Destination guides > Europe > France > Paris > Sights, museums & tourist attractions
Paris
Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe stands at the end of the avenue des Champs Elysées at place Étoile - the huge roundabout where 12 tree-lined avenues converge. If you're into extreme sports you may want to rent a car and take it for a spin around the Arc de Triomphe just to test yourself against Parisian traffic (bear in mind that many travel insurance policies specifically state that you will not be covered if you have an accident on the Étoile roundabout). Napoléon commissioned the arch in 1806, 30 years later it was finished and ready for tourists to gawk at. The best access if from the underground passage on the northern side of avenue des Champs Elysées. You get a pretty good view from the top.
Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris
Métro, RER Charles de Gaulle-Étoile Bus 73
Website www.arcdetriomphe-paris.com
Admission €7
Open daily Jan-Mar 10am-10.30pm; Apr-Sep 10am-11pm; Oct-Dec 10am-10.30pm
Arènes du Lutèce
The Roman amphitheatre dates from the Second century, yet was only discovered in 1869. Nowadays it is used by local kids as a football ground.
Entrances at 49, rue Monge and 7, rue de Navarre, 75005 Paris
Métro Place Monge Bus 47
Admission free
Open Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-9pm
Catacombs
The catacombs have got to be one of the most popular sights in Paris among backpackers. These underground tunnels are lined with the neatly stacked bones of millions of Parisians which were placed in a disused quarry around 200 years ago to solve the problems of the city's crowded cemeteries. You get to walk a 1.6km stretch of tunnel and a guard will check your bags (for stolen bones) when you come out at the other end).
1, avenue de Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris
Métro, RER Denfert Rochereau Bus 38, 68
Tel (01) 43 22 47 63
Website www.catacombes-de-paris.fr
Admission €8
Open Tue-Fri 2-4pm, Sat-Sun 9-11am & 2-4pm
Centre Georges Pompidou
Also known as the Centre Beaubourg, this modern sits right in the heart of Paris and is home to an incredible array of modern art, a cyber café, a couple of restaurants and an excellent library. Although you have to pay to visit the art galleries, it is free to ride up to the top floor in the glass-tube escalators for a free view of the city centre. The library is also free (although there is often a long queue to get in) and has some English language books and newspapers, CD listening stations and free use of language courses on CD-ROM and CD.
Place Beaubourg, 75001 Paris
Métro Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville RER Châtelet-Les Halles Bus 21, 29, 38, 47, 58, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 81, 85, 96
Tel (01) 44 78 16 73
Website www.cnac-gp.fr
Admission €12
Open Mon & Wed-Sun 11am-10pm
Cimetière du Père Lachaise
The Père Lachaise cemetery has plenty of shady avenues along with the graves of loads of famous guys such as Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Balzac and Édith Piaf. Most of you will be mainly interested in hanging out at Jim Morrision's grave which is easy to find since you just have to follow the other backpackers following the graffittied arrows pointing to Jim's grave.
Boulevard de Ménilmontant, 75020 Paris
Métro Père Lachaise
Admission free
Open Jan-Mar Mon-Sat 8am-5.30pm, Sun 9am-5.30pm; Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 9am-6pm; Nov-Dec Mon-Sat 8am-5.30pm, Sun 9am-5.30pm
Egouts de Paris
Take a tour through the sewers of Paris.
93, Quai d'Orsay, 75007 Paris
Métro Alma-Marceau RER Pont d'Alma Bus 42, 63, 80, 92
Admission €4.30
Open Jan-Apr Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun 11am-4pm; May-Sep Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun 11am-5pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun 11am-4pm
Eiffel Tower
Originally built for the 1889 World Fair, the 324m-high Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world until 1930. To this day it remains the tallest building in the Paris area - not even the Tour Montparnasse or the skyscrapers in La Defense are taller. If you don't mind waiting in line for ages to get the lift you can get a great view from of the city from the top of Paris's most famous landmark. A cheaper option (without the queues) involves taking the stairs to thesecond level.
Quai Branly, 75007 Paris
Métro Bir Hakeim RER Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel Bus 42, 69, 72, 82, 87
Tel (01) 44 11 23 23
Website www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/
Admission lift to second floor €8, lift to top floor €13, stairs to second floor €4.50
Lift open 1 Jan-10 Jun 9.30am-11.45pm daily; 11 Jun-28 Aug 9am-12.45am daily; 29 Aug-31 Dec 9.30am-11.45pm daily; stairs open 1 Jan-10 Jun 9.30am-6.30pm daily; 11 Jun-28 Aug 9am-12.30am daily; 29 Aug-31 Dec 9.30am-6.30pm daily
Espace Salvador Dalí
A popular museum devoted to the Catalan surealist.
