Things to Do in Paris, France

1. Eiffel Tower

Famous Paris landmark offering panoramic views of the city. Take the lift or stairs to enjoy river scenes, skyline photos, and nightly lights.

Quick facts: Visitors often admire its intricate iron lattice that seems to move against the sky, casting enchanting shadows as the sun sets. Interestingly, the structure expands and contracts with temperature fluctuations, causing it to grow by as much as 6 inches during hot weather.

Highlights: The tower lights up every hour on the hour after dark, with exactly 20,000 bulbs creating a sparkling show that lasts five minutes. Gustave Eiffel, the engineer behind the design, built a secret apartment near the top where he entertained notable guests such as Thomas Edison and hosted private dinners with breathtaking views of the city.

2. Louvre Museum

World-renowned art collection spanning thousands of years in a magnificent former royal palace. See masterpieces including the Mona Lisa, Egyptian relics, and grand Renaissance rooms.

Quick facts: Enter to explore a maze of over 35,000 art pieces, with every corner revealing a masterpiece from ancient times to modern art. The famous glass pyramid lets in natural light, presenting a striking contrast between contemporary design and historic grandeur.

Highlights: More than 35,000 artworks are displayed, but an unusual tradition involves a secret underground tunnel once used by royalty for discreet arrivals and departures. A peculiar feature is the nearly hidden 'Idiot's Room', a small chamber where guards could watch unseen, offering a mysterious glimpse into the palace's history.

3. Notre-Dame Cathedral

A symbol of Gothic architecture and Parisian heritage. Admire towering stained glass, sculpted facades, and lively views from the square and towers.

Quick facts: Gargoyles and chimeras sit atop the cathedral's edges, functioning as both decorations and water spouts, delighting visitors with their eerie forms. The towering stained glass windows fill the interior with colorful light, creating a peaceful yet awe-inspiring atmosphere that captivates everyone who enters.

Highlights: Below the famous gargoyles, visitors gently tap the huge bells, the heaviest weighing over 13 tons, producing echoes heard miles away on calm nights. The stained glass, especially the Rose Windows, includes over 13,000 pieces of vividly colored glass, generating stunning kaleidoscopic effects when sunlight shines through.

4. Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Beautiful white basilica with sweeping views over Paris. Climb the dome for broad city vistas and explore intricate interiors and mosaics.

Quick facts: Situated on a hill, the gleaming white dome stands out against the Paris skyline, offering breathtaking panoramic views. Inside, a mosaic covers more than 6,000 square feet of ceiling space, one of France's largest, depicting Christ with open arms welcoming all visitors.

Highlights: Beneath the large white domes is the world's biggest mosaic, showing Christ with arms open wide, made from over 4,300,000 pieces of colored glass and stone. A charming local tradition involves climbing the 300 winding bell tower steps to hear the enormous 19-ton Savoyarde bell ring, believed to bring good luck and protection.

5. Champs-Élysées

A grand, tree-lined boulevard filled with luxury shops, cafés, and Parisian charm. Walk from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, shop, and enjoy city life.

Quick facts: Bright café terraces and upscale shops line a grand boulevard where the lively atmosphere is contagious, especially during dazzling holiday light displays that transform the street into a festive wonderland. Crowds gather for the famous Bastille Day military parade and the exciting final leg of the Tour de France, making it a hub of celebration and sports.

Highlights: Every year, more than 300,000 spectators line this avenue on Bastille Day to watch a grand military parade featuring over 4,300 troops, 200 horses, and 100 vehicles. At night, the trees along the boulevard light up with 240,000 bulbs, creating a magical golden canopy that turns the whole event into a fairy tale.

6. Arc de Triomphe

Napoleonic arch celebrating France's military history at Place de l'Étoile. Climb to the top for expansive views down the Champs-Élysées.

Quick facts: The monument stands at the center of a star-shaped layout of twelve avenues, forming one of Europe's busiest roundabouts and offering spectacular city views from its rooftop. Beneath the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, lit by an eternal flame honoring those who fell in World War I and symbolizing ongoing remembrance.

Highlights: Below the monument, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded by an eternal flame that burns every evening at 6:30 PM, symbolizing respect for fallen soldiers since 1921. The monument's detailed relief sculptures depict about 300 figures, including the famous high relief of La Marseillaise, where the figures come alive with patriotic spirit, almost letting you hear the cries of revolution.

7. Palace of Versailles

Opulent royal palace displaying Baroque elegance and a vast formal garden. Explore the Hall of Mirrors, richly decorated state rooms, and extensive fountain-filled grounds.

