Things to do in Paris For Adults

UPDATED JULY 2024By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Moulin Rouge

Paris is a veritable playground for grown-ups. There are literally hundreds of museums and art galleries to explore, plus superb shopping – from high-end brands on the magnificent Champs Élysées to haggling for antiques and knick-knacks in the world’s biggest flea market. There’s top-flight entertainment too (spot of Paris burlesque, anyone?), not to mention some of the best gourmet dining on the planet. Dive in to discover our pick of the 10 best things to do in Paris for adults.

Dine in the Eiffel Tower

There are surely few things in life more decadent – or romantic – than having dinner halfway up the Eiffel Tower, as the sun sets and lights begin to twinkle in the city streets far below. Eating out at Le Jules Verne doesn’t come cheap, with the five-course tasting menu starting at north of €200. But what price delicious French cuisine from a Michelin-star-awarded chef? Pair your dishes with wines hand-picked by the restaurant’s master sommeliers for a meal you’ll never forget... unless of course you accidentally finish the bottle.

See Some Great Art

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A short stroll through the leafy Jardin des Tuileries from its more famous (and much bigger) neighbor the Louvre, the Musée de l'Orangerie is a relatively diminutive but no less enticing treasure trove for art lovers, perhaps best known for its collection of eight of Monet’s Water Lilies paintings. Here on the banks of the Seine, fans of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism will find much to admire, with many fine masterpieces from Picasso, Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani and more.

Shop til You Drop

Love to shop? You’ve come to the right place! Head to the Champs-Élysées if you want to give your wallet a real workout. Here, brands including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Apple and Chanel all but guarantee you’ll get a panicked call from your credit card company before the day’s out. Paris’s historic covered passages invite you to browse antique stores, independent boutiques, artisan jewelers and much more beneath amazing glass canopies. Or, if it’s knick-knacks, vintage fashions and old vinyl records that float your boat, put on your haggling hat and make for the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, only the biggest flea market on the entire planet.

Go Wine-Tasting

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Back in the 18th Century, France’s King Louis XV was reviled by his subjects for his flamboyant overspending, which included the establishment of a discrete network of caves and tunnels beneath the streets of Paris, in which to store his wine. Today, you can reap the benefits in these atmospheric royal cellars at Les Caves du Louvre, where a fascinating tour concludes with a tasting experience of three different French wines. Santé!

Take to the Skies

Soar high above the city on a ride aboard the Ballon de Paris Generali, a huge tethered helium balloon that rises 150 meters above the Parc André-Citroën, affording panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur Basilica and more. Or make a day of it on an amazing hot-air balloon experience just outside of Paris. This flight takes you high above the undulating French countryside for a bird’s eye view of its lush woodlands, picturesque villages and grand chateaux. You can even upgrade to include dinner and champagne if you’re feeling particularly decadent.

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Unwind at the Spa

Do as the Parisiens do and make for the Latin Quarter’s exquisite Mosquée de Paris, where the beautiful byzantine-style hammam with its gurgling fountain and inviting steam room provides an idyllic setting for an vigorous exfoliation treatment or massage. Pro-tip: sip a mint tea afterwards in the leafy courtyard to complete your journey to the state of pure zen. Big spenders can also pamper to within an inch of their lives at luxury spa facilities in the likes of chic Maison Sisley, just off the Champs-Élysées, and the spa at La Réserve Paris, one of the city’s most luxurious hotels.

Buy Macarons at Ladurée

The modern ‘Paris macaron’, a super-sweet confection comprised of two small meringue discs around a ganache, jam or buttercream filling, is widely credited to upmarket French pâtisserie Ladurée. Head to their highly Instagrammable flagship store on the Champs-Elysées to stock up on these dainty treats, which come in a rainbow of colors and flavors, including chocolate, pistachio, cardamom and dozens more. Better still, pause for an indulgent afternoon tea in the opulent salon.

Visit a Château

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Paris is practically encircled by amazing chateaux and palaces, regal homes of the great and the good (and the not-so-good) over many centuries. Hop on a train to the insanely grandiose Palace of Versailles, a favorite dwelling of French Kings and Queens in the 17th and 18th centuries, later used by Napoleon as a summer residence following the French Revolution. Fairytale Fontainebleau has been around since medieval times: another favorite of our old pal Napoleon, it contains the only Napoleonic throne room still in existence, plus miles and miles of ridiculously sumptuous galleries, corridors, halls and boudoirs to explore.

