Paris, France - Visit the Top 10 Must See Sites!

The Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, Arc de Triomphe – Paris, France is a beautiful city filled with so many sites to see. Lucky for you I’ve narrowed it down, Paris, France – Visit the Top 10 Must See Sites!

A major hub in Europe. The capital of France. The city of love. Paris is known for its romance, food, culture, art, and more! Unfortunately, a lifetime in Paris wouldn’t be enough to see everything the city has to offer. But, you can’t visit this amazing city without seeing the basics.

My first international trip will always have a special place in my heart. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend 6 weeks in Paris – with some side vacays of course! With all the time I was able to spend in Paris, I still wasn’t able to see everything, but I made sure to see these Paris Top 10 attractions.

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Paris' Top 10 Sites!

Eiffel Tower

Obviously, the Eiffel Tower is going to be #1 on the list for Paris. I think the Eiffel Tower is at the top of anybody’s travel list! The tower is such an obvious tourist site that going to the top of the Eiffel Tower was something that I knew I was going to do.

I kept putting it off during my visit and didn’t make it to the top til my last day there! I visited peak season and had no problem waiting in line to buy my ticket to reach the top, which was about 20 euros. You can buy your ticket ahead of time here at their official site. If you’re interested in other Eiffel Tower tours and guides, you can also check those out here.

I did spend a lot of time at the Eiffel Tower though. My favorite memory of Paris was going to a local grocery store (Carrefour or Monoprix) and getting a bottle of wine, cups, baguette, and some cheese and hams and having a picnic in the stretch of grass before the tower. If you do anything I’m recommending, do this! It’s the cheapest and most memorable thing you will do, I promise!

Travel Tip: The tower sparkles every hour on the hour for the first 5 minutes, depending when sunset starts. Again, a must see!

Notre Dame

Notre Dame is one of the most well known churches and is beautiful to see. It is also where the Crown of Thorns is showcased and the stained glass windows were beautiful. Fortunately, I was able to visit the Notre Dame before the 2019 fire. The latest article I saw was French President Macron hopes to have the cathedral ready before Paris hosts the 2024 Olympics.

There are no fees to enter the church, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lines to get in, so I suggest preparing for that or going a little earlier. The lines do move pretty fast though, so I wouldn’t purchase a skip the line ticket either. You can read more about the history of the cathedral here.

The Louvre

The famous Louvre is next up on our list. One of the largest art museums in the world! I highly suggest getting a tour guide for the museum because there is so much to see and is literally impossible to do. Having a guide bringing you to what you want to see and explain what you’re actually looking at is nice! Book your experience here and choose which one is right for you.

The Louvre is most famous for pieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Check their site for things like hours, admissions, and directions. You can also find information about audio and guided tours.

Fun fact! If you were to spend 30 seconds at every piece of art in the museum, it would take you 200 days to see everything.

River Seine

Take a stroll along the famous River Seine that splits the city into two. You can see local artists, street performers, stop at a cafe, and just enjoy the city. If you have room in the budget a river cruise is also available. Book your cruise here. There are a bunch of different cruise offerings from gourmet dinner cruises to champagne tastings to just a sight seeing cruise.

For the perfect souvenier, along the river they have tons of artists trying to sell their art and I bought a canvas for only 12 euros.

Arc de Triomphe

As an American, it’s amazing seeing how so many cars can seamlessly drive around this giant round about and not die and in the center of it all is the Arc de Triomphe. This giant landmark is to honor those who fought and died in the the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

You can visit the ground level of the Arc for free. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to cross the round about to get to the Arc, take the underpass from Champs-Élysées. If you’d like to go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe you can purchase tickets for 13 euros at their official website or purchase skip the line tickets here starting at around $22. This is not something I was able to do, but wish I could’ve. I visited one of my last days there and didn’t realize you had to buy tickets, after seeing how long the line was, we settled for looking from the ground level again.

Champs-Élysées

If you love shopping, this street is for you! Any store you can think of is lining both sides of the street. The avenue is considered on of the world’s most famous commercial streets.

Stores from luxury like Louis Vuitton and Hermes, to your everyday brands like Levi’s and Banana Republic can be found on this street. There are also plenty of places to grab a bit to eat.

Don't miss out on some iconic Paris day trips!

As I mentioned before you could spend a lifetime in Paris and still not be able to see everything. But, don’t let that stop you from taking a vacation from your vacation. These Popular Day Trips from the Most Romantic City – Paris, France are just as iconic and worth the visit!

Musée d’Orsay

Housed in an old railway station is the Musée d’Orsay. Here is where you can literally be inside of a clock! It’s so cool and makes a great picture too! This museum is famous for its vast collection of Impressionist paintings like Monet, Pissarro, and Morisot. Check out their official website for information on admissions with the full rate ticket at 16 euros.

Travel Tip: Get here first thing in the morning, know your way around, and head straight to the clock room to get a picture with no tourists in it.

Sacré-Coeur

In the infamous Montmartre neighborhood (another site to see) is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, or Sacré-Coeur. Aside from the beauty of this church, the views offer a unique panorama of Paris. The good news is the basilica is open every day and entrance is free. Visit their official site to learn more before visiting.

When I was there, on the steps was a harpist playing and it was absolutely amazing – it really felt like it was right out of a movie.

Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge is another great place to visit. Seeing the iconic cabaret is worth it and I would also suggest buying tickets to see the show. One ticket cost around 100 euros each and it came with a bottle of champagne for your table. You can reserve your tickets here.

While you’re in the area, just a short 10 minute walk is the “I Love You” wall that features the words “I Love You” in 311 different languages. You can find it at Square Jean Rictus.

Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens, or Jardin du Luxembourg, is the perfect place for a lunch break while visiting Paris’ Top 10 locations. It’s located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris and also near the Pantheon if you’d like to make that your bonus 11th location.

The park is free to get into and there are so many things to see. From steering mini sailboats in the pond or visiting the Musee du Luxembourg, there’s even a mini Statue of Liberty!

Make sure you visit these Paris Top 10 locations while in Paris. And remember, if you’re in Paris for even longer, check out some day and weekend trips from Paris as well. What is on your Paris bucket list? Leave it in the comments below!