47 best things to do in Paris right now

What are the best things to do in Paris at night?

There's a reason why Paris is known as the City of Light. Yes, it was initially because it was one of the first in Europe to install street lamps, but now it has more to do with how its iconic landmarks beautifully sparkle at night. One of the best things to do in Paris at night is to catch metro line 6 from Bir-Hakeim to Passy station for the most magical panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower. It sparkles at the beginning of every hour for five minutes, until the last show at 11pm, so time your journey perfectly (tip: sit on the right side for the best views). You can also book a dinner cruise along the Seine River. For a more cultural experience, the Musée d'Orsay is open late on Thursdays, and the Louvre is open late on Fridays – when the queues are far shorter and most famous artworks less crowded. There's also plenty of entertainment, from the vibrant bar scene to glamorous shows at the Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse cabarets.

The best things to do in Paris

1. Sip Champagne at a stylish pop-up

Join Moët & Chandon and chef Yannick Alléno have teamed up to present Paris' hottest pop-up for summer 2024. Moët in Paris by Allénos is a celebration of French culture, fashion, and conviviality – perfectly timed while all eyes are on the City of Light for the Olympic Games. Expect a season-long soirée in the restaurant, bar and event space on Rue de Grenelle, where cellar master Benoît Gouez curates the sparkling offerings and interiors are the vision of fashion designer and illustrator Charles de Vilmorin.

Address: Beaupassage, 53-57 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
Website: moetinparis.com

2. Feast on falafel

As well as being home to some of the coolest concept stores and cultural corners in the city, the Jewish Quarter is where you’ll find the very best falafel in Paris. Stroll through Le Marais to uncover some delicious restaurants – particularly along Rue des Rosiers, where hotspots like L'As du Fallafel, Chez Hanna, and Mi-Va-Mi compete to win over crowds with their vegetarian delights. Long queues flooding out of doors in this area are common, but don’t let them daunt you - many of the owners have been in the falafel business for more than 40 years, so they have mastered the skill of efficient service. Layla Quaedvlieg

Address: Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris

3. Visit some of the city’s prettiest parks

Located in the 8th arrondissement, Parc Monceau and its winding paths make for one of the most charming walks in Paris. Look out for the Renaissance-style arches, serene duck ponds and sculptures of famous French figures, from Frederick Chopin to Guy de Maupassant. The scenery is picture-perfect, making it a popular spot for artists (even Monet was known to stop and paint here). The Marais district’s Place des Vosges is smaller yet equally beautiful, a well-kept square garden surrounded by traditional townhouses, many of which are now galleries. Spend the morning soaking up the artwork before heading to the park for your next post-exhibition picnic to unwind amongst the greenery and admire the stunning architecture. Layla Quaedvlieg

Address: Parc Monceau, 35 Boulevard de Courcelles, 75008 Paris; Place des Vosges, 75004 Paris

4. Attend a concert by candlelight

What better way to experience the city of lights than by witnessing live music at night by candlelight? This unique concert series offers up a range of genres and locations, from tributes to Hans Zimmer or Vicaldi performed in grand music halls, right through to a performance of Queen in a historic auditorium and even Taylor Swift, taking place in a modern art centre. All performances are beautifully illuminated by candlelight and feature professional musicians in a range of ensembles, including string quartets to brass bands and vocals with guitar.

Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France

5. Walk amongst the dead at the Père Lachaise Cemetery

One might believe the suggestion to stroll through the world’s most visited and celebrated cemetery to be morbid – and how mistaken they would be! Nestled in the depths of eastern Paris, the Père Lachaise Cemetery serves as the final resting ground for some of the world’s most beloved artists, politicians, and writers, including Edith Piaf, Balzac, and Oscar Wilde. Even the late Jim Morrison of The Doors has been laid to rest here, with his crypt serving as a point of pilgrimage for dedicated fans. Make your way through the cobbled pathways dotted with intricate and ornate gravestones and take in the solemn, calm atmosphere.

Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France

6. Taste the magical creations of Cédric Grolet

When it comes to celebrity pâtissiers in Paris, one superstar outshines all the others. Cédric Grolet has a style so unique and a technique so precise that it’s hard to know if his creations are works of art or culinary magic. He’s most famous for his hyper-realistic fruits, glossy red apples and blush-pink peaches, which are anything other than what they first appear. Each is a masterclass in pâtissierie, a lacquered chocolate skin breaking to reveal an apple and cinnamon mousse or tangy peach compote, the recipe changing with the seasons. Pick them up from his small boutique at the Meurice, but expect long lines unless you get there early.

Address: La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet, 6 rue de Castiglione, 75001 Paris
Website: cedric-grolet.com

7. Dance at the city’s oldest jazz club

Paris has moved to the rhythms of jazz for just short of a century thanks to legendary clubs like Le Bal Blomet, which opened in 1924 in the neighbourhood of Montparnasse. Founded by Jean Rézard de Wouves, a politician-turned-musician from Martinique, it quickly became the place to dance to Caribbean sounds in the roaring Twenties. Ernest Hemingway, Joséphone Baker, Joan Miró and Simone de Beauvoir are just some of the famous names to have graced the dancefloor. After being threatened with closure in 2011, it went through an extensive restoration and played a leading role in Damien Chazelle’s Netflix show The Eddy, in which a jazz club owner struggles to keep his business afloat.

Address: 33 rue Blomet 75015 Paris
Website: balblomet.fr

8. Visit Versailles

OK, it’s a little outside Paris, but RER B from St Michel will soon whizz you there. Versailles packs all the palatial oomph one could hope for, with its famous Hall of Mirrors (where the Treaty of Versailles was signed), Italianate gardens and abundance of gilded, excess-driven rooms that put France on the road to revolution. Once you’ve absorbed all the elaborate sconces, chandeliers and muralled panelling, head to The Grand Trianon (Louis XIV and his mistress’ pink marbled escape within the palace walls) and the Petit Trianon (gifted to Marie Antonette by Louis XVI) for more condensed, though no less opulent scenes. A wander around Marie Antoinette’s commissioned ‘peasant village’ shines a light on just how out of touch the King and Queen were with their subjects in 18th-century France. Beyond Versailles golden gates, pull up a wicker chair at Au Petite Marquis for snails lathered in garlic and charcuterie boards.

Address: Palace of Versailles, Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France

9. Admire famous paintings hidden in the city’s churches

When it comes to seeing art, Paris can be a bit overwhelming, to say the least: visitors are confronted with a dizzying 130 museums to choose from. But sometimes famous artworks can crop up in unexpected places. Eugène Delacroix’s painting ‘La Pietà’ hangs in a corner of the church of Saint Denys du Saint Sacrement, just a few steps from the Picasso Museum. In the 7th arrondissement, the church of Saint François-Xavier displays a 16th century ‘Last Supper’ by Venetian painter Tintoretto, and Rubens’s ‘The Disciples of Emmaüs’ was recently returned to the church of Saint-Eustache after a restoration.

Address: Saint Denys du Saint Sacrement - 68 rue de Turenne 75003; Saint François-Xavier - 12 Place du Président Mithouard 75007; Saint-Eustache - 2 Impasse Saint-Eustache 75001
Websites: saintdenys.net; sfx-paris.fr; saint-eustache.org

10. See Saint-Eustache Church come alive in an immersive show

The imposing church in the 1st arrondissement has a storied history dating back to the 13th century, one that is engagingly recounted in LUMINISCENCE, an immersive show featuring live music, theatre performances and 360-degree video mapping. Via projections on the building along with choir and organ performances, audiences follow the church’s story through the Middle Ages through to the Baroque and Renaissance periods, learning about the building’s influential figures including Molière, Lully, the Queen of Hungary and the Duchess of Orléans.

Address: Église Saint-Eustache, Châtelet-les-Halles: 2, Rue du Jour, 75001 Paris

11. Cycle along the Seine

In the past few years, ambitious urbanism plans have made cycling in Paris easier and safer, and a growing number of Parisians are choosing to get around on two wheels. One of the most beautiful cycling routes runs along the banks of the Seine, which were pedestrianised in 2017 and are now lined with cafés, playgrounds and sun loungers. Rent a Vélib’ (Paris city bike) for the day and start by the Pont de Sully. Head west on Voie Georges Pompidou and take in some of the city’s most spectacular sights past the Île Saint Louis, Notre Dame and the Hôtel de Ville.

