Things to do · Paris
Best Things to Do in Paris
The best things to do in Paris, what each is actually like, and how to group them into your days without wasting time in transit.
Updated 2026-07-01
What Paris is worth your time for
Paris rewards grouping by neighbourhood far more than working down a ranked list. The Louvre, Tuileries and Orsay sit within a 25-minute walk of each other; Montmartre and the Marais are effectively separate days. Book timed entry for anything with a queue and treat the rest of the day as walking.
Paris rewards travellers who slow down. Pick a neighbourhood, walk it, and let the cafés, galleries and food markets set the pace.
The Louvre
The single most complete museum in the world — and free of charge to walk the courtyards and pyramid at any hour.
Where
1st arrondissement
Good to know
Timed slots are effectively mandatory; the Porte des Lions and Carrousel entrances have shorter queues than the pyramid. Closed Tuesdays.
Time needed
3 hours for a focused visit; a full day if you intend to see more than the greatest hits
Musée d'Orsay
The Impressionist collection in a converted Beaux-Arts railway station — a more manageable museum than the Louvre and, for many travelers, the better one.
Where
7th, on the Left Bank opposite the Tuileries
Good to know
Late opening on Thursdays is the quietest visiting window. Closed Mondays.
Time needed
2–3 hours
Eiffel Tower
Worth ascending once; the second floor gives the better photograph because the tower itself is still in frame from Trocadéro.
Where
7th, Champ de Mars
Good to know
Book online weeks ahead for lift tickets. Stairs to the second floor are cheaper and rarely queued. Trocadéro at sunrise is the best free viewpoint.
Time needed
2–3 hours including security
Notre-Dame and Île de la Cité
The reopened cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle's stained glass a block away, and the oldest layer of the city underfoot.
Where
4th
Good to know
Cathedral entry is free but slot-reserved and busiest late morning. Sainte-Chapelle is separately ticketed and best in bright weather.
Time needed
Half a day for the island
Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur
The hill village view over the entire city, plus genuinely quiet lanes if you walk west of the basilica.
Where
18th
Good to know
Arrive before 09:00 or after 19:00 to avoid the crush on the steps. Ignore the bracelet sellers at the base of the stairs.
Time needed
Half a day with a meal
Le Marais on foot
Place des Vosges, the Musée Carnavalet on the history of Paris (free permanent collection) and the Picasso Museum, strung along walkable streets.
Where
3rd & 4th
Good to know
Sunday is the strongest day here — most shops open while the rest of the city is closed.
Time needed
3–4 hours
Versailles
The scale of the estate and gardens is impossible to appreciate from photographs.
Where
Day trip, 40 minutes south-west
Good to know
RER C from central Paris; a Passport ticket covers the palace, Trianon and gardens. Tuesdays and weekends are the most crowded. Go early or arrive after 14:00.
Time needed
Full day
A Seine walk or evening cruise
The cheapest way to see the monuments lit, and the one activity that reliably works in poor weather.
Where
Between Pont Neuf and the Eiffel Tower
Good to know
Departures cluster at Port de la Bourdonnais and Pont Neuf; the last sailing before closing is the least crowded.
Time needed
1–1.5 hours
Père-Lachaise
A wooded 44-hectare cemetery city that most itineraries skip and most visitors remember.
Where
20th
Good to know
Free entry; take a map at the gate. Best on a dry morning — the cobbles are slick after rain.
Time needed
1.5–2 hours
Market and bakery morning
The clearest window into how Parisians actually eat, at a fraction of restaurant prices.
Where
Rue Mouffetard (5th), Rue Cler (7th) or Marché Bastille (11th)
Good to know
Markets run mornings, typically Tuesday to Sunday, and wind down by 13:30. Bring cash for smaller stalls.
Time needed
1–2 hours
Passes, closing days and practicalities
If you plan three or more major museums in a short stay, the Paris Museum Pass usually pays for itself and — more usefully — lets you skip ticket lines, though timed reservations are still required at the Louvre. Almost every national museum closes one weekday (Louvre Tuesday, Orsay and Rodin Monday), so check before building your days. Nearly all municipal museum permanent collections, including Carnavalet and the Petit Palais, are free.
Booking tours and experiences
Timed-entry sights and small-group tours in Paris sell out first in peak season. Booking the two or three experiences you care most about before arrival usually costs the same and protects the dates you want.
Paris FAQs
How many days do you need in Paris?
Three days covers the headline sights at a civilised pace. Five days lets you add Versailles, a second museum day and enough unstructured walking to actually enjoy the city.
Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?
It pays off from roughly three major sites in two days, and the queue-skipping is worth more than the discount. It is poor value if your plan leans on free municipal museums and neighbourhood walking.
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