What to See & Do In Paris Travel Guide
Paris Travel Guide
The Ultimate Paris Travel Guide 2026
Paris doesn't disappoint — but it does punish the unprepared. The city that rewards you for slowing down, eating well, and venturing beyond the 1st arrondissement is very different from the tourist-treadmill version: Louvre → Eiffel Tower → Moulin Rouge photo stop → overpriced café on the Champs-Élysées. Both Parises exist simultaneously. This guide helps you find the right one.
The Louvre, Palace of Versailles, and Musée d'Orsay all require advance booking and often sell out, especially for timed entry slots in summer. The Eiffel Tower summit access also sells out weeks ahead in peak season. Book before you leave home.
Essential Sights
The Eiffel Tower
Non-negotiable, despite the crowds. The tower is most beautiful at night when it sparkles every hour on the hour — position yourself on the Pont d'Iéna or the Champ de Mars lawn at 10pm on a clear night. Book summit access in advance; the second floor view is almost as good with shorter queues. Picnic on the Champ de Mars lawn with wine from a nearby cave à vin — a far better experience than any of the surrounding restaurants.
The Louvre
The world's largest art museum. Do not attempt to see everything — it's physically impossible and you'll emerge dazed and joyless. Pick three or four things: the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo, the Vermeer rooms, and the Islamic art galleries (least crowded, most beautiful). Buy a timed entry slot in advance and go when it opens. The Mona Lisa will disappoint — a small painting behind glass, surrounded by a hundred people taking photos. See it, acknowledge the legend, and move on quickly.
Musée d'Orsay
More manageable than the Louvre, and for many visitors more rewarding — the world's finest collection of Impressionist painting. Monet's Water Lilies study, Van Gogh's self-portraits, Renoir, Degas, Seurat — all in a converted Beaux-Arts railway station with a magnificent glass roof. Book in advance. The top-floor café has a rooftop terrace with views across the Seine.
Notre-Dame
Reopened after the April 2019 fire — the restoration took five years and the cathedral is now accessible again. The interior has been transformed — medieval stone cleaned to reveal its original golden-white colour. One of the great Gothic achievements in Europe and now with the added poignancy of its near-loss. Free entry; timed entry management in place during busy periods.
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
The hilltop village-within-a-city that still, remarkably, retains character despite tourism. Come for the streets around Place du Tertre (artists have worked here since Picasso; it's now touristy but atmospheric), the view over Paris from the steps of Sacré-Cœur at sunset, and the genuinely local café scene on Rue Lepic and Rue des Abbesses. The best time is early morning or late evening — the midday tourist surge is real.
The Arrondissements Worth Knowing
Le Marais (3rd & 4th)
Paris's best neighbourhood for wandering. Medieval streets, the Place des Vosges (the city's oldest planned square), excellent galleries, the Jewish quarter on Rue des Rosiers, and the best falafel in Europe at L'As du Fallafel. Also the centre of Paris's LGBT+ scene.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th)
Literary Paris — Sartre, Beauvoir, and Hemingway drank here. The cafés Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore are expensive but historically significant. The Luxembourg Gardens are beautiful at any time of year. The Rue du Cherche-Midi for excellent bread (Poilâne bakery) and galleries.
Canal Saint-Martin (10th)
Where young Paris actually lives — iron footbridges over a tree-lined canal, independent coffee shops, vintage clothing stores, and excellent natural wine bars. Bohemian, genuine, zero tourists. The stretch from Gare du Nord down to Belleville is one of the city's most interesting urban walks.
Belleville & Ménilmontant (20th)
Multicultural, creative, and the Paris that doesn't appear in most guidebooks. The Père Lachaise cemetery (Chopin, Wilde, Morrison) is a genuine highlight. The view from the Parc de Belleville across the entire city is one of the best in Paris and almost nobody knows about it.
Where to Eat in Paris
- Au Passage (11th) — Small plates, excellent natural wine list, standing-at-the-bar energy. One of the best value restaurants in the city.
- Septime (11th) — Paris's most beloved bistrot moderne. Book weeks ahead or queue for lunch cancellations from 12pm.
- Frenchie Bar à Vins (2nd) — Standing only, no reservation. Small plates, exceptional wine, reasonable prices for the quality.
- Chez Janou (3rd, Marais) — Classic Provençal bistrot. Their tapenade and lamb are outstanding; the pastis list has 80 varieties.
- Any neighbourhood boulangerie at 8am — Fresh croissant eaten standing at the counter with a café crème. The best breakfast in the world and costs €3.
Lunch is 12:30–2pm. Dinner is 7:30–10pm. Kitchens close strictly — don't arrive at 2:15pm expecting lunch. Don't eat anywhere with photos on the menu. Sit at the bar in wine bars rather than at a table — you'll be served faster and meet people. Skip bottled water and ask for une carafe d'eau — free tap water, excellent quality.
Versailles Day Trip
The Palace of Versailles is 40 minutes from Paris by RER C train (€3.80 each way). The palace, chapel, and apartments of Louis XIV are extraordinary — but the gardens (600 acres of formal French landscape) are the real revelation. Go on a Tuesday (the day the fountains run, with music, from April–October — €10 supplement) or simply explore the garden's outer sections, which are free and almost empty. Arrive when Versailles opens at 9am; the tourist buses don't arrive until 10:30am.
Practical Paris Tips
- Transport: The Paris Métro is excellent, cheap (€2.15/trip, Navigo Easy card for tap-and-go), and goes everywhere. Walking between central neighbourhoods often takes less time than the metro.
- Language: Starting any interaction with Bonjour, est-ce que vous parlez anglais? makes an enormous difference. Parisians aren't rude — they respond to courtesy.
- Pickpockets: Common around the Eiffel Tower and on busy metro lines (Line 1 especially). Keep bags in front.
- Tipping: Service is included in French restaurant bills by law. A small extra (€2–€5) for excellent service is appreciated but never expected.
Include Paris in Your France Tour
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