3 stops we rate worth it, plus 3 famous “worth it if…” ones done right. Grouped by area; the map follows you as you scroll.
1Worth it if…Palais GarnierPhoto: aryan Verma
€15 (EEA) is fair, but €25 for non-EEA adults for a ~90-minute visit draws value complaints, and the auditorium may be shut for rehearsals.
Worth it if you plan for it.
Online booking mandatory — no visit tickets sold on site; tickets non-refundable, entry up to 30 min after your slot; last admission 1 hour before closing
2Worth it if…LouvrePhoto: Chien Ping
Timed entry needed (mandatory in late October 2026), confusing layout, ticket scams on mirror sites, and staff strikes over overcrowding.
Worth it if you plan for it.
Time-slot booking recommended for everyone (incl. free visitors); mandatory for all visitors 17 Oct–1 Nov 2026. Buy only at ticket.louvre.fr — the museum warns of mirror sites and street vendors
3Worth it if…Tuileries GardenPhoto: Serg Brandys
A lovely formal garden, but the Luxembourg Gardens offer a greener, more local version of the same experience.
Worth it if you plan for it.
4Worth itGaleries LafayettePhoto: Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
4.5 on ~98k reviews (rooftop 4.7); the dome and view consistently impress, though some find it crowded and touristy.
5Worth itSacré-CœurPhoto: hiszpan400
Google 4.7 from 169k reviews; the view and apse mosaic consistently impress, though the surroundings feel touristy.
6Worth itMarché des Enfants RougesPhoto: lefteris apostolatos
4.4 across 5,483 Google reviews; Time Out calls it 'the coolest market in Paris', though it is small and busy.
Why isn’t Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe here? We rate them only “worth it if…”, and in 1 day the places above give you more. If one is a must for you, swap it in for a day’s second half.
On every other list, and you’ll pass some of them anyway. Glance as you go; don’t plan around them.
Every stop comes from our verdicts on 45 places in Paris: everything we rate worth it, plus the famous sights we rate “worth it if…”. They’re ranked by our Reality score with some weight for fame, and taken until about 7 hours a day are full. From two days up, the city’s three most famous sights are always in. Visit lengths come from each place’s “time needed” (big parks count at most 2.5 hours), plus 20 minutes between stops. Days are grouped by area, stops that need a booked slot come first, and the rest are ordered to keep walking short. Day trips are on their own page. Nothing is paid placement.
Place des VosgesLandmark · Reality 81
Luxembourg GardensPark · Reality 76
Notre-DameSacred site · Reality 76
Petit PalaisMuseum · Reality 76
Bois de VincennesPark · Reality 76
Père LachaiseHistory · Reality 76