PARIS.
Welcome to Paris - a city of iconic architecture, bold fashion, diverse food and brave art. From the most famous sights in the world, like the wrought-iron Eiffel Tower, awe-inspiring Notre Dame, and stunning Arc de Triomphe, to the charming Champs-Élysées, Paris is filled with one-of-a-kind, romantic atmosphere. But Paris is much more than a perfect setting for a romantic escape with your significant other. Filled with all kinds of eateries and restaurants, from comfortable, relaxed bistros to the fanciest establishments in the world, Paris is loved by food buffs from all around the globe. However, it is not only the cuisine that Paris is famous for - Parisians are known for their taste and style, and the various boutiques and haute couture houses reflect that passion. From classic elegance to the bravest of fashion, Paris has it. Finally, there is art - from Picasso, Renoir, Rodin, Manet, Monet, to Dali and Van Gogh, Paris housed the most famous of artists, and their works can now be admired in many museums. Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou are just a few of them - explore the city of yourself, and you're sure to find plenty more. Whatever it is that interests you the most, Paris will not disappoint you.
Top 10 Things to See and Do in Paris
Eiffel Tower Summit Priority Access
This tour of the Eiffel Tower lets you bypass the long waiting lines at the bottom of the tower, which will surely take you hours and hours to get through, especially in the tourism season. With this one, you also get a host who tells you about the landmarks and attractions of Paris, with exclusive access to the summit of the tower.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Guided Tour
A tour of one of the most well-known and famous tourist attractions of Paris. With this tour, you get to skip the long lines and visit the Cathedral with a well-educated guide, who will tell you the history of the Cathedral as well as explain its gorgeous gothic architecture as you explore both the interior and the exterior.
Sainte-Chapelle
The Holy Chapel is one of the most attended attractions of Paris, and as such there are often long queues to visit the chapel. Take a skip-the-line tour of the chapel, which was built between the years of 1238 and 1248 and is considered among the highest achievements of the gothic architecture.
Moulin Rouge Show
A must-see spectacle for all the theatre-enthusiasts out there. Enjoy the most famous cabaret not only in France but in all of the world. The show is filled with can-can dancers and marvelous costumes, with an accompaniment of gorgeous music. You can choose from the two available shows, and you can even opt-in for champagne during the show.
Paris in One Day tour
This tour lets you forget about planning ahead and head on straight to sightseeing. The tour includes a tour of all of Paris, including the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower, The Notre-Dame Cathedral, as well as a cruise on the Seine river. With this tour, you also get to dine in the exclusive Eiffel Tower restaurant and climb the bell tower of the Notre-Dame.
Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Dinner Cruise
For a moment of relaxation in the evenings, you might want to try out this all-inclusive cruise along the Seine river. You can admire the landmarks and attractions of Paris from the tall cruise ship and enjoy the full view through floor-to-ceiling windows of a special room. The cruise also comes with a live bistro music concert and a rich buffet.
Big Bus Paris Hop-on-hop-off Tour
This tour is the perfect solution for people who prefer to wander around the city and its attractions at their own pace rather than be forced to go with a group. The tour provides a variety of tall buses from which you can see the cityscape of Paris, and the driver makes sure to remind you where you are so you do not miss any stops.
Paris Catacombs Skip-The-Line Tour
A one and a half hour long trip around the Catacombs of Paris, hidden underneath the city. The narrated tour retells you the story of one of the most fascinating labyrinths of the world, filled with graves and remains. The hallways of the catacombs are filled with skeletons and bones, making this an attraction, not for the faint of heart.
Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends Night Walking Tour of Paris
A tour for supernatural fanatics. This one takes place during the night and follows a guide’s narration of the myths, legends and ghost stories of Paris. You can discover the darkest and deepest mysteries of the city that hide behind the marvelous everyday façade. This two-hour long tour will show you the Paris you never knew.
After hours tour of the Opera Garnier
This exclusive, VIP tour will get you inside of the Opera Garnier during the after-hours, where no other visitors will disturb your stay. You can take your time with discovering the one-of-a-kind interior of the opera house without crowds to annoy you, and you can take a look at the chandeliers and mirrors of the Grand Foyer.
Other Things to See and Do
Le Marais
Le Marais is a lively district of Paris, perfect for a weekend stroll. The district features the trail attended by Louis the XIV, a Jewish quarter with their artisans and craftsmen, as well as a large selection of vintage shops and restaurants. Le Marais is a great place to visit both for sightseeing as well as for dinner or shopping.
Jardin des Tuileries
This historic park, which spans between the Louvre Museum and Place de la Concorde is a place of vast greenery with a large fountain in the middle. The park includes a footpath walked by Marie Antoinette as well as a place where Napoleon ordered his triumphal arch to be built in all of its gorgeous presence.
Musée de la Vie Romantique
If you’re looking for a romantic place to take your significant other to, this one might be the perfect spot. This museum is dedicated to two artists who wrote during the Romantic era: the painter Ary Scheffer and the writer George Sand. The museum is filled with numerous masterpieces of the two, both originals and reproductions.
