Home » Destinations » Europe » France » Paris » Paris Itinerary: 7 Days
- Last Updated on November 3, 2024
Paris is one of the world’s greatest cities. A capital of fashion, food, and art, it’s no wonder this is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. Spend one afternoon eating patisserie and strolling the romantic boulevards, and you’re sure to fall in love too. This romantic city is packed with enough things to do to fill two weeks. However, you can see most of the sights in a week with this 7-day Paris itinerary.
Table Of Contents - Paris Itinerary
Stroll Montmartre: From Moulin Rouge to Place du Tertre ★★
Paris City Walk ★★★
Musée Rodin ★★
Hotel des Invalides / Napoleon’s Tomb ★
Rue Cler ★
Musée d’Orsay ★★★
Champs-Élysées ★★★
Versailles ★★★
Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) ★★★
Sainte-Chapelle ★★★
Stroll Saint-Germain-des-Prés ★★
Luxembourg Garden (Jardin du Luxembourg) ★
Panthéon ★
Petit Palais / Musée des Beaux-Arts ★
Avoid the Paris Sewer Museum (Les Egouts de Paris)
Versailles ★★★
Giverny ★★
Loire Valley ★★
STAR RATING KEY:
★★★ Top priority
★★ Highly recommended
★ Worthwhile
No Star – Skippable if not interested
Day 1: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
Louvre (Musée du Louvre)
Start your 7-day Paris itinerary visiting The Louvre, which is perhaps the best museum in the world. It holds a huge collection, including masterpieces from Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Reubens, and more. You can’t see the whole museum in a day, so focus on the Denon wing. There are also some interesting Egyptian antiquities in the Sully Wing. Book a timed entry ticket in advance online, as ticket lines are notoriously long.
Pro Tip: Consider taking a guided tour if you aren’t a connoisseur of the arts. Book online when you buy your ticket (at least 2 weeks in advance to guarantee a spot). Offered Fri-Mon at 11:00am.
Cost and Hours: €17 per adult. Open Wed-Mon 9:00am-6:00pm (closes 9:45pm Fridays). Closed Tuesdays.
Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.louvre.fr
Palais Royal
This palace belonged to the French royal family for centuries, and even housed Louis XIV as a child. You cannot visit the building itself, but the grounds can be enjoyed. The courtyard, arcades, and gardens are a delight to stroll, and the site is a quick free stop on your itinerary.
Address: 8 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.domaine-palais-royal.fr/en
Opéra Garnier
This extravagant opera house is in a league of its own. Built in the 1800s by architect Charles Garnier, it is a baroque masterpiece. You must be sure to appreciate the exterior, the interior hallways and foyers, and the auditorium (with its ceiling painted by Marc Chagall). You can do this by attending a show, taking a guided tour, or exploring the public areas on your own.
Cost and Hours: €14 per adult self-guided, €19 each for guided tour. Open 10:00am-5:00pm (check website for guided tour times and occasional auditorium closures due to afternoon performances).
Address: Pl. de l’Opéra, 75009 Paris, France
Website: www.operadeparis.fr
Stroll Montmartre: From Moulin Rouge to Place du Tertre
Montmartre is perhaps the most beautiful neighborhood in Paris and deserves a tour on its own. This is where artists like Picasso and Van Gogh once lived, and where new artists continue to live and work today. Make a point of getting off the beaten path and exploring the side streets. This is easy to do on your own, but you will learn more with a guide. Consider this inexpensive walking tour, which is highly informative, though it can get a little crowded.
Beware, Montmartre is full of steep hills. If you have limited mobility, or aren’t in the mood for a workout, consider the low-priced tourist train guided tour.
Sacre-Coeur
This beautiful church is the focal point of Montmartre. The most important part of any visit to Sacre-Coeur is to stand on the front steps and appreciate the view. Once you have done that, step inside to see mosaics, statues, and the history of this basilica. Don’t miss the mosaic ceiling. This church was built after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian war as a penance for the sins committed by the French during this period. You can climb the ~300 stairs to the top of its unusual dome for more panoramic views of Paris.
Cost and Hours: Free to enter church, €9 to climb the dome. Open daily 6:30am-10:30pm (dome open 10:30am-8:30pm).
