Sights
Sights
This section covers the places people most often come to Paris for: major museums, city landmarks and popular destinations beyond the city. For each one we say where it is, what it is and give a practical tip. We don't list opening hours or prices: closing days are given only where we have checked them; otherwise, see the official website.
In a big museum, it's better to pick two or three rooms and really see them than to rush down miles of corridors and remember only the queue.
How this section works: a place is included if it is open to visitors, has an official website with up-to-date entry conditions and can be reached by public transport.
Museums
Four museums where most people begin exploring the Paris collections.
The Louvre (Musée du Louvre)
Where: Right Bank, between the Tuileries Garden and Rue de Rivoli
One of the world's largest museums, in a former royal palace: painting, sculpture and antiquities.
Tip: Closed on Tuesdays. Choose a few rooms in advance, and check tickets and hours on the official website.
Musée d'Orsay
Where: Left Bank, opposite the Tuileries Garden
A museum in a former railway station, famous for its Impressionist and 19th-century collections.
Tip: Closed on Mondays. Check other visiting conditions on the museum's official website.
Musée de l'Orangerie
Where: Tuileries Garden, on the Place de la Concorde side
A small museum showing Claude Monet's large Water Lilies panels.
Tip: Check the closing day and opening hours on the official website. Easy to combine with a walk through the Tuileries.
Musée Rodin
Where: Left Bank, near Les Invalides
Sculptures by Auguste Rodin in a mansion and the garden around it.
Tip: Check the closing day and entry conditions on the official website. The garden is a good place to rest after the walk along the Seine.
City landmarks
The places that make Paris recognisable at first glance.
The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel)
Where: Left Bank, Champ de Mars
A wrought-iron tower about 330 m tall — the great symbol of Paris.
Tip: Use only the official website for access conditions and tickets. There's a beautiful view of the tower from the Place du Trocadéro.
Notre-Dame Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Paris)
Where: Île de la Cité
A Gothic cathedral that reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire.
Tip: It is a working church: dress modestly and check the entry arrangements on the cathedral's official website.
Sainte-Chapelle
Where: Île de la Cité, within the Palais de Justice
A Gothic chapel with soaring stained-glass windows, best seen on a sunny day.
Tip: There is a security check at the entrance, so allow time for the queue.
Sacré-Cœur Basilica (Basilique du Sacré-Cœur)
Where: Montmartre hill
The white basilica at the top of the hill, with one of the most famous views of the city.
Tip: The steps and viewpoint are crowded — watch your belongings and don't accept "gifts" from strangers.
Arc de Triomphe
Where: Place Charles-de-Gaulle (Étoile), at the top of the Champs-Élysées
A monumental arch in the middle of a square from which avenues radiate like spokes.
Tip: An underground passage leads to the arch; don't try to cross the roundabout at street level.
Beyond Paris
Popular destinations in and around the Île-de-France region.
Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles)
Where: Town of Versailles, west of Paris
A royal palace with a park, designed by the team that had previously created the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Tip: The RER C runs from Paris. Check dates, hours and tickets on the palace's official website.
Disneyland Paris
Where: Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy, east of Paris
A theme park designed for a full day out.
Tip: Take the RER A to Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy station. Buy tickets only on the official website.
Parc Astérix
Where: Plailly, Oise department, north of Paris
A theme park based on the Asterix comics, near Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Tip: Check the opening season and how to get there on the park's official website in advance.
Related sections
- Walking routes
Four walking routes: Île de la Cité and the Latin Quarter, the Marais, Montmartre, and along the Seine from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower.
- Destinations
Paris neighbourhoods and day trips in Île-de-France: Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fontainebleau, Giverny, Chantilly.
- Trip planning
How to plan a trip to Paris step by step: documents, season, accommodation, transport, itinerary.
Sources
- Museum websites
- Paris je t'aime (Paris tourist office)
- Île-de-France Mobilités
Information is correct as of the date of preparation. Fares, timetables, museum opening hours and entry rules change, so check them on official websites before you travel.