10 Things to Do on Your First Trip to Paris
Paris is known as the City of Love and the City of Light. There is something so magical about this French capital that has been romanticized in movies, novels, and plays for hundreds of years. It is one of the most visited cities in the world and it is easy to see why once you’ve experienced it. There are so many things to do in Paris that it can be overwhelming as a first time traveler, so we’ve compiled a list of our top 10.
1. Go up the The Eiffel Tower
I will never forget my first visit to Paris. I had met my friend Katie from England there to spend a few days before heading to Amsterdam. After getting settled into our hostel, we headed out that evening to see the Eiffel Tower. I don’t care how seasoned of a traveler you are, there is just something so magnificent and breathtaking about seeing this Parisian landmark for the first time. Maybe it is the epic status of it or maybe it is simply the magnitude of this structure, but it makes you pause in awe.
We took the metro line #6 from Montparnasse heading toward the tower. A few stops later, a man boarded the train with an accordion and a change jar and, as if on cue, started playing one of the most famous French songs, Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en rose.” The metro, which was now above ground, turned a corner and there it was through the train window: la Tour Eiffel in all its glory. I still get goosebumps thinking about that first glimpse and the perfection of that moment.
Located on the banks of the Seine river, the Eiffel Tower is surrounded by the Champ de Mars park. This green space offers a place for sightseers to relax on the lawn and even picnic while taking in the view. A decade ago, it was possible to walk right under the tower. Due to increased security after terrorist attacks, it is completely blocked off now. Be prepared to go through security and bag checks before buying tickets and ascending the tower via its stairs or elevators.
There are two viewing levels: one about half way up and one at the very top. I opted to go only half way up, mainly because I am not a fan of heights. For me, it was a great view of the city and not lacking at all.
2. Visit the neighborhood of Montmartre
Located in the 18th arrondissement, Montmartre is in the northern part of Paris. Known as Butte Montmartre, it is a hilltop neighborhood offering some of the best views of the city.
The crowning glory of Montmartre is the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, a catholic church started in the late 1800’s and named in honor of the Sacred Heart of Christ. Towering over the city, the Basilica’s steps are filled daily with tourists and locals alike. It’s quite a hike to get to Sacré-Cœur, so the best way to get there is by taking the metro to either the Anvers or Abbesses stations. To get out of the Abbesses station though, you either have to take an elevator or climb the nearly 100 steps to get to the street level. Once above ground, the base of the hill leading to the basilica is just a few blocks away. There you can either walk up another nearly 300 steps to the church or take a funicular up the hill. We opted to buy a ticket for the funicular, which saved us the effort of walking since we were traveling with a younger child.
It is common for people to take picnic lunches to the Sacré-Cœur steps. After exiting the Abbesses station the first time, we wandered across the coolest little charcuterie shop nearby called Traiteur Josse. We bought some sandwiches and drinks for ourselves and our three kids to eat once we reached the church, which I highly recommend doing. It’s also a lot cheaper than eating at a café if you are on a budget and traveling with your family.
Montmartre is personally my favorite area because it has such a unique identity. It is Paris, yet completely different at the same time. It is one of the more artistic, edgier arrondissements in the city. Painters such as Miro, Picasso , Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec all called this neighborhood their home at one time. The Place de Tertre behind the Sacré-Cœur is a square filled to the brim with painters, artist stalls and cafés. It’s a great little area to get the vibe of the Montmartre village and also to score some really cool paintings of the surrounding scenery by local artists.
3. Cross the Seine to the Île de la Cité
Translated as Island of the City, Île de la Cité is most well known for housing the world famous Notre-Dame cathedral. Like the Eiffel Tower, no first trip to Paris is complete without witnessing its grandeur. Even though no visitors are currently allowed inside due to the fire last April, it is still possible to visit the west facade which displays the main entrance, rose window and baroque towers for which the cathedral is known. The picture below is one that I took a week before the fire. I always preferred walking around this side facing the Seine, admiring the budding trees and flowers; though this side will probably be blocked off for a few years due to the reconstruction work.
Overlooking the river banks on the Île de la Cité is La Conciergerie. Originally built as a royal palace, it was later abandoned by the royal family at the end of the 14th century as they moved to the Louvre and Vincennes. In the late 1700’s, it became a jail during the French revolution. Many prisoners were held there while they awaited death by guillotine, including the most famous of them, Marie-Antoinette. The ousted queen was held in La Conciergerie for more than two months before meeting her fate at Place de la Concorde where her husband, King Louis XVI, was also publicly executed.
There are guided tours most days through parts of La Conciergerie, which includes Marie-Antoinette’s recreated jail cell. There is also a wall containing the names of prisoners of the revolution held there before execution. Histograms are available to view how rooms would have appeared throughout the years.
