The 10 Best Historic Sites in Paris (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 10 picks

The best historic sites in Paris in 2026 are Notre-Dame Cathedral, reopened in December 2024 after the fire; Sainte-Chapelle's 13th-century stained glass; the Conciergerie, Marie Antoinette's prison; the Panthéon; the Arc de Triomphe; Les Invalides and Napoleon's tomb; and the Catacombs beneath the city.

Many of Paris's historic monuments are run by the Centre des monuments nationaux and need a timed ticket booked online, especially Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe roof and the Catacombs. EU residents under 26 get free entry to most national monuments, and many are free for everyone on the first Sunday of some months. Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie sit side by side on the Île de la Cité, a few minutes from Notre-Dame, so you can see all three in one morning. For museums, see our Paris museums guide.

1. Notre-Dame de Paris — Île de la Cité (4th)

The great Gothic cathedral, reborn after the 2019 fire.

Best for First-timers · Families

Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after a five-year restoration following the 2019 fire, its interior now brighter than it has been in centuries, with a new spire rebuilt to the 19th-century design.

Entry is free; the towers climb has reopened with separate paid tickets.

Good to know: Reserve a free time slot online to avoid the longest queues.

6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris

Google Maps

2. Sainte-Chapelle — Île de la Cité (1st)

A 13th-century chapel walled almost entirely in stained glass.

$ BudgetBest for First-timers · Couples

Built by Louis IX in the 1240s to house relics of the Passion, Sainte-Chapelle's upper chapel is enclosed by 15 soaring stained-glass windows depicting more than a thousand biblical scenes.

Go on a sunny morning, when the light floods the chapel.

Good to know: Buy a combined ticket with the Conciergerie next door.

10 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris

Google Maps Website

3. La Conciergerie — Île de la Cité (1st)

A medieval royal palace and Marie Antoinette's prison.

$ BudgetBest for Families · First-timers

The Conciergerie is part of the former royal palace of the Capetian kings, with a vast Gothic hall, and became a prison during the Revolution, where Marie Antoinette was held before her execution.

A digital tablet guide brings the Revolutionary period to life.

Good to know: Visit after Sainte-Chapelle with a combined ticket.

2 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris

Google Maps Website

4. Panthéon — Latin Quarter (5th)

France's mausoleum for its great men and women.

$ BudgetBest for Families · First-timers

The Panthéon, a neoclassical temple on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, is the burial place of figures including Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Joséphine Baker, with Foucault's pendulum swinging beneath the dome.

In summer you can climb to the colonnade for views over Paris.

Good to know: The dome colonnade is open seasonally; book it in summer.

Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris

Google Maps Website

5. Arc de Triomphe — Étoile (8th)

Napoleon's triumphal arch, with a rooftop view down the Champs-Élysées.

$ BudgetBest for First-timers · Couples

Commissioned by Napoleon after Austerlitz, the Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of the Étoile, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath it and its eternal flame rekindled every evening.

Climb to the roof for a view down the Champs-Élysées to the Louvre and across to La Défense.

Good to know: Reach it through the underpass from the Champs-Élysées; never cross the roundabout.

Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris

Google Maps Website

6. Les Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb — Invalides (7th)

Louis XIV's veterans' hospital, army museum and Napoleon's tomb.

$ BudgetBest for Families · First-timers

Les Invalides was built by Louis XIV for wounded soldiers. Under its golden dome lies Napoleon's tomb, and the complex houses the Musée de l'Armée, one of the world's great military museums.

Allow half a day if you want to see the museum properly.

Good to know: One ticket covers the museum and the Dôme with Napoleon's tomb.

129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris

Google Maps Website

7. Catacombs of Paris — Denfert-Rochereau (14th)

Tunnels lined with the bones of millions of Parisians.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Couples

The Catacombs are a network of former quarries beneath southern Paris where the remains of around six million people were moved from overflowing cemeteries from the late 18th century, arranged in macabre walls of skulls and bones.

The visit is about 1.5km long, with steep stairs down and back up.

Good to know: Tickets sell out weeks ahead in high season; book early.

1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris

Google Maps Website

8. Palais Garnier — Opéra (9th)

The opulent 19th-century opera house of The Phantom of the Opera.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · First-timers

The Palais Garnier, completed in 1875, is a monument to Second Empire extravagance: a marble grand staircase, gilded foyers and an auditorium with a ceiling painted by Marc Chagall.

Take the self-guided tour by day, or see a ballet in the evening.

Good to know: Daytime visits may be limited on performance days; check before you go.

Place de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris

Google Maps Website

9. Basilica of Saint-Denis — Saint-Denis

The birthplace of Gothic architecture and the burial place of France's kings.

$ BudgetBest for Couples

The Basilica of Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, is where Gothic architecture was born in the 12th century, and it holds the tombs of almost every French king and queen, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

It is a short metro ride on line 13 and rarely crowded.

Good to know: Take metro line 13 to Basilique de Saint-Denis.

1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis

Google Maps Website

10. Place des Vosges — Le Marais (4th)

Paris's oldest planned square, perfectly symmetrical and free.

Best for Couples · Budget

Built under Henri IV and inaugurated in 1612, the Place des Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris, enclosed by red-brick arcaded houses, with Victor Hugo's apartment in one corner (now a museum).

It is one of the loveliest places in Paris to sit on a bench.

Good to know: Browse the galleries under the arcades, then walk into the Marais.

Place des Vosges, 75004 Paris

Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

Is Notre-Dame open again?

Yes. Notre-Dame de Paris reopened to visitors in December 2024 after the 2019 fire. Entry to the cathedral is free; you can reserve a time slot online to skip the queue.

Do I need to book Sainte-Chapelle in advance?

Yes, it is strongly recommended. Timed tickets sell out in high season, and the security queue on the Île de la Cité can be long without one.

Can you climb the Arc de Triomphe?

Yes. About 284 steps lead to the rooftop terrace, which looks down the Champs-Élysées and over the twelve avenues of the Étoile. Book a timed ticket online.

Are the Paris Catacombs worth it?

Yes, for most visitors: the walk through ossuaries holding the remains of millions of Parisians is unforgettable. Book well ahead, as tickets sell out, and allow about an hour.

Which historic sites in Paris are free?

Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur are free to enter, and many national monuments are free for EU residents under 26.

1. Notre-Dame de Paris — Île de la Cité (4th)

2. Sainte-Chapelle — Île de la Cité (1st)

3. La Conciergerie — Île de la Cité (1st)

4. Panthéon — Latin Quarter (5th)

5. Arc de Triomphe — Étoile (8th)

6. Les Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb — Invalides (7th)

7. Catacombs of Paris — Denfert-Rochereau (14th)

8. Palais Garnier — Opéra (9th)

9. Basilica of Saint-Denis — Saint-Denis

10. Place des Vosges — Le Marais (4th)

Frequently asked questions

Related lists

The 11 Best Historic Sites in France (2026)

The 6 Best Vintage Stores in Paris (2026)

The 8 Best Restaurants With a View in Paris (2026)

The 10 Best Places to Propose in Paris (2026)

The 10 Best Food Markets in Paris (2026)