My Ultimate Paris Bucket List

When I dream of Paris, I dream of the little things. The details and experiences that stand out at the end of the day are something I can only say I got to do because of Paris itself. When you think of the ultimate bucket list for exploring Paris, what do you think of? The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Seine bridges are all iconic spots the city is known for. But there is another world under the surface, a treasure trove of hidden gems beneath all the obvious splendor, that I’m looking to find… Here is my ultimate bucket list of experiences in Paris.

What would you add to the list? Please share your wish list of Paris experiences in the comment section below!

1. Venture inside Notre Dame cathedral after its highly anticipated reopening.

2. Listen to a concert by a street performer on the Pont Saint Louis bridge behind Notre Dame.

3. Buy a book and get it stamped at Shakespeare and Co.

4. Meet the Mona Lisa after dark. The Louvre Museum offers late hours until 9 pm on Wednesday and Friday- while you’re there at night, discover less crowded areas of the museum.

5. See the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles on the hour.

6. Take a boat cruise on the Seine (why not try a small pontoon boat operated by Green River Cruises?) 

7. Eat pressed duck at La Tour d’Argent, a gastronomic institution that inspired the Pixar animated film Ratatouille.  

8. Shop til you drop (or ride the escalators and admire the art) at Le Bon Marché, the legendary department store that was the first of its kind in the world. 

9. Get a bird’s eye view of Paris (including the Eiffel Tower!) from the top of the Tour Montparnasse.

10. Eat on the roof terrace of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.

11. Cross the bridges of the Canal Saint Martin and watch boats navigate the locks. While you’re in the neighborhood, grab a croissant from the nearby bakery Du Pain et des Idées.

12. Toast a glass of Pet Nat at a wine bar like Le Barav, Folderol, Bar Etna, or L’Avant Comptoir.

13. Explore Paris underground in the Catacombs.

14. Shop the boutiques on Rue Charonne.

15. Have lunch at a classic bistro (Check out the Bonjour Paris list of 13 recommendations).

16. Catch a cabaret in Montmartre. 

17. Watch a concert at Le Cigale, Olympia, La Maroquinerie, or Petit Bain. (Get more inspiration with BP’s list here.)  

18. Go to a jazz club like the Duc des Lombards. 

19. Sip absinthe at La Closerie de Lilas.  

20. Go around the roundabout of the Arc de Triomphe.

21. See the flowers in season at the Jardin du Luxembourg. 

22. Take a picture on the steps of the Opera House.

23. Treat yourself to oysters and champagne at Huitrerie Régis. 

24. Meet Van Gogh’s self-portrait at the Orsay Museum. 

25. People watch in the Tuileries Gardens. 

26. Stroll down Rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre and admire the pretty houses. 

27. Go to see the extraordinary stained glass windows at Sainte-Chapelle. This beautiful chapel once housed the holy relics like the Crown of Thorns (now at Notre Dame). 

28. Stay in a charming hotel that reflects its neighborhood, perhaps on the Île Saint-Louis in the middle of the Seine.  

29. Eat falafel on the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais district. 

30. Open yourself to a new world of ice cream.

31. Line up to buy a baguette from the 2024 winner of the Paris Best Baguette award (that’s Xavier Netry of the boulangerie Utopie, situated at 20, rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud in the 11th).   

32. Ride the Transilien Ligne L (between Saint Cloud and La Défense) for the best panoramic view of Paris. 

33. Take a walk in nature in the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne, 

34. Sit outside any cafe for a drink and the ambiance. 

35. Window-shop the luxury boutiques on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. 

36. Venture down the stairs at the Abbey Bookshop. 

37. See the cherry blossoms in season at the Parc de Sceaux. 

38. Walk along the Coulée Verte René-Dumont, a former elevated railway that’s been turned into a pedestrian promenade, aka the original “High Line”! 

39. Visit Musée Rodin for the outdoor sculpture garden 

40. Picnic in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont.

41. Find Edith Piaf’s tomb in Père-Lachaise cemetery. 

42. Go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and look down on the Champs-Élysées. 

43. Enjoy a hot chocolate at Angelina or Jacques Genin. 

44. Eat dim sum in Chinatown.

45. Admire street art in Belleville. 

46. Shop the street market at Bastille (or the organic one on Blvd Raspail). 

47. Watch the tango dancers along the Seine (next to the open-air sculpture museum of the Jardin Tino-Rossi in the 5th arrondissement). 

48. Drink mint tea, and/or go to the hammam, at the Grande Mosquée de Paris. 

49. Admire the ancient Roman baths at the Cluny Museum. 

50. Drink a cocktail at a speakeasy or a palace hotel.