Things to do in Paris: a first orientation guide

Starting point: how Paris fits together

Paris is smaller and more concentrated than most first-time visitors expect, but it’s also dense with sights, so a rough mental map saves a lot of backtracking. The city is divided into 20 arrondissements, numbered in a clockwise spiral that starts at the 1st, around the Louvre, and winds outward to the 20th on the eastern edge. Postal codes follow the same logic, from 75001 to 75020, so a street address often tells you exactly where you are before you even check a map.

The Seine cuts the city into two halves that locals refer to constantly: the Rive Droite (Right Bank) to the north, and the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) to the south. Neither side is “the good one” — they simply group different landmarks and different moods. The Louvre, the Champs-Elysees, Le Marais and Montmartre sit on the Rive Droite. The Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Musee d’Orsay sit on the Rive Gauche, facing the Tuileries across the water.

This page is a hub. It doesn’t repeat the opening hours, ticketing details or historical background that each district’s dedicated guide already covers — instead, it tells you what each area is known for and points you to the page that goes deeper. If you’re looking for a single neighbourhood’s walking routes and practical tips at a more zoomed-in scale, things to do in Montmartre does for that one hill what this page does for the whole city.

The Seine: the city’s spine

Almost every Paris itinerary ends up following the river at some point. The stretch of riverbank between the Eiffel Tower and the Ile Saint-Louis is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and boat cruises along it — daytime sightseeing runs and evening dinner cruises alike — are one of the most popular ways to see central Paris from the water. For cruise options, boarding points and how to choose between the different operators, see the dedicated Seine river cruises guide.

Ile de la Cite and Notre-Dame: where Paris began

The Ile de la Cite, the island in the middle of the Seine, is the historic core of the city. It holds Notre-Dame de Paris, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, all within a short walk of each other. This is usually the first stop on a Paris itinerary, and it connects easily on foot to both the Louvre on the Rive Droite and the Latin Quarter on the Rive Gauche. Full detail on visiting each monument, including how bookings currently work, is in the Ile de la Cite and Notre-Dame guide.

The Louvre and the Tuileries: art and gardens on the Rive Droite

North of the river, the Louvre anchors the 1st arrondissement, with the Tuileries gardens stretching out toward the Place de la Concorde. This is the single most visited museum area in the city, and it rewards planning — a reserved time slot is the norm here, and the museum closes one day a week. Rather than repeat those specifics, the Louvre and Tuileries guide covers what to prioritise inside and how to plan a visit that doesn’t turn into a full day of queueing.

Across the river, facing the Tuileries, the Musee d’Orsay covers a different period of art history in a former railway station. It belongs to the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain area in this site’s structure — worth knowing if you’re trying to combine a Rive Gauche morning with an Impressionist collection.

Champs-Elysees and Opera: grand boulevards

East of the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees runs down toward the Place de la Concorde, lined with flagship stores, cafes and cinemas. The Palais Garnier opera house sits a short distance to the northeast, in a district known for its department stores and covered passages as much as for the avenue itself. This part of the Rive Droite tends to appeal to visitors who want shopping, architecture and people-watching in equal measure — the Champs-Elysees and Opera guide breaks down what’s actually worth the walk versus what’s mostly traffic and window displays.

Eiffel Tower and Trocadero: the view everyone comes for

The Eiffel Tower, on the Rive Gauche near the Champ de Mars, and the Trocadero esplanade facing it across the river, form their own cluster of activity — one built almost entirely around getting close to, or getting a good view of, the tower itself. Booking ahead matters here more than almost anywhere else in the city. Rather than restate the practicalities, the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero guide covers access, viewpoints and how to avoid the longest waits.

Montmartre: the hill above the city

Montmartre, in the north of the city on the Rive Droite, has its own distinct identity: steep streets, the Sacre-Coeur basilica, the Place du Tertre and its portrait artists, and the legacy of the Moulin Rouge cabaret nearby. It’s compact enough to explore on foot in half a day but hilly enough that comfortable shoes matter. Because Montmartre works as a self-contained day out, it has its own orientation page — things to do in Montmartre — that plays the same role at neighbourhood scale that this page plays for the whole city.

Le Marais: history and boutiques on the Rive Droite

East of the Louvre, Le Marais mixes medieval streets, Renaissance mansions turned into museums, a historically significant Jewish quarter, and a dense concentration of independent boutiques, galleries and food spots. It’s one of the few central districts where wandering without a fixed plan tends to work well. The Le Marais guide covers its sub-areas and what distinguishes one street from the next.

Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain: the Rive Gauche core

South of the river, facing the Ile de la Cite, the Latin Quarter takes its name from the university tradition centred on the Sorbonne, while neighbouring Saint-Germain-des-Pres is known for historic cafes, publishing houses and the Musee d’Orsay nearby. Together they form the classic image of the Rive Gauche: narrow streets, bookshops, and a slower pace than the grand boulevards across the water. See the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain guide for a closer look.

Choosing where to stay and how to move between districts

Because the central arrondissements are compact, most visitors don’t need to choose a single neighbourhood and stick to it — a base anywhere within the first ten arrondissements puts most of the city’s sights within a reasonable metro ride. The where to stay in Paris guide compares the main options by what each area is actually like to sleep in, not just visit.

