The Amazing Things to do in Paris

If it’s your first time to Paris, you’ll probably want to spend some time at the world renowned Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame, but don’t miss out on other notable city jewels such as the Musée d’Orsay, the Luxembourg Gardens or Le Marais.
There’s no way you’ll get to do it all museum touring, shopping, cemetery perusing, district exploring, opera attending so plan your own itinerary, group sightseeing nearby attractions together and see Paris on your own terms. Or, book a guided tour to explore pockets of the city with the help of a local. Let’s exploce The Amazing Things to do in Paris below.

The Amazing Things to do in Paris

Get drinks with a view at Perchoir

The original Perchoir has become so popular it is a rooftop bar that is open year round that they’ve opened two more seasonal rooftop bars for the spring and summer months. Le Perchoir Marais is on top of the BHV department store next to Hotel de Ville, Paris’ city hall, and offers a far off view of the Eiffel Tower. The newest addition for summer was the Perchoir de l’Est, located at Gare de l’Est. If you’re looking to enjoy a good cocktail high above the city, these spots are for you just get there early when the weather’s good.

Paris Catacombs (unique!!)

The Paris Catacombs are quite something to visit, very unique. Go underground and experience the dark side of the French capital. The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries in the french capital. Here they hold the remains of more than 6 million people in just a small part of a tunnel network built to consolidate Paris’ ancient stone mines. Extending south from the Barrière d’Enfer (Gate of Hell) former city gate, this ossuary was created as part of the effort to eliminate the city’s overflowing cemeteries.
The Paris Catacombs are just as much a symbol of city at the Notre Dame or Eiffel Tower. They contain bones representing some 2,000 years of history, and their construction was a unique civil engineering project that helped give rise to the modern day city. See a different and completely surprising side to the “City of Lights” on a unique adventure beneath its streets.

Take a Sunset Cruise

This is our latest discovery. And it rocks as it is one of the few things to do in Paris at night on this list. Instead of taking a cruise by day, jump on it by sunset and night, and experience the city of lights illuminated. The tour takes around 1 hour and goes around the city. The snacks and drinks were not included when we joined. There is a bar inside the boat with good prices. We recommend a red wine.

Track Down a Secret Restaurant

You would hope for something a little off the wall from the owners of Sketch. Well, Derrière is on the other side of that wall, through a maddeningly hard to find (how Parisian!) unmarked entrance on Rue des Gravilliers. The entrance opens into a courtyard, and a fabulous apartment. You can eat and drink wherever you like in the salon, the dining room, the garden, even the bedroom.
The food is typically home-cooked, the menu simple and uncomplicated: homemade terrines, beef bourguignon, dark chocolate mousse. The crowd is eclectic and bijou, unmistakably French, it’s like a scene from a moody, subtitled movie.

Take a Dip in an Art Deco LandMark

It should come as no surprise that swimming pools in Paris are hard to find. Either they are dark places in basements, or rooftop pools no bigger than a bath. Piscine Molitor is the exception. And what an exceptional pool it is! It was built in 1929, designed to look like an ocean liner in grand Art Deco style, by Lucien Pollet. This is once of The Amazing Things to do in Paris.
It was where the bright young things of Hemingway’s Paris came to swim, and where the first bikini was unveiled, and in 2014 it reopened as a hotel. It was given a total overhaul and a huge colour injection, while retaining every bit of its slick Art Deco style. Sashay its 50 metre length and imagine you’re in a Wes Anderson movie. To do that, you’ll have to book into the hotel as a guest.