Paris is one of our favorite capital cities in the world. It’s filled with famous attractions, iconic museums, stunning architecture, a lively atmosphere, delicious food and diverse arrondissements. But what attractions and activities should you prioritize when you visit Paris for the very first time?
In this guide we show you 10 unmissable things to do on a first visit to Paris, based on our own extensive experience in the City of Lights.
Our Experience
We first visited Paris back in 2018 during our 18 month honeymoon around the world, and we’ve visited many times since then. Some of our family members live in northern France, so Paris has become one of our regular haunts because it’s where we always connect through. But even though we’ve visited on several occasions, we never fail to fill our days with fun activities. If you’re a serious planner like us, take a look at our popular Paris travel guidebook which covers everything you need for a first visit.
Over the years we’ve seen most of the top highlights in Paris and we truly believe the city offers unique experiences you won’t find anywhere else in the world. So we created our own version of what we think are the must-see attractions on a first trip to Paris. These are the landmarks, museums and activities we’d prioritize if we were to visit for the first time again. Read more about us.
1. Climb The Eiffel Tower
One of the most popular things to do in Paris is visit the Eiffel Tower and it really is something you simply can’t miss. Completed in 1889, this world famous structure was originally meant to be a temporary piece for the World’s Fair. It was heavily protested during construction, but it has since turned into one of the most recognizable landmarks on the planet. So it’s only fitting that most first time visitors to Paris head straight for la tour Eiffel.
We’ve climbed the Eiffel Tower twice and explored all 3 floors. Most people opt for the elevator straight up to the top floor, but we like to take the stairs to the second floor then ride the elevator the remaining way. Naturally, the Eiffel Tower is one of the busiest attractions in Paris, so we recommend you book your tickets online before you arrive in the city. Without tickets, you may end up waiting in a long line.
When buying tickets you’ll select the date, level and visit time. Here’s the official website, or you can also buy one of the following entrance tickets with guided tours included in the price if you want to learn about its history:
READ: How to visit the Eiffel Tower
Travel Tip: Our favorite place to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower is from the Place du Trocadero. This popular photo spot will give you a great front on view of the tower from a distance, but it’s also known for pickpockets so always watch your belongings.
2. Explore The Louvre
The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world and it’s on almost everyone’s Paris bucket list. Whether you’re interested in art or not, you should plan to visit the Louvre simply because it’s home to some of the most iconic masterpieces on the planet. We’ve visited twice and we still haven’t seen it all, so trust us when we say you’ll need a good few hours inside. It’s enormous.
Once a former palace for kings, the Louvre contains over 30,000 works of art spanning Greek sculpture, Egyptian artifacts plus numerous French and Italian paintings. There are 3 main areas including the Denon, Richelieu and Sully wings which showcase different artworks spread across various floors. The Denon wing is the most popular because it’s home to the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
Last time we visited in November with a timed entry ticket for 9:00am, we had to wait for over 30 minutes just to get through security. If you want to avoid the crowds, we recommend visiting in the afternoon. The Louvre is open from 9:00am-6:00pm daily, but it’s open until 9:45pm on Fridays. We highly recommend you read our guide below if you want to visit the Louvre because it explains everything you need to know about visiting for the first time.
READ: Tips for visiting the Louvre in Paris
3. Day Trip To The Palace Of Versailles
The town of Versailles is located about 12 miles (20 km) southwest of Paris and it’s one of the most popular day trip options for first time visitors. It actually took us a few visits to Paris before we finally made it to Versailles because it’s such a time commitment. But now that we’ve walked around the palace and grounds, we definitely think it’s worth using up a half day on your itinerary.
Just like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, you can expect to the Palace of Versailles to be exceptionally busy. For reference, we’d say Versailles is comparable with the Vatican Museum in Italy in terms of crowds. So, you need to book a timed entry ticket in advance to visit Versailles. Here’s the official website. Even on a rainy day in November, we had to queue for over 30 minutes after our time slot was called out. Those without a pre-booked time slot had to wait much longer.
We took to the RER train on line C to get from Paris to Versailles. It’s about a 30 minute ride with a 15 minute walk from the station to the palace and then the same back to Paris. If you don’t want to navigate on your own, you can book various tours with transportation included. Here are some popular options:
READ: What to see at the Palace of Versailles
4. Take A Seine River Cruise
Enjoying a casual stroll along the banks of the River Seine with a tasty French baguette and a coffee is one of our favorite things to do in Paris. But cruising on the Seine is a great way to see Paris from a unique vantage point. During a cruise, you’ll pass by the Louvre, Conciergerie, Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower and bridges such as the Pont Alexandre III. The river cruises are popular because they’re affordable, scenic and relaxing. We’ve done it twice and we’ll likely do it again next time we’re in Paris.
