Best Things to Do in Paris Checklist (for First Trip to Paris & Second Trip to Paris)

Things to Do in Paris Checklist

So, you’ve finally arrived in Paris! Before your trip, you hardly got a chance to breathe let alone organize your time.  What to do now?

With a city spanning thousands of years in the making and a diverse collage of arrondissements and neighborhoods spread far and wide over the whole city, it’d be no surprise if you simply couldn’t fit in everything you wanted to get done during your stay.

But whether you’re backpacking with friends in a youth hostel or on a luxury stay in a 5-star hotel in Paris, you can at least peruse of some of the most popular Paris attractions checklist and choose a few which will take your fancy during your stay.

Whether you are visiting Paris for the first time or this is your second trip to Paris, there’s always something for everyone in Paris, and finding a great day out for all ages has never been easier!

 

First Time in Paris Checklist

This is our suggestion for things to do during your first time in Paris. Most of the items of this Paris Travel Checklist correspond to main Paris tourist attractions and popular things to do in Paris. Unfortunately, it will be almost impossible to cover all these places during your first stay in Paris, especially if you visit Paris for 2 -3 days. However, by ticking most of the items on this list you will get a good idea of what the city has to offer.

 

Monuments and Museums

 Louvre Museum (check  here how to visit the Louvre in 2 hours or less!)

 Sainte Chapelle

 Beaubourg – Centre Pompidou

 Notre Dame de Paris (from outside)

 Opéra Garnier

 Orsay Museum

 

Squares, Parks and Gardens

 Tuileries Gardens (Paris 1)

 Palais Royal Gardens and the Buren Columns (Paris 1)

 Place Vendôme (Paris 1)

 Place des Vosges (Paris 4)

 Place du Panthéon (Paris 5)

 

Paris Walks

 Stroll along the Seine’s banks (Paris 1 and Paris 4)

 Le Marais, with its private hôtels and hidden gardens (Paris 3 and Paris 4)

 Saint Germain-des-Près (Paris 6)

 Montmartre (Paris 18)

 

Other Things to See & Do in Paris

 Wake up /go to sleep with the view of the Eiffel Tower from your room

 Coffee in a Parisian cafe + people watching

 Selfie Session /Photo Session @ the Best Photo Spots in Paris

 Enjoy good traditional food in a Parisian bistro

 Learn about French Wines

 Enjoy Paris’ skyline from a rooftop bar, cocktail in hand

 Taste some typical Parisian pastries

 Watch a Parisian Cabaret

 Enjoy a Seine boat tour

 

Day Trips from Paris

 Versailles Palace & Gardens (Ile de France)

 Monet’s House and Garden at Giverny (Normandy)

 Mont Saint Michel (Normandy)

 

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Second Time in Paris Checklist

For your second time in Paris, we understand that you have a good knowledge of the city and its main attractions and you are looking for off the beaten path sights and activities with a more local feeling. This is our suggestion of Paris Checklist for second-timers and third-timers in Paris.

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Monuments and Museums

 Arènes de Lutèce

 Grande Galerie de l’Évolution

 Les Invalides – Musée de l’Armée

 Quai Branly Museum

 Catacombs of Paris

 

Squares, Parks and Gardens

 Place Dauphine (Paris 1)

 Jardin des Plantes (Paris 5)

 Park Buttes-Chaumont (Paris 19)

 Père Lachaise Cemetery (Paris 20)

 

Paris Walks

 Montorgueil /Les Halles neighborhoods (Paris 1 and Paris 2)

 Covered Passages of Paris (Paris 1 and Paris 2)

 A stroll along Canal Saint-Martin (Paris 10)

 Ernest Hemingway in Paris (Paris 5 and Paris 6)

 Promenade Plantée /Coulée Verte (Paris 12)

 Street Art of Paris 13

 La Petite Ceinture (we recommend the section in Paris 15)

 Art Nouveau in Paris (we recommend Paris 16)

 

Other Things to See & Do in Paris

 Stay in a Parisian apartment instead of a hotel for a more local feeling

 Visit a local market or take a food tour

 Enjoy a picnic in a Parisian park

 Visit a Parisian flea market for some vintage shopping

 Have fun like the locals with a Paris Treasure Hunt

 Visit the flowers Market at Ile de la Cité

 Sail Canal de la Villette on a self-drive boat

 Enjoy a Paris Food Festival

 

Day Trips from Paris

 Châteaux de la Loire

 Champagne Tasting in Champagne Wine Region

 Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches

 Château de Chantilly

 

Need Also Help with your Paris Packing List?

We have split the Paris Packing Checklist into 4 different guides, we hope you will like them!

» Paris Packing List Spring – Summer for Women

» Paris Packing List Spring – Summer for Men

» Paris Packing List Fall – Winter for Women

» Paris Packing List Fall – Winter for Men

» Travel Day Bag Checklist for Exploring Paris

 

Join France Bucket List – Our France Travel Planning Facebook Group

You are also welcome to join France Bucket List our France Travel Planning Facebook Group – it is a great resource to enable you to ask questions about your upcoming trip to Paris or France!

 

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