The best things to do—and the top things to avoid—in Paris. Plus, the best hotels, restaurants, and tips for a memorable vacation. All curated by a trusted Fodor’s writer based in the French capital.
After 20 years of living and writing in Paris, I sometimes feel I’ve only just scratched the surface. Beauty that she is, Paris is so much more than skin deep, and a single visit, as lovers of Paris well know, is a tantalizing toe dip into an ocean of possibility. Certain sights are a must—the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, Notre Dame—but to feel the deeper essence of Paris, do what Parisians do: splurge at a great restaurant, cycle through the city, or stroll the parks, catch a concert, opera, ballet or jazz festival, and seek out the rarer cultural gems. As world capitals go, Paris is compact and easy to cover on foot, so budget some unstructured time to just wander, dream, discover, and be inspired.
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Climb up the Eiffel Tower
WHERE: 7th arrondissement
Adventurous visitors (with good knees) can avoid the wait by striding up the 360 stairs to the first floor and then hopping on an elevator to the second and third floors. You can also book a tour that skirts the line or reserve a table at Thierry Marx’s Madame Brasserie or multiple-Michelin-star chef Frédéric Anton’s two-star Jules Verne restaurant—both give access via a private elevator (there are also food stands and a third-floor champagne bar that don’t).
The Eiffel Tower is most breathtaking at night when 20,000 glittering lights perform a sparkling display for five minutes every hour on the hour until 1 am. In-your-face views of the tower are best from the Trocadéro plaza just across the river (hang on to your wallet). Whether best seen from near or far is an ongoing debate, so do both!
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Be Transported at the Philharmonie de Paris
WHERE: 19th arrondissement
Paris’s reigning concert hall’s innovative programming, music-education workshops, accessible pricing, location at the fringes of Paris (a calculated decision to bridge the cultural gap between Paris and its suburbs), acclaimed acoustics (partly due to its 360-degree seating), world-class exhibitions on subjects like The Velvet Underground, David Bowie and Disco, and hallucinatory architecture by Jean Nouvel have earned it a top spot on Paris’s cultural landscape.
There’s a delight here for every age, taste, and musical preference—and ways to visit last minute on the cheap. The online ticket exchange lets you purchase tickets, often for sold-out concerts, at the same or a lower price. Those 28 and younger or 65 and older get the best deals: one hour before concert time, tickets go on sale at discounted rates as low as €11—tickets that sell for €170, for example, can go for as little as €30. In a hall where no audience member is more than 38 meters (125 feet) from the conductor, that’s a steal.
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Sail Around Paris on a Bateau Mouche
WHERE: 6th arrondissement
A dozen of the city’s major landmarks, including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame, and Invalides sit on or near the riverbanks, and a boat trip is the only way to get a good look at Paris’s 37 historic bridges. Below the Pont Neuf—meaning New Bridge, but actually Paris’s oldest bridge, go figure—several boating companies offer rides that include anything from a flute of champagne to a gourmet meal (see Restaurants) or straight sightseeing with or without commentary. Rides range from 90 minutes to four hours and take you 15 kilometers (9 mi) through the heart of the city. A cheaper option: get an all-day ticket to hop on and off the Batobus—Paris’s water taxi—from 10 am until 9:30 pm, leaving every 20 minutes from nine stops around the city.
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Stroll in a Park
Paris has 500 parks and gardens, ranging from postage-stamp size to sprawling Bois de Vincennes’ 2,500 acres of gardens, forests, lakes—and a nudist park. There’s nothing like passing a lazy afternoon at the Institut Suedois’s hidden garden and café in the Marais, watching the river go by at Square Barye at the tip of the Île Saint-Louis, or catching up on a novel at the secluded gardens of the Archives Nationales.
The Luxembourg Gardens’ tree-lined walkways, sculpted flower beds, and immaculate lawns (meant for admiring, not for lounging—there are benches for that) is a must-visit, with romantic Palais Royal, mile-high Parc de Belleville, bucolic Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, exquisite Parc Floral de Paris (with jazz and classical music festivals in summer), Parc de Bagatelle’s botanic gardens, and the museum-filled Jardin des Plantes as close seconds. Many museums harbor hidden gardens, and the Marais is packed with tiny flower-strewn enclaves of peace. Don’t forget Père Lachaise cemetery—its tranquil alleys are perfect for wandering on a fine day in spring or fall.
