Tickets for Arboretum de Versailles-Chèvreloup

This luxurious 17th-century French palace is a masterclass in excess. It has hundreds of acres of magnificently landscaped gardens, more than 700 rooms, a large collection of French Renaissance art, an opera house, and a 75-meter long hall of mirrors lined with priceless statues and busts. There are no half-measures in its conception or execution – it has more than 1,200 fireplaces! It's one of the most visited attractions in France, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of the world's largest and most authoritative museums, the Louvre's magnificent classical silhouette (and funky glass pyramid) are well-known attractions in the center of Paris. But as nice as the Louvre is from the outside, its real magic is in the inside. The Louvre's collection ranges from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek antiquities, with masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt. With 35,000 works of art (all created before 1848), it's a big, and worthwhile, commitment. The Louvre is one of Paris's Big Three museums; the other two are the Museé d'Orsay (with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art from the years 1848-1914) and the Centre Pompidou (with 20th-century works created after 1914).

Housed in the stunning Beaux-Arts style Gare d'Orsay railway station, The Musée d'Orsay is home to significant and stunning works by painters including Gauguin, Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, and Van Gogh. It's widely considered to be one of the most culturally important museums in the world. Its entire collection is from the period 1848-1914, including many of the most significant Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings ever created. Chronologically, the works come after those of the neighboring Louvre, and before the collection of the nearby Pompidou Centre.

From just behind the Eiffel Tower (which you'll probably be seeing up close anyway), the Bateaux Parisiens river cruises depart for trips up and down the Seine. With a sightseeing option as well as a trés elegant dinner cruise, you'll be able to find the trip to suit your taste. Enjoy panoramic views of the Musée d'Orsay, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Pont Neuf, and many more UNESCO World Heritage Sites as you float down the Seine. It all starts here.

The Paris Aquarium is not only Europe's oldest aquarium (it was built in 1867), for years it was also Europe's largest. Housed in the center of the city, on the quarries where Napoleon would house his cavalry, this institution has been part of the fabric of Parisian life for more than a century. This institution embodies the late 19th century fascination with the spectacular. Alongside bearded ladies and camera obscuras, aqua vivariums were all the rage. With 4 million liters of water, and 10,000 fish from around the world, there's plenty to keep you and your family entertained here for hours on end.

Sainte-Chapelle is a Gothic-style royal chapel, known for its magnificent stained glass windows and for housing the Crown of Thorns. It is located on the Île de la Cité, in Paris.

Europe's largest collection of modern and contemporary art (oh yes, there is a difference!) is housed in a building that was deemed to be architecturally daring in the 20th century. The building features plumbing and piping on the outside and Picasso and Pollock on the inside. And to top it all off, from the rooftop you'll find gorgeous views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. The Centre Pompidou is one of Paris's 'Big Three' museums – the other two being the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. The Louvre holds art and artifacts from up until 1848. The Musée d'Orsay contains the world's greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, all produced between the years 1848-1914. The Centre Pompidou holds 20th and 21st-century works (created after 1914). Altogether, the three museums house a complete timeline of Western art history.

This 19th-century architectural masterpiece was built by Charles Garnier at the wishes of Emperor Napoleon III. It's located at the Place de l'Opera, a square in Paris's 9th arrondissement. The insides of the Opéra Garnier boast some stunning Beaux-Arts architecture (the 30-meter high marble Grand Staircase for example). Its intricate interior inspired Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera (and thus Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash-hit musical), making this the perhaps the most famous opera house in the world.

In 1922 Claude Monet offered eight of his giant Water Lilies panels to the French state, as a way of commemorating the end of WWI. His only condition was that they be displayed in a suitable venue. The French government found the perfect spot: the Orangerie in the Tulieries Garden. The Orangerie was built in 1852 as a winter shelter for the orange trees that lined the garden of the Tuileries Palace. For a period of time it was also used as a storehouse for goods, a bunk for soldiers, and as a flexible exhibition space. Monet's generous gift transformed it into the Musée de l'Orangerie, a pre-eminent gallery of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. The huge (and hugely impressive) Monet paintings are definitely the main event, but they are far from the only reason to visit. The museum also contains works by Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Renoir, and Rousseau, among others.