Père Lachaise Cemetery

Outdoor Activities Paris

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak

Paris offers plenty to entertain the outdoor enthusiast year round. Alongside its scenic canals, hundreds of pavement cafés par excellence and impressive program of summer festivals and outdoor theater, the City of Light boasts more than 500 green spaces, running the full gamut from tiny public squares to painstakingly manicured formal gardens and acres of wild, sprawling woodland.

Hire a bike, try your hand at pétanque, or join the locals in a spot of people-watching over espresso and pain au chocolat. Read on to discover our pick of the finest outdoor activities Paris has to offer.

Soak up the Views

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Paris is a city that just begs to be admired, photographed, sketched and painted. From the cobbled lanes of Montmartre, to the grand bridges that span the Seine, soaring monuments in steel and stone, and its bruised sunset skies, Paris’s vistas are rarely anything less than utterly captivating.

Get a bird’s eye view of the city aboard the Ballon de Paris Generali. This tethered helium balloon in the Parc André Citroën soars 150 meters into the sky, affording fantastic views of all of the city’s landmarks. Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous (and fit), why not take the stairs – all 674 of them – up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower? A glass elevator does the rest of the hard work for you, raising you to the open-air observation deck that’s – gulp – a knee-knocking 276 meters above terra firma. A glass of Champagne at the bar may take the edge off. You’ll also be relieved to hear that you’re not expected to take the stairs all the way back down again.

Take the cute funicular railway from the cobbled streets of boho Montmartre up to the Sacré-Cœur. There are worse ways to while away an hour or two than sitting on the stone steps of this beautiful basilica at sundown with a hot, sugary crepe, soaking up some of the city’s most wonderful widescreen views.

Bateaux and bicycles

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Getting around on two wheels is a relatively easy and relaxing way to explore Paris, thanks to an excellent network of dedicated cycle paths and a fairly reliable bike rental system in the shape of the Vélib' Métropole. You can get daily, weekly (or longer subscriptions) that allow you to pick up and drop-off bikes at hundreds of rental stations around the city, giving you the freedom to sightsee at your own pace.

Dodge the Segway tours wobbling their perilous way around the major attractions, swerve the camera-toting tourists dawdling in the Marais and make for the pleasant routes that meander alongside picturesque Canal Saint-Martin, with its romantic footbridges, laidback café culture, shabby-chic brasseries and secluded, tree-lined quays. Heading north, the scenery takes a distinct turn for the industrial, with twin cinemas that face off across the Bassin de la Villette. Pedal just a little further and you’ll reach the Pont Levant de la rue de Crimée, the last remaining hydraulic lift bridge in Paris and a relic of the canal’s extension at the end of the 19th Century. You might even be lucky enough to see it in action, rising up gracefully to allow boats to pass underneath.

If pedal power sounds too much like hard work, there are plenty of bateaux that will let you enjoy the sights of Paris from the water – ideally with your feet up and a glass of something sparkling in your hand. Take a sunset Seine cruise to see the city in all its glory, as monuments including the Eiffel Tower, Pont Alexandre III and the Notre-Dame Cathedral light up atmospherically against a dusky pink sky.

Summer in the City

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“I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.” So sang Ella Fitgerald in 1956. Granted, Ella also declared her admiration for Paris in fall, winter and spring in the song, but can you bask on golden sands by the Seine in January? Non! Paris Plages runs from July to August every year and sees the riverbanks of Trocadéro Gardens, Parc Rives de Seine and the Bassin de la Villette transformed into sandy beaches, complete with palm trees and parasols. Grab a delicious pistachio ice cream, pull up a deckchair and enjoy a flavor of the French Riviera in the heart of the city.

A hot favorite with locals, Parc de la Villette is one of the largest green spaces in Paris. It’s also something of a cultural mecca, crammed with concert halls, theaters and museums, as well as a series of bright red metal follies designed by architect Bernard Tschumi – there are 26 to find across the 137 acres of this massive playground. In summer, the park bursts into life with a busy roster of open-air events, including the popular Villette Sonique music festival. Meanwhile, movie mavens make a beeline for the park’s Cinéma en Plein Air festival, where popcorn-toting viewers gather on blankets and deckchairs on the lawn for classic films under the Paris sky.