La Promenade Plantée
This promenade used to be a railroad track but is now decorated with a variety of floral arrangements to decorate the place. The elevated path offers a magnificent view of the city and allows you to stroll through green arches well above the crowds of the city. The walkway spans for four and a half kilometer, giving you plenty of space to relax.
Belleville
The historical district of Belleville is where you can still feel the rebellion. But that’s not all there is to it - the district has a magnificent Chinatown which is unique to the whole city, with artists putting up displays all around the place to make it a lively place worth visiting and exploring thoroughly.
Rue Mouffetard
One of the many marketplaces of Paris, Rue Mouffetard is arranged around a cobblestoned street, filled with small-time bakers, fromageries and unique sweet shops with gourmet choice of products. Make sure to come here on Saturday, when the whole city is closed and becomes a gigantic food market with a plethora of vendors.
Arènes de Lutèce
Unknown to many visitors and foreigners, the city of Paris has a rich Roman heritage. The ruins of Arènes de Lutèce, placed in the Latin Quarter of the city, date back to the beginnings of the current era and holds the longest Roman amphitheater ever constructed with an arena which hosted periodical gladiator fights.
Canal St Martin
Many of the native city dwellers of Paris enjoy their evenings with a stroll along the Canal St Martin, near the water’s edge. This walkway which spans from the République to Gare du Nord is a great spot to go with family and enjoy a calm, tranquil afternoon. You can even take a blanket and enjoy a picnic of your own.
Atelier Brancusi
Constantin Brancusi was a Romanian sculptor who made his career in France, considered by many the father of modernism and one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. Admire the smooth shapes of his sculptures with your own eyes with this free-to-visit studio placed in front of Centre Pompidou.
Parc Monceau
Parc Monceau is one of France’s most gorgeous and well-known parks, with a variety of different statues depicting famous people such as Chopin or Guy de Maupassant. The park has a beautiful promenade with a lot of peaceful green space and, moreover, hosts a display of Chinese statues.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
This park may be quite a workout to traverse, as it is the steepest park of Paris, but it also provides a lot to see. Perfect for a morning jogging session, this park features a wide arrangement of birds that live in its vicinity. The park is filled with rocky reliefs and even has a gorgeous waterfall placed in the middle of the green area.
Cimetière du Montparnasse
This one is no ordinary cemetery - it is a resting place for a huge number of famous and well-known abroad Parisians. Even though it is not as gorgeous as the Père Lachaise, this one is great for a tranquil walk. Under the grounds of the cemetery lie such people as Jean-Paul Sartre, Samuel Beckett, and Simone de Beauvoir.
Musée Carnavalet
If you’re looking for an extensive history lesson on the city of Paris, you must go to the Carnavalet Museum, which occupies two neighboring mansions – the Hôtel Carnavalet and the Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau. The museum has been open to the public sins 1880 and holds a rich permanent collection – free of charge.
Basilique du Sacré-Coeur
Visit one of the most marvelous churches in France – the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. The church is built of gorgeous white marble and is placed on a hill overlooking the Montmartre district in the 18th arrondissement. The inside of the church is filled with golden mosaics and beautiful stained-glass windows, making it a must-see.
Marché d’Aligre
This food market is probably the most visited and recognised one in the whole of Paris, located in the 12th arrondissement. The food market is filled every day with a wide variety of different vendors, who sell products ranging from artisan cheese, through small-time butchers to marvelous flower stalls with a unique fragrance.
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
If you’re into more surreal, modern art, then this museum is the perfect place for you to visit and see for yourself. The museum features a wide variety of collections, including Braque and Matisse, showcasing the best of cubism and other modern techniques of art. All of that is free to the public every day of the year.
Cimitière du Père Lachaise
Visit the most famous cemetery of Paris and of all of France, which is also supposedly the most haunted place of the country. Many icons of both modern and old times lie under the ground of the cemetery, including Proust, Balzac, Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf. Even rock star Jim Morrison has found his place here.
Parc du Champ-de-Mars
If you do not have the money to spend on a view from the summit of the Eiffel Tower or do not want to stay in line for the regular balcony, take a trip to the Parc du Champ-de-Mars with an equally impressive view of the cityscape from a slightly different angle. The park also has numerous lawns and flower displays for you to marvel at.
Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen
This attraction of Paris is the wildest and most unique flea market of all of Paris, including antique fairs, bearskin rug merchants, old-fashioned tapestries and even replicas of the Notre-Dame bells. The marketplace is free to visit, and while the items in shops are, quite obviously, not free, you can still window-shop.
Notre Dame Cathédrale
If you don’t mind the expense, one way to explore the Notre Dame Cathédrale is with a guided tour which lets you view the normally-forbidden parts of the cathedral without waiting in lines. However, if you’re on a tight budget, you can always visit the main part of the Cathedral for free and admire its medieval edifice, as well as take a walk around it to see its sculptures and towers.