Paris has a reputation as an expensive city, but some of its greatest experiences cost nothing at all. Two of its most famous churches are free, several national monuments open their doors free on certain Sundays, under 18s get into almost every national museum for free, and the city runs its own free museums. Add the parks, the river and the markets, and you could fill several days without buying a ticket.

Free landmarks

  • Notre-Dame de Paris. The restored cathedral is free every day, with an optional free time-slot reservation. A free Great Organ recital takes place on Sundays at 4pm. Only the tower climb is paid.
  • The Sacré-Cœur. The basilica on top of Montmartre is free and open from 6.30am to 10.30pm, and the view from its steps is one of the best in Paris.
  • The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Beneath the Arc de Triomphe, free to visit; the flame is rekindled every evening.
  • Churches. Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Eustache, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Madeleine are all free to enter outside services.

Free museum days

Several big museums and monuments are free for everyone at set times:

  • The Louvre is free for everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6pm, except in July and August.
  • The Orangerie is free on the first Sunday of the month, but you must book a slot online.
  • The Arc de Triomphe and the Sainte-Chapelle are free on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.
  • Versailles gardens are free from November to March.

Most national museums, including the Louvre, the Orsay, the Orangerie, the Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe, are free every day for under 18s, and for residents of the EU or EEA under 26. Bring photo ID.

The City of Paris museums

The permanent collections of the museums run by the city are free. They include the Musée Carnavalet, the history of Paris in two Marais mansions; the Petit Palais, opposite the Grand Palais, with a lovely garden café; the Maison de Victor Hugo on the Place des Vosges; and the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. Temporary exhibitions are usually paid.

Parks and gardens

  • The Luxembourg Gardens, with their fountains, chess players and green metal chairs.
  • The Tuileries, between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.
  • The Jardin des Plantes, the botanical garden on the Left Bank; the greenhouses and zoo are paid.
  • Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, with cliffs, a lake and a temple on a rock in the 19th arrondissement.
  • The Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris, in the Marais.

Walks and views

Walk the banks of the Seine between the Eiffel Tower and the Île Saint-Louis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, past the bookstalls of the quays. Stroll the Coulée verte René-Dumont, an old railway viaduct turned into a garden walk near Bastille. Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the Trocadéro after dark, and visit Père-Lachaise Cemetery, where Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf and Jim Morrison are buried.

In the 10th arrondissement, the tree-lined Canal Saint-Martin, with its iron footbridges and locks, is a favourite Sunday walk for Parisians, and on the Left Bank you can browse the crowded shelves of Shakespeare and Company, the English-language bookshop facing Notre-Dame.

For a free bird’s-eye view, the rooftop terraces of the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores look out over the Opéra Garnier and the city.

Markets and seasonal events

Browsing Paris’s street markets costs nothing, from the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais to the flower market on the Île de la Cité. In winter, the Christmas markets at the Tuileries, Notre-Dame and, from 22 November 2026, the Champs-Élysées are free to enter, and the Champs-Élysées lights are switched on the same evening.

Tips

  • Free first-Sunday visits are popular; arrive early or book if a slot is required.
  • Free entry for young people depends on age and residence, so check the rules for each site.
  • Walking is free and is the best way to see Paris: the centre is compact and every street has something to see.