We have listed the most romantic and famous experiences in Paris that we will not return without doing.
If you want to visit the most important places of the city easily with the routes we have planned for you , be sure to take a look at our article on Places to Visit in Paris, and our Paris Travel Guide for every other topic about Paris .
1. See the Most Important Icons of Paris
If you want to see all of them with an effective program by using your time in the most effective way and to squeeze in a pleasant Parisian, let’s take you to our article on Places to Visit in Paris . You can easily make your own routes for each day.
2. Climb to the Top of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe
The two popular icons of the city, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, offer the opportunity to look down on Paris, which is famous for its excellent city planning and elegant architecture. If you ask us, there is no need to date both, choose between them. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages:
The Eiffel Tower is much higher than the Arc de Triomphe. There are 3 different height viewing terraces. In other words, you can watch the city from both the level of the arch and much higher. On the other hand, when you look from the terrace of the Arc de Triomphe, you see a more beautiful view of the city, since you also see the Eiffel Tower. It’s as if a city view, including it, completes the Paris silhouette in our minds. However, we leave the choice up to you. Whichever you decide, be sure to try to buy your ticket online in advance.
You can buy your ticket here to go to the terrace of the Arc de Triomphe . You can buy your ticket
to the top of the Eiffel Tower here.
3. Capture the Best Eiffel Tower Frames
The Eiffel Tower can be seen from different parts of the city, but that doesn’t mean it’s beautifully photographed from everywhere. Once you see the tower, you can expect to find crowds in most places. In places where people cannot enter the square, either the texture of the city does not come out or you may find it difficult to fit yourself into the square. For those of you who are interested in photography or are considering going to the Eiffel Tower, we have prepared a good article: Information about the Eiffel Tower & Best Spots for Photographing
4. Meet the Mona Lisa
It would not be possible to come all the way to Paris and not return without meeting the most famous lady of Paris. We are, of course, talking about the Mona Lisa. Great master Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece, “La Giaconda”, which is considered one of the most valuable paintings in the history of art, with queues in its room in the Louvre Museum, where it is exhibited today, is much more about the story, the secrets of its construction, how it achieved such a reputation and other works to be seen in the museum. You can find more in our Louvre Museum article.
Due to its popularity, the museum can be one of the places where you will find it most difficult to find tickets in Paris. Make sure to buy your Louvre Museum ticket 2 weeks in advance. You can buy your Louvre Museum ticket here.
5. Spend a Pleasant Evening at Roof Top Bars of Paris
You can find our delightful, airy rooftop bar recommendations with a view from Paris in our article What to Eat and Where to Eat in Paris – Famous Restaurants and Cafes .
6. Get Out of Touristic Paris and Discover Hip Paris in Le Marais
To get off the touristic routes and feel the dynamism of Paris today, go to Le Marais, the coolest neighborhood of the city. If you go around 16.00, you will see both its galleries and shops, and how it comes alive as Parisians pour into the venues for the evening.
Click on our Le Marais Guide , in which we have also drawn a very pleasant walking route, to eat at the intimate and boutique bistros of Le Marais, to have a drink at the rooftop bars, to wander in the designer boutiques, to spend a day with street delicacies and a beer toss .
7. Become the Owner of the City by Cycling on the Roads Closed by Pari Roller every Friday at 21.00
Every Friday, Parisians take over the city on their skates, skateboards, and bicycles. The organization called Pari Roller closes the roads for this group, allowing them to enjoy the city. Participation in the tours is completely free. The group gathers in front of the Place Raoul Dautry in the 14th district every Friday at 21:00 and tours the city by skating together on the traffic-free route drawn for that day.
The tour is suitable for skaters of all levels. After all, this is neither a race nor a sports training. Moreover, this tour is open not only to skaters, but also to cyclists, skateboarders and scooterers. You can join with your bike you rented from Velib, Paris’s shared bike network! You can find many alternative Paris suggestions like this one in our Little Known Paris: Alternative Paris Guide .