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Seek Out Under-the-Radar Cultural Spaces
Starting with the Collège des Bernardins, in Paris’s quiet, often overlooked 5e arrondissement. Besides a scintillating program of talks and debates, these soaring 13th-century cloisters (the last vestige of the medieval University of Paris) host day and nighttime concerts, provocative art exhibitions and film screenings, a bookshop, café, and garden. Le 19M, funded in part by Chanel, was created to house and preserve the knowledge of more than 700 “petit mains,” artisans practicing the centuries-old métiers that make couture possible. The center offers creative workshops for adults and kids, as well as an excellent gallery, café, and bookstore.
Also in the 19th arrondissement, Centquatre-Paris is a haven of cultural life for all ages, welcoming artists in residence from around the world, contemporary art exhibitions, dance, concerts and nightlife, workshops, boutiques, and a café, all in the spirit of community, diversity, and inclusion.
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Go to a Music Festival
Not a month goes by in Paris without a music festival to liven things up, but summer is when things really get going. Kicked off by the all-city (and all-France) Fête de la Musique (June 21), when the city becomes an all-night open-air concert hall—with bars open till dawn and musical performances on every street corner—Paris welcomes more than 28 summer festivals, from the candlelit Festival Chopin in the Bagatelle Gardens to Rock en Seine, featuring live performances by internationally known artists at the Parc de Saint-Cloud. On the rolling lawns of Paris’s bucolic Park Floral, you can picnic to the notes of world-class Jazz at the Paris Jazz Festival, cutting-edge contemporary music at the eco-friendly We Love Green Festival, and classical music at Classique au Vert. Parc de la Villette hosts a multitude of festivals, outdoor movie screenings, and live performances, including the La Villette Jazz Festival and Villette Sonique for rock, electronic, and other up-to-the-minute genres.
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Visit Paris’s Smaller Churches
Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur, and Saint-Sulpice aside, some of Paris’s smaller churches have been tending their flocks for nearly 1,000 years. Maybe it’s the soaring gothic stones or centuries of prayers murmured between the walls, but there’s no denying the uplift at Paris’s churches, both great and small. If the ancient hushed aisles don’t move you, an intimate candlelight concert at tiny 12th-century Julian le Pauvre, minuscule Saint Ephrem, or under Sainte-Chapelle’s glimmering windows just might.
In the heart of the city, newly restored Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the oldest churches in Paris (excellent concerts there too). A scandalously overlooked masterpiece just 30 minutes by metro from central Paris, the Basilique de Saint-Denis—among France’s masterpiece Gothic cathedrals—is the final resting place of 43 French kings, 32 queens (including Marie Antoinette and Catherine de Medici), 60 princes and princesses, and Europe’s most important collection of recumbent statuary (plus one of France’s mysterious black Madonnas, but that’s another story).
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Splurge on a Cocktail at a Swanky Hotel
At Paris’s luxury hotels, especially the 12 palaces, you’ll pay 20%-30% more for an experience that’s far beyond most cocktail bars. At the Hôtel de Crillon’s Les Ambassadeurs, a listed historic monument, you can sip a cocktail or a frosty coupe de Champagne under soaring gilded and frescoed ceilings. Flop into a leather club chair at the Meurice’s legendary Bar 228, where Salvador Dali (and his ocelot) liked to go before retiring for the night. Joséphine, the Lutetia hotel’s winsome piano bar (steps from the Bon Marché) features glorious art nouveau murals discovered during the hotel’s restoration. If the Ritz’s Bar Hemingway speaks to you, as it does hundreds of others lining up at its doors, you can drop a cool €30-€1,500 for a cocktail served with a rose. Other cocktail greats: Shangri-La’s Bar Botaniste and La Bibliothèque Duc de Morny at La Réserve Paris.
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Visit the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature
WHERE: 3rd arrondissement
It’s a mouthful to say and defies all description, but in my opinion, this is one of Paris’s great little museums in the most unconventional way. Two of the Marais’s loveliest 18th-century mansions were joined to create this eclectic space dedicated to nature and the hunt, or more poetically, “the relationship between man and the animal throughout history.”
At first glance, the lustrous cabinetry, silk wall coverings, antique tapestries, furniture, weaponry, and paintings by the likes of Rubens and Artemisia Gentileschi seem standard issue.
