10 best free things to do in Paris

  • 09.02.2023 14:26
  • Bruno Arcos
France Paris

A small compilation of free tourist attractions and places to visit to help keep your budget under control when exploring the French capital. Find out what are the best free things to do in Paris.

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As one of the most sought-after destinations in the whole world, there is no denying how expensive Paris can be at times. It’s the price to pay (well, literally) for its extreme popularity, attracting over 30 million tourists every single year.

However, and although restaurants, cafes, haut-couture boutiques and hotels can quickly drain your wallet, the truth is that there is plenty to see and do in Paris without having to spend a single cent!

From museums to historical monuments, including cathedrals, public parks, shopping arcades and even cemeteries (yes, you read it right!), here are the 10 best free things to do in Paris!

10 Best free things to do in Paris

Light Show at the Eiffel Tower

Considering we’re talking about the city’s (and arguably the country’s) biggest symbol, going up the Eiffel Tower is obviously not a free thing to do Paris. In fact, this is the single most visited paid attraction in the entire planet!

However, Gustave Eiffel’s magnum opus lights up every single night on the hour, and it is possible to watch a mini-lightshow from the moment the sun sets until either 01h00 (in the winter) or 02h00 (in the summer). It might only last for about 5 minutes at a time, but I guarantee you that the sight of thousands of blinking lights against the backdrop of one of Earth’s most emblematic monuments is certainly a sight to behold!

Besides, and considering this is the highlight of the Parisian skyline, you can watch the show from different vantage points across the city, such as the Place du Trocadéro or the Champs de Mars, all the way to the Pont Alexandre III or the Place de la Concorde. And yes – you guessed it – access to all these areas is free of charge!

Père Lachaise Cemetery

As strange and morbid as it may sound, this famous cemetery is actually one of the very best free things to do in Paris. In fact, when it comes to sobering and death-related places, visiting this cemetery isn’t even the most popular activity in the city, lagging behind the bone-chilling Catacombs of Paris.

Truth be told, the Père Lachaise Cemetery is actually a pretty beautiful place, decorated with monumental tombs and memorials paying tribute to its “residents”. So beautiful indeed, that the biggest cemetery in Paris is simultaneously the most visited necropolis in the world, with over 3.5 million people coming in every year.

Besides its uncommon aesthetics for a place of this nature, part of this cemetery’s appeal is surely linked to the names of some of the people who are buried here. After all, it serves as the final resting place to some of the greatest icons of French (and even international) culture, such as Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde or Jim Morrison.

Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre

Usually, if we had to mention a free church everyone should visit in Paris, our undisputable choice would obviously be the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral. However, considering the cathedral will remain closed to visitors until 2024 following the dramatic fire of 2020, there is only one valid alternative we can go with: the Basilica of Sacré Coeur!

In fact, if I may give my personal 2 cents on this matter, the Basilica’s building is actually way prettier than that of the Notre Dame, not only due to its sun-reflecting, glorious white stone, but also because of the atmosphere around it.

Located in the fascinating quarter of Montmartre (the likes of which you’ll read about again later on this post), the Basilica was purposely built over a small hill, which you can access through a funicular (paid) or by climbing several flights of stairs (free). Once you make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most beautiful views in all of Paris.

Stroll down les Champs-Elysées

Considered one of the most famous boulevards in the world, the Champs-Elysées is an extremely important commercial thoroughfare connecting the Arc de Triomphe and the Concord Square (Place de la Concorde). Although buying something from any of the shops along this avenue couldn’t be any further away from this article’s premises, the truth is that taking a walk and admiring its intricate architecture won’t cost you a thing!

Plus, there are plenty of landmarks to visit in the surroundings as well! Besides the two places we’ve already mentioned, the avenue is also within walking distance from the Champs-Elysées Gardens, the Grand Palais, the Pont Alexandre III, the Tuilleries Gardens, the Luxor Obelisk or the Élysée Palace.

Every year, on July 14, the day in which the country celebrates the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution, the Champs-Elysées also host the largest military parade in Europe!

Jardin du Luxembourg

Although there are plenty of public parks in Paris, I dare saying no other is as popular among visitors as the gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg. Once the official residence to the widow of King Henry IV of France, the park’s main attraction – the Luxembourg Palace – is now occupied by the French Senate. However, and besides its imperial and political use, these famous gardens have also served as a prison during the French Revolution and has a Nazi HQ during WWII.

As a tourist attraction though, the Jardin du Luxembourg is a monumental park, adorned with classical sculptures, an artificial lake and, of course, the magnificent Médici Fountain. Besides, it’s a great place to relax and stretch your legs after a long day in Paris!

