40 things to do for free in Paris – a Complete guide to Paris on a budget (+ Map)

If you are visiting Paris on a budget and want to find the best things to do for free in Paris then you are in luck.

Paris is known to be an expensive place to visit, but it doesn’t have to be. With almost 20 million visitors to the city each year, it can set the prices it wants. But, as a city filled with museums, views, parks and landmarks, there is so much you can do in Paris for free and still have an incredible time.

We have travelled cities and countries on every budget, from taking our first trip together while still at school working part time jobs to inter-railing Europe on a €20 a day budget.

With that, we’ve learned a thing or two about making the most of a trip without spending a fortune. As with any city, finding things to for free in Paris is completely possible as the city offers so many sights and activities that can be appropriate for any budget.

In this guide, we will take you all of the best things to do for free in Paris, from stunning viewpoints to activities and attractions around the city. We will provide you with places to eat on a budget, as well as the cheapest ways to get around the city during your stay.

We will also provide you with recommendations for hotels in Paris for every budget based on our experience of the city.

Where to stay in Paris on a budget

Finding cheap hotels in Paris is not straightforward but it is definitely possible. The key to finding budget friendly hotels in Paris is to visit off peak. The cheapest months to visit Paris are November and January so we focused our searches on those months to gauge prices.

Although cities in Western Europe tend to be more expensive than most when it comes to accommodation, there are still plenty of budget friendly hotels in Paris to choose from in these off peak months.

Choosing where to stay in Paris will ultimately determine how much it costs. The more central the area, the more costly the accommodation, so we would recommend choosing a hotel in one of the outer arrondissements but with good access to a metro station.

Our personal recommendation for a budget friendly hotel in Paris would be Green Park Hotel, which has rooms for around €100 per night in January for two people sharing. While that isn’t necessarily ‘cheap’, it is by Paris standards and provides a high quality place to stay with good access to the centre.

How many days do you need in Paris

Ideally, you should spend 4 days in Paris to allow sufficient time to explore the sites and potentially take a day trip. You will need a minimum of 2 days in Paris to see the major sites but will have to prioritize some places over others within that time.

The key things to maximising your time in Paris is to have a clear plan. Paris is a very big city and it is spread out, the major sights are not very close together so you need to focus on one area at a time.

If you do have 3-4 days in Paris and would like to take a day trip, we would highly recommend this Palace of Versailles Tour which will take you into the world of French royalty. The tour includes skip the line access and a guided tour of this incredible palace, really worth adding to a longer Paris itinerary.

Alternatively, we would also suggest taking a trip to Disneyland Paris if you have time available, particularly if you are visiting Paris with kids..

Map of Paris

Things to do For Free in Paris

The Eiffel Tower

If you get nothing else for free in Paris, one thing you can be certain of is a great view. And one view tends to stand out above the others, the Eiffel Tower.

There are so many different ways to see the Eiffel Tower and with the historic landmark being the main selling point of the city for many visitors, being able to see it for free will set your trip off on the right path.

Our personal favourite places to see the Eiffel Tower are l’Howea and Rue l’Universite, but the drawback with the latter is that it does tend to attract a huge crowd throughout the day so it is difficult to get any time alone there.

You can obviously pay to go up the Eiffel Tower, it is not necessary to do this in order to get the best vantage point. If you do want to spend money on an Eiffel Tower view our suggestion would be to take a River Seine cruise after sunset, which will give you a unique perspective and a great photo opportunity.

Museums

Museums may not be for everyone but they are a great way to experience the local culture and history, as well as being a good activity on a rainy day. Paris has no shortage of museums that you can visit, many of which are free to enter.

Broadly speaking, EU citizens aged 26 and under are free to enter with ID and may of the cities museums, including the Louvre are free to enter on the first Sunday of every month.

Generally, you can also visit any of the museums in Paris below for free during your time in the city:

• Musée Carnavalet
• Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris
• Maison de Victor Hugo
• Musée Bourdelle
• Musée Cognacq-Jay

Parks and Squares

Paris is filled with beautiful parks and squares lined with beautiful architecture and great views – this is one of the best things to do free in Paris in the warmer months particularly.

