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Hotel du Louvre in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Paris

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Paris

Updated 1 October 2026 · 17 things to do

Pictured: Hotel du Louvre in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt

Paris has been the world's favourite city break for so long that it's easy to forget how good it really is. The Eiffel Tower still makes people gasp, the Louvre holds a lifetime of art, and Notre-Dame, restored after the fire of 2019, gleams again above the Seine. But the city's real pleasures are smaller: a warm croissant from the corner boulangerie, a café terrace for people-watching, a stroll along the river as the lights come on.

Book the big museums and the Eiffel Tower ahead, then organise your days by neighbourhood: the islands and the Latin Quarter, the Louvre and the Tuileries, the Marais, Montmartre, Saint-Germain. The metro makes hopping between them easy, but walk whenever you can. Keep a day for Versailles.

Don't miss

  1. 1The Eiffel Tower
  2. 2The Louvre
  3. 3Notre-Dame
  4. 4The Musée d'Orsay
  5. 5Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur

The big sights

The landmarks that define the city, and deserve the hype.

  1. The Eiffel Tower

    Landmark

    The Eiffel Tower seen from the Palais de Chaillot across the Trocadéro gardens
    Photo: NonOmnisMoriar, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Built for the 1889 World's Fair and once loathed by much of artistic Paris, Gustave Eiffel's iron tower is now the city's beloved symbol. Ride the lifts to the top for a view that stretches across the whole city, or climb the stairs to the second floor.

    After dark it sparkles with thousands of lights for a few minutes every hour, best watched from the gardens of the Trocadéro across the river.

    Tip: Book lift tickets online in advance; otherwise expect long queues.

  2. The Louvre

    Museum

    The Louvre palace and its glass pyramid
    Photo: Maksim Sokolov (maxergon.com), CC BY-SA 4.0

    Once a royal palace, now one of the largest art museums in the world, entered through I. M. Pei's glass pyramid. The Mona Lisa draws the crowds, but the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Egyptian antiquities and Napoleon III's opulent apartments are just as unforgettable.

    Don't try to see it all. Pick a few wings and come back another day.

    Tip: Closed on Tuesdays. Book a timed ticket online and arrive as the doors open.

  3. Notre-Dame

    Landmark

    The carved Gothic west front of Notre-Dame
    Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The great Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité reopened in December 2024 after the fire of 2019, and its restored stone and glass have never looked so bright. Stand back to admire the carved west front, walk round the back for the flying buttresses, and step inside to see the rose windows glow.

    Tip: Entry is free; reserving a time slot online can save a long wait.

  4. Sainte-Chapelle

    Landmark

    Walls of medieval stained glass in the upper chapel of the Sainte-Chapelle
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Built in the 13th century by King Louis IX to house holy relics, this royal chapel hides inside the Palais de Justice. Climb the narrow stairs to the upper chapel and the walls all but disappear into soaring panels of medieval stained glass. Come on a sunny morning for the full effect.

    Tip: Book a timed ticket and allow time for the security check at the Palais de Justice.

  5. The Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées

    Landmark

    Napoleon's triumphal arch stands at the top of the Champs-Élysées, above the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with twelve avenues radiating from it like the points of a star. Climb to the roof for the view down the avenue to the Louvre and out to the towers of La Défense.

    Tip: Use the underpass to reach the arch; never try to cross the roundabout.

More great museums

  1. The Musée d'Orsay

    Museum

    The former railway station that houses the Musée d'Orsay, beside the Seine
    Photo: Phyrexian, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A grand Beaux-Arts railway station on the Left Bank now holds one of the world's great collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh, room after room. Don't miss the view of the city through the station's giant clock face.

    Tip: Closed on Mondays. Book ahead and go early or late in the day.

  2. The Musée de l'Orangerie

    Museum

    In a corner of the Tuileries gardens, two oval rooms were built to display Monet's Water Lilies, huge panels that wrap around you in a calm, shimmering panorama. It's small enough to see in an hour, and the perfect antidote to the Louvre's crowds.

  3. The Musée Rodin

    Museum

    Rodin's sculptures fill an elegant 18th-century mansion and its rose garden, where The Thinker sits contemplating among the hedges and The Gates of Hell writhe against a wall. It's one of the most beautiful museums in the city.

