In the City of Light, there’s no need to pull out your wallet to enjoy some exciting activities. Yes, our beautiful capital abounds in free activities! Want to get out and about in Paris without spending a thing? Strolls, free museums and monuments, galleries, cruises, film classes… Discover free Paris!
Culture: visit certain museums for free on the 1st Sunday of the month
The first Sunday of every month is eagerly awaited by many culture buffs. And with good reason: some museums open their doors to the public free of charge. So there’s no need to reach for your wallet. And at Paris Secret, we’ve got a few favorites. Discover our list of free museums on the 1st Sunday of the month.
đź“ŤLocation : Paris
No money needed for a stroll through Père Lachaise Cemetery
In Paris, the Père Lachaise Cemetery reveals its thousand and one treasures free of charge. Also known as the “Cimetière de l’Est”, it is the capital’s largest cemetery, covering 43 hectares. Every year, over 3 million visitors flock to this place steeped in art, culture and history. A maze of stone and vegetation, where 70,000 burial plots stand side by side. Artists, statesmen, historians… Among them are the graves of Édith Piaf, Jim Morrison, FrĂ©dĂ©ric Chopin, Molière, Balzac, Colette and Oscar Wilde. And who knows, maybe you’ll come across an adorable family of foxes?
📍Location: Père Lachaise Cemetery 75020 Paris
Watch the Eurovision final for free on the big screen
On Saturday May 17, head to the Place de la Bastille for a 100% free, ultra-festive event: a giant fan zone to experience the Eurovision final like never before! DJ sets, giant karaoke and broadcasting on an XXL screen await you for a memorable evening from 5pm to 1am. The perfect free night out in Paris to support Louane and party the night away!
đź“ŤLocation: Place de la Bastille, 75004 Paris
Free entry to the Saint-Ouen flea market
The Saint-Ouen flea market de Saint-Ouen flea market! In this iconic place, you can stroll around and touch a thousand treasures with your eyes. Every year, 5 million visitors flock here for a reason. The Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market boasts the largest concentration of antique and second-hand dealers in the world! Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday, vintage and antiques enthusiasts head to the Puces de Saint-Ouen for a stroll full of surprises!
đź“ŤLocation: 110 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France
Admire the capital’s finest trompe-l’oeil frescoes
Sometimes, you just have to look up to discover Paris from a whole new angle. Trompe-l’ oeil murals have been adorning Parisian streets with elegance and poetry for (almost) ever. And yet, we hardly notice their presence… In Paris, there are some magnificent trompe-l’oeil frescoes to admire! Some are listed.
đź“ŤLocation: Paris
Free activities in Paris: discover the most beautiful bucolic secret passages
Feel like getting lost in Paris? What if you decided to go in search of the capital’s greenest secret passages? Paris Secret gives you a helping hand. From the CitĂ© des Fleurs to Square Montsouris, from Rue des Thermopyles to Square des Peupliers… our beautiful City of Light is brimming with charming, bucolic passages that look like little villages. It’s a refreshing and enriching stroll through free Paris!
đź“ŤLocation: Paris
Enjoy the best free exhibitions of the moment
In Paris, art and culture are also accessible free of charge. Photography, open-air exhibitions, street art, haute couture, immersive experiences… Parisian galleries and museums give you the opportunity to enrich and marvel without emptying your wallet. Would you like to discover the most beautiful free exhibitions of the moment? Follow the guide!
đź“ŤLocation : Paris
Enjoy free activities with children in Paris: our list of top tips!
In Paris, activities for kids are flourishing. And what could be better than free activities? A day of storytelling, a visit to the chocolate museum, fun “pestacles”, a day at the racecourse or the farm… Here are the best ways to entertain your little ones, without spending a single euro!
đź“ŤLocation : Paris
Free activities in Paris: A free cruise on the Seine on your birthday. Yes, you read that right!
Did you know? On your birthday, Vedettes de Paris offers you a guided cruise on the Seine. On your birthday only, go to the Vedettes de Paris ticket office and bring your passport or other form of identification. Not your birthday? No problem! These cruise offers from Vedettes de Paris should please you too!
đź“ŤLocation: Paris – Quai de Seine
Free activities in Paris: take part in a free cinema course at the Forum des Images
Hello cinephiles! Every week at the Forum des Images, a film critic, historian or teacher analyzes a film or a subject related to a specific program. Every Friday at 6.30pm (registration required), a free cinema class is offered, with the promise of enriching your cinematic culture.