9-11, rue Poulbot, 75019 Paris
Métro Abbesses, Anvers Bus 54, 80 Funicular
Tel (01) 42 64 40 10
Website www.daliparis.com
Admission €10, student under 26 years €6
Open 10am-6pm daily
La Grande Arche de la Défense
This 112 metre hollow glass and marble cube is the main attraction in this new La Défense business district 3km outside the city limits. You get a nice view from the top, although it's not worth the admission fee when compared with the Eiffel Tower or Tour Montparnasse.
Le Parvis de la Défense, 92040 Paris La Défense
Métro, RER Grande Arche de la Défense
Tel (01) 49 07 27 57
Website www.grandearche.com
Admission €10
Open 9am-8pm daily
Hôtel des Invalides
This elaborate building with its golden dome was originally built to house disabled veterans in the 17th century and is now Napoléon's final resting place. The Musée de l'Armée is housed inside and features displays of military uniforms and armour plus excellent displays on military history.
Place Vauban, 75007 Paris
Métro La Tour Maubourg, Varenne RER Invalides Bus 28, 63, 69, 80, 82, 83, 87, 92, 93, Balabus
Tel (01) 44 42 37 72
Website www.invalides.org
Admission €8.50
Open Jan-Mar 10am-5pm daily; Apr-Sep 10am-6pm daily; Oct-Dec 10am-5pm daily; closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 1 Nov, 25 Dec & 1st Mon of each month
Hôtel de Ville
Famous as the backdrop in Robert Doisneau's photograph Le Basier de l'Hôtel de Ville, the town hall is an elaborate neo-Renaisaance style building which sometimes hosts exhibitions.
29, rue de Rivoli, 75004 Paris
Métro Hôtel de Ville
Tel (01) 42 76 43 43
Admission free, free guided tours (in French) at 10.30am on the first Monday of each month
Institute de Monde Arabe
The Institue of the Arab World is a very impressive centre established to promote cultural contacts between Arab countries and the west. The centre housed in a modern building incorporating mushrabiyah, special devices set into the windows which act like a camera's aperture to regulate the amount of light that enters the building. The museum on the 7th floor houses ten centuries of artistic and technological acheivement from the Muslim world.
1, rue des Fossées Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris
Métro Cardinal Lemoine, Jussieu, Sully Morland RER Austerlitz Bus 24, 63, 67, 86, 87, 89
Tel (01) 40 51 38 38
Website www.imarabe.org
Admission €10
Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Musée Carnavalet
This museum is dedicated to the history of Paris with an eclectic collection that spans over 100 rooms in a 17th century mansion in the Marais. It's a great place to come to learn a bit more about Paris.
23, rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
Métro Saint-Paul, Chemin Vert Bus 29, 69, 76, 96
Tel (01) 44 59 58 58
Website www.carnavalet.paris.fr
Admission permanent collection free, temporary exhibits €4.50
Open Tue-Sun 10am-5.30pm
Musée Grévin
This 100-year-old wax museum in the Passage Jouffroy features over 300 wax figures including French celebrities and notable French historic figures plus recreated scenes from famous events of the 20th century.
10, boulevard Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Tel (01) 47 70 85 05
Website www.grevin.com
Métro Grands Boulevards Bus 20, 39, 48, 67, 74, 85
Admission €20, students €17
Open 10am-7pm daily (last entry 6pm)
Musée Jacquemart-André
This small museum displays the private collection of Adouart André and Nellie Jacquemart, which features Botticellis, Rembrandts and 18th-century tapestries, furniture and objects d'art.
158, boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris
Métro Miromesnil, Saint-Philippe du Roule RER Charles de Gaulle-Etoile Bus 22, 28, 43, 52, 54, 80, 83, 84, 93
Tel (01) 45 62 11 59
Website www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com
Admission €10, students €7.50
Open 10am-6pm daily
Musée du Louvre
This huge (about a third of a kilometre long) art museum is home to some of the most important pieces of art in the western world including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The Louvre has recently received a billion dollar face-lift which has included the construction of a new entrance through a glass pyramid in the courtyard leading to an underground shopping centre and food court. During weekends and school holidays it can get very busy with very long queues, usually the easiest way to avoid some of the queues is by entering through the Carrousel du Louvre (shopping centre) - on rare occasions when there are queues in the Carrousel du Louvre you can try to jump the queue by telling the guard that you just want to get to the post office which is located near the entrance.
