Paris Free Walking Tour
2h45 · rated 9.3/10 in 1,061 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spot- Home
- Paris
Free things to do in Paris
Paris charges for its headline museums and gives away more than most visitors expect. The city runs its own network of museums, and their permanent collections cost nothing on any open day: the Petit Palais, Carnavalet, the Musée d'Art Moderne and several smaller houses. Notre-Dame is free, so is Sacré-Cœur, and so is the roof of Galeries Lafayette. The national museums are the tricky part. Orsay and the Orangerie open free on the first Sunday of each month but only with a booked slot, the Louvre moved its free slot to the first Friday evening, and several monuments are free on first Sundays in winter only. The details below are what the ticket desk will actually apply.
Free walking tours in Paris3
These have no fixed price. You reserve a spot, and at the end you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth.
Montmartre Free Walking Tour
2h45 · rated 9.5/10 in 831 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotParis Mysteries & Legends Free Tour
2h · rated 9/10 in 63 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotSpots are booked through Civitatis.
Always free in Paris20
Open to everyone, every day they are open. No ticket to buy.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Île de la CitéAlways freeBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
The cathedral reopened in December 2024 with cleaned stone that is paler than anyone alive remembers. The nave, the rose windows and the new liturgical furniture are all free to see.
- Free when
- Always · Mon–Wed and Fri 7:45–19:00, Thu 7:45–22:00, Sat–Sun 8:15–19:30
- Free for whom
- Everyone. The Treasury (€12) and the towers are separate paid visits.
- Reservation
- Optional free time slot on notredamedeparis.fr or the official app. Without one, join the walk-up line on the square.
- Time needed
- 45 min to 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 4 to Cité, or RER B/C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame
Worth it? Yes.Worth it, and Thursday evening is the calm slot since it stays open until 22:00. Anyone selling you a cathedral entry ticket on the square is selling nothing.
Source: Paris je t'aime, Paris Tourist Office · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Sacré-Cœur Basilica and its steps
MontmartreAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
A white basilica on the highest hill in Paris, with a huge gold mosaic inside and the whole city laid out below the front steps. The view from the steps costs nothing; only the dome climb is paid.
- Free when
- Always · every day 6:30–22:30
- Free for whom
- Everyone. The dome is a separate paid visit.
- Reservation
- Not needed. Expect a 10 to 15 minute wait between 10:30 and 17:00.
- Time needed
- 1h with the view
- How to get there
- Metro 2 to Anvers then the stairs, or Metro 12 to Abbesses and a 10 minute climb. The funicular costs one transit ticket.
Worth it? Yes.Go before 9:30 or after 19:00. Midday the steps are packed and the bracelet sellers at the bottom of the stairs are persistent, so keep your hands in your pockets and keep walking.
Source: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Petit Palais
Champs-ÉlyséesAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
The city's fine arts museum, in a 1900 exhibition palace with painted ceilings and a courtyard garden. Monet, Courbet, Rembrandt and a full Guimard dining room, with no ticket.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry to the permanent collection 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 14 July, 11 Nov, 25 Dec.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, permanent collection and garden. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed for the permanent collection
- Time needed
- 1h30
- How to get there
- Metro 1 or 13 to Champs-Élysées Clemenceau
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum in Paris, and the building alone justifies the stop. Friday and Saturday late openings cover the paid exhibitions only, so come in the daytime.
Source: Petit Palais · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée Carnavalet
Le MaraisAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
The museum of the history of Paris, spread through two Marais mansions. Old shop signs, Revolution relics, Proust's bedroom and an entire Art Nouveau jewellery shop rebuilt inside.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed for the permanent collection
- Time needed
- 2h
- How to get there
- Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 8 to Chemin Vert
Worth it? Yes.It is big, so pick a period instead of trying to walk it all. The shop sign gallery on the ground floor and the Revolution rooms upstairs are the two to keep.
Source: Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris
Trocadéro / AlmaAlways freeIndoor
The city's modern art collection in the east wing of the Palais de Tokyo building. Two versions of Matisse's La Danse and Dufy's room-sized mural on electricity are the reasons to come.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, ticket desk closes 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed for the permanent collection. Some rooms can be closed.
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 9 to Iéna or Alma-Marceau
Worth it? Yes.With the Centre Pompidou shut for renovation, this is where to see twentieth-century art in Paris for free. Walk out onto the terrace afterwards for a side view of the Eiffel Tower.
