Paris Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Hotels and Neighborhoods to Visit

• Terrace culture

  In every neighborhood, at all hours, locals linger on cafe terraces, coffee or wine in hand, engrossed in conversation or a book. Practice the Parisian art of leisure at legendary cafes like Les Deux Magots and Le Nemours, or neighborhood favorites like À la Renaissance and Le Progrès.

  Tip: Take a seat midmorning or late afternoon (outside mealtime) for unhurried service.

• A Seine cruise

  Paris was born on the Seine, so there’s no better way to feel its rhythm and see the sights than from the river. Hop on a group cruise with Bateaux Mouches or Vedettes du Pont Neuf, or charter a private boat with Green River Cruises for front-row views and more privacy.

  Tip: Book a sunset cruise, the most atmospheric time of day when the landmarks glow and locals gather along the riverbanks.

• Breads and pastries 

  The best of Paris’s 1,300 boulangeries and pâtisseries mix tradition and innovation. Head to Mamiche for cream puffs and babka; Poilâne for hearty sourdough; Utopie for an award-winning baguette and éclairs; La Maison d’Isabelle for a prizewinning croissant; Pierre Hermé for unique macarons; and Tapisserie for its maple-syrup tart.

  Tip: Go early in the morning for the widest selection or after lunch before the 4 p.m. goûter (afternoon snack) crowds descend.

• Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame

  No visit to Paris is complete without its two most recognizable landmarks. The Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World’s Fair, defines the skyline and sparkles with 20,000 lights hourly after dusk. Notre-Dame Cathedral, the 12th-century Gothic masterpiece reborn in 2024 after painstaking post-fire restoration, remains the city’s spiritual and architectural heart.

  Tip: Go in and go up! Book tickets to climb to the first and second floors (674 steps) of the Eiffel Tower and then finish in the lift to the top floor. Expect to climb 424 steps through the Notre-Dame belfry’s roof structure for panoramic views.

• Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay

  The city’s most famous museums practically face each other across the Seine. On the right bank, the Louvre: a once-royal palace showcasing antiquities and masterpieces like the “Mona Lisa” and the “Venus de Milo.” On the left bank, the Musée d’Orsay, a converted Beaux-Arts train station highlighting Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by Monet, Degas and Renoir.

  Tip: Book timed tickets in advance, ideally at opening, to avoid long waits. 

• Be a flâneur

  Practice the art of being a flâneur, a casual wanderer and observer. Born in 19th-century Paris and immortalized by the French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire, the flâneur strolls without purpose as the city unfolds. For a bit of direction, trace Paris’s gardens in bloom or follow the Seine River’s 23 UNESCO-listed bridges end to end.

  Tip: Pick a starting point — a bridge, a monument, a metro stop — and start strolling from there, sans Google Maps.

• Arc de Triomphe

  Inspired by Rome’s Arch of Titus, the triumphal arch (visitors can climb to the top for exceptional views) was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor his army. Its sculpted reliefs and eternal flame pay tribute to France’s fallen soldiers. 

  Tip: Stroll 1.2 miles from the Arc along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées to reach the avenue’s far end at the Place de la Concorde.

• Sacré-Coeur Basilica

  This white-domed basilica crowning the hill of Montmartre offers some of the best panoramic views in Paris and free admission to explore or attend Mass.

  Tip: Get a ticket (€8 for adults) to climb the nearly 300 narrow steps to the dome for even better views.

• Panthéon

  Originally a church honoring Ste. Geneviève, a patron saint of Paris, the domed Panthéon now enshrines France’s greats, from Voltaire and Marie Curie to Joséphine Baker, within its neoclassical walls.

  Tip: Don‘t miss a replica of Foucault’s pendulum; the original was first presented here in 1851 as proof of the Earth’s rotation.

• Tuileries Gardens

  Connecting the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, Paris’s oldest and largest garden was redesigned by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century in three grand sculpture-lined sections whose elegant symmetry endures unchanged today.

  Tip: At the western end of the garden, visit the Jeu de Paume, an arts center specializing in multimedia by international artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.

