For a first-time visitor in 2026, the "ideal" stay in Paris is 4 to 5 days. This timeframe allows you to experience the "Big Three" (The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame—which has fully reopened with its new spire) without feeling overwhelmed. A 4-day itinerary typically allocates one day for the historic center (Île de la Cité and Le Marais), one for the world-class art of the Left Bank (Musée d'Orsay), one for the bohemian heights of Montmartre, and a final day for a specific interest like the Catacombs or a high-fashion shopping spree on the Champs-Élysées. If you wish to include a day trip to the Palace of Versailles or Disneyland Paris, you should extend your stay to 6 or 7 days. Because Paris is a "walking city" with a complex metro system, a longer stay reduces "travel fatigue" and leaves room for the quintessential Parisian experience: sitting at a sidewalk cafe for two hours with a single espresso and a book, soaking in the "City of Light" at a local's pace.