The 26 best things to do in Paris right now
Everyone knows about the big-hitting things to do in Paris. You can easily spend your day embracing the Parisian lifestyle by eating your way through the best pâtisseries in Paris and enjoying the most incredible restaurants that Paris has to offer.
Experiencing the big-ticket attractions will always be a must — from watching the Eiffel Tower light up the night sky and wandering through the endless artwork housed at the Musée du Louvre to camping out at one of the best hotels in Paris for the weekend.
For those looking for unique things to do in Paris, our editors have narrowed down the list to 26 activities to complete your stay in the French capital.
What are the best free things to do in Paris?
The good news is that you don't have to break the bank to enjoy Paris — there is plenty to experience for those travelling on a budget. You can find refuge from the buzzing streets with walks down the Promenade Plantée or stroll through the bustling organic farmer's market on Boulevard Raspail and even window shop at Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen. Even a few museums and galleries, including the excellent Carnavalet and Petit Palais, are free to visit.
How many days should I spend in Paris?
We recommend spending three to five days in Paris to give yourself time to soak in everything this beautiful city has to offer. From cycling down the Seine and learning to make a pastry at La Cuisine Paris to dancing at the city’s oldest jazz club, Le Bal Blomet, keep reading for the best things to do in Paris.
What are the best things to do in Paris at night?
There's a reason why Paris is known as the City of Light. Yes, it was initially because it was one of the first in Europe to install street lamps, but now it's more to do with how its iconic landmarks beautifully sparkle at night. One of the best things to do in Paris at night is to catch metro line 6 from Bir-Hakeim to Passy station for the most magical panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower. It sparkles at the beginning of every hour for five minutes, until the last show at 11pm, so time your journey perfectly (tip: sit on the right side for the best views). You can also book a dinner cruise along the Seine River. For a more cultural experience, the Musée d'Orsay is open late on Thursdays and the Louvre is open late on Fridays – when the queues are far shorter and most famous artworks less crowded. There's also plenty of entertainment, from the vibrant bar scene to glamorous shows at the Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse cabarets.
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© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York; © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by ADAGP, Paris, © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage1. See the work of two artistic icons at the Fondation Louis Vuitton
This fascinating showcase is the latest exhibition to arrive at the Fondation Louis Vuitton – an impressive glass structure designed by Frank Gehry which seems to float, cloud-like, above the Bois de Boulogne. Five years after the Fondation’s 2018 Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective, this Spring Basquiat x Warhol: painting four hands celebrates his 1983-85 collaboration with pop art icon Andy Warhol. The collection brings together more than 80 paintings by the two artists, alongside videos, documents and photographs that tell the story of a friendship that captivated the art world. Opening with a series of portraits of Basquiat by Warhol and of Warhol by Basquiat, visitors are taken through galleries of vibrant, chaotic collaborative works that capture two distinct styles. Basquiat’s graffiti-inspired imagery, scribbles and slashes cover Warhol’s signature brand logos and newspaper headlines to create an energetic visual dialogue. Highlights include 10 painted punching bags (Last Supper) and the 10-metre-long canvas African Mask. The exhibition also features work by major artists such as Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer and Kenny Scharf, designed to evoke New York’s dynamic 1980s downtown art scene. This is a unique opportunity to experience one of the most important collaborations in modern art history that’s not to be missed.
Address: Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, 75016 Paris
When: 5 April 2023 – 28 August 2023
Website: fondationlouisvuitton.fr
2. Walk amongst the dead at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
One might believe the suggestion to stroll through the world’s most visited and celebrated cemetery to be morbid – and how mistaken they would be! Nestled in the depths of eastern Paris, the Père Lachaise Cemetery serves as the final resting ground for some of the world’s most beloved artists, politicians, and writers, including Edith Piaf, Balzac, and Oscar Wilde. Even the late Jim Morrison of The Doors has been laid to rest here, with his crypt serving as a point of pilgrimage for dedicated fans. Make your way through the cobbled pathways dotted with intricate and ornate gravestones and take in the solemn, calm atmosphere.
Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France
Website: paris.fr/bienvenue-au-cimetiere-du-pere-lachaise-47
Guillaume Beguin3. Learn to make pastries and viennoiseries
Eating lots of croissants should be number one on the to-do list when visiting France – but why not learn to make your own too? The centrally located La Cuisine Paris cooking school has a range of culinary courses in English focusing on French sweets and treats: from choux pastry and madeleines to macarons. For those seeking a slightly bigger challenge, there is even a two-day boulangerie masterclass to learn how to make the perfect baguette.
