Last Updated on August 1, 2024
Updated for 2024
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
By Jim Ferri
I have always enjoyed Paris, one of the best places to visit in France. Few places in the world possess such allure for me.
The mere mention of Paris often evokes thoughts of romance and memories of incredible cuisine, glamorous women, and cutting-edge fashion. For everyone, it’s a city of beautiful buildings, with a style of art and architecture unsurpassed anywhere else. And that’s just for starters…
But beyond its cuisine, museums, and incredible beauty, what beguiles me most is that Paris never stops fascinating me with its myriad discoveries.
How can I forget my first taste of that delicious cheese in the little Left Bank market? Or the café where my morning croissant was as light as air?
And I can’t forget that patisserie where the macaroons were as delicious as they were beautiful in the window. Also my ad-hoc picnic in Luxembourg Gardens one wonderful autumn afternoon after arriving on the train from Brussels.
Of course, Paris oozes glamor from its bistros and boulangeries to its macarons, markets, and Michelin stars. It has a style like nowhere else, a je ne sais quoi that has brought travelers back for centuries.
Whether you are a returning traveler or, on the other hand, making your first trip to Paris on a quick day trip by high-speed train from London, here are the top 10 places in Paris you shouldn’t miss.
Table of contents
First, One Quick Note
Whether you’re an independent-minded traveler with a specific itinerary in mind or just want a luxuriously bespoke experience in Paris, private sightseeing tours are often well worth it. That’s especially true in the French capital, which is one of the world’s busiest cities.
Guides can help you see the treasures of a single museum for a few hours or guide you about the city for a few days. Whichever you choose, they make it easy to see the city your way and avoid the worst of its crowds.
With a respected company like Viator, the options are near limitless. And, importantly, there are no cancellation fees. In addition, I’ve been on Viator tours and can vouch for them. I recommend enjoying the city with Viator, leaving the stress behind as you visit Paris’ most in-demand places and palaces. Have a look for yourself.
The Incredible Musee du Louvre
It’s home to one of the most renowned art collections in the world. And for many travelers, the Louvre is undoubtedly the pièce de résistance of the museum world. It is one of the top 10 places in Paris that travelers want to visit.
Although most famous for the Mona Lisa and her enigmatic smile, it’s an incredible repository of more than 75,000 pieces of art. They are from almost every civilization on Earth. Curators estimate it would take nine months just to glance at every piece).
Its works are spread out over 675,000 square feet in three different wings, with their entrances under I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid in the courtyard.
It’s best to buy your tickets online and select the areas you’d like to see ahead of time. General admission is €22, although many may qualify for free admission. See the full list of those eligible for free admission.
See a wide range of Viator tours of the Louvre, from skip-the-line tickets to in-depth guided tours by art experts. There is no cancellation fee, and you can reserve a tour now and pay later. Go on, take a peek…
The Renowned Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is the top place in Paris that just about every traveler wants to see. It seems incredible to us today, but when Gustave Eiffel’s soaring wrought-iron tower was erected for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, the media denounced it.
Today, though, it still stands proudly along the Seine on the Champ de Mars, the most enduring symbol of Paris. Everyone has to see it if only to stand below to view its soaring arches. However, you’ll find the sights from above much better.
There will be crowds queuing at the tower from opening to closing, so it’s well worth getting tickets online in advance. And if you’re hungry, you’ll find its Jules Verne Restaurant to be one of the best in Paris.
Prices to enter the tower are: adults €18,80 / students 12-24 years €9,40 / children age 4-11 €4,70; 4 years and younger free. Tickets to the top via the lift: Adults €29.40 / children 12 to 24 €14.70 / age 4 to 11 €7.40, under 4 free.
View Viator tours and tickets to experience the Eiffel Tower. There are no cancellation fees, which means you can reserve now and purchase at a later date.
Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées
The triumphal arch, the most famous in the world, celebrates Napoleon’s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. It is one of the top 10 places in Paris.
The arch is the customary starting point for parades up the Champs-Élysées. Incredibly, it stands in the center of the hub where 12 avenues converge, a nightmare for unsuspecting out-of-town drivers.
The viewing platform on its roof (recommended) provides one of the best views of the city, the only place to get a good view of the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées. Although there is no fee for observing the Arch from ground level, access to the top of the Arc the Triomphe is €16. You can also purchase combination tickets for other Parisian sights.
When you come down from the Arc, spend an hour or two leisurely strolling along the Champs-Élysées. Or board a Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus for a view of the famous boulevard and more.
Exquisite Notre-Dame Cathedral
Another of the top 10 places in Paris, Notre Dame de Paris is as beautiful as it is historic, despite its horrific fire. Although the Cathedral still remains closed to the public, reopening is expected on 8 December 2024.
Located on the Île de la Cité in the Seine, it is more than 850 years old and attracts 13 million visitors every year. Be one of them, and you’ll discover a magnificent church unlike any other.
If you have the stamina, climb the 387 steps to the roof of the north tower for a superb view of Paris and the Cathedral’s famous gargoyles.
The last time I visited, I was enchanted by a boy’s choir during rehearsal as their voices drifted through the air of the Grand Cathedral.
Famous Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre
The 1914 Romano-Byzantine church of Sacré-Cœur isn’t as old as other Parisian churches but is more famous because it is a Parisian landmark visible from many areas of the city.
It stands on top of the hill of Montmartre, an area of Paris that was once a village outside the city. For centuries, it’s been known as the haunt of artists, something that continues today as scores of them showcase their paintings for tourists in the bustling Place du Tertre.
Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s fun and colorful and still retains the aura of pre-war Paris. Entry to both Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre is free.
Join a Viator tour of Montmartre to see what life was like during the Belle Epoque—when artists such as Dalí, Renoir, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso lived and worked there.
