Paris is one of the most famous cities in the world, and it is for a reason. The city is famous for the great food, gorgeous buildings, cute bakeries, museums, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Although it can be pretty expensive, this city cannot be missed in the world and should absolutely be on your bucket list. I have been in Paris several times, but I did not always visit the big sights like the Eiffel Tower, so the pictures may not always be perfect. I did some hidden gems as well, so keep reading on what to do in the capital of France!

Have a relaxed moment in Luxembourg Park

As many cities, there are nice parks in the city. Luxembourg Park is a perfect park to have a small beer and relax. There is often some live music, which is always one of my favourite things to watch or experience. The park is cute and a good place to escape the busy streets of Paris.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: 1 hour

Explore the renewed Notre Dame

On the 15th of April in 2019, the famous church Notre Dame burnt and was in a bad state. Recently the building was recovered, and you can visit one of the best sights in Paris again. When I visited, it was not open yet, but I could see the gorgeous exterior of the building. You cannot miss this sight on the island Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 1 hour

Enjoy the typical French food from the markets

The French cuisine is probably one of the best in the world, and walking in a market and smelling all the fantastic products is one of my favourite things to do in Paris, but actually in the whole of France. In markets you have fantastic bread, typical tasty croissants, delicious pâté and many more. I was walking in the early morning in Paris, and out of the blue I smelt the bread, and I was searching straight away because I wanted to eat that bread!

Price: Free, but the food is not. However, food on markets is definitely cheaper than other ways to eat in Paris

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: Depending on each market, but each day take half an hour 

Experience Arabic vibes in the Grande Mosque

This site is an absolute hidden gem in Paris. The Grand Mosque is the biggest mosque in France, and you can walk around. While feeling like you're in Northern Africa, enjoy the culture of Islam. The mosque has several interesting and gorgeous rooms to visit, and there is a lovely garden as well. For me, this is a very interesting and surprising sight in the heart of Paris. Paris has a large number of Muslims, so in my opinion, a visit to a mosque is part of its culture.

Price: €3 

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: Around 30 minutes to an hour.

Have a stroll on Rue Mouffetard

In my opinion Rue Mouffetard is one of the nicest streets in the city as it has a variety of different lovely shops like bakeries, butchers, bookshops, places to grab some food, and more. The cobblestone streets make the atmosphere even more interesting. This may not be a must-do, but when you are in the area, do not hesitate to walk on it.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: Around 30 minutes.

Feel weird in the Catacombs of Paris

In the Catacombs of Paris lie bones of around six million anonymous dead Parisians, and you can walk through it and learn about the history of the city. The catacombs were created in the nineteenth century, as the cemeteries were too full. Nowadays you can walk through the tunnels, which are 290 kilometres long (you can only visit a small area of it), and at several points there are stops, where you can listen to the audio guide, which gives a lot of good information. Seeing the bones and skulls of people is something special and feels a bit rough at the beginning. However, this is a must-visit site in Paris. Make sure you make a reservation.

Price: €31 for adults

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How much time needed: 1.5-2 hours

Visit some restaurant and bars in Butte aux Cailles

Butte aux Cailles is one of my favourite, or maybe even my favourite regions in Paris. There are some very good restaurants, such as La Bonne Mer, which serves fantastic fish. On the corner there are a lot of bars, where many locals and students are going. The bars can be with loud music or a relaxed vibe with drinking a beer on a terrace. We also came to a bar with some live music, and it had the real French feeling. Some nice bars are Taverne de la Butte and La Diapason, but there are many more!

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: An evening including dinner and having drinks at several venues

Visit the museum of modern art Centre Pompidou

Paris has many great museums, but when you are interested in modern art, Centre Pompidou is a not-to-miss sight. The building with the iconic tubes is very odd looking between the classical buildings in the surroundings. There are often expositions, but for me the collection is sufficient for a first-time visit, even though there are many other cultural events. The collection consists of paintings and other art by many big artists throughout the world, like Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Piet Mondriaan, and many more. At the top, you will have a lovely view over the city. This is an absolutely fantastic museum to spend a couple of hours.

Price: €15 for the collection as an adult rate, but there are many exceptions. Check out the website for discounts and other prices.

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: 2-3 hours

Have a bite or drink at Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges

I randomly bumped into this cute market, and it was a shame it was already packing up. The market is small, but it has a good variety of food and drinks in a very good atmosphere. It can be a bit crowded, but it is absolutely worth a visit when in Paris. Check out the market before you make a decision on what to eat.

