Visit Paris
Under Napoleon III in the 1850s, Baron Haussmann transformed Paris, bringing the city into the modern age. He changed narrow medieval alleys to create wide, straight grand boulevards. In 1889 the Eiffel tower was built and the Belle Epoque brought a golden age of optimism and innovation, creating the Paris Métro and modern art movements.
All this history has made Paris the cultural, historical and beautiful city that it is today. As one of the most visited cities in the world, preparing an itinerary for your trip is ideal. Booking tours will help you to discover the city and all its incredible stories!
What to see in Paris - Monuments
The Notre Dame de Paris – Found in the 4th arrondissement, the Notre-Dame is one of Paris’ most recognisable and iconic monuments.The Cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is one of the best examples of French Gothic architecture. It has witnessed many historic events, including when Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France there in 1804.
The Eiffel Tower – Named after its creator Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower was initially criticised for its design, but has now become a cultural icon of both Paris and France itself – arguably one of the most recognisable structures in the world!
The Arc de Triomphe – Designed by Napoleon in 1806 to pay tribute to those who fought for France, the Arc de Triomphe is 50 metres tall and 45 metres wide. It took 30 years to finish and now contains the names of 660 French generals and many military victories.
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica – Found at the top of Montmartre hill, the Sacré-Coeur offers incredible views across Paris. The Basilica itself was built in a Romanesque-Byzantine style and includes huge mosaics and stained glass windows inside. It’s the most visited religious site in Paris, after Notre-Dame.
What to do in Paris
Palais Garnier – Also known as Opéra Garnier, this is a 1,979-seat opera house in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It’s one of the most famous Opera houses in the world, especially due to being the setting of Leroux’s 1910 novel ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, which has been adapted into films and the ever popular musical.
The Petit Palais – Found in the 8th arrondissement, the Petit Palais or Paris’s Museum of Fine Arts features masterpieces from Monet, Cézanne and Rembrandt. The museum is actually free for its permanent collection and includes a beautiful garden area, which makes it a must visit!
The Louvre – As the world’s largest museum, most visited museum and a historic monument, you can’t go to Paris without visiting the Louvre. With over 380,000 objects and artifacts and 35,000 works of art, you could easily spend days walking around.
The Musée d’Orsay – Found on the Left Bank of the Seine, this museum used to actually be a train station. Now it holds mainly French art, including the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art in the world!
The Best Tours and Excursions of Paris
Visit Paris
Day trip from Paris - The Chateau of Versailles
Getting from Paris to the Palace of Versailles takes about 30 to 40 minutes each way by train, and makes the perfect day trip away from the city. Walk round the incredible gardens, tour the palace, state apartments and don’t miss the famous hall of mirrors! You can easily spend multiple days at Versailles as there is also the Trianon Estate and Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet to see.
What to eat in Paris
You can find basically any cuisine that you want in Paris, but it of course has incredible options for traditional French Gastronomy! Here are some of the foods/places that you should check out:
Bistros and traditional bouillons (historic, fast-paced dining halls) – best for discovering rich French sauces and slow-cooked meats.
Steak Frites – a perfectly seared steak (often flank or ribeye) drenched in a peppery cognac-cream or herb butter sauce, served alongside massive portions of thin, crispy French fries.
Macarons – said to have been invented by Laduree in the early 20th century, macarons are another must-eat in Paris. A macaron is a sweet meringue-like shell that sandwiches together with ganache/buttercream/jam filling. Check out Laduree or Pierre Hermé for some of the best.
Hot Chocolate – in Paris, hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) is treated as an art form rather than a simple drink. The traditional Parisian version, often called chocolat chaud à l’ancienne (old-fashioned hot chocolate), is made by melting high-quality solid dark chocolate bars directly into whole milk or cream, resulting in a thick, velvety, and deeply rich drink.
The best spots to experience authentic Parisian hot chocolate range from social-media-famous salons to hidden artisan bean-to-bar workshops. Popular spots include Angelina, Carette, Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore.
Cheese and Wine – enjoying wine and cheese (du vin et du fromage) is a cultural ritual. To experience it like a Parisian, you have two distinct paths: visiting a dedicated cheese bar or wine bistro for a curated pairing experience, or visiting an artisan fromagerie (cheese shop) to assemble a custom basket for an outdoor park picnic.
Pastries – a must-eat in Paris is of course any pastry, typically croissants and pain au chocolats! Try also a Paris-Brest, which is a wheel-shaped choux pastry ring filled to the brim with rich praline flavored cream, created to commemorate a historic bicycle race.
Jambon-Beurre – the quintessential Parisian lunch-on-the-go. A sliced fresh baguette packed with premium ham and spread thickly with rich, salted French butter
Why visit Paris with a Walking Tour?
With an endless amount of things to do, it’s best to visit Paris with a Tour Guide, who can organise your itinerary, tell you all the important stories and history of different monuments, as well as help you discover hidden gems.
