30 Things You Must Do When Visiting Paris

There are few places more bustling and breathtaking than Paris. The city of love and light has many claims to fame, from the food to the culture to the fashion (anyone else obsessed with Emily in Paris?). There is an overwhelming number of activities to fit in over the course of a few days. You'll of course want to climb the Eiffel Tower and eat everything in the pastry case at the local boulangerie. After you've had drinks with a view (Le Meurice is iconic, but the top floor of Le BHV Marais is where it's really at), have a Midnight in Paris moment under the yellow-orange glow of the lamps as you wander down the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter. Honestly, there's so much to do and see that even a week wouldn't do it justice. But if you really must do a quick blitz, here are the 30 best things to do in Paris that you can't miss during your stay.

• Arrondissement: 3^rd, 16^th, 18^th
• Métro Stop: Line 8, Chemin Vert (3^rd); Line 6, 9, Trocadéro (16^th); Line 12, Abbesses (18^th)
• Price Range: $$
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Marais Duplex (from $124/night, sleeps 2); Cozy Trocadéro Apartment (from $179/night, sleeps 4); Romantic Studio (from $150/night, sleeps 2)

“Le pause café” (aka the coffee break) is something of a ritual. People will spend an hour in the afternoon on a terrace sipping espresso and smoking (in typical French fashion), perhaps over a book or newspaper. Ditch the cigarette but be sure to head to one of Carette’s three locations across the city. They’re well known for being an elegant salon de thé (tea salon) serving up the most perfect-looking pastries.

• Arrondissement: 7^th
• Métro Stop: Line 13, Varenne
• Price: €14/$15
• Reservations: Get tickets here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Luxury Loft (from $567, sleeps 4); Private Guesthouse (from $119/night, sleeps 2); Duplex Penthouse (from $233/night, sleeps 2)

Paris isn’t in want of museums, but the smaller ones are much more sure to dazzle than any 12 hours spent getting lost in the Louvre. Plus, less crowds. Our recommendation? Pay a visit to Rodin Museum’s sculpture gardens, where you’ll see the artist’s famous sculpture of The Thinker as well as fantastic gardens and other works. You can also buy a dual ticket that provides entry to the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, if you really want to peep at Leonardo’s famous leading lady.

• Arrondissement: 7^th
• Métro Stop: Line 8, La Tour Maubourg
• Price Range: $$$
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Rue Cler Apartment (from $211/night, sleeps 6); Golden Triangle Studio (from $130/night, sleeps 3); Charming City Escape (from $108/night, sleeps 2)

This traditional French restaurant was featured in the Michelin Guide’s list of spots to eat at near the Eiffel Tower, so you know it’s going to be good. With a focus on seasonal ingredients, Chez l’Ami Jean serves up classics like duck breast, pork paté and a variety of confits.

• Arrondissement: 1^st
• Métro Stop: Line 1, Tuileries
• Price Range: $$$
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Louvre Studio (from $183/night, sleeps 2); Tuileries Apartment (from $214/night, sleeps 2); Palais Royal Apartment (from $222/night, sleeps 4)

When your feet tire out, fuel up on the world-famous thick hot chocolate and a Mont Blanc pastry at the Angelina salon de thé while admiring the Belle Epoque decor. Coco Chanel is said to have favored table 45.

• Arrondissement: 4^th
• Métro Stop: Line 7, Pont Marie
• Price Range: $$
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Blue House on Île Saint Louis (from $204/night, sleeps 4); Studio on the Seine (from $222/night, sleeps 4); Romantic Paris Apartment (from $214/night, sleeps 2)

Berthillon reigns supreme for all things ice cream. While other glaciers (ice cream makers) have been popping up around the city (including Une Glace à Paris, which did snag a prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France distinction—aka a French James Beard Award), it’s this legendary ice cream maker that still draws visitors for tastes of pear sorbet and wild concoctions.

• Arrondissement: 6^th
• Métro Stop: Line 4 (Saint-Germain-des-Près, Odéon); 10 (Mabillon, Odéon, Maubert-Mutualité); 12 (Assemblée Nationale, Solférino)
• Price: Free
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Latin Quarter Apartment (from $246/night, sleeps 4); Charming Saint Germain Apartment (from $161/night, sleeps 2); Boho Chic Duplex (from $368/night, sleeps 3)

From the Assemblée Nationale to the Latin Quarter, Boulevard Saint Germain takes you through iconic Paris. Think fashionable shops and cafés—including the renowned taxidermy shop, Deyrolle, said to have been frequented by Picasso, Modigliani and Dalí, among others. From butterflies to peacocks, wolves, lions and reptiles that run well into the four figures, enter this kooky world—even if it’s just for a peek.

• Arrondissement: 5^th
• Métro Stop: Line B, 4, Saint-Michèl Notre-Dame
• Price: Free
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Notre Dame Duplex (from $169/night, sleeps 4); Paris Notre Dame Apartment (from $322/night, sleeps 3); Severine Balcony Apartment (from $to 383/night, sleeps 4)

Stop by Shakespeare and Company, the picturesque Anglophone language bookshop that looks like it’s straight out of a fairy-tale. Cramped bookshelves overflow with titles on art and design, history, literature and fiction. If you’re a true literary buff, you’ll also want to swing by the original location, where owner Sylvia Beach published James Joyce’s Ulysses, at 12 rue de l’Odéon.

