The Best Things to Do in Paris and a Perfect 7-Day Itinerary

Epic landmarks, rich history, glamourous shopping, museums galore, delicious food, romantic scenery - Paris has it all! It has so much in fact, that a week there just scratches the surface of what Paris has to offer and will leave you dreaming of your next trip to the City of Light.

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10 Best Things to Do in Paris

1. Visit the Eiffel Tower – The first thing people usually think of when they think “Paris” is the Eiffel Tower, so you definitely can’t leave Paris without stopping by! You’ll see it from all over the city, but there’s something really cool about going up into the tower itself. There’s an elevator or stairs that you can take up to either the first floor, second floor, or the top, and guided and unguided options depending on what type of tickets you purchase. You can also purchase tickets in advance through a third party that may be cheaper and usually includes a trip to the 2nd floor at a minimum.

2. Take a Seine River cruise - A river cruise is a great introduction to the city. It starts at the base of the Eiffel tower and takes you past many of Paris’s major landmarks including Notre Dame, Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre Museum, famous bridges, palaces, and monuments. Cruises are typically an hour long, include an audio guide so you know what you are looking at, and run every half hour between about 10am and 10pm. There are also dinner cruise variations offered, but those will be much more expensive.  

3. See Some Art - There are tons of prestigious art museums in Paris! The Louvre is perhaps the most well-known for housing the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Nike of Samothrace, and will therefore draw the largest crowds. It’s also an absolutely massive collection of art, so walking through all the wings of the building will take at least a few hours. I kept thinking we had seen everything, and then discovering another hall or floor we had missed somehow.

For fewer crowds, check out Musee d’Orsay (lots of Impressionist pieces), the Musee d’Art Moderne de Paris, the Musee de l’Orangerie (includes the Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet), Petit Palais, Musee National Picasso-Paris, the Dali Museum, and more.  

4. Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral – Notre Dame obviously holds religious significance, but is worth visiting regardless of your religious affiliation because of the architecture, art, and history of the site. The scale of the church and the intricacy of the gothic designs blew my mind, and that was just on the outside since the church was still being rebuilt from the fire in 2019 during my visit. Entry is free, so if you’re able to go inside you’ll also see the famous rose windows, significant religious and historic artifacts (such as the crown of thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ), statues, paintings, an archeological crypt, and panoramic views of the city from the towers.

5. Take a food tour – Parisians take their food very seriously. This is great news for visitors, because you know you’re in for some delicious meals! It’s especially nice to experience some of it with a guide that’ll teach you all about the history and making of famous foods such as macarons, croissants, and croque monsieur, while showing you where to find the best versions of those treats. Chatting with the guide of the food tour is also my favorite way of collecting recommendations from a local for restaurants to try during your trip.

6. Eat at a Michelin Star Restaurant – A Michelin Star is a huge honor in the culinary world and are awarded to only the most exceptional restaurants. Restaurants can be awarded one, two, or three stars annually. There are less than 3,000 Michelin-starred restaurants in the World, and France has the most of any country (636 in 2024)! Plenty of them are in Paris (121 in 2024), so if you are interested in treating yourself to a fancy meal, Paris is a prime place to do it. Michelin meals are not cheap, so make sure to budget for this experience in advance, and make a reservation to ensure you have a table. That being said, stars are not awarded lightly so, if you decide to treat yourself to this experience, the food and ambiance is sure to be divine!

7. See a Cabaret Show – Another quintessential Parisian experience is seeing a cabaret show. These shows have been captivating audiences for almost 150 years with intricate costumes, acrobatic feats, live music, and choreographed dance numbers (including the classic French Cancan). Some of the most popular venues include the Moulin Rouge, the Lido, the Paradis Latin, and the Crazy Horse. The Moulin Rouge show was mostly in French, so I can’t pretend that I really understood the narrative, but the spectacle of the show was enjoyable regardless. Similar to the Seine River cruises, a lot of the cabaret venues offer dinner, but I think your money is better spent trying food from the countless exceptional restaurants in the city. Especially since the cabaret show tickets are already a little pricey.  