Address: 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris, France
Website: www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
Day 2: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
Paris City Walk
Walking around Paris is one of the most important activities you must make time for on your trip. You can easily explore the city on your own, and there are several separate neighborhoods to stroll in this 7-day Paris itinerary. However, some people prefer a guided experience. If that’s you, there are tons of options for this. We recommend taking a walk with the company Paris Walks, as they are uniformly recommended by everyone. However, their website is not user-friendly, and their walks are all very specifically themed. If none of those themes seem interesting to you, go for a more general walk. For this, companies come and go – click the link to find the best walking tour of Paris for the day you have in mind.
Musée Rodin
This exceptional museum displays hundreds of Rodin’s sculptures in perhaps the most beautiful museum setting in Paris. The collection is held in an 18th century mansion in the middle of a large French garden. The estate was originally owned by Rodin himself and donated to the government to host this museum. The sheer number of works here can be overwhelming. We recommend starting your visit in the interior to explore the bulk of the collection. When you’re done inside, head to the garden cafe for a snack (sit outside if you can). Finish your visit by walking through the garden, enjoying the collection of bronzes.
Cost and Hours: €13 per adult, free the first Sunday of every month from Oct-Mar. Open Tues-Sun 10:00am-6:30pm. Closed Mondays.
Address: 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-rodin.fr/en
Hotel des Invalides / Napoleon’s Tomb
This complex hosts a variety of sights. The most important of these is Napoleon’s oversized tomb, under its grand dome. You can also see the Army Museum (Musée de l’Armée), one of the world’s largest military museums, which covers French battles over the centuries.
Cost and Hours: €14 per adult. Open daily 10:00am-6:00pm.
Address: 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-armee.fr/en
Rue Cler
Rue Cler is a small pedestrian market street near the Eiffel Tower. This is a traditional Parisian street, with its bakery (boulangerie), cheese shop (fromagerie), fish store (poissonnerie), produce market, and confectionery. This is where locals (and tourists) come to buy things to fill their picnic baskets. We highly recommend stopping in one of the shops for a snack. Take your pick of the stores, depending on what food you’re in the mood for – everything we have had here has been delicious.
Address: Rue Cler, 75007 Paris, France
Stroll Along the Seine
Strolling along the Seine is one of the most important activities on this 7-day Paris itinerary. Look for areas where there is a pedestrian promenade next to the water (below street level). This is present in most tourist areas, but the sections that have been particularly beautified by the city are on the Left Bank between Pont d’Alma and Musée d’Orsay, and on the Right Bank between the Tuileries gardens and Place de la Bastille. This is one of the few activities that you will find tourists and locals alike enjoying. You can even take a bottle of wine down there and enjoy it picnic-style with your feet dangling over the water. During the summer, the city of Paris even trucks in a bunch of sand and creates beaches on these banks (more on Paris beaches here.)
For map details, click on the icon in the top left corner.
Cruise The Seine
The Seine river is so integral to Paris that it is only right that you spend some of your sightseeing time on the water. These cruises are touristy, to be sure, but there is no other way to get this experience. We recommend taking this one-hour Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower. It can be done at any time, but we like to go just after sunset when the sights start to be illuminated. You can also book a dinner cruise for an unforgettable meal on the Seine.
Day 3: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
Musée d’Orsay
This is the best impressionist painting museum on earth. If you love impressionism, a journey here is nothing short of a pilgrimage. You will see the best combined collection of Degas, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Pissarro. This is one of our favorite museums in Europe.
Cost and Hours: €16 per adult. Free the first Sunday of every month (online booking recommended). Open Tues-Sun 9:30am-6:00pm (closes 9:45pm Thurs). Closed Mondays.
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-orsay.fr/en
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
This worthwhile museum tells the story of style in terms of decorative objects. The collection is widespread, including paintings, furniture, wallpaper, fashion, advertising, and more. Organized roughly chronologically, you can see how society’s tastes evolved over time. Buying tickets online is recommended, particularly for weekend visits.
Cost and Hours: €14 per adult. Open Tues-Sun 11:00am-6:00pm.
Address: 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Website: madparis.fr
Jardin des Tuileries
This beautiful garden, designed for Catherine de Medici in the 1500s, stretches from the Louvre to Place de la Concorde. It is one of the biggest gardens in Paris, and the most central. You will certainly visit this place during your trip, as you will inevitably have to walk through it at some point. These park grounds are full of manicured foliage, fountains, sculptures, groves, and flowerbeds. This is the perfect spot to rest your feet after a long day at the Louvre.