8. Take a Walk by the Seine
A walk by the Seine River is one of the enjoyable free activities you can do in Paris. If you wish, you can also explore areas where you can take your drink and sandwich and set up a mini table for yourself. Especially the green areas on the edges of Île de la Cité and Île de Saint Louise are two very enjoyable spots where you can take a break and have a picnic after your walk.
9. Spread Out and Have a Picnic in Their Parks
Paris is a very green city, but of course, it is not perceived when you are in this city, but when you look at the map, you can estimate how much space the green areas actually occupy in the city. In every part of the city, there are areas where you can spread out on the grass, read your book, sunbathe or have a picnic.
Although the most famous ones are Jardin de Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens, Bois de Boulogne, Bois de Vincennes and Parc Buttes Chaumont, which are less touristic than these, are popular places preferred by Parisians for picnics. And of course, there is the Champ de Mars with the view of the Eiffel Tower, where we had a picnic in Paris. Around all of them, you can easily find a spot where you can do your shopping before the picnic. If you want to have a wine-cheese-delicacy picnic worthy of France, we have the article for you: The Most Famous French Cheeses
10. Try the Classics of French Cuisine, from Onion Soup to Burgundy Steak
French cuisine is a school in itself. It is so wide that it is possible to find flavors that appeal to all tastes, as well as flavors that will make you think 5-10 times, not twice… We suggest that you be open-minded and give difficult-seeming flavors such as snails a chance. What to Eat in France? You can find the Most Famous French Dishes & Desserts in our article.
11. Do “Flaneur” at Famous French Cafes
Since the 17th century, cafes in Paris have had a great place in city life and social life. Famous writers and philosophers competed in the cafes they frequented, and many famous painters started their careers by eating here in exchange for paintings… Due to the high prices of square meters in Paris, the houses are tiny and the French use cafes as their living room. This ensures that the cafes are always lively.
Since then, eating, drinking and socializing in the city’s cafes and doing “flaneurism” by looking at the past has been a true Parisian classic. Do not forget to spend some time in the city’s delightful cafes whenever you find the opportunity. You will find the most famous French cafes of the city in our article What to Eat and Where to Eat in Paris – Famous Restaurants and Cafes .
12. Catch the Work As Street Artists JR and Invader Are Sprinkling in the City
The Artist Who Turned the Streets of Paris into a Playground: Invader
It is very easy to get to know the works of Invader , which will make you smile with its fun jobs that you can come across in most parts of the city . Because, as in the photo, he places ceramic tile mosaic works that refer to pixel by pixel, nostalgic video games of the 1970s and 80s in the busy parts of the city. It already takes its name from the famous 1978 alien percussion arcade game Space Invaders.
It has over 4,000 operations all over the world and even outside of the world’s borders, one of which is the International Space Station, but about 1,400 of them are in its home city of Paris. While you are wandering around the streets of Le Marais, you can come across some on the top viewing terrace of the Eiffel Tower. The artist enters the number of all his works up-to-date on the map he calls the “world invasion” on his website. In addition, if you download the mobile application Flash Invaders, you must catch the Invaders you see on the street, scan them with the QR code and earn points, a great fun and addictive game awaits you.
Big Talent From the Streets of Paris: JR
French artist JR .perhaps the most notable name to come out of the streets of Paris. He usually takes giant portraits that aim to break down the prejudices of a community and hang them on the city walls. For example, in the “Face 2 Face” project, he hung an Israeli and a Palestinian doing the same job side by side on both sides of the wall separating the border, observing that both peoples could not distinguish who was from who, and made them think that they were not that different after all. He is known for his huge-scale street art projects such as “Inside Out Project”, “Faces Places”, which he has realized all over the world, and the entertaining and award-winning documentary “Places and Faces”, which he shot together with the legendary filmmaker Agnès Varda, known as the “grandmother of the New Wave movement”. The most important feature of JR is that his works are installations on sticky paper. So you can’t find a permanent work of him.
