In Paris, the best things are free

Paris is filled with streets, squares, and sites that are inherently free to explore. Below are 20 top “always-free” highlights. Each name is in bold, followed by a short description. (For many of these, the ticketed elements – like climbing the Eiffel Tower or Louvre – are optional extras.)

• Sacré-Cœur Basilica & the Montmartre Steps (18th arr.) – Climb the sweeping white steps up to Paris’s highest hill. The basilica’s opulent interior (and mosaics) is free to enter. Pro tip: The panoramic view from the steps over Paris is spectacular (and free!), especially at sunset. Insider Tip: Arrive pre-dawn in summer to see sunrise painting the city gold from Montmartre – it’s a 100% free “I remember the first time I saw Paris from Sacré-Cœur at dawn – a starlit surprise around the corner!” says writer Claire Martin.
• Notre-Dame Cathedral & Île de la Cité (4th arr.) – The Gothic masterpiece on the Seine is free to enter now that restoration is complete. (Towers will reopen for visits in late 2025 with free admission on special Heritage Days.) Stroll the adjacent Île de la Cité (and the beautiful Pont Notre-Dame) at no charge. Historical Note: This 850-year-old cathedral has “welcomed visitors… freely and without charge”, continuing a medieval tradition of open pilgrimage. Nearby, see the free prehistoric Archaeological Crypt under the parvis (with free audio tour via QR code).
• The Eiffel Tower Grounds & Champ de Mars (7th arr.) – You can’t climb the tower for free, but the vast Champ de Mars park at its feet is free 24/7, offering postcard views of “La Dame de Fer” from every angle. Lie on the grass, have a picnic (wine and baguettes from a local boulangerie), or watch the hourly sparkle show at night (after dusk until 1am, 5-minute golden glitter display) – all gratis. Local Perspective: “Even Parisians love a lazy summer evening picnic under the Eiffel Tower,” says Jean-Luc, a Paris busker. “People dance, play music – none of it costs anything.”
• Luxembourg Gardens (6th arr.) – This 25-hectare park, created in 1612 by Queen Marie de Medici, is a free oasis of fountains, statues, and flowerbeds. Free to roam any day, its highlights include the Medici Fountain, model sailboats on the pond, and hidden beehives. Young children flock to the free puppet theater and playgrounds. Practical Info: Luxembourg’s fountains and gardens are open year-round (closing around 9:30pm fall-winter, later in summer) with no ticket needed.
• Tuileries Garden (1st arr.) – The formal “garden of kings” between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde is an open-air art gallery. Wander for free among its gravel paths, statues (Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais, etc.), fountains, and orchards. In warmer months, free chess and pétanque games often draw locals. The children’s carousel (with toy boats on the pond) accepts coins, but spectating the carousel is free fun for all ages.
• Palais-Royal Gardens & Colonnes de Buren (1st arr.) – Behind the Louvre, enter through elegant arcades to discover the quiet Palais-Royal courtyard. Its lush park (with striped chairs to borrow) and famous black-and-white marble Colonnes de Buren art installation are completely free. Insider Tip: Arrive mid-morning on a weekday for the quiet – you can capture shots of the Colonnes without crowds. The arcades around the square house classic shops (bookstores, patisseries) if you want a break.
• Père Lachaise Cemetery (20th arr.) – Paris’s most famous cemetery is a free-to-enter labyrinth of history and art. Wander among ornate graves of Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, Jim Morrison, and more – all open to the public without a fee. Marble tombstones and hidden alleys feel like sculpture parks. Some visitors pause for contemplation or quiet park-like strolls. Fun fact: A blog notes simply: “Yes, entry to Père Lachaise Cemetery is free”. Don’t miss the free Victor Noir tomb (rubbing its rock can spark something).
• Seine River Walk (1st/4th arr.) – The riverbanks on both sides of the Seine form a UNESCO “cultural landscape” to explore on foot. Stroll for free along the quais under the bridges (Pont Neuf, Pont Alexandre III, etc.). Along the Seine you’ll find Paris’s second-hand bouquinistes – the green bookstalls – which line the river and can be browsed at no cost. (They sell old books and art prints, but window-shopping is free and charming.) Pause on a bench and soak up the scene: artists sketching, boats drifting, Notre-Dame or the Louvre in view.
