Things to Do in Paris: Beyond the Eiffel Tower (2026 Guide)

Paris is the most visited city in the world. And the most visited version of Paris — Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Champs-Élysées, Notre-Dame — is a beautiful but incomplete picture.

The Paris that Parisians live in is quieter, tastier, and more interesting.

Skip the Lines, Find the Real Paris

Canal Saint-Martin (10th arrondissement) — Iron footbridges over a tree-lined canal, with cafés and vintage shops on both sides. This is where young Parisians hang out on summer evenings with a bottle of wine and a baguette.

Le Marais on a Sunday — The only Parisian neighborhood that is lively on Sundays (most of Paris shuts down). Falafel on Rue des Rosiers, galleries, boutiques, people-watching.

Rue Montorgueil (2nd arrondissement) — A pedestrian market street with fishmongers, cheese shops, bakeries, and flower stalls. More authentic than any tourist market.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (19th arrondissement) — Paris's most dramatic park. Built in an old quarry with cliffs, a lake, a temple on a hill, and waterfalls. Zero tourists. Parisians come here for picnics.

The covered passages — 19th-century glass-roofed shopping arcades scattered across the 2nd and 9th arrondissements. Galerie Vivienne is the most beautiful. Passage des Panoramas is the oldest.

Food Like a Parisian

• Croissant — Not from a tourist bakery near the Eiffel Tower. The best croissant in Paris changes every year (there is an actual competition). Currently: Cédric Grolet Opéra.
• Baguette — Buy one from any boulangerie with a line. Eat it while walking. This is normal and encouraged.
• Bistro lunch — The formule (set lunch menu) at a neighborhood bistro is the best value in Paris. 3 courses for 15-20 euros.
• Wine bar — Natural wine bars in the 11th arrondissement (Oberkampf area) are where Parisians drink now. Not the formal wine restaurants.
• Crêpes — Rue du Montparnasse has a row of Breton crêperies. Order a galette complète (ham, cheese, egg in a buckwheat crêpe) and a bowl of cider.

The Rules

• Never eat at a restaurant directly facing a major monument. Walk two streets away.
• Say "Bonjour" when entering any shop or café. Not saying it is considered extremely rude.
• Parisians do not rush. Lunch is at least an hour. Coffee is sipped, not gulped.
• The métro is the fastest way around. Uber works but is expensive.

A Local Friend in Paris knows which bakery just won the best croissant award, which wine bar has the best natural wines by the glass, and which museum has a free evening that nobody knows about.