Free walking tours in Paris and what to see

Must-sees

Paris is best explored by following the Seine. On the Île de la Cité stand Notre-Dame cathedral, reopened after the 2019 fire, and the Sainte-Chapelle, with its Gothic stained glass. Downstream comes the Louvre, a former royal palace turned museum, and opposite, across the water, the Musée d’Orsay, devoted to 19th-century art and Impressionism. Further west, the Eiffel Tower rises over the Champ de Mars, and the Trocadéro gives you the classic view. The Arc de Triomphe closes off the Champs-Élysées.

The neighbourhoods are as appealing as the monuments. The Marais keeps old mansions, the Place des Vosges and streets full of shops and cafés. On the Left Bank, the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés combine bookshops, the Sorbonne and the Luxembourg Gardens. Montmartre, on top of its hill, has the Sacré-Cœur basilica, the Place du Tertre and views over the whole city.

Free tours and guided visits

The choice is huge. There are free walking tours of the historic centre and a dedicated one in Montmartre, to explore the painters’ quarter with someone who tells you its story. If you prefer a guided visit inside a museum, there is a guided tour of the Louvre, useful for not getting lost in its galleries. You can also book tickets to the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, take a boat trip on the Seine or hop on the sightseeing bus, which lets you get on and off at the main stops.

How long to spend

Three days covers the essentials without rushing: one for the Île de la Cité, the Louvre and the Tuileries, another for the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées and a boat trip, and a third for the Marais and Montmartre. With five days you can take your time in the Orsay, explore the Left Bank and take a day trip to Versailles. Book tickets for the big museums and the Eiffel Tower well in advance.

Where to stay

To have almost everything within walking distance, stay in the centre: the Marais, the Latin Quarter or Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with small hotels in old buildings. Montmartre is quieter with a neighbourhood feel, although it is a little further from the river. Around the Eiffel Tower the area is residential and elegant. Paris has a very dense metro network, so being near a major station matters more than the exact neighbourhood.