The Ultimate Paris Bucket List | 150+ Amazing Things to Do in Paris

Looking for things to put on your Paris bucket list? From those iconic experiences, hidden gems, trendy hotspots, and the best food, shopping spots, and more, here are over 150 things to add to your Paris bucket list!

Ahhh Paris. There is nothing quite like the magical City of Lights, and the city has become one of my all-time favorites over the years. You know what they say – Paris is ALWAYS a good idea – and I tend to agree….especially since there is so much on my Paris bucket list!

Every time I seem to think that I’ve conquered the things on my Paris bucket list, I seem to keep adding more and more. There just seems to be so many things to do, and so little time – that’s okay because that’s just another excuse to plan another trip so I can add all these things to my Paris itinerary!

This is a city that just seems to have it all – from beautiful, Instagram-worthy places, incredible food (especially the desserts and pastries!), world-class museums and attractions, and much, much more! With so much to offer, it’s no wonder that Paris is one of the most visited places in the world (and one of the most inspiring – countless books have been written about the city, and many famous quotes have been said.).

From the most iconic sights, the best museums, the most beautiful landmarks, the most delicious foods, and the hidden gems you need to discover, keep on reading for over 150 things to add to your Paris bucket list, organized by arrondissement.

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The Ultimate Paris Bucket List

1. Say hi to the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Arguably the best art museum in the world and a must on your Paris bucket list! (Psst…the ticket line for the Louvre tend to get really, really long, so book a skip-the-line ticket here! Also, you will need to reserve a time slot in advance of your visit.) | 1st

2. Snap a photo with the checkered Buren’s Columns at the Palais-Royal, and check out the garden. | 1st

3. Enjoy some glasses of wine at Le Willi’s Wine Bar. | 1st

4. Sip on an ultra rich cup of drinking chocolate at Angelina. | 1st

5. Window shop at all the luxury boutiques at the Place Vendôme. | 1st

6. Take a cruise on the Seine River, on a Bateaux-Mouches boat. | 1st

7. Eat at a fancy, Michelin-starred restaurant – because the city has so many of them, this has to be a must on any Paris bucket list!

8. Order a crepe from a street vendor and eat it while walking along the Seine.

9. Eat a late night meal at Au Pied de Cochon (order the French onion soup!) | 1st

10. Eat pastries that look like fruits at La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet. | 1st

11. Order the Serendipity (fresh mint, sugar, clarified apple juice, calvados, ice, and Champagne) at the Hemingway Bar inside the Ritz Carlton. | 1st

12. Check out the view from Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris – you can see beautiful views of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, and the Pont des Arts. | 1st

13. Eat escargot, aka snails. Why? Because it’s a local delicacy…and it’s delicious (especially with all that butter garlic sauce, yummm!).

14. Eat a croissant and sip on a cafe au lait and a sidewalk cafe.

15. Admire Monet’s massive Nymphéas (waterlilies) mural at the Musée L’Orangerie. [buy tickets here] | 1st

16. Learn the art of Parisian perfume making, and create your own custom scent in a perfume workshop.

17. Walk through the gardens at the Jardin des Tuileries – in the winter, check out the Christmas market. | 1st

18. Check out all the hidden passageways in Paris, especially the one at Galerie Vivienne. | 2nd

19. Get a Bloody Mary at Harry’s, the birthplace of the drink and the oldest cocktail bar in Paris. | 2nd

20. Pick up some dark chocolate truffles at Debauve et Gallais, one of the oldest chocolate shops in Paris and chocolate supplier to the French royal family. | 2nd

21. Eat some buckwheat crepes at Briezh Cafe (be sure to order one savory AND one sweet!). | 3rd

22. Learn about Picasso’s creative process and his time in Paris at the Musée Picasso. [buy tickets here] | 3rd

23. Find the little red Fiat car (and shop for stylish souvenirs) at the Merci concept store, tucked into a hidden little cobblestone street in Le Marais. | 3rd

24. Learn about Paris history at Musée Carnavalet – be sure to check out the courtyard in the fall, when the leaves on the building’s facade turn into beautiful shades of red and orange. | 3rd

25. Brave the line for a sandwich at Chez Alain Miam Miam, if you can find the hidden entrance of the Marché des Enfants Rouges. | 3rd

26. Wander through the medieval streets and alleys in Le Marais. | 3rd/4th

27. Visit the Place des Vosges, the earliest planned square in the city. | 3rd/4th

28. Visit the Maison de Victor Hugo, the house in the prestigious Place des Voges where the famous author lived and wrote many of his most famous works, including Les Misérables. | 3rd/4th

