Shop, Snack & Explore: Best Things to Do Near Galeries Lafayette

Step outside Galeries Lafayette and into the heart of Paris—cafés, culture, and surprises await.

Published: March 13, 2026
Galeries Lafayette Ceiling

Think Galeries Lafayette is just a shopping trip? Think again! Around these dazzling domes you’ll find classic Paris cafés, show-stopping landmarks, rooftop gardens, and museums that spark creativity—plus plenty of tasty spots to recharge. Whether you’ve got bags to drop, art to discover, or just a craving for the real Paris, the neighborhood serves up a memorable mix of old-school grandeur and modern excitement. Get ready to see, sip, sample, and snap your way through one of the city’s most vibrant quarters! 

Our favorite things to do near Galeries Lafayette include: 

  • Galeries Lafayette (naturally!) 
  • Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House) 
  • Big Bus Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Tour 
  • Paradox Museum Paris 
  • Ô Chateau Wine Tasting 
  • Montmartre & Sacré Coeur – Walking Tour by Experience First 
  • Musée d'Orsay 
  • Printemps Rooftop Terrace 
  • Square Montholon 

Galeries Lafayette: Shop Under a Parisian Masterpiece 

You haven’t truly arrived in Paris until you’ve walked beneath Galeries Lafayette’s sparkling colored-glass dome. Sure, people flock here for fashion and beauty must-haves, but we think it’s the theatre of the place—elaborately decorated atriums, heavenly gourmet food hall, and high-energy window displays—that make it unforgettable. 

Don’t just shop—wander up to the top floor for their rooftop terrace! From up here the Paris skyline unfolds in all its glory, with straight-on views of the Opéra and Sacré Coeur peeking out above the rooftops. Seasonal fashion shows, pop-up stalls, and gourmet food tastings add a surprise around every corner. Even the food court feels more “upscale food market” than your average mall eatery, with fresh oysters, flaky croissants, and glossy pastries galore. Whether you’re window-shopping or on a spree, the buzz here is contagious—don’t miss a selfie with the stained glass flying high above! 

Palais Garnier: The Most Dramatic Venue in Paris 

It’s hard to believe that something so ornate could be just steps from your shopping bags, but the Palais Garnier (the famous Paris Opera House) offers up pure 19th-century elegance. This theatre is as lavish inside as it is out. Chandeliers drip from dramatically painted ceilings, and gold leaf seems to glitter at every angle.

Take a guided or self-guided tour to peek inside boxes where ballet fans still sit and admire the opulent foyers—trust us: the Grand Staircase alone will have you feeling like royalty. We especially love the Marc Chagall ceiling in the main auditorium for its colorful take on Paris performance history. Even better—try to snag tickets for a show! If time doesn’t allow, at least snap a pic on those exterior steps, which buzz with visitors, musicians, and the everyday theatre of Parisian life. 

Big Bus Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: See the City, Skip the Stress

Big Bus Tour Bus

Hop on the Big Bus Paris Hop-on Hop-off Tour just outside Galeries Lafayette and you’re off—gliding past Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and more, all from the comfort of a classic open-top double-decker. This tour is the perfect way to soak up the city’s biggest landmarks without totally tiring your legs. 

With multiple routes and stops, you can tailor your own adventure—spend more time at the Arc de Triomphe or make a detour for a café au lait by the Seine. The audio guides dish up bite-sized stories and local fun facts, helping you see Paris through the eyes of its locals. You can hop off wherever you fancy, making window shopping, dining detours, and spontaneous art breaks a breeze. It’s sightseeing, but totally under your control—perfect for making the most of a short Paris stay! 

Paradox Museum Paris: Mind-Bending Fun for All Ages 

Ready to get your head spun in the most entertaining way possible? Paradox Museum is only a short stroll from Galeries Lafayette and promises a wild ride through optical illusions, tricks, and photo-ready exhibits that defy what you thought you knew. It’s not just for kids—adults get every bit as much fun scrambling through mind-bending rooms and snapping selfies in gravity-defying settings. 

Every installation invites you to question perception: Is that a real reflection, or are you upside down? Is this tunnel moving or is it just you? There’s something irresistible about experiencing Paris’s quirkier, irreverent side and breaking up a day of more traditional museums and monuments. We leave laughing every time. And don’t forget to check your camera roll—these snaps beg to be shared! 

Ô Chateau Wine Tasting: French Wine, Parisian Style 

A leisurely walk from the boulevards, Ô Chateau brings the French wine fields right to the heart of Paris. Swirl, sniff, and sip your way through French favorites with a team of passionate (and very approachable) sommeliers who make the world of French wine feel fun, not intimidating. Tastings come with perfectly paired cheeses and charcuterie, and your hosts spin stories about the growers and traditions behind every glass. 