Neighbourhoods to wander

Paris is a city of villages, each with its own character.

  1. Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur

    Neighbourhood

    The white domes of the Sacré-Cœur basilica on top of Montmartre
    Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The hilltop village where Picasso, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec once lived still has cobbled lanes, a little vineyard and the artists' easels of Place du Tertre. At the top, the white domes of the Sacré-Cœur basilica look out over the whole of Paris.

    Climb the steps for sunset, then wander down the back streets, away from the busiest corners, for dinner.

  2. Le Marais

    Neighbourhood

    The red-brick arcades and gardens of the Place des Vosges
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Aristocratic mansions, medieval lanes, galleries and boutiques make the Marais one of the most rewarding quarters to explore. Its centrepiece is the Place des Vosges, an elegant square of red-brick arcades, and the old Jewish quarter around Rue des Rosiers is famous for falafel.

    Graze your way round the Marché des Enfants Rouges, the city's oldest covered market, and finish at the Musée Picasso.

  3. Saint-Germain-des-Prés

    Neighbourhood

    The terrace of the Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain
    Photo: Celette, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The Left Bank's literary heart, where Sartre and de Beauvoir held court in the Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. Today it's chic galleries, bookshops and pâtisseries, with the Jardin du Luxembourg, its pond, chairs and palace, a short walk away.

  4. Along the Seine

    Activity

    The Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis on the Seine
    Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The banks of the Seine are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a walk along them is the best free show in Paris. Browse the green boxes of the bouquinistes, the riverside booksellers, cross to the Île Saint-Louis for an ice cream, and watch the boats glide under the bridges as the sun goes down.

Eat and drink

  1. Boulangeries and pâtisseries

    Food

    Croissants and pains au chocolat in a Paris boulangerie
    Photo: Thomon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Start every day the Parisian way, with a buttery croissant or pain au chocolat from the local boulangerie and a crisp baguette for later. Then there are the pâtisseries: glossy éclairs, fruit tarts and delicate macarons, displayed like jewels.

  2. Bistros and wine bars

    Food

    The classic Paris bistro, with its zinc bar, chalkboard menu and tiny tables, is the place for steak-frites, duck confit, French onion soup and crème brûlée. For something more relaxed, the city's wine bars pour natural wines with plates of cheese and charcuterie.

    Tip: Book ahead for dinner at popular bistros, especially at weekends.

Day trips

  1. Versailles

    Day trip

    The gilded Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles
    Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Louis XIV's colossal palace south-west of Paris is the ultimate expression of royal power: the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, the King's and Queen's apartments and vast formal gardens with fountains, canals and the Trianon palaces. Marie Antoinette's mock farming hamlet is a charming surprise.

    Tip: Closed on Mondays. Book a timed ticket, take the RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche and arrive early.

  2. Giverny

    Day trip

    Monet's garden at Giverny
    Photo: Pierre André Leclercq, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Claude Monet's house and gardens in Normandy, with the lily pond and green Japanese bridge he painted again and again, are as lovely as the paintings. The gardens open from spring to autumn; take the train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon and the shuttle on from there.

  3. Disneyland Paris

    Activity

    East of the city at Marne-la-Vallée, Disneyland Paris has two parks, Sleeping Beauty's castle and all the classic rides. The RER A runs straight there from central Paris, making it an easy day out with children.

Where to stay in Paris

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Paris →

Getting around

The metro is fast, frequent and reaches every corner of the city, and the RER trains link the centre with both airports, Versailles and Disneyland. Central Paris is very walkable, and the Vélib' bike-share system is handy. Don't bring a car.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the classic times, mild and beautiful in the parks. Summer is warm, busy with visitors and quieter with locals, many of whom leave in August. Winter is cold and grey but has shorter queues and the glow of Christmas lights.

Questions about visiting Paris

What is Paris best known for?
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame, along with its art, fashion, food, café culture and the romance of the Seine.
How many days do you need in Paris?
Four days lets you see the big sights, a couple of museums and several neighbourhoods. Add a day for Versailles or Disneyland Paris.
Which Paris attractions should you book in advance?
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles all sell timed tickets online, and booking ahead saves long queues.
What is there to do in Paris with kids?
The Eiffel Tower, boat trips on the Seine, the toy sailboats on the pond in the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Jardin des Plantes and a day out at Disneyland Paris.

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