Experience the best Paris tours

It’s hard to capture Paris in just a few top landmarks. With its many museums, monuments, cafes, and gardens, the City of Light has so much to experience. But whether it’s your first or fifth trip to Paris, these are the landmarks you’ll always remember and want to visit again and again.

• Eiffel Tower: The jewel of the Paris skyline, the “Tour Eiffel” was designed by the architect Gustave Eiffel in 1889. Also known as the Iron Lady, this beloved landmark is not only a site to be seen but to be experienced from the inside out.
• Arc de Triomphe: Located in Paris’ eighth arrondissement, this arch is a marvel of neoclassical architecture with views of the city as stunning as those from the top of the Eiffel Tower — once you’ve seen both, you decide which you prefer.
• Cathedral of Notre Dame: After its devastating 2019 fire, Notre Dame is being restored to its former glory as a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. It’s definitely worth a tour outside the cathedral on your trip to Paris.
• Louvre Museum: Our best advice for visiting this museum is to either get there early (but every tourist has that plan) or book a guided tour that has reserved-access tickets for faster entry through the lines. This is the largest art museum in the world, and millions of tourists flock to the Louvre every year to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and other famous works, so it’s not an easy museum to navigate without a guide.
• Seine: It’s hard to miss this river that runs through the heart of Paris. It’s crossed with ornate and historic bridges and surrounded by famous sites. Take a Seine river cruise to see them all.
• Shakespeare and Company: Founded in 1919, the original Shakespeare and Company was a hangout for famous expatriate writers of the “lost generation:” James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, just to name a few. The Shakespeare and Company bookshop we know today, which sits just opposite Notre Dame, opened in 1951 and has since become one of the most popular bookstores in Paris. It’s even a stop on our Latin Quarter tour.
• Musée d’Orsay: If you’re looking for a less crowded art museum than the Louvre, check out the Musée d’Orsay, a favorite among Parisians. With an art collection that spans from 1848 to 1914, this museum is still popular with tourists, but you won’t have to push through crowds of people just to get a glimpse of anything.
• Luxembourg Gardens: There are many gardens in Paris, but we think the Jardin du Luxembourg is the most beautiful. They have classical statues, loads of flowers, and the striking Medici Fountain.
• Montmartre: In this bohemian heart of Paris, you can experience the nightlife of the Moulin Rouge, snap a photo at the Cafe des 2 Moulins that was featured in the film “Amélie,” and enjoy breathtaking views from the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.
• Paris Catacombs: Venture more than 60 feet below the streets of Paris to get chills from the world’s largest catacombs.

Paris is filled with interesting art, fountains, parks, and even shop windows to mesmerize the whole family, but maybe you need specific activities to entertain your toddler or teen.

Read our complete guide to Paris with kids for more practical tips, but here are some great options for families:

• Packing a picnic to eat in one of the city’s beautiful gardens.
• Take a climbing tour of the Eiffel Tower.
• Discover the unusual Museum of Fairground Arts.
• Plat at Disneyland Paris (if the kids love Disney).
• Sample the city’s best chocolate treats.
• Walk through a covered street filled with toys.
• Ride the carousel set up near the Eiffel Tower in warm weather and feel like a kid again yourself!

Make the most of Paris museums and the free entry or discounted tickets they offer for kids under 18. Here are some museums that are free for kids:

• Louvre (see even more with a guide)
• Musée Picasso
• Château de Vincennes
• Sainte Chapelle
• Conciergerie
• Panthéon
• Musée de l’Armée
• Grand Galerie d’Evolution

Paris’ popular science museum (Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie) also offers discounted tickets for kids and is a great place for interactive exhibits.

To save even more on your trip, don’t miss the museums and landmarks that are free for everyone. These are our top picks:

• Musée d’Art Moderne (Modern Art Museum)
• Petit Palais (see the Grand Palais and more with a guided tour)
• Arènes de Lutèce
• Musée Carnavalet
• Mémorial de la Shoah

If you’re not traveling with really young kids, exploring the underground catacombs or walking through the city’s famous cemetery are some creepy and fun family experiences.

Should you take a guided tour of famous Paris landmarks? It can only enrich your experience! You won’t just see the Eiffel Tower or Champs-Élysées when you visit them with a local expert — you’ll learn the fascinating history and local legends behind each place.

