Top 10 Things to Do in Paris

Things to Do in Paris

1. 

   1. Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars

   The Eiffel Tower was completed for the 1889 Exposition Universelle and rises above the Champ de Mars on the Left Bank. Its observation levels provide a broad view of the Seine, the city's radiating avenues and the dense roofscape that is difficult to appreciate from street level. Pair the tower with the lawns and riverfront rather than treating it as a stand-alone photo stop. Walk at least part of Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars in both directions when practical, because changing sightlines across the water make the site especially useful for understanding Paris's physical layout.

2. 

   2. Louvre Museum

   The Louvre occupies a former royal palace whose courtyards and wings record centuries of expansion before the building became a public museum during the French Revolution. Its collections range from ancient civilizations to European painting and sculpture, including works such as the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory of Samothrace. Choose a wing or collection in advance because the museum is too large for a useful all-at-once visit. Treat Louvre Museum as a focused visit rather than trying to exhaust every gallery; check current timed-entry rules, temporary closures and the collections that matter most to you before arrival.

3. 

   3. Musée d’Orsay

   The Musée d’Orsay occupies the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle. The museum is especially strong in nineteenth-century French art, including major Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections by Monet, Degas, Renoir and Van Gogh. The converted station and its large clock faces make the building itself part of the experience. Treat Musée d’Orsay as a focused visit rather than trying to exhaust every gallery; check current timed-entry rules, temporary closures and the collections that matter most to you before arrival.

4. 

   4. Notre-Dame Cathedral and Île de la Cité

   Notre-Dame stands on the Île de la Cité, the island at the historic core of Paris, and represents several centuries of Gothic construction beginning in the twelfth century. The cathedral reopened after the extensive restoration that followed the 2019 fire, while the surrounding island still contains the street pattern, bridges and institutions of the city's oldest center. Continue on foot to Sainte-Chapelle and the Seine quays to keep the medieval geography intact. Because Notre-Dame Cathedral and Île de la Cité is also a religious or ceremonial site, check current visiting hours, services, dress expectations and any separate tower, crypt or treasury access before building the day around it.

5. 

   5. Sainte-Chapelle

   Sainte-Chapelle was built in the thirteenth century within the medieval royal palace on the Île de la Cité. Its upper chapel is enclosed by exceptionally tall stained-glass windows that turn the interior into one of the clearest surviving statements of Rayonnant Gothic design. Because it sits close to Notre-Dame, the two monuments fit naturally into one focused historic-core walk. Because Sainte-Chapelle is also a religious or ceremonial site, check current visiting hours, services, dress expectations and any separate tower, crypt or treasury access before building the day around it.

6. 

   6. Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur

   Montmartre rises on a hill north of central Paris and developed a distinct identity through its former village streets, entertainment venues and late nineteenth-century artist community. Sacré-Cœur crowns the summit and provides a broad south-facing view over the city from its forecourt. Walk beyond the busiest approach streets to see how steep lanes, small squares and older buildings give the district its topographic character. Use Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur as a genuine walking block rather than a drive-by stop, and check current weather, trail, access or seasonal conditions before setting out.

7. 

   7. Arc de Triomphe

   The Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, where twelve avenues radiate outward in one of Paris's most recognizable pieces of urban planning. Commissioned by Napoleon and completed in the nineteenth century, the monument also contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath its arch. The rooftop view is especially useful for understanding the Champs-Élysées and the city's long east-west axes. Approach Arc de Triomphe through the surrounding streets before moving directly to its principal viewpoint, since the changing sightlines help explain why it became such a powerful landmark in Paris.

8. 

   8. Luxembourg Gardens

   The Luxembourg Gardens spread around the Luxembourg Palace on the Left Bank and combine formal French layouts with shaded promenades, lawns, sculpture and a central basin. Created in the seventeenth century for Marie de' Medici, the grounds remain one of central Paris's most important everyday public spaces. They provide a slower counterpoint to museum-heavy sightseeing and connect naturally with the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Treat Luxembourg Gardens as a focused visit rather than trying to exhaust every gallery; check current timed-entry rules, temporary closures and the collections that matter most to you before arrival.