AIBU to ask about what sights to see/things to do in Paris?

[PamplemousseRouge]

Hi everyone (or bonjour!! )

So I'm going to Paris later this week, and was wondering if you had any ideas on what sights to see or activities to do while I'm there?

There's obviously all of the very well-known sights to see like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe (hoping to try and go up it while I'm there!!), Sacré Coeur, but I'd be really interested to hear if you have any other ideas on what to see please? Particularly the less well known parts of Paris, or hidden gems :)

Thank you!! :)

A couple of suggestions:

The Marais
Jardin du Luxembourg

Are you going with children? If not I would really highly recommend doing this:

www.lemanoirdeparis.com

It's like the London dungeons but genuinely scary... in a good way! It was one of our highlights! We found it on trip advisor actually... one of the highest rated tourist attractions in Paris :) all the actors speak impeccable English too and English speakers are given a glow stick so they know to speak English to you.

Hope you have a fun trip!

The Opera House! You can do a tour and it's fab.

Oh and Père Lachaise cemetery.

Go to the Latin Quarter, very lively and interesting. Also the parks are lovely. River cruises are lovely.

The catacombs are astonishing, but the queues get crazy, so go early if at all. When I went last year, there was no online booking, you just turn up and pay cash.

Paris has so much to see and do, I'd get the DK 'Top 10' book and get a rough plan together for your time there.

Thank you so much everyone! :) I'm really looking forward to trying all of the things you've mentioned. Keep the ideas coming please if there's anything else that you've enjoyed :)

The Rodin Museum and Les Invalides are worth a good look.
La Coupoule is great for food.

Sister I won't be going with children, so just looked at the website for Le Manoir de Paris (which looks so good!) but it's closed until January 12th, and unfortunately I'm leaving Paris on the 11th :( I'll definitely make sure I go next time I'm in Paris though!!

The funicular to Sacre Coeur, then the markets round the sacre Coeur

The Pompidou building

Walk through the Tuileries Jardins from the louvre and along the Champe-elysees to the Arc de Triomphe

Notre dame

The musee D'Orsay

The Musee d'Orsay is pretty damn good. Another vote for Jardin du Luxembourg, though last time I was there I was playing on the bandstand so of course I found it especially good fun!

You've got to eat a crepe with Nutella

Ooh just looked at the website for La Coupluke and the food looks delicious! Thanks for the recommendation, Fiona :) it's my birthday this weekend, so I wonder if it might be a good place for a birthday lunch?!

Does anyone know of anywhere else that also might be good for a birthday meal actually? :)

Top of the Montparnasse tower when it is going dark, better view than the Tour Eiffel (make sure you are there on the hour when the Tour Eiffel sparkles)
Not exactly a hidden gem, but absolutely stunning is Sainte Chapelle.
Les Invalides if you have any interest in Military history
Musee Marmotton with Monet's works (less well known than L'Orangerie, although you should go there as well)
Museum of Modern Art, mostly free, has an amazing Raoul Duffy mural
How long do you have there

Les Invalides. Lots to see there. Wartime museum, lots of stuff about all of the Napoleon's et al. Pretty and ornate too.

5foot5, I'm intrigued - what were you playing? What was the occasion?

PS, it is very, very cold at the moment, and several days of fog where you can't even see the top of the Montparnasse or Eiffel towers, so I would keep an eye on the weather forecast

I'm in Paris for 6 days, so have tried to plan it so I can explore a different part of Paris every day e.g. western Paris, eastern Paris, Montmartre and the St Ouen market etc.

Do you all think that's a good way to explore? I thought about splitting it up into doing a few arrondissements per day (possibly overthinking this..! ) but not really sure what the best way to do it is!

Get a museum card as it'll give you entry to all the major museums without having to queue. The last thing you want to do at this time of year is freeze your arse off while queuing to get into the Louvre!

Jardin du Palais Royal
River bus

Palais de Tokyo - huge contemporary art museum, lots of outre stuff, really fun, nice terrace, good indoor bar, across the Seine from Tour D'Eiffel

Pompidou is always good - views and escalators also the tiny but wonderful Atelier Brancusi included in the entrance fee - get felafels nearby

Jardins des Plantes - fab old skool Natural History museums, lovely gardens with lunch at Grande Mosque tea garden - divine pastries

Parc de Buttes Chaumont nr Belleville, nice foodie/bar places

Cent Quatre Arts centre for the dancers just hanging out there

Bateaubus cruises

Canal St Martin for little shops and bars and a Diabolo Menthe for the kids and absinthe for you at Chez Prune

The Marais and wander a litte further into the 11th if you want more hipster action.

Pere LaChaise

Arab Institute

Oh god I'm jealous now.

I always like the Orangerie for the Monets, and they have a great American art exhibition downstairs at the moment. Also the Picasso museum though haven't been there since it re-opened. I prefer smaller galleries on the whole - find the Louvre a bit overwhelming - tend to go in with the intention of seeing a couple of things then getting overwhelmed! if you like Magritte this is on at the Pompidou. In terms of organising it, I'd probably have a focus or two most days with plenty of wandering round time. Getting lost has always been my favourite city pastime, though!

Oh and The Picasso Museum - just refurbed. Wonderful.

When we went with the kids we picked a venue or museum or attraction each day then identified cafes/bars nearby (crucial), and any other stuff in walking distance.

The local band I play in were on "tour", i.e. Cheshire to Paris on a bus for a long weekend playing on bandstands. Huge fun though and time for a bit of sight-seeing.

DH and I have had other trips before then. Usually we get our pockets picked but we passed on that option this time by avoiding the metro.

I booked my gallery tickets in advance and picked them up from the tourist office to save queuing. It wasn't too busy in the end, but it was nice to walk straight in. You can use them on any date.