Paris 6-day itinerary

When French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel won a competition to design a building that would be unveiled at the 1889 World Fair in Paris, no-one could have foreseen that it would become one of the most iconic structures on the planet. Eiffel’s design won out against 106 other entries, with digging begun in January 1887, and the tower completed in time for the Exposition Universale two years later, held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

Much derided at the time – in spite of being the tallest building in the world – it was only meant to stand for twenty years. More than a century later it remains a much-loved and iconic symbol of Paris; if you can stomach the crowds and the ride up in the vintage lift, the view from the top remains an enchanting treat.

There’s no better way to see the sights in one magical sweep than by boat along the Seine.

From the filigree girders of the Eiffel Tower to the giant clock of the Orsay Museum and the Mansard rooftops of the Louvre – not to mention the statue-studded bridges – the waterway provides a unique and crowd-free viewpoint for taking in the city’s treasures.

Book a dining cruise on a riverboat, hire your own private boat or opt for the hop-on-hop-off boat-buses. They’re all good, but for extra romance, go at night, when the monuments are lit up and the Eiffel Tower sparkles.

Built 1758-1790 at the behest of Louis XV of France, this grandiose monument to France’s ‘great men’ was originally intended to be a church dedicated to Sainte Genevieve. But during the French Revolution, it was converted into a mausoleum to house the remains of distinguished French citizens – to acknowledge and honour their contribution to the nation. The crypt contains the remains of 80 people, including the tombs of Voltaire, Hugo, Zola, Pierre and Marie Curie and Louis Braille.

Modelled on Rome’s Pantheon, the building is an early example of Neoclassicism, with a striking interior. The dome was designed to rival St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It’s 83m high, compared to 136m for St. Peter’s. You can climb the dome for city views.

The world’s most visited museum, the Louvre dates back to the 13th century, and was the primary residence of the French Royal family until Louis XVI moved the household to the Palais of Versailles in 1682. It opened as a museum in 1793 with 537 paintings – mainly from the Royal collection; today it houses 35,000 works of art and 380,000 objects.

The building is almost as much of an attraction as the exhibits; explore the grand galleries with ornately painted ceilings, opulent stairways and remnants of a medieval Parisian palace. Let yourself wander – and wonder – your way through the museum’s beautifully laid out, labyrinthine halls and discover world-class Italian Renaissance and French Neoclassical and Romantic painting, antique sculpture, treasures from Ancient Egypt and Assyria, or medieval gold and silverwares.

The sheer wealth of exhibits in the Louvre can be intimidating on the one hand; on the other, it means there’s always something fascinating to discover.

This ornate, 50m-high arch is an iconic Parisian landmark, situated at the heart of 12 avenues that branch out from it like the spokes of a wheel.

The Arc was commissioned by Napoleon to honour all those who fought and died for France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars – the names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces, and an eternal flame burns in memory of the unknown soldier of World War I (whose tomb lies beneath the arch).

Napoleon III’s former citrus greenhouse is (along with the Orsay Museum) one of the loveliest places in Paris to admire Impressionist and Modernist art.

Works by many of the big 19th- and 20th-century names are there— Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse—but the stars of the show are Monet’s monumental ‘Water Lilies‘, which wrap around the gallery’s curved walls in pastel-hued beauty and draw crowds by the dozens.

Regular temporary exhibitions complete the offerings.

If you like coffee table books, you’ll be well-served in the bookshop, which sells an excellent array of art-themed tomes.

The museum sits within the Jardin des Tuileries – after your visit, you should take a stroll through the park (former royal gardens), up towards the Louvre.

Fronted by a red windmill, this historical cabaret needs no introduction. Since opening the same year as the Eiffel Tower, in 1889, it has inspired paintings (most famously by Toulouse-Lautrec), and movies (like Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 hit film, Moulin Rouge), and is photographed by visitors from all around the world.

Today the show’s as glitzy as it’s kitschy, with themed scenes portraying the Circus, Pirates and the Moulin Rouge through the ages. Can Can, of course, takes centre stage and magic shows complete the offerings.

You can dine on French cuisine as you watch, or just opt for the show and champagne. There’s also a rooftop cocktail bar for pre- or post-show drinks and nibbles.

The vast, opulent Chateaux de Versailles began life as a hunting lodge, built in 1623 for King Louis XIII, before being expanded and developed over a period of fifty years by King Louis XIV. In 1682, he moved the royal household from Paris to the palace, making Versaille the de facto capital of France.

It remains a brilliantly over-the-top ode to the power of Louis XIV, with lavish Baroque rooms and sparkling mirrors lining the heavily-gilded Galerie des Glaces.

The opulent interiors are the main event, but a splendid park and gardens have plenty to keep visitors busy, too – with two further (Grand and Petit Trianon) palaces, a sheep farm, a Grand Canal and Marie Antoinette’s private hameau (hamlet or mini-village).

This large hill in Pari’s 18th arrondissement may be overrun with visitors, but the village-like neighbourhood of Montmartre is also incredibly charming, with its cute houses, artists’ studios and steep stairways.

It’s known for its long artistic history – in the 18th and 19th centuries many artists lived and worked or had studios in Montmartre, leaving it a unique bohemian charm.