It’s friendly, unpretentious, and ideal whether you’re a seasoned oenophile or just love a good glass of something after a shopping marathon. The bar itself oozes relaxed chic—wood, soft lighting, and a long, convivial table. You’ll leave with a few new favorites and a head brimming with new flavors and stories. 

Montmartre & Sacré Cœur – Walking Tour by Experience First: Village Vibes Above the City 

The bohemian heart of Paris is just up the hill—and the Montmartre & Sacré Cœur Walking Tour makes the stories, sights, and secrets come alive. Start close to Galeries Lafayette and wind uphill through cobbled lanes, hearing tales of Picasso, Renoir, and street artists who shaped this legendary neighborhood. 

Along the way, your guide points out secret studios, the legendary Moulin Rouge, and photogenic corners most travelers miss. Arriving at Sacré Coeur, you’ll take in those dreamy panoramic Paris views and see the white-domed beauty up close. The vibe is both playful and historic—and you’ll finish with plenty of tips for exploring Montmartre’s best pastry shops and cool local hangouts. Art lovers and romantics, this one’s for you. 

Musée d'Orsay: Masterpieces in a Grand Setting

Musée d'Orsay

Just a quick ride or scenic walk from the grand magasins, Musée d'Orsay should not be missed. Housed in a former Belle Époque train station, the museum offers a stunning backdrop for viewing impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces. Think Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Degas under soaring glass vaults and iconic station clocks. 

Beyond just paintings, you’ll find sculpture, decorative arts, and immersive spaces that make the museum warm, fascinating, and easy to navigate. The balcony offers a dreamy view over the Seine, while the museum café lets you snack and soak up an atmosphere that’s distinctly Parisian. Visiting here always makes us grateful Paris knows how to mix beauty with brilliance. 

Printemps Rooftop Terrace: Panoramic Sips and City Views 

For a sky-high break with wow factor, scoot over to the Printemps department store next to Galeries Lafayette. Zoom up to the 9th-floor terrace for panoramic views spanning the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, and Opéra Garnier. Seating is plentiful—perfect for a golden-hour aperitif or pastry break between adventures. 

The terrace café serves great drinks, snacks, and light meals, but the real reward is the relaxed mood: think “Parisian garden party meets urban lookout.” Shoppers, photographers, and sunset seekers linger here—and you’ll see why in every snap you take. Insider tip: Winter brings festive charm and Paris lights that make the whole city sparkle. 

Square Montholon: Green Escape in the Heart of Haussmann’s Paris 

Need a breather after all that shopping and sightseeing? Square Montholon is your ticket to peace and authentic local vibes—no transit required. Just a short stroll from Galeries Lafayette, this lush pocket park delivers tall chestnut trees, playful statues, and winding paths lined with benches begging for a rest. Office workers, local families, and students alike flock here to chat over sandwiches or dive into their latest read. 

The vibe is tranquil, with enough space for kids to blow off steam at the small playground while grownups soak up a few rays or plan out their next stops. Keep an eye out for the charming old lampposts and ornate cast-iron fencing—classic Paris details that make relaxing here feel extra special. Bring a warm croissant or falafel from a nearby boulangerie or market, pick a shady bench, and watch the daily theater of Paris life unfold around you. For a quick escape from the city’s hustle, Square Montholon is as restorative as it gets. 

 

So there you have it: from dazzling domes and brilliant museums to rooftop terraces and lively wine bars, the area around Galeries Lafayette is packed with experiences that showcase every side of Paris. Whether you’re spending an hour or a whole afternoon, there’s always something new—and impossibly stylish—waiting just a few steps away. 

Enjoyed this? Check out Things to Do Near the Paradox Museum or Best Day Trips from Paris 

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Things to do in Paris With Teens

