Paris abounds with activities of all kinds. But would you like to get off the beaten track and discover the capital in a different way? Then get rid of the traditional and the cliché! We’re looking for the original, the unusual, the fun and the secret places… Follow the guide as we present the best addresses and unusual activities in Paris!
1 – “Le Libre Promeneur” cultural escapes for the general public to discover Paris differently…
Imagine fascinating open-air cultural escapes in the streets of Paris… This is the unusual experience to which “Le Libre Promeneur” invites you, from the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur to the Ile de la Cité. On the program: 6 escapes games to rediscover Paris in a different way, with games for all ages in French and English, ready to develop your logic and spice up your general knowledge! The icing on the cake: if you wish, Le Libre Promeneur’s photographers will follow you along the way, offering you free photos to immortalize your unusual journey! And when you consider that Le Libre Promeneur’s cultural Escape games have earned hundreds of 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor, you don’t have to hesitate a single second – go for it!
2 – Visit the catacombs of Paris
Beautiful for some, creepy for others, the catacombs of Paris are a must-see curiosity. This thousand-year-old ossuary lies in the city’s underground passages. An unusual visit to reserve for yourself!
3 – Visit the incredible Deyrolles cabinet of curiosities!
This private mansion on rue du Bac is home to a veritable treasure trove:Deyrolle! Stuffed animals sit alongside fossilized shells on mahogany furniture. In fact, this cabinet of curiosities is one of the favorite addresses of Kate Moss, the brindille herself!
4 – Unusual activities in Paris: Tester Long & Tee, the tea room with trompe-l’oeil desserts
Paris is home to the cutest tearoom you’ve ever seen: Long & Tee! Lovers of the unusual, the beautiful and the good, come and try these adorable trompe-l’oeil pastries… One of the most unusual activities in Paris to try out at least once in your life.
5 – Visit an artistic squat in the heart of Paris!
Originally an artists’ squat, 59 Rivoli has become a 6-storey residence where exhibitions and artists’ studios of all kinds rub shoulders! Forget the window shopping of Rue de Rivoli and get lost at 59 Rivoli! And for those with sea urchins in their pockets, it’s free! Yes, yes…
6 – Unusual: Go to Mad Golf, the 1st indoor, immersive mini-golf course in Paris!
It’s a completely new and unusual concept that’s just opened in the City of Light! Mad Golf is the first indoor mini-golf course in Paris. Ultra Instagrammable settings with an 80s course and a California Vibes course, music, popcorn, mocktails… Mad Golf is 600 m2 of fun and good vibes only!
7 – Visit the smoker’s museum! Smoking is taboo, but we’ll all get over it!
As our friend Gainsbarre sang: “Dieu est un fumeur de Havanes” (“God is a Havana smoker”)… In this 100% politically incorrect museum in the Père Lachaise district, you’ll discover the history of snuffboxes, opium pipes, old cigars and cartoons… Cigarette? No, not good!
8 – Play the Buddha at the Buddhist Pantheon Garden
One of the most unusual activities in Paris is the Jardin du Panthéon Bouddhique. Hidden away in the 16th arrondissement, this secret Paris garden is a veritable haven of peace! With Buddha statues, a wooden bridge, bamboo galore and a pretty little stream, it’s sure to be a change of scenery! In one of the pavilions, you can even take part in the tea ceremony, a veritable art form in Japan.
9 – India in the heart of Paris at the Temple Ganesh! Jai oh!
Let yourself be enchanted by this exotic place. Open to all, there’s only one rule in this sacred place: respect! And when you enter, take off your shoes (yes… even if your feet stink, sorry). Let yourself be carried away by the scent of jasmine and incense at the Ganesh Temple in Little Jaffna! One of the best unusual experiences in Paris to get away from it all!
10 – Unusual activities in Paris: Visit the Musée de l’Absinthe for a taste of the green fairy!
A few kilometers from Paris, in Auvers-sur-Oise, discover the Musée de l’Absinthe! Recreating the atmosphere of the Belle Époque cafés where absinthe was fashionable, rediscover the favorite drink of the poets and artists of the time!
11 – Enter the verdant Cité du Figuier!
Treat yourself to a bucolic interlude in a secret little street in the 11th arrondissement. Begonias, palm trees, bamboo, aloevera and, of course, fig trees, make up the charm of the pretty Cité du Figuier alleyway !
12 – Touch the witch’s rock for good luck in love!
Behind rue Lepic, in the heart of a charming little private alley, sits a mysterious rock. Legend has it that what is known today as “le rocher de la sorcière” was once a fountain, commonly known as “la sourcière”. And legend has it that this cold stone will protect the loves of those who lay their hands on it… But hush, it’s a secret!
13 – Play Spiderman on Rue du Chat qui-pêche, the narrowest street in Paris
Instagramable spot alert! It’s in Paris’s 5th arrondissement, in this narrow passageway 1 m 80 long and only 26 m long, that you can take the narrowest street in the Capital…
14 – Feel like a VIP at the one-table restaurant “La tête dans les olives”.
Among the most unusual activities in Paris is La Tête dans les Olives! At closing time, this small 100% Sicilian grocery, which sells its own olive oil, is transformed into a restaurant. Here, you can dine in total intimacy with your friends, as there’s only one table at La Tête dans les Olives! A real dose of the atypical and a great moment of conviviality in prospect.
15 – Unusual activities in Paris: buy “magic baguette” bread at LeGay Choc!