A few blocks from Notre-Dame is the Reine Elisabeth II flower market tucked between a few smaller city streets. We happened upon this completely by mistake the first time. We had taken the metro the Cité station to visit the famed cathedral when we walked right into the market rows trying to cross the street. This daily market specializes in flowers, plants, live birds, and crafts.
Even before entering, we could hear the canaries singing to one another from cages that hung above the booths and lined the walkways. Our youngest son was smitten with the aquarium fish for sale. Toby had to explain to him that we were not allowed to take pet fish on the plane home, though reasoning with a five year old about these things is usually unsuccessful.
Hanging baskets as well as potted perennials and annuals filled booths further down, spilling out onto the sidewalk from under the awning. A few enclosed craft shops sold cards, signs, garden decorations, and statues, among other items. Most of the items aren’t things tourists would buy or would even be allowed to take on a plane with them, but it is worth the visit to see all of the colors and hear the sounds. If you are traveling with children, they will love looking at the large variety of birds and aquarium fish for sale.
4. Find some Street Art
In any big city, street art has become increasingly more popular, if even accepted to a certain degree. Paris is no exception. It’s fun to wander around the city and find these rogue murals by happenstance, almost like an art scavenger hunt. Some of the more renowned street artists decorating Parisian walls and buildings are Invader, Honet, Miss.tic, and Banksy. If you don’t have the time to find these gems on your own, there are a number of street art guided tours that are available. Even construction sites in Paris are decorated with temporary artwork, as shown above.
5. Tour the Louvre museum and gardens
Not only the largest art museum in the world but also the most visited one, it is worth descending underground through the courtyard pyramid to see some of the most treasured paintings and artifacts on the globe. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace which was home to the royal family until the late 1600’s. After moving to Versailles, the King left his art in the Louvre for display. Through the years, members of the royal family, military leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Catholic church among others have furthered the collection. The Louvre museum officially opened in 1793.
The museum is massive and would probably take two days minimum to do it justice for true art buffs. With our kids in tow, we spent only about 3-4 hours there though we did cover a lot of ground. Ranging from Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities to Islamic art, the depth and scope of the work is more impressive than I imagined. While there is room after room of huge frescoes and floor to ceiling sized oil paintings, the most visited painting in the museum is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, measuring in at a mere 30 x 21 inches. I was definitely surprised by how small she was, but it was pretty surreal to be within a few feet of the most famous painting in the world.
Even if you aren’t a huge art fan, it’s definitely worthwhile to go in once. The entrance line can get very long, especially earlier in the day. If you only want to spend a few hours in the museum, try going later to avoid the crowds.
One of my favorite areas on the palace grounds, even more than the museum, are the two gardens just to the west of the courtyard: Jardin du Carrousel and Jardin des Tuileries. The Tuileries garden stretches along the Seine all the way from the museum to the Place de la Concorde. Filled with sculptures, flowers, fountains and outdoor cafés, it’s a perfect place to relax and get a coffee between sightseeing. We did eat lunch there on our first visit, but it was very expensive. Any café near a major attraction like the Louvre or near the river is going to cost a lot more than off on a side street near more residential areas.
6. Eat pastries
Seriously, this probably should have been number one on our list because I swear half of my food pictures (if not more) are of pastries. Growing up in the midwest, French pâtisseries were these idealized, almost mythical places where beautiful pâte à choux creations were produced like works of art. We would savor éclairs and cream puffs while dreaming about eating the “real thing” in Paris one day, but almost feeling like we may never actually get there.
French pâtisseries are a feast for the eyes. The vast array of colors, shapes and textures will light up the sensory part of the brain way before even taking a bite of these legendary confections. Ladurée is one of the more famous places to get macarons with multiple locations throughout the city. These light and airy French meringue cookies are made with almond flour (for you gluten free travelers) and then filled with cream and/or jam. If you’re wanting to visit a really fancy pâtisserie, a few blocks north of the Place de la Concorde is Cafe Pouchkine. The displays and surroundings are gorgeous and they serve lunch and dinner as well.
While places like Cafe Pouchkine are more well-known and cool to see once, I prefer the randomly found little neighborhood pastry shops much more. They are usually family owned and operated and the quality is amazing every time. One of our favorite things to do is buy an assortment of pastries to take back to where we are staying and share later.
7. Walk the Avenue des Champs-Élysées
One of the world’s most famous streets, the Champs-Élysées starts at the Place de la Concorde and stretches a little over a mile to the Arc de Triomphe. The Place de la Concorde, which sits at the far end of the Tuileries garden, is the largest public square in Paris. Initially built to house a statue of King Louis XV, it ironically became more famous during the French Revolution as the place where many were executed, including King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Due to the high volume of traffic around the plaza and how incredibly wide it is, crossing the Place de Concorde can be challenging. You definitely have to hustle to get across before the light changes again. In the middle of this plaza is the Luxor Obelisk, an Egyptian Obelisk dating back to around 1300 BC, with fountains on each side.