Take in a Show

Since time immemorial the great philosophers have pondered the question: if you went to Paris but didn’t see a cabaret show, did you even go to Paris? Have no doubt: this is one of the most fun activities for adults on a night out in Paris. There’s a sparkling roster of shows available across dozens of venues, the most famous of course being the Moulin Rouge with its neon-lit red windmill. Which you choose will really depend on how you like your cabaret and burlesque, from the très risqué to the positively demure and from traditional high-kicking can-can dancers to death-defying acrobatics and dazzling light shows.

Watch a Sunset

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Experience a sunset just once in Paris, and you’ll soon understand why it has so inspired artists like Monet down the centuries. Watch the sun go down from a bateaux on the Seine, as the city’s great iconic monuments begin to light up. Or head for the hills – specifically Montmartre – where a chocolate crêpe on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, as the sky blazes in various shades of orange, pink and purple, and lights begin to flicker on across the city, really might feel like a life-changing experience.

Save on things to do in Paris for adults

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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The Louvre Museum in Paris
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Best Art Galleries in Paris

The birthplace of Impressionism, Paris is a veritable paradise for artists and art lovers. It’s a city that has inspired and produced a disproportionate number of household names over the centuries – think Matisse, Modigliani, Manet and Toulouse-Lautrec. It’s no surprise then that Paris is where you’ll find some of the world’s finest galleries and museums as well as, of course, arguably the most recognizable (and certainly the most visited) painting on the planet. Read on to be inspired by our selection of some of the best art galleries in Paris. The Big Hitters The Louvre Museum Of course, no visit to Paris would be complete without passing through the Louvre’s iconic glass pyramid and entering its multi-level labyrinth of galleries, corridors, stairways and escalators. With nearly 40,000 works of art on display at any given time, covering painting, sculpture, antiquities and much more, the Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum and contains many of its greatest and most famous artistic treasures. Come for the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, stay for the ancient Great Sphinx of Tanis, French crown jewels and the decadent pastries and fancies served in the museum’s Café Richelieu Angelina, where the Mont Blanc – a grand confection of meringue, whipped cream and chocolate shavings – is something of a work of art in itself. Musée d’Orsay More compact, easier to navigate and significantly less crowded than the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay’s collection of 19th and 20th-century art packs a real punch. Here, in what used to be the Gare d’Orsay train station, you can view world-class pieces including Van Gogh’s mesmerizing Starry Night over the Rhône and Self Portrait, perhaps the greatest selfie of them all. French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism is particularly well represented here, with a great variety of Toulouse-Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge-inspired pieces and many Monet masterpieces, including one from his Water Lilies series. Don’t miss the original station clock, which hangs in the impressive main hall, and head to fifth-floor Café Campana by the Impressionist Gallery, where a giant clock-face window affords enchanting views across the Seine to the Louvre and Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Musée de Montmartre Montmartre’s cobbled streets, bohemian vibe and awe-inspiring views