7 Unique Ways to Explore Paris Beyond the Tourist Stops
Bonjour! Paris is one of my most favorite places in the world and I am so excited to share my favorite off-the-beaten-path places in the City of Light!
Headed to Paris? Here are some of the best things to do in Paris that aren’t the typical tourist destinations.
Bike Tour
We went on a bike tour called “Paris’s Best Kept Secrets Bike Tour”. It was 4 hours of biking around the city. It felt a little long, but overall we absolutely loved it!
We chose to do this on our first day in Paris to help us push through jet lag after biking.
I would recommend this tour for kids 12-14 and older, since you spend a lot of time riding on the road near cars.
We got to see so many beautiful buildings, stop at bakeries, and meet new people!
Bring water and wear sunscreen!
Catacombs
I had seen many people visit here, but hadn’t gone until this summer!
The Catacombs are full of graves and skeletons. They were originally built when the city didn’t have room in the graveyards.
You need to book your tickets in advance. If they are sold out on their website, you can usually get tickets through a third party site. Your ticket will give you a time to arrive.
You will be underground for a mile of walking. You exit from a different location than where you go in.
Our whole visit took about 1 hour.
If anyone in your group has mobility issues, be aware that there are stairs to get in and out of the Catacombs.
Jardin du Luxembourg
These gardens are so beautiful! WE enjoyed our time walking around here.
There is a large pond in the middle of the gardens. You can rent small toy sailboats to float around the pond. We had a fun time with this! It’s an inexpensive and entertaining activity for families.
Croissant Cooking Class
At first I thought that this class sounded a bit touristy and cheesy, but it ended up being so amazing!
The whole class was about 2.5 hours.
We got to make regular and chocolate croissants. They were the best I’ve ever had!!! So good!
The instructor had everything ready to go and provided us with all the materials necessary.
We booked our class with Maison Fleuret.
Hike in the Footsteps of Van Gogh
This combined my love of art and hiking!
We did an 8 mile hike (fairly flat) through the French countryside where Van Gogh spent the last few months of his life. It was fun to explore these areas and see where his inspiration came from.
We got to walk along the river, eat lunch by a palace, and see the beautiful landscape.
I would recommend this activity to families with kids 12 and older.
I booked this on Airbnb experiences.
Cedric Grolet Patisserie
These are the most beautiful pastries you’ve ever seen!
Everything was so delicious and gorgeous.
Unfortunately, the prices are a bit high. We paid 35 euros for a large pastry.
Wander the Le Marais neighborhood
This is a fun, cute neighborhood to look around and explore.
If you like to shop, this is a good area to shop in (that’s not the big, expensive name brand stores).
Go on the roof of Galeries Lafayette
There is an amazing FREE lookout of the city on the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette shopping center.
The mall itself is also fun to look through. If you’re here around Christmas time, be sure to look at its decorations!
Want more info on visiting Paris? Here are some of my other blogs and podcast episodes.