Paris is one of the most grand and romantic cities in the world. It combines the hustle and bustle of New York City with the charm of old world European romanticism. Between the food and the wine, the art and the museums, and history and culture every place you turn, you will not be at a loss for things to do, that is for sure. However, practically, unlike many European cities, it is imperative that you really learn the different neighborhoods of Paris, pick an appropriate place to stay, and really take some time to map out your movements through the city.

The city is HUGE. It takes forever to walk from one end to the other. It can take 45 min by car just to get from one side of the river to the other. A full hour to drive from one end of the city to the other during rush hour. Further, the different neighborhoods provide vastly different experiences and ambience depending on what you like. For us, a centrally located hotel or Airbnb on the Southern bank of the Seine River is preferable. This offers easy access to most spots you will want to go, while never having to walk across the entirety of the city to get to anything in particular. Also, the southern bank of the Seine, or the left bank as it is sometimes referred to is in my opinion, the nicer, quainter half of town that feels more like the Paris you imagined than the bustling New York City vibe you sometimes get on the north side of the river.

Neighborhoods

Eiffel Tower

Starting on the southern bank of the Seine River, we’ll begin from West to East. The western-most neighborhood that you’ll spend any significant time in on a visit to Paris is the Eiffel Tower neighborhood, which is also known as the 7th arrondissement (French for district or neighborhood). Around the tower itself, this area is a mostly touristy and sterile part of town that is famous for its Eiffel Tower and not much else. Outside of the park surrounding the Eiffel Tower, however, is an embarrassment of riches as far as parks and museums go. Here you’ll find Hôtel des Invalides and the burial site of Napoleon, in addition to the Palais Bourbon (another name for the Assemblée Nationale), the Musée d’Orsay (art museum dedicated to 19th century French art that houses a number of famous Impressionist works), the Musée du Quai Branly, also known as the Musée des Arts Premiers (a museum dedicated to African art), and the Musée Rodin. This is obviously a fantastic place to visit to check out all of these amazing attractions, but as far as neighborhoods go it is not our favorite to just hang out, walk around and spend time in a local cafe.

Accommodations in the Eiffel Tower area are typically touristy, over priced and underwhelming. And, as far as location, the Eiffel Tower is actually quite far from a lot of the rest of the city.

Luxembourg / Saint Germain des Près

Moving East from the Eiffel Tower you’ll find the St Germain neighborhood of Paris. This neighborhood, also referred to as the 6th arrondissement, is classic Paris. This is an ideal place to stay as it provides an exceptionally central location. It is just South of the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral and just East of the Eiffel Tower. The neighborhood is high class, so don’t expect any bargains, like you might find in the Latin Quarter. It is known as a center for education, boasting many colleges, as well as being a center for literary culture and impressionist art. It is also known for it’s ample cafes with street facing seating. Be sure to explore the Saint-Germain-des-Près district with its Abbey dating back to the 6th century and the famed Jardins du Luxembourg, where you can float small boats in its Grand Bassin. Just south of Saint Germain is the neighborhood of Montparnasse. This is a great area to stay if you’re looking to be in Saint Germain, but want to find a bit more of a bargain. The 6th is also home to the Pont des Arts, the famous love lock bridge where couples would declare their love for each other by fastening a lock to the bridge and throwing the key in the Seine. However, due to heavy wear on the bridge, you can no longer do this.

The Latin Quarter

The Latin Quarter is quintessential Paris. It has grand boulevards, tiny streets that date back nearly 1000 years, cafes, restaurants, shopping, bars and some of the best nightlife in Paris. Here you have nearly as good a location as St Germaine, but without the exorbitant prices. If you are on a budget, but still want to be in the heart of the action, look for places to stay in the Latin Quarter.

Historically, the Latin Quarter was home to all of Paris’ universities during the Middle Ages. Since everyone that lived here was dedicated to higher learning, they all spoke Latin – hence the name, The Latin Quarter. Today it continues to be home to many of Paris’ students.

Here you will find the Panthéon, the Fontaine Saint-Michel, a vast collection of literary works at Shakespeare and Company, the Jardin des Plantes, and the botanical garden of the Muséum nationale d’histoire naturelle which boasts a fantastic rose garden and a zoo.

The Islands

Between the Latin Quarter and the Marais, in the center of the Seine River exists two adjacent islands that hold some of Paris’ most iconic attractions. There’s not many places to stay on the Islands, but you’ll definitely want to spend at least one afternoon walking around them and checking out the sites.

