Paris

Eiffel Tower

To visit the Eiffel tower, it is important to know that there are three different levels. The first level is one most people do not typically stop at when visiting, the second level provides a good view point, and the third level is the summit. You can buy different types of tickets (providing access to different levels). We purchased tickets in advance, but had to purchase our summit tickets on the second level during our visit because in the summer, the summit occasionally closes when it gets too crowded at the top. The summit then reopens when the area becomes less busy.

If you’re going during busy season, BOOK TICKETS IN ADVANCE. We waited too long so we had to book ours with a tour group. This worked okay, but then we had to wait to purchase tickets on the second floor to reach the summit.

There are two sets of security and the time waiting is largely dictated by security and also by the elevators. You CAN climb to the second level if you’d like. However, we decided to take the elevator up and walk down

Parc du Champs de Mars

Park at bottom of Eiffel Tower. Sit on the lawn here to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night.

Arc de Triomphe

The arch is beautiful from the outside and visitors can also climb to the top for a view of Paris. To climb to the top, you must go underground to buy tickets; you are then brought back up to street level at the center of the roundabout. There are just under 300 steps to get to the top and it has a nice view. You can enjoy the view during the day or at night. Be sure to catch the Eiffel Tower sparkling for 5 minutes on the hour after sunset if you go at night.

Rue Cler

Market street in wealthy district near Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame de Paris

Beautiful Catholic cathedral in the 4th arrondissement. Unfortunately, in April 2019, the cathedral caught fire and a lot of the church burned and is now under restoration. It re-opened to the public at the end of 2024.

The Louvre

Commonly recognized for the giant pyramid outside, the Louvre is the largest museum in the world holding many famous pieces of art. When visiting, keep in mind that there are multiple entrances. The pyramid is the entrance most visitors use. For this reason, there will almost always be a line at the pyramid entrance. I would recommend taking your pictures at the pyramid as desired, and then finding the Carrousel entrance. When facing the large pyramid, this is just past the mini arch on both the left and right side. There are stairs that go underground; take these stairs and then follow signs to the museum. This will allow you to skip most of the long line. For us there was also a line inside to get through security, but definitely saved time.

Before visiting, be sure to check museum hours as they can vary (i.e. I believe Wednesday and Fridays it is open late, while it is completely closed on Tuesdays).

Consider downloading the app before visiting. This will help you navigate throughout the massive museum. We got lost multiple times without the app and did not find the hard copy museum map to be very helpful.

Famous Art at The Louvre

• Mona Lisa: Leonardo da Vinci
• The Wedding at Cana: Paolo Veronese [right across from the Mona Lisa]
• Venus de Milo
• The Winged Victory of Samothrace [found in staircase not far from the Mona Lisa]
• The Coronation of Napoleon: Jacques-Louis David
• Liberty Leading the People: Eugene Delacroix
• Psyche Revived by the Kiss of Love: Antonio Canova
• Le Couronnement de la Vierge: Fra Angelico
• The Raft and the Medusa
• Two of Michelangelo’s Dying Slaves

Jardin de Tuileries

Park near the Louvre

Champs-Elysess

Famous and large shopping street that leads up to Arc de Triomphe

Place du Tertre

Square near Sacre-Coeur where artists set up stands to sell their work. It has a nice vibe and some beautiful pieces of art

Montmartre

Large hill found in the 18th arrondissement and Sacre-Coeur sits at the top of the hill

Sacre-Coeur

The second most visited church in Paris behind Notre Dame

Sainte Chapelle

Gothic cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows on the interior

La Conciergerie

Medieval royal palace

Pantheon

First major monument in Paris located in the Latin Quarter

Saint-Etienne du Mont

Church near Pantheon

Hotel des Invalides

Building complex consisting of museums and monuments in the 7th arrondissement

Jardin du Luxembourg and Luxembourg Palace

Beautiful park in Paris located in the 6th arrondissement

Latin Quarter

Fun area to walk around in and a great place for dinner and drinks. There are lots of restaurants and bars in the area making it an excellent place to stay if you want easy options at night.

Centre Pompidou

Modern art museum

Grand Palais

Historic site and museum

Pont Alexandre III

Bridge between Grand Palais and Hotel des Invalides

Place de la Bastille

Famous square in Paris where the Bastille prison once stood

Place de la Concorde

Largest square in Paris

Musee d’orsay

Another famous art museum in Paris, not far from the Louvre with famous art pieces by Monet among others

L’orangerie

Art gallery with impressionist and post-impressionist paintings

Pont Neuf

Oldest bridge in Paris across the Seine

Pont des Art

Former love lock bridge

Promenade Plantee

An elevated city garden running for about 3 miles on old train tracks located in the 12 arrondissement. There is an entrance near the Opera Bastille

Rue Cremieux

Some colorful houses on this street (far away from most touristy sights aside from Place de la Bastille and one end of Promenade Plantee).

Day Trips

Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is a common day trip from Paris. Visitors admire the interior and exterior of the palace, the rooms inside (especially the Hall of Mirrors), and the beautiful and extensive gardens. Note that the gardens are free some days, while you have to pay other days (pay on days where there is a fountain and music show).

If visiting in the summer, GET THERE EARLY, or be prepared to wait in long lines. We had tickets already and had to wait 1.5 hours just to get into the palace because the line to enter outside was so long. When we left, about midday, the line was shorter for entering the palace (probably about a 45-minute wait). If the line is long, consider trying to visit the gardens first and then access the palace when the line gets shorter.

Getting there: Take the RER C to Versailles stop (last stop). Then walk about 10 minutes to reach Versailles.

Giverny

Village in Normandy region where artist Monet spent part of his life. The famous gardens he painted can be visited here

Normandy

Region located in Northern France and is home to the famous site where the D-Day landing occurred during WWII

Reims

The city of Reims is the capital of the Champagne region in France. The surrounding area is the only place in the world where Champagne is made. In any other region, the beverage produced would be called sparkling wine. Epernay is a small town famous for hosting numerous Champagne company cellars.

We took an organized day trip from Paris, which included a stop in Reims and at two champagne producers. The champagne producers we visited were Mumm and Mercier, which were both very nice and included a tour and tasting. Our group was larger than desired so I would recommend booking a small group tour to make the experience more enjoyable. This gives you more time and can visit more places. It would also make the trip a more personalized experience.

Bordeaux

Small city on the southwestern side of France known for its wine region

Loire Valley

This region of France is known for its chateaux and wines. To make this an easy day-trip from Paris, we went through a guided tour group (Paris City Vision) and visited three castles. This was a long day as it started around 7:15 am and we got back to Paris around 19:45. We had a short amount of visiting time at each castle, but enough time that we did not feel rushed. The three chateaux we visited were Chambord, Chenonceau, and Cheverny, which were each different and unique. It was interesting to compare and contrast the various castles visited.

Mont Saint Michel

Small island off the coast of Normandy with a medieval monastery sitting at the top of the island