23 Best Things to Do in Paris for First Timers

23 Best Things to Do in Paris for First Timers

Hi! We are Elena and Andrey, travel creators and world explorers. It's lovely to meet you :) We’ve been to Paris five times now, and since we live in Belgium, it’s one of those places we can easily come back to for a weekend whenever we want. That also means we’ve had quite a few chances to figure out what we actually enjoy doing there and what we wouldn’t necessarily repeat.

The first time you visit Paris, it’s very easy to try to see everything. There are so many famous places, beautiful streets, museums and cafés that you can end up planning every hour of your trip…

But after visiting several times, we think Paris is much better when you leave some space to simply walk around, sit in a café and enjoy the city without constantly checking what’s next on your list.

So in this guide, we’re sharing the places and experiences we would recommend for a first trip to Paris, together with some practical tips and our personal opinions.

Before You Go

How many days do you need in Paris?

We would recommend at least three full days for your first visit. This gives you enough time to see the main attractions without having to rush everywhere. If you have four or five days, you can slow down a little, spend more time in the neighbourhoods and add places such as Versailles or some of the smaller museums.

Two days is still possible, but you will have to choose carefully. Paris is one of those cities where you can always find more things to see, so we wouldn’t try to fit everything into a short trip.

Is Paris walkable?

Paris is quite easy to explore without a car. Many of the main attractions are close enough to walk between, and the metro is useful when you need to cover a longer distance.

Which arrondissement should you stay in?

Paris has 20 arrondissements, but you don’t need to know all of them before your first trip.

For most visitors, the areas around the centre are the most convenient. The 1st is home to the Louvre and Tuileries, the 3rd and 4th include Le Marais, the 5th is the Latin Quarter, the 6th has Saint-Germain and the Jardin du Luxembourg, the 7th is where you’ll find the Eiffel Tower and Musée d’Orsay, the 9th is around Opéra Garnier and Galeries Lafayette, and the 18th is Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur.

When choosing a hotel, we would look at the location first. You don’t necessarily need to stay right next to the Eiffel Tower or Louvre, but being somewhere with easy metro connections and plenty of restaurants nearby can make the trip much easier.

A few hotels we'd recommend in Paris

• La Planque Hotel — A cosy boutique hotel in the 10th, close to Canal Saint-Martin, République and Le Marais. Great if you want a more local Paris atmosphere.
• Hôtel Bowmann — A stylish luxury hotel on Boulevard Haussmann, close to Opéra, Madeleine and Champs-Élysées. It also has a spa and indoor pool.
• Hôtel Madame Rêve — A beautiful hotel in the historic Poste du Louvre building, right near the Louvre, Tuileries and Palais Royal. The rooftop has amazing Paris views.
• Shangri-La Paris — A luxury Palace hotel in a former royal residence near Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower, with spectacular views of the city and Eiffel Tower.

If you want something more personalized, you can also use Waivoo, our AI all-in travel planner. Tell it your dates, budget, number of travellers and preferences, and it can plan your Paris trip around your needs — including where to stay, what to do and how to organize everything together.

The 23 Best Things To Do In Paris

1. Eiffel Tower: Paris's most famous landmark

Even though you’ve probably seen it thousands of times in photos, seeing it in person for the first time still feels special! We’ve been to Paris several times and we still stop for a good view of it.

If you decide to go up, you can choose between the stairs and the lifts and between the second floor and the summit. Book tickets to the Eiffel Tower →

There are also many beautiful places around Paris where you can see the Eiffel Tower:

• Trocadéro is the classic viewpoint.
• Rue de l’Université is another popular photo spot where the tower appears at the end of the street.
• Avenue de Camoëns is a little quieter and gives you a different composition.
• Pont de Bir-Hakeim is particularly beautiful around sunset and after dark.
• Rue Saint-Dominique because the Eiffel Tower appears between the buildings and cafés, giving you a more everyday Paris feeling.
• Champ de Mars, where you can get quite close to the tower and combine the visit with a picnic.

