40+ Things to do in Paris

40+ Best Things to Do in Paris

Paris is packed with unforgettable sights, culture, food, and neighborhoods to explore. From iconic landmarks to hidden corners and outdoor escapes, these are the best things to do in Paris for first-time visitors and returning travelers alike.

Iconic Things to Do in Paris

1. Visit the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is Paris’s defining landmark, rising above the Champ de Mars in the 7th arrondissement and delivering the kind of panoramic city views most first-time visitors come for. It is the obvious starting point for a classic Paris itinerary, whether you plan to go up the tower itself or simply enjoy the view from the surrounding gardens and bridges.

##2. Explore the Louvre Museum The Louvre is one of the essential museum visits in Paris, combining the scale of a former royal palace with some of the most famous artworks in the world, including the Mona Lisa. It feels bigger than a standard museum stop because the experience includes the palace courtyards, the glass pyramid at Cour Napoléon and the sense that you are moving through one of the city’s great historic spaces as much as a gallery.

3. Walk along the Seine River

A walk beside the Seine is one of the simplest and best ways to understand central Paris, with historic bridges, riverside quays and landmark views unfolding almost continuously as you go. It is especially rewarding around the stretch linking Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the heart of the Right and Left Banks, where the city feels most recognisably Parisian.

4. Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame Cathedral remains one of the most important monuments in Paris, both for its Gothic architecture and for its central place in the history of the city. Now reopened to visitors, it is once again one of the defining stops on Île de la Cité and a much more substantial visit than a quick exterior photo stop.

5. Stroll the Champs-Élysées

The Champs-Élysées is still one of Paris’s most famous avenues, linking major monuments, luxury retail and one of the city’s best-known ceremonial routes. It works best as a grand urban stroll rather than a shopping stop alone, especially if you walk it as part of the broader Champs-Élysées area between Place de la Concorde and Place Charles de Gaulle.

6. Climb the Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the best viewpoints in Paris, sitting at the western end of the Champs-Élysées and overlooking one of the city’s most dramatic urban axes. Climbing to the terrace is what makes the visit worthwhile, since the view gives you a much better sense of the scale of central Paris and the grand boulevards radiating out from the monument.

Cultural & Historic Things to Do in Paris

7. Visit the Musée d’Orsay

The Musée d’Orsay is one of Paris’s standout museum experiences, best known for its exceptional Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections inside a former railway station on the Left Bank. It is a particularly strong choice if you want a major museum that feels more manageable than the Louvre while still delivering some of the city’s most celebrated art.

8. Tour the Panthéon

The Panthéon is one of the most important historic monuments in the Latin Quarter, standing on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève and serving as the final resting place of many of France’s most influential figures. It is one of the best cultural stops in central Paris if you want architecture, history and a stronger sense of national memory all in one site.

9. Discover Les Invalides

Les Invalides is one of Paris’s great historic complexes, recognised instantly by its gilded dome and known for the Musée de l’Armée as well as Napoleon’s tomb beneath the Dôme des Invalides. It is a more layered visit than many people expect, since the wider site combines military history, monumental architecture and one of the city’s most recognisable silhouettes.

10. Explore Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle is one of the most breathtaking church interiors in Paris, famous for the soaring stained-glass walls that make the upper chapel feel almost entirely made of light and colour. It is one of the city’s most rewarding historic interiors for a relatively short visit, especially on a bright day when the glass is at its most dramatic.

11. Visit the Palais Garnier

The Palais Garnier is one of Paris’s most lavish historic buildings, known for its richly decorated interiors, grand staircase and enduring place in the city’s cultural identity. Even without attending a performance, it is worth visiting as one of the great 19th-century landmarks in Haussmannian Paris

Neighborhoods to Explore in Paris

12. Wander Montmartre

Montmartre remains one of Paris’s most atmospheric neighborhoods, with steep lanes, stairways, artists’ corners and elevated views that make it feel distinct from the rest of the city. It works best when treated as a place to wander slowly, especially around the hilltop streets near Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre.

13. Discover Le Marais

Le Marais is one of the best neighborhoods in Paris for a long walk, combining historic architecture, museums, independent shops and a street layout that feels older and more intimate than much of the city. It is a strong pick if you want somewhere that blends classic Paris character with a more current, lived-in energy.

14. Walk through Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the classic Left Bank districts, known for historic cafés, refined streets and a literary-cultural reputation that still shapes its appeal today. It is one of the easiest neighborhoods to recommend if you want a polished, recognisably Parisian walk rather than a museum-heavy itinerary.

15. Explore the Latin Quarter

The Latin Quarter is one of Paris’s most historic and lively areas, long associated with universities, bookshops and the intellectual life of the Left Bank. It is a good neighborhood to explore if you want older streets, student energy and easy access to major landmarks like the Panthéon and Luxembourg Garden

16. Visit Canal Saint-Martin

Canal Saint-Martin offers a different rhythm from the monument-heavy center, with waterside paths, footbridges and a more relaxed local atmosphere than the city’s busiest districts. It is a strong choice if you want a Paris neighborhood that feels slightly less formal and more everyday, especially for a slower afternoon stroll.

Outdoor Things to Do in Paris

17. Relax in the Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens are one of the most elegant green spaces in Paris, laid out with formal paths, fountains and shaded areas that make them ideal for a slower break between sightseeing stops. Their location on the Left Bank also makes them one of the easiest parks to build into a walk through Saint-Germain or the Latin Quarter.

18. Stroll the Tuileries Garden

The Tuileries Garden is one of Paris’s classic central walks, stretching between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde as a formal historic garden in the heart of the city. It is one of the easiest outdoor stops to include on a first visit because it links several major sights while still feeling like a place to pause rather than rush through.