Eye-rolling teenagers everywhere will tell you, with utter conviction, that there are few things in life more embarrassing than going on vacation with mum and dad. Here’s your chance to prove them wrong in one of the world’s greatest cities, with our guide to the best things to do in Paris with teens. Demonstrate your cool credentials and wow your progeny with ideas that include selfies at the Sacré-Cœur, rollercoaster rides, spooky subterranean skeletons and more. Instagram Inspiration Of course, your little darlings will be keen to document every moment of their Paris adventure online. And why not? Many literary and artistic greats have been seduced by the city’s beauty down the centuries, and your kids will likely be no exception. A selfie in front of the Mona Lisa should be considered essential. But be warned: the Louvre’s vast network of galleries and buildings makes for a fair bit of hiking from one major exhibit to the next. Planning your visit carefully and making a list of must-sees before you arrive may help mitigate any family arguments once you’re inside. Photo opportunities abound on a climb up the 674 steps to the viewing platform on the Eiffel Tower’s second floor. During the ascent, intrepid teens with a head for heights can step out onto the first level’s – gulp – transparent floor, 58 meters above the forecourt. Better still, kids over 12 can make the climb without parental supervision, meaning that, while they wear themselves out trying to bag the best selfie, you can get started on your picnic of cheese and wine on the sprawling lawns of Champs de Mars far below. Tick off some of Paris’s other great views. The Ballon de Paris Generali is a lot of fun: this tethered helium balloon rises a whopping 150 meters over the Parc André-Citroën. Montparnasse Tower goes even higher at 200 meters (by elevator), while the climb to the top of iconic Paris landmark the Arc de Triomphe is a relatively exhausting 284 steps, but does benefit from being on the famous Champs-Élysées boulevard, for a bit of light window-shopping and some decadent Ladurée macarons afterwards. Museums and Art Paris has a plethora of fine museums and galleries to keep teens entertained. Many, including big hitters like the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay offer free entry for under 18s. Centre Pompidou is a cultural mecca with cool ‘inside-out’ architecture; its colorful exposed pipework and air ducts making it something of a work of art in itself. There’s an entire floor dedicated to kids, including workshops, interactive exhibits and bags more hands-on fun. Workshops for teens don’t require parental supervision, leaving you free to explore the center’s vast collection of modern art, from Picasso to Pollock. Play hide and seek among the box hedges, statues and ornamental pools in the Rodin Museum’s seven-acre sculpture garden and visit Europe’s biggest science museum in Parc de la Villette, where the Cité des Sciences (CSI) counts a planetarium, an IMAX theater, and even a submarine among its myriad attractions. Or, if your offspring roll their eyes dramatically at the very idea of enduring all that boring old stuff from the past, rent some Vélib bicycles instead, and take them on a self-guided tour of eye-popping contemporary Paris street art around the Oberkampf neighborhood, La Villette canal and Montmartre. They’ll thank you for the additional Instagrammable photo opportunities, if not the mild physical exertion required to get there. Teen-Friendly Tours Bike isn’t the only fun way to see Paris though. Guided Segway tours are a great way to tick off some of the city’s big attractions with minimal effort. There are short tours, long tours, day tours, night tours, every kind of tour! All you need to bring with you is a reasonable sense of balance and in no time at all you’ll be whizzing to the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and beautiful Pont Alexandre III with its soaring arch and Art Deco lanterns. Teens are permitted to ride if joined on the tour by their parents. Creepy and very cool – the perfect combination for any self-respecting teenager – the Paris Catacombs are an underground network of tunnels and caverns used to store the mortal remains of some six million or so Parisians, displaced from the city’s cemeteries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kids will love this bone-chilling subterranean adventure, where wall-to-wall skulls and bones are stacked neatly from floor to ceiling. There’s a 1.5-kilometer circular route through this macabre ossuary: just about the right length for fidgeting teens before boredom starts to set in. Shopping and Entertainment Even the most apathetic teenager will struggle to feign immunity to the charms of a themed rollercoaster ride for long. Good news! Both Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix are easily reached from central Paris, with trains taking less than an hour. Teens can also take to the skies on a jetpack adventure with Flyview Paris. This thrill-a-second VR experience mimics the real-life sensations of jetpack flying and takes you on a dizzying flight over major landmarks including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower and more. Back on terra firma, take them shopping for unique souvenirs in the atmospheric cobbled streets of the Marais and Montmartre districts. Here’s where you’ll find independent boutiques selling vintage fashions, old-fashioned sweets, handmade artisan crafts and jewelry, and much more. The cute funicular that carries foot-weary passengers up the hill to the top of Montmartre will melt all but the hardest of teenage hearts. After grabbing a chocolate crêpe – and, naturally, a selfie or ten in front of the Sacré-Cœur – head round the back of the basilica to the Place du Tertre, a traditional Parisian square that’s teeming with local artists who’ll be delighted to provide your kids with a souvenir they’ll treasure forever: a one-of-a-kind portrait or caricature of themselves. Who knows, they might – just might – even crack a smile for the occasion. Save on things to do with teens 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
Parc Asterix Characters
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Adventure Awaits: Free Things to Do Near Parc Asterix