Address: Voie Georges Pompidou, Paris
Website: velib-metropole.fr

12. Visit Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

They come with wide smiles, empty bags flung over their arms waiting to be filled with various treasures from the sprawling Saint-Ouen flea market, just outside the city’s northern limit. This is where London antiques dealers, collectors and those simply keen for a bargain come to scour the relics of bygone eras. And it’s not all brass chandeliers and gilt mirrors, Saint-Ouen is a warren for all whims, from mid-century tables and vintage Chanel to psychedelic prints from the seventies. It would require weeks, even months perhaps, to browse each and every stall and stand in 14 different areas of alleyways and warehouses here – it’s vast. It’s best to attack it from Porte de Clignancourt (line 4 on the metro) – easy access to the market’s artery road, rue des Rosiers. With opening times from 10am-6pm on weekends and 11am-5pm on Mondays (excluding August), this is a weekend reverie for magpies and photography buffs. Those spurred on by the thrill of a bargain should also check out the Puces de Vanves, to the south of the city, where trestle tables overflow with bric-a-brac, glassware and china.

Address: Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, Avenue de la Porte de Clignancourt
Transport: Metro: Porte de Clignancourt

13. Check out Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

If you’re a little Louvre’d out but still have an appetite for some serious art, head to Austrian gallerist, Thaddaeus Ropac’s namesake gallery in Pantin, a stone’s throw from Hermés and Chanel. The white-on-white walls of this former copperware factory are adorned with a remarkable collection of works from artists such as Georg Baselitz and Robert Rauschenberg. The building’s sense of endless minimalism serves as the ultimate canvas for knock-out installations and greatly contrasts the wonky, sprawling antiquity of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Address: Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Marais, 7 Rue Debelleyme, 75003 Paris
Website: ropac.net

14. Be at one with nature on the Promenade Plantée

The Promenade Plantée is a magnificent stretch of greenery, perched high above the melee of motos and pedestrians that make up Parisian street life. Opened in 1988, this raised park was the direct inspiration for New York’s Highline. Sometimes called La Coulée Verte (the name is a veritable debate amongst Parisians), this five-kilometre walkway is one of Paris’ most underrated outdoor spaces. Running from Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes, the pathway is a refuge from the buzzing boulevards below, in both rain and shine. The Promenade is also perfect for one’s inner voyeur: certain raised platforms provide excellent views into the sprawling Haussmannian apartments that flank the Promenade.

Address: 1 Coulée Verte René-Dumont, 75012 Paris, France
Website: paris.fr

15. Uncover an underrated museum

Once the home and atelier of sculptor and Rodin pupil Antoine Bourdelle, this off-the-beaten-track museum peers into the Left Bank’s 20th-century soul. Compact and utterly charming, Musée Bourdelle showcases the sculptor’s work and creative process, with rooms left as they were all those years ago. Spot the students and artists quietly sketching Bourdelle’s larger sculptures in the airy hall or outside in the pocket-sized rose garden.

Address: Musée Bourdelle, 18 Rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris
Website: bourdelle.paris.fr

16. Explore the old and the new at the Palais-Royal

Perhaps there is nothing more Parisian than spending an afternoon at the Palais-Royal. The park (once home to the French royal family) is a delightful mélange of the new and the old. The Colonnes de Buren, a permanent, interactive art exhibition installed in the 1980s and set in the courtyard of the old palace, allows visitors to walk amid and climb atop of the columns (and snap a few Insta-worthy pictures, too). To the left of the Colonnes are the plane tree-lined paths and manicured royal rose gardens, which grant park-goers the opportunity to spend a moment amongst perfectly executed natural beauty. Bring a book and sit in one of the green reclining chairs scattered around the park. For a pick-me-up, head to the Chichi Café Kitsuné for a crisp cookie and foamy cappuccino.