Rue du Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Métro Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre Bus 21, 27, 39, 48, 658, 69, 72, 76, 95
Tel (01) 40 20 51 51
Website www.louvre.fr
Admission €9, €6 Wed 6pm-9.45pm & Fri 6pm-9.45pm, free 14 Jul & 1st Sun of each month
Open Mon 9am-6pm, Wed 9am-9.45pm, Thu 9am-6pm, Fri 9am-9.45pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
Musée d'Orsay
After the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay is perhaps the most important art museum in Paris. This former railway station has been converted into a pleasant art gallery housing the works of some of Europe's most important impressionist, post-impressionist and art nouveau artists.
1, rue de Bellechasse, 75007 Paris
Métro Solférino RER Musée d'Orsay Bus 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94
Tel (01) 40 49 48 14
Website www.musee-orsay.fr
Admission €9.50, 18-25 year olds not resident within the EU €7; Mon-Wed 4.15pm-6pm €7, Thu after 6pm €7, Fri-Sun 4.15pm-6pm €7
Open Tue-Wed 10am-6pm, Thu 10am-9.45pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 9am-6pm
Musée Marmottan Monet
This small museum on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne is home over 300 paintings - the world's largest collection - by Claude Monet.
2, rue Louis-Boilly, 75016 Paris
Métro Muette RER Boulainvilliers Bus 22, 32, 52, 63, PC
Tel (01) 44 96 50 33
Website www.marmottan.com
Admission permanent collection €9, students under 25 €5
Open 10am-5.30pm daily (last entry 5pm)
Musée National du Moyen Age
The Musée National du Moyen Age displays antiquities from the Middle Ages and is noted for its large collection of tapestries, which includes the famous Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries.
6, place Paul Painlevé, 75005 Paris
Métro Cluny-La Sorbonne, Saint-Michel, Odéon RER Cluny-La Sorbonne, Saint-Michel Bus 21, 27, 38, 63, 85, 86, 87
Tel (01) 53 73 78 00
Website www.musee-moyenage.fr
Admission €8, €6 under 25 years, free 1st Sunday of each month
Open Mon & Wed-Sun 9.15am-5.45pm
Musée Picasso
This museum contains more than 3000 different artworks by Pablo Picasso including drawings, ceramics and paintings. This is complemented by Picasso's own personal art collection including works by Cézanne and Matisse.
5, rue de Thorigny, 75004 Paris
Métro Saint Paul, Chemin Vert, Filles du Calvaire Bus 29, 69, 76, 93
Tel (01) 42 71 25 21
Website www.musee-picasso.fr
Admission €8.50, EU citizens aged 18-25 €6.50
Open Apr-Sep Wed-Mon 9.30am-6pm; Oct-Mar Wed-Mon 9.30am-5.30pm
Musée Rodin
A popular museum featuring many of Rodin's most famous sculptures including The Thinker.
77, rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris
Métro Varenne, Invalides, St-François-Xavier RER Invalides Bus 69, 82, 87, 92
Tel (01) 44 18 61 10
Website www.musee-rodin.fr
Admission €6, EU non-residents aged 18-25 €5, EU residents aged 18-25 free
Open Jan-Mar Tue-Sun 9.30am-4.45pm (last entry 4.15pm); Apr-Sep Tue-Sun 9.30am-5.45pm (last entry 5.15pm); Oct-Dec Tue-Sun 9.30am-4.45pm (last entry 4.15pm)
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Jardin des Plantes)
The Natural History Museum is located in the Jardin des Plantes near Gare d'Austerlitz and contains the usual collection of stuffed animals and mounted insects.
2, rue Buffon, 75005 Paris
Métro Austerlitz, Censier Daubenton, Jussieu RER Austerlitz Bus 24, 57, 61, 63, 89, 91
Tel (01) 40 79 56 01
Website www.mnhn.fr
Admission €7
Open 10am-5pm daily
Notre Dame de Paris
Concescrated way back in 1182, the Notre Dame has been a major Parisian landmark, suffering from the usual rampaging revolutionaries and modern-day tourist hoardes. Notre Dame's big break came back in when Victor Hugo wrote his incredibly popular Notre Dame de Paris which was destined to be given a happy ending by Disney. The cathedral has an incredible interior although it is nothing special to look at from the front - but it looks a lot better from the rear where there is an excellent view of its flying buttresses.