Here you will find the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Conciergerie (where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned), and the Saint Chapelle, built to house Christ’s Passion Relics.

As for accommodations there are a couple small and expensive places to stay on Ile Saint-Louis, the smaller of the two islands. This quaint little island is stunningly gorgeous, featuring buildings mainly from the 17th century. It is also right in the middle of everything, while still being quite and relaxing. There is no nightlife whatsoever outside of people walking around eating Ice Cream Cones.

Marais

Just North of the Islands you’ll find the Neighborhood of Marais. Historically known as the Jewish Quarter, this area of town has many small kosher shops. The quarter’s Jewish history can be most felt along rue des Rosiers, which feature some old-school delis and bakeries. It’s also a chic, trendy, up and coming neighborhood with bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes and boutique shopping every where you turn. This area of town looks a lot different than the rest of Paris. It’s smaller, quainter, less grand, more charming. The streets are narrow and made for strolling around rather than driving. It’s also the LGBTQ section of Paris and features many LGBTQ friendly bars. The closer you are to the river in Marais, the more lively the nightlife. It gets considerably more residential the more north you go.

Straddling the 3ème and 4ème arrondissements (districts), Le Marais is one of Paris’ oldest and coolest districts. Home to French writer Victor Hugo (author of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Les Misérables”) it is known for its abundance of cobblestone streets, stately stone architecture and tucked away courtyards, it’s easy to feel as if you’re strolling through medieval Paris in this section of town. Louis XIV called this neighborhood home for a while until he decided to move his family and court to Versailles. Much of Le Marais also survived the destruction made during the French Revolution, so it truly maintains the medieval look that much of Paris no longer has.

Here you can find the Centre Pompidou, the National Archives of France, the Musée Picasso and Musée des Arts et Métiers, the oldest science museum in Europe. In addition to the neighborhood’s collection of boutiques, Le Marais is known for its numerous vintage shops and specialty stores, including papeteries. Antique hunters will find loads of interesting stuff at the Village Saint-Paul while foodies will be delighted by the Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris’ oldest market.

The Heart

Consisting of the 1st and 2nd arrondissement, the Heart features the Louvre Neighborhood and the Bourse. The Louvre Neighborhood has Paris’ most stunning and grand museums, including its namesake Louvre Museum. Along with plenty of gardens such as the Jardin des Tuileries. The Bourse Neighborhood is Paris’ bustling business district where many of the people who work in the city have their offices. These areas are purely a place to go to visit, shop, check out the museums and maybe grab a bite to eat. You won’t be staying here.

Champs Elysees

Quite possibly the most famous boulevard in the world, Champs Elysees is home to some of the wealthiest residential areas in Paris. However, it is not a particularly intriguing place to stay or walk around. Outside of the main boulevard, the Arc de Triomphe and some fairly nice architecture there really isn’t much for your to do in this area.

Canal St Martin

A delightful place to walk around and grab drinks and food along the canal, but way too far out of the way for you to ever really want to stay there, especially on a first trip to Paris. The southern section around the canal is gentrifying quickly and becoming one of Paris’ hippest, young neighborhoods. But, be aware that things can get a little sketchy to the North

Opera

Just north of the Heart, you’ll find the Opera section of town where Paris has its theatre district. This would be a terrible place to stay, but is an area you will definitely head to for one night to go see a show if that’s something you plan on doing while in town. You’ll find high end department stores, theatres and a small red light district here.

Best Things to Do in Paris

1 – Have a 3-4 Course meal in the Eiffel Tower: Most people don’t realize when they first go to Paris that the Eiffel Tower has way more than just a small observation deck at its top. There are shops and restaurants located at multiple points up the Eiffel Tower structure. Make sure to take a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, regardless of whatever else you do in Paris. If for no other reason, the views are phenomenal. But, the restaurant in the tower provides excellent views as well as great food. There are actually two restaurants in the tower, the lower level restaurant is called 58 Tour Eiffel and the upper level restaurant is called Jules Verne. Reservations are obviously a must beforehand for both restaurants.

2 – Visit Napoleon’s Tomb: Located at the back of Hotel des Invalides is Napoleon’s very understated and simple tomb. Just kidding…it’s so absurdly over the top you’ll be hard pressed not to laugh. It’s honestly one of the most gorgeous tombs on earth and you’d be remiss if you didn’t take at least a half hour to check it out while in town.

3 – The Louvre: This is the largest museum in the world. You’d need a full week to see everything in it. Don’t think you’ll get to see it all on one trip. Pick a section like “Ancient Egypt” and try to do just that one section. Buy tickets in advance and get there early, because the lines and crowds can be overwhelming.

