47 Best things to see & do in Paris

The world’s most visited museum, a treasure trove of art from around the world. Admire the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and many, many more…

Gustave Eiffel’s eccentric, iron-clad tower built as a temporary exhibit for the World Fair in 1889, has views all over the city and has become iconic symbol of Paris.

Ornate, opulent and entirely over-the-top, the Palace of Versailles is one of the world’s most lavish royal residences, with glorious gardens to explore alongside the gold-coated interiors.

Europe’s largest collection of modern and contemporary art, housed in Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano’s iconic inside-out building.

Visit France’s famous Champagne houses – an hour or two outside of Paris – to understand how Champagne is made, and find out what gives bubbly its fizz.

Paris’s iconic Gothic cathedral, previously its most visited site, is closed to the public following the devastating fire in April 2019. It’s set to reopen in December 2024 with its unique blend of heavenly views, hunchback legends and gargoyles galore.

An ornate, 50m-high arch commissioned by Napoleon to honour fallen French soldiers. Now an iconic Paris landmark.

The world’s largest collection of Monet’s paintings, displayed in a grand 19th-century mansion – including his world-famous ‘water lily’ canvases.

A city famed for housing long history of world-class, highly influential artists, is now home to many of the world’s greatest art museums and collections.

The largest museum of decorative arts in continental Europe, home to an inspirational and diverse collection of 1 million+ items dating from the Middle Ages through to the latest designers.

A glorious Belle Epoque train station that’s now a temple to Impressionist art dating from 1848 to 1914. The collection includes works by Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh.

Our summary of the typical foods, ingredients and flavours, cooking styles, dining scene and best foodie experiences in Paris.

One of the world’s most important Picasso museums, highlighting the artist’s prolific career and his own collection of art in a sumptuous 17th-century mansion.

A world-class art museum in Napoleon III’s former citrus house, home to Impressionist and modernist artworks, including Monet’s iconic Water Lilies.

Away from the crowds, boat cruises along the Seine are the best way to see the highlights of Paris. Options range from hop on, hop off, to full dining experiences.

From the classic Palais Garnier to the edgy Centre Pompidou, this storied city is stocked with architectural wonders.

This vast Medieval palace was most famous as the ‘antechamber to the guillotine’ in the French Revolution. Three thousand prisoners were convicted here, including France’s last queen Marie Antoinette.

A long-running, extravagant, colourful cabaret featuring dancers and courtesans has been thrilling Parisian audiences since 1889. See the incomparable Can Can – the enigmatic dance that’s its greatest claim to fame.

Originally an 18th-century church dedicated to Sainte Genevieve, now a grandiose mausoleum housing the tombs of France’s ‘great men and women’, including Voltaire, Hugo, and Marie Curie.

This grandiose Baroque ensemble of military history museums contains more than 1.5 million artefacts and the imposing tomb of Napoleon I. 

Superb 19th-century collection of Italian Renaissance masterpieces, French portraiture and decorative arts.

Paris’ palatial Modern art museum, home to a vast collection of 20th-century works by world-famous artists like Dufy, Matisse & Picasso.

This exceptional collection of works by one of the world’s most famous sculptor, is presented in his former home and gardens in Paris.

Paris has everything from luxury fashion and indie boutiques, to hip department stores, markets and quirky antiques bazaars.

Montmarte museum dedicated to the surrealist Salvador Dali, displaying over 300 of his works. Dali lived and painted in Paris for many years.

Miles of smiles and thrills galore at this slice of Americana transferred to the Ile-de-France. The happiest place in Paris?

Paris’ churches, packed with priceless art and relics, are a fabulous showcase of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

A history museum offering a fascinating journey through Parisian history, set in the sumptuous Renaissance mansion Hotel des Ligneris and the 17th-century Hotel le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau.

Fascinating primal art and indigenous artefacts from all over the globe, theatrically presented in Jean Nouvel’s striking modern building. 

A museum dedicated to life in the Middle Ages, set in one of Paris’ oldest and finest medieval buildings. Home to the world-famous 15th-century La Dame a la Licorne tapestry.

An impressive museum dedicated to preserving and educating about the natural world. Four large galleries house a vast collection of over 68 million specimens

World-class food and unrivalled Paris views at Michelin-starred Frederic Anton’s daring restaurant on the Eiffel Tower’s second level.

The apartment where famous French poet and novelist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) lived for 16 years is now a museum about his extraordinary life and works.

Sitting atop Paris’s highest hill, this picturesque village-within-a-city has a long and rich artistic history, a wonderfully bohemian atmosphere and a striking Basilica.

Dedicated to the works of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau, this museum is housed in his former home and studio.

The world’s most visited cemetery is a feast of sculpture, and the resting place of France’s most flamboyant historical figures – including Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde.

Paris’ most exquisite Gothic monument was built by Louis IX in 1248 to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns (now at Notre-Dame Cathedral). It has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained-glass collections anywhere in the world.

Housed within the prestigious Cité de la Musique complex, home of the Paris Philharmonic, this museum is dedicated to the rich heritage of music. Its collection contains over 7,000 historic musical instruments and music-related items spanning centuries and continents.

These eerie bone-lined passages, set in a former quarry 20m underground, contain the remains of several million Parisians. The residents – including many victims of the notorious guillotine – were buried here when existing cemeteries overflowed during the French Revolution.

An institution with the best vanilla mille-feuille in Paris, served in gilded surrounds with views onto the Palais Garnier Opera House.

One of Paris’ main museums for Contemporary & Historical art exhibitions, set in a stunning avant-garde silver and glass structure designed by Frank Gehry.

In this annual nocturnal art extravaganza, Paris’s streets turn into an all-night cultural promenade with installations and performances by international artists held throughout the city.

France’s national holiday to mark the 1789 French Revolution, celebrated with stunning fireworks, firemen’s discos and a pompous parade.

Head to this grand train station brasserie, originally opened to serve passengers travelling to the 1900 World Fair, is to ogle the incredible decor – the room is laden with gilt, carved cherubs and blowsy frescoes of southern landscapes.

Chic department store with a dazzling Art Nouveau cupola, famed for its food court, luxury fashion brands and rooftop restaurants. Paris’ most famous shopping destination.

This bar on the top of the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper is coveted for both its breathtaking Eiffel Tower views and its potent Bellinis.

The birthplace of the rum baba in the 18th century, the city’s oldest patisserie still wows with its gateaux (cake) today.