Paris is an expensive city and you should budget to spend quite a bit of money when you go there. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty that you can do for free. In fact, you can spend a lot of time in this romantic city without spending a dime. Here are 20 of my favorite free things to do in Paris.
1. Park Montsouris
Named for an old windmill, this lush park in south Paris is nearly 150 years old.
2. Champ De Mars
Champ De Mars is to Paris as Central Park is to New York City in the US. It’s also the home of the Eiffel Tower. You can get plenty of good vantage points for photography of the world famous landmark.
3. Tuileries Garden
This relaxing garden near the Louvre has been around for centuries and became a public park after the revolution. It remains to this day a place for celebrations and gatherings.
4. Luxembourg Gardens
This sprawling public park is the ideal place for picnics and a favourite destination for visitors and Parisians.
5. Bois De Boulogne
This wooded park has a lot of history to it and it was turned into a park in 1852.
6. Jardin De Plantes
Strange yet appropriate, this park is called garden of the plants. While other gardens presumably contain plants, this is France’s premier botanical garden.
7. Parc De La Villette
This very large Parisian park contains a variety of cultural venues including Europe’s largest science museum.
8. Louvre
The Louvre is the most popular museum in France, which places it high in the running for most popular worldwide. It’s not free, but there are days of free admission. Currently, the Louvre is complimentary on the first Sunday of the month. Except that the museum is temporarily closed until further notice.
9. Petit Palais
This “petit” palace is only small relative to the Grand Palais it stands across from. The Beaux-Arts style architecture houses the city of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. While temporary exhibits charge admission, the museum is free for permanent collections.
10. Musée Du Parfum
This private museum is not only free, guided tours of the collection are free as well. Experts in perfume and its history provide a knowledgeable background for the unique collection.
11. Musée D’Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris
Built in the Palais de Tokyo for International Arts and Technology in 1937, this art museum focuses on 20th and 21st-century modern art.
12. Musée Rodin – First Sunday
Another museum that is free one day out of the month is Musee Rodin. Time your arrival accordingly. The first Sunday of the month is a busy time for museum visitors.
13. Centre Pompidou
The 5-acre building complex that includes the Musee D’Art Moderne also houses the largest library in Paris and a variety of other attractions. It’s free on the first Sunday of the month.
14. Musée Cognacq-Jay
This unique museum was conceived as a private home setting rather than a museum. It’s from the personal collection of a wealthy department store owner and was inaugurated to the city of Paris in 1929.
15. Musée De La Vie Romantique
The Museum of romantic life is just the sort of thing you would expect to see in Paris, and you can as one of the best free things to do in Paris.
16-20 Lovely (Free) Walks in Paris
These 5 Parisian strolls make excellent free things to do in Paris.
- Lie De La Cite
- Lie Saint Louis
- The Left Bank
- Montmartre
- Promenade Plantee
The next time you’re in France remember, it doesn’t need to be expensive if you consider these free things to do while visiting Paris.