4 – How to Be a Parisian in One Hour: Oliver Girard has been doing a hilarious one-hour, one-man show about how to be a Parisian for almost 15 years now. The show is essentially his standup routine and a series of skits explaining the intricacies of being a Parisian. It’s a 70 min show in a 600 person theatre. It’s not something you’d want to go see every time you visited Paris, but it’s the perfect show to introduce you to modern Parisian culture, especially if it’s your first time in the city. I’d highly recommend going on one of your first nights in town to lay the groundwork for all the funny idiosyncrasies of Parisians that you’ll pick on during your visit.

5 – O’ Chateau Wine Tasting: O’Chateau is Paris’ best wine bar/restaurant. They host amazing events like wine tastings, wine and cheese/chocolate pairings, a wine tasting lunch complete with cheese, charcuterie and bread. They have wine tasting dinners, champagne cruises on their boat, day trips to Champagne, France, as well as a host of other special events listed regularly on their website. You can book tickets to any of these or simply show up and enjoy a more casual wine tasting and some food at their gorgeous bar.

6 – Caveau de la Huchette: Caveau de la Huchette is Paris’ coolest jazz bar. Here (as well as at their sister bar Caveau des Oubliettes) you will be transported through time into a medieval dungeon underground where they have live 1920s style jazz bands playing all night. The crowd is very local. Everyone grabs drinks and dances to swing and jazz music all night. It’s by far the coolest scene in Paris.

7 – Go on a Chocolate Crawl: In the last decade, the St Germain neighborhood has morphed into France’s chocolate central. More than 20 world-class chocolatiers inhabit the quartier, each with a signature style. In an afternoon, chocolate lovers can sample the creamiest ganaches, scented truffles, liqueur-filled bonbons, pralines, caramels, covered wafers, and any other chocolaty confection under the sun. Aficionados will appreciate the artistry of chocolate sculptures from Patrick Roger, Jean-Charles Rouchoux, and Michel Chaudun at Maison Chaudun. Other must-visits: Henri Leroux, Jean-Paul Hévin, La Maison du Chocolat, Pierre Marcolini, Franck Kestener, Christian Constant, Jacques Genin, Jean-Paul Hévin, Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, Christophe Michalak, Pierre Hermé, Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac, Debauve et Gallais, À la Mére de Famille, and Chapon Chocolatier. You can either plan out your own route or take a guided tour via Viator or Get Your Own Guide which both have excellent tours that only take a couple hours.

8 – Go on a Cocktail Crawl: For an easy cocktail crawl try the newly chic 2nd arrondissement (Night Flight, Mabel, Jeffry’s, Experimental Cocktail Club, Lockwood, The Shell); the Marais (Carbón, Candelaria, Mary Celeste, Resistance, Little Red Door); and Pigalle (Dirty Dick, Glass, Maison Souquet, Le Mansart, Le Sans-Souci). If you’re a high roller you can head to the eye-popping Les Ambassadeurs at the Hôtel Crillon, classy Bar 228 at Le Meurice, or sky-high L’Oiseau Blanc at the Peninsula for stellar views of Paris.

Now in its fourth year, Paris Cocktail Week (held every January) is a great time to explore the scene, with each participating bar featuring a special house cocktail for the event.

Airbnb experiences has a cool cocktail experience as well that you can check out Here.

9 – Take a Pastry Tour: It should go without saying that the French, particularly the Parisians are known for their pastries. Don’t leave Paris without indulging, but if you really want to take it to another level hirer a local guide to take you to all the best spots. Click on the link at the beginning of this recommendation for a “With Locals Pastry Tour of Marais.” Also available are tours from Get Your Own Guide and Viator. Our favorite macarons were from Jean-Paul Hevin.

10 – Sit atop the Arc de Triomphe overlooking Champs Elysees: Standing at an impressive 165 feet tall, the views from the terrace atop this magnificent structure are well worth the climb. Along the inside you’ll see the names of 660 generals, with a line below the name if they died in battle. On one of the sides you’ll recognize the familiar face of Napoleon looking very much like a Roman emperor and being crowned with a wreath of victory while holding a protective hand over the city of Paris kneeling at his feet. Below the Arc de Triomphe lies the Tomb of an Unknown Soldier killed in WWI, which was placed here in 1921. Every evening at 6:30pm the eternal flame at the tomb is rekindled with a ceremony, a tradition that wasn’t even interrupted during Nazi occupation of Paris. If your legs can handle the 280 steps to the top you’ll be rewarded with some of the best views in the city.