• The Medici Fountain 

  In the Luxembourg Gardens’ most romantic corner, a 17th-century Italianate fountain recalls Marie de Medici’s Florence. Its reflective basin and the green Sénat chairs surrounding it invite rest — or a photo op.

  Tip: Need a book to read for your meditative hang? Browse nearby at the Red Wheelbarrow, an English-language bookshop, or Librairies des Editions des Saints Pères, which publishes facsimile manuscript editions of classic texts.

• Market life

  The bustling Bastille food market draws crowds Thursdays and Sundays to 100 stalls. Further east, the Marché d’Aligre and its covered annex offer a broader selection and a slice of local life six days a week.

• Petit and Grand Palais 

  These grand Beaux-Arts neighbors from the 1900 World’s Fair draw crowds for their striking glass roofs and blockbuster exhibitions. Entrance to the Petit Palais’s permanent collection, with masterworks by Rembrandt, Gauguin and Cézanne, is free.

  Tip: Book lunch or dinner at Le Grand Café, the Grand Palais’s refreshed restaurant.

• Palais Garnier

  Opulent interiors and Marc Chagall’s spectacular ceiling make a stunning backdrop to ballet, opera and classical concerts in this Second Empire theater. 

  Tip: Can’t see a performance? Book a guided tour of the opera house instead.

• Art crawl

  From the Palais de Tokyo to the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Bourse de Commerce, and the reimagined Fondation Cartier, Paris’s modern and contemporary art spaces deliver blockbuster exhibitions year-round in buildings as striking as the art.

  Tip: The Pompidou Center is closed for five years for extensive restorations. Add it to your list for 2030.

• Bibliophile shopping

  Along the Seine, green bookstalls known as bouquinistes have sold secondhand written treasures for four centuries — open-air literary kin to storied bilingual shops like Shakespeare & Company and Galignani.

• Sainte-Chapelle

  A 13th-century marvel of Gothic architecture, this chapel hasn’t served as a church since the French Revolution, but its 1,113 stained-glass panels inspire plenty of worshipful awe.

  Tip: Download the Sainte-Chapelle Stained Glass app for context on each of the stained-glass windows and the scenes depicted. (Available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.)

• Les Puces de St.-Ouen

  Paris’s legendary northern “flea market” is actually a five-acre complex of 12 distinct covered markets with thousands of stalls selling antiques, vintage fashion and other treasures.

  Tip: Start with the Marché Vernaison, the oldest of the markets. Keep in mind that most markets are open Friday through Monday, busiest at the start of the weekend.

• Paris Center

  From the Marais to the Louvre, through the Tuileries Gardens and across Little Tokyo, the first four arrondissements that make up central Paris are also its historic heart, home to all the hallmarks of a Paris experience: history, river access, cafes aplenty and marquee monuments.

  Best for: Art lovers, fashionistas, culture mavens 
  Where to stay: Caron de Beaumarchais ($$)
  Things to do: mahJ (Jewish History Museum) ($); Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature ($); Musée Carnavalet (free)
  Where to eat and drink: Chocolaterie Jade Genin ($); Juveniles ($$); Bar Hemingway ($$$); Berthillon ($)
  

• Montmartre

  Perched above the city, Montmartre’s warren of winding streets still echoes with the ghosts of Picasso and Modigliani. Major village vibes can be felt as you wind your way down from the white domes of Sacré-Coeur Basilica, crossing cobblestone squares and passing artisanal bakeries and corner cafes that overlook the city. At its heart is a small working vineyard that recalls the hill’s rural past.

  Best for: Sightseers, romantics, families 
  Where to stay: Elysée Montmartre Hotel ($$)
  Things to do: Musée de Montmartre ($); Halle Saint-Pierre ($-$$); Au Lapin Agile cabaret ($$-$$$)

  Where to eat and drink: Maison Aleph ($); Gisou ($$); Bouillon Pigalle ($)
  

• St.-Germain-des-Prés and Latin Quarter

  Adjacent neighborhoods, these Left Bank staples capture two sides of Parisian intellectual past and present: the polished cafes and bookshops of St.-Germain, where Jean-Paul Sartre once held court, and the more lively Latin Quarter, anchored by the Sorbonne University. Between them, narrow streets lead to bookshops, art galleries, bistros and the leafy beauty of the Jardin du Luxembourg.

