Paris Activities

Worth getting out of bed for

Paris itinerary

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Viewpoint

Crowded but irresistible, the Eiffel Tower is open 9.30am–11pm (midnight in high season). If all that steel doesn't take your fancy, visit L’Institute du Monde Arabe (www.imarabe.org): as well as an interesting modern façade and Islamic art exhibitions, its top-floor terrace offers great views across the Seine to Notre Dame and Ile de la Cité.

Arts and culture

The Louvre (www.louvre.fr) houses some of the world’s most famous art (open late Mondays and Wednesdays; closed Tuesdays and some holidays). The Musée National d’Art Moderne is on level four of the Pompidou Centre (www.centrepompidou.fr); Richard Rogers’ radical architecture is another draw. Musée National Picasso Paris (www.musee-picasso.fr) occupies an old house in the Marais, and is full of the artworks Pablo couldn’t bear to part with; the venue is as alluring as the art itself, also the case for Musée d’Orsay, a converted train station packed with arty treats (www.musee-orsay.fr).

Something for nothing

Follow in the footsteps of Degas, Toulouse Lautrec and Amélie, wandering through Montmartre (the bohemian hill streets that saw the birth of the can-can), and up to the Sacré-Coeur for more resplendent Parisian panoramas.

Shopping

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is chock-full of designer boutiques; our favourite is Colette (www.colette.fr), a celebrated lifestyle shop with fashion, books and a café. There are quirky independent shops, cafés and bars plus cutting-edge fashion in the bohemian Marais district (aka the quartier Juif) – also the only area largely open on Sundays. Porte de Clignancourt market is a fleamarket for clothes and antiques, open Monday–Saturday until 7pm. Or arrange to have a selection of Parisian vintage pieces brought to you by Ooh La La! (ring +33 6 84 76 58 65 ahead of your trip for details). If you’re a sucker for department stores, head to Le Bon Marché on Rue de Sèvres. Splurge with a healthy conscience at Merci (+33 (0)1 42 77 00 33) on Boulevard Beaumarchais. The luxury emporium donates profits from its cut-price Annick Goutal perfumes, Baccarat crystal vases, Stella McCartney and Yves St Laurent glad-rags and hip homeware to a children’s charity in Madagascar.

Daytripper

Live out your Louis XV/Mme de Pompadour/Marie-Antoinette/Sun King fantasies (delete as applicable) at the incomparable Château de Versailles, just outside Paris (www.chateauversailles.fr).

Best beach

Visitors can now make an excursion to the beach without leaving the city, thanks to the palm-tree-lined white sand of Paris Plage, a summertime addition to the right bank of the Seine (near the Pont Neuf and Hotel de Ville).

Perfect picnic

Grab a bottle of bubbly from the minibar and some pastries, smoked salmon baguettes or tarts from Gérard Mulot at 76 Rue de Seine (43 26 85 77), and enjoy them in the Jardin de Luxembourg on the Left Bank. Another good green grazing spot is the Jardin de Tuileries near the Louvre: get gourmet snacks at Fauchon or Hédiard on Place de la Madeleine.

Walks

Chic St Germain is an edifying place to stroll around, with plenty of shops, cafés and culture to keep you occupied; thanks to its university heritage, the area has historically been the haunt of artists, poets and intellectuals, and there are still plenty of great bookshops and galleries to help kick-start your grey matter.

Activities

The Seine’s open-top Bateaux-Mouches riverboats are a popular way to see the sights; most depart from Pont de l’Alma. Stick to a one-hour trip and give the touristy dinner cruises a miss. Ramp things up a notch on a private picnic cruise down the St Martin canal aboard La Coda, a small Dutch barge (www.parislacoda.com); or sweep your Mr or Mrs off their feet and arrange dinner for two on a sleek Yachts de Paris launch (www.yachtsdeparis.fr). US-run Fat Tire Bike Tours will whiz you round the sights on Schwinn bikes, Segways or your own two feet; the night-time tours are fun (1 866 614 6218; www.fattirebiketoursparis.com). Rollerskate through town on a Friday night (or just watch the speed-mad crowd wheel past); the city-of-light express leaves Tour Montparnasse at 10pm and rolls back around 1am (www.pari-roller.com).

And...

Marvel at Paris’ unique layout from atop the 200-year-old Arc de Triomphe, one of France’s most iconic monuments and the epicentre of bravura city-planner Baron Haussmann’s star of boulevards; it’s worth clambering up its many internal stairs to peer down the Champs Elysées and enjoy photogenic views down to Place de la Concorde and up to La Défense. Open daily, 10am–10.30pm (11pm in summer), excluding 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Tickets cost €8 and must be bought 30 minutes before closing.