Address: 2 Gal de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France
Website: en.parisinfo.com

17. Go back in time at the Musée de la Vie Romantique

This lovely, quirky museum can be found at the end of a charming, cobbled lane burrowed into the underbelly of Montmartre. The former home of the painter Ary Scheffer, the Musée de la Vie Romantique allows visitors to imagine themselves as guests at one of Paris’ most well-regarded literary and art salons. The museum’s permanent collection features works and artefacts from notable attendees of these salons, such as painter Delacroix, composers Liszt and Chopin, and writer George Sand, who lived with Scheffer in this picturesque pink Parisian villa. After making your way through the enchanting, dainty interior, take a moment to rest in the courtyard tearoom, surrounded by a magnificent array of wildflowers.

Address: Musée de la Vie Romantique, 16 Rue Chaptal, 75009 Paris
Website: museevieromantique.paris.fr

18. Go for a walk along Canal St Martin

Paris’ original hipster neighbourhood, Canal St Martin is stitched together by a series of cast-iron footbridges crossing the canal and thrums with independent cafés that slip effortlessly into bar mode, come 6pm. Chez Prune is one of them. Pull up a chair here for fuss-free cheeseboards and wine, and a sense of the neighbourhood’s trendy, understated character (world’s away from the croissant-poodle Parisian clichés laid on for tourists in more central arrondissements). Once considered a no-go zone, this stretch that straddles the 10th and 11th arrondissement is now ablaze with small galleries, quirky plant stores and concept stores such as Centre Commercial. Drop your bags at Luke Edward Hall’s eccentric Parisian guesthouse, Hotel les deux Gares, then head straight to Holybelly for an Aussie-Parisian hipster brunch.

19. Stroll through the organic farmer’s market on Boulevard Raspail

Hemingway once said that Paris is a moveable feast. If this is true, the organic farmer’s market on the Boulevard Raspail is ongoing proof, every Sunday, week after week. Piles of fresh produce, mouth-watering spits of roasting chickens, and beautifully laid out displays of cheeses surround you as you move from stall to stall, enticing you to not only look but also taste. Certain vendors are more than happy to share their bounty with you, so it is worth dusting off your best French skills to ask for a nibble or two before you buy (just make sure to say merci beaucoup).

Address: Boulevard Raspail, Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Montparnasse

20. Channel your inner fashionista at Fondation Louis Vuitton

An impressive glass structure designed by eminent Canadian architect, Frank Gehry, Fondation Louis Vuitton seems to float, cloud-like, above the Bois de Boulogne. Visitors and Parisians are lured to the outer stretches of the 16th arrondissement with the museum’s knock-out modern and contemporary art exhibitions (such as Egon Schiele and Jean-Michel Basquiat). The privately-owned Fondation curates only two of these annually (tickets get swiped up quickly), while keeping an eyebrow-raising permanent collection – Ellsworth Kelly and Bertrand Lavier’s works, and the like. True to LVMH form, the ground floor restaurant, Le Frank, puts your classic, often clinical museum eatery to shame, with its swishy menu and extraordinary, light-filled architectural structure crowned by suspended ‘fish lamps.’

Address: Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, 75016 Paris
Website: fondationlouisvuitton.fr

21. Pick up something special at La Boutique de Cara

There are consignment stores then there are consignment stores. This is the latter, a moth-free, beautifully curated boutique off Rue de Turenne in the Marais, which remains one of Paris’ best-kept secrets. Rails strain with a mix of classic and more avant-garde pieces from across the decades: Chanel jackets, Celine dresses and Chloé shirts, and below them, vintage Gucci boots and Bally pumps that have walked Paris’ ‘Bobo’ neighbourhoods. These are clothes that tell stories and promise less damage to your wallet and your fast-fashion conscience. It’s worth noting that cash offers can sometimes bag a bargain and that the immaculately dressed shop assistants will not mince their words if you ask their opinion on that Burberry hat or Dior sunglasses.

Address: La Boutique de Cara, 80 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France
Website: @laboutiquedecara

22. Splurge at Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf by DFS

Following 16 years of slumber, landmark department store La Samaritaine has once again opened its Art Deco Doors to chic choppers, with its spruced-up historic innards worth coming for alone. Beloved by nearly all Parisians, La Samaritaine’s spicy 900 million dollar makeover by LVMH caused quite a stir in the city, lifting the store into a decidedly more luxurious league. The French luxury goods group’s first Parisian hotel, Cheval Blanc Paris, is connected to the building, peering out over the Seine and funnelling its guests into La Samaritaine via secret doors. True to LVMH form, both the Art Deco and Art Nouveau sections of the building are dotted with avant-garde art installations and luxury fashion, jewellery and homeware brands worthy of their central, Seine-hugging spot.

