Come check out a selection with the best tips on what to do in Paris to know how much you will spend and decide which sights you will visit!
Making a full roadmap for the capital of France is a challenge and both considering the amount of sights and sightseeing in Paris existing there, isn’t it? Museums, parks, monuments and churches are all over the city and generate doubts at the time of planning the trip, so in this post we separate the best tips from what to do in Paris to facilitate your trip.
Here you can check out the most visited and recognized attractions of the City of Light, as well as check out ride tips for free, with children, at night or with rain. So you can book those that fit the most for the period of your trip to Paris!
Comes with us to know everything we do in Paris and still check out a full itinerary for travel from 1 to 7 days around the city. 
In this post you will read:
- Top sights in Paris
- Museums in Paris
- Things to do in Paris for free
- Things to do in Paris with kids
- Things to do in Paris at night
- Things to do in Paris with rain
- Restaurants in Paris
- Places to stay in Paris
- See more tips from Paris
- Frequently Asked Questions
Top sights in Paris
We set up a selection with the most spectacular Paris sights. The attractions range from parks to museums, and enjoy all kinds of audiences, children or adults.
- Eiffel Tower
- Louvre Museum
- Champs-Elysées and Arc de Triomphe
- Palace of Versailles
- Luxembourg Garden
- Pantheon
- Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie
- Basilica of Sacré-Coeur
- Museum l’Orangerie – The Orangerie Museum
- Opera Garnier
- Eurodisney
- Moulin Rouge
- Museum d’Orsay
- Gallery Lafayette
- Centre Pompidou
- Rodin Museum
- Catacombs of Paris
Please see the information provided below for details about each item.
1 – Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument in the world and is also the most famous symbol of the French capital. Those who go to Paris cannot miss the opportunity to climb the top of the place to contemplate the magnificent view from above the city, as well as make beautiful records and look still at the telescope willing to travellers. For Civitatis it is possible to buy tickets to the 2nd or 3rd floor of the Tower, in addition to ensuring a cruise through the Seine followed by lunch at Madame Brasserie, the attraction restaurant!
2 – Louvre Museum
Knowing the iconic Monalisa, the Venus of Milo and other hundreds of famous works will make the trip even more special, so the Louvre Museum is another tourist point that cannot stay out of your itinerary by the City of Light. The site has 400 rooms and 35 thousand pieces exposed, so it is necessary to separate enough time to go through the corridors. It is possible to guarantee free entry on the first Friday of the month, from 18h (except July and August), or still choose to buy the advance tickets in Civitatis for € 81 and ensure a guided tour in Portuguese!
3 – Champs-Elysées and Arc de Triomphe
The famous Champs-Elysées Avenue is a luxurious shopping corner that brings together famous brands and sophisticated designer brands. Located in the 8th arrondissement, the avenue connects the Arc de Triomphe to the Garden of Tuileries and deserves a visit during the stay in the City of Light. Those who plan to know the Arc will like to know that the top viewer is free on the first Sunday of each month (between November and March), but tickets purchased in advance for € 16 also guarantee a visit to the exhibition with models and objects related to the Napoleonic period.
4 – Palace of Versailles
Although it is located in the neighboring city, the building of the Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited by those who travel to the region and is worth over, especially for those who hire a tour of the Palace of Versailles from Paris. The old abode of Maria Antoinette and several other monarchs has more than 2,300 rooms divided between Royal family apartments, coronation rooms and the famous Mirror Gallery. The visit to the palace, which includes access to the gardens and exhibitions, costs €19.50, but who travels between the months of November and March can enter for free on the first Sunday of the month.
5 – Luxembourg Garden
Perfect for those planning to enjoy a sunny day in a park right in the city centre, the Luxembourg Garden is in the Latin Quarter, near the Pantheon. Thanks to the French Senate and featuring beautiful green areas, the site has several banks so you can relax and enjoy the landscape. There are also many statues, orchard areas, greenhouses, orchid and orange, besides the beautiful Fountain of Medici which is surrounded by trees that form a wonderful view.