19. Visit Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau is one of the most attractive city parks in Paris, with ornamental landscaping and a more residential, local feel than the gardens around the big monuments. It is a good pick if you want a quieter green space that still feels distinctly Parisian.

20. Picnic along the Seine

A riverside picnic along the Seine is one of the simplest ways to enjoy Paris at a slower pace, especially in the warmer months when the quays become part of everyday local life. It is less about a single landmark and more about taking in the bridges, boats and city views that make central Paris feel so iconic.

Unique & Hidden Things to Do in Paris

21. Explore the Catacombs of Paris

The Catacombs are one of the most unusual attractions in Paris, taking visitors underground into a 1.5-kilometre one-way circuit lined with human remains and shaped by the city’s long burial history. It is a very different kind of historic site from the grand churches and museums above ground, which is exactly why it stands out.

22. Discover Paris’ Covered Passages

The covered passages are some of Paris’s best hidden historic spaces, especially around the Grands Boulevards where 19th-century arcades still survive with old shopfronts, cafés and glass-roofed walkways. They are ideal if you want something atmospheric and more tucked away than the city’s headline monuments.

23. Visit Père Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise is one of Paris’s most distinctive historic sites, combining the atmosphere of a landscaped cemetery with the graves of many celebrated writers, artists and musicians. It is much larger than many visitors expect, so it works best as a proper wandering stop rather than a quick detour.

24. Visit the Musée de l’Orangerie

The Musée de l’Orangerie is one of the most rewarding smaller museum visits in Paris, especially for Monet’s Water Lilies, which are displayed in purpose-built oval rooms that feel far more immersive than a standard gallery hang. It is a particularly good stop if you want an art visit that feels calmer and more focused than the city’s biggest museums.

25. Walk down Rue Crémieux

Rue Crémieux is one of the most photographed residential streets in Paris, known for its pastel-painted façades and unusually colourful look compared with the rest of the city. It is best treated as a short photo stop rather than a major sightseeing detour, but it remains a popular addition if you are exploring eastern Paris.

Food & Drink Experiences in Paris

26. Experience a Parisian café

Sitting at a café terrace is one of the classic Paris experiences, less because of any single menu item and more because of the ritual of slowing down, ordering coffee and watching the city move around you. It works especially well in neighborhoods like Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Le Marais, where the café culture feels closely tied to the character of the streets themselves.

27. Visit a local boulangerie

A good boulangerie is one of the easiest and most satisfying parts of being in Paris, whether you are picking up a croissant in the morning or a warm baguette later in the day. It is one of those simple food experiences that feels genuinely local, especially outside the busiest tourist zones.

28. Explore Paris food markets

Paris food markets are one of the best ways to see the city’s everyday food culture up close, with produce, prepared food and neighborhood life all mixed together. Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais is one of the best-known examples, and it works particularly well as part of a longer walk through the area.

29. Take a wine or cheese tasting

Paris food markets are one of the best ways to see the city’s everyday food culture up close, with produce, prepared food and neighborhood life all mixed together. Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais is one of the best-known examples, and it works particularly well as part of a longer walk through the area.

30. Dine at a traditional Paris bistro

A traditional Paris bistro remains one of the best evening experiences in the city, especially if you want something more classic and place-led than a trend-driven restaurant list. This is where Paris’s food culture often feels most timeless, with familiar dishes, tight dining rooms and a strong sense of atmosphere.

Things to Do in Paris at Night

31. Take a Seine river cruise

night cruise on the Seine is one of the most effective ways to see Paris illuminated, with major landmarks appearing one after another from the water rather than street level. It is especially good for first-time visitors because it turns several headline sights into one easy evening experience.

32. Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle

Seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle after dark is still one of the defining Paris night experiences, especially from places like Trocadéro, Pont d’Iéna or the riverbanks nearby. It is one of those moments that feels famous for a reason and still lands, even on a packed first itinerary.

33. See a cabaret show

A cabaret show is one of the classic Paris nightlife experiences, and the Moulin Rouge remains the city’s best-known name for it. In Pigalle, it works as both a historic entertainment venue and one of the most recognisable symbols of Paris after dark.

34. Explore nightlife in Pigalle or Oberkampf

Pigalle and Oberkampf are two of the better-known nightlife areas in Paris, but they offer slightly different moods, with Pigalle leaning more classic and theatrical while Oberkampf is known for its lively bar scene. Both work well if you want a night out that feels more local and less formal than a cabaret booking or dinner cruise.

Biggest Events in Paris

35. Celebrate Bastille Day

Experience fireworks, parades, and patriotic celebrations across the city each July 14 for Bastille Day.

36. Attend Paris Fashion Week

See France come alive for Paris fashion week with runway shows, designer events, and buzz in June and September.

37. Join Paris Pride

Celebrate with colorful parades, live entertainment, and a vibrant atmosphere each June.

38. Experience Nuit Blanche

Discover all-night art installations, performances, and cultural events across Paris each June.

39. Watch the Paris Marathon

Cheer on runners as they race past some of the city’s most iconic landmarks each April.

40. Visit the French Open

Enjoy world-class tennis on the famous clay courts of Roland-Garros each May and June for the French Open.

Paris FAQs

What is Paris best known for?

Paris is best known for its iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre, as well as its rich culture, world-class cuisine, fashion, and charming neighborhoods.

When is the best time to visit Paris?

The best time to visit is spring (April–June) and fall (September–October), when the weather is mild and the city is less crowded. Summer is popular but busy, while winter can be cold and rainy.

What is the closest airport to Paris city center?

The main airports are Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY), both offering international and domestic flights, with easy access to central Paris via train, taxi, or shuttle.