Paris

The 330m wrought-iron icon of Paris; ride to the summit or picnic on the Champ de Mars below.

The world’s most-visited museum - home to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and 35,000 works.

The Gothic cathedral and historic island heart of Paris on the Seine.

A hilltop village of artists, winding lanes, and the white basilica with the best city views.

The opulent royal château and gardens, an easy RER day trip from the city.

Housed in a glorious Beaux-Arts railway station, the Orsay holds the world's greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art - Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas beneath a giant glass clock.

Napoleon's colossal triumphal arch crowns the Champs-Élysées, with a rooftop terrace offering one of the best views in Paris - twelve avenues radiating out like a star. Climb at dusk.

A jewel-box Gothic chapel on the Île de la Cité, its upper level wrapped in 15 soaring stained-glass windows that blaze with colour on a sunny day. One of Paris's most breathtaking interiors.

The inside-out, pipe-clad home of France's national modern-art museum, with major Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky works and a top-floor escalator view across the rooftops of Paris.

The most beloved park in Paris - gravel paths, formal parterres, toy sailboats on the central pond and the Palais du Luxembourg. The perfect spot to picnic, read or people-watch like a Parisian.

A Michelin-starred, hard-to-book favorite for inventive seasonal menus.

A historic bakery famous for its escargot pastries and pain des amis.

The "Picasso of Pastry" - exquisite macarons and the legendary Ispahan (rose, lychee, raspberry). A small, jewel-like box of Paris to take away.

A beloved Saint-Germain bistro for refined classic French cooking.

A modern Marais crêperie elevating Breton galettes and crêpes with top ingredients and artisan cider. A delicious, affordable Paris staple.

A pioneer of the Paris "bistronomy" movement, serving an inventive, ever-changing set menu of bold, seasonal cooking. A foodie pilgrimage near Belleville.

The Marais’ legendary falafel - perpetual queues, generous portions.

A bustling, historic 1896 bouillon serving honest French classics at astonishingly low prices under Art Nouveau ceilings. No reservations - join the queue for the experience.

A palace hotel on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré with a rooftop pool and garden.

A sumptuous Belle Époque palace facing the Tuileries, with a three-Michelin-starred restaurant and interiors styled after Versailles.

A legendary palace hotel on Avenue Montaigne, famed for red-geranium balconies, the Dior Institut spa and old-world Parisian glamour.

A characterful design hotel in a converted textile factory near the Oberkampf bars - industrial-chic, friendly and great value for trendy eastern Paris.

A stylish, characterful boutique stay in the 2nd with a buzzy courtyard restaurant.

A slick, tech-forward hotel chain with compact luxury rooms, a buzzy lounge and great-value comfort at handy central locations.

A cosy, well-located hotel in the heart of Saint-Germain.

A design hostel near Canal Saint-Martin with a rooftop bar and city views.