Musée de l’Orangerie
This museum hosts perhaps the most famous impressionist paintings of all time – Monet’s Nympheas (water lilies). These two small rooms of huge paintings are a very quick, but highly rewarding stop on this 7-day Paris itinerary. You can skip the rest of the museum, unless you have a particular interest.
Cost and Hours: €12.50 per adult. Free the first Sunday of every month (online booking mandatory). Open Wed-Mon 9:00am-6:00pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Address: Jardin Tuileries, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-orangerie.fr/en
Place de la Concorde
This square, which marks one end of the Champs-Élysées, is one of France’s greatest. It has been an important square since its inauguration in the 1800s. Not only is it beautiful, with its palatial buildings and ancient Egyptian obelisk, it is also a significant historic landmark. This was the site of the executions of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.
Address: 75008 Paris, France
Place Vendome
This square is one of the most elegant in Paris. It is perfectly proportioned, with symmetrical facades and a regal center. It originally surrounded a statue of King Louis XIV, but this was destroyed by Revolutionaries. Napoleon later replaced this with a large column celebrating his military successes and topped it with a statue of himself. This was subsequently destroyed by rebels, but was later rebuilt.
The famous composer Chopin lived and died here at No 12. Napoleon III’s mistress Eugénie de Montijo (whom he later married) also lived at No 12 and carried on an affair with him before he became emperor.
Address: Pl. Vendôme, 75001 Paris, France
Day 4: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
If you have extra time on this day, consider adding the Petit Palais / Musée des Beaux-Arts to your itinerary.
Champs-Élysées
First opened in the 1600s, the Champs-Élysées is the quintessential Parisian boulevard. For hundreds of years, Paris has been famous for its broad, tree-lined boulevards, which have inspired cities around Europe. Whether you go for the cafés, shopping, or people watching, no visit to Paris is complete without a stroll down this street.
Address: Champs-Elysees, Paris, France
Arc de Triomphe
This arch was built by Napoleon in the 1800s to commemorate the French Imperial Army and their many military victories. It has survived to be a symbol of France and has witnessed the most important moments in history since, including the burial of the ashes of the unknown soldier who fought in WWI, the arrival of the Nazis, and General de Gaulle’s victory lap after the end of German occupation. You can appreciate it from the outside for free, or pay to climb 284 stairs to reach the top for skyline views of Paris, with particularly good views of the Champs-Élysées. Buy your ticket online to save time at the entrance.
Pro Tip: Don’t cross the traffic circle to get to the arch; instead use the underpass near the Champs-Élyées metro entrance.
Cost and Hours: €13 per adult, free admission the first Sunday of every month from Nov-Mar. Open daily 10:00am-11:00pm.
Address: Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France
Website: www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
Musée Jacquemart-André
Perhaps the city’s best small museum, the Musée Jacquemart-André houses the private collection of Edouard André and his wife Nélie Jacquemart in their 19th century mansion. The art is wide-ranging and international, with paintings from French, Italian, and Dutch masters, including Boucher, Botticelli, and Rembrandt. The museum also boasts a fair amount of decorative items and furniture. The mansion itself is a draw, particularly the dining room (now the cafe), with its ceiling painted by Tiepolo. Make a point of stopping in this delightful space to have a snack or light lunch.
Cost and Hours: €12 per adult. Open daily 10:00am-6:00pm (closes at 8:30pm Mondays during exhibitions).
Address: 158 Bd Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France
Website: www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com
Musée Marmottan Monet
This museum consists primarily of paintings donated by artist Claude Monet’s son Michel after Claude’s death. This is the largest collection of Monet paintings in the world. It also includes a number of works that Monet collected by his contemporary impressionists. This museum is absolutely stuffed with paintings of this specific genre, making it a must-see for fans of impressionism.
Cost and Hours: €12. Open Tues-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm (closes 9:00pm Thurs). Closed Mondays.
Address: 2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 Paris, France
Website: www.marmottan.fr/en/
Bois de Boulogne
This enormous park is to Paris what central park is to New York City. It was a hunting ground for French kings for centuries, until it was opened to the public by King Louis XVI. Today, it is a place for urbanites to exercise, eat, drink, relax, and unwind. This huge park boasts 2 lakes, various ponds, waterfalls, green spaces, and streams, as well as multiple restaurants and cafes. See the website below for details. Particularly nice spots include the areas surrounding the lakes, as well as the Parc de Bagatelle.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open 24 hours a day.