Address: Samaritaine, 9 R. de la Monnaie, 75001 Paris
Website: dfs.com

23. Visit Montmartre’s vineyards and taste Parisian wine

Montmartre’s maze of cobbled streets hides surprises at every turn. One of them is this small vineyard that remains a little-known attraction, perhaps because it’s not usually open to the public. Owned by the city of Paris, the Clos Montmartre was created in 1933 and comes to life every second weekend of October when the Fête des Vendanges (the Grape Harvest Festival) sees the streets below the Sacré-Coeur packed with stall after stall run by winemakers and artisanal producers from around the country. Enter the festival near Place du Tertre to pick up a souvenir glass and a splash of the Clos’ own wine before tasting your way from Alacse to Burgundy, fuelling up on saucisson or snails along the way. A tour of the vineyard followed by a wine tasting can also be booked on the website of the Museum of Montmartre, which sits around the corner and is also worth a visit.

Address: rue des Saules, 75018 Paris
Website: museedemontmartre.fr

24. Relax with a hammam at the Mosque

France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, with particularly strong Moroccan and Tunisian communities, and Paris is home to several elegant hammams where Parisians like to retreat for a little pamper session. La Grande Mosquée, one of the country’s biggest mosques built in 1926, houses a hammam (open to women only) as well as a café and a restaurant. A steam bath in its colourful alcoves, followed by a gommage (scrub) and a massage is the perfect way to unwind. Afterwards, head to the leafy courtyard for a cup of mint tea and freshly made baklava.

Address: 2bis Place du Puits de l’Ermite, 75005 Paris
Website: la-mosquee.com

25. Dive into Parisian history at the Musée Carnavalet

After years of renovation, the ​​Musée Carnavalet finally reopened to much acclaim in 2021. It’s truly the Parisians’ museum, dedicated entirely to the history of the city from its Roman origins right the way through to the Belle Epoque and World War II. The permanent collections hold an astonishing array of artworks and artefacts: a slipper supposedly belonging to Marie-Antoinette, ancient iron-work street signs, and paintings depicting the violent end of the Paris Commune. The timeline is easy to follow as you move from room to room, only the extensive coverage of the Revolution a little heavy for those not wishing to become au fait with the day-by-day unfolding of the most tumultuous moment in French history. Perhaps most memorable of all is a full recreation of the Fouquet jewellery store, exactly as it stood in 1901, in all its Art Nouveau glory.

Address: 23 rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
Website: carnavalet.paris.fr

26. Time your trip for the fête de la musique

Parisians mark their calendars months in advance for the fête de la musique, held each year on the 21st of June. Yet until you’ve experienced the festival in full swing, it’s hard to comprehend its scale. For one night, and only night only, the entire city turns into an open-air concert. Anyone with an instrument can play live in the street, the strains of a saxophone meeting drums and guitars. Restaurants bring in jazz quartets, and lindy hop sessions go down in the side streets. After parties run long into the night, bars blasting music from outdoor speakers. Where to start depends on what you’re looking for; once the night is underway, you can follow your ears (or the crowds). The Marais always has a reliable mix of classical corners and pumping street parties, with more formal stages set up in the Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg.

Website: fetedelamusique.culture.gouv.fr

27. Marvel at Musée Picasso Paris

One of the main draws for those diving into Le Marais (Paris’ old Jewish quarter), along with life-changing falafel and cool boutiques, is Musée Picasso. Set in the perfectly Parisian Hôtel Salé, the museum’s symmetrical facade, sweeping Baroque staircase and zhuzhed-up 17th-century rooms are worth coming for alone. Having pre-ordered tickets online, with strict time slots, visitors are taken on a journey through Picasso’s artistic evolution, from his Cubist era, via his surreal works (among many) and through to his late paintings – doable within the hour and best combined with a light lunch on the museum’s rooftop café followed by a happy descent into Le Marais’ labyrinth of independent stores. The ever-changing series of exhibitions at this museum rarely fail to please, with most shining light on various facets of Picasso’s life and how these fed into his work.