6 – Pantheon
Designed by architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, the Pantheon is a super-flaming neoclassical construction in the Latin Quarter. With beautiful paintings and sculptures depicting religious scenes, the site was commissioned by King Louis XV as a place of worship dedicated to Saint Genoveva, patron saint of Paris, but became a mausoleum for important figures of the French Revolution. Anyone who buys the ticket to the Pantheon for € 13 can know both the crept and the ground floor, where are the beautiful works of art. The site also offers free entry on the first Sunday of the month!
7 – Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie are the architectural jewels of the Île de la Cité. Although Notre-Dame is closed for visit since the serious fire of 2019, it is possible to buy tickets and visit the two other buildings for a single price. While Sainte-Chapelle brings together a collection of sacred art and colorful stained glass windows that illuminate the Gothic construction, the Conciergerie is where the Palace of Justice works today, but during the visit it is possible to know the cell of Marie Antoinette, dark underground dungeons and the Clock Tower.
8 – Basilica of Sacré-Coeur
Located in the bohemian district of Montmartre, Sacré-Coeur Basilica is an impressive building that blends Romanesque and Byzantine architectures. During the visit it is possible to know the gardens, the interior of the church and the dome that is 83 meters high from the ground. For those who do not dispens the incredible view of the top of the city and are willing to climb 292 steps to the viewpoint, the visit costs € 7 and the entrance is on the left side of the Basilica. The interior of the church can be visited for free.
9 – Museum l’Orangerie
Who is passionate about the impressionist paintings of Claude Monet will be delighted with the visit to the Museum l’Orangerie, which is in the Garden of Tuileries. The building in which it is situated is an old orange greenhouse (hence the name), and the exhibition is arranged as ordered by Monet himself in order to display the huge screens of the collection of the Nupheres. In addition, works by great masters such as Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso, Rousseau and Matisse are also exhibited there.
The entrance is free on the first Sunday of each month, and tickets to the museum in other days cost € 12,50.
10 – Opera Garnier
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For fans of “The Phantom of the Opera” and appreciative of the elegant neo-baroque architecture, the Palacio Garnier houses the homonymous opera that, next to the Opera of the Bastille, form the Paris National Opera. The place reflects the magnificence of the time it was built, at the request of Napoleon, mainly in the foyers decorated with gold leaves and mosaics. The entrance of the Opera Garnier costs € 15 and guarantees access to the Great Staircase, the Rotonde des abonnés, the Moon and the Sun room and the Library of the Opera Museum, for example. Tickets for the show must be purchased on the official website of the Opera.
11 – Disneyland Paris
Who travels with the whole family to the City of Light and has questions about what to do in Paris will love the recommendation of a tour to Disneyland Paris. The park has two centers: Disneyland Park, where Disney’s most popular characters are, and Walt Disney Studios Park, with more attractive adult toys. The entrance to the park costs from € 56 (a park), but it is possible to get entrances to the two from € 81.
12 – Moulin Rouge
The Moulin Rouge is a traditional cabaret located in the district of Montmarte. Opened in 1889 and already attended by personalities such as Edith Piaf, Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra, the site dates back to the period of the Belle Époque de Paris. It is possible to get a ticket only for the show “Feérie” for € 135 or to choose the option that is preceded by a dinner with the Menu Toulouse-Lautrec and half bottle of champagne for € 250.
13 – Orsay Museum
The Musée d’Orsay is, like the Louvre, much sought by art lovers visiting the French capital. Situated in the old building of the Orsay railway station, the site consists mainly of works from the Impressionist and post-impressionist period and exhibits names such as Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet, Delacroix and Cézanne. The entrance to the museum costs € 16 and may have scheduled time to avoid the big queues, but it is also possible to guarantee free entrance on the first Sunday of each month.
Paraphrased: Fourteen – Gallery Lafayette
The Lafayette Gallery is another great shopping point in Paris and even has a unit located in the Champs-Elysées. Those wishing to visit the original site should be assigned to the 9th arrondissement, close to the Opera Garnier. The site has over 3,000 brands and occupies an entire block, but is also super famous for the free viewpoint at its top that guarantees a beautiful view of the city. You can hire a guided tour (in English or French) by the site or simply explore it on your own.
