Things to do in Paris
Walk along the Seine to the legendary Eiffel Tower, modern art museum Palais de Tokyo and Cité de l'Architecture museum. After visiting the Louvre gallery, cross the river for Impressionist paintings in the Musée d'Orsay and sculpture in the Musée Rodin. On Île de la Cité see medieval stained-glass in the Sainte Chapelle, or head south to Denfert Rochereau to walk eerie, bone-lined tunnels in the Catacombs. Most museums open 10am-6pm and close Monday or Tuesday.
Branly Museum
Primitive arts
Architect Jean Nouvel's ultra-modern Branly Museum, near the Eiffel Tower,
showcases collections of anthropological and ethnological artefacts, and
primitive art from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. For great views
of the Eiffel Tower, head to the fabulous roof-top restaurant.
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Cost
€8.50; under-18s €6 (some exhibitions charge extra)
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 11am-7pm (until 9pm Thu-Sat)
Address
37, quai Branly, Paris 75007
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 56 61 70 00
Pompidou Centre
Modern and contemporary artworks
This world-class modern art museum, in the Beaubourg district, houses
multi-disciplinary collections on Fauvism, Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism and
post-1960s art, plus temporary exhibitions on today's artists. The Pompidou
Centre's avant-garde building is an iconic sight, with multi-coloured,
exposed pipes.
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Cost
€12; concessions €9; under 26s freeEntry to temporary exhibitions can vary
Opening Hours
Wed-Mon 11am-9pm
Address
Place Georges Pompidou, Rue Saint-Martin, Paris 75191
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 44 78 12 33
Louvre
World-class art treasures
Set in France's former royal palace, the city-centre Louvre contains some of
the world's most precious art treasures. Admire Mona Lisa's smile and
Venus de Milo, then discover ancient Egyptian mummies before
heading underground to see the palace's medieval vestiges.
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Cost
€9; €6 after 6pm Wed and Fri
Opening Hours
Wed-Mon 9am-6pm (until 10pm Wed & Fri)
Address
99, rue de Rivoli, Paris 75001
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 40 20 50 50
Musée d'Orsay
Impressionist works of art
Set inside a stunning Belle Époque railway station, the Musée d'Orsay on the
Left Bank houses world-famous collections of 19th-century art. On the top
floor, Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Degas and Renoir steal the show.
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Cost
€8; concessions €5.50
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 9.30am-6pm (until 9.45pm Thu)
Address
62, rue de Lille, Paris 75007
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 40 49 48 14
Jacquemart-André Museum
Treasure-filled mansion
More a stately home than a museum, the Jacquemert-André Museum, near the
Champs-Elysées, is the treasure trove of a couple devoted to 17th- and
18th-century art and furniture. In the gilt-clad salons, admire works by
Bellini and Rembrandt.
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Cost
€10; 7-17s €7.50; under-7s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm
Address
158, boulevard Haussman, Paris 75008
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 45 62 11 59
Cité de l'Architecture
Fantastic architecture
Cité de l'Architecture in the Chaillot district houses over 850 copies of
architectural treasures. Moulded portions of churches, châteaux and great
French cathedrals like Chartres sit alongside reconstructions of modern
architecture including a mock-up Le Corbusier apartment.
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Cost
€8; under-26s free
Opening Hours
Wed-Mon 11am-7pm (until 9pm Thu)
Address
1, place du Trocadéro, Palais de Chaillot, Paris 75116
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 58 51 52 00
Palais de Tokyo
Contemporary art
In a stunning 1930s-era palace, opposite the Eiffel Tower, the Palais de
Tokyo is a cutting-edge contemporary art museum. It houses an ever-changing
succession of avant-garde and wacky installations that help visitors break
away from traditional perceptions of art.
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Cost
€6; 19-26s €4.50; under 18s free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 12pm-12am
Address
13, avenue de Président Wilson, Paris 75116
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 47 23 54 01
Musée Rodin
Sculpture and gardens
The Musée Rodin, part of Les Invalides, feels like Paris' best kept secret.