Look again, and you’ll notice whimsical videos couched in the antique cases, ingenious contemporary artworks interspersed among the antiques, and cheeky installations—like the dreamy half-lit unicorn room, complete with mythic horns. Interactive displays and contemporary exhibitions—featuring Sophie Calle or Walton Ford, among others—inspire a powerful and poetic dialogue on the fragile coexistence between species, and our human power to preserve or destroy them.
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Visit the Arc de Triomphe
WHERE: 8th arrondissement
Yes, it’s a big triumphal arch conceived by an even bigger ego—namely Napoleon Bonaparte’s—who abandoned the idea and the half-built arc well before his exile and death. Construction of the arc resumed during the restoration, but deterred by mishaps, regime change, and revolution, it was finally finished 30 years later by Louis-Philippe, who dedicated it to those fallen in the service of France.
It wasn’t until Baron Haussmann’s overhaul of Paris that the arc became what it is today—the central star from which 12 monumental avenues, including the Champs-Élysées, radiate. Though it’s a steep walk up (284 steps), you can go by elevator to all but the top terrace, which is 46 stairs up. The views are stupendous, and because you’re above, but not too far above, the city it feels all the more dramatic. You take your life in your hands if you attempt to cross the traffic circle at Étoile: enter at the Passage du Souvenir at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or at the Avenue de la Grande-Armée.
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Enjoy French Pastries and Chocolate
Throw a stone in Paris, and you’ll hit a gourmet pastry shop, with more arriving every minute. Chocolate is also a favorite pastime; you’ll find at least 15 world-class chocolatiers in Saint-Germain alone. If you’re short on time, the Rue du Bac (7e) is lined with some of the city’s best pâtisseries and chocolatiers.
My absolute favorite is Des Gâteaux et du Pain, where genius pâtissier Clair Damon’s exquisite bread, cakes, and tarts—like her Absolu Citron tart: a sablé crust lined with a delicate crisp of olive oil meringue topped by tart Corsican lemon cream—are the stuff of dreams. Another favorite is Carl Marletti’s pilgrimage-worthy violet-flavored spaceship of a chou pastry called Lily of the Valley. Other favs include: Bontemps for delectable cream-filled sablé cookies, Jean-Paul Hévin’s orange-curd tart, Yann Couvreur, Arnaud Larher, Tapisserie for absolutely everything, and Du Pain et des Idées’ orange-flower-perfumed mouna brioche. For chocolates: Jacques Genin, Maison Chaudun, Franc Kestener, Patrick Roger, Alain Ducasse, and Plaq for a decadent unsweetened hot chocolate.
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Head to the Montmartre Neighborhood
The bucolic landscape and naughty nightlife on Paris’s highest hill were siren songs to generations of Parisian artists, and their spirit lingers on. A stroll through Montmartre’s winding cobbled streets reveals notable architecture (including windmills), Paris’s oldest producing vineyard (Clos Montmartre), the fabled Musée de Montmartre—with spectacular views from its enclosed garden and adorable café—street art, worthy restaurants and cafés, spectacular views and charm galore. Go in the early morning or late afternoon (sunset at Sacré Coeur is a drama) and avoid Place des Ternes, a shameless tourist trap. When you’re ready to go, don’t take the métro; walk down the marvelous Rue des Martyrs, a historic Parisian market street.
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Don’t Limit Yourself to the Rock Stars at the Louvre
WHERE: 1st arrondissement
Want to see the Mona Lisa? Absolutely! But know that in the Grande Galerie, a 20-second walk away, hang three da Vinci masterpieces, often without a soul in front of them. For a madcap French décor, head to the Napoléon III rooms (Richelieu wing), a riot of crimson velvet, gilding, and crystal, or the French crown jewels in the stupendous Galerie d’Apollon (Denon wing). With more than 780,000 square feet of exhibition space (basically a dozen football fields) and about 35,000 works on view, a few hours of wandering will take you from Mesopotamia (the spectacular Porte d’Ishtar) to modern masters (Cy Twombly ceiling in the Salle des Bronzes) by way of the great European painters and Egyptian and Islamic wings that will knock your socks right off.
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Take a Day Trip
Versailles was the work of a single king, but Fontainebleau was the home of 34 French monarchs (and an imprisoned pope) whose traces remain. Chartres Cathedral, luminous after a 15-year restoration (some, including me, miss the gloom), is a wonder of the world, its jewel-like windows resplendent on sunny days. Go on a Friday between March and November to walk its legendary labyrinth.