29. Check out the famous twin tower facade of the Notre Dame cathedral. | 4th

30. Check out the modern art at Centre Pompidou – and admire the view from the rooftop terrace. [buy tickets here] | 4th

31. Eat a falafel in the Marais at L’as Du Fallafel – who cares if it’s not French (trust me, this is a must on your Paris bucket list). | 4th

32. Admire all the stunning stained glass windows at the Sainte Chapelle. [buy tickets here] | 4th

33. Get an ice cream at Berthillon. | 4th

34. Browse the books at the Bouquinistes (booksellers) on the Seine – declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

35. Sample all the cute choux a la creme at Popelini – a Paris bucket list must for anyone with a sweet tooth! | 4th

36. Admire the beautiful eclairs in the display case at L’eclair de Genie – and then buy a box of them because you can’t choose just one! | 4th

37. Browse through the stalls at the flower and bird market on Île de la Cité, one of the world’s oldest. | 4th

38. Dress in white and eat dinner at Dîner en Blanc – if you can find out where it’s being held.

39. Sip on a glass of rosé at Au Vieux Paris, one of the prettiest cafes in Paris – bonus points if the wisteria are blooming! | 4th

40. Check out the Conciergerie – perhaps the most beautiful prison in the world, where Marie Antoinette was once held. [buy tickets here] | 4th

41. Visit the Panthéon and visit the crypt, the final resting place of  some of the greatest figures of French culture – Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Alexandre Dumas are among those who are buried here. Also admire the 360 degree views of Paris from the dome. [buy tickets here] | 5th

42. Check out all the plants at Jardin Des Plantes, Paris’s first botanical garden founded by Louis VIII in 1626. | 5th

43. Dance the night away on a summer evening at the Jardin Tino Rossi, situated right on the Seine. | 5th

45. Sip on some mint tea, eat some baklava, and admire the stunning architecture of the Grande Mosquée. | 5th

46. Stroll through the streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, what once used to be the intellectual center of Paris – many famous writers and artists once lived and worked in this neighborhood. | 6th

47. Check out the hand-painted boats on the lake at Jardin du Luxembourg. | 6th

48. Visit the Saint Sulpice church, the second largest church and Paris and where much of the Da Vinci Code (one of the most popular books about Paris) was set. | 6th

49. Get a box of salted butter caramels at Henri Le Roux. | 6th

50. Sample all the different rums – from both small batch and premium brands – or drink a mojito at La Rhumerie. | 6th

51. Browse the books at the famous Shakespeare & Company bookstore. | 6th

52. Feast on some steak frites at Relais de l’Entrecote – be sure to get a second helping! | 6th

53. Sample all the mini cream puffs at Odette. | 6th

54. Find the cat and umbrella mural at La rue du Chat-qui-Pêche, the city’s narrowest street. | 6th

55. Get a box of super fancy chocolate at Patrick Roger. | 6th

56. Get a box of macarons at Pierre Hermé (and decide if they’re better than Laduree’s or not). | 6th

57. People watch as you sip your cafe au lait at Cafe de Flore, one of Paris’s oldest coffeehouses and where Ernest Hemingway, E.E. Cumming, and Picasso once used to hang out. | 6th

58. Sip on a glass of wine at Les Deux Magots, the cafe that used to be Ernest Hemingway’s favorite hangout. | 6th

59. Indulge in high tea service at Four Seasons George V. | 6th

60. Sip on a cocktail and enjoy panoramic views of Paris at the 43 Up on the Roof rooftop bar. | 6th

61. Climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower and check out the epic views of the entire city of Paris. Sure, it might be sorta cliche, but it’s just one of those things you HAVE to do at least once – therefore belonging on your Paris bucket list! (Pssst…tickets tend to sell out and the line can get insanely long so I highly recommend booking them in advance here!). | 7th

62. Watch the lights twinkle on the Eiffel Tower against the night sky. | 7th 

63. Picnic with some baguettes, brie, and Rosé in front of the Eiffel Tower at the Champs del Mar. | 7th

64. Watch the fireworks over the Eiffel Tower on Bastille Day (July 14). | 7th

65. Buy a kitschy keychain of the Eiffel Tower – to remember your stay in Paris (this makes one of the best Paris gifts!).

