Top 15 Best Places to Visit in Paris for First-Timers

Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the 330-metre tower offers a 360-degree panorama and sparkles with lights every hour at night.

A former fortress and royal palace displaying over 38,000 objects, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.

The bohemian hilltop of Picasso and Van Gogh, crowned by the Sacré-Cœur, with the lively Place du Tertre and memorable sunsets.

A 12th-century Gothic masterpiece on the Île de la Cité, the historic heart of Paris, beside Point Zéro.

A former train station holding the world’s largest Impressionist collection: Monet, Renoir, Degas and Cézanne beneath the famous clock.

Louis XIV’s royal residence, with the dazzling Hall of Mirrors and Le Nôtre’s immense gardens, fountains and Grand Canal.

Stroll the legendary avenue of luxury shopping, then climb the Arc de Triomphe’s rooftop terrace for sweeping panoramic views.

Louis IX’s 13th-century chapel, where fifteen stained-glass windows illustrate over 1,113 biblical scenes in glorious colour.

Left Bank gardens beside the Senate, with miniature boats on the Grand Basin and the Medici Fountain, free to visit.

Pass the Louvre, Orsay and Eiffel Tower along UNESCO-listed banks, by day with commentary or at night over dinner.

The Sorbonne’s lively district of independent bookshops, Shakespeare and Company, affordable bistros and secret side alleys.

The Thinker and The Kiss, displayed in the 18th-century Hôtel Biron and its rose-filled sculpture garden.

One of the oldest districts and the historic Jewish quarter: Renaissance architecture, galleries, trendy boutiques and the Place des Vosges.

Tunnels 20 metres underground holding the remains of six million Parisians, with bones stacked meticulously in the ossuary.

In the Tuileries Garden, two oval rooms designed by Monet surround you with his giant Water Lilies canvases.