Paris, nowadays, is a blend of the past, the present, and the future. This French city’s monument-lined boulevards, as well as museums, boutiques, and bistros are cohabiting with modernized and multimedia galleries, and offices of tech startups. And, who wouldn’t forget about its creative wine bars and multimedia galleries both locals and tourists admire? Everyone visiting Paris will fall in love with it. There are a plethora of things to do in Paris.  

The capital of France, Paris is one of the hottest destinations in Europe. It is the global center for practically everything, from art and fashion, to food and culture. Vast boulevards and the River Seine crisscross its 19th-century cityscape. Aside from the renowned Eiffel Tower and the Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is widely known for its café culture (and croissants, too!) and sophisticated designer boutique shops. Together, they form the backdrop to the many things to do in Paris, which we are about to explore today.

14 Best And Most Glorious Things To Do In Paris

Are you visiting Paris soon? First, find out which are the best things to do in Paris right now, and let these bleed through your itinerary. 

1. Visit The Eiffel Tower The Most Unconventional Way: At Night

If your plane is touching down on Paris at night, then good. You’ll be able to be just in time for the first on our list of the best things to do in Paris. Many visit the city’s famed Eiffel Tower while the sun is up, but there are others who want to get more romantic by seeing it at night, which we highly recommend. 

Without a doubt, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic landmarks not just across Paris but all over the world. For many, it is thrilling to see the Eiffel Tower for the very first time. You can’t help but to be “starstruck” by it. Seeing the Eiffel Tower up close is perhaps every traveler’s dream. For these first-timers, their tour around Paris will definitely not be completed without a trip up to the tower, and seeing majestic views of the city. 

More and more travelers are discovering the perks of visiting the Eiffel Tower at night. For one, they’d be away from the crowds. Then, you can take the lift to the top-floor champagne bar and see Paris under the night sky. Don’t forget to take lots of photos, and flaunt them on social media!

2. Be Dumbfounded By The Collection Of Art At The Louvre

If you are a fan of thriller novel series (and controversial at that) like Dan Brown’s, you know that this place is a favorite of the author. The Louvre Museum prides itself as the world’s largest art museum, so like how Disneyland is roamable in one whole day (that is, if you don’t want to miss any attraction), it has been said that the perimeters of the Louvre require you to spend at least a day here, if you want to see it all. 

The building where the museum stands today was once the home to French kings, including the great King Louis XIV. But during the French Revolution in the 1700s, the Louvre was converted to a museum. 

Things to do in Paris here are plenty. Since the Louvre Museum first opened its doors as a museum in 1793, it has featured more than 35,000 works of art on display. You’ll get to see artworks from different time periods and cultures, from mummy tombs of ancient Egypt to sculptures of ancient Greece, such as the renowned “Venus de Milo.”

The museum also houses paintings, from masterpieces like Théodore Géricault’s “The Raft of the Medusa” to Louvre’s biggest star, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

3. Admire The Beautiful Architecture Of The Notre-Dame Cathedral 

Just like the Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame Cathedral is regarded as a Parisian icon. Situated along the banks of River Seine, this cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece and is often considered as one of the best Gothic cathedrals of its kind worldwide. Construction began during the late 1100s, but final touches were not made until nearly 200 years later. With this level of detail and intricacy, you can see why the Notre-Dame Cathedral is well-admired for its unparalleled beauty. 

However, right now, the cathedral is closed for renovation after a fire in 2019 significantly damaged it. Instead, you can head over to the underground exhibit located in front of Notre-Dame that highlights the ongoing construction work at the site. 

4. Walk Along Champs-Élysées

Again, we’re gonna tell you right now that crowds are everywhere in Paris, including here at Champs-Élysées. But even if this place is filled with people every now and then, it is still one of the things to do in Paris you must do. After all, you’ve spent a lot just to reach this city, so why not experience it all? 

