Free activities in Paris!, that’s always something we want to be aware of. We have toured Paris in other posts, in 3 days, with passes, climbing the Eiffel Tower… But there is something that travelers are looking for, and that is a tour with free things to do in the city.
A day of saving in Paris, shall we begin?
As we said, in any city, and even more so in a fairly expensive one like Paris, finding free things to do is a great idea.
If you saw the post about using a tourist pass or not in Paris, and what types there are, and you came to the conclusion that a pass is not what you are looking for, here we will give you several very interesting options that have no cost.
So today we just need comfortable shoes and let’s walk!!
There are several points to visit, although we will present them in this video as a day trip, the ideal is to divide the visits over several days.
Indice:
Place des Vosges and Victor Hugo’s house
Located in the Marais district, it is the oldest square in Paris and is part of the third and fourth arrondissements.
It was built by Henry IV and its old name was Place Royal in Paris, but from 1800 it took its current name.
It is characterized by its red brick buildings and galleries, where we find cafes, art galleries, and shops.
In one of these buildings we find what was Victor Hugo’s residence for 15 years. Today it is a museum and we can visit it for free. For opening hours and information about this museum, visit its website maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr
Take advantage of this beautiful square to explore the charming Le Marais district. As we walk through it, we head to our next stop.
Marché des Enfants Rouges
We arrived at this covered food market, which is the oldest in France and has such a peculiar name. It has been located at number 39 Rue Bretagne since 1628, and its name comes from the children of a nearby orphanage at that time, who wore red capes and could be seen around the market.
You can take a tour and see fruits, flowers, vegetables and also prepared food so you can eat something on the spot.
Marche des Enfants Rouges schedule:
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 20 p.m
Sundays from 8.30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
We arrive at the largest intramural cemetery in Paris, it is located at 16 Rue du Repos in the 20th arrondissement. Have you read about the best areas of the 20 arrondisemmants of Paris ?.
It is a visit that not everyone will like to make, but there you will find many tombs of famous people, including Chopin, Honoré de Balzac, Maria Callas, Isadora Duncan, Moliere, Jim Morrison, Marcel Marceau, Oscar Wilde, among many others.
If you are looking for some specific tombs, we recommend that you take a map with you when you visit them.
Opening hours Pere Lachaise: From November to mid-March: 8am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 5.30pm on Sundays and public holidays. From mid-March to October: 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 6pm on Sundays and public holidays.
In a longer transfer we will cross the Seine and go to the VI arrondissement in search of more free activities in Paris, we will visit….
Luxembourg Gardens
The Luxembourg Gardens are a large public park of more than twenty-two hectares, and in it we find the Luxembourg Palace.
Designed in 1612 under the orders of Marie de Médicis, the Luxembourg Gardens are now very popular in Paris and we will find countless people strolling through them in their free time.
A walk through it to enjoy its design is a very good idea and an almost unmissable visit in the city.
Opening hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter. And 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer.
From here you can enjoy a nice walk through the Latin Quarter until we reach our next destination…
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Booking.comSaint Sulpice Church and square of the same name
This church has gained more prominence thanks to The Da Vinci Code, and for this reason it receives many visitors.
It is imposing from the outside, and can be seen from various points in the city. A visit to its interior is also interesting, mainly for the frescoes by Delacroix.
At the exit, take a look at the square, where you will find the fountain known as the cardinal points, which has four bishops pointing to the four cardinal points.
Time: 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Shakespeare and company
Entering this well-known bookstore is a delight for book lovers but also for film lovers, as it has appeared in several films where the scenes take place in Paris.
So when we walk through its interior, in addition to thinking about illustrious visitors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, or James Joyce, we will also think about films such as Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen or Before Sunset from the famous trilogy.
This bookstore also functions as a library, you can’t film inside so you’ll have to visit to see it. This is a visit that book lovers will enjoy making.