Le Marais
Along with the neighboring Bastille district where the French Revolution was born, the Marais was a forgotten bit of Paris until it became popular once again with artists and designers a few decades ago.
It’s a beautiful area directly north of Notre Dame and the Seine, filled with mansions and several small but notable museums, as well as many famous cafés and restaurants peppered along its little lanes.
Encompassing the 13th-century Jewish Quarter, undoubtedly, it’s one of the liveliest nightspots in the city today.
I love the Marais. Join a tour and see this hidden area of Paris for yourself. Remember, there’s no cancellation fee.
Musée d’Orsay
From a collector’s perspective, the Musée d’Orsay takes over where the Louvre leaves off, exhibiting pieces from 1848 to 1914.
It’s a superb museum. Originally a Belle Époque railway station in the 19th century, it was given a second life as a museum in 1986.
It’s world-renowned for its collection of Impressionist and Post-impressionist paintings, with works by Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Manet, Degas, and Cézanne.
It’s a comfortable, easy-to-see museum with exhibits spread over three floors. The general admission fee is €14 if purchased at the museum, €16 if purchased online.
Everyone should take a tour of this superb museum, home to the world’s greatest collection of Impressionists. The railroad station itself is a treasure.
The Famous and Beautiful Luxembourg Gardens
Luxembourg Gardens is not only one of the top 10 places in Paris but also one of the top parks in the world. It’s a treat to visit these beautiful, quiet gardens, which are surprisingly close to the hustle and bustle of St-Germain-des-Prés.
Most Popular Paris Hotels
This green oasis is undoubtedly the most popular park in Paris. It is a refuge filled with spacious lawns and paths beneath towering chestnut trees.
In its center is the beautiful Luxembourg Palace with its octagonal pool, where children sail their toy sailboats for rent at the nearby kiosk. The beautiful 60-acre park has both French and English gardens with more than 100 statues spread throughout it.
There is no fee to enter the gardens, but there is a fee to enter the “children’s area.”
Here are a variety of different tours in Paris, which may interest you. Remember, there are no cancellation fees.
Notable Sainte-Chapelle
13th-century Sainte-Chapelle is really Louis IX’s repository for holy relics (now in Notre Dame) that he had acquired from the Emperor of Constantinople.
Its claim to fame, however, is its magnificent stained-glass windows, the oldest in Paris.
They are what has made it one of the top 10 places in Paris. They are as extraordinary as they are magnificent, soaring glass walls that the ceiling above appears to float over.
It is a wonderful place, undeniably the most stunning Gothic monument in all of Paris. It is within the Palais de Justice, which requires visitors to transit a security area as they enter. Try to visit on a sunny day to get the full impact.
The entry fee for Sainte-Chapelle is €13, although you can purchase a “twin ticket” that also includes entry to the Conciergerie for €20.
You may enjoy these tours of Sainte-Chapelle and other areas.
Panthéon
Located in the Latin Quarter and modeled after its namesake in Rome is the neoclassic Panthéon. Originally it was constructed as Sainte-Genevieve Church in honor of the patron saint of Paris.
However, its life as a church was short-lived. Since it was completed right before the French Revolution, the revolutionary government converted it into a mausoleum.
Its 220-foot-high dome is so extraordinary that Foucault used it to test his famous pendulum, proving the Earth rotates on its axis.
It is a beautiful and stately building, whose “residents,” a “Who’s Who” of French history, include such luminaries as Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Louis Braille, and Marat. Marie Curie was re-interred there in 1995.
Entrance to the Panthéon is €13, although combination tickets are also available.
Check out these tours of the Panthéon as well as several other very different tours of Paris. A tour in a vintage car, anyone?
Note: Although it is not within the city of Paris, which is why it is not included in this list, you may also want to take a day trip to Versailles. It is quite close to Paris (only 14 minutes by train ($17) or 17 minutes by taxi ($35-45)). See 26 Great European Day Trips by Rail / Bus and also these great tours of Versailles and other areas.
You may also enjoy: Where to Find 8 Wonderful Walks in Paris / A 2-Day Walking Tour of Paris, With Map / Photos of Paris
If You Go:
Atout France
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New York, NY 10022
https://us.france.fr/en
Tel: (212) 838-7800
Paris is a great place. Visited with family in Jul 2015 and had a good time.
Thank you for a great article!
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The manor in which you present your article is simple and so to the point that is the very essence of Paris itself. True, finding the special spots in Paris can be a study, but once found they will never be forgotten. I have a pending ticket to France waiting for me in Air France. Not being able to be there is a tremendous source of frustration for me. It’s as if I had not known of this place, I would have not known what there is to miss.
Thank you D.
My family of three is going there for the first time for Christmas (from the U.S). A few are already in the list, and we’re excited to discover more. Thank you for the article. (P.s. any good secrets to know about?)
Bobby
Bobby,
You should have a wonderful time. As for secrets, I really don’t have any. But Christmas in Paris is near magical. Be sure to go into the large stores and see the decorations, And, of course, visit Paris’s famous patisseries (forget the diet).
Have a wonderful trip.
Jim
Thank you! We’re here now (Day 2) and it’s been amazing. Found an amazing chocolatier with amazing macaroons. Visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower is upcoming, along with a few other “must-do’s”. It’s everything I envisioned. Oh! and the Christmas Market near the Louvre was fantastic as well.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Hello, thank you sooo much for a very detailed tour of Paris, I am 72yrs old and this is a Bucket List trip for me!!! I am so excited it was a trip for myself and my sister but she backed out ! I plan on going in May. I have raised my children and some grandchildren so now it’s my time to do me. I would appreciate it if you could list some safe and budget friendly hotels, Thank You in advance.