City: Ile-de-France
Top Things to do in Ile-de-France
Top Hotels in Ile-de-France
Top 10 Things to do Good for Big Groups in Ile-de-France, France
Île-de-France (English: /ˌiːl də ˈfrɑːns/, French: [il də fʁɑ̃s] ( listen), "Island of France"), also known as the région parisienne ("Parisian Region"), is one of the 18 regions of France and includes the city of Paris. It covers 12,012 square kilometres (4,638 square miles) and has its own regional council and president. It has a population of 12,005,077 as of January 2014, equivalent to 18.2% of the population of France.
Restaurants in Ile-de-France
1. Musee d'Orsay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 65,765 reviews
This beautiful museum, once a railroad station, now houses a staggering collection of Impressionist art, as well as other items created between 1848 and 1914. In 2011, the museum is running a renovation of the top floor (impressionist gallery). Only ground and medium floor are accessible. The top floor will re-open on the 20th of October. Meanwhile, some impressionist masterpieces are not visible.
Reviewed By 576elizabethc576 - Montpelier Station, United States
Excellent museum, incredible use of old train station space, loads and loads of lovely and important French art, easy to walk, large open spaces, good cafes, perfect light. We walked right in in June, no waiting, arrived at opening. Highly recommend.
2. Eiffel Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 140,260 reviews
Completed in 1889, this colossal landmark, although initially hated by many Parisians, is now a famous symbol of French civic pride.
Reviewed By MayaBToy - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Amazing place and I conquered my fear of heights ...if you are fearless go all the way to the top the view is mesmerizing... at night the light show from the Iron Lady is breathtaking
3. Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71,255 reviews
This famous cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture on which construction began in the 12th century, stands on the Île de la Cité and is the symbolic heart of the city.
Reviewed By ashwathramr - Kochi (Cochin), India
A must visit landmark Cathedral in Paris, I turned up at 7:45 AM.. early and entered inide at 8 : 00 AM, the exterior architecture is amazing magnificent , the cathedral is stunning with ornate and intricate statues and two bell tower , he facade of the Cathedral is well designed in Gothic architectural style, the interiors of the cathedral is impressive with high column and glass works ,as i walked inside the cathedral i was just lost in the era of the Gothic Period. This is one of the best cathedral that i ve ever visited in my life. You can capture some of the stunning views of the cathedral . My suggestion to visit the cathedral is enter the cathedral in the morning early hours , when the crowd is less, the entry is free, but you have to stand in line to enter and security check is there. the touristic crowd and group tour pours in so visit at early is always the best to enjoy your visit to this marvelous masterpiece.. At evening hour the views of the cathedral is also stunning...there is a huge open space in front of the cathedral for capturing beautiful views.
4. Louvre Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 99,632 reviews
Home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Louvre is considered the world's greatest art museum, with an unparalleled collection of items covering the full spectrum of art through the ages.
Reviewed By 419udays - Pune, India
This was my second visit here The place is mesmerising what with loads of historic information on the audio guide as you traverse through various lounges Painting and Sculptures were our forte then and now also
5. Arc de Triomphe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 45,103 reviews
The Arc de triomphe was begun in 1806, on the orders of Napoleon I to honour the victories of his Grande Armée. Inspired by the great arches of antiquity, the monument combines the commemorative with the symbolic and it has always played a major role in the national republican consciousness. Every evening, the flame is lit on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Great War. An exhibition portrays the history and explains its symbolic importance, nationally as well as internationally. The terrace provides superb views both by day and night across the city and its great sweeping avenues.-Opening hours : April to September: from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; October to March: from 10 a.m. to 10.30 p.m.-Closed: 1st January, 1st May, 8th May (morning), 14th July (morning), 11th November (morning), 25th December-Entry fees: Adults = 9,5 €; Concessions = 6 €; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups
Reviewed By Aveiri - Cuernavaca, Mexico
You visit the Arc crossing underground from Champs Elyseés, visit the unknown soldier tomb and it fire, from there you can see Place de la Concorde Obelisk, the details in its walls are well detailed, the scenes that represent are monumentals, love to see under the roof
6. Montmartre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19,757 reviews
Located in the 18th Arrondissement, this elevated rural neighborhood on the outskirts of the city has a collection of upscale shops and cafés and still exudes hints of old village charm.
Reviewed By RaeBar - Durban, South Africa
It's hard to believe that Montmatre is part of the frenetically-busy city of Paris! It has an old bohemian village feel about it and has much less traffic. There's loads to see, from the amazing Sacre-Coeur Cathedral towering above the city, to the famous Moulin Rouge, little streets meandering up and down the hillside, the buzzing artists' square of Place du Tertre, the fascinating old Cemetary, loads of cafes, restaurants & galleries and so much more!
7. Seine River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25,513 reviews
This famous river flows from east to west through the heart of the city and divides Paris's Left Bank and Right Bank.
Reviewed By Matteomartinii28 - Paris, France
You can find moments on the bridges (des Arts for the romantic locks) or from the River itself on a Hop on Hop off boat - you can go from museum to museum (the Louvre to D'Orsay) and see the beautiful Eiffel Tower throughout...the best moments may be the cafes, street artists and crepe makers, but Paris charm resides in all of it! I love this city and its river!