Day 5: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
Versailles
A day trip to Versailles is a must on this 7-day Paris itinerary. This is perhaps the most famous palace in the world, and the one that inspired so many others around Europe. These stunning grounds were the residence of French kings and queens until the French Revolution. Today, you can (and should) tour the palace, gardens, and the Trianon / Marie Antoinette’s estate.
Pro Tips: Crowds can be insane – buy a timed-entry ticket online in advance to save time at the entrance. Avoid Tuesdays and weekends if you can.
If you don’t have time for all three stops, skip the Trianon / Marie Antoinette’s estate.
Beware – the fountains are only turned on during “Musical Fountain Shows” (click the link for the schedule).
Getting There: Getting to Versailles is easy. Take the RER – C from Paris. Use Google Maps to get from your hotel to an RER – C stop.
Cost and Hours: €22 per adult (€29 on fountain show days). Palace open daily 9:00am-6:30pm (closes 5:30pm Nov-Mar). Trianon open 12:00pm-6:30pm (closes 5:30pm Nov-Mar). Gardens open 8:00am-8:30pm (close 6:00pm Nov-Mar).
Address: Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles, France
Website: en.chateauversailles.fr
Place du Trocadéro
This is hands-down the best place to see the Eiffel Tower. It’s worth going out of your way to go there. After all, if there’s one thing you need from your trip to Paris, it’s a good picture of the Eiffel Tower. There are great benches and grassy areas here to have a picnic or just sit and relax for a while.
Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel)
Visiting the Eiffel Tower is the most iconic activity you can do on this 7-day Paris itinerary. This is the most visited monument in the world. You can go to the base of the tower for free, or pay to go up to the top for spectacular views of the city. (2nd floor views are also great and are about half the price). You can even have dinner at one of the Eiffel Tower restaurants. You should buy your timed-entry ticket online in advance, as the ticket line can be hours long. Expect long lines and serious crowding throughout the experience, even with advance tickets.
Pro Tip: Arrive 15-30 minutes prior to your time to get through security. You must bring an ID that matches the name on your ticket (they may or may not actually check it). Non-folding strollers and large bags are prohibited (normal-sized backpacks are fine).
Cost and Hours: €27 to go to the top, €17 to go to the 2nd floor. Open 9:30am-10:45pm (open 9:00am-11:45pm Jun 18 – August 31).
Address: Champ de Mars, 5 Av. Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France
Website: www.toureiffel.paris
Day 6: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
If you have extra time on this day, consider adding the Jardin des Plantes or Pantheon to your itinerary.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral is the most famous church in the world. With its stained glass, pointed spires, and gargoyle-studded flying buttresses, it is the epitome of gothic architecture. Having survived since the 1100s, the church has witnessed France evolve over the centuries since Napoleon was crowned here. This once was the most important landmark to visit in Paris. Unfortunately, the amazing interior was closed following a fire in 2019, and continues to be closed indefinitely. The exterior is also often barricaded off. Therefore, as long as you see Notre-Dame from the Seine, that is enough of a visit for now.
Cost and Hours: Closed indefinitely.
Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France
Website: www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/
Sainte-Chapelle
This chapel is the most magnificent example of Gothic stained glass in the world. It is a relatively small building, but definitely worth the stop. The upper level of the chapel is the main attraction here. Purchase tickets in advance online to avoid a long line at the entrance.
Pro Tip: If you’re also visiting the Conciergerie, buy the combo ticket to save a few euros.
Cost and Hours: €11.50. Open daily 9:00am-7:00pm (closes 5:00pm Oct-Mar).
Address: 10 Bd du Palais, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.sainte-chapelle.fr
Conciergerie
This former prison is brimming with historical significance. Thousands of supposed enemies of the French Revolution were held here, many of whom were executed. This includes the most famous resident of the Conciergerie, Marie Antoinette. She was held here prior to her execution by guillotine. Buy your ticket online to avoid problems getting through security.
Pro Tip: If you’re also visiting Saint-Chapelle, buy the combo ticket to save a few euros.
Cost and Hours: €11.50 per adult. Open daily 9:30am-6:00pm.