Quick facts: Lavish gardens stretch over 800 hectares, showcasing impeccably maintained lawns, ornate fountains, and secret groves that seem like something out of a fairy tale. Mirror-lined halls dazzle with reflections of golden chandeliers and detailed ceiling paintings, creating an almost magical atmosphere once wandered by royalty.

Highlights: The Hall of Mirrors is illuminated by 357 crystal chandeliers that catch sunlight during the day, creating a dazzling glow that feels almost unreal. Each year, the grand Neptune Fountain operates with water from 210 jets, and in the 17th century, King Louis XIV reportedly watched the spectacle from hidden chambers to keep an eye on his guests.

8. Musée d'Orsay

Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces housed in a grand Beaux-Arts train station. Pass works by Monet and Van Gogh and enjoy giant clock views over the Seine.

Quick facts: Entering feels like stepping inside a giant clock face with light pouring through massive glass windows, providing a stunning backdrop to famous Impressionist masterpieces. The museum's collection goes beyond paintings to include sculptures, photography, and decorative arts from a golden era of creativity and innovation.

Highlights: Housed in a former Beaux-Arts train station finished in 1900, the museum features a giant clock that lets you look over the Seine while admiring Impressionist works by Monet and Renoir. Visitors often gather beneath the huge 12-meter-high station clock for photos, enjoying a quirky tradition that blends industrial history with art.

9. Sainte-Chapelle

A soaring masterpiece of Gothic glass and medieval skill. Sunlight streams through 13th-century stained glass, transforming the chapel into a vivid kaleidoscope.

Quick facts: Being inside is like entering a kaleidoscope: stained glass windows cover nearly the entire upper walls, filling the space with vibrant colors and biblical stories. Visitors are often captivated by the chapel's delicate Gothic architecture, which feels grand and intimate at once.

Highlights: Imagine stepping into a chapel where over 1,100 stained glass windows, spanning more than 600 square meters, tell vivid biblical tales in dazzling colors that shift with the sunlight. King Louis IX had this jewel built in seven years to house precious relics, including Christ's Crown of Thorns, sparking a pilgrimage tradition that still resonates through the delicate Gothic arches today.

10. Montmartre

Bohemian hilltop area with panoramic views of Paris. Wander cobbled streets, artist squares, the Sacré-Cœur, and lively cafés.

Quick facts: Walking through narrow cobblestone streets, the bohemian spirit that inspired artists like Picasso and Van Gogh is still felt. The area offers stunning city views, especially from its iconic white-domed basilica perched on the hilltop.

Highlights: More than a century ago, this neighborhood was home to artists like Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec who painted lively scenes at the famed windmill café, Moulin de la Galette, whose wooden floors still creak with echoes of their laughter and debates. Every spring, locals celebrate the Fête des Vendanges, a grape harvest festival filling the cobblestone streets with the rich scents of fresh wine and roasted chestnuts, making the air as intoxicating as the hilltop basilica's view over the city.

11. La Conciergerie (guided visit)

guided visit

Discover a medieval palace where kings ruled and revolution occurred on Île de la Cité. Guided tours cover vaulted halls, the Salle des Gens d'Armes, and preserved Revolutionary prison cells.

Quick facts: Descend into torch-lit corridors where the heavy stone and vaulted ceilings press close, an echo of old power struggles. Guided tours showcase a preserved cell where Marie-Antoinette spent her final nights before being moved to face the guillotine in 1793.

Highlights: Lean close to a narrow cell housing a straw pallet, a chipped enamel basin, and a pewter spoon whose scratches are visible under tour lighting. A brief audio clip plays an excerpt from a letter by Marie-Antoinette, roughly 20 lines long, and hearing her words in this dim space makes the past feel strikingly immediate.

12. Luxembourg Gardens

Relax in a Parisian garden bordered by the Luxembourg Palace and classic statues. Stroll tree-lined paths, admire the Medici Fountain, and watch locals play pétanque.

Quick facts: Stroll past more than a hundred statues and a large octagonal pond where children sail tiny wooden boats on sunny afternoons. A lively mix of sun-dappled lawns, chestnut trees, and a baroque fountain attracts students, seniors, and chess enthusiasts sharing benches.

Highlights: Head down to the Medici Fountain and you'll hear water flowing over scalloped stone as a reclining nymph and a bronze tarasque face each other, a sculptural duet by Auguste Ottin. About twenty children often race tiny wooden boats on the octagonal pond while a hand-cranked Guignol puppet troupe performs cheeky, satirical shows beneath chestnut trees.