• Saint Sulpice Church

Despite appearances in both the Dan Brown and Ron Howard iteration of The Da Vinci Code, Paris's second largest church remains surprisingly under-visited. Nestled in the heart of the Saint Germain district, Saint Sulpice is easily recognizable by its impressive white façade and mismatched bell towers. Boasting three paintings by French artist Delacroix, who also has pieces on display in the Louvre, the Baroque interior is not only stunning to enter but free, too.

• Pain de Sucre Macarons

Gourmands from around the world fawn over the colorful macarons at Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, but it’s the lesser-known bakeries that often produce superior products. Sure, it's all a matter of personal preference, but the macarons at Pain de Sucre, by the Pompidou Center in the Marais, are top-notch.

• Hotel des Invalides and the Military Museum

Sure, travelers are busy visiting the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Pompidou Center—but lines at the military museum are nonexistent. Maybe it sounds geeky, but the artifacts dating back to the Middle Ages up through World War II are fascinating, culminating in a visit to Napoléon's over-the-top tomb. Displays are in English, to better help visitors understand what they're seeing.

• Rue Montorgueil

Tourists manage to find Rue Montorgueil, the less-gaudy version of Rue Cler, but its location just north of Les Halles and spanning the length of the 1st arrondissement and 2nd arrondissement can be somewhat off-putting. The former market district is something of a permanent construction site, but Rue Montorgueil is far enough away from the unpleasantness and features the city's oldest pastry shop, fantastic cheese mongers, and lively bars, which is decidedly more local than other streets.

• Gardens of the Palais Royal

The gardens within the arcades of the Palais Royal are never as busy as they should be—probably because everyone is across the street at the Louvre. There's something to be said for sitting by the fountain on a sunny day, surrounded by Parisians who know how to kick back and relax. A coffee from the Kitsuné, under the arcades on the western edge, will round off any stroll through the pristine gardens.

• Carnavalet Museum

This little Marais mainstay is dedicated to all things Parisian history. Housed in two mansions built in the 16th and 17th centuries respectively, it's free, charming, and often goes overlooked by tourists. Lines at the nearby falafel shops are longer than any lines that can be seen at the Carnavalet. Sure the falafel is good, but the Carnavalet is just as delicious.

• Le Bon Marche - Sezane shop

You can find inspiration anywhere in Paris! On the streets, walking along the banks of the Seine, in the parks, in museums, old cinemas… I also love Le Bon Marché in the 6th arrondissment. It was the first department store in the world, and I think the most beautiful. We’re so excited to have a little Sézane shop in there now – I love visiting it.

• Septime

For tourists who want to try French food, I would say Septime in the 11th arrondissment, which is modern French cuisine but in a relaxed, farmhouse-style environment.

• Bronco

One of my favorite restaurants in Paris is Bronco – I love the ambiance of this restaurant because you feel like you are at someone’s house.

• Bambou

We also love this modern Thai restaurant across from L’Appartement called Bambou – it’s one of the few spaces in Paris that has an outdoor garden that is quite big, but not on the street so it’s very quiet and peaceful. The food is delicious too!

• l’hotel des Beaux Arts

Favorite place to get a glass of wine? The bar of l’hotel des Beaux Arts. I love the atmosphere of this timeless, secret bar

• Musée d’Orsay
• Musée Rodin
• Hotel Particulier Montmartre

It’s the best secret hotel, tucked inside a little garden in Montmartre and full of luxurious rooms and suites.

• Odette - Pastry shop
• Le Syndicat

Celebrating all things French, this Parisian bar is known for its incredible cocktails, hip scene and gorgeous décor. Le Syndicat isn’t simply a speakeasy or a hidden bar, but a stunning spot to stumble into in a less appreciated neighborhood.

• Richelieu Library
• Atelier Brancusi
• Mirazur - Menton, France
• Arpege (Paris, France)
• Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)
• Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
• Septime (Paris, France)
• Treat yourself to a night at a luxury Parisian hotel

Nothing says luxury like Paris. Sip champagne, order room service, and wear a ridiculously fluffy robe every second you’re not out sightseeing. Not to mention the views.

• Dine on a riverboat cruise and take in the city lit up at night

They don’t call Paris la ville de la lumière for nothing. Plan a riverboat cruise so you can gently glide past all those glittering lights — a truly magical evening for the books.