Address: 80 Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris
Website: lacuisineparis.com-dec22-pr-global.jpg)
4. Experience an LV Dream
Since it first opened in 1854, Louis Vuitton has been committed to creating awe-inspiring collaborations with the most consequential artists and creatives of the day. The Maison has now brought together some of its most iconic partnerships in an exhibition designed to showcase the vast expanse of Louis Vuitton’s artistic and cultural work over the last 150 years. Titled LV Dream, the gallery takes visitors through specially curated rooms of multimedia art, textiles, furniture, perfumes, trunks and ready-to-wear items. The first room presents artistic interpretations of Vuitton himself by contemporary artists, such as a floor-to-ceiling digital moving portrait by multimedia artist Cao Fei and a painting of Gaston-Louis, Louis and Georges Vuitton by American figurative artist Alex Katz. Further along the exhibition, a psychedelic room designed by Kenta Cobayashi is dotted with cleverly designed ‘Objets Nomades’. These are limited edition pieces of travel-inspired furniture created by designers from around the world, covering everything from a foldable stool to a packable (and very comfortable looking) camp bed. Other highlights included a look at the first three chapters of the Maison’s Artycapucines collection and creative collaborations with Japanese artists Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. The exhibition is free to enter, visitors need to book on the site. Olivia Morelli
Address: LV Dream, 2 rue du Pont Neuf, Paris 1er, 75001
When: 12 December 2022 – 12 November 2023
Website: louisvuitton.com
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5. Learn about the great women of Paris
The history of Paris is inextricably intertwined with the lives of the famous painters, writers, and intellectuals who called the city home. But amid narratives dominated by infamous men such as Napoleon and Serge Gainsbourg, the talented women who lived here are often neglected from the narrative. Women of Paris was born from a desire to change that: the company offers alternative walking tours devoted entirely to women’s history and influence. Lasting two to three hours, they lead visitors through neighbourhoods like the Left Bank and the glitzy “triangle d’or”, highlighting women from Marie Curie and Édith Piaf to politician and Holocaust survivor, Simone Veil.
Website: womenofparis.fr
pmonetta6. Taste the magical creations of Cédric Grolet
When it comes to celebrity pâtissiers in Paris, one superstar outshines all the others. Cédric Grolet has a style so unique, and a technique so precise, it’s hard to know if his creations are works of art or culinary magic. He’s most famous for his hyper-realistic fruits, glossy red apples and blush-pink peaches, which are anything other than what they first appear. Each is a masterclass in pâtissierie, a lacquered chocolate skin breaking to reveal an apple and cinnamon mousse or tangy peach compote, the recipe changing with the seasons. Pick them up from his small boutique at the Meurice, but expect long lines unless you get there early.
Address: La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet, 6 rue de Castiglione, 75001 Paris
Website: cedric-grolet.com/meurice
© Succession Picasso 20237. Catch Paul Smith at the Musée Picasso
To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Picasso, the Musée Picasso has set out to showcase their collections as never before. A landmark collaboration with Paul Smith sees the designer turn curator, shining a contemporary lens on the artist’s use of colour, shape, and form. The exhibition hasn’t been without controversy, driven by questions about Picasso’s private life and appropriation of African art, but invites visitors to experience and question his work as never before.
Address: Musée National Picasso-Paris (“Musée Picasso”), 5 rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris
When: 7 March – 27 August 2023
Website: museepicassoparis.fr
Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo8. Watch a film in Europe’s biggest cinema
There are plenty of arthouse cinemas in Paris worth a visit, whether it’s to catch the latest Palme d’Or winner or a classic from the nouvelle vague. But for a true blockbuster experience, nothing beats a trip to the Grand Rex. Founded in 1932 by producer Jacques Haïk, this mammoth Art Deco cinema was designed with an ‘antique Mediterranean style’ and features a ceiling that simulates a starry night sky. The building houses seven rooms and the main auditorium seats 2,700 people over three floors, where premières are regularly held. The biggest screen, installed in 1988, is a whopping 16.9 metres large and seven metres high. Most films are also shown in VOST, standing for version originale sous-titrée, making the original English audio and French subtitles easy to follow.