Best of the Rest

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Make like Henri Lacroix and bring your A-game to the parks of Paris. Whaddya mean you’ve never heard of Henri Lacroix? He’s only one of the greatest pétanque players the world has ever seen – thirteen times a world champion no less! Take on the local hipsters and old folks at this ancient boule-throwing contest in locations including Place de la Nation and the stunning surroundings of the Luxembourg Gardens.

If all that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, why not head to Montmartre’s Place du Tertre to have your least flattering facial features wildly exaggerated and recorded for posterity by a local caricaturist? Go scavenging for treasures at Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, Paris’s labyrinthine open-air flea market, or pay your respects at lavish celebrity tombs in the vast Père Lachaise Cemetery, where permanent residents include Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Marcel Marceau.

Finally, there is no outdoor activity more Parisian than perching elegantly at a tiny pavement café table, and peering inscrutably through dark glasses at passers-by over your café crème. Overflowing ashtray of lipstick-stained Gauloises butts optional.

Save on indoor and outdoor activities in Paris

Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Parisians sitting at exterior cafe tables
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5 reasons to visit Paris in July

The mass exodus of Parisians keen to head south to the shores of the French Riviera begins in July, which seems a little like Monet putting down his paintbrushes in favor of some gardening. Why? Because July is one of the best times of year to visit Paris. Paris in July experiences wonderful summer temperatures of around 23°C, and also hosts some of France’s top annual events. Intrigued? You should be! Here’s 5 very good reasons to visit Paris in July. 1. Bastille Day celebrations Better known in Paris as Le Fête Nationale (National Celebration) and Le Quatorze Juillet (July 14) Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison. Taking place on July 14 1789, it kicked off the French Revolution. Little remains of the prison itself, except for a star-shaped outline on the sidewalks of Place de la Bastille. However, as France’s national day, it’s far from forgotten. The main event is a military parade – the largest in Europe. This makes its way along the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Attended by the French President and notable guests – most famously US President Donald Trump – it ends with a magnificent fly past by the Patrouille de France aerobatics team. For more on them, head to the Museum of Air and Space. The attention then turns to the Eiffel Tower. Constructed to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the base of the Eiffel Tower is the location of a major concert. As darkness falls, the biggest fireworks display of the Paris year erupts around the tower. Whilst that’s enough for many, the celebrations continue all night long at the central fire stations of each of the 20 arrondissements (districts), which fling open their doors to the public. 2. Museums by night Part of the European Night of Museums extravaganza, Paris’s Nuit des Musées (Museums Night) sees many of the city’s much-loved collections offering free after hours opening. Guests can explore their treasures and take part in special events including workshops. Just some of those which take part are the Picasso Museum and the Museum of Arab History. But if you miss this one-night-only event there are several other options for exploring Paris’s landmark attractions after dark. Nights at Les Invalides combines an immersive sound and light show with the chance to explore Napoleon Bonaparte’s burial place on the banks of the Seine by candlelight. Alternatively, you could turn to the Palace of Versailles gardens on Saturday evenings throughout July. Specially lit for the occasion, music drifts around the groves and fountains before the sky erupts into a sea of fireworks. 