After a decade in France, I still find myself wandering through Paris and thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe I live here.” The City of Light is full of all the best clichés: Parisians cycling with bread in their bike basket, brass bands serenading crowds on stone bridges over the Seine, and picnickers drinking Champagne and eating cheese on blankets in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The capital city’s mélange of modern and medieval architecture, stunning symmetrical gardens, and vibrant café terraces add to its romantic allure — and that’s all part of what makes Paris a city designed for strolling. Whether you want to visit major landmarks like the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe or are looking for more off-the-beaten-path experiences, we’ve polled local cookbook authors, hotel concierges, and tour guides to build a list of the 30 best things to do in Paris.
The best things to do in the city of lights according to locals
Sample cheese at a fromagerie
“When you’re in Paris, you absolutely have to pay a visit to one of the city’s fromageries (cheese shops) — and there are so many wonderful ones to choose from,” says Emily Monaco, a journalist and cheese expert who leads Paris by Mouth food tours. A few of her favourites: La Laiterie de Paris, the first in town to produce its own cheese, and Fromagerie Quatrehomme, whose house specialties include a smoked Charolais chèvre aged in Nikka Whisky.
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Have lunch at Les Enfants du Marché
Weekend brunch is becoming more popular in Paris (the line at Holybelly never seems to dwindle), but I prefer snagging a seat at the counter of Les Enfants du Marché, in the back of the covered Marché des Enfants Rouge in the Marais. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so arrive just before it opens at noon so you won’t have to wait too long. Plan to linger over natural wine and a mix of market-fresh plates as the music slowly shifts, turning the venue into a bit more of a party as the day goes on.
Go gourmet at La Grande Epicérie
Attached to the first Parisian department store, Le Bon Marché, the ground floor of La Grande Epicérie is an upscale version of the city’s covered markets and food halls. Peruse the stands of fruits and vegetables or shop the curated selection of artisanal products. I’ll often stop here for freshly shucked oysters and a glass of white wine when I need a break from shopping next door.
Indulge in pastries
“The city’s boulevards are brimming with enticing pastries that run the gamut, from exquisite luxury creations housed in palace hotels, like Francois Perret’s strawberry fraisier at Ritz Paris, to the equally delicious yet humble vanilla choux à la crème at Mamiche boulangerie,” says Frank Barron, author of “Sweet Paris: Seasonal Recipes from an American Baker in France.”
Visit Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen
Dedicate an entire weekend day to strolling the stands and stalls of vintage designer jewellery, clothing, furniture, records, and books at the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen. Considered the largest flea market in the world, there are more than 2,000 boutiques here, and they’re scattered across more than a dozen individual markets. This is a place that requires more than a map, so consider a personalised tour with a guide like Alexandra Weinress of The Seen, who can help you navigate this sprawling sea of second-hand vendors.
Celebrate couture at Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris
Located in the same private mansion that Yves Saint Laurent called his atelier and headquarters for nearly 30 years, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent is as much a monument to the legendary designer as an insider look at the couture house and its many collections. Retrospective displays and thematic exhibitions are constantly rotating, and once a month, the conservation workshop — which contains sketches, diagrams of runway shows, and runway pieces and accessories — opens to the public.
Picnic in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
In the summer, the Buttes-Chaumont Park is as popular a picnic destination as Paris Plages along the banks of the Seine. Even Emily and Alfie spread out a blanket on one of the grassy hills here during a scene in Emily in Paris.
Cruise the canals
One of the best ways to tour Paris is from the water, especially cruising along canals through the heart of the city’s past landmarks like the Eiffel Tower. “It’s a different way of seeing the city, and at night it’s even more magical,” says Pierre Cortin, head bartender at Hotel Fouquet’s Paris. Join a themed or hour-long trip along the Canal Saint-Martin or Seine, or book a private pontoon boat, where you can curate the playlist and bring your own selection of wine and snacks.