Love Champagne? Head to Reims, a 45-minute train ride, to descend deep into the chalk cellars before a refreshing tasting at Ruinart, Veuve Cliquot, Taittinger, or Pommery, and while you’re at it, visit the cathedral where the French kings were crowned from the 9th century onward. Consider the beautiful medieval town of Senlis; Van Gogh’s resting place at Auvers-sur-Oise; Château Vaux-le-Vicomte, inspiration for Versailles, the list goes on…
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Party at Paris’s Food Festivals and Salons
Join the happy mobs Taste of Paris slurping champagne and sampling dishes from France’s grandest chefs for a fraction of the restaurant price. But nothing transports you to the heart of France faster than Paris’s Salon International de l’Agriculture, where every year, the president shows up to nibble French cheeses and slap a cow’s rear. The Salon du Chocolat’s hundreds of exhibits range from massive chocolate sculptures to gushing fountains and a fashion show of kinky all-chocolate couture. For some boozy fun, a ticket to the Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendents gets you an empty wine glass (soon to be filled) and a map of corridor after corridor of independent winemakers from every region of France. My favorite is the Omnivore festival at the Parc Floral, which gathers 500 top chefs and winemakers for tastings, master classes, and dozens of exhibits on anything and everything delicious.
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Things to Avoid: Ladurée
I hate to debunk this much-hyped pastime, but if an institution in Paris rests on its laurels, it’s this one. Both the Champs-Elysées and the historic Rue Royal locations were completely updated last year, erasing the last vestiges of old-world (if manufactured) Parisian charm. The beautiful Napoléon III-style salon de thé at the Rue Jacob boutique vies for worst service in Paris (if not on the planet), not to mention the insane prices you’ll pay for the privilege of waiting 30 minutes for your tea only to receive it lukewarm. The pastries are reliably great, but you can get those at any airport.
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Things to Avoid: Rudeness
A few simple codes of behavior will smooth your way with grumpy Parisians. First: speak some French! A few words will do. Always say “bonjour” when entering a shop and “bonne journée” when leaving. If you have a question, preface it with “bonjour madame/monsieur,” you’ll be much more likely to get a cheerful—or any—response. Though Parisians often speak English, don’t assume everyone understands you when you blurt out a question in your native tongue (and don’t ever assume they don’t if you’re talking behind their back). Learning just a few key phrases in French and having the confidence to use them will take you far.
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Things to Avoid: Metro Pickpockets
Taking the métro is a Parisian rite of passage. Clean, punctual, cheap, and easy, it’s by far the quickest way to get around the city. That said, take some precautions. Groups of young kids, usually girls, distract riders while making off with their wallets. Parisians are onto this and will frequently warn unsuspecting riders. Also, keep a good grip on your phone, especially if near the doors, so thieves can’t grab it and dash when they open.
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Must-Try Restaurants: Don Juan II
WHERE: 16th arrondissement
It’s almost impossible, if not silly, to name a favorite restaurant with the incredible culinary wealth of Paris. But here are three: one for a splurge, a gourmet evening out, and the place I’d go for a casual meal any day of the week.
One of my most memorable Paris evenings was aboard a 1930s Art Deco yacht for a dinner prepared by chef Frédéric Anton—three-star chef at the marvelous Le Pré Catalan in the Bois de Boulogne and two-star chef at Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower—with all of Paris as a backdrop. A splurge, to be sure, but an unforgettable, and unforgettably romantic, one. Passengers start with a glass of champagne on deck, then head down to the paneled stateroom for a two-hour cruise past Paris’s iconic landmarks while dining on Anton’s emblematic dishes. You’ll savor the last bites of your soufflé in front of a sparkling Eiffel Tower. It’s a €250 outlay (more with wine) you’ll never regret.
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Must-Try Restaurants: Comice
WHERE: 15th arrondissement
A dazzling floral arrangement, lustrous artworks, snowy linens, feather-light stemware, and a warm welcome from Etheliya Hananova, wife of chef Noam Gedalof, set the stage for a timeless evening. Followed by a progression of exquisitely refined dishes that feature vegetables but don’t skimp on luxury ingredients, from a brilliant carrot vélouté starter to the light-as-air chocolate soufflé for dessert: butter-poached lobster with beets and horseradish cream, foie gras terrine with quince, walnuts, and dates, everything is sourced from the top producers around France. No wonder why this restaurant earned a Michelin star less than six months after opening.