2. Champ de Mars: A picnic under the Eiffel Tower

This is one of those simple things that we think is worth doing in Paris.

You don’t need an expensive restaurant or a complicated plan. Just get a baguette, some cheese, fruit and a bottle of wine from a supermarket, take a blanket and find a nice place near the Eiffel Tower.

We especially like the idea of going in the evening. Once the tower lights up and starts sparkling, the whole atmosphere changes.

A small tip: bring a corkscrew, or make sure you buy a bottle that doesn’t need one. It sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget!

3. Notre-Dame: The restored cathedral

Notre-Dame reopened at the end of 2024 after the fire and the restoration, so it is one of the places we would definitely include in a first visit to Paris.

Entry to the cathedral is free and can only be made on the official website →.

4. Sainte-Chapelle: A spectacular stained-glass chapel

Sainte-Chapelle is very close to Notre-Dame, so we would definitely combine these two.

The outside of the building is beautiful, but the real highlight is the upper chapel and its stained-glass windows. On a sunny day, the light coming through the glass makes the whole room feel completely different.

Book your tour to Sainte-Chapelle →

5. Louvre: The world's famous museum

The Louvre is one of the places we think you should see at least once in your life!

It’s enormous, and you can easily spend an entire day there without even getting close to seeing everything. Before going, choose a few things you really want to see and then allow yourself to discover something unexpected along the way (and don't skip the Mona Lisa painting!).

Book your tickets to The Louvre popular guided tour →

6. Musée d'Orsay: Impressionist masterpieces in a former station

The museum is inside a former railway station, which is beautiful by itself, and it’s much easier to explore than the Louvre. You can see works by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas and many other famous artists.

It has also a panorama view to the city center from the balcony.

Book your tickets to the Musée d'Orsay →

7. Galeries Lafayette: The Art Nouveau department store

Galeries Lafayette is one of the most beautiful department stores in Paris and a fun place to visit even if you aren't planning to shop.

It has a rooftop terrace that offers a free view over Paris, including the Opéra Garnier and, on a clear day, the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

8. Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées

Start at Place de la Concorde and walk west along the Champs-Élysées towards the Arc de Triomphe.

If you want to go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe with panoramic views, book the tickets here →

9. Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur: The artistic hilltop neighbourhood

Sacré-Cœur, the little streets, cafés and views over the city make it a really beautiful part of Paris.

We recommend walking a little further away from Place du Tertre and the busiest streets. That’s where you’ll find quieter corners and, in our opinion, a more enjoyable side of Montmartre.

10. Musée de l'Orangerie: Monet's Water Lilies

Musée de l’Orangerie is a good option if you don’t want to spend half a day in a museum.

The main reason most people visit is Monet’s Water Lilies, which are displayed in two oval rooms. The paintings surround you, so the experience feels very different from looking at a single painting on a wall.

11. Palais Garnier: The grand opera house

Even if you’re not interested in opera, we think Palais Garnier is worth visiting. The building is incredibly beautiful, with the grand staircase, detailed interiors and huge foyer. For us, the building itself is almost as interesting as the performances that take place there.

The building is incredibly beautiful, with the grand staircase, detailed interiors and huge foyer. For us, the building itself is almost as interesting as the performances that take place there.

12. Petit Palais: A free museum near the Champs-Élysées

Petit Palais is another nice place to add if you’re spending time around the Champs-Élysées area.

The permanent collection is free, and there is a beautiful courtyard inside with a café.

13. Le Marais: Historic streets and independent shops

There are small streets, cafés, independent shops, vintage stores and plenty of places to stop for food.

14. Latin Quarter and Shakespeare and Company: One of Paris's famous bookshops

One of the most famous stops here is Shakespeare and Company, the English-language bookstore opposite Notre-Dame.

15. Saint-Germain-des-Prés: A slower side of Paris

Saint-Germain is a beautiful area to explore if you want a slower side of Paris.

