15 Amazing Places in Paris to Add to Your Travel Itinerary
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So you’re the last person with a passport who hasn’t been to Paris and you’re feeling self-conscious. It’s never too late, so you can dry the sweat from your brow. The City of Light has, since the advent of international tourism, been a top 10 destination for travelers from Virginia Beach to Vladivostok. In 2023, close to 37 million foreigners visited Paris and, this year, with the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games being hosted in Paris this summer, stock traders are likely already buying baguette and beret futures.
The reasons for making a pilgrimage to Paris are, frankly, too many to name. Like Rome and London, it’s one of those overwhelming European cities, overcompensating in cultural heft and delicious food, where even after a two-week stay (perhaps in one of the city’s many boutique hotels?), you will have left with boxes unchecked. In fact, it would take an art lover months just to get through the 415,000 pieces on display at the Louvre, which is the world’s largest museum. Climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower is also a huge time commitment and will render your legs and lungs épuisés.
But you can get a lot out of your first—or second or third!—trip, no matter how long you stay. And you should make the effort because, well, it’s Paris, one of the coolest, most exciting cities in the world. “Paris is fabulous for so many reasons,” says Apolonia Sokol, the French painter and the subject of the hit 2023 documentary Apolonia, Apolonia. “It’s beautiful and small—one can walk anywhere. It has bike lanes now, so it’s really pleasant to get around. It’s a fertile field for intellectuals and philosophers, and there are niche art-house cinemas everywhere.”
Sokol’s partner, the Parisian artist and poet Azzedine Saleck, points to what he describes as a “policed freedom” uniquely found in the French capital that’s “less messy” than London, he says, but “more chic” than Madrid. “The Parisian sense of ego makes you believe that you are never too loud or too rowdy,” he adds.
Here, in no particular order, are 15 places to see in Paris that should be on the top, middle, and bottom of your list. It is by no means exhaustive—but it’s more than enough to get you started.
Louvre Museum
Not exactly the deepest cut on the list, but this museum should be your first stop in Paris. Make sure to have a filling breakfast and get there early to help avoid lines. You enter through the I.M. Pei–designed pyramid and choose your own adventure from there. Don’t loiter in front of artworks too long if you want to avoid a drive-by pumpkin soup-ing by environmental activists. When you’re done ogling the Mona, Venus, and the Astronomer, and if you somehow have energy for more, the Jeu de Paume and L'Orangerie museums are a straight shot across the Tuileries Garden.
Trocadéro
Wait! That’s not a picture of the Eiffel Tower shot from the esplanade of the Palais de Chaillot! No, but you’ve seen that a million times, so instead, we recommend a detour on the way to taking your version of the most frequently photographed view in Paris. Pass by the nearby 25 Rue Franklin, a masterpiece of early 20th century modernism built in 1903 and designed by the master architect Auguste Perret when he was only 29. For the budding archi-curious traveler, it’s one of the earliest apartment buildings to be made from—and flaunt the aesthetic of—reinforced concrete. This innovation was hugely influential on later Modernists including his former draftsman Le Corbusier.
Panthéon
Though it’s not as awesome as the Pantheon in Rome, this Paris icon of the same name still has a lot going for it. Located in the 5th arrondissement, the 18th-century Jacques-Germain Soufflot–designed is a lightning bolt of domed neoclassical grandeur.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
As far as cemeteries go, Père Lachaise sure is pretty. It is by far the most famous in the world, both for its picturesque beauty and historical significance. Dating back to 1804, it is the final resting place of Oscar Wilde, Honoré de Balzac, Colette, and Edith Piaf. The grave of Jim Morrison, the singer of the Doors, is a pilgrimage destination for the rock-n-roll reverent as well as leather-pants enthusiasts. The protective barrier around it makes pouring one out on his tombstone impossible, but for those who can’t break on through to the other side, don’t despair: There’s a nearby tree covered in chewed gum in his honor. Feel free to leave an offering.
Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection
Come for the minimalist architectural intervention of an 18th-century building originally constructed as a grain exchange, stay for the private art collection of a French billionaire. François Pinault, the CEO of Kering, hired the Japanese Pritzker-Prize-winning architect and former professional boxer Tadao Ando to transform the historic space into a private museum to house contemporary pieces by the likes of Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and Damien Hirst. Of note is the central concrete cylinder Ando created to contrast with the classical decor.