• Take a French pastry or cooking class

What’s better than a croissant? A croissant that you made yourself — in Paris, no less. Learn the art of cooking the French way and delight your friends when you return. We recommend classes at La Cuisine (which is actually run by a woman from Chicago who has lived in Paris the past ten years)! Both the market cooking class and croissant baking class are a treat (no pun intended). Classes are small and book up quickly, so be sure to book at least a month ahead!

• Imbibe at a Parisian jazz club

Transport yourself to the 20s in Paris — imagine glittering castanet skirts, bright jazz trumpets, and whirling around the dance floor doing everything from the Charleston to the Lindy Hop. Good drinks, better atmosphere, best music? What are you waiting for?

• Do the private tour of the Louvre

The Louvre is filled with so much history — it should be required to enter with an educated guide. The amount of information you’ll learn will exponentially increase your appreciation for everything around you.

• Get yourself something you’ll have forever

A hat, a handbag, a piece of jewelry, or a vintage home good… find something classic that will outlast the trends and great quality that will last a long time.

• Stroll the gardens and grounds at Versailles

Part of the experience of Paris is walking everywhere (good thing there’s all that bread, cheese, and wine to keep you fortified) and one of the best walks of your entire trip will be in Versailles. The opulence! The majesty! The landscaping!

• Shop a morning market and picnic along the River

Grab your market tote and fill it with fresh cheese, a crumbly, hot-from-the-oven baguette, and a fabulous bottle of wine for an impromptu picnic along the Seine. Let the beauty of Paris be your brunch-mate.

• Visit Monet’s Garden and House at Giverny

Experience the beauty that inspired some of Monet’s most classic and reverential work. Tour his home, stand on the Japanese bridge, and spot the hovering water lilies. A must for any bucket list.

• Spend an Afternoon Cafe Hopping

Another simple one to cross off your list… but also difficult considering most people’s itineraries for such an expansive city are jam-packed from morning to night. But Paris, after all, is all about slowing down, enjoying life. So spend a few hours doing just that. Cafe hop. Sit in those picturesque chairs and sip cappuccinos or wine. People watch. Read or journal. And soak up that joie de vivre.

• Miznon

This is a must if you have any Jewish or middle eastern blood, or happen to like food from that region. Their whole roasted cauliflower is famous the world over. Their original locations in Paris and Tel Aviv are beloved, if you happen to be visiting those cities.

• Tresors de Champagne - Reims
• Little Red Door - Paris

The name of this chic Parisian drinking establishment will give you a clue to its location, which you'll be one step closer to once you spot the little red door at its address. The true entrance is located right to the left of the bright red door, leading you into a stone-and-brick bar where velvet and leather seats and a drink menu inspired by famed works of art make for a charming ambiance.

• Chateau Bel Esprit - Puget-Ville, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d’Azur, France

Set within a striking 300-acre estate, the 17th-century Chateau Bel Esprit’s vineyard has existed for more than two thousand years. The winery is located in the basin of the ancient Volcan de Beaulieu, the only volcano in Provence, which last erupted more than 17 million years ago. You can rent out the 11-room chateau for a private stay, participate in a truffle hunt, taste local cheeses with a cheesemonger, and sample a variety of reds, whites, and rosés, including the winery’s coveted AOC Coteaux de Provence. (Visit the top UNESCO World Heritage sites in France.)

• Le Manoir de Paris

This is where macabre museum meets haunted house. Numerous rooms highlight some of the more unsettling aspects of Paris’s long and often dark past, such as the Phantom of the Opera, vampires, or the crocodiles in the sewers. Using real actors as well as animatronics, the city’s gruesome and unsettling history is brought to life in an interesting way. In addition to their museum, they also have escape rooms as well as different levels of intensity depending on how scared you get!

• Musée Édith Piaf

Édith Piaf is perhaps the most famous French singer from the 1930s to the 1960s, and know around the world for her songs La vie en rose and Non, je ne regrette rien (which appeared in the movie Inception). She lived in a little apartment in the Ménilmontant district at the start of her career, which has been turned into a tiny museum dedicated to her. You get a glimpse at her life through her gold and platinum records, photographs, clothing, letters from fans, posters, recordings, and sheet music.

