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Morning

If it’s a fine morning get an early start and enjoy a stroll in the Jardin des Plantes before the city gets truly busy. The Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle doesn’t open until 10am, but the garden is close enough to rue Mouffetard to enable you to enjoy the fabulous market, which gets going by about 8am. Don’t forget to take your eyes off the stalls every now and then to see the splendid old buildings on this medieval street. Then return to the museum and its Evolution Gallery.

From the gardens it is a short walk to the Place de la Contrescarpe. Enjoy this friendly square before walking down the rue Mouffetard for a coffee at one of its many cafés. Once revived, walk down to the bottom of the road to see the church of St- Médard on your left.

Turn left along rue Monge to the Arènes de Lutèce. A couple of minutes away is a little bistro, Le Buisson Ardent (25 rue Jussieu 01 43 54 93 02), which is ideal for lunch.

Afternoon

You can spend part of the afternoon at the Institut du Monde Arabe , exploring its beautiful Islamic artworks, before walking down to admire the Moorish architecture of the Mosquée de Paris . Finish the day with a mint tea at the Café de la Mosquée (pl du Puits-de-l’Ermité 01 45 35 97 33).

Morning

Begin the morning at the Musée Picasso , to beat the crowds and allow enough time to view the huge collection. There is also an excellent gift shop. Afterwards, walk to the place des Vosges, and do a circuit of the arcades. Stand in the centre near the fountains to take in the whole square.

Have a coffee at Ma Bourgogne (19 pl des Vosges 01 42 78 44 64), right on the square. Afterwards, tour the Maison de Victor Hugo, on the southeast corner to the Musée Picasso (see (see p87). Take the rue de Birague which leads to rue Faubourg-St-Antoine. Turn left and walk to place de la Bastille.

A good lunch choice is Bofinger , with its ornate decor and true Parisian feel.

Afternoon

The Place de la Bastille is something of a traffic nightmare, but take time to admire the statue in the centre and contemplate the events that happened here when this was the site of the city’s dreaded prison. Walk around the square and along rue Faubourg-St-Antoine, a now fashionable shopping street. Turn off down some of the passageways to see the furniture-makers and craft workshops that have a long history in the area.

From here it’s not far to Le Baron Rouge wine bar, for a restorative glass of wine, coffee and cake or a light early evening meal.

Morning

Visiting the Louvre (see Musée du Louvre) takes planning, and you should get there at least 15 minutes before opening time. Spend the whole morning in the museum, and pick up a map as you enter so that you can be sure to see the main highlights. Do bear in mind that two shorter visits are much easier than one. Have a morning coffee in the Café Marly in the museum.

From the Louvre, either visit the Carrousel du Louvre's underground shops or walk along rue de Rivoli towards place de la Concorde . This end of the street is now filled with souvenir shops but avoid the overpriced cafés and turn right to rue Mondavi for a good lunch at Lescure, a little rustic bistro (7 rue de Mondovi 01 42 60 18 91 ).

Afternoon

After being indoors all morning at the Louvre, get some fresh air in the Jardin des Tuileries then walk down to place de la Madeleine to spend the afternoon browsing and shopping in its many excellent food stores. This will definitely work up an appetite, so take tea in the restaurant of one of the best shops, Hédiard .

If you are on a budget however, reverse this itinerary, as admission to the Louvre is much cheaper after 3pm, even on Wednesday when late-night opening means you could still spend more than six hours exploring the collection.

Morning

The Champs-Elysées (see Avenue des Champs-Elysées) is an area for leisurely strolls. Begin by window-shopping along one side of the avenue Montaigne, where Prada, Nina Ricci, Dior and many more have their flagship stores – the area oozes money. Have a break in the Bar des Théâtres, where fashion names and the theatre crowd from the Comédie des ChampsÉlysées across the street sometimes hang out (6 ave Montaigne 01 47 23 34 63).

Return up the other side of avenue Montaigne to the Champs-Elysées, for the stroll to the Arc de Triomphe. This is where the “real world” shops, at more affordable prices. Break for lunch at Spoon, Food and Wine , but get there early to get a table.

Afternoon

Continuing up the Champs-Elysées, look past the car showrooms and fast food outlets to note the many interesting buildings which house them.

Take the underpass to the Arc de Triomphe and climb to the top for the views. Walk or take the metro to the rue du Faubourg-St-Honoré, where more designer shops.

For tea and cakes, Ladurée is a must on the Champs-Elysées, with its heart-warming macar- oons and syrupy hot choc- olate (75 ave des Champs-Elysées. 01 40 75 08 75)

Morning

Arrive at Notre-Dame by 8am to beat the crowds and appreciate its magnificence, then head for the fragrant Marché aux Fleurs. As well as flowers, you can buy all kinds of garden accessories and seeds. Return to Notre-Dame if you want to ascend the towers, which open at 10am. Take a coffee break at Le Flore en l’Ile , with its views of the cathedral.

The fascinating Crypte Archéologique is worth a half-hour visit, then spend the late morning at Sainte-Chapelle , when the sun beams through the stained-glass windows.

There are plenty of places for lunch, but on a sunny day try La Rose de France with its terrace seating.

Afternoon

Spend a leisurely afternoon strolling the narrow streets of the Ile St-Louis, which are filled with characterful shops and galleries (see Shopping).

Wind up with an afternoon treat by visiting Berthillon, considered the best ice cream purveyor in Paris.

With more than 70 flavours on offer, from plain vanilla to whisky, and including virtually any fruit you can think of, the hardest part will be choosing, although there is plenty of time to make your choice as there will inevitably be a queue, especially in summer

Morning

This area is as much about atmosphere as sightseeing, so take time to soak up some of that Left Bank feeling. Begin on the Quai de la Tournelle, strolling by the booksellers here and on the adjacent Quai de Montebello. As well as admiring the views of Notre-Dame, you might find an unusual souvenir.

From here head south down any street away from the river and you will meet the busy boulevard St- Germain. Turn right in the direction of two famous cafés, the Flore and the Deux Magots, and stop for a break in either of them (see p125) amid the locals talking the morning away.

Cut your way south to the rue de Grenelle and the Musée Maillol, a delightful lesser-known museum. Then enjoy lunch at L’Oeillade (10 rue St-Simon 01 42 22 01 60), a bistro full of Gallic atmosphere.

Afternoon

The later you reach the Musée d’Orsay the less crowded it will be. Spend an hour or two exploring the collection. By far the most popular displays are the Impressionists on the upper level.

After admiring the art, enjoy tea and a cake at Christian Constant , one of the best chocolatemakers in Paris. It’s the ideal place for a special present or just a piece of self-indulgence for yourself.