Things to do in Paris

The first time you visit Paris, you’ll wonder how you’re going to fit all its fantastic sights into one holiday. With British Airways you can pre-book some attractions before you go. Spend more time in patisseries and less time planning with our great Paris experiences.

Much of Paris is simply unmissable. The Eiffel Tower, the River Seine, the Arc de Triomph, the Palace of Versailles and Notre Dame – plus museums like the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre – find their way onto most top 10 lists. But Paris is much more than the sum of its sights. It’s a city that’s brimful of feeling. It ripples with pleasure in the evenings, when the Eiffel Tower puts on an hourly illuminations, and it shimmers in springtime – when chandeliers of chestnut blossom illuminate the boulevards. Sit back and soak it all in. Sometimes the best thing to do in Paris is nothing at all.

Paris attractions

Get the most out of Paris by pre-booking the four-day Paris Pass. Go up high to see many Paris landmarks at once: climb the Arc de Triomphe or ascend the Montparnasse Tower for city views. Or see the city from the waterline. Book a cruise along the River Seine and you’ll spot many great Parisian sights, including the Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Paris museums

Paris has some of the greatest art collections in the world. You’ll need a day to explore the highlights of the Louvre, but a couple of hours will allow you to make the most of the Picasso Museum or the sculpture gardens at the Musée Rodin. Everyone knows that twentieth century art is well-represented in the city by the impressive collection at the Musée d'Orsay, but far fewer people go to the Musée national de Moyen Âge (Museum of the Middle Ages) to see The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.

High-end shopping

Forget the Champs-Élysées with its ten lanes of traffic – and instead walk two streets over to the more pedestrian-friendly Rue Saint-Honoré. High-end shops like Bonpoint, Maje and Lanvin sit waiting for you to peer through their windows. Alternatively, save yourself a walk by riding the escalators to the upper floors of Le Bon Marché, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette: Paris’s legendary department stores.

Classic French gastronomy

Whatever you’re doing, you’ve no excuse not to eat well in Paris: whether that’s a quick croque at a bakery, a leisurely ‘formule midi’ (set lunch menu) at a brasserie or a Michelin-starred concoction from a kitchen of connoisseurs. Save room for maracons: Ladurée serves some fine examples of this feather-light confection in its multiple boutiques.

Evening soirées

Paris is synonymous with showmanship. Venues like Le Moulin Rouge, Le Crazy Horse and the Paris Lido are world-famous for putting on edgy soirées. Looking for a quiet drink? Parisians might drink Ricard as an apertif before their meal, but afterwards you could try a French 75 (ask for a ‘soixante quinze’) – a sophisticated sparkling cocktail of gin and champagne.

Unusual things to do

Been there, done that, but want to go again? You might have missed the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton, which opened in 2014 to the west of the city centre. Whilst you’re in the area, spend some time chanelling Marie Antoinette in the charming, rose-strewn Parc de Bagatelle. In the city centre, don’t miss Saint Chapelle. This exquisite church near Notre Dame has some of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the world.