6, place du Parvis Notre Dame, 75001 Paris
Métro Cité, St-Michel RER St-Michel Bus 21, 24, 27, 38, 47, 85, 96
Tel (01) 42 34 56 10
Website www.notredamedeparis.fr
Admission €8, EU non-residents aged 18-25 €5, EU residents aged 18-25 free
Open 8am-6.45pm daily; tower & crypt Jan-Mar 10am-5.15pm daily; Apr-Sep 9.30am-6pm daily; Oct-Dec 10am-5.15pm daily; treasury Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm, Sun 2pm-6pm
Palais-Royale
Although Louis XIV's palace now contains government offices and is closed to the public, the neo-classical building is still worth a look from the outside. The Jardin du Palais-Royale is a haven from the hustle and bustle in the surrounding area. This park usually closes sometime after sunset.
Entrance to Jardin du Palais Royal is off either place du Palais Royale or rue du Petits Champs, 75001 Paris
Métro Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre
Le Panthéon
Although originally commissioned by Louis XV as a church, this prominent landmark is now the final resting place of many of France's most influential figures including Victor Hugo, Rousseau, Voltaire and Pierre and Marie Curie.
Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris
Métro Cardinal Lemoine, Maubert-Mutualité RER Luxembourg Bus 84, 89
Tel (01) 44 32 18 00
Admission €8, students €6
Open 10am-6pm daily (last entry 5.15pm)
Parc de la Villette (Cité des Sciences)
This huge park in the north-eastern corner of the city is home to both the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie and the Cité de la Musique. This collection of museums is accompanied by the Géode IMAX theatre and some modern sculpture. The highlight here is the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, a science museum with loads of buttons to press and things to do.
30, avenue Corentin-Cariou, 75019 Paris
Métro Porte de la Villette Bus 75, 139, 150, 152, PC
Tel (01) 40 05 70 00
Website www.cite-sciences.fr
Admission to Explora (the main museum): €8, students €6; Géode IMAX theatre €10.50
Open Tue 10am-6pm, Wed 10am-7pm, Thu-Sun 10am-6pm
Sacré Coeur
Dominating the hill at Montmartre in the city's north, the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur was only completed in 1912, making it a relative baby compared with Paris's other churches and cathedrals. The fantasic view over Paris and its northern suburbs is one of the main reasons why the Sacré Coeur is so popular with travellers. The steps below the church are a great place to hang out, taking in the view and drinking cheap wine from one of the neighbourhood supermarkets.
35, rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris
Métro Anvers, Abbesses, Château Rouge, Lamarck-Caulaincourt Bus 30, 54, 80, 85, Montmartrobus Funicular
Tel (01) 53 41 89 00
Website www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
Admission free; dome & crypt €5
Open 6am-11pm daily; dome & crypt 9am-6pm daily
Statue of Liberty (La liberté éclairant le monde)
Although there are hundreds of replicas of the Statue of Liberty around the world, the Paris Statue of Liberty is the most important. The statue on the Île des Cygnes near Pont de Grenelle was given to the city in 1889 and faces the original statue in New York (which was built in Paris as a gift to America. There is also a second, smaller, Statue of Liberty in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Pont de Grenelle, 75015
Métro Charles Michels, Javel-André Citroén RER Avenue du President Kennedy, Javel
Tour Montparnasse
You'll get an amazing view of Paris from the top of the city's tallest office building. You can take the lift to the 56th floor of la Tour Montparnasse and then climb the stairs to the open-air observation deck on the 59th floor. It is best to get here just before sunset so you can see Paris in daylight, sunset and night.
22, avenue du Maine, 75015 Paris
Métro Montparnasse-Bienvenüe Bus 28, 48, 58, 82, 89, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96
Website www.tourmontparnasse56.com
Admission €10.50, students €7.50
Open Jan-Mar Mon-Thu 9.30am-10.30pm, Fri-Sat 9.30am-11pm, Sun 9.30am-10.30pm; Apr-Sep 9.30am-11.30pm daily; Oct-Dec Mon-Thu 9.30am-10.30pm, Fri-Sat 9.30am-11pm, Sun 9.30am-10.30pm