3. Make the most of the good weather With glorious July sun and warm evenings pretty much on tap, there’s plenty of reason to linger in Paris’s public outdoor spaces. Take a Bateaux Parisiens Seine river cruise and you might be surprised to see beachgoers lining the river’s banks. Those unable to up sticks to the French Riviera for the summer season are at least able to sink their feet into the imported sand of the Paris Plages beaches. Of the many reasons there are for exploring the parks and gardens of Paris in July, one of the best has to be the Fête de Tuileries. Located just behind the Louvre, it takes the form of a traditional funfair, complete with wooden carousels, a ghost train and hall of mirrors. Meanwhile, Parc de la Villette hosts an open-air cinema for much of the summer. One best suited for night owls, screenings can only take place once it’s got dark enough, meaning the mix of classic and modern movies don’t get their curtain call until 10:00 – 10:30PM. 4. Join the festival crowds On the eastern side of the city, the Parc Floral within the Bois de Vincennes becomes the site of the two month long Paris Jazz Festival. The eclectic line-up includes many of the greatest names in jazz, which in the past has seen both Gregory Porter and Sandra Nkaké take to the stage. Crossing musical genres, Festival Fnac Live has a commanding position in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) building. The free event lasts three nights and welcomes somewhere in the region of 100,000 revelers keen to see acts that have included Sting, Shaggy and Ed Sheeran. The lesser-known Canal de l’Ourcq around the Bassin de la Villette also comes into its own in July. As well as being a lovely place to soak up the sun with a canal-side stroll, it hosts a number of July events ranging from concerts to urban art trails suitable for all the family. 5. Bikes and shopping bags If one major July spectacle on the Champs-Élysées in July wasn’t enough in the form of the Bastille Day celebrations, then there’s the grand finale of the Tour de France to look forward to. The bike pack arrives in the capital after a route covering approximately 2200 miles. Ending with several laps of the Arc de Triomphe – and the impressive feat of cycling over cobbles whilst sipping from a Champagne flute – it’s a great way to get close to any cycling heroes. If it’s shopping bags rather than bikes that interest you, Paris in July is still the place to be. The time of the traditional summer sales, stores throughout the capital can offer significant discounts on ordinary retail prices, with the best deals generally appearing towards the end of the sales period. Should luggage space prevent you from making too many purchases, the stores of streets like Boulevard Haussmann are still well worth visiting. They include department stores Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, whose impressive art nouveau interiors have been drawing crowds for over 100 years. Saving on attraction admission in Paris in July With so much going on, you might think you’re going to need a significant win on the loto (the French lottery) to pay for it all. But even if lady luck isn’t standing by your side, it’s still possible to do all you want without worrying about the cost. Although Paris is considered an expensive city to both visit and live in, there are ways visitors to the French capital can ensure their money lasts. Explore Paris with Go City and you’ll get the benefit of reduced admission on many of the city’s top tourist attractions. What’s more, you can do this without needing to make any firm decisions about what you’d like to visit or when until you’re all set to immerse yourself in Paris in July.
Ian Packham
Couple cycling in front of the Eiffel Tower
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Paris Explorer Pass Vs The Paris Pass