He had great works that he performed in the Louvre Pyramid, in Trocadéro Square, in the Panthéon. After all, the whole city is his canvas. You see, while you are there, you come across a large-scale work. Then don’t forgive. Click to watch the artist’s TED talk about his work and purpose.
13. Play Pétanque in Their Park
Petanque (Pétanque) is a game played on small pebbles, light sandy ground with metal balls, especially favorite of old earth Parisians. A very common outdoor activity in Parisian parks. Especially in the Latin Quarter area, MS. Arènes de Lutèce, a 1st century Roman amphitheater, is one of the ideal places in the city for petanque. This spot, where gladiators once fought, is now the Parisian petanque arena. Other popular petanque playing areas in the city are the Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens. Because the ground of both is ideal for this game.
14. Fill Your Fridge With French Flavors From Artisanal Shops & Markets
At this point, you now know how seriously France takes its food business. Despite the practicality of chain markets, the French still prefer to do their shopping from the connoisseur. For them, cheese is bought from a cheese shop, spices from a spice shop, and wine from a tin. You too can join this ritual when it’s time to fill your governor.
– Fromagerie: When you go to the cheese shop, we recommend you to buy a soft brie that melts in your mouth, munster, which is ravaged by its smell and then surprises with its taste, an aromatic camembert, goat cheese, which is wonderful with pancakes, and moldy roquefort that goes very well with fruit salads.
– Charcuterie: When you enter a French delicatessen, in addition to classic delicatessen products such as ham, sausages, salami and dried meats (saucisson), pate (pâté), t erin (terrine) and mousse ( which we can call pate (foie gras) spread on bread) You will also find different flavors such as mousse), mohair meat ( r illette) and pork blood sausage (boudin). We explained the details in our article on French Cheeses & Delicatessen Products .
– Traiteur: Shops with no seating and take away service, similar to the mezes we have. If you wish, they also heat the things you buy in the microwave so that you can eat them in the park, at a picnic or at home.
– Boulangerie: The best place to grab freshly baked croissants and baguettes.
– Patisserie: The French are so keen that pastry and bakery are separate specialties that they have already enacted their separation. Patisserie has a special respect for dessert. It’s as if you don’t buy those tarts, eclairs, macarons, pate a choux for food, but the attendants with white gloves take them out of the showcase and present them to you in a ritual manner. A truly delightful Parisian experience. You will find very stylish patisseries all over the city. We have explained all of them in detail in our article What to Eat and Where to Eat in Paris – Famous Restaurants and Cafes , but if you ask us to suggest a spot right now, we would say give the patisserie of Cedric Grolet , the “World’s Best Pastry Chef” , a chance in the Opéra region. LocationClick for
15. Take Home the French Fashion
For years, we watched the characters of Türkan Şoray or Filiz Akın, who returned from Paris with shopping packages, so many times in Yeşilçam films that finally coming to Paris = shopping in our country’s subconscious. On top of that, when Paris becomes a fashion capital, one inevitably gets the feeling that one has to buy something in this city.
If you’re after luxury brands, go to Champs Elysée or Avenue Montaigne, but if your goal is to visit the store and experience the shopping mall atmosphere you’re used to, turn the wheel to Galeries Lafayette or its sister Le Printemps. If you say I’m after boutique production for design work, let’s take you to the design and concept stores concentrated in the 2nd and 3rd regions. You can also read them in our Le Marais Guide .
16. Learn the Art Movements Where Paris is Cradle
It is said that before a superstar like New York took the stage and occupied the throne of Paris, the capital of modern art was Paris. Very true; because Paris developed in art by inheriting the economic, political and social environment created by the Enlightenment, French Revolution and Industrial Revolution, and became the center of art movements that spread all over the world in waves in the 19th century, feeding artists who escaped from the oppressive regimes in their own countries and took refuge in France. has become a city that embraces them and creates an environment for their innovative productions and ideas. If you have watched Woody Allen’s movie Midnight in Paris and visited the Orsay Museum , you will be able to visualize what we mean much better.