Address: 1 Boulevard Poissonnière, 75002 Paris
Website: legrandrex.com
Victor Tonelli9. Dance at the city’s oldest jazz club
Paris has moved to the rhythms of jazz for just short of a century thanks to legendary clubs like Le Bal Blomet, which opened in 1924 in the neighbourhood of Montparnasse. Founded by Jean Rézard de Wouves, a politician-turned-musician from Martinique, it quickly became the place to dance to Caribbean sounds in the roaring Twenties. Ernest Hemingway, Joséphone Baker, Joan Miró and Simone de Beauvoir are just some of the famous names to have graced the dancefloor. After being threatened with closure in 2011, it went through an extensive restoration and played a leading role in Damien Chazelle’s Netflix show The Eddy, in which a jazz club owner struggles to keep his business afloat.
Address: 33 rue Blomet 75015 Paris
Website: balblomet.fr
Azoor Photo / Alamy Stock Photo10. Admire famous paintings hidden in the city’s churches
When it comes to seeing art, Paris can be a bit overwhelming, to say the least: visitors are confronted with a dizzying 130 museums to choose from. But sometimes famous artworks can crop up in unexpected places. Eugène Delacroix’s painting ‘La Pietà’ hangs in a corner of the church of Saint Denys du Saint Sacrement, just a few steps from the Picasso Museum. In the 7th arrondissement, the church of Saint François-Xavier displays a 16th century ‘Last Supper’ by Venetian painter Tintoretto, and Rubens’s ‘The Disciples of Emmaüs’ was recently returned to the church of Saint-Eustache after a restoration.
Address: Saint Denys du Saint Sacrement - 68 rue de Turenne 75003; Saint François-Xavier - 12 Place du Président Mithouard 75007; Saint-Eustache - 2 Impasse Saint-Eustache 75001
Websites: saintdenys.net; sfx-paris.fr; saint-eustache.org
Getty Images11. Cycle along the Seine
In the past few years, ambitious urbanism plans have made cycling in Paris easier and safer, and a growing number of Parisians are choosing to get around on two wheels. One of the most beautiful cycling routes runs along the banks of the Seine, which were pedestrianised in 2017 and are now lined with cafés, playgrounds and sun loungers. Rent a Vélib’ (Paris city bike) for the day and start by the Pont de Sully. Head west on Voie Georges Pompidou and take in some of the city’s most spectacular sights past the Île Saint Louis, Notre Dame and the Hôtel de Ville.
Address: Voie Georges Pompidou, Paris
Website: velib-metropole.fr
12. Spend a Sunday amongst great art
If you happen to be visiting Paris at the beginning of the month, take advantage of the “free first Sundays” scheme, which grants visitors entry to the city’s most frequented museums and monuments. Head to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, cross the manicured Tuileries Gardens to view Impressionist art at the Musée d’Orsay, with a stop in the Orangerie to see Monet’s water lilies on the way, and end your art-infused Sunday at the little-known Albert-Kahn musée et jardins, which pays tribute to gardens around the world.
Website: en.parisinfo.com/museums
Peter Horree / Alamy Stock Photo13. Visit Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen
They come with wide-smiles, empty bags flung over their arms waiting to be filled with various treasures from the sprawling Saint-Ouen flea market, just outside the city’s northern limit. This is where London antiques dealers, collectors and those simply keen for a bargain come to scour the relics of bygone eras. And it’s not all brass chandeliers and gilt mirrors, Saint-Ouen is a warren for all whims, from mid-century tables and vintage Chanel to psychedelic prints from the seventies. It would require weeks, even months perhaps, to browse each and every stall and stand in 14 different areas of alleyways and warehouses here – it’s vast. It’s best to attack it from Porte de Clignancourt (line 4 on the metro) – easy access to the market’s artery road, rue des Rosiers. With opening times from 10am-6pm on weekends and 11am-5pm on Mondays (excluding August), this is weekend reverie for magpies and photography buffs. Those spurred on by the thrill of a bargain should also check out the Puces de Vanves, to the south of the city, where trestle tables overflow with bric-a-brac, glassware and china
Address: Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, Avenue de la Porte de Clignancourt
Transport: Metro: Porte de Clignancourt
14. Be one with nature on the Promenade Plantée
The Promenade Plantée is a magnificent stretch of greenery, perched high above the melee of motos and pedestrians that make up Parisian street life. Opened in 1988, this raised park was the direct inspiration for New York’s Highline. Sometimes called La Coulée Verte (the name is a veritable debate amongst Parisians), this five-kilometre walkway is one of Paris’ most underrated outdoor spaces. Running from Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes, the pathway is a refuge from the buzzing boulevards below, in both rain and shine. The Promenade is also perfect for one’s inner voyeur: certain raised platforms provide excellent views into the sprawling Haussmannian apartments that flank the Promenade.