across Paris have attracted a great many artists over the years, among them – deep breath – Renoir, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Picasso, Miró and Modigliani, many of whom are represented here at the Musée de Montmartre. Housed in one of the district’s oldest buildings, the Musée de Montmartre was once a mansion containing artists’ studios used by the likes of Renoir, Charles Camoin and Suzanne Valadon. The peaceful surrounding gardens are named in memory of Renoir, who painted several of his greatest masterpieces when he lived here in the 1870s, including the Bal du moulin de la Galette and Jardin de la rue Cortot, depicting this very garden. Top Paris Museums for Kids Centre Pompidou Paris has stacks of fab museums that children will love with many, including big hitters like the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, offering free entry for under 18s. The huge Centre Pompidou has an entire floor dedicated to kids aged from 2-16, offering informative tours, exhibitions, hands-on workshops and bags of interactive fun. Better still, workshops for kids aged nine and over don’t require parental supervision, leaving you free to explore the center’s National Museum of Modern Art, which boasts a collection including Picasso, Pollock, Warhol and many more, that’s rivaled only by MoMA in NYC in terms of its variety, scope and quality. Musée du Quai Branly Kids will adore the Musée du Quai Branly’s quirky exterior: a towering green wall of foliage that looks like a giant garden flipped on its side. Inside, there’s much for bright young minds to discover among the vast collection of indigineous art from around the world. Highlights that are sure to entertain include dramatic ceremonial masks from India and Africa, Aboriginal tree-bark paintings, a brightly mosaiced Volkswagen Beetle from Mexico and a massive medieval Moai head from Easter Island. Kids here can also shrug off uncool parents and fly solo in fun arty workshops for ages 6-12. Single Artist Museums Musée Rodin Arguably France’s greatest ever sculptor, Auguste Rodin is celebrated here in a fine collection that also includes a few paintings by fellow Gallic luminaries such as Renoir and Monet. Indisputable star of the show here though is the sedate seven-acre sculpture garden, where many of Rodin’s best-loved creations – including The Thinker, Monument to the Burghers of Calais and The Gates of Hell – can be found scattered among perfectly sculpted box hedges and ornamental pools. Musée Picasso-Paris This collection of over 5,000 works by the father of Cubism is among the world’s finest. His offbeat and unsettling world is represented here by around 700 paintings and surreal sculptures, plus thousands of drawings, notebooks, photos, engravings and other ephemera. Explore the four stories of this delightful 17th-century palace to discover pieces including his Self-Portrait and La Celestina, painted during Picasso’s Blue Period, as well as later works from his Cubist phase and works depicting scenes from the Spanish Civil War from his harrowing war paintings series. Musée National Gustave Moreau Dedicated to the life and works of 19th-century Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau, this fascinating museum was the Moreau family home until the artist’s death in 1898. Among its many highlights are a quite extraordinary spiral staircase and some fairly out-there compositions featuring unicorns and other mythical creatures, hallucinatory visions, bizarre plants and more. Printed guides containing extensive and often rambling commentaries from the man himself are available to take around the museum with you, and you can even visit his old studio and top-floor apartment. Save on the best art galleries 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
A row of colourful Eiffel Tower keyrings on display in a shop
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Best Paris Souvenirs