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Must-Try Restaurants: Baillote
WHERE: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement
For a casual meal that’s thoughtful, fresh, well-sourced, well-prepared, and always delicious—not to mention a bargain—I can count on this laid-back local favorite in Saint Germain.
The menu changes frequently and always reflects what’s in season: fat white asparagus with marinated cuttlefish and a tart blood orange vinaigrette; langoustine ravioli with crisp slices of Granny Smith apple, hazelnuts, and herb sprouts in a vin jaune emulsion; trout with a light cauliflower cream flecked with caviar and yuzu. Whatever you do, don’t skip the delicious desserts and ask about the wines: there are plenty of surprises from smaller producers chosen specifically to complement the food.
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Best Budget Hotel: Hôtel Filigrane
WHERE: 2nd arrondissement
With all the online hype, it’s rare for a Parisian gem to remain undiscovered. If this chic 43-room boutique hotel in a central neighborhood in Paris isn’t booked up months in advance, it’s because it opened in spring 2025. Serenity is the theme in rooms and common areas, done up in rich indigo, cream, or burgundy and highlighted by furnishings in wood, marble, and rich velvets. At the honesty bar, guests can relax by the fireplace over a glass of local beer or wine, soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Rooms are small, but at these prices, you can afford to splurge on a balcony suite with views over Paris’s silvery rooftops. Book well in advance to claim your free 45-minute spa visit with private use of the pool, steam room, and sauna.
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Best Mid-Range Hotel: Hôtel Balzac
WHERE: 8th arrondissement
The refined simplicity of Japan meets Art Deco elegance in the refined guest and common rooms of this 58-room hotel on a quiet street two minutes from the Champs-Élysées. Totally restored and reopened in 2024, guests enjoy a roaring fire in winter in the cozy lobby and drinks and snacks in the wood-paneled cocktail bar. Rooms are sleek and luxurious (two suites come with terraces and stellar Eiffel Tower views), with huge marble bathrooms, some with walk-in showers and separate tubs. The Japanese Ikoi spa offers a pool, sauna, and luxe treatments. There’s no on-site restaurant, but high-quality bar snacks are sufficient for lunch or dinner.
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Best Luxury Hotel: Hôtel Saint James
WHERE: 16th arrondissement
Set in a 19th-century mansion set back in a serene two-acre garden courtyard, it’s less like a hotel than visiting a country house in the heart of Paris. The hotel tapped interior designer star Laura Gonzalez to create the warm, light-filled spaces—especially the atrium rooms, with glass ceilings and greenery. Michelin-star Bellefeuille restaurant is gorgeous by day or night, and the Guerlain spa and giant pool, sprawling garden terrace, and handsome library bar (set in the original library when the mansion was a private school) offer a quintessentially pampered experience. If you’re a family or looking for the ultimate private apartment-style lodging, the villa on a quiet street behind the hotel offers four exquisite apartments with huge terraces overlooking a private garden. Two private pavilions flanking the entrance are little Parisian dream homes.
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Things to Know
There’s no bad time to visit Paris and no time when you won’t face crowds at the major landmarks. Though April and October are probably the finest months in the city (especially April for the gardens), don’t shy away from the winter months, when fares are lower, crowds thinner, and restaurant and hotel reservations are easier to get. May is holiday time and very busy. If you don’t mind cooler temperatures, November is ideal. Christmas in Paris is far less commercial than in other major cities, and every neighborhood has its own light display. It’s an enchanting time to be here.
The best way to get around Paris is on foot. There are few places in the city where you won’t discover something you may not notice from a bus. For getting around quickly, the metro is truly one of Paris’s main assets and is simple to navigate once you get the hang of it. The tram, which runs nearly the full parameter of Paris, is a nice compromise: you move quickly and get to see Paris at the same time.
Cycling has become increasingly popular since Mayor Hildago’s redesign of traffic patterns, bike lanes, and pedestrian areas. However, there is tension between cyclists and drivers, so be careful when cycling. Not to mention, when walking, be mindful of bike lanes when crossing the street. Cyclists here tend to plow through red lights.