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Catch a DJ set at Rooftop Molitor
Emily also spent a day poolside at a nautical-themed Molitor, and the beach club vibe seen in the show is recreated in summer on the rooftop. Head up for lunch or dinner throughout the week or catch a DJ set or concert in the late afternoon on the weekends.
Sip French spirits at Le Syndicat
A gem on the somewhat seedy rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, speakeasy-style bar Le Syndicat champions French spirits in its playful cocktail concoctions that have earned it a permanent place on the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars. Guest bartenders take the reins here, and the soundtrack is heavy on hip-hop.
Explore Musée Picasso Paris
One of the standouts in the Marais, the Musée Picasso Paris is the perfect place to take a break from shopping or the summer heat. Housed in the 17th-century Hôtel Salé, the old mansion is as impressive as its collection of nearly 5,000 paintings, sculptures, and drawings by artist Pablo Picasso.
Shop perfume at Officine Universelle Buly
Part apothecary, part café, Officine Universelle Buly’s wood-panelled boutique in the Haut-Marais takes you back centuries in history, to when the Rudier Foundry once created art for Rodin. Glass cases display the French beauty and skincare brand’s gorgeous bottles of perfume and lotion. If you’re looking for a souvenir to bring back from Paris, the shop will even emboss or engrave initials on its lip balm cases and combs.
Eat crêpes at Breizh Café
The closest you’ll get to authentic Breton crêpes in Paris, the wood-panelled Breizh Café is a landmark in Le Marais — and a great place to pause from museums and shopping if you don’t want to linger over a long lunch. Take your pick of savoury buckwheat crêpes and galettes topped with comté cheese and ham or go for something sweet like salted caramel and Chantilly cream.
Have a drink at Bar Hemingway
Before officially moving to Paris, I visited Bar Hemingway every time I came to town. Serving some of the best cocktails in the city, the cigar lounge-style space lined with Hemingway memorabilia is still a go-to when friends visit and on special occasions. Be sure to arrive as the bar opens (or even before) since it doesn’t take reservations.
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Stroll in Musée National Gustave Moreau
“The symbolist painter turned his childhood neoclassical townhouse into a museum several years before his death in 1898. The best part is that what visitors see today is almost precisely as he left it when he passed. You’ll find enough paintings, watercolours, and sketches to keep you occupied — but with far fewer tourists to elbow your way through,” says Lindsey Tramuta, author of “The New Paris” and “The New Parisienne.”
Shop the best travel experiences here
See a Cabaret show
Paris has a history of cabaret culture, some of the most famous being Le Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse. While the cancan never gets old, something just as French and risqué that’s lesser known is Madame Arthur, a drag cabaret and club in Pigalle where Serge Gainsbourg first played.
Visit Lafayette Anticipations
“When clients ask for an artsy place nearby, we answer Lafayette Anticipations, in the heart of the Marais, where you’ll find a mix of contemporary art, design, and fashion. They have a nice little café-restaurant, M?t?r, where you can get a bite or drinks after exhibitions or film screenings,” suggests the guest experience team at SO/ Paris.
Marvel at the beauty of Galerie Vivienne
Galerie Vivienne is one of the most impressive covered arcades in the city, with restaurant and café patios spilling out on the natural light-illuminated mosaic floor. Browse a mix of boutiques, wine shops, and old bookstores here, or take a seat at a tea house or traditional bistro.
Have a seat at Café de Flore
Live your own version of “Midnight in Paris” by sipping coffee in the old stomping grounds of the Lost Generation. Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse are dotted with Art Deco cafés once frequented by Hemingway and Picasso. One of the most fashionable is Café de Flore — you can’t beat the people watching from its outdoor terrace on the Boulevard Saint-Germain.
Enjoy Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
“I love the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, which has an incredible collection of primitive art from different civilisations, a panoramic terrasse with a menu created by Alain Ducasse, and cocktails by Margot Lecarpentier, the owner of Combat in Belleville,” says Timothée Prangee, co-owner and founder of farm-to-glass cocktail bar Little Red Door in the Marais.
