the next three are late. Day 1 must fall on a Wednesday or a Friday, when the Louvre stays open until 21:00, and never on a Tuesday, when it is closed.

We earn a commission when you book through partner links on this page. It never changes the price you pay. See our affiliate disclosure.

This route at a glance

Tickets to book before you fly

Four bookings for three nights; jazz cellars sell entry at the door. Prices start at the figures shown, per person.

Arrival evening: rest for the nights ahead

This is the only route on the site that tells you to go to bed early on the first night. Have dinner near the hotel, take a short walk to the river to see the lit bridges and save your energy for three long evenings.

Use the next morning for a long breakfast and a nap if you need it; Day 1 starts at 18:00 at the Louvre.

• Check the time of the last metro from your hotel station before you go out.
• Night buses (Noctilien) run all night from Châtelet and the main stations.
• Taxis and ride apps are the easiest way home after the metro closes.

Day 1: The Louvre late, a Seine cruise and the Trocadéro

Spend the afternoon in the Tuileries or a café, and arrive at the Louvre at 18:00 on a Wednesday or a Friday, when it stays open until 21:00. The evening crowds are a fraction of the daytime ones, the Mona Lisa room is calm, and the sculpture courtyards under their glass roofs are lit and almost silent. A guided entry gets you to the masterpieces quickly; then wander as the light fades over the pyramid.

At 21:00, walk out into the Cour Napoléon to see the pyramid lit up, then take the metro to the foot of the Eiffel Tower for an evening cruise. The boats are electric and quiet, with music and a drink on board; the bridges, the Louvre, Notre-Dame and the Conciergerie glide past lit up, and the tower sparkles above the water at the start of the hour.

After the cruise, walk across the Pont d'Iéna to the Trocadéro for the classic view of the lit tower. Stay for the next sparkle, then end the night with a drink on one of the terraces of the Place du Trocadéro.

Stops in order

1. 16:00 · Tuileries Garden: a slow afternoon in the garden
   113, 75001, Paris
2. 18:00 · Louvre Museum: late opening on Wednesday and Friday
   Pont du Carrousel, 75001, Paris
3. 21:00 · Louvre Pyramid: the pyramid lit up
   Cour Napoléon, 75001, Paris
4. 21:30 · Bateaux Parisiens pier: evening cruise from the foot of the tower
   Port de la Bourdonnais, 75007, Paris
5. 23:00 · Trocadéro Gardens: the sparkle at the top of the hour
   Paris

The numbers for this day

💡 Pro Tip

Enter the Louvre by the Carrousel at night

In the evening, the underground entrance from the Carrousel du Louvre, reached from the rue de Rivoli, is quicker than the pyramid. Use it to get in, and leave by the pyramid for the view.

Pro tip by: Alesia Vakula

Travel expert and itinerary planning specialist

If it rains: The Louvre is indoors and the cruise boats have a covered deck; rain makes the lit city shine on the water.

Day 2: The Panthéon lit, a jazz cellar and the Paradis Latin

Spend the afternoon on the Left Bank, then go up to the Panthéon at dusk to see its dome lit against the sky and the rue Soufflot running down to the Luxembourg. Have an early dinner in one of the bistros around the Place de la Contrescarpe, where students and locals fill the terraces in the evening.

At 21:30, the Paradis Latin on the rue du Cardinal-Lemoine opens its doors. The oldest of the great Paris cabarets, founded in 1803, was rebuilt by Gustave Eiffel after a fire, and its show of dance, song and acrobatics is livelier and more playful than the shows at the Moulin Rouge. Book the show with or without dinner.

After the show, walk down to the rue de la Huchette and the Caveau de la Huchette, a jazz cellar in medieval vaults where Parisians have danced to swing and bebop since the 1940s. It is open late, the band plays until the small hours, and nobody minds if you have never danced before.

