Discover Paris’s 116 best First-Class Explorer spots for your trip

The Louvre occupies a former royal residence along the Seine, displaying tens of thousands of artworks and artifacts spanning ancient civilizations to the 19th century. Its collection includes the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

The museum's modern glass pyramid entrance, added in 1989, has become a landmark in its own right.

This is the entry point to the Eiffel Tower, where visitors can purchase tickets and access the first and second floors or the summit by elevator or stairs. Expect queues, especially in high season, though evening visits offer a calmer atmosphere.

The site also includes restaurants, a champagne bar, and event spaces such as the Salle Gustave Eiffel.

A guided Louvre tour with reserved (skip-the-line) access, covering major works including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and pieces by Caravaggio and Michelangelo. An expert guide provides context and stories behind each masterpiece throughout the visit.

Brasserie Des Prés serves classic French brasserie fare in Paris's 6th arrondissement. It belongs to the La Nouvelle Garde group, known for reviving traditional bistro cooking with a contemporary touch.

Expect a lively, convivial setting suited to casual meals or drinks, in keeping with the group's other Parisian brasseries.

This Rue Marbeuf branch of the Paris bistro chain offers just one dish: a walnut green salad followed by tender contre-filet steak in a secret sauce, served with homemade matchstick fries. Founded in 1959 by Paul Gineste de Saurs, the format has remained unchanged across generations.

The setting reflects a classic, elegant Parisian bistro atmosphere, with efficient service and no menu to choose from.

Built by Louis XIV as a home for wounded soldiers, this landmark complex now houses the Musée de l'Armée and Napoleon's tomb beneath its gilded dome. The emperor's remains, returned from Saint Helena in 1840, were placed here in a ceremony known as the Retour des Cendres.

Visitors can explore military history exhibits alongside the tomb itself.

Bofinger is a longstanding brasserie between Place de la Bastille and Place des Vosges, known for its historic decor and Alsatian cuisine such as choucroute, vol-au-vent and flammekueche. A large seafood display and classic French brasserie dishes round out the menu, paired with a selection of artisanal and traditional beers.

The restaurant offers a terrace, private salons for groups, and late-night dining, and is open daily including Sundays.

Le Bon Marché opened in 1852 as the world's first modern department store, and today remains one of the most stylish and carefully curated shopping destinations in Paris, distinct from the larger, more crowded stores near Opéra. Its adjoining food hall, La Grande Épicerie, is considered a destination in its own right.

Carette is a popular café serving breakfast and pastries, best known for its rich, velvety hot chocolate paired with fresh butter croissants. Expect a chic, classic Parisian setting with a lively atmosphere, and be prepared for a queue, though it tends to move quickly.

A favored spot for a relaxed morning coffee break.

A 2-hour small-group guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay, housed in a former Beaux-Arts train station. The guide covers major works by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, and Degas, with skip-the-line entry and context on the Impressionist movement.

Founded in 1884 and named for the two wooden statues watching over the room, this Left Bank café was a meeting point for writers and artists like Sartre, Beauvoir and Picasso. Expect red Moleskine banquettes, a leafy terrace facing the church, and Parisian classics such as hot chocolate and tarte tatin.

A weekend brunch runs Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11am to 3:30pm.

An evening ticket to the Moulin Rouge's famous "Féerie" cabaret show, featuring a troupe of 100 artists including the Doris Girls, in around 1,000 feather and rhinestone costumes. Guests are seated for the performance and served half a bottle of Champagne during the show.

Angelina is an iconic Parisian tea room on Rue de Rivoli, known since its founding for signature hot chocolate and pastries like the Mont Blanc and mille-feuille. The elegant setting draws steady crowds for breakfast, brunch and savory dishes alongside sweets.

Expect attentive service, occasional waits, and a refined, bustling atmosphere popular with international visitors.

Opened in 1862 alongside the Grand Hôtel, Café de la Paix is a Parisian institution on Place de l'Opéra, known for its classified Napoleon III interior blended with contemporary touches. The restaurant serves French classics such as foie gras, tartare, sole and onion gratin, plus oysters and shellfish from its Écailler counter.

The terrace and café are open all day into the evening for coffee, light lunches or homemade pastries.

Café de Flore is a landmark café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, long associated with Parisian literary and intellectual life. Since 1994 it has hosted the Prix de Flore, an annual award for a promising young author, presented each November over dinner at the café.

Expect classic café fare, coffee and breakfast service in a setting steeped in literary history.

Opened in the early 20th century at the corner of Boulevards Raspail and Montparnasse, La Rotonde is a longstanding Parisian institution known for its warm, traditional décor. The menu ranges from croissants and coffee in the morning to sole meunière, escargots de Bourgogne, and seafood platters served late into the night.