11 – Visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame: Nothing much to tell you about this. If it’s open, go. If it’s not still go walk around the charming island that it sits on.

12 – Take a food tour: Check out two of the best food tours in Paris, Here and Here.

13 – Paris by Vintage Motorbike Side Car: Experience Paris from a different perspective aboard an authentic sidecar of a vintage motorbike. Discover the city secrets as a driver takes you through little-known streets. Tours last from 40-90 min.

14 – Wine and Chocolate Tasting: Check out this excellent wine and chocolate tasting by clicking on the link at the top. This small group tasting (limited to 8 people) takes place from 5pm to 7pm every day.

15 – Take a Bike Tour: Check out this fun bike tour.

16 – Check out Paris’ Catacombs:

HOW TO MINIMIZE TIME WAITING IN LINE AT THE CATACOMBS:
– Waiting times can be as long as 3 hours to get into the Catacombs. Only 200 people are permitted in the Catacombs at one time, so the line moves very slowly. To avoid waiting in a very long line, there are a few things you can do.

– Get There Very Early. The Catacombs open at 10 am (except Mondays when they are closed). Get here very early…at a minimum, one hour before opening, and even then, you might have to wait in line.

– Go Late. The Catacombs are open until 8:30 pm. The least crowded time to visit the Catacombs is the last two hours of the day. However, you risk not getting into the Catacombs, if you arrive late and there is still a queue to get in.

– Purchase a Ticket on the Catacombs website. This is your best bet to avoid the lines. You can purchase your ticket online in advance for a specific time slot. You still may have to wait in a short line, but this is one of the best ways to avoid a long wait to get into the Catacombs. Online tickets cost €24.

– Join a Tour. If all of the time slots are sold out, consider joining a tour. You may pay small additional fee but for the time savings, it could be worth it. Here is a highly rated skip-the-line tour.

17 – Walk around Marais:

Located in the historic 3rd and 4th arrondissements, the Marais’s 17th-century hôtel particuliers (private mansions), outstanding museums (Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Musée Carnavalet, Musée Picasso, Musée Cognacq-Jay), restaurants, cafés, and cocktail bars, Paris’s oldest Jewish quarter, and the lovely Place des Vosges make it an absolute must-see. Hands down the best shopping in Paris is in the Marais, along with so much more. Wander up the rues Vieille du Temple and Franc Bourgeois, the neighborhood’s perpendicular central spines, and discover charming side streets and the quarter‘s many hidden delights. The Haut Marais, roughly between the rue de Bretagne and République, is the hippest spot for high-end fashion favorites and top concept stores.

18 – Visit Montmartre:

Montmarte is a large hill in Paris’ 18th arrondissement. On top of the hill is the famous white domed church, The Basilica Sacre-Coeur. The gardens around the mont are known for being painted by impressionists like Renoir and Monet. The area is also known for being a stellar nightclub area. The sunset from Sacre-Coeur is phenomenal.

Walk around the delightfully charming village atmosphere of the small village that surrounds Montmarte. Make sure to check out the infinitely instagrammable cafe, La Maison Rose Cafe.

Check out Hôtel Particulier Montmartre if you need to take a break from the crowds. Here you can relax in this hotel’s gardens, which are so secluded and beautiful that it feels like you’ve been whisked away from the city to another dimension. Total relaxation is guaranteed.

19 – Moulin Rouge: Head to the Moulin Rouge for Paris’ oldest and most famous cabaret. The neighborhood can be a little sketchy…nothing dangerous…but, you won’t want to hang out there all night. Still it’s worth going and checking out.

20 – Walk Around Canal St. Martin: A cool and up and coming area that has a lot of hip bars, cool cafes and nice restaurants along the canal. Great place to spend an evening in the summer.

If you’re looking to have a makeshift picnic, you can order a pizza from Pink Flamingo. They’ll give you a pink balloon. You go find a spot on the canal and wait with your pink balloon, and they’ll deliver your pizza right to you!

21 – Visit Galleries Lafayette: If you want to shop, great. If not…still go just to get photos of that stunning doomed, stained glass roof.

22 – Visit the Musee d’Orsay: Known for its incredible collection of impressionist paintings, the museum also has an incredibly instagrammable photo opportunity in it’s giant clock tower.

22 – Visit Musee Rodin: The worlds largest collection of Rodin sculptures can be found here. It’s a great place to stop in for a quick look around.