Are you deeply bored by the traditional baguette? If so, we’d recommend a visit to Legay Choc, an unusual bakery known for its “baguettes magiques”, breads in the shape of penises. Here, specialties come in all shapes and sizes, including “le zizi croc”, “le zizi choc” and “la bistouquette”. You’re sure to make a splash at your family’s Sunday lunch with this gourmet souvenir… Granny Ginette will be surprised!
16 – The hidden bunker under the Gare de l’Est!
Built in 1939, this bunker was built to protect part of the population from the gas attacks of WW1. Now owned by the SNCF, the bunker rarely opens its doors… Stay tuned!
17 – Break it all down at the Fury Room in Paris
Stressed out? Tired of routine? Is your boss getting on your nerves? In Paris, there’s a concept that couldn’t be more unusual: The Fury Room! In a secret room, come and let off steam and smash anything you can get your hands on. Glass bottles, plates, TV screens… you’ll never have had so much fun smashing everything without feeling guilty!
18 – Go for a drink at Harry’s New-York Bar in Opéra, where the Bloody Mary was invented
Historic for many reasons, Harry’s New York Bar is one of the capital’s most prestigious century-old establishments. For the personalities who have passed through its doors, the cocktails invented there and its resistance to the test of time, this address in the heart of Paris ticks all the boxes of the ancestral spot. We invite you to discover it.
19 – Walk past the smallest house in Paris in the 10th arrondissement!
One of the most unusual houses in Paris: wedged between two tall buildings, nestles the smallest house in the capital! Initially, a passage linked the rue du Château d’Eau to the Faubourg Saint-Martin, but following an inheritance dispute, the owner decided to block the passage with this 5m-high by 1m10-wide building…
20 – Are you a street art lover? Have a drink at FAT!
A veritable landmark of urban culture, FAT (French Art Touch) combines urban art, hip hop ambience and crazy cocktails! The bar regularly organizes artistic events such as live performances by graffiti artists, tattoo artists, DJs and rappers! An eclectic place where culture and fun meet!
21 – Pretend you’re Cleopatra with a donkey milk bath in the heart of Paris!
Fancy a moment of relaxation and a royal change of scene, à la Mariah Carrey or Cleopatra? In the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the Les Cent Ciel hammam invites you to take a trip by immersing yourself in a real donkey milk bath, a milk with a thousand virtues. Its properties are said to preserve the skin’s radiance, for a truly rejuvenating bath!
You love a good binouze, but how about a real beer bath? Last year, France’s first beer spa opened its doors in Strasbourg. Recently, the Beer Spa opened in Paris , the capital’s first beer spa. It’s a completely crazy concept, and we went along to try it out for you! A bubble bath while sipping on a good froth – who could beat that? Definitely top of the list of unusual activities in Paris!
23 – Immerse yourself in crystal while visiting the Baccarat gallery!
In this place dedicated to the magic of crystal, you can visit the gallery-museum and admire a selection of prestigious pieces from the heritage collections. And for dinner in a truly prestigious setting, head to the Cristal Room restaurant!
24 – Unusual in Paris: discover the magic museum!
Down with David Copperfiedl! Visit the Musée de la magie! Under amazing vaulted cellars, constantly renewed illusions will take you on an adventure that will awaken your senses to unravel the real from the fake! One of the most unusual activities in Paris!
25 – Push open the doors of an Amazonian jungle bar!
Fans of unusual places? Today, we invite you to an Amazonian jungle in the heart of Paris! Sound creations broadcasting birdsong and nature sounds, grimoires, green neon lights… The Amazonas Bar has that mystical je ne sais quoi. Here, rum-based cocktails are served in glass jars. An esoteric rum bar where you can drink magic potions!
26 – Go to the boutique sans argent in the 12th arrondissement, where everything is free!
Money, money, money… As Abba would sing! Yes, except that here, we don’t give a damn about money, money, money, money! At the cashless boutique, everything’s free! Contrary to the principle of bartering, you can give away things you no longer want, or take what you need without necessarily having brought anything with you… Abbé Pierre would have loved the idea!
27 – Let off steam at France’s 1st axe-releasing center!
Get out your toma hoc! Here, you have the right to think very hard about your mother-in-law or your boss before throwing your axe into the mile, but nobody will know… So head on over to Chez Les cognées for this… crazy concept!
28 – Unusual places in Paris: Visit Paris’s first comic-book café
Ever dreamed of becoming the protagonist of a comic strip vignette? Then head to the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, to the heart of the Asian café 2D Atelier. As you push open the doors, you’re literally propelled into the setting of a black-and-white comic strip. An unusual place to enjoy wheel cakes and sparkling bubble teas!
29 – Vintage photo booth in front of Amélie Poulain’s Collignon grocery store
You can find several vintage photo booths in Paris, but this one has added value. Located outside, in the heart of Montmartre, it has the charm of being right in front of the Collignon grocery store, made famous by the film Amélie Poulain.
30 – unusual activities in Paris: Taste the naughty waffles at La Quequetterie
Looking for unusual activities in Paris? Look no further! In the family of gourmet AND naughty addresses in the capital, Paris Secret asks for “La Quequetterie”! For an unusual treat, head to the Sentier district, at 28 rue d’Aboukir. Here you’ll find delicious homemade waffles in the shape of family jewels, to savor, savor or lick. Foodporn at snack time!