There are cafés, bookshops, little streets and plenty of places where you can simply sit outside and watch people passing by.

You can also combine it with the Jardin du Luxembourg.

16. Jardin du Luxembourg and Tuileries Garden

The Jardin du Luxembourg is one of our favourite places in Paris when we want a break from sightseeing. You can grab one of the famous green chairs, sit near the fountain and just relax for a while.

The Tuileries Garden is one of the easiest places to add to a first trip because it sits between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde.

17. Canal Saint-Martin: Just a relaxed place

On a warm day, you’ll see people sitting along the canal, meeting friends, having drinks and enjoying the evening.

If you only have a couple of days in Paris, we’d prioritise the main sights instead. But if you’re staying longer, it’s a nice area to explore.

18. Seine: A scenic cruise through Paris

We especially like taking a cruise around sunset or blue hour, when the buildings along the Seine start to light up. You’ll pass Notre-Dame, the Louvre, Pont Alexandre III and the Eiffel Tower, and if you time it well, you can see the Eiffel Tower sparkling from the water.

Book a Seine River Sightseeing Evening Cruise with Champagne→

Or a Dinner Cruise on the Seine with live music →

19. Paris cabarets: A memorable evening show

• Moulin Rouge: Famous cabaret known for its Féerie revue; usually one of the pricier options.
• Paradis Latin: Historic cabaret with energetic revues and French-cancan elements.
• Crazy Horse: Known for stylized lighting, choreography and sensual adult performances.

Click on the cabaret names to book your tickets.

20. Have coffee at Café Saint Laurent

It's behind the Saint Laurent store on rue Saint-Honoré, and the interior has the very polished, minimal style you would expect from the brand.

21. The best places for Macarons and Coffee

• For classic macarons and elegant gift boxes, try Ladurée.
• For creative flavours and refined combinations, visit one of the Café Pierre Hermé.
• Carette and Angelina are lovely choices if you’d like to enjoy macarons as part of a café stop.

22. Catacombs: Only if you are brave enough

Beneath the city streets, the Catacombs contain a maze of tunnels lined with the bones of around six million Parisians, who were moved there from overcrowded cemeteries.

This experience may not be suitable for young children or anyone who feels uncomfortable in enclosed spaces.

Book a popular guided tour to the Catacombs →

23. Versailles: A day trip from Paris

The palace, Hall of Mirrors and gardens are impressive, and you can easily spend most of the day exploring the grounds.

Versailles is about 20 km from central Paris and takes roughly 30–45 minutes by train.

Book your Versailles tickets.

Paris Best Viewpoints And Rooftops

• Arc de Triomphe: Wide views along the Champs-Élysées and Paris’s grand avenues.
• Galeries Lafayette: Free rooftop terrace near Opéra, with views of the Eiffel Tower.
• Printemps: Another free rooftop near Opéra.
• Institut du Monde Arabe: Views towards Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame Towers: Close-up views of the cathedral, the Seine and central Paris.
• Balcony of the Musée d’Orsay: A scenic vantage point overlooking the Seine and central Paris.
• Trocadéro: One of the best places for unobstructed views and photos of the Eiffel Tower.
• Steps of the Sacré-Cœur: Sweeping views over Paris from Montmartre.
• Tour Montparnasse: Excellent Eiffel Tower views, but the observation deck is currently closed for renovation.
• Le Cheval Blanc rooftop bar: Elegant rooftop views over the Seine and central Paris with a drink.

How to better plan your Paris trip?

Once you have a list of 20+ places, the next question is usually: how do I fit all of this into my trip?

That's what we built Waivoo for.

Tell the AI chat your dates, how many days you have, who you're travelling with, your budget and what you're interested in, and our AI Travel Planner can help turn your ideas into a personalized trip.

Follow us for the next trips!

Our next trip is to Malaga, Spain. We will visit Caminito del Rey