Paris, the capital city of France, is known for romance, light, fashion, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and Notre Dame. It is one of the most famous cities in the world. The Seine River runs through the heart of the city, dividing it into its west and east banks, each with their unique atmospheres. The city is made up of 20 arrondissements (districts) that form a clockwise spiral, beginning at the city’s center. A walk through Paris will show you the importance placed on French food and culture. Enjoy foods ranging from high-class Michelin restaurants to bistros with tables out on the streets to macaron shops that look like jewelry stores. Enter bakeries where the simplest baguette or éclair tastes like heaven. Take advantage of the Paris underground for a quick and cheap way in and out of the city. That said, Paris is a very walkable city with plenty of places to explore.

What to do in your free time?

Visit the Louvre Museum (be sure to make a reservation to avoid long lines!) and see the original Mona Lisa! Plan for a minimum of 1.5 hours to ensure you see all the highlights, including Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Coronation of Napoleon by David, and Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix. Also, visit the Courtyard of the Louvre to see the famous glass pyramid.

The Tuileries Gardens, located between the Louvre Museum and Concorde Square, are a good place to walk or to sit down on a bench and take in the surroundings. The gardens were designed by Catherine de Medici for the Tuileries Palace. The palace no longer exists, but the gardens have elegant fountains and statues with colorful flowerbeds during certain times of the year.

Musée de l’Orangerie houses Monet’s famous water lilies and other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Tickets cost €12.50 per person. Take a walk along the Seine River and cross over it using the Pont Alexandre III, a deck arch bridge connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate and extravagant bridge in Paris.

Notre Dame, located on the Île de la Cité (one of two islands on the Seine River), is one of the world’s most famous cathedrals. After the damage of the fire of 2019, Notre Dame underwent restoration and its doors opened again in 2024. To enter the cathedral, you will need to make a reservation online: https://resa.notredamedeparis.fr/en/reservationindividuelle/date. Reservation and entrance are free of charge.

Visit the Latin Quarter and have a drink in a café. Musée d’Orsay, located in an old train station along the Seine, is one of the most important museums in Paris, featuring mainly French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists. Explore the Musée Rodin, a museum located in an 18th-century mansion showing the life and works of the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Tickets cost €14.00 per person.

Centre Pompidou, a cultural center featuring high-tech architecture, brings together different forms of art and literature in one place. The venue features famous works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Fernand Léger, Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall, and Wassily Kandinsky. The Arch of Triumph (the Arc de Triomphe), located at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, is a famous monument honoring French military victories.

Opéra Garnier, or the Palais Garnier, a historic opera house located at the Place de l’Opéra, was built for the Paris Opera from 1861–1875 under the order of Napoleon III. For fashion lovers, Galeries Lafayette is a great place to explore. It has a stunning dome in the Art Nouveau style, and the food court is also worth a visit. From the rooftop, you have an excellent view of the city.

Take the metro up the hill to Montmartre where you can see Sacré-Cœur Basilica, the Sacred Heart Basilica. This district was home to famous artists such as Picasso, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec during the 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, explore the Eiffel Tower and surrounding area. Be prepared for the potential of long lines. To purchase tickets visit the official Eiffel Tower website.