- Paris is divided into twenty administrative districts known as arrondissements, which spiral outward from the city center in a clockwise snail-like pattern.
- The city's catacombs contain the remains of over six million people, relocated from overflowing cemeteries during the late 18th century.
- Paris maintains a strict height restriction on most residential buildings, which has preserved the city's uniform visual silhouette since the mid-19th century.
- There are over 400 public water fountains throughout the city known as Wallace fountains, which provide free, potable drinking water.
- The Paris Métro system was one of the first in the world to be designed with a focus on aesthetic Art Nouveau entrances created by architect Hector Guimard.
About Paris
Paris serves as the global center for art and gastronomy, anchored by the iconic Eiffel Tower [2] and the expansive Louvre Museum [5]. The city is structured around the Seine River, featuring historical landmarks like the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris [126] and the monumental Arc de Triomphe [22]. Visitors frequently gather in green spaces such as the Champ de Mars [251] or the Jardin du Luxembourg [127] to observe the city's distinct Haussmann-era urban planning. It remains a major hub for international diplomacy, fashion, and intellectual history.
Highlights of Paris
The places our editors single out — and why they're worth your time.
Historical places
Ascend this iron lattice tower for expansive panoramic views of the entire city layout.
Museums
Browse one of the world's largest collections of fine art housed within a former royal palace.
Museums
Explore the extensive collection of 19th and 20th-century impressionist masterpieces inside a repurposed Beaux-Arts railway station.
Temples
Visit this white-domed basilica situated at the highest natural point in the city for sweeping vistas.
Places of interest
Enter the main courtyard to view the modernist glass structure that serves as the primary entrance to the Louvre.
Historical places
Visit the final resting place of notable French figures housed within this neoclassical monument.
Venues
Tour the opulent interiors of this historic opera house renowned for its grand staircase and ceiling mural.
Parks
Walk through these manicured gardens for the most direct vantage point of the Eiffel Tower across the river.
Top things to do in Paris
The 2,024 highest-rated places in Paris, ranked by travellers.
1
Historical places
The Eiffel Tower is a 330-meter puddled iron lattice tower constructed as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair. I...
2
Museums
The Louvre Museum is the world's largest art museum, housed in a former royal palace that spans 72,735 square meters of...
3
Historical places
The Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, marking the western end of the Champs-Élysées....
4
Parks
The Champ de Mars is a sprawling 24.5-hectare public greenspace located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It serves as...
5
Temples
The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur is a Roman Catholic minor basilica located at the highest point of Paris on the Butte Montma...
6
Parks
The Jardins du Trocadéro is a 93,930-square-meter public park located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, designed for...
7
Parks
Jardin du Luxembourg is a 23-hectare public park located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, created in 1612 by Marie de...
8
Museums
The Musée d'Orsay occupies a former Beaux-Arts railway station, the Gare d'Orsay, which was constructed for the 1900 Uni...
9
Temples
Notre-Dame Cathedral is a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture located on the Île de la Cité in Paris. Following it...
10
Places of interest
The Louvre Pyramid serves as the primary entrance to the Musée du Louvre, connecting the Cour Napoléon to the subterrane...
11
Historical places
The Panthéon is a neoclassical monument located in the Latin Quarter, originally built as a church dedicated to Saint Ge...
12
Venues
The Palais Garnier is a 19th-century Neo-Baroque opera house designed by Charles Garnier, commissioned by Napoleon III a...
13
Parks
The Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France, established in 1635 as a royal medicinal herb garden unde...
14
Temples
Sainte-Chapelle is a royal medieval Gothic chapel located within the medieval Palais de la Cité on the Île de la Cité in...
15
Historical places
Hôtel des Invalides is a sprawling 17th-century complex in Paris originally commissioned by Louis XIV to house disabled...
16
Places of interest
Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge spanning the Seine, connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter with the Invalides an...
17
Venues
The Stade de France is the largest stadium in France, featuring a modular design that allows the pitch to be reconfigure...
18
Parks
Bois de Vincennes is the largest public park in Paris, covering 995 hectares on the eastern edge of the city. It feature...
19
Venues
Parc des Princes is a football stadium in the 16th arrondissement of Paris and the official home ground for Paris Saint-...
20
Parks
Place des Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris, commissioned by Henry IV in 1605 and completed in 1612. It featu...
21
Museums
Musée Grévin is a historic wax museum founded in 1882 by journalist Arthur Meyer and caricaturist Alfred Grévin. The mus...
22
Museums
The Musée de l'Armée is housed within the Hôtel National des Invalides, a grand 17th-century complex originally commissi...
23
Parks
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a 25-hectare public park in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, established on the site of for...
24
Museums
The Petit Palais serves as the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a grand Beaux-Arts structure originally buil...
25
Museums
The Grand Palais is a historic exhibition hall in Paris, built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. Its most prominent fea...
26
Museums
The Musée de l'Orangerie is a gallery located in the Jardin des Tuileries, primarily recognized for housing Claude Monet...
27
Parks
Parc Monceau is a public park in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, established in 1778 by Philippe d'Orléans, the Duke of...
28
Parks
The Bois de Boulogne is a 846-hectare public park located on the western edge of Paris, originally commissioned by Napol...
29
Places of interest
Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge in Paris, spanning the Seine to connect the Île de la Cité with the Right and Le...
30
Museums
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is a contemporary art museum housed within a deconstructivist glass building designed by arc...
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Paris on the map
Top attractions plotted across the city.
Plan your visit to Paris
Late spring (May to June) or early autumn (September to October) offers mild temperatures and avoids the peak tourist congestion of mid-summer.
4-5 days, allowing sufficient time to explore major museums and specific arrondissements without rushing.
The city is highly walkable and served by an extensive RATP Métro network, supplemented by RER trains, buses, and a bike-sharing scheme.
Stay in the 1st through 6th arrondissements for central access to monuments, or choose the Le Marais district for a mix of historic architecture and boutique shopping.
Paris is generally considered an expensive city, particularly regarding dining and accommodation in central districts.
Frequently asked
Aventuro lists 2,024 curated attractions in and around Paris, ranked by traveller ratings.
Eiffel Tower is the highest-rated place to visit in Paris right now.
The largest category is museums, with 614 places to explore.
Travellers also explore Lyon, Lormont, Nice.
Explore more of France
Other cities ranked by number of curated places.