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Children looking at a map by the Eiffel Tower
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Things to do in Paris With Kids

An efficient public transport system, a relatively compact center and oodles of parks, museums and family friendly hotels and restaurants make Paris a great choice for a city break with your little adventurers. We’ve put together a selection of our favorite things to do in Paris with kids, from climbing the Eiffel Tower to magic shows beneath the streets. Park life With over 400 green spaces, you’re never very far from a park in Paris. Many are close to major attractions like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, providing ideal opportunities to break up your sightseeing itinerary with some ultra-kid-friendly activities. The Jardin du Luxembourg’s central location is far from being its only draw. Over 56 acres kids can enjoy pony rides, puppet shows and one of the city’s biggest playgrounds. The Grand Bassin lake in front of the Palais de Luxembourg is particularly charming. Here, kids can rent old-fashioned toy wooden sailing boats and push them out into the water. On Sundays, members of the Luxembourg Nautical Club add their eclectic selection of (silent) motor boats, sailing vessels and submarines to the mix. On the banks of the Seine, the Jardin des Plantes is home to the Ménagerie – one of the oldest zoos in the world. Its 600+ inhabitants include ferociously cute red pandas and endangered species such as snow leopards and giant Aldabra tortoises. Wander the wooded pathways to spot the animals in their log-cabin homes. If the Ménagerie’s critters are feeling particularly camera-shy during your visit, there's always the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution, a natural history museum on the edge of the park, where taxidermy beasts share space with giant dinosaur fossils, meteorites and thousands of plant species. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a little off the beaten track in the 19th arrondissement, but well worth the pilgrimage. Less crowded than the city center parks, it contains 60+ acres of hilly terrain and woodland that’s perfect for little explorers. Kids can feed the ducks in the pond, enjoy a picnic with superb city views, run the 63-meter length of the Eiffel-designed suspension bridge and discover the secret grotto with its magical (albeit artificial) waterfall. Natural highs Kids love to climb, right? Great news! Paris is full of opportunities for natural highs that will keep them entertained. Why take the lift all the way up the Eiffel Tower when there’s a perfectly good set of stairs that goes all the way up to the second floor? That’s 674 steps in total: a dream come true for energetic kids everywhere. Footsore parents will be relieved to learn there’s a glass elevator to shoot you the rest of the way up to the observation deck on level three. And a bar when you get there. The Arc de Triomphe is a little more forgiving, with a mere 284 steps to reach the summit. Up here, kids can get snap-happy with arguably some of the finest photo opportunities in Paris, including uninterrupted views down the broad Champs-Élysées boulevard to Place de la Concorde. There are also great views of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, balanced like a little fondant-icing decoration atop Montmartre. To reach the basilica, take the easy way up: Montmartre’s funicular railway takes you all the way to the top in just 90 seconds and your kids will love it! Once at the top, grab a well-earned chocolate crêpe and sit on the steps watching the street entertainers and admiring the views. Kids can also pick up a unique souvenir here: a caricature of themselves by a local portrait artist. Also recommended is a short tour of Montmartre’s atmospheric streets aboard the adorable petit train: kids love it and it’s an absolute godsend for foot-weary parents. Museums and shops Paris has a number of dedicated children’s museums. Musée de la Magie is a mesmerizing treasure trove of magic and illusion in the Marais district. It's set in the cellars of the Marquis de Sade’s former home, but don’t let that put you off! Kids will love the weird and wonderful exhibits and free magic show. Entry also includes access to the adjacent Musée des Automates, with its fascinating (and occasionally creepy) collection of around 250 antique automated puppets and toys. The Cité des Sciences (CSI) is Europe’s biggest science museum and counts a planetarium, an IMAX theater, and even a submarine among its many attractions. Here, kids from as young as four or five years old can get involved in fun interactive exhibits and play areas across six thematic zones. You could easily spend a day here and in the surrounding Parc de la Villette. This sprawling playground has dozens of sculptures and themed gardens to explore, as well as open-air cinema and live music in the summer months. The higgledy-piggledy high shelves and Harry Potter-esque interiors of iconic English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company will appeal to little bookworms everywhere. A huge and eclectic selection of books for kids, teenagers and young adults means there’s something for everyone here. Continue the, ahem, educational theme with a trip to Le Bonbon au Palais, a classroom-themed candy store in the 5th arrondissement. Here, presented in apothecary-style jars, are tempting French candies in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. Children will be like, well, kids in a candy shop. It’s a guaranteed hit and may just provide the sugar boost everyone requires to get back to the hotel without a toddler-style meltdown. Save on things to do in Paris with kids 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

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