About

About ULTIMATE Paris City Guide

ULTIMATE Paris City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Paris, France. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, motoring and getting around. We cover the Louvre and the Palais-Royal, the Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Latin Quarter and the islands, the Eiffel Tower and the 7th, the Champs-Élysées and the Golden Triangle, Montmartre and Pigalle, and the Canal Saint-Martin, with day trips to Versailles, Giverny, Fontainebleau, Reims and Chantilly.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Musée du Louvre, the Centre des monuments nationaux, Paris Musées, the City of Paris, Paris Aéroport, Île-de-France Mobilités, the RATP, SNCF, Notaires de France, UNESCO or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide France. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in euros (€).

For venues

Run a venue in Paris and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The Arc de Triomphe on the Place Charles-de-Gaulle under a blue sky, by Guillaume Abel Blouet / Jean-Nicolas Huyot / Louis-Robert Goust / Jean-François , licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The grand staircase of the Palais Garnier, lit by its bronze lamps, by PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro under a blue sky with white clouds, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pont des Arts and the Île de la Cité at dusk, with Notre-Dame’s towers, by Benh LIEU SONG, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lac Inférieur in the Bois de Boulogne on a summer day, by BikerNormand from Morsan, Eure, France, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The crossing escalators of Le Bon Marché, by Jumilla, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau dining room of Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse, by Arthur Weidmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, with Tadao Ando’s concrete cylinder, by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance and canopy of Le Bristol on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, by Grenouille vert, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple de la Sibylle on its rocky island in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, by Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Café de Flore on the boulevard Saint-Germain, with its green-planted balcony, by Celette, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lock and iron footbridge on the Canal Saint-Martin under plane trees, by JLPC, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lock and iron footbridge on the Canal Saint-Martin under plane trees, by JLPC, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Carved figures on the façade of the Cour Louis XIV at the Musée Carnavalet, by GFreihalter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fountain of the Seas on the Place de la Concorde, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Arc de Triomphe on the Place Charles-de-Gaulle under a blue sky, by Guillaume Abel Blouet / Jean-Nicolas Huyot / Louis-Robert Goust / Jean-François , licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Château de Chantilly reflected in its moat under a blue sky, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Samaritaine building, home of Cheval Blanc Paris, above the Seine, by GFreihalter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fountain of the Seas on the Place de la Concorde, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A tray of golden croissants and chocolate-topped croissants, by David Adam Kess, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, with its chandeliers and gilded statues, by Myrabella, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored west front of Notre-Dame de Paris, with visitors queuing at the portals, 2025, by The wub, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro under a blue sky with white clouds, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro under a blue sky with white clouds, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Escargots à la bourguignonne in garlic and parsley butter, served in a cast-iron dish, by eatingeast, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The horseshoe staircase of the Château de Fontainebleau, by Gzen92, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stained-glass dome of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, by Moonik, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The main hall of the Gare de Lyon in Paris, with the departure boards, by Prateek Karandikar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The grand staircase of the Palais Garnier, lit by its bronze lamps, by PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The great chandelier of the Palais Garnier auditorium, beneath the painted ceiling, by Agustin Raluy, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Four Seasons Hotel George V on the avenue George-V, by Polymagou, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monet’s water-lily pond at Giverny, with weeping willows and the green Japanese bridge, by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Luxembourg Palace and the great pond of the Jardin du Luxembourg in winter sun, by Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower lit at dusk above the Seine and the Pont Alexandre III, by Getfunky Paris, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Four Seasons Hotel George V on the avenue George-V, by Polymagou, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arcaded façade of Le Meurice on the rue de Rivoli in late sun, by Arthur Weidmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The quai d’Orléans on the Île Saint-Louis, across the Seine, by Milvus~commonswiki, licensed CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hôtel des Invalides and its gilded dome at dusk, from the esplanade, by DXR, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Musée Jacquemart-André and its forecourt lit at blue hour, by Christophe Recoura, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A jambon-beurre: baguette with butter and thin slices of cooked ham, by Boulanger: Nat / Photographer: Nat, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the great glasshouse of the Jardin des Plantes, by Gustave en résidence, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored west front of Notre-Dame de Paris, with visitors queuing at the portals, 2025, by The wub, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Cour Napoléon of the Louvre and I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid lit at blue hour, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Cour Napoléon of the Louvre and I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid lit at blue hour, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Louvre pyramid and the palace wings at dusk, looking west, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved Art Nouveau crown of the Hôtel Lutetia against a blue sky, by Polymagou, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Luxembourg Palace and the great pond of the Jardin du Luxembourg in winter sun, by Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The grand staircase of the Palais Garnier, lit by its bronze lamps, by PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick pavilions and fountain of the Place des Vosges in autumn, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick pavilions and fountain of the Place des Vosges in autumn, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau Guimard entrance of the Abbesses métro station in Montmartre, by Thomas Geoffray, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arcaded façade of Le Meurice on the rue de Rivoli in late sun, by Arthur Weidmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Maison Rose on the rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre in spring, by Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Maison Rose on the rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre in spring, by Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored west front of Notre-Dame de Paris, with visitors queuing at the portals, 2025, by The wub, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The nave of the Musée d’Orsay, with bronze sculptures and the great station clock, by Ibex73, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded clock of the former Gare d’Orsay against its glass wall, by Phyrexian, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Panthéon’s columned portico and dome in late golden light, by Moonik, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Luxembourg Palace and the great pond of the Jardin du Luxembourg in winter sun, by Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The garden courtyard and pool of the Petit Palais, by Petit Palais, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hôtel Salé, home of the Musée national Picasso-Paris, under a blue sky, by Ibex73, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pont Neuf over the Seine, with a riverboat passing and the Louvre beyond, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Le Procope on the rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie, its balcony hung with flowers, by Britchi Mirela, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick pavilions and fountain of the Place des Vosges in autumn, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick pavilions and fountain of the Place des Vosges in autumn, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The west front of Reims Cathedral at dawn, by Tournasol7, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau dining room of Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse, by Arthur Weidmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white domes of the Sacré-Cœur basilica on Montmartre against a deep blue sky, by Terragio67, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The upper chapel of the Sainte-Chapelle, walled with blue and red stained glass, by Gerda Arendt, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau peacock frieze under the glass roof of La Samaritaine, by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pont des Arts and the Île de la Cité at dusk, with Notre-Dame’s towers, by Benh LIEU SONG, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bras Marie swimming site in the Seine, by the Pont Louis-Philippe, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Shakespeare and Company on the rue de la Bûcherie in spring, by Jim Linwood from London, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stained-glass dome of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, by Moonik, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sliced steak with herb butter on thin, crisp chips, by Missvain, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Café de Flore on the boulevard Saint-Germain, with its green-planted balcony, by Celette, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Café de Flore on the boulevard Saint-Germain, with its green-planted balcony, by Celette, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A TGV inOui train under the glass roof of a Paris terminus, by Remontees, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The main hall of the Gare de Lyon in Paris, with the departure boards, by Prateek Karandikar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pavillon de Flore of the Louvre seen across the lawns and statues of the Tuileries in autumn, by Ali Sabbagh, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, with its chandeliers and gilded statues, by Myrabella, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Marble Courtyard of the Palace of Versailles in morning light, by Anitsircana, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The mosaic floor and glass roof of Galerie Vivienne, with its bookshop, by Benh LIEU SONG, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pont Neuf over the Seine, with a riverboat passing and the Louvre beyond, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stained-glass dome of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, by Moonik, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower lit at dusk above the Seine and the Pont Alexandre III, by Getfunky Paris, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.