First, at the end of the 1800s, the Impressionists removed the art of painting from the limits of determined patterns, strict rules and four walls, and made paintings in the open air in line with the impressions they received from nature. Afterwards, Post Impressionist movements emerged in the 1900s, breaking the stereotypes of the Impressionists over time and paving the way for the emergence of many more new arts. Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin, Chagall, Modigliani, Mondrian, Kandinsky and many more had their most creative and productive periods in this city.
In short, when we look back at the history of art, Paris is considered the cradle of arts such as Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism, Expressionism, Chromoluminarism, Pointillism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Art, and Art Nouveau and Art Deco in architecture and design. Although the center of art shifted from Paris to the USA, the country of freedom, in the following period, after the world wars and the following period, the place of Paris in the history of art is an undeniable fact.
17. Watch the Scandalous Lives of Artists Through the Keyhole in Montmartre
After declaring Le Marais the coolest area of Paris, we are now announcing the most sympathetic area of the city. Montmartre! As you can see from the mills dating back to the 1700s, this hilly area was a suburb of the city at that time. Montmartre began to shine in the eyes of the bohemians, other artists and artists of the period when the rents were cheap and the high taxes in the city were not included in the prices of the drinks. Thus, with this crowd who came and settled here, the cobbled, steep and winding streets of Montmartre became the center of entertainment in the 19th century.
You will find traces of Montmartre in most of the Degas, Manet, Van Gogh and Monet paintings you will see in the Orsay Museum . We also discussed how you should plan your trip here in our article on Montmartre, the Sensational Neighborhood of Paris. From there you can find yourself a nice hiking plan.
18. Get to Know the Haussmann Architecture To Which Paris Owes Its Elegant Skyline
The Person Who Literally Rebuilt Paris: Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann
Urban planner and governor who carried out a large-scale urban transformation project between 1853 and 1870. Founder of modern urbanization in one place. Napoleon III decided to turn the narrow streets of Paris into wide boulevards and avenues against epidemics and popular uprisings, during the Belle Époque period, which was a period of peace and optimism, which was experienced towards the end of the 19th century, marked by industrial progress, the population increased, and the period of peace and optimism. He appointed Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann for this task. The classic boulevards, wide avenues, French balcony tradition, star squares and grid-plan streets all similar to each other in Paris are his own creation.
But Haussmann Architecture Has Two Faces
One for the Bourgeoisie and the other for the opponents of the Bourgeoisie. The opponents of the bourgeoisie did not support the urban transformation project of Baron Haussmann, which at that time standardized Paris and imposed only a certain aesthetic in the city center, but defended the rights of the poor people who were displaced during the urban transformation. Haussmann supporters, on the other hand, were very pleased with the arrangements made in this period of prosperity, wealth and pomp.
19. Notice the Art Nouveau Details Decorating the City from Subway Entrances to Building Facades
Art Nouveau, which shined rapidly in Paris when Haussmann architecture came on the scene 30 years after the uniform approach, brought many striking structures to Paris, although it was short-lived due to the First World War. In the city, which is preparing to show itself at the World Fair it hosts, the interior and exterior spaces from subway stations to restaurants are adorned with Art Nouveau. There are many buildings built in this style in many parts of the city. There are about 400 Art Nouveau buildings in the 16th district alone. You can’t go after them one by one after you don’t have 100 days in Paris, but it’s fun to notice when you see them. The most famous are:
– Lavirotte Building , considered the most magical Art Nouveau building in the city . Click for location .
– The iconic “Metropolitain” entrances of the Paris Metro in Art Nouveau style by Hector Guimard are in the status of a historical monument.
Abbesses stop. Click for location .
Porte Dauphine. Click for location .
Place Sainte-Opportune. Click for location .
– The Art Nouveau restaurants of Paris with their magical atmosphere . The 1906 Montparnasse branch of Bouillon Chartier
, the artisan restaurant where the bouillon was invented . Click for location . Poulette , the neighborhood bistro in the Les Halles district, famous for its outstanding Art Nouveau tiled walls dating back to 1906 . Click for location . Maxim’s , featuring designer Pierre Cardin’s personal collection of Art Nouveau decorative arts . Click for location . Vagenende with remarkable Art Nouveau frescoes, mirrors, wooden ornaments and bronze coat racks. Click for location .
