24 Best Things to Do in Paris

After several trips to the French capital, it’s common to feel like you haven’t quite seen all the must-see sights; the great thing about Paris is that the city is always waiting for you. Here are 24 things in Paris you can’t miss.

Without a doubt, the symbol of Paris is the tower that many Parisians once rejected as an eyesore. Today, no one can imagine a visit to the French capital without going up the Eiffel Tower. Getting to the Eiffel Tower is easy, but what do you need to know if you want to go up? First of all, as with most tourist attractions in Paris, it’s best to book your Eiffel Tower tickets in advance to avoid the line. When you buy them, you’ll need to decide:

• Whether you want to go up to the second floor or all the way to the top.
• Whether you want to take the elevator or the stairs.

The price of Eiffel Tower tickets varies depending on your choice. In either case, you’ll have the option to take a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower or purchase a combo ticket that includes a tour of the Eiffel Tower and a Seine River cruise to save money.

You’ll love the views from the Eiffel Tower, both during the day and when the city is lit up, but don’t forget to explore the surrounding area and admire the Eiffel Tower’s lights at night —and even grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants near the Eiffel Tower after your visit. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your visit to the Eiffel Tower and make the experience even better.

Taking a stroll along the banks of the Seine, reaching the Tuileries Gardens that lead up to the Louvre Museum, and sitting down to read a book on the benches surrounding its massive fountains is one of the best Parisian experiences. While the Louvre’s art collection is one of the most extensive and renowned in the world, the walk to the Louvre and the surrounding area are just as impressive.

The time you’ll need to see the Louvre varies depending on how deeply you want to explore it, but I wouldn’t recommend less than three hours. Choose a day and a time slot for your visit (as for the Louvre’s hours, note that it’s closed on Tuesdays and opens later on Wednesdays and Fridays) and, above all, buy your Louvre tickets in advance because the line to get to the ticket counter can take hours. Among the best works at the Louvre, you’ll find:

• Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
• The Venus de Milo.
• The Winged Victory of Samothrace.
• Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People.
• The Code of Hammurabi.

Don’t skip the guided tour of the Louvre to get the most out of the collection (if you’re visiting the Louvre with children, you’ll also find special tours), and avoid holidays when the crowds are even larger. There may be discounts on Louvre admission tickets, but in my opinion, it’s not worth it. Finally, don’t forget to visit the Louvre museum shop, as you can find some real gems there. I’ve also included some recommendations for places to eat near the Louvre Museum.

You’ve surely read stories about bohemian Paris and the painters and artists who flocked to the city at the dawn of the 20th century. All these stories took place in the Montmartre neighborhood, which, surprisingly, hasn’t lost that special charm that makes it the most visited neighborhood in Paris.

You’ll find this neighborhood in northern Paris, a bit away from the city center, but well-connected by the Paris Metro (Blanche, Pigalle, or Anvers stations on Line 2). The main attractions are the Sacré-Cœur, the Moulin Rouge, and the Place des Artistes, but the true essence lies in wandering its streets and cafés to discover their stories. I always recommend a guided tour of the area.

To get to the Moulin Rouge, you must venture into Paris’s bohemian neighborhood. In lower Montmartre, surrounded by adult shops and neon signs, lies Paris’s most famous cabaret, known above all for Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters and the can-can dance.

Today, some people think the Moulin Rouge is a museum, but it isn’t: it still operates as a nightclub that you can visit with your Moulin Rouge tickets. The price of the Moulin Rouge show isn’t cheap, but the experience is worth it. Whether you attend the dinner show or decide to grab a bite to eat near the Moulin Rouge, don’t forget to visit it at night to see it all lit up and feel the true character of the area.

It’s impossible to talk about one of Paris’s most iconic landmarks without feeling a bit of a shiver and without mentioning the flames that engulfed the structure on April 15, 2019.

Although you won’t be able to go up to see the gargoyles that watch over Paris from its towers— Notre Dame Cathedral is currently under restoration—you can head to the Île de la Cité to see it from the outside and take a stroll around the area. If you’re a book lover, don’t forget to visit the most wonderful bookstore in the world, located just a few meters from the cathedral: Shakespeare and Co.

It has always struck me how the Sainte Chapelle goes so unnoticed among tourists visiting Paris when it is one of the city’s top attractions. This church is located just a few meters from Notre Dame and stands out for its impressive stained-glass windows.