A weekday lunch formula is available at 25€.

A 2-hour small-group guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay, housed in a former Beaux-Arts train station. The guide covers major works by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, and Degas, with skip-the-line entry and context on the Impressionist movement.

Built for Saint Louis, Sainte-Chapelle is a UNESCO-listed masterpiece of Rayonnant Gothic architecture within the Palais de la Cité. Its upper chapel is lined with towering stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes, illuminating the space in color.

The Rose Window of the Apocalypse adds further detail to this soaring, light-filled interior. Tickets cost €22, with free entry for visitors under 26.

Housed in a converted 19th-century foundry, this Culturespaces venue opened in 2018 as a digital art centre. Large-scale projections cover the walls, floor and ceiling, immersing visitors in works by artists such as Van Gogh alongside contemporary digital creations.

A rotating programme includes different shows on different days, plus a children's workshop space and a bookshop-boutique.

Deyrolle has operated from the same address on Rue du Bac since 1888, its upper floor filled with an extraordinary collection of taxidermy animals, insects, and natural history curiosities that has drawn artists and collectors for generations. It functions as much as a cabinet of curiosities to wander through as a shop to buy from.

Bar Hemingway is tucked inside the Ritz Paris on Rue Cambon, a hushed, memorabilia-lined room celebrating Ernest Hemingway's ties to the hotel. Head bartender Colin Field built its reputation over decades, and it remains one of the most storied cocktail bars in the world, drawing visitors for a special-occasion drink rather than a casual round.

Crazy Horse has been a fixture of Avenue George V since 1951, famous for its precisely choreographed, artfully lit nude revue that treats the dancers' bodies as a canvas for light and shadow. It's considered the most artistically daring of Paris's grand cabarets, distinct from the more traditional feather-and-sequin style of its rivals, and remains a favorite for couples marking a special occasion.

The Kitchen Champs-Élysées is a casual dining spot known for juicy, freshly made burgers, steak, and grilled chicken poke bowls. The atmosphere is simple and unfussy, with the focus firmly on generous, flavorful portions.

Service is friendly and accommodating, making it a reliable stop for a filling meal near the Champs-Élysées.

Chef Felipe Camargo brings a South American-inspired menu, sharpened by French technique, to this restaurant near Cluny-la-Sorbonne. Dishes use seasonal, quality ingredients and include a wood-fired kitchen, alongside a cocktail list and wine selection chosen to match the exotic flavors.

A terrace is available, and the space can be privatized for events.

Orgueil offers two experiences at 6 Rue Popincourt: the Bistro, serving small sharing plates built around five themes—produce, vegetables, seafood, meat and sweets—plus a weekday lunch menu, and the Speakeasy, a confidential space behind the kitchen with a nightly 7-course tasting menu (5 courses at lunch, Thursday to Sunday). Wine pairings are available, and the menu changes every three months.

Housed in the Hôtel Biron, the Musée Rodin displays major works by sculptor Auguste Rodin, including The Thinker and The Gates of Hell. The surrounding garden, filled with sculptures and rose beds, is one of the museum's highlights.

The collection also includes works by Camille Claudel, Rodin's collaborator and muse.

Perched on the roof of the Jean Nouvel-designed Musée du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Les Ombres pairs a glass-walled dining room and terrace garden with sweeping views over Paris and the Eiffel Tower. The menu blends classic Parisian brasserie dishes with contemporary techniques, using ingredients from responsible fisheries, farms and artisan producers.

A starlit ceiling effect accompanies evening service, and the adjoining bar offers cocktails and light Mediterranean plates.

Steps from Musée d'Orsay, this bistrot pairs a refined menu with décor of capitoned leather banquettes, mirrors and a solid wood bar. The kitchen, run by a genuine chef, turns out fine bistro cooking at fair prices.

A large terrace on a quiet stretch of pavement draws an eclectic mix of regulars and antique-loving visitors. Open daily from morning until late.

This guided visit provides entry to the Louvre along with an introduction to its permanent collections, from ancient antiquities to European masterpieces. A guide leads visitors through key galleries, offering context on the museum's history and highlighted works.

Guided tours are also available through temporary exhibitions. Reservation is required, and is mandatory for all visitors between 1 July and 31 August 2026.

A roughly 2-hour dinner at Madame Brasserie, on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, with a seasonal menu created by chef Thierry Marx. The set menu includes a starter, main course(s), dessert, and drinks (champagne, wine, beer, or soft drinks).

Small groups of up to 10 diners, with a choice of Eiffel Tower-view or Seine-view seating.