Île-de-France attractions

Ever-changing exhibits spanning sculpture, video, graffiti, and paintings draw crowds to the Palais de Tokyo, the largest contemporary art center in Europe. In fact, the museum has no permanent collection—one way the space maintains its place at the city’s cutting edge after more than two decades. For visitors, it’s a chance to explore the vibrant modern art scene in Paris (and browse a gift shop that’s a destination in its own right).

Architecture lovers, history buffs, foodies, and shoppers alike will enjoy perusing the aisles of Printemps, the luxury department store beloved by Parisians since 1865. Spread out across 27 floors and three buildings on Paris’ Boulevard Haussmann, this is the flagship store of the luxury French chain of the same name and offers everything from home goods to beauty products, food to high-end fashion.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of France’s largest châteaux, the magnificent Château de Fontainebleau boasts a rich resume of royal inhabitants, including Henry IV, Louis XV, and Napoleon. Built in the 12th century, the palace displays a remarkable variety of architectural styles, and the interiors are covered in frescoes, paintings, and tapestries, along with gilded touches. The grounds span 321 acres (130 hectares), including courtyards, gardens, and parks.

Few Parisian monuments are as symbolic of the French Republic as the 30-foot (9-meter) tall bronze statue of Marianne that stands at the center of the grand Place de la République. Representing the French values of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” the monument presides over the pedestrianized square where Parisians meet for national events, political demonstrations, or to people-watch from one of the terrace cafés—all quintessentially French pastimes.

One of central Paris’ storied thoroughfares, Rue Montorgueil has a reputation as a culinary hub. Once home to Les Halles—Paris’ major food market, demolished in 1971—today, the street is lined with bistros, pastry shops, and other delectable addresses. Visit celebrated highlights including Stohrer, Paris’ oldest pastry shop; l’Escargot Montorgueil, a restaurant founded in 1832; and Au Pied de Cochon, a 24-hour eatery that specializes in pig trotters and other traditional fare.

If you’ve ever wondered how coins are minted or what French francs looked like through the ages, a visit to the Paris Mint Museum (Musée de la Monnaie de Paris) provides a deep dive into the process of coining. Housed in the city’s oldest factory, which has been minting coins since the ninth century and still produces commemorative coins today, museum visitors can watch artisans at work, learn about the art of making coins, and admire the vast coin collection.

In the heart of the Latin Quarter, Rue Mouffetard is one of Paris’ busiest and most beloved market streets. The thoroughfare hosts cheese sellers, vegetable vendors, bakeries, and other artisanal food outlets, as well as numerous bars and cafés. Its proximity to the Sorbonne makes it popular among local students. Go there in the morning to purchase picnic items or food for self-catering, or later in the day to eat at a restaurant.

Mickey Mouse might be the star of the show at Disneyland Paris, but arguably the most famous cartoon in France is Astérix, based on the adventures of the small but mighty Gaulish warrior and his sidekick, Obelix. Parc Astérix, France’s second most popular theme park, has roller coasters, family-friendly rides, live shows, and a set inspired by ancient Roman, Greek, and Egyptian history.

The Parc des Princes stadium, which opened in 1972 in southwestern Paris, France is the home turf of one of Europe’s top football (soccer) teams: Paris Saint-Germain. When it’s not hosting matches, the 49,000-capacity arena is one of the city’s premier venues for outdoor sporting events and major concerts by international music acts.

The Stade de France is the country’s largest sports and entertainment venue, and has been France’s national stadium since 1998. With a capacity exceeding 80,000, it has hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as well as concerts by artists including Madonna, Beyoncé, and The Rolling Stones.

Home to one of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia, the Guimet Museum (Musée Guimet) houses over 60,000 objects drawn from around the continent, from China to Afghanistan, including sculptures, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, and scrolls. The Paris museum hosts several temporary exhibitions each year.

From its neoclassical facade to its rich interior, the Odéon-Théatre de l'Europe radiates Parisian grandeur in the heart of the Left Bank (Rive Gauche). Inaugurated by Marie-Antoinette, this is where Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro premiered in 1784. Destroyed and reconstructed twice, it remains a premier destination for a wide range of theatrical performances, whether classic or avant-garde.

Smack-bang in the center of Paris, the 1st arrondissement stretches along the Right Bank and the western part of the Île de la Cité. It’s home to some of the city’s oldest monuments and most famous attractions, from the iconic Louvre Museum and the flower-filled Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries) to the medieval Sainte-Chapelle with its magnificent stained-glass windows.

Famed for its romantic ambiance and tranquility, Buttes-Chaumont Park (Parc des Buttes-Chaumont) may not be one of Paris' most-visited green spaces, but it is all the better for it. Commissioned by Napoleon III and constructed in a disused quarry, the park features a lake, waterfalls, and ornamental gardens, as well as architectural follies such as the Temple de la Sybille.

