Paris travel guide: neighbourhoods and places to visit

40 Paris sights, organised by neighbourhood

On Île de la Cité connect Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and Pont Neuf; around the Louvre add the Tuileries, Orangerie, Palais-Royal and Place Vendôme. The Left Bank brings Orsay, Saint-Germain, the Panthéon, Luxembourg Gardens, Rodin Museum and Invalides; the west adds the Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro, Champ-de-Mars, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Pont Alexandre III and Grand Palais. Continue with Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre and Moulin Rouge; then the Marais, Place des Vosges, Carnavalet and Picasso museums, Pompidou surroundings, Canal Saint-Martin, Père-Lachaise and Buttes-Chaumont. Opéra Garnier, the Galeries Lafayette terrace, BnF Richelieu, Catacombs, Parc de la Villette, Bercy and Coulée Verte complete 40 stops. Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Giverny and Fontainebleau need separate days.

For a winter visit, our Christmas in Paris guide separates confirmed announcements from lights and opening times still awaiting confirmation.

For the autumn holiday, choose an outing with our Halloween in Paris guide: family activities, theme parks and an overnight festival have different rules.

How to see Paris in one day

Start around Notre-Dame, walk beside the Seine to the Louvre courtyard, continue through the Tuileries and take the metro from Concorde towards Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower. End in Saint-Germain or the Marais. If you enter the Louvre, do not add another major museum; security, galleries and walking already fill the day.

A complete three-day Paris itinerary

Day one connects the historic centre, Louvre and Seine; day two covers the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Saint-Germain; day three links Montmartre, the Marais and Canal Saint-Martin. Keep only one timed booking each day so transport delays, food and neighbourhood life still fit.

Four or five days: beyond the icons

Use day four for Orsay, Rodin and Invalides, or for La Villette and Canal de l’Ourcq. On day five choose one of Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Giverny or Fontainebleau. Belleville, Batignolles, Aligre, Mouzaïa and Bercy reveal everyday Paris beyond the landmark circuit.

How long do the museums take?

Allow at least three focused hours for the Louvre, two to three for Orsay and roughly one to two for the Orangerie. Check the current venue and exhibition programme for Centre Pompidou. Use timed entry at high-demand sites and reconfirm open galleries, strikes and temporary closures on the official site that day.

Where to stay in Paris

The 1st–6th arrondissements offer central walking; the Marais is strong for evenings; the 9th balances transport and restaurants; the 11th feels more local; Montparnasse serves rail connections; Batignolles is calmer. Compare night transport, transfers, lift and air conditioning, not just the room rate.

What and where to eat

Use a good neighbourhood boulangerie in the morning, a short-menu bistro at lunch and reserve smaller restaurants for dinner. Marché d’Aligre, Marché des Enfants Rouges and Rue Mouffetard show the market rhythm. Walk a few streets away from major monuments and prefer a focused menu over a tourist catalogue.

Metro, RER, buses and walking

Walk within districts and use metro or RER for long transfers. A RER letter is not enough: check the direction and terminus. Save an offline map. With a stroller, large case or limited mobility, combine accessible stations, buses and short taxi journeys instead of assuming every metro interchange has a lift.

From CDG, Orly and Beauvais

Compare RER B, official buses and taxis from Charles de Gaulle; Metro 14, public transport and taxis from Orly; and the flight-linked shuttle from Beauvais. Arrival terminal, time, luggage and accommodation address decide the right option. Buy only through official channels or ticket machines.

Best day trips from Paris

Versailles is a full palace-and-gardens day; Giverny is seasonal; Fontainebleau pairs a palace with forest; Provins offers a medieval alternative. Disneyland Paris is a full day and often a two-day, two-park trip for families. Do not combine two distant destinations in one day.

Budget and the best time to visit

Spring and autumn suit long walks; summer brings long evenings and heavier demand; winter means shorter days and more indoor time. Build the budget from accommodation, local transport, timed admissions, two main meals and a daily reserve. Free days and discounts change, so verify them before booking.

Free things to do in Paris

A free route can connect the surroundings of Notre-Dame, the main worship space at Sacré-Cœur, Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens, Père-Lachaise, Canal Saint-Martin, Coulée Verte, Buttes-Chaumont, Marais streets and the Galeries Lafayette viewing terrace. Do not confuse free permanent collections, age or residence concessions and first-Sunday schemes; verify the exact exhibition and monument rules for the visit date.

Ticket and reservation order

Book the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Catacombs and Versailles first when they require timed entry or sell quickly; then distribute Orsay, Orangerie, Rodin and viewing decks across the itinerary. Avoid two major reservations in one half-day. Centre Pompidou’s main building is closed for transformation, so do not copy old itineraries; confirm temporary venues and exhibitions on its current official pages.

Safety, crowds and accessibility

Keep phones and wallets controlled on crowded transport and around major sights; avoid petition, bracelet and rushed ticket-sale scams. The emergency number is 112. Accessible entrances, lifts and companion rules vary by site, so check directly before buying if they matter to the visit.