Price: Free, outside of the food and drinks of course.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How much time needed: 1 hour

Make a visit to the gorgeous Sacre Coeur (and enjoy a walk in Montmartre)

The Sacré-Cœur may be the most interesting sight in Paris. The church was built in 1887 and stands proudly on one of the hills in Paris, so you can see it from many places (for example, from the Centre Pompidou) throughout the city. The building is very impressive with its round shapes and the gorgeous statues. On the base of the church, you have a fantastic view over Paris, and the region Montmartre in the area is absolutely worth visiting, however touristic. You can visit the inside of the church for free, which I recommend, even though you have to wait in line. However, the inside is less impressive than the outside.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very high. There will be a line to get in, but it moved very fast, so the waiting time is very short.

How much time needed: 1 hour

See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre

The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the entire world because it has many famous paintings and statues, like the Venus of Milo, Napoleon crossing the Alps, and of course the Mona Lisa of Leonardo Da Vinci, the most famous painting in the world. If you don't enter the museum, it is also worth walking around it with its pyramid made out of glass and the gorgeous buildings.

Price: €22

Tourist occurrence: Very high. There probably will be a line to get in, but booking in advance is a good solution, but no guarantee.

How much time needed: 2 hours

Watch the park and street art in Belleville

Belleville is a cute neighbourhood east of the city centre. The region is famous for its park with nice views of Paris, cute shops, and several streets with a lot of street art. This is a good region to have a relaxed stroll without too many other people walking. This is not one of the highlights, but it is very good in combination with Père-Lachaise (see below).

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: 1-2 hours

Be impressed by the cemetery Père-Lachaise

Every time you walk in a cemetery, it feels a bit awkward, but visiting Père-Lachaise is a must-do. This is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world, with very impressive graves. The lanes are gorgeous with beautiful trees and perfectly placed graves. Some famous people are buried here like Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Low

How much time needed: 1 hour

Understand what happened on Place de la Bastille

At first sight, Place de la Bastille is not the most interesting spot in Paris, but when you understand what happened at this spot, the square is more interesting. In 1789 the prison with many undeserved prisoners was attacked and destroyed by civilians, which was the start of the French Revolution. There is a obelisk and a small information sign, but not much more.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: 15 minutes

Have a walk and a drink next to the Seine

The Seine is the mighty river going through the whole city. It has many sights very close to it, like the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame, and Place de la Concorde. I really enjoy walking next to the river, especially when the sun is out. You can have a drink next to it at some locations, such as Rives de Seine chez Daniel. It is almost impossible not to cross at one of the gorgeous bridges on the Seine during your trip in Paris.

Price: Free

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: Depending on if you want to drink something and how many kilometres you walk besides the river. To cross the city centre next to the Seine without stops will take around two hours. To stop for food, drinks, and sights, it can take a whole day. The Seine goes way further than only the city centre.

Watch the incredible Eiffel Tower

As said before, I am not always visiting the Eiffel Tower, so the picture is terrible. The Eiffel Tower is the most famous building in the world, and it is impossible not to visit it on your first visit to Paris. The building is way higher than I expected, and it is a great sight. You can visit two different levels, and you can choose what platform you want to go to. To the second floor, you can take the stairs or the elevator, where I definitely prefer taking the stairs (because it is cooler and less expensive), but to the top, you have to take the elevator. The top had a large line, so I recommend going only to the second floor, but you can go to the top as well, of course. In the evening the tower enlightens in a very cool way. The security is more strict than when I was there, so this could be different now.

Price: To visit by elevator it is €36,10 to visit both floors, and €23,10 only for the second floor. If you want to take the stairs and elevator it costs €27,50 to visit both floors and €14,50 only for the second floor accessed by stairs.

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How much time needed: 1-3 hours depending on your pace, how to access the tower, and how many floors you want to visit.

See the crazy traffic around the Arc de Triomph

Although it is cool, for me the Arc de Triomphe is one of the overrated sights in Paris. I did not visit the site at my last two visits in the city. It is cool, but I do not recommend going to the top because it is pretty expensive. The gate is impressive from the outside, so for me, the need to get up the site and pay a high amount is not necessary. The view above is very good, though, and for a first-time traveller to Paris, I can imagine visiting the gate, but there are better things to do. The traffic around here is crazy and a lovely sight, as it is next to the famous street (but not very interesting for me), Champs-Élysées.

Price: €16

Tourist occurrence: High

How much time needed: Maximum 1 hour, but can also a very short visit

Things I have not done (or do not remember properly), but can be interesting

• Musee d'Orsay - a fantastic art museum
• Disneyland Paris - I visited it in 2004, but I do not recommend going here, unless you are with kids. You can visit it if you are at least a week in Paris, when you are adults in my opinion. The city is more interesting
• Palais of Versailles
• Moulin Rouge 
• Opera Garnier - I visited in 2013, but I could not remember the details. It is a very nice building to visit.
• Sainte Chapelle

Final thoughts

Paris is very famous, and most people will enter the city with high expectations. After spending a couple of days, the expectations will be met, as the city has such a special vibe, and the sights are often as magical as you think. The food, the art, the streets; it is a fantastic feeling to be in the great city of Paris.

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