Paris is one of those places you absolutely must visit at least once. And probably twice, or more. But let’s not mince words here: it can be eye-wateringly expensive, from those spicy city-center hotel prices to tourist-trap restaurants, cabaret tickets (even the cheap seats at the Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse ain’t that cheap!), and entry to bucket-list Paris attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum and Palace of Versailles. Not to mention the Arc de Triomphe, Musée d’Orsay, the exceptional Picasso and Rodin museums and, well, we could go on. Go City’s Paris Explorer Pass and Paris Pass are two great ways of ticking off those must-see museums, monuments and more while saving money for those other most essential of Parisian pastimes (we’re talking coffee, croissants, and café culture in general). But which is better value? And which will suit your Paris getaway best? We’ve broken it down to help you decide which pass to go for. Savvy travelers, read on… Paris Explorer Pass Vs The Paris Pass If you’re planning a trip to Paris and hope to take in more than the tiniest handful of city tours, activities and attractions, we have just the thing for you. The Paris Explorer Pass and Paris Pass from Go City offer two simple but slightly differing options for saving money when visiting multiple Paris attractions, including big-ticket must-sees like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre. For the most up-to-date information, prices and attraction inclusions, and to buy your pass, please visit the official websites: The Paris Pass Paris Explorer Pass How the Passes Work to Save You Money A Go City Explorer Pass lets you choose how many attractions you want to visit when in town, while The Paris Pass lets you choose the number of consecutive calendar days in which to sightsee. In short, that means that the amount of money you save with the Explorer Pass will largely depend on standard entry prices at the attractions you choose to visit, while how much you save with The Paris Pass depends on the volume of tours, attractions and activities you can squeeze into your chosen number of days. Note that some of the most popular attractions on both passes require pre-booking. Paris Explorer Pass The Paris Explorer Pass includes your choice of several Paris tours, activities and attractions for one money-saving price. The pass comes in several options, from three-attraction choices up to seven. Once you’ve bought your pass, you’re then free to pick and choose from a selection of around 50 great things to see and do in and around Paris. You have 60 days from time of purchase to use your pass. Just show it at each attraction and you’re in – no need to pay at the gate. Savvy savers can potentially save up to 50% by visiting a high number of big-ticket attractions like Parc Astérix, a macaron-making class at the iconic Galeries Lafayette, and the Ultimate Louvre Experience, which includes a guided tour of the grounds and skip-the-line entry to the museum.  The Paris Pass The Paris Pass includes admission to almost 100 attractions for your choice of two, three, four or six consecutive days. Choose attractions, tours and activities on the go from 80+ options and simply flash your pass at each one to get in. Because the value of The Paris Pass increases the more you use it and savings don’t necessarily depend on visiting big-ticket attractions like the Eiffel Tower, you may well end up discovering some of the city’s more charming smaller museums – the Orangerie, and others dedicated to the work of  Rodin, Picasso, Dalí and Gustave Moreau being among some of the most polished gems in town. Your pass is activated the first time you use it and will expire after your chosen number of consecutive days have elapsed. What’s Included on the Passes? Both passes include the option to visit some very popular Paris attractions, as well as a number of walking tours and other fun activities. But not all are available on both passes, so it’s always worth checking the individual websites for the most up-to-date inclusions. For example, at time of writing both passes include entry to the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, but with slightly different experiences (e.g. elevator guided tour on Explorer; guided climb on The Paris Pass). You can visit the Rodin Museum or take a walking tour of the city’s beautiful 19th-century shopping arcades with either pass, but you’ll need a Paris Pass if you want to let your hair down at Parc Astérix or ogle the French Impressionist masterpieces in the Musée d’Orsay, while the Explorer Pass is your key to unlocking the secrets of Père Lachaise Cemetery or riding the Petit Train de Montmartre. In Brief… Still wondering which of the Paris Pass or Explorer Pass is for you? In short, the Explorer is likely to be right if you’re in town for a few days (or longer) and plan to intersperse a few bucket-list attractions with plenty of café culture and gentle strolls along the City of Light’s broad boulevards and swoonsome canals. Go for The Paris Pass if you’re a sightseeing hurricane, and hope to squeeze as many major (and minor) attractions, tours and activities into your Paris break as you can. Want to Save Even More? While visiting Paris on a shoestring is near-impossible, money-saving Paris attraction passes like the Paris Explorer and Paris Pass can really help take the edge off. But there are other ways to get more for your Euro. Check out our hints and tips on some of the most cost-effective (and free!) ways to have fun in Paris in the blogs below: Cheap things to do in Paris Unique and affordable Paris dining experiences The best markets in Paris The best walks in Paris Paris tourist traps to avoid Save on Attractions, Tours and Activities in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Alexander III Bridge over the Seine lit up at nightfall
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Free things to do in Paris

