Paris is a magical city packed with cultural thrills and iconic sights. It is also notoriously expensive. Yet there is a surprising number of free things to do in Paris.
To give your overdraft a break, we’ve identified 21 visitor highlights that won’t cost a centime.
We’re not talking about the boring stuff. Just extraordinary activities and attractions that, in many cases, visitors would happily pay for.
The best free activities and events in Paris
The most popular free things to do in Paris fall into two categories. Either roaming the streets of Paris to find iconic landmarks, while soaking up the sights and sounds of a city that rewards curious explorers. Or fun events and activities that are unexpectedly free, like the first entries on our list.
1 – Free Cinema
The popcorn might not be free, but Paris has several venues with film screenings you won’t have to pay for. Many are open-air shows pulling in tourists and locals, so English subtitles are sometimes displayed.
The most in-demand free screenings are at Parc de la Villette, Paris’s third largest park and home to a series of outdoor film screenings in summer.
Alternative venues and popup screenings are found across the city, including during events like the annual La Chaise et l’Ecran (The chair and the Screen). Current listings can be found on the Paris visitors bureau site.
2 – Free music festivals in Paris
Few musicians can resist performing in Paris, and tickets for the biggest acts are not cheap. But if you want to enjoy live music at zero cost, there are a handful of good free concerts and music events that are among the best free things to do in Paris.
The biggest is the Fête de la Musique, an annual concert that hosts a few household names alongside many more small, diverse acts from across the globe.
Not content with offering free cinema, La Villette also hosts Villette Sonic – a 2-day festival promoting a mix of musical genres.
Numerous other venues host occasional free performances. Some of the most useful places to look are Radio France’s headquarters, Maison de la Radio, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Motus, and FNAC Live.
3 – Free Walking Tours in Paris
Exploring the streets of Paris on foot is one of the more memorable ways to experience the city without spending a centime. But if you don’t mind paying, an expert tour guide can help bring the experience to life.
Amazingly, it is possible to join a free guided tour. Places may be limited and tips encouraged, but check out Discover Walks to make a reservation.
4 – Nuit Blanche
Nuit Blanche is an annual arts event that has grown since its 2002 inception. While many of the best free things to do in Paris cluster around the warm summer months, this city-wide arts festival happens during the grey month of October.
This year’s program promises over 100 events at museums and venues, all throwing their doors open for a free night of cultural immersion like no other.
5 – Bastille Day military parade
There is no event in France bigger or more spectacular than Défilé Militaire du 14 Juillet, the 14th July military parade marking Bastille Day.
France’s national day is commemorated with all the pomp and grandeur of an extravagant military parade and flyover, overlooked by dignitaries and thousands of spectators. Just head to Champs Elysees on July 14th for one of the most spectacular free things to do in Paris.
6 – Paris Carnival
The annual Carnival is a hotly-anticipated event in the Parisian social calendar. Not the biggest or best-known carnival in France (you can read about those in our previous post Carnival in France), but easily one of the liveliest and most exciting free things to do in Paris.
Paused during the Covid restrictions, Carnaval de Paris is back for 2022. Learn more about the upcoming carnival from the volunteers who make it happen here.
Museums and galleries in Paris without entrance fees
Paris is home to the world’s largest museum in the Louvre, alongside countless world-class galleries and exhibits. Few are free. But a well-timed visit to Paris can unlock some of the most prestigious museums for nothing.
While some of the best free things to do in Paris is seeking out smaller, niche museums that open their doors without charge throughout the year.
7 – Free Sundays
No list of free things to do in Paris can ignore the city-wide scheme that opens the doors of the most renowned exhibits in Paris on the first Sunday of every month.
All the big names — including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou — participate. Time your visit well, and you can see some of the world’s greatest masterpieces without spending a Euro.
Side note: EEC citizens under 25 can usually go free any day of the week.
8 – Mémorial De La Shoah
A sobering trip to one of the newest museums in Paris is free to all visitors.
The moving permanent exhibition at Mémorial De La Shoah is interactive and informative, helping visitors better understand the tragedy of France’s Jewish community during the war.
9 – Musée Carnavalet
Carnavalet museum explores the story of Paris itself.
Exhibits are spread over two handsome mansions. The substantial display includes art, historical artefacts, and educational displays that trace the city’s past right back to prehistory.
It is possible to spend a whole day here and still not see everything, making it one of the most absorbing free things to do in Paris.
10 – Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
Fans of modern art will appreciate the fact this museum is free, unlike the illustrious Centre Pompidou.
MAM showcases lesser-known artists alongside a smattering of work by masters like Picasso. Drawing from a collection of over 15,000 pieces, there is plenty to see in this surprisingly uncrowded museum.
11 – Musée de la préfecture de Police
There is a handful of small and quirky museums in Paris that are some of the more curious free things to do in Paris. They include the Musée de la Vie Romantique (Museum of romantic life), Musée Curie with an intimate insight into the celebrated scientist, and a marvellous museum in the home of France’s most beloved author at Maison de Victor Hugo.
But if you’re looking for unconventional free things to do in Paris, the Paris police museum (housed in a functioning police station) is a fascinating diversion.
Charting the history of policing in the city, the museum explores the seedy underbelly of Paris through the eyes of law enforcement. Notoriously, it is also home to the last operational guillotine in France. Not a daytrip for the squeamish.
12 – Sacré-Coeur Basilica
A list of free things to do in Paris would usually start with the magnificent Notre Dame cathedral. And while external visits are still encouraged, the devastating fire of 2019 means it is closed for renovations until at least 2024.
The soaring Sacré-Coeur Basilica is a suitably impressive alternative, known for its immense dome and striking mosaics. It does not have the history of Notre Dame, but it does have the wow factor.