Timetable:
Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Let’s summarize the route we have taken, here on the map they are marked from A to F. As we said, some of these routes are a bit long and I would personally opt to do them by metro, but that is up to each person. When recommending walking, we must be cautious since not all of us will be in the same condition, either because we are going with children, or because of tiredness from the previous days, or because of our physical condition, or simply because of a time issue.
Descargar ruta gratis por París
Now, we continue this tour, which, as we said, at least I would choose to do over several days.
We will cross the Seine again and go on a tour
Palais Royal
The Palais Royal is a monumental complex, located north of the Louvre Museum. We went here to visit the intervention made in 1986, they are the columns that Daniel Buren installed in the main courtyard.
Although quite controversial at the time, today we will see countless people taking photos of these black and white columns. A visit that they will surely enjoy.
On a walk we will move to the Vivienne Gallery.
►Different free tours of Paris
A free tour of different areas of Paris is also a very good idea ↓↓
Vivienne Gallery
This luxurious covered passageway was built in 1823 and is located at 5 Rue de la Banque in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. The Galerie Vivienne has been listed as a historical monument since 1974. Natural light illuminates the period mosaic floor, making it a lovely stroll.
Time: 8.30 am to 8.30 pm
We are going to visit other galleries, the well-known ones..
Galeries Lafayette
This department store located in the 9th district is a must-see. It is worth noting that at its top you will find one of the best viewing points in the city and access to it is free. So the visit, apart from admiring its construction, is also made to get some beautiful views of Paris.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am to 8 pm.
To finish the gallery tour in these free activities in Paris, we go on a very short walk to
Printemps Galleries
Created in 1865, they are today one of the great galleries of Paris. They feature an impressive dome. At the top you can also access a viewing platform for free.
Schedule: Monday to Saturday 9.30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
►If you like galleries and free tours, check out this other ►Route through the galleries and covered passages of Paris.
Another short hike will take us to visit
Church of the Madeleine
Located in the 8th district of Paris, this church built in Neoclassical style is an interesting visit.
Its construction lasted eighty-five years. Political changes at the time meant that the building’s use was changed several times.
Inside there is one of the organs considered one of the most important in Paris.
Time: 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuileries Garden
We end this part of the tour in the Tuileries Garden. A walk along it to the Louvre is a good way to end this part of the tour, before going to our next destination.
The Tuileries Garden is a Parisian public park located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris and running from the Place de la Concorde to the Louvre.
In 1564, construction work began on the Tuileries Palace under the orders of Catherine de Medici, which was accompanied by impressive gardens.
When the court moved to Versailles, they were abandoned. Over the years, they regained their splendor by joining the Louvre and with the construction of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.
We review this last part of the route, we find ourselves again with a map, again from A to F.
Map with the second part of the tour↓
Descargar ruta gratis por París
Now a metro transfer will take us to Montmartre
Basilica of Sacre Coeur
The visit we will make on the hill, apart from walking a lot on it of course, will be the visit to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur.
The entrance to the basilica is free, but not if you want to climb the dome, but the entrance to the basilica and the views from its steps are more than enough to make the visit perfect. This is one of the best free activities in Paris.
The foundation stone was laid in 1875, and although it was completed in 1914, it was not consecrated until the end of World War I in 1919.
The interior is magnificent, the queue to access it is usually quite long, but it advances quickly.
Let’s take advantage of the exit to take a good walk through all the corners of the hill, you will not regret it.
We get ready to end the day after having spent it in Montmartre, we take the metro again and go to the Trocadero esplanade
View of the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero
If there is a postcard of Paris, it is the image of the Eiffel Tower illuminated from Trocadero. The image you will get from here is magnificent, take advantage of this magical and romantic moment in the Parisian night.
Is it worth it, right?
All these tours we have done show us that we have many options for free activities to do in Paris.
These have been just a sample, there are several more, leave us in the comments your suggested free place to visit in Paris?, we thank you for the contribution.
Extras: video and maps of free activities in Paris
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