If it’s the idea of Parisian prices that’s putting you off visiting one of the world’s favorite cities, we’ve got a secret to share with you. You don’t have to spend a fortune to be able to see its world-famous attractions and landmarks. There are enough free things to do in Paris to keep even the most hardcore travelers busy for several days. Not convinced? Just check out our pick of the crop below. Discover Montmartre Whilst its hidden sights are perhaps best uncovered as part of a Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour, or by making use of the Petit Train, it is possible to take in much of Montmartre on a self-guided exploration of the area. Paris’s bohemian artistic quarter, it has been the haunt of a fascinating cast of characters since before it even became part of the city in 1860. Its atmospheric cobbled side streets and public staircases are the perfect place for a stroll, with sights including Renoir’s Garden and the Lapin Agile cabaret club to look out for. For those with budgets that don’t stretch as far as a show, check out the quarter’s street artists instead. Popular spots include the steps leading to the doors of the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur, which are free to enter (the crypt and dome require a ticket). Rather unusually for a Paris suburb, you can also take in the ripening grapes of the vineyard in Rue Saint-Vincent, producing just 750 bottles of wine in any one year. Look out for special events Even the popular kids don’t have as much in the diary as Paris. Pick a month and there’s probably a public spectacle that awaits, from Chinese New Year to Christmas markets. Many of the French capital’s top annual events are also pleasingly light on the wallet. June, for instance, sees Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) fill the streets of the capital with sound on the longest day of the year. A significant number of major parks and squares get in on the act with performances spanning the world of classical works and the latest urban music. More frequently, free concerts take place from January through to June and September to November at the American Church in Paris. It lies between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides – the burial place of Napoleon Bonaparte. Less than a month later on July 14 the Champs-Élysées is cleared of its usual traffic for the grand military parade which forms the centerpiece of the nation’s Bastille Day celebrations – perhaps the most important day in the cultural calendar. Museums open their doors long into the small hours during October’s Nuit Blanche (White Night), whilst those including the Louvre also offer free entry on the first Sunday of each month. Enjoy the art scene Art fans looking for other free things to do in Paris won’t be disappointed. In addition to the Louvre’s gratis entry days, there are several museums with important collections free to enter 365 days a year. The Paris Museum of Modern Art (Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris) is one. Ignore the ‘Paris’ in its name, the artworks it contains come from some of the world’s greatest 20th and 21st Century artists whatever their home city. Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Bridget Riley are all represented, alongside their many contemporaries. To discover artworks that are yet to make it into any museum head to the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin. It’s a hotspot for street art, which creates an intriguing contrast between the old locks and ironwork footbridges along its three-mile length. Take advantage of Paris’s green spaces Perfectly aligned with the south side of the Eiffel Tower, the Champ de Mars is an exquisite place to spend a couple of hours. The mix of trimmed lawns, mature trees and tower views makes it an ideal place for a picnic. The older sibling to New York’s High Line, the Promenade Plantée brings the idea of a public park into the 21st Century. Raised above much of the city on a disused railway viaduct and even passing narrowly between buildings, it has plenty of spots to take in the vistas. Elsewhere, Paris’s largest cemetery, Père Lachaise, attracts a steady stream of visitors. Covering 110 acres, its tombstones and mausoleums span more than 200 years and two million interments. Amongst the better known are singers Édith Piaf and Jim Morrison, and Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. Admire the architecture There’s nothing freer or more freeing than getting about a new city on foot, uncovering the hidden sights you might otherwise miss, smelling the aromas of bakeries, cafés and restaurants, and hearing the everyday sounds of an area. Paris has no shortage of free walking tours taking place with an English language guide, although you’ll have to be at the designated starting point for their launch times. Going solo, it’s difficult to get lost if you stick to the right or left banks of the Seine, which are dotted with many of Paris’s most important landmarks from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Jardin des Plantes botanic gardens. The river’s banks are even more magical after nightfall, when its landmarks are picked out in stunning clarity by illuminations. Continue into the east of the city and you’ll quickly catch sight of the four striking towers that make up the National Library’s François-Mitterrand campus. They mark the corners of a lovely hidden garden at the same time as preserving a collection containing an estimated 14 million individual documents. Cross the Seine on the undulating form of Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir Bridge and you’ll end up in Parc de Bercy, liberally sprinkled with monuments. Knowing where to splash the cash in Paris Taking advantage of free things to do in Paris is a great way of staying on budget and exploring much of the French capital. However, there are some attractions you won’t want to miss which require an entry ticket. There’s help at hand here too though, and it comes in the shape of Go City. Save on admission to attractions you were going to visit anyway with our Paris passes!
Ian Packham

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