Source: Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée Bourdelle
MontparnasseAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
The studios and gardens where sculptor Antoine Bourdelle worked, left much as they were, with monumental bronzes standing among the trees. Rodin's assistant, a fraction of Rodin's crowds.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15. Closed Mondays, 25 Dec, 1 Jan.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 4, 6, 12 or 13 to Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, or Metro 12 to Falguière
Worth it? Yes.Go if the Rodin museum's ticket price puts you off. The old wooden studio at the back, with its stove and plaster dust, is the room to find.
Source: Musée Bourdelle · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée de la Libération de Paris
Denfert-RochereauAlways freeIndoor
The Occupation and the August 1944 uprising, told through General Leclerc and Jean Moulin, in a pavilion across the square from the Catacombs entrance. Twenty metres below sits the bunker that served as the Resistance command post.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed Mondays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, permanent collection. The underground command post needs a separate ticket; ask at the desk.
- Reservation
- Not needed for the museum
- Time needed
- 1h30
- How to get there
- Metro 4 or 6, or RER B, to Denfert-Rochereau
Worth it? Yes.A serious, well-made museum that most people walk past on the way to the Catacombs queue. The command post is reached by about a hundred steps and no lift.
Source: Musée de la Libération de Paris, musée du général Leclerc, musée Jean Moulin · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée de la Vie Romantique
Pigalle / Nouvelle AthènesAlways freeIndoor
A green-shuttered 1830s house at the end of a cobbled lane, once painter Ary Scheffer's home, where Chopin and George Sand came on Fridays. It reopened in February 2026 after a full restoration.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, museum collections. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 45 min
- How to get there
- Metro 2 to Blanche or Metro 12 to Saint-Georges, then 16 Rue Chaptal
Worth it? Yes.Small and quick, so pair it with Montmartre. The garden tea room is the draw on a dry afternoon, though the tea is not free.
Source: Musée de la Vie Romantique · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Mémorial de la Shoah
Le MaraisAlways freeIndoor
France's Holocaust museum and archive. The Wall of Names in the forecourt lists the 76,000 Jews deported from France, and the permanent exhibition below follows what happened to them.
- Free when
- Always · Sun–Fri 10:00–18:00, Thursdays until 22:00. Closed Saturdays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 14 July, 15 Aug, 25 Dec and some Jewish holidays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. Free guided tour in French on Sundays at 15:00, in English on the second Sunday of the month.
- Time needed
- 1h30
- How to get there
- Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 7 to Pont Marie
Worth it? Yes.Heavy and worth the time. It is one of the few museums open on Monday, and there is an airport-style security check at the door.
Source: Mémorial de la Shoah · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Oval Room, BnF Richelieu
Bourse / Palais-RoyalAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
The great oval reading room of the old National Library, glass roof, iron columns and open shelves that include a large comics collection. Since the 2022 restoration anyone can walk in and sit down.
- Free when
- Always · Tue 10:00–20:00, Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays and most public holidays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, no reader card, no age limit. The museum upstairs is paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 30 min
- How to get there
- Metro 3 to Bourse, or Metro 7 and 14 to Pyramides. Enter at 5 Rue Vivienne or 58 Rue de Richelieu.
Worth it? Yes.The best rainy-hour stop in central Paris. It is a working library, so keep your voice down and expect a short line at the door on weekend afternoons.
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Galeries Lafayette rooftop terrace
Opéra / HaussmannAlways freeGood with kids
The roof of the department store, eight floors up, looks over the back of the Opéra Garnier to the Eiffel Tower and across to Sacré-Cœur. On the way, the 1912 stained-glass dome over the perfume hall is worth a stop of its own.
- Free when
- Always · Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun and public holidays 11:00–20:00. Can close in rain or strong wind.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, no ticket, no purchase
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 30 min
- How to get there
- Metro 7 or 9 to Chaussée d'Antin La Fayette, main building at 40 Boulevard Haussmann, escalators to floor 8
Worth it? Yes.The easiest free view in the city. Part of the roof is given over to a seasonal bar, but the viewing side stays open; the last hour before closing has the best light.
Source: Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Père Lachaise Cemetery
20th arrondissementAlways free
Forty-four hectares of cobbled lanes, mossy chapels and famous graves on a hillside in the east: Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin, Édith Piaf, Proust.
- Free when
- Always · 16 March to 5 November: Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat 8:30–18:00, Sun 9:00–18:00. Closes earlier the rest of the year. Open on public holidays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1h30 to 2h
- How to get there
- Metro 3 to Gambetta for the top gate, or Metro 2 and 3 to Père Lachaise for the bottom
Worth it? Yes.Start at Gambetta and walk downhill; Wilde is five minutes from that gate. Photograph the plan at the entrance, because phone maps are little help among the divisions.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Jardin du Luxembourg
Latin Quarter / Saint-GermainAlways freeGood with kids
The Senate's garden: a formal basin where children push wooden sailboats, the shaded Medici Fountain, an orchard, chess tables, and green metal chairs you can drag wherever you like.