Getting between districts is straightforward on the Paris metro, which covers the whole city in a dense grid. Walking works well within a district or between two adjacent ones — Le Marais to the Ile de la Cite, or the Latin Quarter to Saint-Germain — but crossing from, say, Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower is faster underground.

Since the January 2025 fare reform, single tickets come in two forms — a Metro-Train-RER ticket and a separate Bus-Tram ticket — both loaded onto a reusable Navigo Easy card or a smartphone rather than sold as paper. Visitors staying several days often find a weekly Navigo pass, running Monday to Sunday, works out simpler than buying single tickets for every ride, while the Paris Visite pass bundles unlimited travel with a few discounts aimed specifically at tourists. The metro tickets and Navigo guide breaks down which option suits which length of stay.

Getting to Paris: airports and first moves

Most visitors arrive through one of three airports, and knowing which one shapes the first hour of the trip. Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), about 25 km north-east of the city, connects to the centre via the RER B, which runs to Gare du Nord and Chatelet, or by taxi from the official rank. Paris-Orly (ORY), roughly 13-14 km south of the city, has been linked by metro line 14 since June 2024, alongside the older Orlyval shuttle. Paris-Beauvais (BVA), used mainly by low-cost carriers, sits much further out — about 85 km north — and its shuttle bus to Porte Maillot takes well over an hour, worth factoring in before booking a flight that looks cheap on paper. The airport transfers guide compares all three in more detail, and there are dedicated pages for CDG to central Paris, Orly to central Paris and Beauvais to Paris.

Building an itinerary from this map

Once the geography clicks, the next decision is pacing: how many districts to cover per day, and in what order. The how many days in Paris guide walks through realistic combinations for stays of two, three, four or more days, and the best time to visit Paris guide covers how the seasons change what’s comfortable to do outdoors versus indoors.

A few practical habits make any combination of districts easier to manage. First, group activities by arrondissement or by Rive Droite/Rive Gauche rather than by sight alone — it cuts down on backtracking across the river. Second, treat any site that requires a reserved time slot as the anchor of that day’s plan, and build the rest of the day’s wandering around it rather than the other way around. Third, keep at least one loosely planned half-day for a district that rewards wandering, such as Le Marais or Saint-Germain, rather than scheduling every hour.

Guided ways to see the city

For visitors who’d rather have a route planned for them, several formats cover multiple districts in a single outing. A guided bicycle tour is a practical way to link the riverside, the Tuileries and Le Marais without worrying about metro transfers — a full-day cycling route through the city’s main districts covers a lot of ground while staying at street level. For a shorter break between connections, a guided layover tour built around the essentials is designed specifically for visitors with limited time in the city.

Food is its own way to cross neighbourhoods: a guided tasting route through several food-focused streets combines orientation with actual meals, and for a slower, simpler option, a curated picnic experience by the Seine or in a central park works well as a lower-key afternoon between museum visits. Visitors planning several museum stops across different districts should also weigh a multi-site pass against paying separately — the Paris Museum Pass, covering entry to dozens of museums and monuments is worth comparing against your actual list before deciding.

Safety and everyday practicalities

Paris is a safe city for visitors on the whole, but crowded tourist spots attract pickpockets — the metro, especially busy lines, the area around the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the steps up to Sacre-Coeur are the places to keep bags zipped and stay aware of who’s close by. Common scams to recognise and walk away from include the “friendship bracelet” approach near Sacre-Coeur, fake petitions asking for a signature and then a donation, a supposedly found gold ring, and the three-card shell game set up on bridges. None of these require anything more than staying calm, keeping belongings closed, and continuing on your way. For a fuller rundown, see is Paris safe for tourists.

Sundays and seasonal rhythm

Many shops close on Sundays outside the main international tourist zones, such as the Champs-Elysees and parts of Le Marais, which stay open. August sees many Parisians leave the city, and some smaller restaurants and shops close for the month — worth factoring in if a specific address matters to your plans. Winter brings shorter days and holiday illuminations; spring and early autumn tend to offer the most comfortable balance of weather and crowd levels.

Money, entry requirements and everyday habits

Paris runs on the euro, and cards and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere, from museum ticket counters to small cafes — keeping a little cash on hand mostly matters for open-air markets. Service is already included in restaurant and cafe prices, so tipping is a small, optional rounding-up rather than an expectation; see tipping in Paris for the detail on when a little extra is actually appreciated.

For entry requirements, France sits inside the Schengen area, so EU, EEA and Swiss citizens travel on an ID card alone. Visa-exempt visitors — including those from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and Japan — can stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Since 12 October 2025, the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has been rolling out at the external border, registering fingerprints and a photo instead of stamping a passport, with full deployment expected by April 2026; ETIAS, a separate pre-travel authorisation, has not launched yet, and visitors should check the official travel-europe.europa.eu site rather than rely on an announced date. Travellers who do need a visa apply in advance through france-visas.gouv.fr. The visa and entry rules guide covers all of this in more depth, including what EES changes in practice at the airport.

Where to go from here

This page is meant as a starting point, not a finish line. Each district named above has its own guide covering the details that matter once you’ve decided where to focus: what’s inside, how to book, and what to skip. Use the arrondissement-and-riverbank logic here to group your days, then read the specific guides for the districts you’ve chosen.

Frequently asked questions about exploring Paris by neighbourhood