Walking the quaint cobbled streets of Butte-aux-Cailles, it’s easy to forget that you’re in Paris. With its rows of petite painted townhouses, family-run brasseries, and tiny boutiques, this atmospheric neighborhood feels like a rural village, despite being not too far south of the city center along the Seine River. In recent years, it has built a reputation for street art.

Located across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Aquarium—also known as the Cinéaqua—is the most prominent aquarium in the city. Host to a shark tunnel, more than 10,000 marine species, a movie theater, and other attractions, it was founded in the 19th century, making it one of the world’s first aquariums. Visit this family-friendly destination to admire diverse critters that hail from French waters and overseas French territories.

France’s largest museum of its kind, the Museum of Jewish Art and History (Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme) traces the history, art, and cultures of Jewish communities in France, Europe, and North Africa. The Parisian museum explores more than 2,000 years of the Jewish presence in France.

Choco-Story Paris (Musée du Chocolat) is a delectable museum dedicated to the history and production of chocolate. An ideal stop for sweet treat lovers of all ages, the museum includes exhibits dedicated to chocolate history and lore as far back as the Mayan and Aztec civilizations, vintage packaging, chocolate memorabilia, virtual demonstrations by chocolatiers, towering chocolate sculptures, hands-on workshops, plus plenty of samples to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Housing the world’s largest collection of works by Claude Monet, the Marmottan Monet Museum (Musée Marmottan Monet) is a premier destination for art lovers. While the Monet paintings—among them Impression, Sunrise and a collection of Water Lilies—take center stage, the museum boasts a long list of Impressionist artists, including Rodin, Delacroix, Manet, Boudin, Morisot, Gauguin, Pissarro, Chagall, and many more.

Originally known as the Jardin du Roi, the Jardin des Plantes was founded in 1626 as King Louis XIII’s personal herb garden. Today, the expansive botanical garden is the largest and most important in France, and it includes thousands of plant species, museums, a zoo, and more. It’s also one of the world’s oldest and grandest gardens; it has been delighting the public for almost 400 years.

Europe’s largest science museum, La Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie (City of Science and Industry), comprises an enormous range of interactive exhibits, hands-on experiences, and other attractions that appeal to visitors of all ages. The building’s sleek, futuristic design is a nod to its commitment to modernity and innovation, and its mission is to make science accessible to all.

The Bois de Vincennes is beloved as Paris’ largest green space, sprawling across 2,459 acres (995 hectares), which is roughly three times the size of Central Park in New York. Once a royal hunting ground, the park now boasts an array of attractions: a zoo, several lakes, botanical gardens, a working farm, a Buddhist temple, and the Château de Vincennes medieval fortress.

Housed in the 12th-century Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the National Archaeological Museum (Musée d’Archéologie Nationale) is one of France’s top museums. Established by Napoleon III in 1862, the museum is home to the largest collection of prehistoric art in the world, and the works on display run from the Paleolithic period to the Middle Ages.

From the island monastery of Mont Saint Michel to the Palace of Versailles, the France Miniature theme park on the outskirts of Paris is home to all of France’s most beloved tourist attractions and historical monuments—in miniature! More than a hundred 1:30 scale models are displayed in the park, laid out in a map of France, along with plenty of fun, interactive games and rides for children.

The Fragonard Perfume Museum (Musée du Parfum), situated just steps from the iconic Opéra Garnier in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, offers an immersive and multisensory journey into the world of fragrance. Housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century townhouse, the museum is sponsored by Maison Fragonard, a legendary French perfume house established in Grasse—the historic capital of perfume—in 1926. Inside, visitors are treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the art and science of perfume-making.

Known as the “Village of Painters,” Barbizon is a jewel-like town perched on the edge of the Fontainebleau Forest just outside Paris. Home in the 19th century to the Barbizon School of French painters—including Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet—today the town is a popular day trip from Paris for its postcard-perfect charm.

The original Château de Pierrefonds dates to the 14th century, but the version that stands today is a more modern construction. Commissioned by Napoleon III and designed by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, the Château de Pierrefonds is an impressive, medieval-inspired landmark, featuring crenellated towers and myriad turrets.

Housed in a Frank Gehry-designed building, La Cinémathèque has one of the largest collections of films and movie memorabilia in the world. Trace the history of film, from its infancy to the modern age, via impressive exhibitions of costumes, props, posters, and cult objects—then catch a screening of a classic flick in the roomy theater.

The Musée du Luxembourg holds an important place in Parisian cultural heritage: It was the first public painting gallery in the capital and, later, its first museum of contemporary art. The museum is housed within the Orangery, a standalone building in the Luxembourg Gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg), and hosts temporary exhibitions twice a year, making it a must-visit for traveling art lovers.

Montparnasse Cemetery (Cimetière du Montparnasse), Paris’ second-largest cemetery, sprawls across 47 acres (19 hectares) of gravesites that range from simple to elaborate, and cluster around elegant boulevards lined with linden, maple, and ash trees. Visitors come to pay their respects to greats, including Charles Baudelaire, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir; some leave gifts and mementos on plots that have become unofficial public memorials.