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The 12 Best Attractions in Paris (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 12 picks

The best attractions in Paris in 2026 are the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral (reopened in December 2024), Sainte-Chapelle and the Musée d'Orsay. Add the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre, and a Seine cruise for the essential first visit.

Almost every major Paris sight now runs on timed tickets, so book the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and the Catacombs online before you travel. Plan around closing days: the Louvre shuts on Tuesdays, the Musée d'Orsay on Mondays.

1. Eiffel Tower — 7th arr. · Champ de Mars

The symbol of Paris, with views across the whole city from the summit.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for First-timers · Families · Couples

Gustave Eiffel's iron tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair, has three visitor levels. The second floor has the best balance of height and detail over the Seine and Trocadéro; the summit, reached by a second lift, is the full panorama. At night the tower sparkles for a few minutes at the start of every hour.

Book timed tickets on the official site, and allow two to three hours. Walking up the stairs to the second floor is cheaper, quicker to book and more fun than it sounds.

Good to know: For the classic photo, cross the river to the Trocadéro terraces at dusk.

Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

2. Louvre Museum — 1st arr. · Louvre

The world's most visited museum: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for First-timers · Art lovers

The Louvre's former royal palace holds one of the greatest art collections on earth, from Egyptian antiquities and Greek sculpture to Italian Renaissance painting and the French masters. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace are the stars, but the quiet galleries are often the best part.

Plan a route and pick two or three wings — you cannot see it all. Tickets are timed; the museum is closed on Tuesdays and stays open late on some evenings, which are the calmest times to visit.

Good to know: Enter through the Carrousel du Louvre entrance (Rue de Rivoli) for a shorter line than the pyramid.

Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

3. Notre-Dame Cathedral — 4th arr. · Île de la Cité

Gothic Paris reborn — reopened in 2024 after the fire, brighter than it has been in centuries.

Best for First-timers · Families · History

Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after five years of restoration following the 2019 fire. The cleaned stone and restored rose windows make the interior lighter than most visitors ever saw it, and the rebuilt spire is back on the skyline.

Entry to the cathedral is free; reserving a free time slot online shortens the line. The tower climb, up to the gargoyles and the bells, is a separate paid ticket and worth booking ahead.

Good to know: Go at opening or in the early evening on weekdays for the shortest line.

6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

4. Sainte-Chapelle — 1st arr. · Île de la Cité

A 13th-century chapel made almost entirely of stained glass.

$ BudgetBest for First-timers · Couples · History

Built by Louis IX to house relics of the Passion, Sainte-Chapelle's upper chapel is walled with 15 enormous stained-glass windows telling the Bible story in more than a thousand scenes. On a sunny day it is one of the most beautiful rooms in Europe.

It sits inside the Palais de Justice, so there is airport-style security. A combined ticket with the nearby Conciergerie, Marie Antoinette's last prison, is good value.

Good to know: Book the first slot of a sunny morning — the light through the glass is at its best.

10 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

5. Musée d'Orsay — 7th arr. · Left Bank

The Impressionists in a spectacular former railway station.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for First-timers · Art lovers · Couples

The Musée d'Orsay holds the world's greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art — Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin — inside the Beaux-Arts Gare d'Orsay. The great clock windows on the top floor look across the Seine to the Louvre and Sacré-Cœur.

It is far more manageable than the Louvre: two to three hours covers the highlights. It is closed on Mondays and opens late one evening a week.

Good to know: Go straight to the fifth-floor Impressionist galleries first, before the crowds build.

Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

6. Arc de Triomphe — 8th arr. · Place Charles de Gaulle

Napoleon's victory arch, with the best view down the Champs-Élysées.

$ BudgetBest for First-timers · Families · Views

Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of twelve radiating avenues. Beneath it lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the flame is rekindled every evening, and from the rooftop terrace you see the Champs-Élysées line up toward the Louvre and La Défense.

There are around 280 steps to the top (a small lift is reserved for visitors who need it). Reach the arch through the underground passage from the Champs-Élysées — never try to cross the roundabout.

Good to know: Go up at sunset: the light on the avenues is spectacular and the tower sparkles after dark.

Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

7. Sacré-Cœur & Montmartre — 18th arr. · Montmartre

The white basilica on the hill, and the village streets of the artists' quarter around it.

Best for First-timers · Couples · Budget

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur crowns the Butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city, and the steps in front of it are one of the great free viewpoints over Paris. Entry to the basilica is free; climbing the dome is a paid extra with an even wider view.

Around it, Montmartre still feels like a village: Place du Tertre's painters, the pink Maison Rose, the vineyard on Rue des Saules and the windmills of Rue Lepic. Come early in the morning before the crowds.