• Arrondissement: 4^th
• Métro Stop: Line 1, (Bastille, Saint Paul); 5 (Bastille); 8 (Bastille)
• Price: Free
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Charming Marais Apartment (from $148/night, sleeps 2); Saint Paul Apartment (from $200/night, sleeps 3); Bastille Apartment (from $165/night, sleeps 4)

The author of The Count of Monte Cristo and Les Misérables resided in an apartment in Place des Vosges pre-French revolution. Discover illustrations, drawings, décor, writings and more from Hugo’s archives.

• Arrondissement: 4^th
• Métro stop: Line 1, Saint Paul
• Price Range: $
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Luxury Marias Apartment (from $343/night, sleeps 2); Pompidou Apartment (from $225/night, sleeps 4); Sunny Marais Apartment (from $207/night, sleeps 2)

Brave the line for the best falafel sandwich in the city (and quite possibly the world) at L’As du Fallafel. But take it from us: Mi-Va-Mi, the competitor across the street, makes equally delicious fare without the snaking line.

• Arrondissement: 4^th
• Métro Stop: Line 7, Pont Marie
• Price: From €109/$116
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Luminous Saint Paul Flat (from $268/night, sleeps 4); Hôtel de Ville Balcony Apartment (from $210/night, sleeps 2); Le Marais Apartment with a View (from $214/night, sleeps 2)

Where else to learn to cook than in France? Try your hand at making éclairs or baguettes at a cooking class at La Cuisine Paris. The school was given a 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award by Trip Advisor and has food classes that range from getting down in the actual kitchen to pastry and chocolate tours, so those who don’t want to cook can still indulge.

• Arrondissement: 3^rd
• Métro Stop: Line 3, 11, Arts et Métiers
• Price Range: $$
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Le Marais Loft (from $172/night, sleeps 4); Le Marais Duplex with Terrace (from $214/night, sleeps 4); Haut Marais Apartment (from $159/night, sleeps 2)

If you're still hungry, try the city's Moroccan fare. Paris is home to a huge North African population, and the Moroccan food might just be the best on the continent. Le 404 is a good place to start.

• Arrondissement: 7^th
• Métro Stop: Line 2, Blanche
• Price Range: $$$
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Moulin Rouge Condo (from $155/night, sleeps 2); Montmartre Terrace Apartment (from $510/night, sleeps 6); Montmartre Condo (from $172/night, sleeps 2)

The world’s most famous cabaret show, immortalized in the 2001 eponymous film, will transport you back to the Roaring ‘20s with glitz, glamour and drama. Be sure to peek at the rooftop terrace and perhaps have a pre-dinner drink beneath the iconic red windmill.

• Arrondissement: Throughout the City
• Price Range: $$$-$$$$
• Reservations: Advised

OK, time for more food—but at a Michelin-starred restaurant. There's a reason Paris is often considered the best city for food in the world: More than 100 restaurants boast the honor. If you're on a budget, go for lunch, when meals are much more affordable.

• Arrondissement: 10^th
• Métro stop: Line 5, Jaques Bonsergent
• Price Range: $$
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Boutique Hotel by the Canal (from $144/night, sleeps 2); Cozy Apartment Between the Canal and Le Marais (from $214/night, sleeps 2); Stylish Canal Apartment (from $386/night, sleeps 6)

While it’s hard to be disappointed by any boulangerie in the city, Du Pain et Des Idées is a stand-out. David Lebovitz, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit and Goop are just a few critics singing its praises. Be sure to pick up a croissant or a pistachio “escargot.”

• Arrondissement: Throughout the City
• Price Range: $$$
• Reservations: N/A

Pick up a box of macarons to go at Pierre Hermé (shhh, it’s better than Ladurée—say the French people this editor knows). The signature flavor is Ispahan, a delicate combination of rose, white chocolate, lychee and raspberry.

• Arrondissement: 3^rd, 18^th
• Métro Stop: Line 2, 12 (Pigalle); 3, 5, 8, 9, 11 (République)
• Price: $$
• Reservations: Make One Here
• Airbnbs Nearby: Voltaire Apartment (from $227/night, sleeps 6); Bastille Nest (from $101/night, sleeps 2); Apartment Near Place de la Nation (from $144/night, sleeps 4)

Sure, Michelin institutions are fun, but they aren’t all the fun. Dine on traditional (and delicious) French fare at Bouillion Pigalle or République (aptly named for their locations), where you can get three courses, plus wine, for just around €20 ($22). The dining room at Bouillon Pigalle is a sight to behold, but there’s a (slightly) shorter line at its newer sister location, Bouillon République.

• Arrondissement: 16^th
• Métro Stop: Bus 43, Parc de Bagatelle
• Price: Free
• Reservations: N/A
• Airbnbs Nearby: Eiffel Tower Studio Apartment (from $109/night, sleeps 3); Haussmannian Penthouse (from $375/night, sleeps 4); Passy Apartment (from $137/night, sleeps 2)

With the Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens, it’s easy to forget about the Parc de Bagatelle hidden in the Bois de Boulogne in the 16^th arrondissement. However, it begs to be remembered, especially in springtime when the rose garden is in full bloom and peacocks parade the grounds. Plus, it comes with an interesting bit of history: The park was constructed in 64 days on a bet between Marie-Antoinette and her brother-in-law, the Comte d’Artois.