It’s worth booking tickets for Sainte Chapelle in Paris to experience the spectacle of light and glass. Precisely because it’s less well-known, you can enjoy it with more peace and quiet than in busier churches like Sacré-Cœur or Notre Dame.

Another iconic building is the Opéra Garnier. The performances held in this magnificent building (you must see it both by day and at night, when it’s lit up) drew the elite of French society and politics, and you’ll hear those stories when you visit its sumptuous corridors and performance hall.

During the day, you can visit the building by purchasing tickets for a guided tour of the Opéra Garnier or by booking a private guided tour of the Opéra Garnier. And if you’re in Paris at night, keep in mind that concerts and performances are still held there.

North of the Seine and in the middle of Place Charles de Gaulle stands the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which you can visit from the bottom or climb to admire the city from above. If you book tickets for the Arc de Triomphe and do the latter, you’ll see that the skyscrapers of La Défense (the business district), the Arc itself, and the Louvre Pyramid form a perfect straight line.

You can also take a stroll down the Champs-Élysées (if you visit Paris at Christmas, you’ll see that the tree decorations are simply marvelous) while browsing the numerous storefronts lining both sides of the avenue.

Another very interesting way to see the Arc de Triomphe, as well as other iconic Parisian landmarks, is through one of the best Flyview experiences in Paris.

Paris is a city of large green spaces, and one of the best-maintained and most-visited is the Luxembourg Gardens, south of the Seine River. A place that can be included in the best bike tours of Paris.

Its design, fountains, and flowers are worth a visit, but don’t just go for the tourist experience: sit down to read, buy an ice cream, and watch the daily life of Paris unfold in this park. The hustle and bustle of Paris comes to a halt in these immaculate gardens, where you’ll also find the palace that gives them their name.

After the Louvre, this is the most visited museum in Paris and, for many people, their favorite. The Musée d'Orsay features works by Monet, Rodin, Cézanne, and Gauguin in its collection; it is spread across several floors, and its layout is perfect for a visit.

In the center of the Musée d'Orsay is a main gallery filled with statues and sculptures and bathed in spectacular light; the various rooms branch off from either side of it.

The smaller crowds compared to the Louvre allow you to enjoy this visit at a leisurely pace. Even so, I recommend booking tickets for the Musée d'Orsay in advance. Read more about this and other museums in the guide to the best museums in Paris.

In a city as cosmopolitan as Paris, contemporary art has a lot to offer, and a visit to the Georges Pompidou Museum is proof of that. At the Pompidou Museum in Paris: How to Buy Tickets and Prices, you’ll see one of Europe’s largest collections of contemporary art, featuring works by Duchamp, Kandinsky, Picasso, and Matisse, as well as original installations by other artists that will ensure you have a great time during your visit.

The Pompidou is a museum where you can have a good time, have fun, and enjoy art while learning, which is why I always say that the Pompidou is an ideal museum to visit if you’re traveling to Paris with children. Read more in this article about the best museums in Paris and book tickets for the Pompidou Museum in advance.

Near the Champ de Mars lies the architectural complex of the Les Invalides Museum and Napoleon’s tomb in Paris. It certainly catches the eye with its large golden dome, but what’s actually inside that building? The answer is a military museum and a church that houses Napoleon’s remains.

If you’re interested in the French Revolution and World War II, you’ll find a huge collection of weapons and artifacts related to those periods here.

Built in the Neoclassical style and inspired by the Roman Pantheon, it is one of the main landmarks of the Latin Quarter. Its underground galleries and soaring dome are the main highlights of the guided tour available inside, but seeing it from the outside and, while you’re at it, strolling through the streets of this area is well worth the effort. Discover everything there is to see in the surrounding area with one of the best tours of the Latin Quarter.

In the south of Paris, you’ll find one of the best observation decks in Paris, offering fantastic views of the city. The Montparnasse Tower isn’t on this list because it’s particularly beautiful—far from it (in fact, it ruins the Parisian skyline)—but the views from there are worth it both because of the height (it’s not as tall as the Eiffel Tower, so you can see the city in greater detail) and because you don’t see the tower itself.

When you have limited time in a city or are just passing through, my recommendations are always twofold: book an airport transfer to save time on the way there and back, and, if you can only choose one tourist activity, opt for a guided tour of the city center. You can choose guided walking tours, but you can also consider a more original option such as:

• Segway tours of Paris.
• Electric bike tours of Paris.
• Bicycle tours of Paris.
• Nighttime bike tour of Paris.
• A tour of Paris in a classic car with a driver.
• Private sidecar tour of Paris.
• Private tuk-tuk tour of Paris.