Address: 2 Bd du Palais, 75001 Paris, France
Website: www.paris-conciergerie.fr
Stroll Saint-Germain-des-Prés
This aristocratic neighborhood is filled to the brim with inviting cafes, luxury shopping, and well-to-do Parisians. Although it is expensive, it isn’t stuffy, so it’s a great place to walk around and stop for a coffee. The main thoroughfare is Boulevard Saint-Germain – stick to this for the backbone of your walk, but make sure to make your way a block or two off of the boulevard every once in a while for a look at the more residential side of this neighborhood.
Pro Tip: This is a good stroll to combine with the Latin Quarter, as Boulevard Saint-Germain will eventually lead you right past the area.
Stroll the Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter is the hip, youthful neighborhood in the 5th arrondissement. It was named this way because, since medieval times, it has had a high concentration of universities (in that age all classes were taught in Latin). Today, it continues to have the bohemian, international vibe that comes with a high proportion of student residents. Unfortunately, a lot of the historic streets have been co-opted by cheap gyro shops or big business, and the area has lost some of its charm. Despite this, it is still one of the top neighborhoods to visit. You can find some remaining authenticity on the back streets at the eastern edge of the quarter.
Address: Latin Quarter, Paris, France
Luxembourg Garden (Jardin du Luxembourg)
This beautiful park is one of the best in Paris. Hidden behind the Palais de Luxembourg (the French Senate building), this garden is lush. Complete with ponds, flower beds, lawns, and sculptures, it resembles an Italian Renaissance garden. In fact, this is what the Italian-born French queen Marie de Medici wanted when she had the palace built in the 1600s. This is the perfect place for a picnic, romantic stroll, or just taking a break from your busy 7-day Paris itinerary.
Cost and Hours: Free. Hours vary drastically throughout the year; check the Luxembourg Garden website for detailed hours.
Address: 75006 Paris, France
Day 7: Paris Itinerary For 7 Days
If you have extra time on this day, consider adding the Carnavalet Museum or Catacombs to your itinerary.
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
This cemetery holds the graves of some of the most famous Parisians and makes for an interesting stroll. Pisarro, Chopin, Jim Morrison, and Oscar Wilde are buried here, among others. The cemetery is big and rambling; use this map to find graves of those you’re interested in. Don’t miss the tombstone of Oscar Wilde, the most beloved resident.
Cost and Hours: Free. Opening hours vary, check the Pere Lachaise website for detailed hours.
Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France
Pompidou Center
This cultural center is one of the most unusual and most visited buildings in France. It was designed with an exoskeleton theme, having the building’s supports and transportation systems on the outside to free up room on the inside. The actual museum, the Musée National d’Art Moderne (the National Museum of Modern Art), is on the 4th and 5th floors. Here you will see works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Andy Warhol, and more. If you love modern art, this is a must-see. If you hate modern art, this museum isn’t going to change your mind.
Cost and Hours: €14 per adult. Open Wed-Mon 11:00am-9:00pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Address: 19 Rue Beaubourg, 75004 Paris, France
Website: www.centrepompidou.fr
Picasso Museum
This museum boasts the world’s largest collection of Picasso’s works. It spans the lifetime of the artist and demonstrates the various styles he exhibited, including impressionism, cubism, mannerism, and deconstructionism. Buy your ticket online in advance to avoid long lines at the entrance.
Cost and Hours: €14 per adult. Free the first Sunday of every month. Open Tues-Sun 10:30am-6:00pm (opens 9:30am weekends). Closed Mondays.
Address: 5 Rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris, France
Website: www.museepicassoparis.fr/en
Place des Vosges
On this square once stood a royal palace, at which King Henri II was killed during a joust. His wife, Catherine de Medici, had the palace destroyed following his death. Her son, Henri IV, had this square erected in its place. Today, this plaza is perhaps the prettiest in Paris. Its encompassing red brick townhomes give it an unusually symmetric architecture. Its central manicured gardens make a beautiful oasis of peace within this busy city.
Address: Pl. des Vosges, 75004 Paris, France
If You Have Time, Add To Your Paris Itinerary
Jardin des Plantes
This botanical garden is a great place for a stroll. It was created in the 17th century as a medicinal plant garden for King Louis XIII, but in the 1700s became the scientific institution it is today. Even now, plant science is being investigated here. But that’s not what you go for – you go to walk around the manicured gardens, and there are plenty of those. The site also houses a small zoo (the oldest zoo in the world), which is interesting, but probably not worth your limited time in Paris.