Great walks in Paris
Thomas Jefferson once claimed that a “walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life”. The sentiment has aged well. Poking around the nooks and crannies of the historic city is, arguably, among the best free things to do in Paris.
There are some exceptional routes for a grande promenade that showcase different aspects of la vie Parisienne. Here’s a short selection.
13 – The famous cemeteries of Paris
Far from ghoulish, the vast garden cemeteries of Paris have been attracting visitors across generations and are one of the leading free things to do in Paris.
In the sprawling Père Lachaise cemetery — the most visited necropolis in the world — visitors explore a warren of ornate tombs to find the final resting places of numerous famous former residents of Paris, like Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, and Frédéric Chopin.
Cimetière du Montparnasse — in the 14th arrondissement — houses the tombs of France’s artistic and intellectual luminaries, including poet Charles Baudelaire, the philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, and musician and provocateur Serge Gainsbourg.
Both tend to feature highly on typical tourist itineraries, neither cost a centime to visit.
14 – La Promenade Plantée
‘La Coulée verte’ (‘The green belt’) is 4.5 km of plant-lined pathway winding through the 12th arrondissement. Distinguished by its elevated sections, it is relatively new by Parisian standards (opened in 1988) but has quickly established itself as a cherished escape from the bustle of Paris without actually leaving Paris.
15 – Stroll the magnificent Jardin des Tuileries
This walk is a must for many visitors, regardless of budget. The pathway through the gardens of Tuileries Palace connects the Louvre with the immense square at Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine of the French Revolution once claimed its most infamous victims. Expect crowds and plenty of Instagram worthy moments.
Alternative sights and experiences in Paris that won’t cost a penny
16 – The drinking water fountains of Paris
If you embark on foot to explore the city, don’t forget a refillable water bottle. Potable water fountains are dotted all over and provide one of the only free things to do in Paris that you can take back to your hotel room.
The true highlight for many amazed visitors is to find the elusive fountains dispensing eau pétillante, sparkling water. A taste of the high life for free. Find them all via this handy map of the free water fountains in Paris.
17 – Find famous locations from film and TV in Paris
Paris is the ideal backdrop for many big movies. Hunting down obscure scenes from favourite films is a niche activity, but one of the more creative free things to do in Paris.
Admittedly, some of the most famous movie locations are simply the big tourist highlights of Paris. But there are also plenty of lesser sights featured in big films, such as those in blockbusters like Amélie, Da Vinci Code, or The Bourne Identity.
Film Locations maintains an admirably comprehensive list if you are looking for free things to do in Paris that you won’t find in standard guidebooks.
18 – Picnic in the parks
Few Parisian experiences beat leisurely munching a classic jambon-beurre on the bustling banks of the Seine. But if you plan a bigger picnic, taking a long lunch in the great parks is one of the more relaxing free things to do in Paris.
Paris boasts around 480 parks, from patches of greenery to the sprawling Bois de Boulogne.
Several enjoy truly unique landscapes and features, like the lake and waterfalls at Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Walk across a suspension bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel while enjoying a view of the Temple de la Sibylle (replicating the famous Temple of Vesta in Tivoli) rising above the lake.
Another park that justifies a fully loaded picnic hamper is the Jardin du Luxembourg (aka Jardin du Sénat), one of the oldest and most elegant parks in Paris.
Jardin du Luxembourg stands out for its fine buildings dating back to the early 1600s and the many statues lining the refined space. Among them is an unmissable photo opportunity, the original model of Liberty enlightening the world, better known as the Statue of Liberty.
19 – Explore Ile de la Cite on foot
This historically significant island in the Seine crams a lot into the tiny acreage. It is not a secret, yet is one of the free things to do in Paris that every tourist should do.
For centuries it was the home of kings. Today, it houses some of the most impressive sights in the city: Notre Dame cathedral, the extraordinary royal chapel at Sainte-Chapelle, and the oldest still-operating hospital in the world the Hôtel-Dieu, which has existed since 651 AD.
Also found there is the colourful marché aux fleurs (flower market) and the oldest bridge in Paris, the Pont Neuf. A lot to see in a small space, making it one of the essential free things to do in Paris whatever your budget.
20 – Markets of Paris
The markets of Paris are probably not the first thing you think of when looking for free things to do in Paris. But, if you keep your wallet or purse firmly tucked away, the acclaimed street markets of Paris are a feast for the senses and a compelling glimpse of Parisian life.
Gourmands love the flavours and wide variety at Marché Bastille (Thursdays and Sundays).
Bargain hunters, antique collectors, and curious minds converge at the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen (flea market of Saint-Ouen, Friday-Monday) to poke through the peculiar and often highly collectable items on sale.
For a bit of everything, the smaller Marché d’Aligre is open daily and is the favourite market in Paris for many visitors.
21 – Shoes and views in Paris
“In Paris, I really do like to try and do nothing… but that’s impossible.” The words of fashion designer Christian Louboutin, who might appreciate our final entry.
Shopping is usually off the itinerary if you are looking for free things to do in Paris. However, window-shopping in choice locations can be rewarding, especially as some shops also offer some of the finest sights in Paris.
The star attraction for window shopping and panoramic views across the city is Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann. The opulent, domed store is a sensory feast for the eyes. Yet it is the exceptional view from the roof terrace that makes this shopping mall the second most visited site in Paris. There is a terrace café, but you can skip lunch to just snap some photos, which is one of the free things to do in Paris that nearly everybody recommends.
On the same boulevard is the Printemps shopping centre. A luxury goods store with 360-degree views over Paris. Marvel at the prices in the luxury boutiques on the lower floors before heading upstairs for the view.
We could keep adding to this list of free things to do in Paris. But hopefully there are enough suggestions here for you to find something you will enjoy doing in La Ville Lumière without spending a euro. Bon voyage!
