Paris, France
Paris is truly a beautiful and romantic city. We loved the vibe, the feeling and the atmosphere surrounding this city. To see people as they stroll about their day – walking down the streets to their job, or maybe they are tourists visiting Paris for the first time and taking in it’s aura. Visiting museums, restaurants, cathedrals and of course the Eiffel Tower.
Planning for a visit is fun and exciting, the hardest part trying to decide what to see and do.
I love Paris and I can’t wait to go back!
Some of the iconic places to visit in Paris are the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Louvre, and museums.
One of the first things we like to do early in our trip is to take the Hop On, Hop Off bus to get a good feel of the city. When we were in Paris, we bought the 2 day pass and it was great. There were 4 different colored lines and one afternoon we took every line to see this beautiful city. It was a lot of fun. You can hop off at any stop and then hop back on at another stop. This is a wonderful way to see what Paris has to offer.
Here is what we have visited in Paris:
Eiffel Tower
The first time we saw the Eiffel Tower we were totally amazed. It is beautiful and honestly bigger than we expected. There are three levels – first, second and the summit. You can buy tickets for the second level and the summit. There are also 2 restaurants you can dine in and have a great view of the city – Madame Brewery is on the first level and The Jules Verne is on the second floor. Both require reservations and I recommend you book as soon as possible because it’s absolutely amazing.
After dinner we took the elevator up to the summit to see even more breathtaking views of Paris.
We did not know this until we visited the top of the tower but Gustave Eiffel kept a small apartment there. That sounds crazy, right? The private offices are tiny, with the decor from the 1900’s. There is a wax figure of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison.
https://www.toureiffel.paris/en
Louvre Museum
One of the most famous museums in the world, the Louvre is home to the mysterious Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It is a must see in Paris, as everyone flocks to the museum to see it.
We booked our time to visit the Louvre for the first opening in the morning to avoid some of the later crowds. I’m so glad we did because when we entered the Louvre, the Mona Lisa was the first place we went to see so we could be one of the first people to look at it. The crowds were sparse then and when we went past the painting later there was a line waiting to view her.
The I.M Pei Pyramid is another attraction and is the primary entrance to the Louvre, located in the courtyard. It truly is a remarkable piece of artwork in itself. Make sure to take a picture of you using your pointer finger to touch the top of the pyramid!
Along with the Mona Lisa, the famous Greek statue of Venus de Milo is also housed there. The Louvre is also home to many works of art, in additions to jewelry, pottery and sculptures. There is so much to see here, you can spend all day here.
View of the Louvre from our hop-on-hop-off bus.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile is another famous monument you have to see when you come to Paris. It is located on the western end of the Avenue des Champs-Elysees at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle. Twelve avenues come together and where they meet is the Arc De Triomphe. This is considered a national symbol of Paris.
History buffs, the Arc honors those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, with the inscription of the names of all French victories and generals on the inner and outer surfaces. Under the vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.
The Champs-Elysees is one of the most famous avenues in the world. It has a little bit of everything here: shopping, cafes, bars, bakeries, brasseries, cinemas, theatres etc. It is a shoppers paradise with Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Hugo Boss, Dior and many more. Also some more affordable places like Lacoste, Zara and Adidas. Just walk up and down the avenue and you will see something that catches your eye!
Some special events that take place here and if you can they are worth seeing. On July 14 the avenue is decorated in the national colors of France for the Bastille Day parade. It is the place to go on that day to celebrate the National Day of France.
The Tour de France is one of the most recognized bike races in the world, with the final stage down the Champs-Elysees. People from all over the world come to Paris in July to witness the winner of the grueling 21 day race.
Cafes and Brasseries
Paris has many open seated cafes and brasseries around. It is so nice to stop and get a coffee and a pastry and sit and people watch. At the sidewalk cafe we stopped and ordered the continental breakfast, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee and the best baguette I have ever tasted.
We were never disappointed with the pastries and bread in France. While walking through Paris, stop by any cafe, get your cappuccino along with a delicious pastry and people watch.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame is a stunning Cathedral, situated on the Seine River near the heart of Paris. Beautiful inside and out, this cathedral will take your breath away.
The Cathedral suffered a devastating fire on April 15, 2019. The fire started in the roof space of the cathedral, where most of the wooden roof had been destroyed and the cathedral’s upper walls were severely damaged. When the fire was put out, many works of art and religious relics were moved to safety, but others suffered smoke damage.