There are several companies offering one hour cruises along the Seine, and so far we’ve taken cruises with two different companies. Bateaux-Mouches was a large open-top, double-decker boat with free narration. We liked this company because we could freely move around on the top deck and take photos with no windows, but it was packed with tour groups. Bateaux Parisiens was a smaller boat with fewer tour groups, but sometimes they only have one deck rather than two.
Need help planning your trip to Paris?
Our popular Paris travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit, including must-visit attractions and museums, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!
5. Explore Montmartre
Montmartre (the 18th arrondissement) is a unique, charming and artsy neighborhood in Paris, and we love it. Its focal point is the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which sits atop the natural highest point in Paris and has far reaching city views. We decided to stay in Montmartre for a few nights and we really enjoyed exploring the area. It’s filled with steep and winding cobble stone streets, and it has great restaurants and cafes.
Most visitors go to Montmartre to see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica or to watch a show at Moulin Rouge. Over the years the neighborhood has become more touristy and expensive, but there are still some lovely hidden gems once you got off the main streets and away from the main square called Place du Tertre. Here’s what you should see in Montmartre:
- Sacré-Cœur Basilica – Entrance is free, but its 8,00€ to climb the dome
- Moulin Rouge – Birthplace of the can-can dance and Europe’s first cabaret shows
- La Maison Rose – Picturesque pink restaurant occasionally visited by Picasso
- Musee de Montmartre – A museum filled with works about Montmartre
- Place du Tertre – Lively square with artists selling their work
- Bouillon Pigalle – Extremely popular restaurant that always has a long line
- La Mascotte Montmartre – Popular 1889 art nouveau brasserie serving seafood
- Caves des Abbesses – A very popular wine bar
Travel Tip: If you want to go for a meal in Montmartre, don’t eat in the touristy areas. While these restaurants look nice, they are a tourist trap. We highly recommend getting off the main streets and watching where the locals go. We enjoyed Le St. Graal (burgers and beer) and Autour du Moulin (traditional French spot).
6. Visit The Musée d’Orsay
After the Louvre, the next most popular museum to visit in Paris is the Musée d’Orsay. And we personally think it’s one of the best places to visit in Paris because it showcases Europe’s largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art through paintings, sculpture, and decorative objects. Similarly to the Eiffel Tower, the Orsay train station was inaugurated in 1900 specifically for the World Fair, but today it houses the Musée d’Orsay.
We like the Musée d’Orsay because it begins at the exact time period where the Louvre ends, featuring artists like Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gough, Seurat, Toulouse-Lautec and Cézanne. So you’ll cover a lot of ground by visiting just the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, which is why we always recommend these two over all the others.
The Musée d’Orsay spans 5 impressive floors and is centered around a beautiful clock originally used in the old train station. We like the layout of the museum and it’s less overwhelming than the Louvre. Many of our favorite pieces are located on the 5th floor so don’t forget to go all the way up to the top. Finally, you can eat in a beautiful restaurant surrounded by French Frescos or grab a quick treat from one of the smaller cafes.
Travel Tip: Head to the 5th floor and look for an enormous clock face near the gift shop in the back of the museum. On a clear day, you can see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the distance.
7. Climb The Arc de Triomphe
Exploring the base of the famous Arc de Triomphe is completely free, but it costs 16,00€ per person to climb up and enjoy views over Paris. Don’t worry if you don’t climb to the top because there’s plenty to see on the ground floor, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and intricate carvings of battles found all around the exterior of the arch. It’s still worth seeing if you don’t pay to climb up, and afterwards you should walk down the Champs-Élysées to tick off another bucket list attraction in Paris.
We used our Paris Museum Pass to climb the 284 steps to the terrace at the top. It was a bit of a lung buster and we didn’t know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised. First, we climbed 202 steps to the attic room which highlights important information about the monument. Then we climbed another 82 steps to the terrace which ended with extensive 360 degree views over the Champs-Élysées, the unique 12-lane traffic pattern surrounding the famous arch, and all of Paris.
If you want to learn more, you can book a guided tour for 23,50€ on the official website.
Travel Tip: Do not cross traffic to visit the Arc de Triomphe. Look for an underground tunnel on the Avenue de la Grande Armee which connects directly to the base of the landmark.
8. Admire Notre-Dame de Paris
The Notre-Dame de Paris is a medieval Catholic cathedral located on the Île de la Cité and it’s another iconic landmark you shouldn’t miss the first time you visit Paris. It’s a stunning example of Gothic architecture from the Middle Ages with beautiful stained glass windows, an ornate flying buttress and gargoyles surrounding the entire perimeter. Mark prefers the York Minster in England, but it’s where he grew up so he’s biased!