• Place des Vosges & Le Marais Architecture (4th arr.) – Paris’s oldest planned square (completed 1612) is a free treasure. The landscaped park inside is open entry. Surrounded by uniform red-brick mansions (including Victor Hugo’s house, now a free museum entrance), it’s a perfect free picnic spot. Saunter the cobblestone streets of Le Marais around it for superb preserved medieval/Renaissance architecture.
• Canal Saint-Martin Stroll (10th arr.) – Wander along the shaded canal towpath, crossing quaint footbridges and locks (manually lifted by hand). Hip cafés and boutiques line this free, genteel stretch of water. Parisians often lounge on the canal’s edge with baguettes and wine. Practical Info: The canal’s footbridges open to pedestrians until around 11pm (later on summer weekends). Bring sneakers for the cobbles – and stop at a nearby bakery on the way.
• Promenade Plantée (Coulée Verte) (12th arr.) – This elevated park, built on an old railway viaduct, offers a free green walk above street level (pre-dating NYC’s High Line by decades). Entry is free at various access points (e.g. Bastille, Reuilly) and it stretches ~4.5 km east. Enjoy trees, flowerbeds, and a bird’s-eye view of the city between Bastille and Bois de Vincennes. It’s tranquil and free to roam – a local gem often missed by tourists.
• Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (19th arr.) – Free every day, this hilly park feels like a fairytale: a waterfall, a cliffside temple (Temple de la Sibylle) and suspension bridge await. On clear days the Belvédère platform gives a free panorama of Paris’s rooftops. (The model ship pond and hidden guignol theater are delightful, too.) Residents flock to jog and picnic here; it’s one of the city’s largest green spaces (45 hectares) with a playful landscape that costs nothing to enter.
• Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe (8th arr., street level) – Stroll the grand avenue between Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe for free urban spectacle. (Climbing the Arc costs admission, but viewing it from below is free.) On sunny days, watch free street performances or simply window-shop (even the luxury mall entrance can be browsed freely). The wide sidewalks make a pleasant promenade up to the Arc; at the end of the day, the Arc’s silhouette against sunset is a gratis reward.
• Pont des Arts (6th arr.) – Once famous for “love locks,” this pedestrian bridge over the Seine is always free to cross. (Beware: the metal railing now has no locks, due to a 2015 removal for safety.) It offers a romantic panorama of the river toward the Louvre and Institut de France. Local Insight: “Couples used to leave locks here, but now we just stand and watch the sunset.” Even without locks, the Pont des Arts remains a free vantage point and was once called the “Bridge of Arts” for its open-air art exhibits.
• Latin Quarter Walking Experience (5th arr.) – This free district guide involves wandering narrow, book-lined lanes around Sorbonne and Place de la Contrescarpe. Marvel at free sights like the Shakespeare & Company bookstore exterior (renowned English-language bookshop, open to browse), tiny free-hidden gardens (Jardin del Luxembourg is here too, free), and centuries-old church façades. Historical Note: The Latin Quarter’s free intellectual air owes to centuries of scholarship; Socrates and Hemingway once walked these same streets.
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th arr.) – Stroll the historic neighborhood known for literary cafés and jazz heritage. The free experience comes from its atmosphere: visit the free Roman-era baths (Arènes de Lutèce, a rare amphitheater ruin), or see Church of Saint-Germain and the famous Les Deux Magots/ Café de Flore (window seating is free; just enjoy the view). The quaint Rue de Buci market street is also free fun to explore. No admission fee, just soaking in left-bank charm.
• Le Marais / Jewish Quarter (3rd-4th arr.) – In addition to Place des Vosges, walk around the historical Jewish area free of charge. See monuments like the Holocaust Memorial (free outside, small free museum with animation on request). Window-shop the vintage boutiques. The Marché des Enfants Rouges (covered market) is a free cultural spectacle – delicious smells everywhere, and watching people eat global street food (order a coffee or a crepe, or just people-watch from outside at no cost).