Good to know: Walk up through the quieter streets on the west side (Rue Lepic, Rue de l'Abreuvoir) rather than the crowded front steps.

35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

8. Seine River Cruise (Vedettes du Pont Neuf) — 1st arr. · Île de la Cité

An hour on the river shows you most of the city's landmarks from the water.

$ BudgetBest for First-timers · Families · Couples

The Seine is the backbone of Paris, and a boat is the easiest way to understand the city's layout: Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and the bridges in between. Vedettes du Pont Neuf leave from the tip of the Île de la Cité, below the Square du Vert-Galant.

The standard cruise lasts about an hour with live commentary. It is especially good for families, for a first evening in Paris, or for tired feet after a museum.

Good to know: Take an evening sailing so you pass the Eiffel Tower as it sparkles on the hour.

Square du Vert-Galant, Pont Neuf, 75001 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

9. Palais Garnier — 9th arr. · Opéra

The most opulent opera house in the world, and the setting of The Phantom of the Opera.

$ BudgetBest for Couples · First-timers · Culture

Charles Garnier's opera house, opened in 1875, is a riot of marble, gilt and velvet: the Grand Staircase, the Grand Foyer and the auditorium with its Chagall ceiling. Self-guided visits run most days when there are no rehearsals or performances in the way.

Seeing a ballet or opera here is the ultimate version, but the daytime visit is easy and good value. It pairs well with the Galeries Lafayette rooftop next door.

Good to know: Check the calendar before you go: the auditorium is sometimes closed to visitors for rehearsals.

Place de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

10. Catacombs of Paris — 14th arr. · Denfert-Rochereau

Tunnels lined with the bones of millions of Parisians, 20 meters below the streets.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for History · Teens · Adventurous

In the late 18th century, Paris moved the remains from its overflowing cemeteries into old limestone quarries under the Left Bank. The visitor route takes you through about a kilometer and a half of tunnels lined with neatly stacked skulls and bones.

Tickets are timed, sell out days ahead and are sold online. It is cool underground, there are many stairs, and it is not for very young children or the claustrophobic.

Good to know: The exit is a long walk from the entrance — wear comfortable shoes and bring a layer.

1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

11. Luxembourg Gardens — 6th arr. · Saint-Germain

The most Parisian of parks — green chairs, toy sailboats and the Senate palace.

Best for Families · Couples · Budget

The Jardin du Luxembourg surrounds the palace that houses the French Senate. It has the Medici Fountain, formal flower beds, orchards, a puppet theater, tennis courts and the big octagonal pond where children push toy sailboats with sticks.

Grab one of the famous green metal chairs and do as Parisians do. It is free, and it links Saint-Germain with the Latin Quarter and the Panthéon.

Good to know: Rent a toy sailboat at the Grand Bassin — kids love it, and it's cheap.

Rue de Médicis – Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

12. Musée de l'Orangerie — 1st arr. · Tuileries

Monet's Water Lilies, wrapped around two oval rooms made for them.

$ BudgetBest for Art lovers · Couples

At the west end of the Tuileries, the Orangerie was set up to display Monet's huge Water Lilies panels, installed in two oval rooms lit by daylight. Standing in the middle of them is one of the most peaceful experiences in Paris.

Downstairs is a fine collection of Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso and Modigliani. It takes about an hour and a half, and is closed on Tuesdays.

Good to know: Visit first thing in the morning to have the Water Lilies rooms almost to yourself.

Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, 75001 Paris, France

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What should I not miss on a first trip to Paris?

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Musée d'Orsay, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre, and a boat on the Seine. With four days you can see all of them without rushing, and add a day trip to Versailles — see our guide to the best day trips from Paris.

How much does it cost to go up the Eiffel Tower?

In 2026 an adult ticket by lift to the summit costs €36.70 on the official site, the lift to the second floor €23.50, and the stairs to the second floor €14.80. The summit is reachable only by lift. Buy only from the official website; resellers charge more.

How much is a Louvre ticket in 2026?

Since January 2026 the Louvre charges €32 for visitors from outside the European Economic Area and €22 for EEA residents. A timed ticket is required, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays.

Is Notre-Dame open, and is it free?

Yes. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire, and entry to the cathedral is free. You can reserve a free time slot online to shorten the wait. Climbing the towers is a separate paid ticket.

Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?

It is worth it if you will visit three or more paid museums and monuments in two days — for example the Louvre, Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle and the Arc de Triomphe — mainly for the convenience. You still need to book time slots at most sites. It does not include the Eiffel Tower.

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