66. Visit Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides. [buy tickets here] | 7th

67. Learn about Paris’s sewer system at Le Musée des Égouts. | 7th

68. Check out the Impressionist art and admire the view from the clock tower at the Musée d’Orsay, housed in an old train station. (Pssst…ticket queues can get long, so save time and buy your tickets ahead of time). | 7th

69. Shop til you drop at Le Bon Marché, the world’s first modern department store – and then shop for all your French culinary essentials at La Grande Epicerie. | 7th

70. Check out all the sculptures at the Musée Rodin. | 7th

71. Shop for wine, cheese, pastries, and more at the specialty foods shops of Rue Cler, one of Paris’s most beloved market streets. | 7th

72. Pick out the perfect cheese at Fromagerie Quatrehommes. | 7th

73. Indulge in a soufflé (sweet OR savory) at Le Recamier. | 7th

74. Rent a bike on Vélib’ and bike along the Seine.

75. Admire the beautiful architecture, bronze sculptures, and the massive columns of the Pont de Alexandre III. | 7th/8th

76 ,Pick up a box of macarons at Ladureé. | 8th

77. Try all the French pastries at Eric Kayser. | multiple locations

78. See a cabaret performance at Crazy Horse. | 8th

79. Stroll down Champs-Élysées, called “the world’s most beautiful street.” | 8th

80. Walk through Place de la Concorde, one of Paris’s most famous public squares – it once used to be a site for executions during the French Revolution (Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were among some of the famous people guillotined here). Ride the ferris wheel if you visit Paris in the winter! | 8th

81. Go shopping (or just pretend to) on Avenue Montaigne, one of the most exclusive and luxurious shopping streets in Paris. | 8th

82. During Christmas, go ice skating inside the Grand Palais des Glaces, which becomes the world’s largest indoor ice rink. | 8th

83. Climb the spiral staircases and admire the view of the Paris skyline (and Eiffel Tower) from the Arc de Triomphe. (The ticket line tends to get long, so buy tickets ahead of time!). | 8th

84. Check out the traffic on the roundabout in front of the Arc de Triomphe. | 8th

85. Shop at the Galeries Lafayette – and walk along the glass platform. At Christmas, check out the beautiful Christmas tree! | 9th

86. See a performance at the Opera Garnier (or take a tour of the impressive interior). | 9th

87. Try the lemon tart at Sébastien Gaudard. | 9th

88. Shop til you drop, then check out the view from the rooftop of the Printemps department store. | 9th

89. Visit the charming Musée de la Vie Romantique, the Museum of Romantic Life. | 9th

90. Transport yourself to the 1920s and enjoy live jazz at a jazz club – you can find out where the best ones are here. 

91. Walk along and people watch at Canal St Martin. | 10th

92. Get a chocolate pistachio escargot pastry at Du Pain et des Idées. | 10th

93. Sip on some cocktails, all made from French booze, at Le Syndicat, known as one of the best bars in the world. | 10th

94. Try to gain entry into one of Paris’s speakeasies – Lavomatic and Moonshiner are two of the best, if you can find them. | 11th

95. Walk through Place de la Bastille, former site of the Bastille prison and where the “storming of the Bastille” took place, marking the start of the French Revolution. | 11th

95. Grab a drink and enjoy the view at the Le Perchoir rooftop bar. | 11th

97. Explore all the stalls at the enormous Marché Bastille, which stretches for almost an entire kilometer. | 11th

98. Eat a sublime chocolate mousse at L’Amarante. | 11th

99. Eat at the super-hip, super-sustainable Septime, named one of the best restaurants in the world, for its seasonal, modern, and relaxed French cuisine. | 11th

100. Check out the trippy digital art at Atelier des Lumières. | 11th

101. Sample all the cheeses on the giant cheese plate at Astier. | 11th

102. Get the special couscous and tagine at Le Tagine – and pair with a Moroccan wine. | 11th

103. See a free rock show at Supersonic – and stay up until 6am. | 11th

104. Learn to make French pastries – take either a croissant making class, eclair making class, or a macaron making class.

105. Eat classic French food at Bistrot Paul Bert, one of the most popular and famous bistros in all of Paris. | 11th

106. Eat a uniquely flavored cookie at Mokonuts – after eating a fresh, Middle Eastern-inspired lunch. | 11th

107. Check out the artisanal beer and natural wine selection at the rustic La Buvette. | 11th

108. Admire the pretty pastel houses at Rue Cremieux. | 12th

109. Get a three-course French bistro dinner at A la Biche au Bois (try the coq au vin!). | 12th

110. Order a tasting menu, perfectly pairing artfully plated dishes with experimental cocktails, at Dersou. | 12th

111. Walk along the Promenade Plantée (Coulée Verte), an elevated walkway built on top of the old Vincennes railway (Paris’s version of the High Line in New York City – and the world’s first). | 12th

112. Grab a croissant at Blé Sucré, one of the city’s best. | 12th

113. Stroll along the Petite Ceinture, a network of abandoned railway lines. (12th, 13th, 16th, 20th)

114. Have lunch at the Le Train Bleu inside the Gare de Lyon train station – one of the most beautiful and romantic restaurants in all of Paris. | 12th

115. Wander through the village-like streets of La Butte aux Cailles, known as Paris’s “Little Alsace” – stroll through the quaint Villa Daviel and admire the Art Noveau houses. | 13th