• Belleville Park (Parc de Belleville) (19th arr.) – This lesser-known park offers a free 360° view of Paris. Climb to the top of the hill (via staircases or winding paths); from the terrace, the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, and city skyline unfold for free – a great spot for sunset. (Unlike Sacré-Cœur, there’s rarely a crowd.) The park also has a free children’s playground, vineyard and ponds at its base.
• Parc Monceau (8th arr.) – A free, charming 19th-century park with statues, archways, and a miniature Egyptian pyramid. It feels more like an English garden, with winding paths. Playful follies (Venetian bridges, a classical colonnade) are free to admire. Families picnic here for free on the lawns.
• Place de la Concorde (8th arr.) – The vast public square itself (with its giant Egyptian obelisk and Fontaines de la Concorde) is free to walk through. At Christmas, it hosts a free outdoor skating rink (with optional paid skate rental). The Louvre-Rivoli metro exit dumps you right on the square – no fee required to circle the fountains and take in Tuileries and the Champs-Élysées.
• Galeries & Covered Passages (1st-9th arr.) – Paris’s 19th-century shopping arcades (e.g. Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy) are free to enter and wander. They showcase beautiful iron-and-glass architecture. Step inside any gallery – you’ll feel transported to Victorian Paris. (You don’t have to buy the shop’s macarons or books to enjoy the marble floors and mosaic ceilings.)
• Shakespeare & Company Bookstore (5th arr.) – The exterior of this famous English-language bookstore near Notre-Dame is open for free browsing of its stacks. Inside, you can peruse shelves (and free atmosphere of literary history) without obligation. First-person Insight: “I once spent a chilly afternoon sipping tea in Shakespeare & Company’s tiny library nook (you can do that), feeling like all of Hemingway’s ghosts were reading over my shoulder,” recalls a seasoned traveler.
• Bouquinistes of the Seine (4th/5th arr.) – We met them already – the vintage book-sellers of Paris. You can browse their second-hand books and prints along the riverbanks for free. The UNESCO-listed stalls stretch nearly 4 km. It’s a free literary and people-watching experience to sift through old postcards and rare volumes, or watch local artists draw the Seine.
• Street Art in the 13th (13th arr.) – The 13th arrondissement has been turned into an open-air gallery of large murals (e.g. Place Pinel, Rue Jeanne d’Arc). There is no admission fee to wander and view these modern frescoes. (Walking the block-long murals is free, though photographs of some are restricted – take care with crane-lift images.) Local Perspective: “You don’t need a museum ticket; just walk the 13th on a sunny day and every wall is art,” says graffiti artist Malik.
• Marché Aligre and Marché des Enfants Rouges (12th & 3rd arr.) – It costs nothing to browse these bustling markets. At Marché Aligre, soak up lively Parisian market life (and sample from a stall or buy a baguette if you like). Marché des Enfants Rouges (Paris’s oldest covered market) is free to enter; you can people-watch as generations of Parisians line up for crepes, couscous or noodles.
• Church Interiors (multiple arr.) – Many Paris churches are open for free visits (especially outside Mass times). St. Etienne du Mont (near Panthéon) has one of Europe’s oldest wood pulpits. Église Saint-Sulpice (6th) has Delacroix murals and an Observatory. The freeexperience is walking in: the marble naves, stained glass, quiet corners are all gratis. (A donation is optional.) Practical Info: Check closing times – most close by evening, but midday hours are good for visiting.
• Hôtel de Ville & Place de la République (4th/3rd arr.) – Paris’s city hall (Hôtel de Ville) is a marvel of Beaux-Arts architecture; even without entering, its façade is free to admire (and events on its forecourt, like free ice skating or free open-air concerts, often pop up). Nearby Place de la République is a lively pedestrian plaza with fountains and statues (all free to experience) – locals gather here in solidarity or celebrate festivals, meaning your watching is free cultural immersion.

These 20 highlights are just the tip of the iceberg – Paris has many more free sights scattered everywhere. In the sections below, we explore free museums, neighborhood itineraries, seasonal events, and hidden gems to make your Paris visit both affordable and unforgettable.