This article on the different guided tours you can take in Paris highlights the most interesting ones. For example, a night tour of Paris can be a great opportunity to see the city lit up, but don’t rule out any part of the city—every neighborhood has its own unique charm! Due to the city’s size, tours are typically organized to cover the best neighborhoods in Paris, such as:

• Latin Quarter.
• Le Marais.
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris.
• Montmartre.

In addition, there are themed tours such as:

• A tour of Paris’s most famous cemeteries.
• A tour of Paris’s pastry shops.
• A tour of Paris’s covered passageways and galleries.
• A 20th-century film and television tour of Paris’s Left Bank.
• The Paris ghost tour.

Taking a boat ride on the Seine is one of the most popular activities in the French capital. The layout of the city’s monuments allows you to see many of them from the river, and this type of cruise is the perfect opportunity to do so in a unique and relaxing way.

Due to high demand, there are various options available, such as a dinner cruise on the Seine or a night cruise on the Seine, suitable for all budgets. We’ll tell you all about them in our practical guide to the best cruises you can take on the Seine.

It’s hard to be objective about this recommendation: we all have a child inside us, and many of us love amusement parks—especially theme parks, and particularly Disneyland. If you’re traveling with children, a visit is practically a must. If you’re not traveling with children but plan to spend several days in Paris, I recommend taking a day trip. Both children and adults have a long list of things to see and do at Disneyland Paris.

It’s easily accessible from downtown Paris, and the experience is well worth it. If you’re thinking about visiting, I recommend reading the article on how to buy tickets for Disneyland and checking both the Disney park hours and how to get to Disneyland from Paris.

Good planning is key to saving time (you’ll already lose plenty of it waiting in line for many of the attractions at the Disney parks) and money (keep in mind that eating inside the Disney park is an extra expense) on this trip. As for time, depending on how many days you spend at the park, the tips for visiting Disneyland Paris will vary. Here’s a list that will be helpful no matter which option you choose:

• What to see and do at Disneyland Paris in one day.
• What to see and do at Disneyland Paris in two days.
• What to see and do at Disneyland Paris in three days.
• What to see and do at Disneyland Paris in four days.

Best time to visit Disneyland

If you want my opinion on the best time to visit Disneyland Paris, I’m clear on this: visiting the Disney park at Christmas or experiencing the magic of Disneyland at Halloween are the best options.

We all know the story of the rise of absolutism and its fall with the French Revolution, but visiting the Palace and Gardens of Versailles is to relive it in every one of its rooms. Setting history aside, the visit is a must-see both for the sumptuousness of the palace and its impressive gardens. Any trip to the Palace of Versailles will take nearly a full day, and you can reach Versailles from central Paris by train or hire private transportation and a guided tour.

When planning your visit, check the Palace of Versailles opening hours, but keep in mind that the lines to buy tickets at the Palace of Versailles are at least two hours long; booking your tickets in advance will save you precious time that you can then spend on everything there is to see inside the Palace of Versailles.

If you’ve decided to take one of the best day trips from Paris, you’ll find these tips for visiting Versailles useful (as well as these others for visiting Versailles with kids) and this post on where to eat in Versailles.

It may surprise some that one of the items on this list is the recommendation to take a sightseeing bus. We’ll give you two reasons, and both have to do with the kind of city Paris is. First, when a city is as large as this one, it’s very difficult to explore it on foot, at least in a single day.

That’s why taking the sightseeing bus is the perfect way to cover a large area of the city in a short time—something I consider ideal for those who are short on time or want to get a general overview of the city. Plus, if you buy the Paris Pass, the sightseeing bus is one of the included attractions.

Second, comfort is a factor to consider. Paris is a beautiful city, and sometimes you just want to look around without having to take long walks at the end of an exhausting day. The panoramic views from this type of bus are perfect. Here’s more information about the Paris tourist bus.

If you’ve fallen in love with Paris above ground, you’re missing the grand finale of your trip: exploring underground Paris. The Paris Catacombs offer a fascinating journey into the city’s past and are undoubtedly a must-see if you want to learn more about its history. Heads up! Dress warmly because it gets quite cold inside due to the humidity.