116. Go for a swim at the Joséphine Baker pool, Paris’s swimming pool situated on a barge. | 13th

117. Go underground into the Paris Catacombs. | 14th

118. Check out Villa d’Alésia, where Matisse once had his studio. | 14th

119. Get a freshly baked baguette at Au Paradis du Gourmand, named the best in Paris. | 14th

120. Look out for the parrots at Parc Montsouris. | 14th

121. Check out the view from the 56th floor of the Montparnasse Tower, Paris’s only skyscraper (and second tallest building, next to the Eiffel Tower). [buy tickets here] | 15th

122. Fly above Paris in a hot air balloon aboard the Balloon Generali. | 15th

123. Snap a postcard-worthy photo of the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero. Maybe the most photogenic place on this Paris bucket list! | 16th 

124. Check out the view of the Eiffel Tower on the Metro on line 6, between Trocadero and Bir Hakeim. | 16th

125. Check out the modern art and the unique Ghery-designed architecture of the Fondation Louis Vuitton. | 16th

126. Check out the unusual exhibits at the Palais de Tokyo, the marble building dedicated to modern and contemporary art. | 16th

127. Try the €75 weekday lunch prix fixe menu at the three Michelin-starred L’Astrance – and hope that the buttermilk and burnt toast crumb soup is on it (or beg them to make it for you). Definitely a Paris bucket list worthy meal! | 16th

128. Check out the surrealist art at the Dalí Paris, home of the largest Dalí collection in France. | 18th

129. Wander through the winding cobblestone streets of Montmarte, the city’s bohemian neighborhood. | 18th

130. Walk up all the steps to the top of Sacré-Cœur, and check out the view from the tallest point in Paris. | 18th

131. Get your portrait painted by a street artist in Place du Tertre. Maybe it won’t be REAL art, but hey, it’s just one of those Paris bucket list experiences! | 18th

132. Shop at a flea market and find a treasure to take home – check out Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, the largest in the world! | 18th 

133. Snap a photo with the Le mur des je t’aime, the wall of love. | 18th 

134. Eat at a hearty, cheap meal at a traditional Bouillon – the concept was originally created in the mid-19th century to meet the demand of working-class folks who needed a quick, affordable meal during their lunch or dinner breaks. Check out Bouillon de Pigalle, one of the most popular, where you can get a quality three-course meal for under €10. | 18th

135. Take a photo of the “sinking” house in Montmarte: to find it, go up the steps towards Sacré-Cœur, and when you reach the final set of steps, look to the grassy bank to your right. You will see an orange house behind this – tilt your camera to be level with the hillside and la maison will look like it’s sinking! | 18th

136. See the can-can dancers at a cabaret show at the world-famous Moulin Rouge. | 18th

137. Watch a free outdoor movie at Parc la Villette. | 19th

138. Check out all the street art in Belleville. | 19th/20th

139. Play pétanque by the Canal de l’Ourcq. | 19th/20th

140. Hang out at the fairytale-like Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, one of the largest and oldest green spaces in the city – check out the caves, waterfalls, and suspension bridge, as well as the view! Also grab an apéro at the Rosa Bonheur bar. | 19th

141. Visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris’s largest cemetery and the most visited in the world – some of the most famous people buried here include Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Frédéric Chopin. | 20th

Paris Bucket List Day Trips

142. Pretend you are royalty as you wander through the extravagant halls of the Château de Versailles.

143. Visit Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny – this. one has been on my Paris bucket list since third grade!

144. Embrace your inner kid at Disneyland Paris.

145. Visit the Château de Fontainebleau, one of France’s largest royal palaces and what once served as the residence of monarchs from Louis VII to Napoleon III.

146. Visit the Châteaux of Loire Valley, including Château de Chambord, the largest and most visited. One of the most fairytale Paris bucket list day trips!

147. Go champagne tasting in Reims, the unofficial capital of the Champagne region.

148. Discover the rich medieval history of Rouen, the capital of Normandy.

149. See the Cathedrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens, the largest Gothic cathedral in France (twice the size of Notre Dame!), in Amiens.

150. Learn about French lace in Chantilly. Visit the Château de Chantilly, home of the second largest collection of antique paintings in France (after the Louvre).

151. Visit the picturesque Auvers-sur-Oise, which served as an inspiration for many impressionists including Vincent van Gogh, Charles-François Daubigny, Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro.

152. Learn about France’s involvement in World War II in Normandy – visit the Caen Memorial Museum, the D-Day landing beaches and the American cemetery.

153. See the medieval monuments of Mont-Saint-Michel, the island village off the coast of Normandy.

What are some of the things on your Paris bucket list?

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