15 – Centro Pompidou
The Pompidou Centre currently houses the French National Museum of Modern Art that exhibits works by Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky and Warhol, for example. With a viewpoint, library and cinema room, the site draws a lot of attention on account of its colorful facade full of escalators, pipes and elevators that make a lot of sight in the ashes of the 4th arrondissement. To visit the site you must buy a ticket for € 15 that gives the right to permanent exposure and the viewpoint, or can still enter for free on the first Sunday of each month.
16 – Rodin Museum
Anyone who wants to take a quiet walk while meeting famous sculptures in an exclusive 18th-century rococo mansion will love the Rodin Museum. There can be conferred works such as “The Thinker”, “The Kiss”, “The Bourgees of Calais” and “The Gate of Hell”, all of Auguste Rodin, but there is a fully dedicated room Camille Claudel, who was a student, collaborator and lover of the artist. The entrance of the museum costs € 15, but who travels between the months of October to March can enter free of charge.
17 – Catacombs of Paris
For those seeking alternative tours in Paris, the famous Catacombs will allow visitors to explore the depths of the city through paths filled with bones of thousands of Parisians. The tunnels have 1.5 km of extension and irregular flooring, so get ready well for the route. The tickets of the catacombs are super disputed and cost €29, so it is important to buy them in advance.
Check out more trip options in Paris for a must-see route.
Museums in Paris
There are over 150 museums scattered around Paris, so it is sure to find the ideal tour during your stay there. Above we already talked a little about some of the most famous, but there are many others that are worth being known in the fashion business, for example, like the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
A great tip for those planning to visit various facilities is to purchase a Museum Pass, which costs from € 79 and guarantees unlimited and queued access to over 60 museums for up to six days in the French capital. It is also possible to enjoy the free days of certain museums, such as those that offer entry on the track on the first Sunday of each month!
There are numerous places to explore in Paris showcasing artwork from various artistic movements. We suggest checking out our museum guide for a list of recommended museums in the city.
- Louvre Museum
- Palace of Versailles
- Pantheon
- Museum l’Orangerie
- Museum d’Orsay
- Centre Pompidou
- Rodin Museum
- Picasso Museum
- Hotel des Invalides
- Conciergerie
- Delacroix Museum
- Chocolate Museum
- Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris
- Museum of Cera Grévin
Check out more trip options in Paris for a must-see route.
Things to do in Paris for free
We are aware that a visit to Paris can be expensive, with costs including airfare, meals, lodging, and other miscellaneous expenses. However, it is worth noting that there are also free activities available in the city. While many attractions require payment, there are opportunities to explore them without spending any money.
See a list of the top options for what to do in Paris for free:
- Stroll through the Champs de Mars and take beautiful photos in front of the Eiffel Tower
- Take one of the alternative tours in Paris and discover the tomb of celebrities in the cemeteries of Père Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse
- Visit the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur
- Walk through the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries Garden and the banks of the Seine River
- Experience the complimentary museum days in Paris.
- Book free tours such as: free tour of Paris, free tour of Montmartre, free tour of mysteries and legends of Paris and free tour of the Latin Quarter
Explore additional travel choices in Paris for a recommended itinerary.
Things to do in Paris with kids
When you talk on a trip with children to Paris, the first thing you think is a visit to Eurodisney. While it’s a great idea to spend a day or two enjoying the park’s attractions, the family can also visit other Paris sights and make amazing memories with the little ones! Next we separate some ideas from what to do in Paris with children to help in planning, check out:
- Climb on the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, have a picnic in the Champ de Mars and take the children in the carousel
- Visit the Luxembourg Garden and the Tuileries Garden, which have parks and various toys to entertain the small
- Stroll through the Paris Zoo and the Great Galerie de l’Évolution in the Garden of Plants
- Visit some museums such as the Chocolate Museum and the Louis Vuitton Foundation
- Switch between Disneyland Paris and Jardin d’Acclimatation, an amusement park near the Louis Vuitton Foundation
- Create stunning photos in front of the glass pyramid at the Louvre.
Check out more trip options in Paris for a must-see route.