Paris is a strategic hub for visiting wonderful cities that will equally dazzle you. This is the case with the following cities, which are within a manageable day’s travel:

• Giverny, where you can visit the home of painter Claude Monet.
• Champagne, a region where you can enjoy numerous champagne tastings.
• Normandy, where you’ll learn all about what happened during World War II.
• Mont St. Michel, where you can visit the abbey and cloisters.
• The Loire Valley, where you can visit the famous Renaissance castles.
• Bruges, where you’ll be amazed by the beauty of this town known as the Venice of the North.

If you want to delve into French culinary culture, you have several options. Below, I’ve listed several posts featuring the best wine and cheese tastings in Paris, the best cooking classes in Paris where you’ll learn to make bread, desserts, macarons, and croissants, and the best food tours in Paris so you can choose the options that best suit your preferences.

In addition to the most popular ones like the Louvre, the Pompidou, or the Rodin Museum, I’d like to point out other museums you can’t miss on your trip due to their high cultural value:

• The Orangerie Museum, featuring works by artists such as Monet, Matisse, Rousseau, and Picasso.
• The Grévin Wax Museum in Paris, which features over 500 figures.
• The Conciergerie Museum in Paris, where you’ll see Marie Antoinette’s cell and Europe’s largest medieval hall, the Salle des Gens d’Armes.
• The Yves Saint Laurent Museum, which will immerse you in the world of haute couture.

And if you’re one of those people who loves soccer, consider taking one of the best tours of the Stade de France in Paris. On this tour, you’ll explore France’s largest stadium.

Book a guided tour of the Stade de France in Paris, lasting approximately an hour and a half, and explore the main areas of the stadium—where the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 UEFA European Championship, among other competitions, were held—with a tour guide.

There are many tips I can give you for traveling to Paris, from the city’s best restaurants to the places where you can eat the best crepes in Paris, as well as recommendations for getting around downtown Paris. However, experience tells me that the first thing you need to consider is when you’re going to visit the city to get the most out of your trip.

The Best of Traveling to Paris in Every Season

Surely one of the first questions you’ll ask yourself when planning your trip is what the best time of year is to visit Paris. Although it sounds like a cliché, every season has its own charms—something that’s not unusual in a city the size of the French capital.

• The best of traveling to Paris in summer.
• The best of traveling to Paris in winter.
• The best of traveling to Paris in spring.
• The best of traveling to Paris in the fall.

What to do in Paris month by month

To each their own. My favorite time to visit the city is Christmas, both for the Christmas markets you can find in Paris and the holiday lights you’ll see in the city center and throughout Paris’s various neighborhoods, and because you can make the most of the best shopping tours in Paris.

However, just like the seasons of the year, every month has its own charm in the City of Light:

• What to do in Paris in January.
• What to do in Paris in February.
• What to do in Paris in March.
• What to do in Paris in April.
• What to do in Paris in May.
• Things to do in Paris in June.
• Things to do in Paris in July.
• Things to do in Paris in August.
• Things to do in Paris in September.
• Things to do in Paris in October.
• Things to do in Paris in November.
• Things to do in Paris in December.

I won’t sugarcoat it: spending less than four days in Paris means there are parts of the city you won’t get to see, and that’s a real shame. Does that mean you can’t get a feel for the city in less time? Not at all— you can always come back, and if you follow these guides, you’ll find things to do in Paris whether you’re there for a day or two weeks:

• Itinerary for visiting Paris in one day.
• Itinerary for visiting Paris in 2 days.
• Itinerary for visiting Paris in 3 days.
• Itinerary for visiting Paris in 4 days.
• Itinerary for visiting Paris in 5 days.
• Itinerary for visiting Paris in 7 days.
• Itinerary for visiting Paris in 15 days

The last point is surely one of the most tedious, but also one of the most important. Do you already know which airport you’re arriving at? Charles de Gaulle is the closest to the city center and Beauvais is the farthest, but from any of the three airports, you can save time by booking your transfer (whether for the trip there or back) in advance.

• How to get from Orly Airport to Paris.
• How to get from Beauvais Airport to Paris.
• How to get from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris.

If you’re the type of person who likes to make the most of your vacation and not miss a thing, be sure to consider booking a Paris tourist pass such as:

• Paris Passlib
• Paris Pass
• Paris Explorer Pass
• Paris Museum Pass

Even so, if you want to know whether you’ll really get your money’s worth, check out the post “Is the Paris tourist card worth it?”.