Top 7 things to do in Paris, France
Paris, France. The City of Lights. The city on every travelers bucket list. It is the quintessential European city.
There is something in this city for everyone. You could spend days in Paris wandering the avenues and rues. Or, you could read on to find my top 7 things to do in Paris!
1. Monmartre and Sacre-Cœur
Located on top of a hill overlooking Paris, Monmartre is a cute little neighborhood with plenty of things to do. Sit and people watch at one of the many cafés in the area or stroll through the Musee de Montmartre, which highlights the districts famed art history. The plaza near Sacre cour is home to many booths with artists selling their art, so this is a great area to find souvenirs to take home.
2. Jardin dus Tuileries and the Louvre
Take the #1 line of the metro to Concorde and stroll through the Jardin dus Tuileries before walking through the Louvre (if that’s your thing). We enjoyed our stroll through the gardens but ultimately skipped the Louvre because the lines were outrageously long. If you are planning on stopping in, I would highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
3. Champs Elysees/ Arc de Triomphe
If shopping is more interesting than art museums, be sure to take a walk along Champs Elysees, the famed shopping street of Paris. With many shops to choose form, you will certainly find something within your price range and taste. When you’re done shopping until you drop, stop by the Arc de Triomphe. The memorial to Napoleons victories is the center of twelve avenues that branch off into Paris. It’s a pretty cool site that is definitely worth stopping by to check out!
4. Stroll along the Seine
The Seine River cuts through Paris and provides the perfect way to see the city by foot. Start near Notre Dame and walk along the river to the Eiffel Tower. It’s a great way to stretch your legs and see some of the famous bridges of Paris. There are also many cafes and food stands along the walkway so be sure to check out some of those! All of our pictures show an angry Seine, because when Brittany was in France in 2016 it rained pretty much constantly and the river flooded in places throughout France. BUT it shouldn’t be as bad for current or future travelers.
5. Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was probably already on your list of things to do in Paris, I’m really just here to tell you that it should stay on that list. The views from the platforms (there are three of them) are so amazing. When we were there in 2016 we explored the middle and bottom platforms and had excellent views of Paris, even though it was cloudy and rainy.
Fortunately for us, the UEFA Euros 2016 was in Paris so the city was set up for some exciting football!
6. Catacombs
I’m not going to include photos from the catacombs for many reasons. The main one being that it’s dark 2 meters underground and my photos aren’t that great. The other reasons being that by the end of this maze of skeletons I was power walking to the end, just trying to get out. While this is not a stop that I would recommend to anyone who gets queazy or doesn’t like tight places, I would recommend this to other travelers, as it’s an interesting insight to some of Paris’s darker history.
7. Luxenbourg
Last, but certainly not least, I highly recommend packing a picnic and eating in the Jardin du Luxenbourg. The gardens are a part of the former royal residence and showcase a beautiful fountain and lots of trees and green space. I recommend finding a local take-away place, grabbing a bottle of wine and people watch. You can easily spend an afternoon here.