There was a five year plan to renovate and open back up to visitors. Notre Dame reopened in December 2024, with the ringing of the cathedral bells for the first time since 2019.
We were lucky to visit it before this and we were able to climb up the tower. While the visit to the Cathedral is free, you have to pay a fee if you want to climb the tower. We thought, what the heck, we are here lets do it. It was a bit much for me, and I climbed to the first stop, and Bob went all the way to the top. He took some stunning pictures.
https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/
Napoleon’s Tomb
This is not usually on someone’s bucket list to visit, but it was very interesting.
Napoleon’s tomb is at the Dome des Invalides, which is a military museum located near the Eiffel Tower.
Napoleon I died in exile on May 5, 1821, on the island of Saint Helena after losing the battle of Waterloo. In 1840, King Louis-Philippe decided to repatriate the emperor’s body for burial in Paris.
https://www.napoleon.org/jeunes-historiens/napodoc/le-tombeau-de-napoleon-aux-invalides/
https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/home.html
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Père-Lachaise is a working cemetery, hosting nearly 10,000 funeral ceremonies and almost 3 million visitors each year. The cemetary reminds people to be mindful of the tranquility of the site during your visit.
There is a downloadable map so you can plan your visit. There is also an online map on your mobile phone to use.
Some famous celebrities that are buried there are Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Frederic Chopin. When I first visited here in 2006 with my son David, I told him I wanted to visit here because I wanted to see the grave of Jim Morrison. He thought that was an odd request but then discovered that many people come to the cemetary to visit his grave. I’m really not a music person but I liked The Doors!
https://www.paris.fr/dossiers/bienvenue-au-cimetiere-du-pere-lachaise-47/
Other Places to Visit
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is best known as the birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance. It was originally introduced as a seductive dance by the courtesans who operated from the site, the can-can dance revue evolved into a form of entertainment of its own and led to the introduction of cabarets across Europe. Today, the Moulin Rouge is a tourist attraction, offering predominantly musical dance entertainment for visitors from around the world.
https://www.moulinrouge.fr/en/homepage/
The Sacre-Coeur Basilica
The Roman Catholic Church is sitting atop of the Montmartre hill. It is a Parisian landmark and popular place to visit when you tour around Montmartre.
The Musée d’Orsay (Orsay Museum)
This is one of the largest museums in Europe and features mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914.
Tuileries Garden
The Tuileries Garden is located right next to the Louvre. It is a place to enjoy the French formal garden design.
The Panthéon
Located in the Latin Quarter houses, a crypt containing the tombs of well-known French figures such as Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie.
Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Park)
The beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Park) on the left bank of River Seine is the perfect spot for a picnic on a sunny day.
Picasso Museum
This museum houses over 5,000 works which demonstrates the creative process of the Spanish master Pablo Picasso.
The world-famous Versailles Palace, exudes extravagantly the grandeur of French Baroque architecture.
Palais Garnier Opera House
The stage of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet.
The Pont Alexandre III – the most ornate and opulent bridge that spans the River Seine, connecting the Champs-Élysées and Eiffel Tower quarters.
Disneyland Paris
Mickey Mouse come to Paris! Visit the park and enjoy all that Mickey Mouse has to offer in its two theme parks – Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park.
Places to stay.
Paris has many hotels, apartments and hostels located all over the city. The city is broken up into arrisdonments, which is similar to a district, and each have their own mayor and town hall. The Eiffel Tower is in the 7th arrisdonment, which is centrally located to many shops, restaurants, brassieres etc.
We stayed at Hotel Leveque, which is a small boutique hotel in the 7th arrisdonment. Our room was on the fourth floor and we had a great view of the hustle and bustling of the street below us. On the street was a flower shop, fish market, small grocery store, fruit market, vegetable market, bars, restaurants etc. It was a different perspective on city living verses the big stores in the US.
https://www.hotel-leveque.com/
There is also plenty of mainstream hotels, like Hilton, Doubletree, Hyatt, Marriott etc. We have stayed in the Montmartre area and near the Louvre in the Marriott. All three locations were great and offered different perspectives. It depends on what you are looking for and your budget. We use Hotels.com and booking.com to see what is available. Both are great websites.
I hope you enjoy your visit to Paris. It is truly a magical city. Love is in the air!!
