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.
Museums and Galleries
Expand all1. Branly Museum - Primitive arts
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
2. Pompidou Centre - Modern and contemporary artworks
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
3. Louvre - World-class art treasures
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
4. Musée d'Orsay - Impressionist works of art
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
5. Jacquemart-André Museum - Treasure-filled mansion
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
6. Cité de l'Architecture - Fantastic architecture
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
7. Palais de Tokyo - Contemporary art
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
8. Musée Rodin - Sculpture and gardens
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
Attractions
Expand all9. Château de Vincennes - Medieval château
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
10. Sainte-Chapelle - Splendid medieval chapel
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
11. Eiffel Tower - Iron-work symbol of France
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
12. Cinéaqua - Fabulous marine life
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
Special things to do
Expand all13. Catacombs - Spooky bone-lined tunnels
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
14. Parc de la Villette - Amusements in the park
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
15. Sacré-Coeur - Architectural religious masterpiece
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