Things to do in Paris at night
The City Luz, as its name says, comes to life at night and deserves a special tour route after sunset to know the beautiful architecture of destiny. Some places are very frequented, like the Eiffel Tower with its flashing lights, but in addition we separate other tips from what to do in Paris at night. Check out our directions:
- Seine Cruise with Gourmet Dinner
- Panoramic Bus Night Tour, Big Bus
- Dinner at Madame Brasserie, the Eiffel Tower restaurant
- Classical music concert at Madeleine
- Classical music concert in Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Enjoy a night in Aura Invalides, Moulin Rouge, Crazy Horse or Cabaret Paradis Latin
- Dinner with opera show in Bel Canto
- Night Bike Tour
- Paris Bar Tour
Check out more trip options in Paris for a must-see route.
Things to do in Paris with rain
If it’s raining during your stay days in Paris, you don’t have to worry! Make rain or sun, the City Luz has walks for all kinds of weather. Most museums in Paris are concentrated in covered areas, so strolling through the diverse facilities available in the city is a great idea. Next we separate some of the best to enjoy in the days of unexpected rain and other choices of what to do in Paris with rain, see:
- Visit Pantheon, l’Orangerie Museum, Pompidou Center, Hotel des Invalides, or Conciergerie on a leisurely walk.
- Visit the Catacombs of Paris
- Meet some restaurant in the city, like the famous cafes and patisseries with typical pastries of pastry
- Text: Visiting Gallery Lafayette for shopping
- Spend the night in one of the traditional cabarets such as the Moulin Rouge, the Crazy Horse or the Cabaret Paradis Latin
- Make a tasting of wines and cheeses
- Participate in a perfume shop
- Visit a traditional French bakery
Check out more trip options in Paris for a must-see route.
Restaurants in Paris
French cuisine is one of the best known internationally and has recipes full of chestnuts, mushrooms, truffles, cheeses, wines, fine butters, fish and sugar. Some of the most popular French dishes are the boeuf bourguignon and the coq au vin (with wine), the foie gras and the ratatouille, in addition to the classic macarons, petit gateau and crème brûlée.
Several restaurants in Paris are known internationally, others are famous for having been attended by personalities in the past decades, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus and Ernest Hemingway. You can also enjoy meals at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and the memorable coffee of the movie “The Fabulous Destination of Amelie Poulain”! Here are some recommendations:
- Café des Deux Moulins
- Madame Brasserie – A woman named Brasserie
- L’atelier Joel Robuchon
- Café de Flore
- Maison de La Truffe
- Paris’ Hard Rock Cafe
- Angelina
- Ladurée
Places to stay in Paris
There are hundreds of choices for you to decide Where to stay in Paris, between hotels in Paris, holiday rentals in Paris, hostels in Paris and bed & breakfast in Paris, but the best recommendation is to ensure a place close to the sights that you want to visit. In the following list you can check out an option of each type of accommodation in the city that are super well located there:
- Relais12bis Bed & Breakfast By Eiffel Tower – Daily from € 241 – Note 9.8
- Hôtel des Arts Montmartre – Daily from € 190 – Note 9.6
- Apartments Du Louvre St Honoré – Daily from € 268 – Note 9.0
- The People – Paris Bercy – Daily from € 70 – Note 8.8
Find out more hotels in Paris to ensure the perfect stay.
See more tips from Paris
The tips aren’t over yet! We leave below a list of complete posts to give you a hand in planning your trip:
- Honeymoon in Paris
- Hotels near Disney Paris
- Hotels near the Eiffel Tower
- Hotels near Louvre Paris
- Hotels near Arc de Triomphe Paris
- Hotels near Champs-Elysées Paris
- Mercure hotels in Paris
- Hotels near Versailles Palace
- Paris Hotels with Kitchenette
- Hotels near Lafayette Gallery
- Hotels in the Latin Quarter in Paris
- Montmartre hotels
- Saint Germain Hotels in Paris
- Where to watch the sunset in Paris
- How to get to Paris
- When to go to Paris
Frequently Asked Questions
If you haven’t found the information you needed, check out the quick questions and answers about our readers’ main questions:
A great tip from where to buy tickets for everything you do in Paris is in Civitatis! On the site it is possible to shop parcels in up to 12 times without IOF! See the prices of the tours.