These tours will help you see the top Paris attractions in a new light:

• Climb the Eiffel Tower with a guide who shares its secrets along the way. You can upgrade your experience to take the elevator to the summit where you’ll find a champagne bar, Gustave Eiffel’s private office, and more incredible views. Prefer not to climb? Take the Eiffel Tower Elevator Tour instead.
• Relive Notre Dame’s history — including the tragic 15-hour fire in 2019 — on this outdoor Notre Dame walking tour that includes admission to the archaeological crypt of Île de la Cité.
• Get inside this vast art museum faster with our Louvre Guided Tour. Prefer to explore inside on your own? Take our tour of the beauty surrounding the Louvre that includes a ticket to enter the museum.
• Walk along the Champs-Élysées and climb the Arc de Triomphe on an immersive tour that takes you through the history of Paris’ most celebrated avenue.
• A romantic tour of a cemetery? Our local expert will share all the scandals and love affairs that happened between the (often famous) people interred in the Père Lachaise Cemetery. If you’re looking for something even stranger, then this Catacombs Guided Tour is for you.
• Want to see the best of Paris in under eight hours? You can see it in a day with a guide leading the way.

Exploring Paris’ neighborhoods is the best way to get to know the city. You can experience what it’s really like beyond the monuments tourists always flock to. Sure, you’ll still see popular landmarks on our neighborhood tours, but the main attraction is the window into an area’s history and culture l.

Check out these Paris neighborhood tours:

• This Latin Quarter Walking Tour takes you into the oldest district in Paris, showing you marvelous examples of Gothic and medieval architecture, charming cafes and shops, and more.
• From the Moulin Rouge to the Sacré-Cœur, explore the bohemian soul of Paris and enjoy amazing views from Montmartre’s hilltop.
• Le Marais is the hippest neighborhood in Paris, and our walking tour will introduce you to its many hidden gems steeped in history and an authentic Parisian village atmosphere.
• Take the Montparnasse Walking Tour to learn about the crème de la crème of the Cafe Society, hear stories of what it was like under Nazi occupation, and visit famous landmarks like the Montparnasse Cemetery and Montparnasse Tower.
• If you’re curious about where you’ll find the “real” Paris, it’s in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Our guided tour with a local expert will cover all about how this neighborhood reflects real Parisian life and French joie de vivre.

When in Paris, do as the Parisians do (or at least what they do on TV) with immersive experiences like getting an authentic French baking lesson or visiting the locations featured on the popular Netflix series “Emily in Paris.”

It depends on what kind of Paris experience you’re looking for. You should know that the high season (the time of year when the City of Light sees the most tourists) runs from June to August and also includes late December, so it might be harder to get into landmarks everyone travels to see like the Eiffel Tower.

The low season runs from January to April and also includes early December. Tourists tend to stay away from Paris during this time because the weather is bad, but if you don’t mind some rain and cold, it’s the best time to visit to avoid crowds.

But the sweet spot for traveling to Paris — when it’s neither too hot, too cold, nor too crowded — is from April to May or September to November.

Here’s a quick guide for when to visit:

• How to avoid crowds: Visit between October and April to beat the holiday or summer rush.
• When to go for good weather: The summer temperatures from June to August are best for those who want warm weather for sightseeing. They can get a bit hot, though, especially midday.
• What to see during the holidays: From November through December, you’ll see the City of Light shining bright with Christmas lights. It’s a beautiful backdrop for sightseeing or strolling through the holiday markets.

From historic hotels to chic apartments, there are plenty of options for your stay in Paris. Before you book an accommodation, you’ve got to consider this number one rule: location, location, location.

We’ve narrowed down the the best arrondissements to find a place to stay during your trip:

• Behind Notre Dame is Île Saint Louis, which is right on the Seine and home to plenty of boutiques and restaurants for great shopping and eating while you’re in Paris.
• If great nightlife is what you’re after, look no further than the 10th arrondissement. Place de la République and Canal St. Martin are two nearby spots for trendy bars, and you’re even close to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est train stations that come in handy if you want to take a day trip.
• While the Latin Quarter is popular with tourists, it’s actually a pretty quiet place to stay. Hotels aren’t cheap, but there are plenty of affordable bars and restaurants, including the well-known jazz club le Caveau de la Huchette and various piano bars. Plus, you’re in one of the best areas for sightseeing.
• Montmartre’s cobblestone streets and landmarks like the Moulin Rouge make it one of Paris’ most beloved neighborhoods. You’re close to plenty of free attractions and will really feel like you’re living out your Parisian fantasy.
• The Marais, or le Marais, is known both as the Jewish district and for being the most LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood in Paris. The district is a favorite hangout for locals, too, so you’ll feel almost Parisian yourself if you stay here.

For fans of food, fashion, film, and music, Paris is the place to be for festivals that happen throughout the year. Whether you’ll be in the city for December’s holiday events or a haunted cemetery tour in October, there’s always something to celebrate in France’s capital.

