16 Must-Do Paris Activities That Won't Cost You A Cent

Free makes everything more fun.

1. Explore Paris’ hidden passages.

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Walk around Paris long enough and you’re bound to stumble on one of the city’s hidden treasures — covered passages leading to tucked away shops, cafés, and restaurants. Our favorites are Passage des Panoramas and Galerie Vivienne, but with a little research you’ll find your own secret spot.

Where to find it: mainly in the 2nd and 9th arrondissements

2. Pick out items for your Parisian dream apartment.

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We know, we know — you’re on a budget. But that doesn’t mean you can’t look. Since Parisians don’t have the space for garage sales, they’ll put up a folding table and sell their goods on the street. You’ll find everything from collectors selling old stamps and books to trendy Parisians getting rid of last season’s wardrobe.

Where to find it: all over the city

3. Check out the view inside and outside Sacré-Cœur.

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It doesn’t matter how many pretty European churches you’ve visited, there’s something memorable about the all-white, hill-top Sacré-Cœur. You can download the free audio tour and walk around inside for free, but the real showstopper is the view of the city from the church steps. Visit at dusk, buy a beer off one of the street vendors, and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle across the Seine.

Where to find it: 18th arrondissement

4. Get the down low from a local guide.

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One of the best ways to get your bearings after arriving in a new city is to take a general walking tour — especially if it happens to be free. After a few hours with a guide from Sandemans New Europe, you’ll know the city’s basic history and will have visited the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Tuileries Garden.

Where to find it: 6th arrondissement

5. Say hello to Jim Morrison.

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A visit to the eerie Père Lachaise Cemetery is perfect for a rainy day (if you don’t mind getting wet). Huge, intricate crypts sit under ancient trees, and you can visit the resting place of celebrities like Edith Pilaf, Jim Morrison, and Oscar Wilde.

Where to find it: 20th arrondissement

6. Walk above the city on an abandoned railroad track.

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Coulée Verte (or the Promenade Plantée) was around way before New York’s High Line, but like the High Line, this park sits on an old railroad track above the city streets. It runs from Bastille to one of the city’s largest parks, Bois de Vincennes.

Where to find it: 12th arrondissement

7. Picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

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It’s hard to top a picnic below the Eiffel Tower, but the pros know timing is everything. Set up your picnic at dusk, and pop a bottle of Champagne when the Eiffel Tower starts twinkling — it lights up every hour starting at dark.

Where to find it: 7th arrondissement

8. Spend the evening with the city’s hipsters.

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You won’t want to leave Paris without rubbing elbows — and downing a few beers — with the hipsters on Canal Saint-Martin. Each evening the cool kids flock to the canal to unwind from the day with a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer.

Where to find it: 10th and 11th arrondissements

9. Stuff your face with free samples at a French street market.

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The French aren’t afraid to make a day out of grocery shopping. And to get the best products at the best price they’ll make several stops — cheese comes from an actual cheese shop, bread is bought at a bakery, and meat is picked up from a butcher.

You can find all the staples on Rue Mouffetard, and if you’re lucky, you’ll score a few free samples too.

Where to find it: 5th arrondissement

10. Climb an artificial cliff overlooking an artificial lake.

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Tourist flock to the Louvre-adjacent Le Jardin des Tuileries, but any local knows the best park in Paris is Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. You’ll find plenty of Parisians sprawled out on the green, grassy slopes, but before you settle in, cross the bridge to the cliff-top Temple de la Sibylle (inspired by Italy’s Temple of Vesta) above the park’s artificial lake.

Where to find it: 19th arrondissement

11. (Window) shop on Champs-Elysées.

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You may not be able to buy anything on Paris’ ultra-fancy shopping street, but it’s too picturesque to miss. Eye the fashion and fancy cars, then run to the middle of the street (carefully) to get a photo in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

Where to find it: 8th arrondissement

12. Get your art on at the Paris Museum of Modern Art.

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Conveniently located between two other free Paris to-dos — Champs-Elysées and the Eiffel Tower — you can get a dose of culture and save a few bucks by visiting the museum’s permanent collections for free. Don’t forget to download the complimentary audio guide before you go.

Where to find it: 8th arrondissement

13. Throw a few back on the banks of the Seine.

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Find a spot with a view of the Notre Dame, bum a wine opener, and watch the sunset while recounting your day over a bottle of Bordeaux. The people watching is hard to beat, and if you walk along the banks around dark you’ll see the bridges light up.

Where to find it: we suggest the banks near the 4th arrondissement

14. Create your own street art tour.

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You can pay 15 euros to visit a museum, but the streets of Paris are full of art that reflects the world today — and they’re free. Street art can be found all over the city, but a good place to start are the 11th and 20th arrondissements (the districts of Oberkampf, Belleville, and Ménilmontant).

Where to find it: 11th and 20th arrondissements

15. Go museum-crazy on free museum day.

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On the first Sunday of every month, a handful of the city’s best museums are completely free. You can peruse modern art at the Centre Pompidou before dropping by Musée d’Orsay — without spending a dollar.

Where to find it: all over the city

16. Just walk.

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The magic of Paris is most apparent when you’re on your own two feet. Beautiful buildings, award-winning bakeries, and unbelievably attractive (yet, unassumingly disheveled) Parisians are waiting to be discovered around every corner. Start your meander through the cobbled streets of Montmartre, an old artist haunt, and end your day in the fashionable Le Marais, home to hip boutiques, gay bars, and the city’s historic Jewish quarter.

Where to find it: 18th arrondissement (Montmartre), 4th arrondissement (Marais)

What's your favorite free thing to do in Paris? Tell us in the comments!

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