Address: 5 Rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris
Website: museepicassoparis.fr

28. Spend the afternoon at Musee du Louvre

The former royal palace, the Louvre remains the world’s most-visited museum, and perhaps the most overwhelming cultural escapade to embark on without some semblance of a plan. It would take months to tick off its 35,000 artworks and artefacts, so it’s worth considering how you’d like to navigate its warren of masterpieces – the famous works are a great place to start or the theme-based tours available on the Louvre’s website. Whether you’re admittedly just dropping in to shimmy your way through the crowds for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, or are a bona fide art enthusiast beelining for its latest exhibition, the Louvre’s architectural skeletons (both the old and new sections) are a marvel to pace through.

Address: Louvre Museum, 75001 Paris
Website: louvre.fr

29. Try some delicacies at Stohrer

Weaving through Rue Montorgueil’s abundance of stalls and freshly-baked whiffs is a bucket-list Parisian experience in itself – an artery street connecting the 1st and 2nd arrondissements, whose stretch of boulangeries, patisseries, fruit and vegetable shops, and increasingly, some high-end designer boutiques, are fleshed out every Thursday and Sunday by a lively food market that can only be described as a sensory assault. It’s also home to Stohrer – Paris’ oldest boulangerie, whose founder was the pastry chef to the former King of Poland and famously invented rum baba. Rows of macarons, fruit tarts and chocolate pastries are dialled up by the spectacular setting, where illustrated mirrors, chandeliers and a frescoed ceiling spin their occupants into a decadent, pre-Revolutionary Paris.

Address: Stohrer, 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris
Website: stohrer.fr

30. Become acquainted with Belleville

Flying blissfully under the radar for most city visitors, the arty, anti-establishment enclave of Belleville has its own distinct rhythms to central Paris and is well worth metro-ing northeast for. Its hilly streets (reminiscent of Montmartre, just without the tourist circus), are dotted with eye-popping galleries, unbuttoned cafés and bars that lure in punters with the promise of live jazz and affordable cocktails. Head to La Bellevilloise (filling the vast bones of a once workers cooperative) for their Sunday jazz brunch or The Dancing Goat on Avenue Gambetta for superlative coffee and paired back, but bobo Parisian interiors. For something more traditional but still nodding confidently to the district’s working-class roots, tuck into the menu at Le Baratin, having browsed the antique trinkets at Marché Place des Fêtes.

31. Escape the chaos in Jardin du Luxembourg

This neat, Italianate park, straddling Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter was commissioned by Queen Marie de Medici in 1612 and serves as a green exhale for Parisians living in the 6th arrondissement. It’s also prime picnic territory – on the benches alongside the pond or geometric wood, from which you can people watch or take in the mix of English, Italian and French landscaping. Don’t leave without checking out the Medici fountain or the pétanque talent on the courts, and children are usually treated to puppet shows, rides and remote control boats along the fountains.

Address: Jardin du Luxembourg, 75006 Paris
Website: jardin.senat.fr

32. Marvel at the pretty Palais Garnier

A bejewelled paean to Napoleon III’s architectural taste, Le Palais Garnier opera gazes proudly down its namesake avenue, its exterior festooned with pillars and busts. Those who’ve watched Phantom of the Opera will be familiar with the lobby’s sweeping marble Grand Staircase, as well as the lavish gilding, onyx balconies and blood-red theatre seats. You don’t have the be dressed up to the nines with a ticket to Tosca to behold Palais Garnier’s resplendent architectural beauty – you can simply take a self-guided tour or book onto one of the Phantom of the Opera specials (booking online is mandatory).