• Musée Curie

The interior of the Curie Museum in Paris, France Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize (and the only woman to win it twice) for her research into radioactivity (a word that she invented). She was the first female professor at the University of Paris as well as the first woman to be entombed in the Panthéon on her own merits. Located in the 5th arrondissement, this museum, in her old laboratory, highlights her radiological research. It’s insightful and eye-opening for anyone unfamiliar with her historic discoveries.

• Archives Nationales

The exterior of the National Archives on a sunny day in Paris, France Opened in 1867, the National Archives houses thousands of historical documents dating back to 625 CE. One of six national archives in the country, the museum sheds light on France’s turbulent past, providing nuanced historical details and context through permanent and temporary exhibitions. Built by the order of Napoleon I, the building itself (known as the Hôtel de Soubise) is absolutely stunning. It is in the late Baroque style, embracing long columns and lots of statues and sculptures. It features immaculate grounds and gardens as well. They always hold a lot of good exhibitions too.

• The Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy

A massive skull from a T-Rex in a museum in Paris, France Opened in 1898, this museum is home to over 1,000 animal skeletons from around the world, including complete skeletons of elephants, large cats, and even dinosaurs. It’s as interesting as it is unsettling: all the animals are facing the same way, making it look like you’re in the midst of some undead stampede!

• The Vampire Museum

Paris has a long history with the esoteric, one that is brought to life in this fascinating (if not macabre) museum founded by an eccentric scholar to showcase his knowledge of the undead and esoteric. Here you’ll find vampire-killing kits, rare texts on demonology, and mysterious ancient relics. It’s a busy, eclectic, creepy museum that’s a feast for the eyes and one worthy of a visit if you’re at all interested in more obscure (and fanciful) tales. It’s a fun, kitschy museum.

• Petite Ceinture

The Petite Ceinture abandoned train tracks in Paris, France In use from 1862 through 1964, the railway circling Paris was abandoned when the city expanded beyond its limits. It’s mostly hidden behind buildings and covered in wild plants and grass now, though some sections are now officially open to the public. You’ll find all sorts of flowers and street art along the tracks. While some sections are illegal to visit, near Parc Georges Brassens you’ll find a section of the tracks known as the ‘Passage de la Petite Ceinture’ that is both free and legal to visit. It’s located in the 15e arrondissement.

• The Salvador Dalí Sundial

An up-close shot of the Salvador Dali sundial in Paris, France This surrealist sundial was created by world-renowned artist Salvador Dalí. Located on Rue Saint-Jacques, it’s is a mix of a human face and a scallop shell (the symbol of the Camino to Santiago, since the street is named after the saint). While the sundial doesn’t actually work, it’s nevertheless an easy way to see a piece of artwork by one of the most famous artists in the world.

• Montmartre Cemetery

One of the many statues located in the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris, France While the Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest and most popular in Paris, for a more secluded stroll, check out the Montmartre Cemetery. Plenty of people visit the top of Montmartre for Sacré-Coeur and the view, but few take the time to wander this cemetery sitting at the foot of the district. It opened in 1825 and is home to many cobwebbed mausoleums, as well as a handful of stray cats. You won’t see many people here, so you can explore in peace.

• The Museum of Counterfeiting

The sign of the Museum of Counterfeiting in Paris, France Opened in 1972, this museum is home to counterfeit items that have been collected by France’s customs agents and police (as well as donated items from brands and consumers alike). There are over 500 items in the museum, ranging from counterfeit art and luxury goods to more mundane items, like cleaning supplies. While some knockoffs are impressive in their duplicity, it’s also funny to see just how bad some counterfeiters were!

• Promenade Planteé (Coulée verte René-Dumont)

The green Promenade Planteé in Paris, France on a sunny day This tree-lined walkway is a greenbelt that extends almost 5km along the old Vincennes railway line. The railway line ceased functioning in 1969, with the park being inaugurated a few decades afterward. Until New York built their High Line, it was the only elevated park in the entire world. (And, honestly, this is way nicer then the NYC High Line). You’ll find lots of trees, flowers, ponds, and places to sit along this long path that stretches from Bastille to the edge of Paris. It’s a long, easy, and beautiful walk. You won’t find many people here. Even on a nice day, it’s rather empty. It quickly became one of my favorite things to do in Paris and I can’t recommend coming here enough!