- Free when
- Always · every day. Opens between 7:30 and 8:15, closes between 16:45 and 21:30 depending on the season; hours shift every two weeks with the sun.
- Free for whom
- Everyone. Boat hire, the playground and the puppet theatre are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- RER B to Luxembourg, or Metro 4 to Saint-Sulpice
Worth it? Yes.The chairs are free and the lawns are mostly off limits, so take a chair by the Medici Fountain. Guards start whistling people out half an hour before the gates close.
Source: Sénat, Jardin du Luxembourg · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Palais-Royal garden and Buren's columns
Louvre / Palais-RoyalAlways freeGood with kids
An enclosed garden ringed by arcades, two minutes from the Louvre and far quieter. Daniel Buren's black and white striped columns fill the first courtyard and children climb all over them.
- Free when
- Always · every day. April to September 8:00–22:30, October to March 8:00–20:30.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 30 to 45 min
- How to get there
- Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre, entrance on Place Colette
Worth it? Yes.The best bench break near the Louvre. Walk the full length under the lime trees and leave by the north end, which puts you in front of Galerie Vivienne.
Source: Domaine national du Palais-Royal · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Parc de Belleville and the Willy Ronis viewpoint
BellevilleAlways freeGood with kids
A terraced park on the Belleville hill with a belvedere at the top that takes in the whole city, Eiffel Tower included. Locals outnumber visitors by a wide margin.
- Free when
- Always · every day. Opens 8:00 on weekdays and 9:00 at weekends; closes around 19:30 in October, later in summer, earlier in winter.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 45 min
- How to get there
- Metro 11 to Pyrénées and walk down Rue Piat to the belvedere, or Metro 2 to Couronnes and climb
Worth it? Yes.Arrive from the top at Rue Piat so the view comes first and the walk is downhill. The belvedere terrace sits on the street, so the view is still there after the park gates shut.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Coulée Verte René-Dumont
Bastille / 12th arrondissementAlways freeGood with kids
A 4.5 km planted walkway on a disused railway line, opened in 1988, long before New York's High Line. The first stretch runs on a brick viaduct above Avenue Daumesnil at third-floor height.
- Free when
- Always · every day. Opens 8:00 on weekdays and 9:00 at weekends; closes around 19:30 in October, later in summer, earlier in winter.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 45 min for the viaduct, 1h30 to the end
- How to get there
- Metro 1, 5 or 8 to Bastille, then the staircase on Avenue Daumesnil just behind the Opéra Bastille
Worth it? Yes.The viaduct section as far as Jardin de Reuilly is the part to walk; after that it drops to ground level and gets ordinary. Joggers own it before 9:00.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Canal Saint-Martin
10th arrondissementAlways freeGood with kids
A canal finished in 1825, lined with plane trees and crossed by arched iron footbridges. Barges rise and fall through the locks while people sit along the edge with their legs over the water.
- Free when
- Always · open quays, any time. On Sundays the quays are closed to cars, 10:00–18:00 from October to March and 10:00–20:00 from April to September.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 5 to Jacques Bonsergent, then down Rue de Lancry to Quai de Valmy
Worth it? Yes.Walk north from Rue de Lancry to the Bassin de la Villette and wait on a footbridge for a boat to come through a lock. Sunday is the day, with no traffic on either quay.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Galerie Vivienne and the covered passages
Bourse / Grands BoulevardsAlways freeIndoorGood with kids
Glass-roofed shopping arcades from the early 1800s. Galerie Vivienne (1823) has the mosaic floor and the old bookshop; ten minutes north, Passage des Panoramas (1799), Jouffroy and Verdeau run end to end across the boulevard.
- Free when
- Always · Galerie Vivienne every day 8:30–20:30. The other passages are generally open daily, and some shut at night or on Sundays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1h for the full chain
- How to get there
- Metro 3 to Bourse for Galerie Vivienne (4 Rue des Petits-Champs); Metro 8 or 9 to Grands Boulevards for Panoramas and Jouffroy
Worth it? Yes.A dry walk on a wet day. Do Vivienne first, then go up Rue Vivienne to Panoramas and carry straight on through Jouffroy and Verdeau. Many shops close on Sunday, which makes for clearer photos and less to look at.
Source: Paris je t'aime, Paris Tourist Office · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée Cognacq-Jay
Le MaraisAlways freeIndoor
The eighteenth-century art collection of the founders of La Samaritaine, hung in a Marais townhouse: Fragonard, Boucher, Canaletto, snuffboxes and panelled salons.
- Free when
- Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 45 min
- How to get there
- Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 8 to Chemin Vert, then 8 Rue Elzévir
Worth it? Depends.Lovely if you like Rococo, skippable if you do not. It is three minutes from Carnavalet, so look in only if you still have energy. No lift, stairs throughout.
Source: Musée Cognacq-Jay · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
19th arrondissementAlways freeGood with kids
A steep 25-hectare park built in 1867 in an old quarry, with cliffs, a lake and lawns you are allowed to lie on, which is rare in Paris.
- Free when
- Always · every day from 7:00, closing around 20:00 in October and later in summer
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 7bis to Buttes Chaumont or Botzaris, or Metro 5 to Laumière
Worth it? Depends.Check before you cross town: major works run until 2027 and the central island, the Temple de la Sibylle and the waterfall are closed, with part of the lake path too. The lawns and the hills are still good for a picnic.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Free on certain days, or for certain people8
Mostly museums. The free window, who it applies to and the booking rule are on each card.
Louvre, free for under-18s and under-26s from the EEA
LouvreFree on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
On any open day the Louvre is free for everyone under 18 and for 18 to 25 year olds from the European Economic Area. Orsay, the Orangerie and the other national museums apply the same rule.
- Free when
- Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun 9:00–18:00; Wed and Fri 9:00–21:00. Closed Tuesdays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
- Free for whom
- Under-18s of any nationality with ID. Under-26s who are citizens of an EEA country, or who live in one with a residence permit, with photo ID. Other visitors aged 18 to 25 pay full price.
- Reservation
- A time slot is recommended even with free entry; choose the free ticket on the Louvre's own ticketing site.
- Time needed
- 3h
- How to get there
- Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre
Worth it? Yes.If you qualify, this is the single biggest saving in Paris. Use the Wednesday or Friday late opening, when the galleries thin out after 18:00.
Source: Musée du Louvre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée de l'Orangerie, first Sunday
Tuileries / ConcordeFree on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
Two oval rooms built for Monet's eight Water Lilies panels, with a compact collection of Cézanne, Renoir, Modigliani and Soutine downstairs.
- Free when
- First Sunday of the month, 9:00–18:00, last entry 17:15
- Free for whom
- Everyone. Under-18s and 18 to 25 year olds who are EU nationals or long-term EU residents are free on any open day.
- Reservation
- Mandatory: reserve a free time slot on the museum's ticketing site.
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 1, 8 or 12 to Concorde
Worth it? Yes.Small enough that a timed free slot works well. The first room is the busy one, so walk through to the second and sit there.
Source: Musée de l'Orangerie · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée Picasso, first Sunday
Le MaraisFree on certain daysIndoorGood with kids
The largest public collection of Picasso's work, the pieces he kept for himself, hung in a seventeenth-century Marais mansion.
- Free when
- First Sunday of the month, 9:30–18:00, last entry 17:15
- Free for whom
- Everyone. Under-18s and EU residents under 26 are free on any open day.
- Reservation
- Free tickets cannot be booked. Turn up and queue.
- Time needed
- 1h30
- How to get there
- Metro 1 to Saint-Paul, or Metro 8 to Saint-Sébastien Froissart or Chemin Vert
Worth it? Yes.No booking means a line down Rue de Thorigny by late morning. Be there at 9:15 or come after 15:30.
Source: Musée national Picasso-Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée Rodin, first Sunday in winter
InvalidesFree on certain daysIndoorGood with kids
Rodin's sculptures in the mansion where he worked, with The Thinker and The Gates of Hell outdoors in a large garden.
- Free when
- First Sunday of the month from October to March only, 10:00–18:30, last entry 17:45
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed on free Sundays
- Time needed
- 1h30
- How to get there
- Metro 13 to Varenne
Worth it? Yes.From April to September the first Sunday is a normal paid day, which catches people out. On a cold free Sunday the garden is nearly empty and the bronzes look better for it.
Source: Musée Rodin · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Arc de Triomphe rooftop, first Sunday in winter
ÉtoileFree on certain daysGood with kids
The terrace on top of the arch, 284 steps up, looks straight down twelve avenues with the Eiffel Tower to one side. Standing under the arch at street level is always free; the roof is free on five Sundays a year.
- Free when
- First Sunday of November, December, January, February and March, 10:00–22:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing
- Free for whom
- Everyone on those Sundays. Under-18s, and 18 to 25 year olds who are EU nationals or legal residents of France, are free year-round.