Hidden away from the outside world are Auguste Rodin's famous sculptures
(including The Kiss) inside his exquisite mansion and outside in the
beautiful tree-lined gardens.
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Cost
Garden €1, garden and museum €6; 18-25s €5; under-18s free (temporary exhibitions cost extra)
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun garden and museum 10am-5.45pm (Oct-Mar: late-night museum Wed until 8.45pm; garden closes Tue-Sun 5pm)
Address
79, rue de Varenne, Paris 75007
Telephone
+33 (0)1 44 18 61 10
Château de Vincennes
Medieval château
Opposite Bois de Vincennes park, the medieval Château de Vincennes is one of
the most important castles in French history. Admire the rare stained-glass
in the chapel, and visit Charles V's renovated, 50 metre-tall dungeon.
Guided tours operate twice daily.
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Cost
€7.50; 18-25s €4.80; under-18s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-5pm (until 6pm May-Aug)
Address
1, avenue de Paris, Vincennes, Paris 94300
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 48 08 31 20
Sainte-Chapelle
Splendid medieval chapel
Sainte-Chapelle on Île de la Cité is a breathtaking, bi-level, 13th-century
chapel built to house St Louis's relics of the True Cross. The sun shining
through the stained-glass windows provides a multi-coloured light show.
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Cost
€8; 18-25s €5; under 18s free
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30-6pm (until 5pm Nov-Feb)
Address
4, boulevard du Palais, Paris 75001
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 53 40 60 80
Eiffel Tower
Iron-work symbol of France
A city in itself, the iron-work Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank has shops, a
Michelin-starred restaurant, a café and sweeping panoramas over Paris. At
night, watch in wonder as it sparkles on the hour for ten minutes.
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Cost
Lift to 2nd floor €8; 12-24s €6.40, Top floor €13; 12-24s €9.90, Stairs €4.50; 12-24s €3.50
Opening Hours
Lift daily 9.30am-11.45pm (9am-12.45am Jun-Sep), stairs 9.30am-6.30pm (9am-12.45am Jun-Sep)
Address
Champs de Mars, Paris 75007
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 44 11 23 23
Cinéaqua
Fabulous marine life
In the Trocadéro gardens, Cinéaqua's wonderful aquariums display over 40
graceful sharks and hundreds of other marine creatures. Stroke carp and
sturgeons in the touching pools, watch cinema screens showing animal
documentaries, then dine in the gourmet Japanese restaurant.
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Cost
€19.50; 3-12s €12; under-3s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm
Address
2, avénue des Nations Unies, Paris 75116
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 40 69 23 23
Catacombs
Spooky bone-lined tunnels
The Catacombs, in Denfert-Rochereau, are a labyrinth of quarried tunnels -
the final resting place of 6 million Parisians whose bodies were moved here
from overcrowded graves in 1810. Dare to navigate the eerie bone-lined
passages, 18 metres underground.
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Cost
€8; concessions €6
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Address
1, place Denfert-Rochereau, Paris 75014
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 43 22 47 63
Parc de la Villette
Amusements in the park
In Paris' re-vamped industrial quarters, Parc de la Villette has wide,
angular lawns littered with modern sculptures, fountains, a vast interactive
science museum, a 3D Imax cinema and an avant-garde circus. Visitors come in
summer for the open-air cinema festival.
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Cost
Free (charge for museums and attractions)
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Parc de la Villette, Paris 75019
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 40 03 75 75
Sacré-Coeur
Architectural religious masterpiece
The neo-byzantine white domes of the Sacré-Coeur, in Montmartre, are a Paris
icon. Admire the sweeping vistas from its steps. Visitors climb up to the
domes to see the mosaic of Christ inside and visit the atmospheric village
of Montmartre.
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Cost
Free (dome and crypt €6)
Opening Hours
Daily 6am-11pm
Address
35, rue Chevalier de la Barre, Paris 75018
Telephone
+33 (0) 1 53 41 89 00