Stops in order

1. 16:00 · Luxembourg Gardens: the garden before closing
   Place Edmond Rostand, 75006, Paris
2. 19:00 · Panthéon: the dome lit at dusk
   Place du Panthéon, 75005, Paris
3. 19:30 · Rue Mouffetard: dinner around the Contrescarpe
   Rue Mouffetard, 75005, Paris
4. 21:30 · Paradis Latin: cabaret, built by Gustave Eiffel
   28 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75005, Paris
5. 23:30 · Caveau de la Huchette: swing in a medieval jazz cellar
   5 Rue de la Huchette, 75005, Paris

The numbers for this day

💡 Pro Tip

Arrive at the Caveau after 23:00

The cellar fills up with dancers late in the evening. Arrive after the cabaret, when the band is in full swing and the floor is busy; it is the best hour of the night.

Pro tip by: Alesia Vakula

Travel expert and itinerary planning specialist

If it rains: The cabaret and the jazz cellar are indoors; take a taxi between them in heavy rain.

Day 3: The Eiffel Tower in the dark and the jazz clubs of the Right Bank

Spend the late afternoon at the Pont de Bir-Hakeim and the Allée des Cygnes, then go up the Eiffel Tower at 19:30. The city lights come on below you as you climb, and from the second floor you see the boulevards drawn in light across the whole of Paris. Coming down after dark, you walk out under the lit tower as it sparkles above you.

Stroll across the Champ de Mars, where on summer evenings Parisians picnic until late on the lawns facing the tower, and take the metro to Châtelet.

The rue des Lombards, a short street near Châtelet, has three of the best jazz clubs in Paris side by side, with concerts every night from around 20:00 and late sets after midnight. Choose by the program, buy a ticket at the door and finish the trip with the last set. The night buses and taxis of Châtelet will take you home.

Stops in order

1. 18:00 · Pont de Bir-Hakeim: the iron bridge before dark
   Pont de Bir Hakeim, 75016, Paris
2. 19:30 · Eiffel Tower: up as the lights come on
   5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007, Paris
3. 21:30 · Champ de Mars: the lawns under the lit tower
   Avenue Bosquet, 75007, Paris
4. 22:30 · Rue des Lombards jazz clubs: jazz clubs, late sets after midnight
   Rue des Lombards, 75001, Paris

The numbers for this day

💡 Pro Tip

Pick the jazz club by the program, not the name

The three clubs of the rue des Lombards are equally good, and each books different styles, from big band to modern jazz. Check the three programs in the afternoon and choose the act you would most like to hear.

Pro tip by: Alesia Vakula

Travel expert and itinerary planning specialist

If it rains: The tower stays open in light rain and the view of the lit city is often better with clouds. The jazz clubs are indoors.

Departure morning: a late breakfast

After three late nights, sleep in. Book a late check-out if you can and have a long breakfast before you leave. If your flight is in the evening, the morning is free for the sights you skipped by night.

If you are flying out early, book a taxi to the airport the night before and pack before you go out on Day 3.

• Ask the hotel for a late check-out on the last day.
• Pack before Day 3 if your flight is early.
• Allow plenty of time for an international flight.

Which day goes where

The three days can run in any order. Use this table to keep every sight off its closing day.

Paris at night: what is open late

Several of the city's great sights open late on certain days, and the right evening makes all the difference. The table lists the late openings and night experiences on or near this route.

💡 Pro Tip

Plan the week around the late openings

If your trip includes a Thursday, swap one evening for the Orsay's late opening; if it includes a Wednesday or a Friday, use it for the Louvre. The three evenings of this route can move to fit them.

Pro tip by: Alesia Vakula

Travel expert and itinerary planning specialist

Staying safe at night in Paris

• The metro is busy and safe until it closes; keep your phone out of sight near the doors.
• Châtelet - Les Halles, Gare du Nord and Pigalle are the stations to avoid alone after midnight; take a taxi from there.
• Taxis wait at ranks outside the main stations and theaters; ride apps work everywhere.
• Bars: keep an eye on your drink and your bag, as in any big city.

The center of Paris, from the Latin Quarter to the Marais, stays busy and well lit until late every night of the week.

More 3-day routes

• Romantic 3 days in Paris: sunset cruises and a cabaret night.
• Montmartre and beyond: the Lapin Agile and the Moulin Rouge.
• The Marais and east Paris: the bars of Oberkampf and the Marais.
• Paris for photographers: blue hour and the lit city.
• Getting around Paris in 3 days: last metros and night buses.
• 4 days in Paris: add a fourth evening, at the Orsay late opening or a second cabaret.
• All the 3-day routes, by theme