  Best for: Bon vivants, romantics, students 
  Where to stay: Hôtel Dame des Arts ($$$)
  Things to do: Institut du Monde Arabe ($); Musée National Eugène Delacroix ($); Caveau de la Huchette Jazz & Swing ($$)
  Where to eat and drink: Tea salon at the Grande Mosquée de Paris ($); Atica ($$$); L’Avant Comptoir du Marché ($$); Ten Belles ($); Plaq ($$)

• Canal St.-Martin & Canal de l’Ourcq

  Recognizable for their cast-iron footbridges and tree-lined quays, the banks of the 19th-century Canal St.-Martin are a lively gathering place. Artists, cafes and wine bars occupy former warehouses and factories, and locals picnic along the water. Northward, the waterway feeds into the Bassin de la Villette, the city’s largest artificial lake, lined with cinemas and cafes, and the Canal de l’Ourcq, opposite the Philharmonie de Paris and the Cité des Sciences.

  Best for: Artists and creatives, couples, families 
  Where to stay: Le Citizen ($$) 
  Things to do: Marin d’Eau Douce canal ride ($$-$$$); Artazart ($-$$); Centre Commercial ($$)
  Where to eat and drink: Sur Mer ($$); Residence Kann ($); Paname Brewing Company ($); JJ Hings ice cream ($)
  

• Belleville

  Once a separate village annexed to Paris in 1860, Belleville and its hilltop neighbors Ménilmontant and Jourdain are among the city’s most diverse enclaves, shaped by immigration, political activism and art. The birthplace of Édith Piaf and the Paris Commune, a revolutionary government that ruled for 72 days, the area has winding streets, small shops, two large parks and a dynamic dining scene that preserve a rare, village-like spirit.

  Best for: Artists and creatives, food lovers, solo travelers
  Where to stay: The People Belleville ($)
  Things to do: Parc des Buttes-Chaumont; Parc de Belleville; La Bellevilloise ($-$$)
  Where to eat and drink: Le Petit Grain ($); Aux Folies ($); Ama Siam ($$); Le Cheval d’Or ($$$)

• Trocadéro and Eiffel Tower

  Across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro’s grand esplanade delivers the city’s most cinematic view, framed by stately museums like the Palais de Tokyo and the Musée de l’Homme. Crossing the Iéna Bridge leads to the Champ-de-Mars, a green expanse ideal for picnics and catching the tower’s evening sparkle. The surrounding neighborhood brims with cafes and elegant market streets like Rue Cler.

  Best for: Families, couples, museum lovers 
  Where to stay: SAX Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts ($$$)
  Things to do: Hôtel des Invalides ($); Palais Galliera ($); Musée d’Art Moderne ($)
  Where to eat and drink: Les Marches ($); Saint Pearl ($); Carette ($$)

• Château de Versailles

  Spend the day touring royal excess at Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette’s gilded palace, a 30- to 60-minute ride on the regional rail line RER C from Paris, and then lose yourself in the expansive formal gardens.

  Tip: Start with the palace when it opens and then escape the crowds to explore the gardens and the Trianon palaces in the afternoon.

• Picasso Museum

  Come for the world’s largest Picasso collection, which spans paintings, sculptures and ceramics in a stunning mansion in the Marais neighborhood.

  Tip: Visit the temporary exhibitions showcasing modern artists, many of them women.

• Musée de l’Orangerie

  Built under Napoleon III to house the Tuileries’ orange trees, L’Orangerie now showcases Monet’s eight “Water Lilies” murals, works by Cézanne and Matisse, and stellar temporary shows.

  Tip: Get tickets when the museum opens to experience Monet’s “Water Lilies” in near silence — the oval rooms fill quickly, and the immersive effect fades as the crowds pour in.

• Jardin des Plantes

  Founded in 1626 as Louis XIII’s royal medicinal garden, this sprawling park houses a working botanical institute with greenhouses, an alpine garden and one of the oldest zoos in the world.

  Tip: Don’t miss the Natural History Museum on the garden’s edge, with its soaring Galerie de l’Évolution, filled with lifelike animal displays.