📍Location: 2 Rue du cinéma, 75001 Paris
Visit the Musée du Parfum Fragonard
In Paris, a stone’s throw from the OpĂ©ra Garnier, the MusĂ©e du Parfum offers a unique museum concept. In an atypical, didactic way, it invites visitors to discover all the stages involved in creating this everyday luxury object: perfume. Raw materials, harvesting, extraction, distillation, formulation, industrialization, bottling, creation, the nose’s craft… The Parfumerie Fragonard reveals all its manufacturing secrets. A free guided tour is offered to curious perfume lovers!
đź“ŤLocation: 9 Rue Scribe, 75009 Paris
Take a free tour of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica
The Basilique du Sacré-Coeur is a jewel of French heritage. Consecrated in 1919, it offers one of the finest panoramic views of the capital, at an altitude of 130 meters. During a stroll around the Butte Montmartre, we love to visit it, again and again, without ever tiring of it. Open to visitors every day, the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur is accessible free of charge, without reservation.
đź“ŤLocation: 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris
Admire the free works of Spot 13, an open-air street art gallery
If you’re not already a fan of street art, this Parisian spot is sure to please. A veritable ephemeral open-air gallery, Spot 13 constantly unveils new colorful frescoes by urban artists from all walks of life. A free space for artists and onlookers to meet and exchange ideas.
đź“ŤLocation: Paris 13
Take the family on a tour of the Ferme de Paris Vincennes
A 5-hectare farm nestled in the Bois de Vincennes: the Ferme de Paris! Managed with respect for the environment, the farm’s main aim is to raise public awareness of agroecology and sustainable food. Goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, ducks, turkeys… You’ll meet some adorable farm animals. In the heart of this green lung, enjoy a bucolic interlude in the pastures, orchard, forest or vegetable garden. It’s free access to a bit of the countryside in Paris, and what a pleasure it is!
đź“ŤLocation: 1 Rte du Pesage, 75012 Paris
Explore the capital’s most beautiful covered passageways
A walk is free, and it’s good for your health! Even without a penny to your name, you can treat your eyes to a thousand treasures. In Paris, the covered passageways have a charm like no other. Passage des Panoramas, Galerie Vivienne, Passage du Grand-Cerf. Explore these passages steeped in history and take a wonderful trip back in time…
đź“ŤLocation : Paris
Visit the gardens of Versailles free of charge
Listed as a World Heritage Site for 40 years, the Château de Versailles is one of the finest achievements of 17th-century French art. While a visit to this heritage jewel is subject to a fee, visitors can explore its marvellous gardens free of charge, except during the Grandes Eaux. You’ll never tire of discovering the French-style gardens of Versailles, created in 1661 by AndrĂ© Le NĂ´tre, gardener to the Kings!
đź“ŤLocation: Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles
Free activities in Paris: take a rollerblade, bike or scooter ride in Paris
It’s free, it’s good for morale and it gets you moving! On a bike, a gyroroue, a roller or a scooter… on Friday evening, Pari Roller will meet you in front of the Paris-Montparnasse train station for a ride that’s sure to get you moving! It’s a free, supervised event where you can play sports, meet new people and get your kicks!
đź“ŤLocation: Paris
Free activities in Paris: visit Paris museums and monuments for free
In Paris, some museums offer free admission to their permanent collections every day, all year round. These include the MusĂ©e d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Maison de Balzac, the MusĂ©e Carnavalet, the MusĂ©e Cernuschi, the Petit Palais (MusĂ©e des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris), the Maison de Victor Hugo and the MusĂ©e de la Vie Romantique. Free admission also includes the MusĂ©e national de la LĂ©gion d’honneur et des ordres de chevalerie, the MusĂ©e-Librairie du Compagnonnage, the MusĂ©e Curie, the MusĂ©e du parfum Fragonard, the MusĂ©e de la PrĂ©fecture de Police and the Arènes de Lutèce. Admission is also free to the Atelier Brancusi, the Plateau (Centre d’art contemporain), the MusĂ©e Zadkine, the MĂ©morial de la Shoah and the MusĂ©e d’Ennery (reservation required on Saturdays). Welcome to free Paris!
đź“ŤLocation: Paris
Another easy activity: a picnic in Paris (weather permitting).
It’s true that Paris doesn’t get much sun all year round, but when it does, you might as well make the most of it! And just as well: there’s no need to dig deep into your pocket to spread out your red-and-white-checkered tablecloth in the City of Light. Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Canal Saint-Martin… Discover our “nugget” addresses for picnicking in Paris!
đź“ŤLocation : Paris
It’s possible to do sport for free in Paris
Basketball, skateboarding, running… Many sports can be practised without paying a cent! For example, you can go for a run in the capital’s parks, keep your appolone body in shape with the city’s fitness facilities, or go for a nice hike! There’s no shortage of choice.
đź“ŤLocation: Paris