Things to do in Paris: Attractions and places to visit

1. The Eiffel Tower

Paris is unthinkable without its “Tour Eiffel”. In fact, the Eiffel Tower is perhaps the most famous sight worldwide and should of course not be missed on any trip to Paris. With its height of 324 metres, the pointed steel colossus in the city is usually in the field of vision anyway. Those who come from above, from the Trocadéro, experience the tower, completed in 1889, from the best field of vision.

Alternatively, the way from the other side via the Champs de Mars with its small parks and lush lawns that are populated in summer by Parisians as well as tourists is worthwhile. Then it goes of course up to the tower, be it on the lower platform in the still wide part including skywalk and an ideal view to all sights or right at the top to the summit of the cosmopolitan city.

2. Louvre – THE Paris Museum

35,000 of the ten times as many works in the collection are exhibited in the Louvre and include such renowned exhibits as the Mona Lisa, the Venus of Milo or the Nike of Samothrace. Of course, the Louvre is one of the most important cultural sights in Paris and France.

3. Walk over the Champs-Élysées

The legendary walk from the Louvre up to the Arc de Triomphe awaits you right in the centre of the city, for some even in the world. With the Louvre pyramid at your back, you will travel through the royal Tuileries gardens past the Ferris wheel to the busy Place de la Concorde with its obelisk.

Then there is the Champs-Élysées, France’s splendid boulevard, promenade and exercize, and last but not least the end of every Tour de France. Passing exquisite shops, straight ahead, Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe is enthroned at the top of the avenue. A total stay in Paris could be planned on these 2.5 kilometres alone.

4. Paris and its resting places

Even when it comes to cemeteries, Paris stands out. Those who like it a little quieter and want to get in on themselves, drive to the edge of the city centre to the Père Lachaise, where wide parks and small chapels are waiting. Here, for example, Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde or Jim Morrison tribute can be paid. Stony tombs, creepy mausoleums and a very special charm await you at the Cimetière de Montmartre.

In whose labyrinth the graves of Heinrich Heine or Jacques Offenbach can be found next to countless cats. The most magnificent tomb is the Panthéon, the national hall of fame, with the remains of Marie Curie, Victor Hugo and Voltaire.

5. From Pont Neuf to Notre-Dame

The historical origin of Lutetia can be found on the Île de la Cité, a small island on the Seine. The famous Pont Neuf can be visited at the top, the pretty Sainte-Chapelle or the Conciergerie in the centre, where Marie Antoinette waited for her execution.

But the big highlight is waiting on the other side of the island, picturesquely directly on the river: the cathedral Notre-Dame, which scores not only with literature, but even more with its impressive Gothic architecture with the then innovative Strebewerk. Notre-Dame is the main attraction of Paris with 13 million visitors a year.

6. Esplanade of the Invalides

Paris is the city of love and pretty much the most romantic in the world is a boat trip with the Herzblatt on the Seine. The Pont Alexandre III with its gold ornaments is the most beautiful bridge. Those who walk over them from the Champs-Élysées first marvel at the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower.

Then you enter the green esplanade of the Invalides. Here is the Rodin Museum with one of the “Denker” casts, but above all the impressive Invalidendom. A visit is definitely worthwhile, as there is nothing less than Napoleon Bonaparte resting here exactly under the dome.

7. Fun for young and old: Disneyland

As if the metropolis did not already have enough to offer for everyone, a new world attraction was created in 1992 with Disneyland Paris. The park is located about 30 kilometres outside the gates of the capital and is the most visited amusement park in Europe. Like its great role models in Orlando or Anaheim, French Disneyland also has the striking Cinderella Castle as a highlight in its centre.

Through adjoining hotels and further parks, a complete holiday can be spent here if a single day on the huge area is not enough. It is advisable to first make the city unsafe for a few days and then to enjoy some free time in Disneyland at the end.

8. Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur

The city’s local mountain is Montmartre, where Paris reinvents itself. At Place du Tertre, artists of all façons meet and portrait for their lives. A few metres below, La Pigalle offers evening entertainment, crowned by the legendary Moulin Rouge.

But at the very top, on the roof of the city, not only an impressive white basilica attracts with Sacré-Coeur, but also on the steps in front of it, especially at dusk, the most beautiful view over Paris. Here a perfect day in France’s capital can be finished off wonderfully.

9. Trip to Versailles

About 25 kilometres outside the city, but still within métro range, there is the small town Versailles, that of course becomes a tourist magnet mainly by the palace of the same name. The epitome of every baroque castle in Europe until the French Revolution was the seat of the kings, the most important of which was the Sun King Louis XIV.

A visit to the magnificent rooms cannot disappoint and above all the historic Hall of Mirrors attracts the crowds. In wonderful sunshine the wide parks can hardly be surpassed. For the excursion to Versailles a whole day can be planned, which will not be forgotten for the rest of your life.

10. Just breathe in France.

So many sightseeings close to each other are seldom found as in Paris. But if you run from the Eiffel Tower for shopping on the Champs-Élysées to the Seine and then into the Moulin Rouge, you might end up missing the real value of this city. Paris is often hectic, but France is through and through. Just let yourself drift and do without being a tourist.

Paris invites you to live. In the morning, like Heinrich Heine, a croissant with coffee overlooking one of the many parks, later browsing through old books at the little bouquinistes, then watching artists at the Place du Tertre. In unspectacular métro stations you can experience the typical accordion sounds, in the evening the red wine lures you to savoir-vivre.

Best time to visit Paris

We recommend the following months as best time to travel for exploring the attractions and acivities of Paris:

May, June, July, August, and September

You can find more information about the weather, including all climate data, on our climate page for Paris.