Its other claim to fame is the sugary-white domed church of Sacre-Coeur, built in 1914 – the interior is a feast of glittering neo-Byzantine mosaics. It crowns Paris’s highest hill and offers the best panoramic views of the city from atop its dome (open to visitors).

The main square – Place du Tertre – is horribly crowded with tourists and packed with pseudo-artists, but there are still authentic corners to be discovered in the side streets lower down the hill. For a more laid-back side of Montmartre, explore the cafés and shops along Rue des Abbesses, Rue Lepic and Rue des Trois-Frères.

Other attractions here include Montmartre Cemetery, the Montmartre Museum, and the Dalí Paris Museum.

It’s a go-to for all tourists and first-timers, but the area still has charm and a wonderfully bohemian air.

The sugary-white domed church of Sacre-Coeur crowns Montmartre. Built in 1914, the interior is a feast of glittering neo-Byzantine mosaics.

This museum in the Montmartre neighbourhood is dedicated to the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, displaying over 300 of his works.

Dali’s art is characterised by his unique blend of dreamlike and bizarre imagery, exploring the realms of the subconscious and the irrational. His works often featured melting clocks, distorted figures, and fantastical landscapes, reflecting his fascination with the subconscious mind and the exploration of the human psyche. His creativity also extended beyond the art world as he collaborated with filmmakers, designed sets, and even dabbled in fashion and jewellery design.

He lived in France throughout the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) before leaving for the United States in 1940 where he achieved commercial success.

Fronted by a red windmill, this historical cabaret needs no introduction. Since opening the same year as the Eiffel Tower, in 1889, it has inspired paintings (most famously by Toulouse-Lautrec), and movies (like Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 hit film, Moulin Rouge), and is photographed by visitors from all around the world.

Today the show’s as glitzy as it’s kitschy, with themed scenes portraying the Circus, Pirates and the Moulin Rouge through the ages. Can Can, of course, takes centre stage and magic shows complete the offerings.

You can dine on French cuisine as you watch, or just opt for the show and champagne. There’s also a rooftop cocktail bar for pre- or post-show drinks and nibbles.

This apartment where famous French poet and novelist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) lived for 16 years, is now a museum about his life and works.

Paris’ Picasso Museum is set in the grandiose, Hotel Sale, one of the most extravagant 17th-century mansions in the city.

Inside, over 400 of Pablo Picasso’s artworks are displayed – everything from sculpture and drawings, to collages and paintings (of an estimated 5000 pieces in the museum) – showing just how productive he was.

Unbeknown to many, Picasso was also a great art collector, and his personal collection is displayed on the 2nd floor. It includes works by many of his friends, including Matisse and Braque.

Set in the old Hotel Donon, this museum houses a collection of 18th-century art and decorative arts collected by a department store mogul. An insight into the elegance and opulence of the French Enlightenment era.

The Centre Pompidou revolutionised both Paris and art museums when it opened in 1976 – and this multi-coloured glass and steel structure, designed by ‘starchitects’ Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, is still one of the city’s most exciting modern buildings.

Inside, the fabulous Musée National d’Art Moderne – Europe’s largest collection of modern and contemporary art – takes you from Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky, via Pop Art and Arte Povera, to the latest installation and video art. The multidisciplinary spirit encompasses exhibitions, a cinema, performing arts space, library, bookshop, design shop and a trendy restaurant, Forest.

The celebrated ride up the escalators is still unmissable, providing one of the best views in Paris as the city unfolds before you.

Along with Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie once formed part of a vast Medieval palace, with impressive, vaulted Gothic halls, that included the Sainte-Chapelle. Abandoned as a palace by the French Kings at the end of the 14th century, it took on a more judicial role, and parts were converted to prison cells.

Today, it’s most famously remembered as the ‘antechamber to the guillotine’, where nobles were held prior to execution in the bloodiest days of the French Revolution. Prisoners included the Queen at the time of the French Revolution and the last Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. She was executed by guillotine in 1793 to the cheers of the populace – one of almost three thousand prisoners, mostly from the upper classes, to be tried and sentenced at the Conciergerie.

Now a historic monument, only a small area of the building is open to the public. A small, commemorative chapel now was erected on the site of Marie Antoinette’s cell.

Paris’ most exquisite Gothic monument was built by Louis IX in 1248 to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns (now at Notre-Dame Cathedral). It has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained-glass collections anywhere in the world.

There couldn’t be a more appropriate setting for Paris’ official museum of the Middle Ages than the Gothic townhouse – known as Hotel de Cluny. It was originally built by the Abbot of Cluny in 1330, and now stands as one of the oldest (former) private residences, and arguably the finest example of medieval civil architecture, in Paris.

Weapons, objets d’art, furnishings, stained-glass windows and manuscripts abound, but the star of the show is the celebrated late 15th-century La Dame a la Licorne (Lady and the Unicorn) tapestry cycle.

Interestingly, there are almost two museums here in one. The Hotel de Cluny is housed in the remains of a Roman thermal bathing complex. The baths, with 15m-high vaulted ceilings, have been restored and also now house the Pillar of the Nauti (Pillar of the Boatmen), the city’s oldest sculpture, dating back to 1349 AD.