Plan for busy/moderate-high crowds; a peak-holiday crush is unlikely, not guaranteed. Crush’s Coaster closes September 7 until summer 2027, making Sunday its final operating day.
The Louvre is free after 18:00 tonight, but this plan intentionally avoids tying a timed museum to an intercontinental arrival.
SATURDAY
SEP 05Palace + Night Fountains
Light
Sunset 20:24
Pace
18–22 km · EXTREME
Versailles from first light to fireworks
Leave Hotel Darcet
Walk to Saint-Lazare, take Transilien Line L to Versailles Rive Droite, then walk 17–20 minutes. Carry breakfast and target Palace security by 08:25; allow a 15-minute rail buffer.
Palace first timed entry
Separate day ticket
Book the Passport with a 09:00 Palace slot. Move directly through the State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors before the biggest groups. Current full-adult price: €35.
Enter the gardens immediately after the Palace. Walk the Orangery overlook, Latona and Apollo axis before lunch; fountain sequences are concentrated later in the afternoon.
Use La Girandole in the gardens—the current menu includes a vegan poke bowl. If using thepla, ask staff about the designated Marmousets picnic area; do not exit to the Park assuming garden re-entry.
Protect the night: rest by the Grand Canal, then explore nearby paths before the afternoon water program. Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet are a SHOULD, not part of this base day.
Musical Fountains circuit
Return for the programmed groves and basins. Main sequences end around 17:00; reach Neptune for the 17:20 finale if confirmed. The daytime gardens close at 17:30.
Exit the gardens and reserve Taj Mahal at 3 Place Charost. It has many vegetarian dishes but is a mixed kitchen; call first if separate preparation matters.
Queue at the Cour d’Honneur entrance with the separate Night Fountains ticket (currently €39 full adult). The optional Royal Serenade removes most of this dinner/rest buffer, so it is not in the base plan.
Follow the illuminated-garden route, then be in position by 22:40. The 22:50–23:05 finale combines fireworks and more than 500 drones; the event is walking-only with no seating.
Walk to Versailles Rive Droite for Line L only if the same-day planner confirms the final train. Recheck works 48 hours ahead and keep a prebooked taxi/VTC fallback; expect the hotel around 00:15–00:45.
Routing note
This day exceeds your moderate-heavy target: Saturday is the only Night Fountains date, and Disney follows early Sunday. Pack the Disney bag beforehand, skip Trianon and the Royal Serenade, and consider a VTC home. Trying to add Trianon can push the day toward 25k–30k steps. Ordinary rain does not trigger refunds; severe conditions can change operations.
SUNDAY
SEP 06Disney day
Light
Sunset 20:22
Pace
20k+ steps
Two parks, one strategic Sunday
Leave for Marne-la-Vallée
Disney clothes and day bag should already be ready before Versailles. Take Line 2 from Place de Clichy to Nation → RER A showing Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy / Parcs Disneyland.
Arrive and clear security
Target 08:40–08:50 after the late Versailles return. The current public schedule is 09:30–22:00; Hotel Darcet guests do not receive 08:30 Extra Magic Time. Recheck seven days ahead and same-day.
Rope-drop Crush’s Coaster. If its queue is already extreme, check Premier Access One before sacrificing the morning; then Frozen Ever After, Tower of Terror, one Avengers attraction and Ratatouille via Single Rider.
September 6 is the confirmed final day of this 30-minute show. Check weather and performance times in the app; use a second performance window for rides if one fits better.
Prioritize Big Thunder Mountain → Phantom Manor → Pirates → castle gallery and dragon → Hyperspace Mountain → Indiana Jones.
Early dinner
Colonel Hathi’s currently lists lentil dal, rice, naan and pakoras. Confirm the live menu in the app before walking over.
Disney Tales of Magic
For a first visit, choose the castle show and claim a viewing spot 30–45 minutes early. Return RER A → Nation → Line 2; expect the hotel around midnight.
