Bucket list trip:
France
Where to go and what to see in Paris – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Anna Brooke.
Editor’s note – Anna has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Paris destination guide.
Reserve ahead for the Eiffel Tower. The views are unbeatable, but it’s always busy – so arrive between 9am and 11am when it’s quieter.
Hop on a boat cruise to see the glorious Les Invalides, Orsay Museum and Notre Dame Cathedral unfurl along the Seine. Then meander hilly cobbles around the Pantheon into Saint-Germain-des-Pres for dinner in quintessential La Cremerie (book in advance).
Paris, Ile-de-France, United Kingdom (UK)
Bucket List Experience
Experience
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.
Adult price: 23
Good for age: 4+
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
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.
Adult price: 15
Good for age: 4+
Duration: 1+ hour
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
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.
Adult price: 10
Good for age: 18+
Spend the morning in the Louvre, admiring masterpieces galore including the world-famous Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. If you have time, walk a few minutes to the Orangerie Museum to see Monet’s Water Lilies.
Have lunch along rue Sainte-Anne in the Japanese Quarter, then wander up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.
Finish your day with dinner at ultra-hip Mondaine, a posh boudoir-like eatery with a cabaret vibe and live music.
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
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…
Adult price: 15
Good for age: 13+
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
A world-class art museum in Napoleon III’s former citrus house, home to Impressionist and modernist artworks, including Monet’s iconic Water Lilies.
Adult price: 8
Good for age: 18+
Paris, Ile-de-France , France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
An ornate, 50m-high arch commissioned by Napoleon to honour fallen French soldiers. Now an iconic Paris landmark.
Good for age: 13+
Rise early to take RER C to the magnificent Palace of Versailles. Reserve a guided tour and you’ll skip the waiting lines.
Return to the city centre after lunch and take the funicular up Montmartre’s hillside to the Sacré Coeur Basilica. The view from its base is stunning, but for wider cityscapes, climb to the top of its dome. End your day with some of the best roast chicken in town at Le Coq & Fils.
Versailles, Ile-de-France, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
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.
Adult price: 18
Good for age: 13+
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Bucket List Experience
Experience
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.
Good for age: 13+
Duration: 1 day
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Experience
The sugary-white domed church of Sacre-Coeur crowns Montmartre. Built in 1914, the interior is a feast of glittering neo-Byzantine mosaics.
Good for age: 18+