Sadly, Notre Dame caught fire in April 2019 and had to be carefully reconstructed over several years but it’s reopen for visitors as of the end of 2024. Tickets are not required to enter the cathedral, but guided tours are required to access any other areas. There’s always very long lines to get inside Notre Dame, so plan your time accordingly if you want to go inside.
You can also take an outdoor walking guided tour or visit the Archaeological Crypt underneath the building. We visited the Archaeological Crypt and we found it to be well worth a quick hour of our time. It’s a small but interesting museum showing the foundations of buildings constructed between the Gallo-Roman era and the 18th century.
9. Indulge In The Paris Café Culture
What is a first trip to Paris without immersing yourself into the typical Parisian culture? You’ll find endless cafes, restaurants and bars with tables and chairs spilling out into almost every street. One of our favorite things to do in Paris is to simply grab a seat in a cosy looking café, have a slow lunch with a glass of wine, enjoy with a crepe for dessert and watch the world go by. In Paris, meals are meant to be leisurely and social affairs, so don’t rush.
A huge proportion of eateries, especially those with prime real estate on street corners will serve up traditional French fare. Some offer non-stop service from morning until night, whereas some upscale options will close for a few hours between lunch and dinner. Always check the hours of operation before visiting any restaurant. And in peak months you should reserve a table when possible.
Here are some of the most iconic places to eat in Paris:
Travel Tip: One of the bad things about sitting in a Parisian café is the cigarette smoke. If you’re a non-smoker like us, this is the one thing we just can’t get on board with. If you want to avoid most of the smoke, pick a seat inside because all of the smokers will sit outside on the patio.
10. Take A Wine Tasting Or Pastry Making Class
The French are known for their wine and pastries, so Paris is naturally one of the best places to learn about these delicious delights. We’ve taken both a wine tasting class and a macaroon making class in Paris and we can highly recommend both. There are lots of companies offering similar tours, so it’s best to read the detailed descriptions and the reviews. Here are the classes we took:
1 – Wine tasting class at Les Caves du Louvre. This was an exceptional tour through a wine cellar that was formally used by the royal family. We took the guided tour with premium tasting and our sommelier was exceptional. After it finished, we walked away amazed at how much we learned and it was really cool to see historic cellar. You can book it here.
2 – Macaroon making class at Galeries Lafayette. This was another fantastic tour on which we learned how to make 2 different types of macaroons, the classic French pastry. It’s a lot harder than it looks and it has a steep learning curve! But we learned how to create the shells and make the ganache. You can book it here.
For more options, check out these highly rated tours:
If You Have More Time
There are so many more fun things you can do in Paris that we haven’t discussed in this guide. The things we have covered are what we recommend you prioritize on a first visit. But if you have more time available, here are the attractions, museums and landmarks you can add to your Paris itinerary:
Travel Tip: If you want to visit Sainte-Chapelle, we highly recommend you book a time slot or you may be waiting in a very long line. This happened to us during our last visit because we didn’t have a timed entry ticket.
Interactive Paris Map
Click or touch the map below to active. Zoom in and out, move around and find the locations of the top attractions in Paris.
Map key:
- Red – Our top recommendations
- Purple – Restaurants
- Yellow – Things to do with more time
You can also open up the full map here for a better and larger view.
Our Paris Photos
We always take so many photos when we visit Paris! Here are just a few more of our favorites to get you even more excited for your trip:
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: Paris is an incredible city filled with famous landmarks, museums and attractions which is one of the reasons we like it so much. Even after multiple visits, we always discover something new. We also love the food scene in Paris because you can find just about anything you want. Coming from the US, you can eat extremely well for a fraction of the cost because you won’t pay much tax and there is no tip required as wait staff are paid a livable wage.
What we don’t like: Not everyone loves Paris and in truth, it took us a few visits to fall in love with the city too. If you’re visiting for the first time, it can be really overwhelming. We also don’t like the smoking culture as non-smokers and last time we visited, Kristen was pregnant so it wasn’t fun dodging cigarette smoke all over town. It’s also important to note hotels are very expensive and most don’t have air conditioning, so if you visit in summer it can be extremely warm.
Is Paris worth visiting? Yes, Paris is definitely worth visiting. It’s known as one of the most romantic places on Earth for a reason. There are so many amazing things to do for visitors of all ages, including some of the most prestigious museums in the world. We highly recommend you visit Paris at least once in your lifetime.
More Paris Guides
Want more Paris information? Head over to our Paris Travel Guide for help with planning your first visit.
We hope our guide featuring the best things to do in Paris helps you plan amazing trip!
Please let us know if you have any questions about visiting Paris in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.
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