Routing note
Crowd answer: expect BUSY / MODERATE-HIGH, not peak-holiday levels—an inference, not an official forecast. French schools are back, but Sunday is both Crush’s final day and the last day of Disney Village’s summer program. Keep Sunday if Crush matters; use rope drop, 11:15 lunch and live waits. Moving Disney to Tuesday would likely be calmer, but Crush will be closed and the historic Paris/Eiffel day would be displaced.
MONDAY
SEP 07Masterpieces & monuments
Light
Sunset 20:20
Pace
12–15 km
Louvre to the Arc, westward
Carried breakfast, then leave
Protect sleep after Disney: eat thepla/protein bars at the hotel and reach the Louvre Pyramid by 08:35 for the first timed entry.
Focused Louvre visit
Book now
Winged Victory → Mona Lisa and The Wedding Feast → Apollo Gallery → Venus de Milo → one Egyptian section. Stop after three hours.
Hôtel de Ville → Rue des Rosiers → Place des Vosges. Cap this at 90 minutes; Centre Pompidou remains exterior-only and can be skipped first if the morning slips.
Trocadéro and Eiffel security
Use Line 8/9 west, photograph the tower from Trocadéro, then cross the bridge. Join security 30 minutes before the booked entry.
Eiffel Tower
Book now
Allow 2–2½ hours for the summit. Current adult pricing is €36.70 summit or €23.50 second floor; wind and operations can close the top.
Walk to Pont de l’Alma for Bateaux-Mouches. Use its flexible sightseeing ticket after dinner; if a sailing is missed, take the next published departure rather than rushing the Eiffel visit.
Take the Metro to Hotel Darcet. Confirm Wednesday’s terminal and baggage allowance, then put travel-day breakfast in your personal item.
Routing note
Making Versailles + Night Fountains mandatory means Musée d’Orsay and the Opéra/Galeries Lafayette district no longer fit honestly. They are SHOULD visits: add one only by cutting the Latin Quarter + Marais block, not by compressing the timed Eiffel or cruise.
WEDNESDAY
SEP 09Onward to Italy
Light
Sunset 20:16
Pace
Travel day
Orly before breakfast, Bari by lunch
Check out
Use your carried breakfast and double-check passports, terminal and baggage receipts.
Prebooked official taxi
The regulated Right Bank → Orly fare is €45 total. Public transport saves only €17 for two and is not worth the timing risk.
Backup: an Air France nonstop from CDG is currently around 14:15. Avoid Beauvais unless Ryanair remains materially cheaper after bags and the long transfer. Reverify schedules before payment.
03 / FOUR CHOICES
Make it yours.
Your selections stay saved on this device. The default choices protect the widest first-trip experience.
YOUR VERSION
Sunday Disney · Versailles Night Fountains + dinner reset · Eiffel summit · Arc ground only
Metro/Train/RER rides cost €2.55, including Paris to Disney. Airport rail is €14. Each person needs a separate phone or Navigo Easy pass.
After the 23:05 Versailles finale, verify the final Line L train in the official planner that evening. Keep a taxi/VTC fallback rather than assuming the published schedule survived works or a strike.
Skip the €78 five-day Paris Visite pass for this route; pay-as-you-go should cost materially less.
Nous sommes végétariens: sans viande, sans poisson, sans fruits de mer, ni bouillon de viande.
Végétarien can include eggs and dairy. Ask for végétalien when animal rennet, gelatin, broth or hidden dairy is a concern. Add “sans œufs” if needed.
Strict Jain/no-onion-no-garlic preparation must be discussed directly with each restaurant.
C
Carry snacks safely
Plant-based cooked thepla and dry snacks are the lowest-risk choices. Keep protein bars sealed with ingredient labels.
Avoid meat, dairy-heavy foods, fresh fruit or vegetables and seeds. Declare anything uncertain. Museums do not permit eating in galleries; Disney permits individual food but not glass or bulky picnic gear.