How to Make the Most Out of a Day in Paris: The Top Must- See Attractions

Paris is one of the cities that many people only dream of visiting. Even if you’re just passing through on a tour of Europe, you’ll want to make some time to see the top attractions that this beautiful and historic city has to offer. 

When you arrive in the city, you’ll want to find luggage storage in Paris, because you’re going to want to hit the ground running. There is a lot of sites to see and places to be! Read on to figure out a few of the must-see places in Paris!

The Eiffel Tower

When anyone mentions Paris, the first place that comes to mind is generally the Eiffel Tower. This is the signature attraction in the city and you absolutely must make this one of your top priorities when you arrive. 

The Eiffel Tower is a mainstay of Paris, designed in late 1800’s for a world fair, since has become one of the most sought-after tourist attractions in the world attracting upward of 7 million visitors each year. 

The best way to take in this historic and beautiful monument is to take a ride to the top. The views from the top are absolutely breathtaking and make for great photographs to remember your trip.

There are two ways to access the top, one being the tower lift or you can take the stairs if you’re a little bit more inclined to exert your energy! But beware, there are 1,655 steps to the top, so you’ll need to be ready for that. 

The best times to visit the Eiffel Tower are early in the morning to see the sunrise or in the evening to capture the views of Paris in shining bright lights. There will be less visitors in the morning than the evening, so if you don’t like to wait in lines, morning may be better for you. 

The Louvre Museum

If you’ve done any research on Paris, you’ve probably heard of the Louvre Museum. This is another one of the top tourist destinations in the city of Paris. The Louvre is an incredibly historic building to see in and of itself, opening to the public in 1793.

The museum houses one of the most impressive collections of art in the world, including one of the most famous paintings in the world—the Mona Lisa. In addition to beautiful paintings, you’ll find famous sculptures and beautiful architecture throughout the building.

Like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum is one of the most visited tourist attractions on planet earth. The museum is the most heavily toured museum in the world, attracting upwards of 9 million visitors per year.

You’ll want to schedule a good amount of time if you plan on seeing everything this museum has to offer due to its sheer size. Touring the museum is free of charge, so you’ll need to plan ahead to beat some of the vast crowds.

This attraction is must see, so make sure you find time to tour it properly. You won’t be disappointed and there is no shortage of photo opportunities for you to take to capture the breathtaking beauty forever. 

The Paris Latin Quarter

The Paris Latin Quarter is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and dates back all the way to the middle ages. 

The area was largely developed and inhabited by students at the University La Sorbonne, and their influences have stood the test of time. 

At the entrance to the Latin Quarter, you’ll find the mesmerizing Fountain of Saint Michael, which depicts the saint fighting a dragon. From here you’ll enter into the neighborhood which is comprised of a labyrinth of small streets with beautiful buildings lining them.

Foot travel is encouraged so you’ll want to wear some comfortable walking shoes and light clothing while you explore the many restaurants and shops along the way. 

A good place to start your exploration is on Rue Huchette, which is the main street in the Latin Quarter. Here you’ll find many of the more popular places to eat and shop, but don’t stop looking there. There are plenty of cool and interesting places to see on some of the smaller streets in the quarter. 

Last but Not Least

So far, we’ve highlighted three of the more popular and historic areas of Paris that you must-see while you’re there, but there are really so many more great places to see in the city, that we wanted to briefly touch on a few to close this out.

The Versailles Palace is a beautiful castle that housed French Royalty throughout history including Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XIV. Here you’ll find beautiful gold sculptures and architecture, as well as the famed Hall of Mirrors. You’ll feel like royalty as you walk through and take in the sheer beauty.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is another must-see attraction, although it unfortunately suffered from a large fire in 2019. It is currently closed to the public but is being restored so depending on when you find yourself in Paris, you might be lucky enough to get to see this beautiful cathedral. 

The Seine River is a beautiful waterway that splits through central Paris. Here you can view beautiful historic buildings and bridges, shop in a myriad of different small boutiques, or even take a tour boat down the river to really see all of the sights from a different perspective. There is an endless number of things to do along the river, making this another must-stop for anyone in Paris. 

Conclusion

As you can see, Paris has some of the most wonderful attractions that can be found anywhere in the world. This article barely scratches the surface, but these are just some of the top places you can spend your day at.

When you find yourself in Paris, make the most of it as this is the trip of a lifetime due to its history and beauty.