Address: Palais Garnier, Pl. de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris
Website: operadeparis.fr

33. See the Sainte-Chapelle's glittery interiors

The first thing to know about this spectacular Ile de la Cité chapel, aside from its Gothic good looks and famous stained-glass windows, is to book a timed ticket slot in advance to avoid the queues. As you smugly breeze past the crowds to embark on your self-guided tour of Louis IX’s jewel box of a chapel, you’ll clock the surrounding splendour of the Palais de Justice. Louis IX commissioned the 13th-century Sainte-Chapelle to house his religious treasures – the most famous being the Holy Crown. Too often, tourists flock to nearby Notre Dame and miss this world heritage site, with its mesmerising 15-foot high stained glass windows and ‘wall of light’ – a rose window formation whose luminosity belies a depiction of the end of our age.

Address: Sainte-Chapelle, 10 Bd du Palais, 75001 Paris
Website: sainte-chapelle.fr

34. Shop along Le Petit Ceinture

For a greener, lesser-known side to Paris, walk its ‘Little Belt’ – an abandoned 19th-century railway line that, unlike New York’s High Line, has a Secret Garden appeal to it. Romantically dishevelled, the tracks that once pulled a steam train around the city have succumbed to moss and wildflowers. A long walk through these overgrown stretches of obsolete track on the fringes of the city delivers on all the street art you could hope for, with soaring graffiti walls and a variety of untamed, (glorious in summer) blooms, (an official nature trail exists between the Porte d’Auteuil and the Gare de la Muette).

35. Explore a concept store

Le Marais may be the epicentre of Paris’ concept store scene, but Merci is one of the originals. You’ll be hard-pressed to scoot around this shop without picking up a stylish homeware item, cashmere scarf or dry flower bouquet. You’d think with so much existing under one roof – fashion, art, design pieces, second-hand books – that a sort of happy chaos would unfold. Wrong. Sharp minimalism holds sway, with pieces presented on tables or rails with the precision of a Japanese potter. Stay for raspberry tart and coffee at the retro film-themed café, where screens flash up scenes from classics such as La Piscine and Les Enfants du Paradis.

Address: Merci, 111 Bd Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
Website: merci-merci.com

36. Meet the dead in Les Catacombes

Open to the public since 1809, Paris’ Catacombs are a spine-chilling visit. The story goes that in the 19th century, an abandoned quarry’s underground warren of tunnels was used to house the bones of corpses during a cemetery overcrowding crisis. These tunnels that weave and wiggle breath the city have near mythical status for its residents, where the Resistance gathered for clandestine meetings during the Second World War, and now where row upon row of skulls and various other bones of long-deceased Parisians decorate the walls, with mosaic-like effect. Ensure you bring a jumper – as the tunnels descend, skulls flicker in the light and your voice echoes, it begins to get a little cold…and spooky.

Address: 1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris
Website: catacombes.paris.fr

37. Be mesmerised at The Crazy Horse

Those at the pruder end of the cabaret scale may want to bypass the Crazy Horse for the Moulin Rouge. Here, it’s all nude performances, taking audiences on a titillating whistle-stop-tour of this city stalwart’s history. Expect surreal aerial routines, cleverly choreographed burlesque and all the traditional, foot-tapping cabaret numbers that lean into the roaring twenties theme.

Address: The Crazy Horse, 12 Av. George V, 75008 Paris
Website: lecrazyhorseparis.com

38. Be blown away by the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur

Crowning the highest hill in Paris’ bohemian Montmartre neighbourhood with its white domes, Sacré-Coeur has one of the most knock-out panoramic views over the city. Visitors can clamber up its famous white steps, with its dome bearing down on the capital, and enter quietly inside where a vast mosaic ceiling humbles those beneath it. Just behind the Sacré Coeur lies the Place du Tertre – a square filled with artists sketching portraits of tourists perched on rickety stools and buskers competing with one another for crowds.

Address: The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris
Website: sacre-coeur-montmartre.com

39. Window shop at Galerie Vivienne

Evocative of 19th-century Paris in all its gaslit, mosaic splendour, Galerie Vivienne is more opulent than your average shopping arcade. Designed by architect François-Jean Delannoy, this passage couverts just behind the Bibliothèque Richelieu and continues to draw in the well-heeled shopper with its high-end fashion boutiques, wine cellars (Legrand Filles & Fils), bookshops and time-warp cafés. It’s a great place to beeline for as soon as the Parisian sky moves through its shades of grey but fresh air is on the agenda. Don’t miss the upscale preloved fashion store, and La Marelle, and be sure to look up at the impressive glass and steel ceiling before you spill out into the Palais-Royal gardens.