Address: 1 Coulée Verte René-Dumont, 75012 Paris, France
Website: paris.fr/Promenade-plantée
15. Explore the old and the new at the Palais-Royal
Perhaps there is nothing more Parisian than spending an afternoon at the Palais-Royal. The park (once home to the French royal family) is a delightful mélange of the new and the old. The Colonnes de Buren, a permanent, interactive art exhibition installed in the 1980s and set in the courtyard of the old palace, allows visitors to walk amid and climb atop of the columns (and snap a few Insta-worthy pictures, too). To the left of the Colonnes are the plane tree-lined paths and manicured royal rose gardens, which grant park-goers the opportunity to spend a moment amongst perfectly executed natural beauty. Bring a book and sit in one of the green reclining chairs scattered around the park. For a pick-me-up, head to the chichi Café Kitsuné for a crisp cookie and foamy cappuccino.
Address: 2 Gal de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France
Website: en.parisinfo.com/Domaine-national-du-Palais-Royal
16. Explore an up-and-coming new neighbourhood
After years when many Parisians made a point of never venturing beyond the Périphérique, the ring-road that delineates Paris from the banlieues, the tide is finally turning. Once run-down and overlooked suburbs on the edge of the city are now finding a new lease of life. Few have been transformed more than Pantin, an industrial quartier flanking the Canal de l'Ourcq to the northeast, where a gentle weekend walk along the water will take you past restaurant-meets-music venue Dock B and excellent neighbourhood cocktail spots like Pastoral. Away from the wide towpaths, Pantin’s star attraction is the sprawling Cité Fertile, an “eco-district” that brings together vegetable gardens, workshops and yoga spaces, as well as an excellent restaurant and brewery, Paname Brewing Company.
17. Rock out at Supersonic
Music aficionados whose tastes can only be described as eclectic will fit in well at Supersonic. Indie, pop, rock, and funk are played in a dizzying rotation in this converted warehouse near Bastille, with club nights beginning at 11pm and lasting well into the early hours of the morning. There is no cover charge for early birds, so arrive in advance to guarantee free entry. Certain evenings are creatively themed; the memorably y named “F••k forever”, where DJs play indie rock tunes from the early noughties, is a regular on their programme.
Address: 9 Rue Biscornet, 75012 Paris, France
Website: supersonic-club.fr
18. Go back in time at the Musée de la Vie Romantique
This lovely, quirky museum can be found at the end of a charming, cobbled lane burrowed into the underbelly of Montmartre. The former home of the painter Ary Scheffer, the Musée de la Vie Romantique allows visitors to imagine themselves as guests at one of Paris’ most well-regarded literary and art salons. The museum’s permanent collection features works and artefacts from notable attendees of these salons, such as painter Delacroix, composers Liszt and Chopin, and writer George Sand, who lived with Scheffer in this picturesque pink Parisian villa. After making your way through the enchanting, dainty interior, take a moment to rest in the courtyard tearoom, surrounded by a magnificent array of wildflowers.
Website: museevieromantique.paris.fr
19. Stroll through the organic farmer’s market on Boulevard Raspail
Hemingway once said that Paris is a moveable feast. If this is true, the organic farmer’s market on the Boulevard Raspail is ongoing proof, every Sunday, week after week. Piles of fresh produce, mouth-watering spits of roasting chickens, and beautifully laid out displays of cheeses surround you as you move from stall to stall, enticing you to not only look but also taste. Certain vendors are more than happy to share their bounty with you, so it is worth dusting off your best French skills to ask for a nibble or two before you buy (just make sure to say merci beaucoup).
Website: en.parisinfo.com/Marche-Raspail
20. Pick up something special at La Boutique de Cara
There are consignment stores then there are consignment stores. This is the latter, a moth-free, beautifully curated boutique off Rue de Turenne in the Marais which remains one of Paris’ best kept secrets. Rails strain with a mix of classic and more avant garde pieces from across the decades: Chanel jackets, Celine dresses and Chloé shirts, below them, vintage Gucci boots and Bally pumps that have walked Paris’ ‘Bobo’ neighbourhoods. These are clothes that tell stories and promise less damage to your wallet and your fast-fashion conscience. It’s worth noting that cash offers can sometimes bag a bargain, and that the immaculately dressed shop assistants will not mince their words if you ask their opinion on that Burberry hat or Dior sunglasses.