Champs-Élysées is among the most recognizable streets across the globe. It runs from Place de la Concorde to Arc de Triomphe. And if the strolling around made you hungry, you can pop into Ladurée located in the area for macarons. This is such a famous place, and is the pastry maker made the pastries for “Marie Antoinette,” (no, not the person) the movie that depicted the infamous French queen. 

5. Be Starstruck By Arc De Triomphe

At last, you are in Paris now. And aside from seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum in person, you will also finally be able to see the Arc de Triomphe up close, right before your eyes. Be starstruck. 

Located at the top of Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe is not just a photography spot from its base. It also features a sky-high viewing platform that is less crowded than that of Eiffel Tower, and the views are just as equally as stunning. The 50-meter high Roman-style, triumphal arch that commemorates French hero and its former emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s victory at Austerlitz in the early 1800s is where you can get the best spot of Paris’ Axe Historique. This Historical Axis is a line of historical moments that form a perfect east-to-west axis through central Paris. 

See stunning vistas that stretch from the Louvre, Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées in the east, to the Arc de Triomphe’s modern counterpoint, the Grande Arche de la Défense in the west. You can also peer down to see cars moving around Paris’ busiest and more popular roundabout, and spinning off along one of eight leafy Haussmannian avenues.

Welcome to our “things to do in Paris” article. Be sure to also check out other related stories on our website. 

6. Get A Taste Of Authentic Croissants

You know there are a lot of shops and restaurants worldwide that claim to serve the best-tasting croissants, but nothing could be better than the authentic croissants in Paris. Croissants are buttery and flaky pastries inspired by the shape of the Austrian kipfel, but using the French yeast-leavened laminated dough. Croissants may have originated in Austria, but it is super popular here in France. 

Why? Legend has it that French queen Marie Antoinette requested for the Austrian kipfel to grace her court, as she was homesick for a taste of her native Vienna. Thus, croissants were introduced to France. Some of the places to get authentic croissants in Paris include Sain Boulangerie, Stohrer, Laurent Duchêne, and Du Pain et des Idées. This is one of the gastronomic things to do in Paris you should not miss. 

7. Dine On A Four-Course Dinner While Cruising Down The Seine

If you are a certified food and exploring the culinary scene of Paris, nothing beats this tour. Viator offers a Seine River dinner cruise where you can indulge not only with the city’s most decadent food but also the sceneries that it offers. 

Dine on a four-course dinner, accompanied by live music on-board to complete the experience, as you float past illuminated landmarks that include the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower.

8. Go Shopping

Nothing could better express the shopping scene here in Paris than that phrase – need we say more? Some tourists visit Paris for the scenery, but there are those, especially the rich and famous, who visit the city for shopping. 

Whether it is finding your original Louis Vuitton trunk, a heavenly fragranced candle from the oldest candlemaker in the world, or grabbing eco-friendly fashion finds at Sézane, shopping in Paris is both exciting and exotic. Choose your poison. 

If you want boutiques of new and emerging designers that line with mainstream fashion stores, head over to Le Marais. Or, if you can concept, pop-up, and alternative design boutiques and shops, head over to Canal St-Martin. And for those who want to stir it up to the more sophisticated side, visit the historic department store, La Samaritaine, and be amazed by the building’s art nouveau and art deco features, not to mention its glass-topped central hall.

9. Feel Like A Royalty At The Palace Of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles may not be located in Paris per se, but many things to do in Paris guides make sure to still include this on the list. 

This palace is a former royal residence built during the illustrious time of King Louis XIV. It is situated around 12 miles west of Paris. It also has a very interesting story to tell. Did you know that King Louis XIV placed France on the verge of falling into bankruptcy and revolution when he created the Palace of Versailles? Not just that. With its grandiosity, you wouldn’t believe that it actually started as a simple hunting lodge. Crazy rich Europeans?

Guided tours would often take you around the palace’s Dazzling Hall of Mirrors, King’s State Apartments, Queen’s State Apartments, and the Royal Chapel, among many others.