Address: Galerie Vivienne, 4 Rue des Petits Champs, 75002 Paris
Website: galerie-vivienne.com

40. Feel inspired at Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris

Stepping into this 16th arrondissement mansion (YSL’s headquarters for almost 30 years), is like slipping into the elegant, effervescent world of this legendary fashion designer. A series of light-filled, beautifully-curated rooms filled with sketches, fashion and film showcase Saint Laurent’s creative process and capture the energy and excitement of the couture house during its meteoric ascent. Continually rotating exhibitions tap into the museum’s extensive archives, unearthing fresh YSL content for those returning (expect plenty of Le Smoking, and as-he-left-it touches that offer you a privileged glimpse into this sartorial genius’ life and work).

Address: Musée Yves Saint Laurent, 5 Av. Marceau, 75116 Paris
Website: museeyslparis.com

41. Spot curiosities at Deyrolle

This eye-popping cabinet of natural history curios is legendary for its exotic, and eccentrically-curated taxidermy. Founded in 1831 by famed entomologist Emile Deyrolle, the Left Bank institution famously burnt down in 2008, though a subsequent extensive restoration programme brought it back to its original bell jar and wooden-cased splendour. Visitors can weave through its maze of taxidermy and natural history specimens, observing these creatures up close – from bears to rare butterflies and extinct mammals.

Address: Deyrolle, 46 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris
Website: deyrolle.com

42. Wander through Centre Pomipdou

Love it or loathe it, Centre Pompidou’s ‘guts out’ exterior (industrial pipes, air ducts, structural steel n’ all) has become an icon of the city’s contemporary movement. Its opening in the 70s caused quite a stir, considered by many an architectural blemish on the capital’s Haussmann uniformity, with its architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers even placing the lifts and escalators on the building’s exterior. The effect on its innards, though, is quite spectacular, with vast, airy spaces serving as the perfect industrial canvas for contemporary works. The Musée National d’Art Moderne spans the top two levels (expect everything from Marcel Duchamp to Matisse); contemporary art from the 1960s onwards can be found on level 4; and the mezzanine’s Galerie d’Enfants is where to take the bored-looking sprogs for some interactive exhibitions (with free admission on the first Sunday of every month).

Address: Centre Pomipdou, Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris
Website: centrepompidou.fr

43. Munch at Marché Des Enfants Rouges

Of all Le Marais’ cultural-foodie offerings, Marché Des Enfants remains one of the most authentic. Paris’ oldest market takes its name (the red children) from the red-clad orphans who once resided just beside it. Locals and tourists mingle under the vast green iron and glass ceiling, browsing the market’s bounty, pulling up chairs at one of the makeshift restaurants, or simply soaking in the energy.

Address: Marché Des Enfants Rouges, 39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris
Website: paris.fr

44. Amble around the magical Musée Rodin

Dotted around the gardens of this achingly handsome Parisian mansion, previously Hôtel Biron, are some of Auguste Rodin’s most famous works, including, perhaps his most famous, The Thinker. Inside, the sculpture’s life and work are honoured (within resplendent 18th-century rooms, with their soaring ceilings and vast windows pulling in that soft Parisian light). This dances along the busts, drawings and sculptures, and visitors can get a sense of the aesthetically soothing setting within which Rodin worked and taught others. Meander through the garden, pausing to admire the Gates of Hell before settling into a tasty lunch at the museum’s new café, L’Augustine.

Address: Musée Rodin, 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris
Website: musee-rodin.fr

45. Look over the rooftops from Institut du Monde Arabe

Designed by Jean Nouvel, Paris’ Institut du Monde Arabe in the 5th arrondissement may, at first glance, appear simply a cubic, contemporary structure. But look a little closer, and its exterior is crafted from hundreds of elaborate mashrabiyas – a clever interplay of new-meets-old. The institute is dedicated to celebrating and educating visitors on the Arab world, with an ever-changing raft of cultural events, workshops, performances and art exhibitions, and a 9th-floor café worth sticking around for… particularly for the views across the city rooftops.