When we visit a new place we are often in a hurry to move from one site to the next but visiting one of these places allows us to slow down and live more like the locals for a while.

Place des Vosges

Starting strong with one of Paris’ oldest squares and a beautiful place to sit with a coffee. Nearby, you could get one from Carette (not great on a budget) or Sevenly Heart in Le Marais. You could also spend a morning in this area exploring the boutique shops and visiting one of Paris’ oldest food markets, Marche des Enfant Rouges.

Petit Palais

This is probably our favourite place to sit with a coffee in Paris. You can go inside the museum and tickets are free for many groups of people but for us, we just like to grab a coffee at Cafe 1902 and sit outside in the main square watching the world pass by for a while.

Jardin Tuileries

A short walk from Petit Palais, you will find Jardin Tuileries, a great place to go if you are visiting Paris with kids. These gardens have a large play park that is perfect for kids to get some time to burn energy. Across the road you will also find the Angelina cafe, renowned for its hot chocolate and the gardens themselves are a beautiful place to relax.

Champ des Mars

This one could easily have been added to the Eiffel Tower views section as it sits beneath the landmark. Champ des Mars is a great place to sit and have a picnic on a Spring/Summer day with a beautiful view in the background. You could easily spend the whole day here for the cost of a baguette and some cured meats.

Walking Tour of Montmartre

Montmartre is possibly the best area to find things to do for free in Paris. This is our favourite area to explore in the city – filled with character, culture and great views. Start your tour off by visiting the beautiful Boris Lume bakery for a snack before exploring the area.

Rue l’Abreuvoir and Maison Rose

Our favourite street in Paris is Rue l’Abreuvoir, a cobblestoned street at the bottom of Montmartre with a great view of the Sacre-Coeur. This street screams Paris and you can get beautiful photos here at dusk. Along this street you will also find Maison Rose,

Sacre Coeur

Next, take a walk around possibly the areas most renowned location, the Sacré-Cœur. The unique design of building perched on the hill overlooking the city stands out from the moment you reach Montmartre. You can climb the steps of the dome for a small contribution to get incredible panoramic views of the city below.

Sinking House of Montmartre

Along here you will find La Maison Rose, a restaurant with a striking pink facade and a popular photo spot in Montmartre. From there, we would suggest visiting the sinking house of Montmartre, a popular optical illusion location, which looks like a house sinking into the grass when you tilt your camera sideways along the line of the slope.

Place du Tertre

Finally, possibly the best thing to do here on a nice day is to sit outside a bar in the Place du Tertre and watch the day go by as the artists paint and the square is filled with people exploring the sights.

Free Landmarks in Paris

Arc de Triomphe

4 day Paris itinerary – The PERFECT way to spend 4 days in ParisNext up is one of our favourite places to visit in Paris – the Arc de Triomphe. While you can see the Arc de Triomphe for free, it does cost money to go to the rooftop. That being said, we would recommend purchasing the rooftop tickets as it is another place to get a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding city.

Pont Alexandre III

Another beautiful place to visit for free in Paris is Pont Alexandre III, which connects the Champs-Elysses to Inavlides and the area containing the Eiffel Tower. This bridge is particularly beautiful at dusk, as it is lit up by antique style lampposts in the evening.

Shopping Centres in Paris

Okay so this one will require some self control but there are certain shopping centres and locations that actually provide its most picturesque places to visit for free. We can’t guarantee you won’t spend money when you visit but we can guarantee you that they are worth visiting.

Galeries Lafayette Hausmann

This shopping centre is worth visiting for two reasons: its Christmas installation and its rooftop views of the city. If you visit Paris at Christmas, then this place is a must visit. Every year, they have a huge themed Christmas tree in the centre of the building leading up to an incredible stained glass dome roof – it is stunning.

Here, you can also go to the rooftop of the building to get 360 views of Paris, perfect for a free activity and they have a budget friendly food court just below as well.

Galeries Vivienne

Equally, if not more beautiful is Galeries Vivienne, another beautiful building with a glass mosaic roof and lots of nice boutiques and shops, a really worthwhile place to visit as well.

These are just some of the great things to do for free in Paris and while there are so many great activities more broadly, it does show that you can easily visit Paris on a budget without feeling like you’ve missed out on any of the experience.