Paris sightseeing: must-see places near Hôtel R de Paris

Designed in 1862 by Alphand (the engineer who also created the Buttes-Chaumont) this 16,000 m² square is a little English-style gem in the 17th. A pond inhabited by koi carp and ducks, a grotto, a serpentine waterfall, a bridge: you'd think you were in the countryside. Children love the playgrounds, and from the far end of the park, you can spot the Saint-Lazare railway tracks, a surprisingly photogenic contrast.

Why go: Perfect to pause between visits and recharge outdoors.

Good to know: Quietest in the morning; great for a coffee-to-go stop.

Begun in 1763 and completed under Napoleon in 1842, the Église de la Madeleine is a neoclassical temple with 52 Corinthian columns standing 20 metres high, originally conceived as a temple to the Glory of the Grande Armée. The single vaulted nave is lit by three domes and houses a Cavaillé-Coll organ (1846), the same master organ builder who crafted the instruments at Saint-Sulpice and Notre-Dame. Sacred music concerts are given here regularly, in a remarkable acoustic. Camille Saint-Saëns was organist here for twenty years.

Why go: For the neoclassical architecture and, if timing allows, for a concert in an acoustically exceptional setting.

Good to know: Free admission, open 7 days a week 9:30 AM–7 PM. The concert schedule is on the church's website. The place de la Madeleine with its luxury grocers (Fauchon, Hédiard) is well worth a stroll after your visit.

The Musée Grévin, founded in 1882 on the Grands Boulevards, is much more than a wax museum. What always impresses me is the Palais des Mirages: a relic of the 1900 World Fair, this room entirely lined with mirrors plunges you into a giant kaleidoscope of sound and light, a hypnotic spectacle that guides don't mention often enough. You'll encounter around 450 figures in staged settings, from Marie Curie to Zinedine Zidane. The historic rooms (the Cupola and the Hall of Columns) still retain their sumptuous late-19th-century décor.

Why go: Great for families and a lighter Paris activity.

Good to know: Go early to avoid crowding in photo areas.

Built between 1876 and 1914 in Château-Landon stone (a white limestone that bleaches in the rain instead of darkening) the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur crowns Montmartre at 130 metres above sea level. Its Romano-Byzantine style, inspired by Saint-Front de Périgueux, houses one of the largest mosaics in France (Christ in Majesty) and a monumental Cavaillé-Coll organ. The dome, accessible by staircase, offers a 360-degree panorama over the entire capital.

Why go: A must-see Paris landmark and one of the city's best viewpoints.

Good to know: Go early or late for fewer crowds.

Housed in the oldest building on the Butte (17th century), at 12 rue Cortot, this museum traces the history of Montmartre village over three centuries of Parisian art and life. Renoir painted Bal du moulin de la Galette (1876) in the first-floor studio; Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo lived here. What makes this place unique is the view over the Clos Montmartre vineyard from the Renoir Gardens, recreated from period watercolours. The collections span posters (Toulouse-Lautrec, Steinlen), the 1871 Commune, cabaret history and the story of the Chat Noir.

Why go: To understand what Montmartre was really like before mass tourism took over, and for the view over the vines, a rarity within the Paris city limits.

Good to know: Open 7 days a week, 10 AM–7 PM. Booking online is advisable in high season to skip the queue. Allow 1½ to 2 hours for a full visit including the gardens.

The Musée Jacquemart-André is a private mansion on Boulevard Haussmann transformed into an art treasure house by a couple of passionate collectors. What is magnificent here is the grand staircase adorned with a Tiepolo fresco (Henri III Received at the Villa Contarini) transported from Venice in 1893 and reassembled panel by panel over eight months. The Italian collection is exceptional, featuring Mantegna's Ecce Homo in the Venetian salon and a Florentine room arranged like a private chapel. The tearoom beneath the painted Tiepolo ceiling is a moment apart.

Why go: A refined Paris museum that's easy to visit and very photogenic.

Good to know: Great for a quiet cultural break; book ahead for popular exhibitions.

Created in 1778 for the Duke of Orléans, cousin of Louis XVI, Parc Monceau is an English-style garden dotted with romantic "follies": a Corinthian colonnade at the edge of a pool (the Naumachie), a miniature Egyptian pyramid, a former Dutch windmill. The winding paths and grand trees create an elegant, peaceful setting, much loved by families from the 8th, and by early-morning joggers.