Bouillon Racine from 1906, distinguished by its pale green woodwork . Click for location . Boullion Julien
with a finely crafted, imposing mahogany bar, glass panels inspired by the work of Alfons Mucha, and a stained glass ceiling . Click for location . Beefbar reminiscent of a winter garden . Click for location . Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond with carved woodwork and painted mirrors . Click for location .
20. Enjoy the Seine with a Boat Tour
Boat Tour on the Seine
If you’re coming to Paris for the first time, we suggest you take a boat trip to the Seine River, a Paris classic, in order to understand the city’s aura, get to know its silhouette, and find out which iconic building is where. In our opinion, it is much more attractive to watch on the river with these boat tours than to go through the city with hop-on hop-off open-top buses.
Many boat tour companies such as Bateaux Parisiens, Bateaux Mouches, Batobus, Vedettes de Paris organize tours on the Seine River. There is no tour company that we would particularly recommend. All of them make the same route at roughly the same prices, in the same time, in exchange for the same services. All of them take an average of 1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes. All of them have an audio guide service in several languages (unfortunately none of them have Turkish, but English is available). Both sides of the Pont d’Iéna, the bridge leading up to the Eiffel Tower, for most of them their main departure point. When you get there, it will already catch your attention. Click to get the ticket job done up front.
Canal Tour with Electric Boats
As an alternative to classical boat tours, renting an electric boat is also an option. You can rent these electric boats for different time periods from one hour to one day, where you can sail to the river with your group of friends or as two people and have a more boutique experience. The best part is that you do not have to have any license to use these tools. The sandals vary with a maximum capacity of 5, 7 or 11 people.
However, these boats can only be used on the 40-kilometer waterway of the Seine River, which covers only the Saint Martin Canal, the l’Ourcq Canal and the Bassin de la Villette. You cannot enter the inner parts of the city. In other words, this means that you will not be able to see the places visited by boat tour and the iconic structures of the city from the river. Still, keep it in mind as an enjoyable market activity. You can find out more details here .
21. Shuffle Books at Bouquinistes
Saint Germain, the 6th district of Paris famous for its historical cafes, is also famous for its street bookstores called “bouquiniste”, where old books are sold on the sidewalks of the Seine River. It is very enjoyable to rummage through old books in these bouquinistes lined up in rows, even if you don’t speak a word of French. You can also find small souvenirs called “souvenir” in all of them.
22. Breakfast Croissant-Coffee Like a Frenchman
Just as we pair tea and bagels for our breakfast, it’s a good idea to pair coffee and croissant for the French. But in their breakfast understanding, there are no breakfast plates that make a show with a croissant like we do. They mostly put jam between the croissants, even that is a bit of a tourist business. Or they mostly prefer Pain Au Chocolat instead of plain croissant. So, don’t expect frosty versions such as strawberry and banana slices between a lotus cookie cream on a croissant, or a toast with ham, egg and avocado between croissants, as you are used to find in our croissant shops.
As you can find in any cafe in Paris, you can make both your coffee and croissant take away from the bakeries called “boulangerie” and have a drink wherever you want. The most important point here is that not all boulangerie’s croissants are of the same quality. Avoid chain bakeries, try to find an artisanal boulangerie. Du Pain & Des Idées is a very famous bakery that makes croissants using traditional methods from centuries ago. Click for location .
23. Watch the World’s Most Famous Cabarets in the Cabaret’s Birthplace
If you think of only theatrical performance when you think of cabaret, get ready for glitter, sequins, fluffy feathers, transparent clothes, and sexy shows. Like the French version of Paris’ most world-famous cabarets, the Moulin Rouge and the Lido Rio Carnival. You can buy tickets only to the show or to options with drinks or dinner.
– Click to learn about Lido ticket prices and options.
– Click to learn about Moulin Rouge ticket prices and options.