23 – Step back in time at Marche aux Puces de Saint-Oeun:

A world unto itself, the 150-year-old market is the world’s largest and most famous flea market. Within the Marché aux Puces‘s labyrinthine alleys and stalls can be found every imaginable curiosity and treasure you can imagine—from vintage couture and antique luggage to gilded mirrors and burnished silver. Even if you don’t love antiques, the market’s ambiance is still a fun experience and totally unique to Paris. If you go, check out Ma Cocotte restaurant.

24 – See an Opera at Palais Garnier:

Even if you don’t enjoy the opera this is a place you go just to stare at the utter opulence of the building. Gold plated everything! This is a place built for royalty and it provides excellent photo opportunities. It is truly awe-inspiring. In fact, the Garnier served as inspiration for Gaston Leroux when he was writing “Phantom of the Opera.”

The best way to fully experience the Palais Garnier is by purchasing a ballet or opera ticket. Book your tickets several months in advance, as performances are highly coveted. However, if you just want to pop in and walk around you absolutely can. You are free to explore the building’s magnificent and extravagant interiors on your own.

25 – Visit La Station:

La Station is a former coal depot that’s become a hotspot for live music. Since June 2016, the MU collective have made the most of this old coal station’s architectural quirks, and turned it into an events space reminiscent of underground Berlin. Explore its three rooms, outdoor stage and two indoor stages, playing everything from hardcore punk to pure techno.

26 – La Saint Chapelle: Visit this church to see the most beautiful stained glass in the world.

27 – Grand Palais: The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais, is a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. With gorgeous all glass rotundas, this iconic building hosts some of the best exhibitions in the city.

28 – Cite Fertile:

This gargantuan 10,000-square-metre cultural complex in fast-gentrifying Pantin, looks like it would be more at home in Austin, TX rather than Paris, Fr. With food trucks, biergartens, music stages, cafes, bars, picnic table seating, hammocks, a beach with volleyball, art installations, ping pong and a 800 sq meter urban farming lab, this former train depot has a little bit for everyone.

29 – La Gare: Another converted train depot that provides music and food. La Gare is one of Paris’ nicest and most well decorated jazz bars. Free jazz concerts start every evening at 9pm.

30 – Take a Sunset Cruise on the Seine: Pretty self explanatory. Click on the link above for more information.

31 – Discover Paris in a Vintage Car: Take this tour to be zipped around Paris in a vintage car by a local driver. These tours are nothing special, but they’re a great and cheap way to orient yourself to the city on your first night if you’d like. For a bit more money, if you’re feeling pretty bougie, you can check out a similar tour in a vintage Citroen which is a stunningly gorgeous car.

32 – Take a Cooking Class: This tour is fantastic. You’ll first visit a typical French market, to get fresh ingredients, before learning how to prepare and cook your ingredients into a delicious 3-course meal. You’ll be in a small group setting where you’ll learn a variety of mouth-watering, french recipes, not just one. And, at the end of the class you’ll receive all the recipes of the prepared meals. Click on the link at the top for more information.

There is a wonderful company that works with a variety of chefs and provides cooking classes for any type of French cuisine you can think of. They even offer entire French Cooking Vacation Packages. Check them out Here.

33 – Luche Libre: Drink, eat, dance and FIGHT. Dress up like a Mexican wrestler and fight your friend or date at this fun bar. Watch Mexican wrestling matches and if you’re really adventurous they also serve up fried scorpions and other creepy crawlies to eat along with a substantial cocktail menu.

34 – Rollerblade through Paris: Want to rent rollerblades and blade through the city? Then check out this amazing company. They also have scooters and other fun things to rent. Click on the link at the top for more information.

35 – Spend a day at a Spa: If you’re going to spend a day of your vacation in a spa, make it Paris’ most famous and most glamorous spa, Spa de la Reserve.

36 – Stroll Around Luxembourg Gardens: Just south of the Notre Dame Cathedral, on the border of St Germain and the Latin Quarter is one of the most stunning intercity parks on Earth. Don’t forget to stroll through these grounds at least once on your trip to Paris.

Day Trips From Paris

Visit The Palace of Versailles

There are ample day trips offered to the Palace. None are all that much different than the rest. The palace is stunning and well worth your time. If you happen to be in Paris during special times of the year, the palace puts on masked balls, costume parties, concerts and other cool events as well. Check out their schedule HERE.

Giverny Gardens

Visit Monet’s famous muse Giverny Gardens. Again there are plenty of guided tour options, otherwise, it’s about a 90 min car ride from the center of Paris. There’s also buses and trains that go out there. Check out detailed information on how to get to Giverny from Paris, HERE.