Must-see
The 12 must-see places in Paris
In Paris, don't miss Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame de Paris and Sacré-Cœur: here are the 12 must-sees, ranked, with the time to allow, the price and a tip for each.
See all 12 on the map-
MonumentEiffel Tower
The symbol of Paris: a wrought-iron giant with 360-degree views from the second floor or the summit.
Book a timed ticket ahead of time, strongly advised; open every day of the week.
≈ 2 h 30 36,70 € See the page → -
MuseumLouvre Museum
The world's largest museum: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and centuries of art inside a former royal palace.
Book a time slot; late opening until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, closed on Tuesdays.
≈ 4 h 22 € See the page → -
MonumentNotre-Dame de Paris
The Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, reopened in late 2024 after the fire, with its gargoyles and stained glass.
Free entry; arrive at opening time, and book the tower climb online.
≈ 1 h Free See the page → -
MonumentSacré-Cœur
A white basilica atop Montmartre, with one of the best free views over the rooftops of Paris.
Free entry; go late afternoon for sunset. The dome climb is paid and has no lift.
≈ 1 h 30 Free See the page → -
MonumentArc de Triomphe
The monument at the hub of twelve avenues, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a terrace above the Champs-Élysées.
Use the underground passage; go in the evening for the Flame of Remembrance at 6:30pm.
≈ 1 h 15 16 € See the page → -
MuseumMusée d'Orsay
Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir: the world's finest Impressionist collection, housed in a former railway station.
Book online to use entrance C; late opening on Thursdays, closed on Mondays.
≈ 2 h 30 16 € See the page → -
MonumentSainte-Chapelle
A 13th-century royal chapel whose walls are made almost entirely of stained glass.
Visit on a sunny day: the light through the windows makes all the difference.
≈ 45 min 22 € See the page → -
CastlePalace of Versailles
The Hall of Mirrors, the royal apartments and Louis XIV's gardens, just outside Paris.
Free for everyone on the first Sunday from November to March; closed Mondays, allow a full day.
≈ 5 h 35 € See the page → -
NeighborhoodLe Marais
Mansions, Place des Vosges, cobbled lanes and museums in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Paris.
Explore on foot; the permanent collections of the Carnavalet museum are free.
≈ 3 h See the page → -
Park & GardenLuxembourg Gardens
The Parisians' favourite garden: lawns, a central pond, green chairs and the Senate palace as a backdrop.
Come when the weather is fine and grab a chair by the pond.
≈ 1 h See the page → -
MonumentPanthéon
The resting place of France's great figures: the tombs of Victor Hugo and Marie Curie, Foucault's pendulum and a monumental dome.
Go very early in the morning to avoid the queues.
≈ 1 h 15 16 € See the page → -
MuseumRodin Museum Paris
The Thinker and the Gates of Hell in a sculpture garden beside the Hôtel Biron.
Buy a skip-the-line ticket online; the free first Sunday from October to March gets crowded.
≈ 2 h 14 € See the page →
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MuseumOrangerie Museum
Monet's Water Lilies in two oval rooms built for them, at the end of the Tuileries garden.
Book a timed ticket; the Water Lilies rooms are calmest early in the morning.
≈ 1 h 15 12,50 € See the page → -
MonumentPalais Garnier
A Second Empire palace of gold and velvet, with its grand staircase and a lavish horseshoe auditorium.
Book online, no tickets on site; the auditorium can close for rehearsals.
≈ 1 h 15 15 € See the page → -
Park & GardenTuileries Garden Paris
A formal French garden between the Louvre and the Concorde, with a view along the Champs-Élysées axis.
Free entry and free chairs; enter from the Carrousel side and follow the Grande Allée.
≈ 1 h See the page → -
MonumentHôtel des Invalides
Napoleon's tomb beneath the golden dome and France's largest military museum.
One ticket covers the Army Museum, the Dome and the tomb; courtyards and gardens are free.
≈ 2 h 17 € See the page → -
MonumentPère Lachaise Cemetery
A garden cemetery where Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Édith Piaf rest among monumental tombs.
Free entry; open daily; wear comfortable shoes.
≈ 2 h Free See the page → -
MonumentParis Catacombs
An underground ossuary holding the remains of millions of Parisians, set in former quarries.
Book a time slot online, strongly recommended; closed on Mondays.
≈ 1 h 31 € See the page → -
Park & GardenPalais-Royal
An arcaded garden steps from the Louvre, with Buren's columns and rare calm in the city centre.
Free; come an hour before closing for the light under the arcades.
≈ 45 min See the page → -
NeighborhoodÎle Saint-Louis
A quiet island in the middle of the Seine, with mansions, riverside quays and peaceful lanes.
Stroll the quays on foot and save room for an ice cream from one of the island's shops.
≈ 1 h 30 See the page → -
MuseumMusée du quai Branly
Art from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas in a Jean Nouvel building with a planted garden.
Book online; late opening on Thursdays until 10pm, and free on the first Sunday of the month.
≈ 2 h 14 € See the page → -
MuseumFondation Louis Vuitton
Frank Gehry's glass vessel in the Bois de Boulogne, worth seeing for the architecture as much as the exhibitions.
Check opening hours online as they change with exhibitions. Free shuttle from Étoile.
≈ 2 h 18 € See the page → -
NeighborhoodCanal Saint-Martin
Iron footbridges, locks and quays where Parisians hang out, away from the big tourist circuits.
Book the cruise online; leave from the Arsenal bridge to finish at La Villette.
≈ 1 h 30 See the page → -
NeighborhoodMontmartre
A former hilltop village with Place du Tertre, a vineyard and lanes that inspired painters.
Explore on foot, preferably early in the morning before the tour groups arrive.
≈ 2 h 30 See the page →
