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famous motorboats, which set off on their hour-long tours of the city waters regularly (every half hour in summer) from Place de l’Alma. Their route heads east to the Ile St-Louis and then back west, past the Tour Eiffel, as far as the Allée des Cygnes and its miniature version of the Statue of Liberty. Note that some travelers prefer to take this Seine cruise on the smaller Vedettes du Pont Neuf, which depart from Square du Vert-Galant on the Ile de la Cité, as the Vedettes have a guide giving commentary in French and English, while the Bateaux Mouches have a loud recorded spiel in several languages. For the quietest journey, take the city-run Batobus, which has no commentary and allows you to get on and off at its various quayside stops. | Pl. de l’Alma, Trocadéro/Tour Eiffel | 75008 | 01–42–25–96–10 | www.bateaux-mouches.fr | €10 | Station: Alma-Marceau.

Champs-Élysées.

Marcel Proust lovingly described the genteel elegance of the storied Avenue des Champs-Élysées during its Belle Époque heyday, when its cobblestones resounded with the clatter of horses and carriages. Today, despite unrelenting traffic and the intrusion of chain stores and fast-food restaurants, the avenue still sparkles. There’s always something happening here: the stores are open late—and many are open on Sunday (a rarity in Paris), the nightclubs remain top destinations, and the cafés offer prime people-watching—though you’ll pay for the privilege: after all, this is Europe’s most expensive stretch of real estate. Along the 2-km (1¼-mi) stretch, you can find the marquee names in French luxury, including Cartier, the perfumier Guerlain, and Louis Vuitton. Old stalwarts are still going strong, if a bit faded, like the Lido cabaret and Fouquet’s, whose celebrity clientele extends from James Joyce to President Nicolas Sarkozy, who celebrated his election night victory at this restaurant in May 2007. The avenue is also the setting for the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race (the third or fourth Sunday in July), and ceremonies on Bastille Day (July 14) and Armistice Day (November 11). The Champs-Élysées, which translates as “Elysian Fields” (the resting place of the blessed in Greek mythology), began life as a cow pasture. | Station: Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau, Franklin-D.-Roosevelt, George V, Étoile.

Musée Guimet.

The excellent Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts traces its roots to the 19th-century Lyonnais industrialist Émile Guimet. The world-class collection, enriched by the state’s vast holdings, is laid out geographically in airy, light-filled rooms, thanks to a top-end renovation a decade ago. The museum is home to the largest collection of Khmer sculpture outside of Cambodia, a comprehensive China collection, and treasures from across the Far East. Peek into the old library rotunda, where Mata Hari danced for the city’s notables one evening in 1905. Pick up a free English-language audio guide and brochure at the entrance. If you have time, check out the Guimet’s impressive Buddhist Pantheon down the street at 19 ave. d’Iéna (admission is free). | 6 pl. d’Iéna, Trocadéro/Tour Eiffel | 75016 | 01–56–52–53–00 | www.museeguimet.fr | €6.50 | Wed.–Sun. 10–6 | Station: Iéna or Boissiére.

Musée Marmottan–Claude Monet.

A few years ago the underrated Marmottan tacked Claude Monet onto its official name—and justly so, as this may be the best collection of the artist’s works anywhere. Monet’s works occupy a specially built basement gallery in this elegant 19th-century mansion, where you can find such captivating works as the Cathédrale de Rouen series (1892–96) and Impression: Soleil Levant (Impression–Sunrise, 1872), the work that helped give the Impressionist movement its name. Upstairs the mansion still feels like a graciously decorated private home. | 2 rue Louis-Boilly, Passy-Auteuil | 75016 | 01–44–96–50–33 | www.marmottan.com | €9 | Tues. 11–9, Wed.–Sun. 11–6 | Station: La Muette.

Fodor’s Choice | Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower).

La Tour Eiffel (pronounced ef-el), Paris’s most famous landmark was built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition