65 Dreamy Paris Bucket List Ideas That Go Beyond the Eiffel Tower

Did you know the City of Light welcomed around 47.5 million visitors in 2023? After staying in Paris three times, I found each trip felt completely different, liking it more each time.

You’ll stroll the cobbled lanes of the Marais, linger at the cafés in Saint-Germain, wander the hidden bookshops near the Seine, and explore Montmartre after the crowds fade. You’ll find quiet gardens behind grand cathedrals and rooftop views overlooking rooftops. It’s way better when you’re lucky enough to arrive on a clear morning, because the city’s charm shines brightest when it isn’t gray.

These dreamy Paris bucket-list ideas invite you to see the landmarks and skip the clichés to shape your own version of the most romantic city in the world.

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The Big Paris Icons That Still Earn Their Crowd

Some places pull you in no matter how many photos you have seen. They remind you that Paris has been inspiring people long before you. Go early, stay late, or wander nearby streets after.

1. Stand under the Eiffel Tower at night when it sparkles.
2. Walk the Seine by Notre Dame and listen to street musicians float through the air.
3. Sit on a bench in Tuileries Garden looking toward the Louvre pyramid.
4. Cross Pont Alexandre III and watch boats glide by in the quiet.
5. Climb to Sacré-Coeur and sit on the steps before the day wakes up.
6. Stroll around Palais Royal courtyard and watch sunlight fall on the columns.
7. Pause at Place de la Concorde and take in the scale of it all.
8. Look up at Opéra Garnier then wander the grand staircase inside.
9. Walk the courtyard of the Louvre at opening hour before crowds swallow the space.
10. Stand by the Arc de Triomphe and feel the city flowing around it like a heartbeat.
11. Top of Montparnasse Cemetery hill near the trees.

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Hidden Corners and Walks

Paris rewards those who walk everywhere.

12. Walk the covered passages like Galerie Vivienne and Passage Verdeau.
13. Explore Rue Crémieux early before it fills with cameras.
14. Walk the Île Saint-Louis to cross the pedestrian bridge Pont des Arts at sunrise.
15. Wander the Buttes-aux-Cailles neighborhood for murals and tiny cafés.
16. Climb Parc des Buttes-Chaumont’s hill for peaceful views.
17. Walk Rue Mouffetard and buy snacks from deli counters.
18. Visit Place des Vosges and read under the arcades.
19. Explore the Marais side streets instead of staying on the main ones.
20. Walk around Montmartre’s back lanes far from the main stairs.
21. Whisper a wish under the Pont Neuf arch like locals say to do.

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Food Adventures Worth the Calories

Little pleasures you remember long after the trip ends.

22. Try a warm baguette from Poilâne and tear pieces as you walk.
23. Have coffee at a sidewalk table in Saint-Germain and people watch.
24. Buy a fresh croissant from a neighborhood bakery and eat it on a bench nearby.
25. Order onion soup at a cozy bistro on a rainy night.
26. Taste Pierre Hermé macarons and pick unexpected flavors.
27. Book a table for a cheese tasting and learn pairings.
28. Do a pastry tour of bakeries in the 11th.
29. Eat falafel on Rue des Rosiers while exploring the Jewish Quarter.
30. Have steak frites at a neighborhood spot away from tourist streets.
31. Try a crêpe from a hole-in-the-wall stand near a park.
32. Order hot chocolate at Angelina and sit slowly with it.

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Arts and Culture Days

Paris does museums like nowhere else, but this list keeps it fresh.

33. Visit Musée de l’Orangerie and stand quietly with the water lilies.
34. See Musée Rodin’s sculpture garden and wander between the trees.
35. Browse Musée Carnavalet for Paris history.
36. Visit Musée de Montmartre and sit in the garden afterward.
37. Tour Studio Eugène Atget exhibit spots if photography inspires you.
38. Attend a classical concert at Sainte-Chapelle in the evening.
39. Explore the Picasso Museum and linger in the stairwells.
40. Visit the Maison de Balzac for quiet literary charm.
41. Hear jazz at a cellar club like Caveau de la Huchette.

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Quirky Paris Experiences

The stuff people only learn after spending time here.

42. Take a canal boat through Canal Saint-Martin’s locks.
43. Ride bus 72 along the river instead of the tourist boat.
44. Visit the sewer museum if you like odd history.
45. Have tea at the Grand Mosque of Paris in the courtyard.
46. Take a perfume workshop and make your own scent.
47. Find the Wallace fountains and taste the legend of Paris water.
48. Browse Shakespeare and Company then read on the river steps.

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Views Without the Crowds

Skip the obvious lookout.

49. Rooftop of Galeries Lafayette at sunset.
50. Printemps rooftop cafe for a coffee and skyline moment.
51. Terrace of Institut du Monde Arabe for river views.
52. Climb Parc de Belleville hill for city light sparkle.
53. Walk the Promenade Plantée high above the streets.
54. La Défense Grande Arche rooftop for a modern angle.
55. Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir bridge for river quiet.

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Day Trips that Feel Special

These short escapes add depth to your trip.

56. Giverny for Monet’s garden, early in the day.
57. Versailles gardens by bike.
58. Reims for Champagne cellars and cathedral history.
59. Auvers-sur-Oise to visit Van Gogh places.
60. Fontainebleau for palaces and forest walks.
61. Provins for medieval streets.
62. Rambouillet for lakes and wooded paths.
63. Sceaux Park in spring for cherry blossoms.
64. Montreuil flea market for vintage finds.
65. Saint-Germain-en-Laye for a castle terrace walk and town market.