Aside from the Tuilleries and the Champs-Elysées Gardens, which we’ve already mentioned, other green spaces worth a visit in Paris include the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont or the Monceau. And yeah, all of them are free!

The Banks of the Seine

We understand doing a bout tour along the Seine might be at the top of the bucket-list for many travelers visiting the French capital… but unfortunately that is not an activity we can include on our list of free things to do in Paris! However, who needs to board a boat crowded with clueless tourists when one can just walk along the river banks and get the exact same views?

All right, we admit the experience might not be as atmospheric or romantic, but seeing Paris from the Banks of the Seine is still a must-do. After all, it is certainly not a coincidence that this place got nominated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO!

While the Rive Gauche (left bank) used to serve as the bohemian side of the city, filled to brim with trendy cafés, writers and artists – and where bon-vivants such as Picasso or Hemingway set base – the Rive Droit (right bank) has always been more associated to trade and business, therefore acquiring its status as the richest side of the city.

Paris Museum of Fine Arts at the Petit Palais

Naturally, as one of the most culturally relevant cities in the world, Paris certainly isn’t lacking options when it comes to top-class museums. Be that as it may, when we think of the city’s most popular institutions, such as the Louvre, admission is obviously paid.

Still, and considering the absurd number of galleries and exhibitions spread across the French capital, it is far from surprising that some of them are actually free to visit. That being said, and besides the Carnavalet Museum (History of Paris), the Curie Museum (offices and chemical labs used by Nobel-winner Marie Curie) or the Modern Art Museum – among many others – we chose to highlight the Paris Museum of Fine Arts, housed inside the spectacular Petit Palais.

As a footnote, it’s equally important to mention that some of the city’s most popular museums allow visitors in for free on the first Sunday of each month. If you happen to visit during this time, then you will be lucky enough to visit staples such as the Orsay, the Orangerie or the Rodin museums for free!

Galleries Lafayette

Since Paris is one of the world’s top fashion and shopping destinations, it comes as no surprise that the French capital boasts some of the most beautiful shopping malls you’ll ever see. However, and before all else, it’s important to point out there are three different Galleries Lafayette just in Paris alone. However, the one you REALLY have to visit is the one located at 40, Boulevard Hassman; right next to the Palais Garnier Opera House.

As conflicting as it may sound to send you to a shopping arcade on an article about the best free things to do in Paris, I promise you’ll understand exactly why as soon as you set foot inside this wonder of the Art Nouveau style. With a grandeur architecture that wouldn’t feel out of place inside a royal palace, as well as a giant, ornamented glass dome to match, shopping will be the last thing on your mind when visiting these galleries.

The icing on the cake? Climb up to the terrace on the building’s 8th floor and cap off your day with one of the best vies in Paris.

Explore the streets of Montmartre

Located on a hill, Montmartre is an extremely picturesque neighborhood of crooked, winding streets, which is considered the most romantic in the French capital. Funny enough, and although this is nowadays one of the trendiest and most visited quarters in the city, the truth is that Montmartre used to be considered a no-go area, due to the strong concentration of brothels in the vicinities.

However, that actually ended up contributing to the quarter’s strong identity, offering the world the new-found culture of the cabaret and the burlesque. Ever heard about the famous Moulin Rouge? Yeah, the world’s most famous cabaret can still be found here, right next to the district’s border with the neighboring quarter of Pigalle.

Fast-forward 150 years and Montmartre couldn’t be any further from the seedy, unsavory reputation of years gone. Flooded with visitors and artists, which reunite at the ever-busy Place du Tertre, it remains one of Paris’ most beloved neighborhoods.

Discover the covered passages of Paris

We cap off our list of the best free things to do in Paris with one of the city’s quirkiest features. A combination of classical and industrial, the covered passages of Paris were designed in the late 18th century, as one of the French capital’s first forms of shopping arcades. At the height of their popularity, there were almost 200 different passages scattered all around the city, although few more than a couple dozens have made it to this day. Either way, and besides standing as a living treasure of historical and architectural proportions, walking along these passages is also a great free thing to do in Paris on cold, rainy days!

From the 25 passages that remain open to the public, we recommend visiting (at least) the following:

  • Galerie Colbert
  • Galerie Vivienne
  • Passage du Grand Cerf
  • Passage des Panoramas
  • Passage Choiseul
  • Passage Jouffroy

Fortunately, all of them are relatively central, located across the arrondissements 1 and 2 of the city. That mean you can arrange your very own self-guided walking tour and visit them all hassle-free!

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