Address: La Boutique de Cara, 80 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France
Website: @laboutiquedecara
Alamy21. Visit Montmartre’s vineyards and taste Parisian wine
Montmartre’s maze of cobbled streets hide surprises at every turn.ne of them is this small vineyard that remains a little known attraction, perhaps because it’s not usually open to the public. Owned by the city of Paris, the Clos Montmartre was created in 1933 and comes to life every second weekend of October when the Fête des Vendanges (the Grape Harvest Festival) sees the streets below the Sacré-Coeur packed with stall after stall run by winemakers and artisanal producers from around the country. Enter the festival near Place du Tertre to pick up a souvenir glass and a splash of the Clos’ own wine before tasting your way from Alacse to Burgundy, fuelling up on saucisson or snails along the way. A tour of the vineyard followed by a wine tasting can also be booked on the website of the Museum of Montmartre, which sits around the corner and is also worth a visit.
Address: rue des Saules, 75018 Paris
Website: museedemontmartre.fr22. Relax with a hammam at the Mosque
France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, with particularly strong Moroccan and Tunisian communities, and Paris is home to several elegant hammams where Parisians like to retreat for a little pamper session. La Grande Mosquée, one of the country’s biggest mosques built in 1926, houses a hammam (open to women only) as well as a café and a restaurant. A steam bath in its colourful alcoves, followed by a gommage (scrub) and a massage is the perfect way to unwind. Afterwards, head to the leafy courtyard for a cup of mint tea and freshly made baklava.
Address: 2bis Place du Puits de l’Ermite, 75005 Paris
Website: la-mosquee.com/le-hammam
Alamy23. Dive into Parisian history at the Musée Carnavalet
After years of renovation, the Musée Carnavalet finally reopened to much acclaim in 2021. It’s truly the Parisians’ museum, dedicated entirely to the history of the city from its Roman origins right the way through to the Belle Epoque and World War II. The permanent collections hold an astonishing array of artworks and artefacts: a slipper supposedly belonging to Marie-Antoinette; ancient iron-work street signs; paintings depicting the violent end of the Paris Commune. The timeline is easy to follow as you move from room to room, only the extensive coverage of the Revolution a little heavy for those not wishing to become au fait with the day-by-day unfolding of the most tumultuous moment in French history. Perhaps most memorable of all is a full recreation of the Fouquet jewelry store, exactly as it stood in 1901, in all its Art Nouveau glory.
Address: 23 rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
Website: carnavalet.paris.fr24. Discover a secret cocktail bar
Make your way towards the neon blue sign on a side street next to the Place de la République and you’ll find yourself in front of a tiny launderette. Don’t worry, we are not suggesting you come to Paris to do your laundry. Opening the door to one of the washing machines will reveal a narrow staircase that leads to a cosy cocktail bar hidden upstairs, complete with cushioned window seats, Brillo-pad stools and even a swing. Expect eclectic cocktails and sharing plates of burrata, ham and olives, with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce. Be aware that they don’t welcome large groups, but you can book private cocktail masterclasses for six or more.
Address: 30 rue René Boulanger 75010
Website: lavomatic.paris
Alamy25. Take an electric boat for a spin on the Bassin de La Villette
Come summer, the placid waters of the Bassin de La Villette are one of the loveliest spots to escape the heat. Plenty of locals picnic canal-side, but there’s nothing better than getting out on the water, exploring not just the bassin itself but the Canal de l'Ourcq beyond. You don’t even need a license to get behind the wheel of one of the iconic little red electric boats that scoot between the banks, rented from Marin d'Eau Douce for 1–6 hours at a time. Pack a bottle of rosé, and your best Breton stripe, for an afternoon exploring at your own pace.
Address: 37 Quai de la Seine, 75019 Paris
Website: parisjetaime.com26. Time your trip for the fête de la musique
Parisians mark their calendars months in advance for the fête de la musique, held each year on the 21st of June. Yet until you’ve experienced the festival in full swing, it’s hard to comprehend its scale. For one night, and only night only, the entire city turns into an open-air concert. Anyone with an instrument can play live in the street, the strains of a saxophone meeting drums and guitars. Restaurants bring in jazz quartets and lindy hop sessions go down in the side streets. After parties run long into the night, bars blasting music from outdoor speakers. Where to start depends on what you’re looking for; once the night is underway you can follow your ears (or the crowds). The Marais always has a reliable mix of classical corners and pumping street parties, with more formal stages set up in the Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg.
Website: fetedelamusique-paris.fr