Mémorial de la Shoah
Of the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust, 76,000 were deported from France (approximately 2,500 survived). This memorial in Le Marais designed by Georges-Henri Pingusson in 2005 is a poignant tribute to all the victims. Through exhibits, personal testimonies, and archival documents, you can gain a deeper understanding of the atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II. The memorial also serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance against discrimination and hatred.
Four Seasons Hôtel George V
Arguably the best hotel in Paris, the George V in the 8th opened in 1928, at the height of the Art Deco movement, and was the brainchild of Joel Hillman, the American businessman. Now a part of the Four Seasons collection, the hotel has always been a magnet for celebrities from Greta Garbo to Elizabeth Taylor and was while staying there that the Beatles wrote their hit song “I Feel Fine.” Many rooms have unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower, the spa is immaculate, and the restaurants downstairs all have Michelin stars. Book a table at L'Orangerie if you can.
Arc de Triomphe
French national pride and military triumphs (save the jokes, please!) are what this massive structure celebrates. So if you like a soupçon of jingoism with your joue de boeuf, this arch at the western end of the Champs-Elysées, with its intricate reliefs and sculptures, is an obvious box to check.
Grand Mosque
This beautiful Muslim house of worship is located in the 5th arrondissement features intricate tilework, ornate calligraphy, and lush gardens—a design-lover’s delight. So much is to be said of the Grand Mosque and the people whose lives it has affected since it opened its doors in 1926. It was originally built as a gesture of gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of Muslim soldiers—many of whom emigrated from Algeria—who fought for France during the First World War. Decades later, the mosque played a crucial role in protecting Jews by providing them with forged Muslim identification documents, which helped them avoid Nazi persecution. The mosque's rector, Si Kaddour Benghabrit, also hid Jewish families inside and facilitated their escape to safer areas.
Today, admission is just three euros and, after your visit, you can swing by the adjacent restaurant for a mint tea, baklava, or other sweet treats.
L’As du Fallafel
If you find yourself famished while flaneur-ing around Le Marais, pay a visit to the "Ace" in the Jewish Quarter for its world-renowned falafel sandwich served through the service window on Rue des Rosiers. It might be the best meal you have during your stay in Paris.
Villa Savoye
Before he obsessed over raw concrete and the Modulor, Le Corbusier co-founded the Purism movement, and the Villa Savoye is the mission statement in its, well, purest form. The idea of clean lines and zero ornamentation as a concept in 1931 France was about as avant-garde as it gets. This house, situated in the middle of a field in Poissy, in the western suburbs of Paris, is a paragon of Le Corbusier’s five rules of architecture in that it features pilotis, a roof garden, an open floor plan, ribbon windows, and an open facade. With his church in Ronchamps and Unité d'Habitation apartment building in Marseille, this is his most famous and important building.
Sacré-Coeur
The Catholic basilica atop Montmartre blends elements of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, which contrasts sharply with the surrounding neighborhood. The views of the city are worth the schlep. Oh, and John Wick “died” here. Enough said.
Place Vendôme
There’s so much to say about this square. Planted at its center, there’s the Vendôme Column, in its oxidized bronze glory, commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz. Then there’s the Ritz, which opened here in 1898 and has been the gold standard for luxury hotel service and amenities ever since. For you history buffs, it was, among many other things, where Princess Diana was staying the night she died. Coco Chanel had her atelier on Rue Cambon, directly behind the Ritz. The square is also a retail Mecca with boutique representation of brands including Alexander Reza, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Charvet.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
In April 2019, the world watched in horror as the greatest Gothic cathedral (according to most architecture historians as well as Hertz rental car service) was engulfed in flames after a hellish structural fire broke out under the eaves of the roof. Five years later, after major restoration including a new spire made from 1,000 oak trees from France’s Loire region, Notre-Dame will open its doors to the public this December.
Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde is the other of Paris’s most postcard-famous public squares whose nucleus is a phallic monument. The 75-foot Luxor obelisk, made in ancient Egypt of pink granite and inscribed with hieroglyphics, was a gift from Egypt to France in the 19th century. And just like Place Vendôme, this one also has a historic hospitality establishment in the Hotel de Crillon. Before you could book a room there, the 1758 building designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel was where King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette spent their final two years before being executed by guillotine outside in the square.
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