8. Go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe – The Arc de Triomphe is impressive from the ground, but also offers great rooftop views of the city a couple of miles from the Eiffel Tower! The roof is open from 10am to 10:30pm and tickets only cost 16 euros per person at the underground ticket booth on the way to the Arc (unless you are a resident of the EU under 26 years old – then it’s free!). PS, for the best pictures of the Arc from the ground, go any time in the morning before it opens for rooftop entry. There was hardly anyone at all there when I went around 9am, but there are huge crowds of people trying to get a good photo in front of the tower in the afternoon. 

9. Go shopping – One of the most famous streets in the world for shopping is located in Paris. Champs Elysees starts at the Arc de Triomphe and is lined with luxury shopping options for over 1 mile. Brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior (plus plenty of others) have stores here, with intricate window displays, beautifully architected stores, and tip-top customer service. If you’re not interested in buying designer labels, there is still plenty of fun to be had window shopping, enjoying the atmosphere at a café or restaurant along the avenue, shopping the mid-range brands dispersed among the high-end stores, or some combination of those activities. Either way, you don’t want to skip this iconic Parisian experience.

10. Take an audio guided tour through the Paris Catacombs – Paris has a tumultuous history that isn’t all shiny and bright, and the catacombs are a great reminder of that. The scale of the catacombs is astounding, but I think the intrigue might wear off partway through the tour without the audio guide that you can pay a small amount to get along with your entry ticket. The audio guide will tell you all about the history of the catacombs and what you are currently seeing as you venture through the parts of the catacombs open to the public today. The tour goes through centuries in about an hour and a half. There are also guided tours available with access to restricted areas of the catacombs.

Day Trips to Take from Paris

Paris does have more than enough to keep you busy for a week, but there are also several great day trip options that can be worked into your time there. Versailles, Champagne, Disney Paris, Normandy, and Chantilly are all 3 hours or less from Paris, and offer very different experiences.

The palace of Versailles is known for its opulence and holds the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its artistic achievements and importance in French history. Of the more than 700 rooms in the palace, the hall of mirrors is perhaps the most famous; it has 357 Venetian mirrors and was the site of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I. Just as impressive as the palace are the surrounding gardens, considered one of the most spectacular in the world. Other attractions in Versailles include the Royal Opera, the Royal Chapel, markets, the Versailles Cathedral, and the Gallery of Coaches.

It may not have a palace, but a posh retreat to the countryside of the Champagne region will have you feeling like royalty. This is the only place in the world where “champagne” can legally be produced (from anywhere else, it’s technically just sparkling wine), so if you’re a fan of the beverage, then this is the place to be! Champagne tours from Paris will include transportation and a guide that will take you to explore some combination of vineyards, cellars, champagne houses, medieval churches, and quaint towns. Between tastings, you’ll learn a ton about the champagne production process and the history of the area.

If you prefer reconnecting with your inner child to sipping on adult beverages, then you should book a day trip to Disney Paris. There are two sides to the park, but they are both small enough that you can fit it all into one day. The Ratatouille themed restaurant there, Bistrot Chez Remy, is possibly one of the most difficult places to get a reservation in France, so if you are interested in going, make sure to book through the Disneyland Paris website or app weeks or months in advance.

History buffs will want to book a trip to Normandy to see the D-Day landing sites, military cemeteries, museums, and Mont Saint-Michel Abbey. In addition to history, Mont Saint-Michel, an Abbey situated atop a tidal island that is the most visited site in Normandy, has beautiful coastal views that change with the tides, art, and unique architecture. It’s just one picturesque site along the miles of coastline, white chalk cliffs, and seaside towns, though, and I day would be well spent exploring them all.

Another idyllic town to the north of Paris is Chantilly. Here, you can try the namesake “Chantilly cream” from its birthplace, immerse yourself in the equine history in the largest stables in Europe and the Living Horse Museum, and wander through the Chateau de Chantilly castle and gardens.

Complete 7-Day Paris Itinerary

A printable itinerary that includes the ten must-do Paris activities and two day trips into a plan for one perfect 7-day visit is located here. For a shorter trip, nix the day trips and focus on the Paris-centric days!