Why go: Great between visits or after shopping when you want to breathe without leaving Paris.

Good to know: Mornings are lovely. Weekdays are usually calmer.

Paris's largest square (8.64 hectares), Place de la Concorde is steeped in history: inaugurated in 1772 in honour of Louis XV, it became Place de la Révolution, where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined. Its 22-metre obelisk, a gift from Egypt in 1836 to celebrate Champollion's deciphering of hieroglyphics, doubles as an immense sundial. The two monumental Hittorff fountains (1840) (Fleuves to the north, Mers to the south) complete this grand tableau between the Tuileries and the Champs-Élysées.

Why go: A central Paris landmark and great photo stop.

Good to know: Best enjoyed on foot; watch traffic around the square.

The Louvre is the largest museum in the world, and what I like to tell our guests is that you don't "visit" the Louvre; you choose your Louvre. The three icons (Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo in her pared-back gallery, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace majestically dominating the Daru staircase) are moments of pure emotion. But the real pleasure is getting lost in the quieter rooms: the Egyptian antiquities, the Napoleon III apartments, or the Apollo Gallery with its gilded ceilings.

Why go: Best if you have a shortlist; targeting a few works makes the visit far more enjoyable.

Good to know: The Louvre is huge: pick 2-3 areas max rather than trying to do everything.

The Musée de l'Orangerie is an intimate jewel box in the heart of the Jardin des Tuileries, and what makes this place unique in the world are the eight monumental panels of Claude Monet's Nymphéas, displayed in two oval rooms designed in collaboration with the artist himself. Natural zenithal light bathes the canvases, and the ovals evoke the symbol of infinity: you are enveloped in water lilies, reflections and seasons. Downstairs, the Walter-Guillaume collection offers an exceptional journey with Renoir, Cézanne, Modigliani and Le Douanier Rousseau.

Why go: One of the most iconic art stops in central Paris, perfect for a quiet visit.

Good to know: Go early for a more peaceful experience.

Enclosed by the arcades of the Palais-Royal, this 240-metre-long garden is one of the most peaceful corners of central Paris, a stone's throw from the Louvre, yet overlooked by the majority of tourists. What makes it unique is the contrast: Daniel Buren's striped columns (installation Les Deux Plateaux, 1986) in the main courtyard, set within a formal French garden of trimmed lime trees and stone benches, all framed by arcades sheltering art galleries, antique dealers and a handful of rare boutiques found nowhere else in Paris (jewellers, tin soldiers, early music). The Conseil d'État and the Conseil constitutionnel have their offices in the surrounding buildings.

Why go: To catch your breath between museums, browse the arcades, and discover one of the most thoughtfully composed urban spaces of 18th-century Paris.

Good to know: Open daily, 8 AM–10:30 PM. Free entry. The arcade galleries have their own opening hours (generally 10 AM–6 PM, varying by shop).

Designed by Le Nôtre in 1664, the Jardin des Tuileries stretches across 26 hectares between the Louvre and the place de la Concorde, running for nearly a kilometre. Its signature feature is the green metal chairs arranged around two large octagonal pools, a Parisian institution since the 19th century, where locals come to sit for no particular reason during the lunch hour. The garden is home to around a hundred outdoor sculptures (Rodin, Maillol) and gives access to two museums within its grounds: the Orangerie (Seine side, Monet's water lilies) and the Jeu de Paume (contemporary photography).

Why go: For the axial walk between the Louvre and the Concorde, the outdoor sculptures, and a sunny chair in any season.

Good to know: Open daily, 7:30 AM–7:30 PM (until 9 PM in summer, depending on the period). Garden entry is free; the Orangerie and Jeu de Paume are ticketed and should be booked online.

The Musée d'Orsay is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, and what is magnificent here is the 138-metre nave flooded with light through the immense glass roof, with sculptures silhouetted along the central aisle. You'll find the world's largest Impressionist collection: Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette (room 30, 5th floor), Monet's cathedrals, Van Gogh's self-portraits, Degas's dancers. Insider tip: the great glass clock on the 5th floor frames a spectacular view of the Sacré-Coeur.