If you have just separated 1 day to explore the Light City, the tour should be more focused on the main attractions and need to start early. The Eiffel Tower must be in the priorities of the list, but with the short time we do not recommend the climb, but rather that you admire the monument as you walk through the Champ de Mars. Then, head straight to the Champs-Elysées and enter the shops you prefer, but don’t stay without taking beautiful pictures in the Arc de Triomphe. At the end of the walk, spend the afternoon in the Tuileries Garden and take beautiful pictures in front of the glass pyramid in the Louvre.
Just as in the 1-day script in Paris, who plans to spend 2 days in the City of Light will be able to pass the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysées and the Louvre Museum. However, as there is more time, we recommend leaving the Louvre for the second day of the trip. So you follow from the Arc de Triomphe straight to the Luxembourg Garden and can stretch the ride to the Pantheon! On the second day, you can share your time between exploring the museum and Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre. Enjoy to also meet some famous cafes in the neighborhood.
Anyone who wants to climb on the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower will find a good time for this in the 3-day script in Paris. After you know the monument, you can choose to take a boat ride through the Seine or head straight to the bohemian Montmartre. Scenario of “The Fabulous Destination of Amélie Poulain”, the neighborhood gathers famous attractions and charming streets that are worth being on the road. At night we recommend a dinner at the Moulin Rouge or some of the great restaurants in the region. On the second day we will go to the Champ-Elysées circuit, Arc de Triomphe and Louvre Museum. Separate a few hours of the day to go through the busy corridors of the site and enjoy the famous artworks. During the afternoon you can go to another shopping center: the Lafayette Gallery. It is close to the Opera Garnier, so walk a little to the location and take amazing photos of luxurious architecture. Finally, on the third day you will meet the Luxembourg Garden, the Pantheon and the Latin Quarter, which has several bookstores and cafes. By crossing one of the bridge available in the region you will reach the Île de la Cité, where you can stroll through the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, and make beautiful records of the façade of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
The 4-day script in Paris is very similar to that of 3 days, but instead of going to the Île de la Cité after the Latin Quarter, you can go to the neighboring neighborhood: Saint Germain. There is where the famous Café de Flore and Ladureé, where you can try the traditional Parisian macarons. The neighborhood also houses the Musée d’Orsay, with its immense collection of Impressionist artists. On the last day in the city, head to Île de la Cité to check out Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie and Notre-Dame Cathedral. After that, visit in the Marais the Picasso Museum and the Pompidou Centre to check out your collections!
After following the 4-day script in Paris, you can enjoy the last day at the Tuileries Garden. The place has several facilities worth knowing, but the most recognized is the l’Orangerie Museum with its giant Impressionist works. Another cool place to visit within the city is the Rodin Museum or the Plant Garden. However, if you want to know another impressive construction before leaving, we recommend a day strolling through the Palace of Versailles and its gardens.
Those planning to stay in Paris can do all the scripts already arranged above without having to choose between the sights of Paris, since with this amount of days it is possible to visit all the emblematic places. You can also discover more restaurants and patisseries to taste from French cuisine, or spend the day doing alternative tours in Paris, as a visit to the Catacombs.
Just like those who stay 6 days in the City of Light, the script for what to do in Paris in 7 days is super complete and covers the main monuments of the city, in addition to the Palace of Versailles in the neighboring city. On this extra day you can choose to enjoy the attractions of Disneyland Paris, get to know the house of Monet in Giverny or even take a train and explore other nearby towns such as Bruges, Mont Saint Michel, Normandy and Loire Valley.
As winter in Paris is low season, most of the attractions will be more empty, so you can check out some sights with smaller queues such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the Arc de Triomphe. In addition to the tours in closed places, you can also stroll through the classic Christmas markets and have fun on the skating rinks arranged by the city. Be sure to warm up with a delicious hot chocolate on Angelina!
Those who travel to Paris in the summer must be careful with the month of August, because several attractions are reduced times and operas, theatres and various bakeries and cafes are closed due to the European holiday period. However, cultural manifestations continue to take place outside the halls, amid music and film festivals. Traditional sights will be with larger queues, but a good alternative is to have picnics in the city parks and refresh yourself with a sorbet in Amorino. Visit Paris Plage also to have an idea of the artificial beach created there.