The roundabout at Place de la Concorde opens up into the widest street that I’ve ever seen, the Champs-Élysées. Along this avenue are theaters, restaurants, high end shopping, gardens, museums and palaces, including one where the French President resides.
Walking along this famous stretch of street is kind of a tease because the Arc de Triomphe is visible from the other end, though pretty far away still. It’s cool to walk in this direction and see the Arc gradually getting bigger until it is towering over you. Built to honor those who fought and died for France during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, is sits at the intersection of three Parisian arrondissements. Twelve separate avenues radiate from the circle surrounding the Arc.
8. Visit the notorious Quartier Pigalle
Located just south of Montmartre is the neighborhood of Pigalle. Quartier Pigalle is notoriously known for its red light district that stretches along the Boulevard de Clichy. This main road is the divider between the 9th and 18th arrondissements. Along this road also sits the world famous Moulin Rouge. Adorned with its namesake red windmill, Moulin Rouge is a cabaret that is credited as the birthplace of the famous Can-can dance. Even though children 6 and older are allowed in with proper attire (there is a dress code for everyone), be aware that some of the performers are topless. It is, afterall, a French cabaret.
Even though this district is known for the sex shops and burlesque shows, there is a lot more to Pigalle. Being one of the more trendy neighborhoods in Paris now, South Pigalle (or SoPi) is home to a multitude of sidewalk cafés, art studios, music shops and boutiques.
Around the corner and a few blocks away from the Moulin Rouge is Cafe des Deux Moulins, made famous by the movie Amélie. Even though I did not dine there, I had to at least go by and see where one of my favorite fictional characters, Amélie Poulain, spent so much of her time.
9. Eat at sidewalk cafés
A trip to Paris is not complete without experiencing its café culture. Sidewalk cafés are so prolific that it’s almost impossible not to pass one every few blocks once away from the main streets. Because apartments are notoriously tiny there (think like 200-300 square feet on average for a one bedroom), Parisians live their lives on the street. Instead of inviting friends to their homes, they meet in sidewalk cafés to eat, drink, socialize, and smoke (but only outside now). Even weekdays are busy in these Parisian institutions.
Typically when you sit down at a café, the server will bring a basket of croissants. These are not free and they will show up on the bill unless you let the server know that you don’t want them. The thing is though, you’re in Paris. You should eat the croissants!
Café fare is pretty traditional though there are many menu variations. The one constant is that it is always delicious. Being in the largest city of a country known for their love of food, restaurants have to be amazing or they don’t last. Some café classics are steak and pommes frites, escargot, steak tartare, salads, meats, cheeses, croque madame and other sandwiches.
Going out for breakfast, le petit déjeuner, is lighter than a typical American breakfast. It usually consists of coffee, juice, croissants, bread, butter, and jam. Plain yogurt and muesli type cereal are also common. Don’t be surprised if you see a fellow diner dipping their bread or croissant into coffee after slathering it with butter or jam. This is completely normal in France.
Besides the food, the best part of going to a café in Paris is to people watch. The outside seats are usually in rows facing toward the street so it’s easy to watch as locals stroll by or friends catch up at a nearby table. I’m always so intrigued with the nonchalance and ease in which Parisians, and the French in general, seem to live their lives. As an American who feels the pressure of doing more and being more, it is so refreshing and yet bewildering at the same time. It is a good reminder though to slow down, enjoy life, savor food, and spend time with others.
10. Ride the Metro
I love mass transit. Being from Indiana where we have to drive everywhere, the idea of hopping on a train or bus is very appealing. The Paris Metro makes it so easy to get around, too. It even goes to the main airport, Charles de Gaulle International, eliminating the need for a rental car. On previous trips to Paris, it took a little more time to figure out which lines we needed to take to get to the desired destination. Our last trip, I used an app called Paris Metro Map and Routes, which was an absolute lifesaver as well as a huge timesaver. It allows you to either turn on your location or to manually input your starting metro station and where you are going, then it will list the exact lines and stops to get there. It saves you from having to look like a tourist while you stare at a paper map in the middle of the subway platform.
Apart from the convenience of the metro, it’s just cool to ride to watch locals going about their day, admire the various tile work in the tunnels, hear street musicians playing in the corridors, and visit the entrances with very cool metro signs that vary by neighborhood.
Unfortunately the metro is not wheelchair nor stroller friendly. There is currently only one line that is handicap accessible, though the city is working on plans to add more. For those traveling with strollers, they must be folded up before entering the metro station, while in the station and on the trains. We brought an umbrella stroller for our son that folded up easily and compactly but still had some storage in it, which was perfect for metro travel. Most stations have lots of stairs or escalators. If traveling with an infant, wearing a baby carrier would be a much better option.
Paris is an amazing city where there is always something new to discover, taste, see and hear. We hope that you have enjoyed this list and that it helps you plan your first trip to the City of Light. May it be a magical one.
Bon voyage & Bon appétit!