- Reservation
- The official page does not require a booking for free Sundays. Expect a long line at the underpass.
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Metro 1, 2 or 6, or RER A, to Charles de Gaulle Étoile. Use the underpass, never cross the roundabout.
Worth it? Yes.The best paid view in Paris, free five times a year. Go at dusk, when the queue is shorter than at midday and the avenues light up.
Source: Centre des monuments nationaux · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Louvre, first Friday evening
LouvreFree on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoor
The Louvre no longer does free first Sundays. Its free slot for all visitors is the first Friday of the month from 18:00 until closing at 21:00.
- Free when
- First Friday of the month, 18:00–21:00, last entry 20:00. Not in July or August. Also free all day on 14 July.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- The Louvre recommends booking a free time slot on its ticketing site. Slots for the free evening go fast.
- Time needed
- 2h to 3h
- How to get there
- Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre
Worth it? Depends.Three hours is enough for one wing, and the Mona Lisa room is a scrum. Choose Richelieu for the Napoleon III apartments and the sculpture courts, and it becomes a good evening.
Source: Musée du Louvre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Musée d'Orsay, first Sunday
Saint-Germain / Seine left bankFree on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
The Impressionist collection in the old Orsay railway station: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh's self-portrait. Free for all on the first Sunday of every month.
- Free when
- First Sunday of the month, 9:30–18:00, last entry 17:00
- Free for whom
- Everyone. Under-18s and under-26s from the EEA are free on any open day.
- Reservation
- Mandatory: reserve a free time slot on the museum's ticketing site. No slot, no entry.
- Time needed
- 2h to 3h
- How to get there
- RER C to Musée d'Orsay or Metro 12 to Solférino
Worth it? Depends.The fifth floor is shoulder to shoulder on free Sundays. Take the earliest slot you can get and go straight up to the Impressionists before doing anything else.
Source: Musée d'Orsay · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Panthéon, first Sunday in winter
Latin QuarterFree on certain daysIndoor
The domed temple where France buries its heroes: Voltaire, Hugo, Marie Curie, Josephine Baker. Foucault's pendulum swings under the dome and the crypt runs beneath the whole building.
- Free when
- First Sunday of November, December, January, February and March, 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15
- Free for whom
- Everyone on those Sundays. Under-18s, and 18 to 25 year olds who are EU nationals or legal residents of France, are free year-round.
- Reservation
- The official page does not require a booking for free Sundays
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- RER B to Luxembourg or Metro 10 to Cardinal Lemoine
Worth it? Depends.The interior is grand and cold, and the crypt means more if the names mean something to you. Good free, a harder call at full price.
Source: Centre des monuments nationaux · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Before you go
- Monday is the weak day: every City of Paris museum is closed, so plan parks, Notre-Dame, the Louvre area and the canal instead.
- For Orsay and the Orangerie on a first Sunday, a booked free slot is mandatory, so sort it online before you travel rather than at the door.
- Carry photo ID if you are under 26 and from an EU or EEA country, because the free ticket is refused without it.
Questions people ask
Is the Louvre free on the first Sunday of the month?
No. The Louvre's free slot for everyone is the first Friday of the month after 18:00, except in July and August, plus 14 July. Under-18s and under-26s from the European Economic Area get in free on any open day.
Do I need to book for free first Sundays?
It depends on the museum. Orsay and the Orangerie require a booked time slot. The Picasso museum does not take bookings for free tickets and Rodin needs none, so you queue.
Is Notre-Dame free and do I need a reservation?
Entry to the cathedral is free for everyone. A free time slot can be reserved on the cathedral's website or app, but it is optional and there is always a line for visitors without one. Only the Treasury and the towers charge.
Which Paris museums are always free?
The permanent collections of the City of Paris museums, including the Petit Palais, Musée Carnavalet, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Musée Bourdelle, Musée Cognacq-Jay, Musée de la Vie Romantique and the Musée de la Libération. The Mémorial de la Shoah is free too.
Who gets into Paris museums free under 26?
Citizens of European Economic Area countries aged 18 to 25, and non-citizens of the same age who hold a residence permit there, with photo ID. Under-18s are free whatever their nationality. An American or Brazilian visitor aged 22 pays full price.
PAID · ONE PER CITY
If you spend on one thing in Paris, make it this.
Eiffel Tower, stairs to the second floor
The free viewpoints all look at the tower, and none of them puts you inside the ironwork. Climbing the stairs is the cheapest ticket and the best way to see how the thing is built, with the city dropping away between the girders. Go near dusk and stay for the lights on the hour.
Everything above is free. This is the only paid pick on the page, chosen because no free option replaces it.
See tickets and prices