Why go: One of the essential museums in Paris for Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and more.

Good to know: Go early (or book a timed ticket) to enjoy the galleries with fewer crowds.

The Petit Palais is a Beaux-Arts jewel built by Charles Girault for the 1900 World Fair, and what many visitors don't realise is that its permanent collections are free. You'll discover 5,000 m² of works spanning antiquity to the early 20th century: Courbet, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, and an exceptional ensemble of 350 Rembrandt prints that rivals the greatest European institutions. Don't miss the 600 m² semi-circular inner garden, a secret oasis with colonnades, mosaics and frescoes by Paul Baudouin illustrating the hours of the day.

Why go: An excellent choice for a smoother museum visit, often less crowded than the biggest institutions.

Good to know: Permanent collection entry is often free; check current conditions.

The Palais de la Découverte, founded in 1937, is the science museum where you understand by watching things happen. Housed in a wing of the Grand Palais currently undergoing renovation, it will reopen progressively with modernised spaces. What makes it unique are the live demonstrations: the electrostatics room with its spectacular high-voltage displays and Faraday cage effect, the planetarium with its new hybrid technology, and the famous circular "pi room" where 707 decimal places of pi are inscribed on the walls, a cult destination for science lovers.

Why go: Great for families or a rainy day in Paris.

Good to know: Check the day's programme; activities can change.

The Grand Palais, magnificently restored and reopened in June 2025, houses the largest glass roof in Europe: a nave of 13,500 m² beneath a volume of 460,000 m³, flooded with natural light. Built for the 1900 World Fair, it is a monumental setting now hosting major exhibitions co-produced with the Centre Pompidou: Matisse, Hilma af Klint in 2026. What makes it unique is the dialogue between Beaux-Arts architecture and contemporary works beneath this cathedral of glass and steel.

Why go: If an exhibition interests you, the building alone is often worth the visit.

Good to know: Programming changes; check the current show and book early for high-demand dates.

What takes your breath away here is François Rude's sculpture Le Départ des Volontaires (also known as La Marseillaise) on the right-hand pillar: it is staggeringly powerful. Beneath the vault, the flame of the Unknown Soldier has burned continuously since 1923, and the names of 558 generals are engraved on the inner walls. Climb the 284 steps to the terrace: the view over the twelve avenues radiating out like a star at sunset is a moment you won't forget.

Why go: One of the best viewpoints in Paris and a major landmark.

Good to know: Use the pedestrian underpass to access the monument safely.

The story is delightful: the name comes from the Mouche district in Lyon, where these boats were built for the 1867 World Fair. In 1949, Jean Bruel revived the concept as a tourist cruise: he even invented a fictitious character, Jean-Sébastien Mouche, whose "biography" was published in Le Monde. Today, the company welcomes 2.5 million passengers a year for a one-hour Seine cruise past illuminated monuments.

Why go: Perfect for a romantic moment or a "first time in Paris" highlight.

Good to know: Sunset cruises are popular; book early in peak season.

The Musée Rodin occupies the Hôtel Biron, a splendid 1732 rococo mansion that Rodin discovered in a state of abandon in 1908 and filled with his works until his death. What is magnificent here is the nearly three-hectare garden: The Thinker presides over beds of 2,000 rose bushes, The Gates of Hell unfurls its 200 tormented figures, and The Kiss awaits you inside in a silence of marble. What guides don't always mention is that The Gates of Hell is the mother work: both The Thinker and The Kiss were born from it.

Why go: One of the best museums in Paris for sculpture lovers.

Good to know: Go early for a calmer visit, and keep time for the garden.

The Palais de Tokyo is the largest contemporary art centre in Europe, facing the Trocadéro in the 16th arrondissement. What sets this place apart is its raw energy: 13,000 m² of exhibition space in a building deliberately left in exposed concrete, where artists take over immense volumes with installations that are often immersive and disorienting. The best-kept secret? Free Thursday-evening late openings in summer, from 7 pm to midnight: the atmosphere shifts completely. Underground, the Yoyo offers an events-and-club space with spectacular underground staging.

Why go: A must for modern art lovers looking for bold, cutting-edge shows in Paris.

Good to know: The experience depends on the current exhibitions: check what's on before going.