• Canal Saint-Martin

The calm waters of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, France Stretching 4.5km, the Canal Saint-Martin is a man-made waterway commissioned by Napoleon. Construction finished in 1825, connecting the Canal de l’Ourcq to the Seine via both above ground locks and underground tunnels. While not any secret spot (on a nice day, you’ll find the canal lined with people), it’s mostly a spot for locals who want to have a picnic and relax. So, say no to the Seine, and come have your outdoor picnic along the canal. It’s more relaxing and there will be fewer people!

The canal starts at Place de Stalingrad and ends at Quai de la Râpée. Canal cruises last 2.5 hours and cost around 16 EUR per person.

• Museé de Montmartre

The queen gardens of the Montmartre Museum in Paris, France Founded in 1960, this museum is located throughout two building that dates back to the 17th century. Over the years, the buildings were home to many famous writers and painters. The gardens of the museum were actually renovated to look more like the gardens in Renoir’s paintings (there is also a vineyard nearby that dates back to the Middle Ages but it makes horrible wine). The museum’s permanent collection includes a wide variety of paintings, posters, and drawings.

• Parc de Sceaux
• Saturne - Paris

Paris presents an interesting conundrum for the hungry traveler these days. Do you blow your budget on one of the city’s extremely high-end tasting menus? Do you follow the cool kids to the casual wine bars, or try to find the best classic bistro? The answer, if you have the time and the money, is all of the above. But within all of these categories, I struggled to find one single meal that felt essential. Instead, I found that meal at Saturne, a restaurant adhering neither to fashion nor tradition but somehow exhibiting the best of both. The seasonal menu was one of the most ethereal meals I’ve had, beginning with a raw oyster hiding under a froth of watercress mousse, asparagus wrapped in garlic leaf,and a tiny tart holding fava beans topped with a cream made from Tomme de Savoie cheese and dotted with tiny flowers. Raw bonito came in a pool of intensely fresh asparagus jus and a drizzle of green pepper oil, garnished with pickled white asparagus and radish flowers. Tenderly cooked cod came under a mound of fresh peas, with lemon pith used to great effect as a lightly bitter counterpoint to the sweet fish and vegetables. Chef Sven Chartier, who worked under Alain Passard at L’Arpège, was only 24 when he opened Saturne in 2010. He is also responsible for encouraging serious talent elsewhere in the city. (It was his group that took over Clown Bar in 2014.) In the months since I ate here, Chartier has announced plans to close the restaurant in October and focus on a new project for 2020. While it could have been omitted from this list for that reason, to do so would have denied some folks two months or so of delicious eating. Visit now if you can, and discover why, in this moment, when I shut out the hype and really focus on what experience gave me the most delight, there is no question. It was Saturne.

• Museum of Vampires and Legendary Creatures, Paris, France

Try not to shiver when you pass the vampire killing kit, macabre works of art (like this portrait of the so-called Blood Countess of Hungary, by artist Stephanie Clement), stacks of old books, spooky movie props and occult items at this small, private museum in Paris. Owned by historian Jacques Sirgent, the Museum of Vampires and Legendary Creatures focuses on the fanged undead and their place in folklore, as well as in the modern world. Call ahead; you'll probably need an appointment to get in. Before you arrive, hang some garlic around your neck and tuck a wooden stake into your pocket.

• Little Red Door
• Bar à Bulles

On top of the Moulin Rouge

• Le Perchoir

An unbelievable panorama of right bank

• Le Montana

A super intimate location on top of a boutique hotel

• MissKo

Sushi

• Le Malabar

Known for their flourless chocolate cake

• Marzos

Pizza

• La Mangerie

Tapas

• Chez Françis

Restaurant with view of the eiffel tower

• Pink Mamma
• Haut-Marais, Paris

Not to be confused with Marais proper -- delightful, of course, but rather touristy, darling -- Haut-Marais is the northern, bleeding edge of this historic district. "To Parisians, it feels like this neighborhood practically invented the cocktail bar," says Time Out, so visitors are recommended to sally down its winding streets and investigate joints like the Little Red Door speakeasy and Bisou (French for "kiss.")