The best things to do in Paris
We visited Paris for my birthday in 2024. We caught the Eurostar and stayed for three nights in Le Marais. Having been to Paris before, I wanted to check out all the sights that I’d missed the first time around. While the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower are all iconic locations, I feel like you pass by and through them as you travel around Paris to see other things, anyway. So I didn’t feel they were worth making a point of exploring on their own. As it turned out, everything on our list was fairly close to each other making it easy to explore certain areas in one day.
These were our favourite places to visit in Paris.
Day 1
Les Catacombes de Paris
I’d wanted to go to the catacombs for years, so they were top of the list when we visited Paris September 2024. They’re in the south of the city, so we caught a 20 minute Metro from Marais. You enter the catacombs through a normal looking building, before heading down a very long spiral staircase.
The catacombs are about 5 storeys underground, and with the audio guide you learn about the history of the area, how the ground was collapsing, and why the quarries were built under the city before being filled with the bodies from local, overflowing cemeteries. Though it might seem morbid, the catacombs are a great place for reflection: the bones are still arranged by the cemeteries they were transported from, and noblemen, scientists, writers, actors, revolutionaries, and other well-known figures of the time are all there among the millions of Parisians in the catacombs.
The guided audio tour takes about 45 minutes and you will explore the full length of the tunnels that are accessible to the public. The catacombs of Paris are one of the city’s most popular attractions, so buy a ticket in advance to avoid long queues. It costs around €30 per person.
Notre Dame and Île de la Cité
Due to the fire in 2019, you couldn’t enter the cathedral when I visited Notre Dame. But a viewing platform means you can still see the iconic towers. It’s also a great area to come to for a walk around Paris. We crossed the bridge from the famous Shakespeare and Company bookshop, wandered down Rue de la Huchette and across Pont Neuf, and followed the river across Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis where we stopped for a coffee at Noir.
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
The cemetery is one of the most famous in the world, home to the graves of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and hundreds of other famous names. Much like the catacombs, this isn’t a morbid activity. It’s a beautiful and peaceful site that was lovely to wander around on a sunny early-autumn afternoon.
It’s free to enter and we were given a map that makes it easy to find the notable gravesites. You can book tours, but there are signs around the grounds saying to be aware of anyone trying to sell you a tour within the grounds. We found it was easy enough to find our way around ourselves, and spent about an hour walking through the cobbled lanes and park areas.
Crazy Horse
Apparently it’s been on Emily in Paris now, so tickets might be harder to come by. But our night at Crazy Horse was one of my favourites in Paris. It’s a fun and more authentic cabaret experience, and better value than the Moulin Rouge. There are around 20 shows in one night, with some curated by Dita von Teese and other icons. It was by far the best night out we had in Paris, and I’d go again next time I’m back. Our tickets were €120 each including a bottle of champagne to share.
Day 2
Paris by Mouth
We started our second morning in Paris on a food tour in Le Marais, the neighbourhood we were staying in. We booked with Paris by Mouth, who do tours in different areas of the city but all focus on bakeries, cheese, and wine. It was a great way to explore the area and learn more about the history of Le Marais while eating amazing French food.
Find out more and discover our favourite places to eat and drink in Paris in our blog here.
Sacre Coeur
This was probably the most typically touristy thing we did in Paris, but I’d never been to Sacre Coeur and wanted to visit. Walking around religious buildings isn’t usually my thing, so we didn't go into the church. But the view from outside, of the building itself and across the city, is worth the uphill trip. It's packed with tourists and people trying to sell you padlocks while city workers are simultaneously removing said padlocks from the fences. But it’s still a beautiful place to spend an afternoon in Paris.
Pigalle
From Scare Coeur, you’re practically in the Pigalle neighbourhood already, so we wandered down towards the Moulin Rouge. This area is known for its nightlife, theatres, and adult shows. But we were there in the middle of the day so didn’t really catch that vibe! Instead, we walked down to the corner of Blvd des Italiens and Rue Laffite where you can look back up the street to an amazing view of Sacre Coeur on top of the hill.
Place des Vosges
This historic square in the south of Le Marais is home to the house of Victor Hugo. It’s also one of the few green spaces in central Paris where you can sit on the grass and have a picnic, so it’s busy in good weather. We sat in the sun here for a while, before heading into Cafe Hugo on the northeastern corner.
Day 3
Marche des Enfants Rouge
This food market in Le Marais dates back to 1615, making it the oldest in Paris. There are stalls selling fresh food and drink, foods to takeaway, wine bars, and both traditional French and multicultural cuisines. It’s also home to a restaurant of the same name where we had some of the best food and drink of the weekend.
Canal Saint Martin
If the weather is good, walking along Canal Saint Martin and stopping in the bars along the way, or buying a bottle of wine and drinking it on the banks like the locals, is a great way to spend an afternoon. You can follow the water for as long as you want. But since it was fairly close to our hotel in Le Marais we only explored the southern couple of kilometres.
Coulee Verte Rene-Dumont
Similar to the New York High Line or Seoullo 7017, this 3km park runs through Paris, and is popular with runners, dog walkers, and people out for a weekend stroll. We walked a stretch of the Coulee Verte on our final morning in Paris, and were surrounded by locals making the most of the park. It’s built along a disused railway line and is covered in greenery, with independent shops and cafes trading out of the arches underneath.