Paris for Free: top 20 things to do for free
Is it possible to visit Paris for free, without spending too much money? Yes it is, of course! You can enjoy few days or a week in Paris doing beautiful walks and going in places with admission is free. I suggest the 20 ones that are the most convenient and stunning.
Before doing that, I want you to know that if you are in Paris during the first Sunday of the month, you can enter for free in lots of attractions that usually aren’t free! Some of them are the Louvre, the Orsay Museum the Pompidou Center, Orangerie and the Notre Dame towers.
1. Canal St Martin
If you take a walk in Canal St Martin you will be amazed. This is why the area that surrounds the docks of the Canal is unique. It is not only romantic, but it is also very relaxing and it is perfect to go alone or in a group of friends too. You get everything you can have from this area in the evening.
2. Buttes-Chaumont
I talk a lot of the Buttes-Chaumont Park because it is one of the most beautiful of Paris. Plus, it is perfect for any situation, even if you are in Paris with kids. Plus, the admission is free and it is a place to be in every hour of the day.
3. Paris for free: Pere Lachaise Cemetery
This is a peculiar attraction of Paris. It is free too. Even if this is a cemetery lots of people go to visit their idols: Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Rossini, Proust, Modigliani, Jim Morrison…
4. Jardin des Plants
If you love nature or you love to be surprised, go in the Jardin des Plants and see thousands of plant species!!! There you can also visit a small zoo too or visit the paleontology area. Everything for free!
5. Flea market
You don’t have to spend money when you are walking in a flea market. In French, the flea market is known as Marchés Aux Puces. I think that the best one is the one in Saint-Ouen. For lots of people, it is the biggest in the world! So you can’t miss the chance to at least look at it during a weekend.
6. Fashion Show for free
If you love fashion as art and you can also just stare at it without spending too much money, go to one of the fashion show – where the admission is free – in Lafayette Galeries. It is a unique experience that you can book from Monday to Friday.
7. The Love Wall
If you feel romantic even if you are alone, go to the Love Wall. It is an actual wall that in French is known as “Le mur des Je t’aime”. It is a wall where you can read declarations of love in all languages. Look for it by getting off at Abbesses metro station!
8. Sniff unique perfumes
One of the free attractions of Paris that I love the most surely is the perfumes’ museum Fragonard. There you can visit an old perfume factory and experience lots of sensation through your sense of smell!
9. Victor Hugo house
If you do love this artist of literature, go to visit his house. You will fell in the city of his Epoque and you will have the possibility to visit one of the most interesting districts of Paris, le Marais!
10. Balzac House
You can enter for free in the house where Balzac lived too. Plus, from this spot, you can enjoy a very beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel)!
11. The beach of Paris
If you are in Paris during Summer you can enjoy the temporary beaches that the Parisians prepare along the Seine. It is a very relaxing experience that you do for free!
12. Explore Paris by bicycle
If you would like to see everything in Paris by not taking public transports all the time, think about hiring a bicycle. It is not 100% free but it only costs € 1.70 per day or € 8.00 per week. If you don’t want to pay at all you can hire a bicycle but only for half an hour!
13. Contemporary Art for free
If you want to love contemporary art and you want to see it for free, you can also skip the museums and go straight to 59 Rivoli. It is a building that you can visit and where you can see lots of studios of international artists. Another unique experience that you can do without spending money!
14. La Villette
This is another of the parks of Paris that is free and it is full of free attractions too: City of Science, Geode – a cinema, the House of Music, a Circus…
15. The View of Paris for Free
If you want to see Paris from above for free, remember that you can do this without going on the Eiffel Tower! You can go in Montmartre, through the stairs of the Sacre Coeur church, and enjoy one of the most stunning views of the city.
16. The history of Paris for Free
If you want to know everything about Paris, go to the Carnavalet Museum where you can find exhibitions about it! The entrance is free and the building is in Le Marais, where you can breathe a traditional atmosphere.
17. MAM
The MAM is a free Museum of Contemporary Art. There you can admire artworks by Chagall, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, and other artists. It is close to the Palais de Tokyo. To go there get off at Iéna metro station!
18. Know Marie Curie
If you want to know more about Marie Curie, who won the Nobel Prize in physics, go to the museum dedicated to her. The entrance is free and you can discover everything about what she used, what she discovered, her life.
19. The Parisian High Line
Just like the High Line of New York, the Promenade Plantée path is like a garden as long as a road. I recommend going there by getting off at Bastille station.
20. Don’t forget Rue Mouffetard
One of the most famous roads in Paris is rue Mouffetard. Don’t forget that you can go there for free and enjoy the authentic Parisian atmosphere! If you can’t resist, you can buy some croissants or crepes that don’t cost too much to satisfy your curiosity.