10. Join A Secret Food Tour Around Paris

Hold on because there are more food tours and things to do in Paris coming your way, such as this secret food tour. What makes it so special? Well, this culinary tour offered by Viator takes you to one of Paris’ most charming neighborhoods, the Montmartre neighborhood. 

During the tour, you can sample delicacies such as croissants and éclairs at a local pâtisserie, savor a guided tasting of different cheeses at a fromagerie, and satisfy your sweet tooth at a classic and renowned chocolaterie.

Plus, this gourmet tour also stops by at a boulangerie, where tourists can learn the proper way of eating a baguette in France. At the end of the tour, you’ll also be able to enjoy a delicious secret dish that will only be revealed on tour day. Sounds exciting, right?

Thank you for reading our “things to do in Paris” guide! See related stories from our blog. 

11. Watch A Vintage Movie At The Latin Quarter’s Arthouse Cinemas

If you are headed to Paris and feel like you need to unleash your inner cinephile, this is one of the things to do in Paris that you would not want to miss. You can tour around the Latin Quarter’s arthouse cinemas, storied picture houses that screen old movies at low prices. 

A historic haven for every film enthusiast, its 5th and 6th arrondissements are still dotted with independent cinemas, such as Le Champo on Rue des Écoles where many of the Nouvelle Vague directors hung out during the 1950s and 1960s. Legend has it that during his travels to Paris, renowned director Quentin Tarantino would often hop on a pilgrimage to the Latin Quarter’s Filmothèque. 

12. See World-Class, Trendsetting Designs At Paris Fashion Week

If you are looking for interesting things to do in Paris, and you happen to be a fashion enthusiast, plan your trip as the Paris Fashion Week happens in this French city. You won’t get to only see world-class designs, but also creations that define what’s trending in the fashion world. 

Paris Fashion Week is a series of designer presentations conducted semi-annually in the City of Light, particularly a spring and summer event, and a fall and winter event held each year.

This event is one of the most renowned fashion weeks held across the globe, alongside the New York Fashion Week and the Milan Fashion Week, for instance. Fashion weeks are essential parts of the fashion calendar, as these events provide direction to and guide for buyers, designers, retailers, and publications on what’s currently trending in the fashion industry. 

13. Be Enthralled By The Beautiful Stained Glass At Sainte-Chapelle

Enshrined within the French city’s original, 13-century Palais de Justice or Law Courts, Sainte-Chapelle is a treasured Holy Chapel and is the city’s most exquisite Gothic monument. Completed in 1248, this structure was conceived by King IX to house his personal holy relics collection, including the renowned Holy Crown. 

Be sure to visit Sainte-Chapelle on a sunny day when the city’s oldest and finest stained glass is at its most beautiful. Sainte-Chapelle is not only famous for its stained-glass windows and holy relics, but also for the concerts being held here.

14. Watch A Colorful ‘Moulin Rouge’ Show

If you are gushing over Christina Aguilera’s performance of “Moulin Rouge” hit “Lady Marmalade,” did you know that you can get to see a “Moulin Rouge” show, where else, but at its birthplace, the city of Paris?

Are you looking for things to do in Paris in the evening? Why not experience the most popular cabaret in the world? Vibrant can-can dancers hit the stage nightly at the “Moulin Rouge” shows. You can watch the performances while sipping on sparkling champagne. Take the night away.

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We Love Paris!

Paris is not just about its awe-inspiring beauty, but it is also about its rich history. This capital city of France has a rich and riveting history that spans over two millennia. The biggest of which would probably be the place being the setting of the French Revolution that shaped much of what France is today. 

Right at this very day, Paris stands as one of the most visited cities worldwide, renowned for its architectural wonder, cultural heritage, and creative legacy. With so many things to do in Paris, from visiting the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre Museum, the city never fails to captivate tourists with its timeless charm, making this place an enduring symbol of inspiration, romance, and elegance. 

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