8. Sainte-Chapelle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27,113 reviews
The Sainte-Chapelle is the finest royal chapel to be built in France and features a truly exceptional collection of stained-glass windows. It was built in the mid 13th century by Louis IX, at the heart of the royal residence, the Palais de la Cité. It was built to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. Adorned with a unique collection of fifteen glass panels and a large rose window forming a veritable wall of light,the Sainte-Chapelle is a gem of French Gothic architecture. Designated world heritage site by UNESCO. Open:> 1st March to 31st October: Monday to Friday: from 9.30 a.m. to 12.45 a.m. and to 2.15 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.> 1st November to 29th February: Monday to Friday: from 9 a.m. to 12.45 a.m. and to 2.15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission 30 minutes before closing time. The best time to visit is in the morning from Tuesday to Friday. Closed:> 1st January, 1st May and 25th December and in case of negative temperatures.
Reviewed By KVirgils - London, United Kingdom
Glorious and uplifting to walk around this beautiful chapel Every time I visit I marvel at the windows especially if you visit when the sun is shining !
9. Palais Garnier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19,408 reviews
This performance hall hosts opera, ballet and chamber music performances.
Reviewed By globalfinder312 - Chicago, United States
Don't miss seeing the Palais Garnier, even if you never attend the opera or ballet. This is one of Paris' grand buildings, and I enjoyed the experience of learning it's history on a guided tour of it's exceptionally beautiful and ornate architecture, paintings, sculpture and more -- after hours without the crowds. You will learn the challenges of its design, about the architect (and how and where Garner became the first to memorialize his creation); about the history at its inception, followed by its opening after France had become a republic. I am not a devout Phantom of the Opera fan. Yet it was amazing to hear the story told where it took place. The 90-minute guided tour that begins at 5pm sells out so it would be best to reserve a space and pay for your tickets ahead of time. Easily done on the website. Bring a copy of your receipt and convert it into tickets at the box office. Our delightful tour guide Karen lead an informative and enjoyable tour, and was exceptionally kind to children in the group.
10. Chateau de Fontainebleau
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,411 reviews
With over 1500 rooms at the heart of 130 acres of parkland and gardens, Fontainebleau is the only royal and imperial château to have been continuously inhabited for seven centuries. A visit to Fontainebleau opens up an unparalleled view of French history, art history and architecture.
Reviewed By Ivisitedtheplace - Israel, null
I visited this place... with my wife, Mrs. H. It was her choice and decision to come here- full disclosure: I’m not sure that I remembered or knew anything about this place from my knowledge of French history. We had been to Versailles in 1982 and I had read on TripAdvisor (hey-is there anything else that I do?) about the crowds and lines at the other place, so this became our destination. The palace is included in the Paris Museum Pass and the entire round trip journey is included in the weekly Navigo Decouverte pass. Total extra cost then for this excursion: zero zip zilch effes. As you know from reading my previous review, we departed from Gare de Lyon. Our train was cancelled and delayed, so we had some extra 30 minutes of waiting time (and you can see my photos of that to know what I did and saw during that time). So we took the 40 minute train journey and the city bus (passing a sign regarding a historic synagogue that we did not visit). The mansion boasts 1500 rooms and it is obvious that only a section is in use for exhibition. Mrs. H and I had a disagreement as to whether we visited either forty or fifty rooms. At the entrance, there are key pad lockers to store your stuff- be sure to do that- it makes the wandering quite bearable. Now overall, the place and the palace and the building and all the rooms and all the amazing stuff on display are quite remarkable. But the lighting leaves quite a lot to be desired- maybe the goal is the actual illumination during the days and era when the place was in active royal use. As is known and as is stated in my headline for this review, this was the famous and beloved and very frequented palace and royal residence of the one and only Napoleon Bonaparte himself (see my reviews and photos of the magnificent painting of his coronation in my Louvre review and my comments and photos of his sarcophagus and tomb in my Musée de l’Invalides review- both submitted within the last month or so (December 2019). Anyway- being a person quite interested in history and who simply loves and craves being in historical places, this visit was outstanding and amazing and breath taking- primarily because- and I admit- I didn’t know what I was going to be seeing. So now I am about to ruin the shock value for you- read on, my friend. The rooms and the stuff in them were amazing and unbelievable. To chance upon an amazing historical piece that I did not expect- so exciting and incredible- leaving me almost breathless- and here are four of the things: Napoleon’s original tri cornered hat!! What’s more incredible than that? I spent some time posing for many selfies with that hat prompted squarely on my patê (you can see his hat in my attached photos, but don’t look for me in my photos submitted here though). And then his guest rooms and the bedroom and baby cradle of his beloved son, and stuff of his wife and then- so amazing and what a fantastic surprise- his throne room with his throne chair, his bedroom with his small bed (hey- Wikipedia says that he was 160 centimeters- not so bad), and then the document room, where he resigned before going into exile. All of this and more were amazing- causing Mrs. H to start sending me WhatsApp messages again, to extract me (just as she had needed to do in the three Monet museums of Marmottan, d’ Orsay and L’Orangerie). Once she succeeded in forcibly extracting me from reveling at being in the very presence and location of iconic Napoleonic history, we went outside to the top of the gardens and lake. Yes- we saw the rowboats. After that, we departed. So please sign up follow me on TripAdvisor to see of my continuing Paris adventures. So please enjoy my many photos showing what I’ve described. And hey- doesn’t this very extensive and detailed review deserve a “like” from you?
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