Paris, ooh la la! What a beautiful city and the world’s most popular tourist destination! Paris is truly an amazing, world-class city. There are so many things to see & do. Here’s a list of some of our favorites:

Eiffel Tower – One simply cannot come to Paris and not see this! Named after Gustave Eiffel whose company designed and built the tower, this is the most iconic and recognizable structure in Paris; probably even in the world. Constructed from 1887-1889, this tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world, roughly seeing about 69.1 million people a year. It stands 1,063 feet tall. The tower dons three levels for visitors; the first & second comprised of restaurants and the third being an observation deck.

Sacre Coure ‘Sacred Heart’ – This is a Roman Catholic Church and basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, located at the summit of the Butte Montmartre. It also serves as monument to honor the 58,000 lives lost during the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.

Eat Escargot – Escargot is a cooked land snail. This dish is typically served as a starter in Portugal, Spain and France. In France, the most common species of snail eaten are the Helix Pomatia, Cornu Aspersa and Helix Lucorum. To cook escargot, the snails are typically purged, killed, removed from their shells and cooked with garlic butter, chicken soup or wine, then placed back into their shells with the butter and sauce for serving. Additional ingredients may be added such as garlic, thyme, parsley, pine nuts etc. This dish is found throughout Paris as well as all of France, and is amazing! – so make sure you definitely try it!

Centre Pompidou – This high-tech structure houses the Public Information Library, the National Art Museum & IRCAM, a center for music and acoustic research. It sees about 5,300,000 visitors a year. This popular structure has also been featured in various movies and television shows.

Louvre – The Louvre is the world’s largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris. Last year, it was the world’s most visited art museum, seeing as much as 7.3 million visitors. The Louvre contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art, spreading across 8 departments. One of the most famous works of art housed in the museum is the Mona Lisa.

Arc de Triomphe – The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars. All the names of the French victories and generals are inscribed on the inner and outer surfaces of this structure. Beneath its vault lies the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War 1. Definitely worth checking out on any visit to Paris! On the way to the Arc you get to walk through the famous Champ de Elysees which I equalize too NYC’s 5th avenue, there are a ton of high end shops like Louis Vuitton.

Champ de Elysees – The best way to get to the Arc is to walk through the famous Champ de Elysees which I equalize too NYC’s 5th avenue, there are a ton of high end shops like Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors, etc (places we could not afford).

Paris Red-light District – This colorfully lit area of Paris is home to bars, restaurants, sex shops and strip clubs. The famous Cabaret Moulin Rouge is found in this area of the city, on Place Pigalle. It’s not as sleazy as it sounds – take a walk around and you will also find some charming flea markets, vintage shops and cafes.

River Seine – The Seine is a 483 mile long river and important waterway within the Paris Basin. Is it navigable by ocean vessels as far as Rouen; 60% of it is navigable by commercial riverboats and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating. Excursion boats offer sightseeing tours. At Paris, there are 37 bridges and the depth is approximately 31 feet.

Notre Dame – This cathedral in Paris is a medieval Catholic cathedral and considered to be one of finest examples of French Gothic architecture. It is one of the most well-known, iconic cathedrals in the world. Entrance to the cathedral should be free, though there will be probably be a line to get in. The belltower does charge a fee though if you want to go up to the top.

Day Trip to Palace of Versailles – If you’re feeling like you need a day out of the city, take a day trip to Versailles! Versailles is located about 30 minutes outside of Paris and is accessible by train. You can go on your own or book a guided tour! Highlight of Versailles & Saiftravels ‘Must-See’ is the Palace of Versailles. The neighborhood is cute as well and there are tons of things to see, delicious restaurants and bars!

That concludes our to-do’s of Paris but there is so much more here than just our list. If you haven’t booked your trip to Paris, I suggest you do it as soon as possible… sil vous p’lait.