We’ve rounded up the best events you’ll want to check out if you’re in town:

• Bastille Day on July 14 is a big day for France — it marks a turning point of the French Revolution when an armed mob stormed Bastille prison. In Paris, you’ll see a huge military parade along the Champs-Élysées by day, and a huge fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower by night.
• Love fashion? Then you won’t want to miss the Paris Fashion Weeks that showcase the best in men’s and women’s fashion from top designers. With runway sites set up in the summer and fall, you’ve got plenty of chances to spot celebrities, too.
• If you’re a foodie, this one’s for you: Each March, La Fête de la Gastronomie celebrates the country’s love of good food and cooking by hosting banquets, workshops, tastings, and market days across Paris.
• The city comes to life with music during the Fête de la Musique in June. Street parties and concerts happen all over Paris, including in front of the Louvre.

If you plan to get away from Paris for a day trip and happen to be visiting in May, head to the D-Day Normandy Beaches to commemorate that fateful battle that marked the turning point of World War II in Europe.

You can’t leave Paris without relishing lots of French pastries and bread — or, better yet, baking some yourself. But carbs aren’t all French cuisine has to offer. Of course nothing’s more iconic of Paris than a croissant, but you’ve got to branch out and try more national dishes.

Escargot, for example, are snails cooked and served in their shells and traditionally stuffed with garlic, butter and herbs.

Perhaps macarons are more to your taste with their airy shells and luscious centers; they’re truly France’s perfect cookie.

And what could be more perfect than cheese? In France, you’ll find more than 300 varieties, including the ever-popular brie. One of the greatest things about French cheese culture is that it’s served as its own course between the main dish and dessert.

If you’ve been to Paris before, consider doing more things off the beaten path. Try a different view of the city from the Montparnasse Tower instead of La Tour Eiffel. The benefit? You’ll actually get to see the Eiffel Tower in the Paris skyline.

Take a tour of a neighborhood more popular with locals than tourists, visiting unusual attractions like Place des Vosges where the famous author Victor Hugo once lived.

Have you seen the Seine from every angle? Stroll or sip your wine along the Canal St. Martin, a river where the Parisians go to hang out. While you’re wandering around the romantic side streets, be sure to look up at the beautiful balconies that are part of what makes Paris a work of art.

Get away from the Louvre to visit some of Paris’s smaller museums like the Musée d’Orsay, filled with Impressionist art, or the Musée De Cluny, which has a collection of medieval artifacts.

And if you’re looking for a truly unusual attraction during your stay, don’t miss the Ballon Generali, a hot air balloon that has flexible solar panels to collect solar energy.

A guided tour is the best way to experience Paris for the first time, especially if you go on a tour that shows you the highlights in a day. You’ll be able to cross off most of the landmarks on your itinerary, and then have the rest of your trip to spend more time in the places you loved most.

Here’s what your itinerary could look like:

• Head back to the Eiffel Tower to climb to the top with an expert guide and get a bird’s-eye view of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Sacré-Cœur, Les Invalides, and more.
• Explore the beautiful Tuileries Garden and get faster entry to the Louvre with this guided and self-guided walking tour. If you want help navigating this enormous art museum, take our skip-the-line guided tour to ensure you see all the classics.
• Don’t miss seeing Notre Dame and learning about the 12th-century cathedral’s history and recovery after the 2019 fire.
• Learn about the heroes and legends associated with the Champs-Élysées and climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for more stunning views.

Is any time ever enough time for a trip to Paris? You’ll always leave wishing you had more time, but if it’s your first visit plan to stay at least four days in the City of Light. This not only gives you enough time to see the highlights, but to explore a few of the 20 arrondissements.

Paris is a sprawling city, but its public transportation system makes it easy to navigate. The metro and RER are linked systems that allow you to transfer from one train to another. If you’d like to get in some sightseeing while traveling from place to place, the bus is another option that sometimes has more direct stops than the metro. Use one of the many route planning apps that keep you updated on schedules and wait times.

There are various passes you can buy for the metro, but the Navigo Easy card is the easiest and most affordable. If you’ll be going beyond the metro — like the train to the airport — the weekly Navigo Decouverte that lets you travel on the metro, RER, tram, or bus is the best value.

From luxury brands to antiques, Paris truly has everything you could possibly want to shop for.

The most famous shopping street in Paris is the Champs-Élysées, where you can do all your luxury shopping from brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton. There are also less-crowded shopping streets with high-end stores like Avenue Montaigne and Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

For more budget-friendly shopping, head to the Marais district to find smaller boutiques that are easier on the wallet. Rue de Rivoli is another great street for more affordable shopping, especially if you miss brands like H&M or The Gap from back home.

Don’t miss Paris’ covered passages that are filled with shopping and culinary treasures. They not only offer a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, but some of them date back as far as the 1700s and are beautiful to look at.