• Walking tours

  From fashion and women’s history to Black and Afro-Caribbean culture and the French capital during World War II, there’s a thematic walking tour for every interest.

• Cooking and baking classes

  Why just eat croissants when you can learn to make them? La Cuisine Paris offers cooking and baking classes in two Seine-facing spaces.

• Musée Rodin

  This intimate museum traces Rodin’s evolution through sculptures, paintings and plasters, alongside works by his protégée Camille Claudel and paintings by Monet and van Gogh from his personal collection.

  Tip: Plan your visit for a dry day: Many of Rodin’s sculptures, including “The Thinker,” are displayed in the museum’s rose-filled sculpture garden.

• Covered galleries and passages

  Explore 18th-century glass-roofed (and rainproof) passages, like Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas and the Galeries du Palais-Royal, filled with boutiques, galleries and historic cafes.

  Tip: About 30 covered passages remain today. Plot an itinerary that allows you to visit them all. 
  

• Père Lachaise Cemetery

  Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf and Jim Morrison are among the 1.3 million souls buried across 110 acres of this peaceful hillside necropolis — the world’s most visited.

  Tip: The cemetery is more sprawling than it appears. Plan your route ahead of time by using the Père Lachaise interactive map.

• Wine tasting

  Get a crash course in wine through tastings and an app-guided tour at Les Caves du Louvre, set in a vast 18th-century vaulted cellar in the First Arrondissement that once extended all the way to the Louvre Palace.

  Tip: If spirits are more your style, book a gin-making class with the owners’ other establishment, Distillerie de l’Arbre-Sec.

• Premium chocolateries

  A chocolate playground awaits! Explore bean-to-bar confections at Plaq and Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, edible sculptures at Patrick Roger and inventive flavor pairings at Jacques Genin.

$$$$$ Double room rates start at $130

$$$$$ Rates from $200 to $400

$$$$$ Rates from $400 to $600

$$$$$ Above $600

$$$$$ Above $1,500

• Hôtel de Crillon

  This 18th-century landmark hotel features six dining establishments, an opulent spa, a gilded bar with a frescoed ceiling beloved by Parisians and a grand suite where, legend has it, Marie Antoinette once took piano lessons.

• Hotel Balzac

  This 1930s-chic hotel on Balzac’s former estate features an alcove bar, a Japanese spa and elegant, comfortably sized rooms.

• Le Grand Mazarin 

  Maximalist is the operative word for this hotel, where canopy beds give way to a frescoed pool and a basement lounge packed with dancing locals.

• La Fondation 

  A former car park, this Brutalist complex combines 58 spacious rooms, a sports club (with a climbing wall), office space and a rooftop garden.

• Hotel des Grands Voyageurs 

  This quiet Left Bank spot near Le Bon Marché blends trans-Atlantic glamour and Parisian flair, complete with rope-lined corridors, mahogany paneling and a sleek bar-brasserie.

• Hôtel Observatoire Luxembourg

  This revamped boutique hotel is steps from Luxembourg Gardens and public transit and has a lively all-day restaurant in shades of green. Minimalist, comfortable rooms.

• Hôtel Massé

  Contemporary art, 1970s vintage (including bedside lamps from the German industrial designer Ingo Maurer, nicknamed the Poet of Light) and a relaxed ground floor make this hotel feel like your own Parisian pied-à-terre.

• Babel

  This bohemian hotel in the city’s most diverse food enclave combines Moroccan aesthetics (glass lanterns, ocher-hued bedrooms) and Silk Road-inspired cooking in a spacious restaurant.

• 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord

  Opposite the Gare du Nord train station, the colorful hotel mirrors the neighborhood’s multicultural energy with patterned textiles, vintage décor and the Sape bar celebrating Congolese sapeur fashion culture.

• Hotel Folie

  Surrounded by buzzy restaurants, this intimate hotel (formerly Hôtel de Charonne) offers blue or green striped rooms and a farmhouse-chic salon that evokes the 11th Arrondissement’s rural past.

• The People

  A design-forward hostel-hotel hybrid overlooking the Seine River offers dorms and private rooms, a rooftop terrace, and vibrant energy in the bar-restaurant TiTi Palacio.