Quick verdict: France beyond Paris – Provence lavender + Loire châteaux + Normandy beaches + Alps skiing + wine country. This guide ranks 15 essential French experiences for 2026.
The 15 best things to do in France
Eiffel Tower + Seine river cruise
Iconic Paris combination. Climb Eiffel ($30) + sunset Seine cruise. Tickets online ahead.
Louvre Museum
World’s largest museum. 2 million artifacts. Beat Mona Lisa crowds via Carrousel entrance. Friday late-opening best.
Versailles Palace + Gardens
Most opulent palace in world. Hall of Mirrors + Trianon estates. 45 min RER C from Paris.
Mont Saint-Michel
Medieval abbey island. Tidal bay + walking on sand at low tide. Unforgettable. Long day from Paris.
Provence lavender fields
Late June-early August. Senanque Abbey + Valensole plateau. Drive between fields. Iconic France photo.
Loire Valley château tour
Chambord + Chenonceau + Cheverny. Wine tastings. Day tour from Paris ($100-200).
D-Day Beaches
American + British WWII landing beaches. Pointe du Hoc cliffs. American Cemetery. Sobering historical.
Champagne region
Champagne house cellar tours + tastings. Reims cathedral. Moet, Veuve, Taittinger. 45 min Shinkansen.
French Riviera (Nice + Cannes + Monaco)
Mediterranean glamour. Nice old town + Monaco casino + Cannes beach. Most expensive French region.
Mont Blanc + Chamonix
Highest Alps peak. Aiguille du Midi cable car (3,842m). Skiing in winter + hiking in summer.
Bordeaux wine country
World’s most famous wine region. Saint-Emilion medieval village + château tours. Better than Burgundy for beginners.
Strasbourg + Alsace wine route
Half-French half-German region. Strasbourg cathedral + half-timbered villages + Christmas markets (Dec).
French Pyrenees hiking
Less touristy than Alps. GR10 long trail (1000km). Cirque de Gavarnie UNESCO. Spanish border.
Lyon food capital
France’s culinary capital. Paul Bocuse legacy + bouchons (traditional restaurants) + market culture.
Corsica beaches
Mediterranean island – French but feels Italian. Calanche Cliffs + Plage de Palombaggia + GR20 trail.
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Skip the Louvre Scrum: A Local’s Honest Paris Museum Play
The Louvre earns its fame, but the midday crush around the Mona Lisa in the Denon Wing is the most oversold half hour in France. You shuffle through a phone-lined scrum for a small, glass-covered portrait, then fight the same crowd back out. The smarter move is to go late: the Louvre stays open until about 9:45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays (last entry around 8:45pm), and the galleries thin out noticeably after 6pm. Enter through the underground Carrousel du Louvre rather than the glass Pyramid to dodge the longest line. On the first Friday of most months, evening entry after 6pm is free.
For the Monet most visitors skip, walk to the Musee de l’Orangerie in the Tuileries. Its eight Water Lilies panels wrap two purpose-built oval rooms under natural skylights, and it is calm in a way the Louvre never is. Two other tips worth knowing:
- The Musee d’Orsay is free on the first Sunday of every month, but it gets packed, so book your timed slot the moment it opens roughly four months ahead.
- Treat the Orangerie as a short, focused visit and pair it with a Tuileries walk rather than rushing a third museum the same day.
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Updated 2026. Some links on Packzup are affiliate links.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.