Guide

Unusual things to do in Paris: 15 tested ideas

Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Montmartre: done, done, done. This guide is for travelers who want to see Paris differently, and for Parisians chasing rediscovery. Fifteen ideas sorted by mood, all tested, with the practical details that matter. Written by the Timescope team, which has been reconstructing the history of Paris with historians for 10 years.

By Basile Segalen

Co-founder of Timescope

Published 12 June 2026 · updated 9 September 2026

The camp of the Parisii at sunset, before the founding of Lutetia - Timescope 3D reconstruction — The camp of the Parisii, before it became Lutetia and then Paris. Reconstructed for The Origins of Paris, on the banks of the Seine.

For couples

1. Time travel on the banks of the Seine

Let's start with our own specialty, full disclosure, this is us, and it is the best-rated experience of its kind in Paris (4.9/5 across 4,290+ reviews). The Origins of Paris: a one-hour guided walk along the Seine where, at every stop, virtual-reality binoculars resurrect Lutetia, the Middle Ages or the 1889 World's Fair, exactly where you stand. From €19, English-speaking tours, Wednesday to Sunday.

2. Get lost in the covered passages

Galerie Vivienne for the mosaics, Passage des Panoramas for engravers and vintage shops, Passage Jouffroy for bookshops. Paris in 1820, sheltered, free, photogenic in any season.

3. A riverboat dinner or a guinguette night

From the revived guinguettes of eastern Paris to the barges of the 13th, water makes everything more romantic. Tip: aim for sunset from the lower quays, facing Île Saint-Louis.

Two visitors with virtual-reality binoculars on the banks of the Seine — On the quays, at the Viking stop. The walk happens outdoors, on foot, in almost any weather.

With kids

4. Witness the birth of the Eiffel Tower, at the foot of the real one

The Symbol of Paris, our second experience, happens on the Champ-de-Mars: Gustave Eiffel's workshops, the 1889 World's Fair, the Roaring Twenties… 15 immersive scenes, from age 8 (kids 8-15 pay €19). Rated 5/5, and no climbing ticket needed. The rest of the district is in our guide to the area around the Eiffel Tower.

5. The strangest museum in the Marais

The Hunting & Nature Museum: cabinets of curiosities, a fox asleep on an armchair, a ceiling of feathers. Kids love it; adults secretly more.

6. Cross Paris on the Coulée verte

A 4.5 km planted walkway on a former railway viaduct, from Bastille towards the Bois de Vincennes. Free, above the rooftops, stroller-friendly.

The Seine quays under a grey mist - Timescope 3D reconstruction — Paris under mist, during the plague. Today's grey sky sharpens the contrast with the Paris of the past rather than dulling it.

On a rainy day

7. The Fairground Arts Museum (book ahead)

Working 1900s carousels and fairground games in the Pavillons de Bercy. Guided visits only, reserve in advance. Another dry-weather-proof option, entirely below ground: visiting underground Paris.

8. Riverside booksellers, then a bookshop café

When the shower hits, the green boxes close but the Latin Quarter's bookshops open. The history of Paris in original editions is best browsed dry.

9. An immersive show or a candlelight concert

Churches turned concert halls, immersive theatre, art-deco cinemas: rainy Paris is a stage. And keep idea #1 for the next clear spell, the Origins walk runs in most weather.

In the evening

10. Paris rooftops at dusk

The free terrace of Galeries Lafayette, the rooftops of the east, or simply the Sacré-Cœur steps when the lamps light up. Parisian golden hour never cheats.

11. A cruise that isn't a bateau-mouche

Small electric boats for rent, no license needed, on the Seine or the Canal de l'Ourcq: Paris at water level, at your own pace, picnic on board allowed.

12. Crime-and-mysteries Paris

Night storytelling walks, Père-Lachaise legends, Marais criminal cases: evening themed tours turn the city into a noir novel.

Free (or almost)

13. The remains of Lutetia

The Arènes de Lutèce (free, 5th) and the Cluny baths remind you Paris is 2,000 years old. To see Lutetia standing rather than in ruins, that is exactly what our experience reconstructs; but the original stones are open-air and free.

Gallo-Roman Lutetia reconstructed in virtual reality - Timescope 3D reconstruction — Lutetia standing: the forum, the baths and the theatre, where only the arena and the Cluny walls survive today.

14. Saint-Ouen flea market, curiosity edition

The largest antiques market in the world. In the photo dealers' alleys you can find snapshots of 1900s Paris for a few euros.

15. The banks of the Seine, simply

UNESCO-listed, pedestrian, free, different at every hour. Our insider tip: the right bank between Pont Louis-Philippe and Île Saint-Louis, the panorama has been intact for centuries. We should know: that is where we set up our time machine.

Frequently asked questions

What is an unusual thing to do in Paris if I have seen everything?

Time travel. Timescope's experiences (The Origins of Paris, The Symbol of Paris) overlay yesterday's Paris onto today's, in virtual reality, on the very spots, even Parisians rediscover their own city.

What can I do in Paris when it rains?

The covered passages (Panoramas, Vivienne, Jouffroy), offbeat small museums like the Hunting & Nature Museum, or an immersive show. Our own outdoor experiences run in most weather, a little rain even adds to the charm of 1900s Paris.

What unusual free things can I do in Paris?

The Coulée verte elevated park, the riverside booksellers (a UNESCO sight), or the free rooftop of Galeries Lafayette. Walking the banks of the Seine at sunset remains the best free show in Paris.