Walk the grounds of Père Lachaise
The infamous inhabitants and their ornate burial plots aren’t the only reason to visit the Père Lachaise cemetery — although it’s like a Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Gothic graves and Haussmannian burial chambers belonging to everyone from French poet Apollinaire to Jim Morrison and Edith Piaf. Blanketed in gardens and sculptures, Paris’s largest cemetery is as much a park as it is a monument to French culture.
Linger in Marché Saint-Germain
“In a neighbourhood that can feel so touristy, the Marché Saint-Germain is a hidden gem that you could walk right past. Don’t miss the superb coffee shop Le Café du Clown from the team behind Clown Bar, and before you leave the market, pick up a bottle of wine from the attached wine shop Bacchus et Ariane,” suggests Catherine Down, a Paris-based, James Beard Award-nominated food and travel writer and culinary tour guide.
Visit Belleville
From the hillside Parc de Belleville and its 350-foot-high viewpoint, you’ll have some of the best panoramas of the Eiffel Tower, Centre Pompidou, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Once one of the city’s largest water reservoirs, the area is home to everything from the Place des Fêtes flea market to the “quartier chinois,” with Asian grocery stores and restaurants lining the rue de Belleville. My go-to is Lao Siam, but I also love the more traditional French fare at nearby Le Baratin.
Stroll in La Bourse de Commerce-Pinault Collection
Japanese architect Tadao Ando modernised the Bourse de Commerce, whose history dates back to the 13th century and has served as everything from a convent to Catherine de Medici’s palace before being transformed into the contemporary art museum it is today. In addition to the collection of work François Pinault has curated over the past 50 years, the Bourse de Commerce hosts exhibitions designed specifically for its light-filled rotunda.
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Peruse the shelves at Shakespeare and Company
After checking Notre Dame off your list, cross the Seine and peruse the titles on the leaning antique bookshelves of the English bookstore Shakespeare and Company, which was once the meeting ground for the expat literary set in Paris. The café next door is also a great spot to sit and admire the adjacent cathedral while sipping the bookshop’s signature coffee blend.
Stroll along the Seine
Paris’s history stems from its landmark river, whose pedestrianised banks are bordered by gardens and museums like the Jean Nouvel-designed Institut du Monde Arabe. Brass bands and street musicians often perform along bridges like Pont des Arts, and bouquinistes (second-hand booksellers) set up stalls along walls overlooking the river. Two other bridges that are favourites of Victoire de Taillac, co-founder of Officine Universelle Buly: Pont Marie and Pont des Tournelles. Along the banks, you’ll also find floating bars, restaurants, and clubs housed in barges docked along the Seine, some of the most popular being Les Maquereaux and Rosa Bonheur.
Visit Canal Saint-Martin
The cast-iron footbridges along the Canal Saint-Martin have made this backdrop one of the more iconic ones in Paris, yet it still feels less busy than other shopping and dining destinations like the Marais. Spend the afternoon browsing the collection at the concept store Centre Commercial or design bookshop Artazart before sitting down for apéro on the terrace of Chez Prune or for oysters at Sur Mer.
Enjoy the facade of the Palais-Royal
Across from the Louvre, the Palais-Royal and its art installation of black-and-white-striped columns are a photo favourite. Grab a matcha latte from Café Kitsuné or a ramen takeaway from the nearby rue Saint-Anne and post up on one of the benches in the courtyard gardens.
Shop for designer vintage goods
Friends often ask for good vintage shops in Paris, and one of the best is Thanx God I’m a V.I.P., off the Canal Saint-Martin. The shop stocks a mix of pieces from major designers and brands like Chanel and Hermès, plus a selection of reasonably priced vintage accessories like hats, scarves, and purses.
Visit concept shop Archive 18-20
“Located in the trendy neighbourhood of Le Marais, Archive 18-20 is more than a simple concept store — it’s a real Parisian hub where you’ll find an art gallery, book store, restaurant, and fashion all under the same roof,” says Stefan Viard, General Manager of SO/ in Europe.
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(Hero and feature image credit: David Henderson/Getty Images)
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
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