Top sights in Paris
Paris has so much to offer that it’s hard to choose which attractions and sights you should visit. Here’s a quick overview of Paris’ top sights to help you get an idea.
Top sights in Paris
Paris has so much to offer that it’s hard to choose which attractions and sights you should visit. Here’s a quick overview of Paris’ top sights to help you get an idea.
Here we have composed a list of all the most important and beloved sights in Paris for you, but we also want to give you a couple of extra tips. For starters, one of the best ways to get an idea of what you want to see in a city is to get on one of those hop-on hop-off buses that stop by all the most well-known attractions. You can get your bus tour here .
After that, if you’ve decided that you’re going to visit quite a few museums and monuments - which you should absolutely do, by the way - you should get yourself a Paris Museum Pass. The pass will give you free access and skip-the-line priority entry to dozens of the most important attractions.
Eiffel Tower
Built at the end of the 19th century, this wrought-iron tower has become the city’s (and even the country’s) most recognisable symbol. You can learn all about the Eiffel Tower in our dedicated article.
Being such a popular sight, it’s no wonder that the Eiffel Tower ticket office always has a snaking long queue in front of it. To save time and get direct access to the Tower’s top floor, we recommend you book your ticket in advance here .
Louvre Museum
Housed in a magnificent Baroque-style palace, the Louvre is the world’s largest museum, holding hundreds of the world’s most important and impressive art pieces in history. You can learn all about the Musée du Louvre in our dedicated article.
As of recently, the Museum has started advising its visitors to reserve their entries in advance. You can still risk it and try to get an entry on the day, but if you do so you might stand in a line for a long time and not actually be able to get your ticket. To avoid that, you can get your regular skip-the-line ticket (no audio guide, just entry) here , a ticket with the audio guide here , and a ticket with a private tour here .
Notre Dame
Another one of Paris’ iconic landmarks, Notre-Dame de Paris took two centuries to build and is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. You can learn all about the Cathedral in our dedicated article.
Arc de Triomphe
A monument to honour those who fought and died for France during the French revolution and Napoleonic wars, the Arc is the juncture point from which twelve avenues radiate. You can learn all about the Arc de Triomphe in our dedicated article.
The view atop the Arc de Triomphe is rather remarkable, so we suggest you get your ticket to climb to the top here.
Pantheon
In one of Paris’ most renowned neighbourhoods, the Latin quarter, stands the Pantheon. The construction, born as a church, now serves as a repository for the remains of prominent French personalities, including Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Èmile Zola, and Marie Curie. You can learn all about Paris’ Pantheon in our dedicated article.
The Panthéon has recently started requesting its visitors to reserve their entrance in advance. This means that if you don’t book your ticket beforehand you won’t be able to visit the Panthéon. You can book your ticket for the monument here .
Montmartre
Montmartre is a large hill that gives its name to the surrounding district. The area is famous for its artistic history and its beautiful monuments, including the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. You can learn all about the Montmartre neighbourhood and its attractions in our dedicated article.
One of the best ways to get to know this neighbourhood that gives off undeniable Amélie vibes is actually to walk around it - shocking, we know. However, if you want a bit less aimless when wandering around, we suggest you get a guided tour with a local guide.
Champs-Élysées
The Champs-Élysées is the avenue that connects the Arc de Triomphe with the Place de la Concorde. It is considered one of the world’s most famous commercial streets. You can learn all about the Champs-Élysées in our dedicated article.
Versailles
The Versailles Palace, where King Louis XIV installed his court and government, is listed as a World Heritage Site and considered one of the greatest achievements of French 17th-century art. You can learn all about Versailles in our dedicated article.
Versailles is one of the most visited attractions in Paris, so we suggest you get your tickets in advance. You can get your full-access pass here .
Sainte Chapelle
Another UNESCO world heritage site, the Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel, considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. You can learn all about Sainte Chapelle in our dedicated article.
Of course, the queue to get in gets pretty long, so we suggest you get yourself a skip-the-line ticket and enjoy this Gothic jewel .
Musée d’Orsay
The Orsay is one of France’s most important museums, holding mainly French art (paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography) dating from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. You can learn all about the Musée d’Orsay in our dedicated article.
Much like the Louvre Museum, the Musée d’Orsay has started advising its visitors to reserve their entries in advance. You can still risk it and try to get an entry on the day, but we don’t recommend you do so. Instead, you should get your ticket in advance.