If you want a more sincere Paris cabaret with no sequins, more music or theatre, there is Au Lapin Agile .
24. See the Schedule of the Garnier Opera
It is truly a magnificent experience to watch a performance in the famous opera house of Paris. It will be a very nice evening to watch a ballet or an opera with the elegant French on a magnificent stage in a magnificent building, but you have to take action weeks in advance as tickets are very difficult to find. Click to view the opera ‘s program .
25. See Summer Paris at Temporary Beaches by the Seine
In July and August, the municipality in Paris takes a beating on the Parisians who are overwhelmed by the heat and do not have a sea, and establishes artificial beaches called Paris Plages, both on both banks of the Seine River and in the Bassin de la Vilette area on the northern border of the city. He fills some with grass and decorates them with palm trees and hammocks, and creates a beach environment, albeit artificially, by building pontoon piers over the river for others. Naturally, these “beaches” are very active and enjoyable in the summer.
The most popular is Le Bassin de Villette , a little further from the city center and the tourist crowd . Click for location .
But for those who will say they don’t want to leave the center, Parc Rives de Seine , which covers the coastline of the Seine River from Pont des Arts to Pont de Sully, is also a good option because it is in the middle of the city. Click for location .
26. Become a Child with a Child at Disneyland
There are tons of good activities to do with kids in Paris, but none will satisfy them as much as Disneyland. But don’t worry, because we think Disneyland is a place where everyone, big or small, can spend a day without getting bored. We are sure that you will be more children than children in some attractions. The only problem is that it is 30 kilometers outside of the city and requires a full day as it consists of 2 huge parks.
27. Experience Vietnamese Cuisine
Just as New York and London were populated by Italian and Chinese cultures, there are traces of Vietnamese culture in Paris.
After the French colonized Vietnam in 1858, an interaction had begun between the two populations. Many Vietnamese students go to France to study and when they return to their country they take part in very important assignments. This did not turn into a permanent community within France as most of them had returned, but with the return of 50,000 Veitnams to their country to fight in France in World War I, and the later permanent settlement of the survivors in France, the foundations of the Parisian Vietnamese community, which numbered 100 thousand today, were laid. has been thrown.
Today, there are restaurants in every corner of the city where you can eat delicious Vietnamese dishes at affordable prices. There is a fusion sandwich called Banh Mi made with a Vietnamese-style interior on a French baguette, but we recommend classic Vietnamese dishes such as spring roll and pho. If you book a meal, you won’t regret it! We recommend a few addresses Where and What to Eat in Paris? – You can find it in our article on Famous Restaurants & Cafes .
BONUS: What To Do In Paris At Night
– Neighborhoods That Are The Heart Of The Nights:
Le Marais: Le Marais is by far the most beautiful district of the city to hang out at night. Cool places, people pouring into the streets, cocktail bars, speakeasys… One cannot go home.
Pigalle: Formerly the red light district of the city, Pigalle has changed its face with tourism and many popular bars have opened.
Quartier Latin: Since the city is a student quarter, places are more shabby and prices are more affordable. The environment is very young.
You can find all our venue suggestions in this article .
– Famous Cabarets:
Click for Moulin Rouge ticket. You can view the ticket options by clicking on them. Click for
Lido ticket .
Cabaret Au Lapin Agile is also an intimate cabaret, but don’t expect visuals, costumes and dances like the other two.
– Catch a Performance at the Famous Garnier Opera: You can find tickets here .
– You Watched the City at Roof Top Places: You can find our venue suggestions in this article .
– Blend in with the French in Guinguettes: Guinguettes are cabaret gardens with drinks, food, music, dance, that emerged in the 18th century. Of course, now they have adapted to the trends of the century. The most delightful guinguettes are Rosa Bonheur and La Belle de Gabut .
– Take a Night Tour on the Seine River: Seeing the “City of Lights Paris” on the Seine River, the most beautiful street of Paris, is also a very nice evening activity. During this night cruise, you’ll see Paris’s main attractions, such as Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower or Les Invalides, sparkling. Click for ticket .