Did you know the word souvenir derives from the French term for memory or remembrance? What could be more appropriate, then, than to take a memento of your visit to the City of Love home with you? Read on for our guide to the best Paris souvenirs, and where to find them. From the Ubiquitous to the Unique No Paris souvenir is more emblematic or ubiquitous than the humble Eiffel Tower. You’ll find reproductions of The Iron Lady absolutely everywhere, from kitsch souvenir booths and street stalls to the high-end jewelry stores that line the Champs-Élysées. Tacky? Perhaps. But you’re guaranteed a reminder of that wonderful weekend you spent in Paris each and every time you look at it. The tower comes as – deep breath – a fridge magnet, bottle opener, wine-stopper, mug, cuddly toy, bedside lamp, keyring and pen. You’ll see it on t-shirts and tea-towels and inside snow globes. It comes in every shape, color, size and format imaginable, with or without flashing lights. But you can’t really beat a simple metal replica. These tiny, faithful reproduction ornaments can be found in the Eiffel Tower’s gift shops and, well, just about everywhere else. Looking for something a little more unique to you? Paris is home to some of the finest perfumers on the planet, with many offering unique custom fragrances. Scent magicians Fragonard have a workshop in which you can design and create your very own mini eau de toilette to take home. Alternatively – should you have deep enough pockets – you can engage the services of celebrated Paris perfumer Stéphanie de Bruijn, who will personally oversee the creation of your very own signature scent. Or head to Place du Tertre in Montmartre where, on a picturesque cobbled square against the stunning backdrop of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, local artists will create perhaps the ultimate Paris keepsake: a portrait or caricature of your own beautiful face, captured for posterity. And you don’t get much more unique than that! Souvenirs for Culture Vultures Paris boasts literally hundreds of museums and art galleries. And where there’s a museum or gallery, there’s a gift shop. Hit up the Louvre for all your Mona Lisa mug and tote bag requirements. Of course, as befits the world’s most-visited museum, there’s much more to the Louvre’s beautiful wood-clad boutique than da Vinci knick-knacks alone. Think intricately detailed maps of pre and post-Haussmannian Paris, replica period jewelry and hundreds of prints of masterpieces from the museum's vast art collection. Gift shops at the Rodin and Picasso museums also merit a visit in their own right. The Rodin Museum boutique is where you’ll find note-perfect ornamental replicas of the French sculptor’s most famous works, including The Kiss and The Thinker. While the Musée Picasso boutique in the Marais is your one-stop-shop for decorative houseware, pottery, bags, artful cushions and more, all designed to pay tasteful homage to the father of Cubism. The stretch between Quai Voltaire and Quai de la Tournelle on the Seine’s Left Bank is a bonanza for book lovers. Stroll the pretty embankment, enjoying glorious views of Notre-Dame and the bateaux that bob along the river, as you browse the wares of the Bouquinistes. This is the place for books of all shapes and sizes sold from stalls that line the riverside. Think literary classics, graphic novels, dusty antiquarian doorstops, childrens’ books, art, poetry... it’s all here, and then some. Budding philatelists and deltiologists are also well catered for by the Bouquinistes, with many selling antique French stamps and postcards alongside their books. At the eastern end of this stretch, on the edge of the Latin Quarter, is also where you’ll find beloved English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company. Within this labyrinthine treasure trove of groaning shelves and teetering piles lies the perfect souvenir or gift idea for the bookworm in your life: a beautiful book of your choice, stamped with the shop’s famous logo on its flyleaf. Wearable and Edible Paris Souvenirs If you’re lucky enough to be able to rock the beret-and-marinière look like the couple in the picture above, we recommend splashing out on these traditional Gallic fashions in a store with French-made goods, rather than picking up the cheap knock-off versions that are ubiquitous in the high-street souvenir shops (and that are liable to fall apart the minute you get them home). Try La Cerise sur le Chapeau for your chic headgear and Armor-Lux for your Breton striped shirt. Neither will break the bank and both have branches throughout Paris. What might break the bank, however, is a visit to the flagship Louis Vuitton megastore on the Champs-Élysées, the biggest in the world. Seven stories of eye-wateringly expensive accessories await you in this palace of pleasure. It’s worth visiting purely to ogle at its many wonders but, if you can afford it, what an absolutely perfect souvenir that magnificent little purse would make. Food, glorious food... Given that France can stake a reasonable claim to having the finest cuisine on the planet, it would be remiss if you fail to take home something edible: an exquisite little jar of the yellow stuff from the Maille boutique on Place de la Madeleine, perhaps. Or some powdered hot chocolate from the legendary Café Angelina. Paris is also crammed with delightful fromageries and caves à vin for all your cheese and wine needs. Follow your nose to quaint Rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest streets in Paris and home to The House of Androuet, its highly decorative exterior tempting you inside to where hundreds of fragrant French fromages await. Head to Galerie Vivienne for an old-fashioned wine-shopping experience at Legrand Filles et Fil. Beneath the grand glass canopy of this 19th-century arcade, you’ll find a wonderland of wines from Bordeaux to Burgundy and beyond. And finally, it’s impossible to talk about edible souvenirs without mentioning macarons, those colorful little meringue confections so beloved of Parisians and Instagrammers everywhere. You can pick these up from any Paris pâtisserie worth its salt, but for a truly decadent souvenir or gift, treat yourself to a box of beautifully presented macarons from the opulent Ladurée store. Or visit rival Pierre Hermé, whose must-try signature flavors include Ispahan (raspberry, lychee and rosewater) and Mogador (chocolate and passion fruit). You’ll find both of these fine establishments on (where else?) the Champs-Élysées. Save on things to do 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
Eiffel Tower at sunrise, viewed from the Trocadéro
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Things to do in Paris in the Morning

The City of Light is perhaps at its most charming in the early hours, as the sun rises slowly behind the Eiffel Tower and atmospheric local markets begin to spring into life. Our guide to the best things to do in Paris in the morning includes a date with the Mona Lisa, a trip up the Eiffel Tower, and a meander around the Marais…
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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