The best things to do in Paris

1.The Louvre

The world's most visited museum: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and far more than one day can cover.

Tip: Book a timed ticket, pick two or three wings and go on a late-opening evening. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

2.Notre-DameFree

The cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire, with the restored interior brighter than it has looked for centuries.

Tip: Entry is free; reserve a free time slot online to skip most of the queue.

3.Sainte-Chapelle

A small royal chapel on the Île de la Cité whose upper floor is almost entirely 13th-century stained glass.

Tip: Go on a sunny morning, when the glass is at its best.

4.Musée d'Orsay

Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas in a former railway station on the Left Bank.

Tip: Book a time slot and start on the top floor with the Impressionists before the crowds arrive.

5.A walk along the SeineFree

The riverbanks from the Louvre to the Île Saint-Louis are a World Heritage site, lined with booksellers' green stalls.

Tip: Walk at dusk, then cross to the Île Saint-Louis for an ice cream at Berthillon.

6.A Seine river cruise

An hour on the water passes the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame, and it's a good first-evening plan after a long journey.

Tip: Boats leave from near the Eiffel Tower and the Pont Neuf; evening departures show the lit-up bridges.

7.The Eiffel Tower

Climb or ride to the second floor for the best view of the city, or go to the summit on a clear day.

Tip: Tickets are released about two months ahead and sell out in summer. Taking the stairs to the second floor is cheaper and the queue is shorter.

8.Trocadéro and the Champ de MarsFree

The classic views of the tower, from the terrace across the river and from the lawns beneath it.

Tip: The tower sparkles for five minutes every hour on the hour after dark.

9.Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées

The rooftop of the arch looks down the twelve avenues that meet below it and along the Champs-Élysées to the Louvre.

Tip: Use the underpass from the north side of the avenue; never try to cross the roundabout.

10.Jardin du LuxembourgFree

The city's favourite park, with the Senate's palace, a boating pond and hundreds of green chairs to sit in.

11.Saint-Germain cafés

Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, where Sartre, de Beauvoir and Hemingway wrote and argued.

Tip: Go for breakfast, when they're calmer and you can actually get a terrace seat.

12.The Panthéon and Rue Mouffetard

The domed resting place of Victor Hugo and Marie Curie, then down one of Paris's oldest market streets.

13.Le MaraisFree

Medieval lanes, 17th-century mansions, falafel on Rue des Rosiers and some of the best small shops in Paris.

Tip: It's at its liveliest on Sunday afternoon, when most of Paris is closed.

14.Place des VosgesFree

The city's oldest planned square, with arcades all the way round and Victor Hugo's house in one corner.

15.Musée Picasso

The largest collection of Picasso's work anywhere, in a 17th-century mansion.

16.Palais Garnier

The opera house that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, with a gilded foyer and a Chagall ceiling.

Tip: The self-guided visit is easy to book; seeing a ballet here costs less than you might think if you book early.

17.Galeries Lafayette rooftopFree

A free terrace on top of the department store with a view across the rooftops to the Eiffel Tower.

18.Canal Saint-MartinFree

Iron footbridges, locks and canal-side cafés, where young Parisians gather on summer evenings.

Tip: Bring a picnic and sit on the quay with everyone else.

19.Sacré-CœurFree

The white basilica at the top of the hill, with one of the best free views over Paris.

Tip: Go early in the morning, before the crowds and the street sellers on the steps.

20.Montmartre's village streetsFree

Rue de l'Abreuvoir, La Maison Rose, the vineyard and the last windmills, away from busy Place du Tertre.