Cost and Hours: Garden admission is free, other areas (like the zoo) have additional costs. Open daily 7:30am-8:00pm Apr-Sept, 8:00am-5:30pm Oct-Mar.
Address: 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
Website: www.jardindesplantesdeparis.fr/en
Panthéon
This building, modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, was built as a Christian church in the time of King Louis XV. During the Revolution, however, the building was altered to instead glorify the nation. It has since become a resting place for some of France’s most important citizens, including Marie and Pierre Curie, Voltaire, and Rousseau.
Cost and Hours: €11.50 per adult. Open daily 10:00am-6:00pm.
Address: Pl. du Panthéon, 75005 Paris, France
Website: www.paris-pantheon.fr/en
Petit Palais / Musée des Beaux-Arts
This free museum holds an extensive collection ranging from Greek antiquities to the 1900s. There are paintings by masters such as Monet, Degas, Rubens, Pisarro, Rembrandt, and Cézanne. It must be said, however, that you won’t see any famous works by these artists – it is mostly second-tier art you will see here. This is still excellent for a free museum, and a worthwhile stop for those on a budget. However, for those with limited time, who only want to see the most important works of art, stick to the 2- and 3-star museums.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open Tues-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm. Closed Mondays.
Address: Av. Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris, France
Website: www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en
Carnavalet Museum
This fascinating museum tells the story of Paris from prehistoric times to modern day. Rather than being a stuffy museum with lots to read, it recounts Parisian history through artifacts, paintings, models, and even furnished rooms.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open Tues-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm. Closed Mondays.
Address: 23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris, France
Website: www.carnavalet.paris.fr/en
Catacombs
This unique site comprises the bones of about 6 million Parisians. They came from various cemeteries that were determined to be health hazards. Each time this happened, the bones from the cemetery were piled into this quarry. Eventually, that pile of bones was arranged into wall art to form the catacombs. Beware – while morbidly interesting, this attraction is narrow, cold, damp, and dim. Not recommended for small children or the claustrophobic. Online booking is mandatory.
Cost and Hours: €29. Open Tues-Sun 9:45am-8:30pm. Closed Mondays.
Address: 1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France
Website: www.catacombes.paris.fr/en
Practical Info
Getting Around Paris
Paris is easy to get around. You can get anywhere on the subway (AKA metro). Avoid bringing a car into Paris.
How To Avoid Pickpockets
Paris is one of the world’s top destinations for pickpockets. You always have to be on the lookout. Assume anyone trying to get your attention is just creating a ruse for someone else to pickpocket you. This includes people begging for money, offering to give you directions, trying to sell you things, etc. The only sure way to keep your things safe is to keep your valuables in a money belt tucked into your clothes. However, neither of us is willing to do that, so we just hold onto our valuables tightly in crowded places and maintain hyper alertness. If we carry a backpack, we always wear it in front on the street and in the metro.
Avoid The Paris Sewer Museum (Les Egouts de Paris)
Do not go to this museum! There is minimal signage and little to learn from a visit here. Most importantly, you will literally be walking around looking into a bunch of sewer streams. You can see and smell the human feces floating with the current. Avoid at all costs.
Day Trips From Paris
Versailles
Versailles is hands-down the best day trip from Paris. It is a must-see sight, and a quick metro ride away from the center of town. That’s why we have already scheduled it in this 5-day Paris itinerary. See info above to plan your visit.
Giverny
Giverny is a must for Monet fans. This is the home of Claude Monet’s garden, which he created and used as inspiration for hundreds of paintings. Walking through this garden is like walking into an impressionist painting. Best of all, Giverny is only about 75 minutes from Paris. See our guide for a day trip to Giverny from Paris.
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is considered an “outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty” by UNESCO. This is where French royalty built their castles during medieval times and their palaces during the Renaissance. This region is full to the brim with historic towns, villages, and outstanding châteaux to choose from. See our Loire Valley day trip itinerary to plan your trip.
Normandy D-Day Sights
June 6th, 1944, D-Day, is perhaps the single most significant day in World War II history. It marked the beginning of the end for Hitler and his allies. This is the day that allied forces landed in Normandy as part of the largest seaborne invasion in history. There is so much to see in this area, you really need several days to cover it all. Unfortunately, you also need a guide to understand what you’re seeing, so it’s not practical to take more than one day seeing the sites. Our day trip to Normandy itinerary covers the major D-Day beaches and related sites.
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