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10 Things to do in Paris on Tuesdays
Tuesdays in Paris can be a hit or a miss; it’s really all dependent on the arrondissement in question and where you find yourself as different intervals during the day.
Tuesdays are always an awkward part of the week, not close enough to Sunday to still feel like the weekend but also not deep enough into the week to start being eager for Friday.
A lot of businesses in Paris choose to take Tuesdays off, so that business can flow continuously through the weekend and Mondays. If possible, you want to stick within the city centre and adjacent arrondissements during this time of the week as there is more to do and less room for disappointment.
Banks of the Seine – by Dan Novac – Unsplash
Thanks to my local sources, I’s successfully compiled a great list of things to do in Paris on Tuesdays over the years. Word of mouth goes a long way with things like this, and the following activities seem to be the hot spots for Tuesdays in the city.
Keep in mind that there are also always the many free attractions to enjoy on any day of the week! Walking the banks of the Seine, or a stroll through any of the Botanical Gardens are activities that take no days off and are always available to you!
For those who like a more curated excursion, let’s take a look at some other worthwhile things to do in Paris on a Tuesday.
1. Taco Tuesday in Paris
A weekly tradition celebrated widely around the world; taco Tuesdays almost make up for the completely awkward nature of this day of the week!
A tradition that started in the far west many years ago was for Mexican food to feature a range of specials every Tuesday. The goal was to increase foot traffic into the establishments.
Candelaria – by Candelaria – Sourced from their website
The tradition stuck and eventually made its way into Mexican food establishments around the world.
As the name suggests, most of the food specials revolve around buy-one-get-one-free taco deals. There are usually other specials on drinks such as two-for-one margarita jugs or free chips and guac with every main meal.
Not all restaurants embrace the deal side of Taco Tuesday — some continue to serve full priced food as usual. The idea is to participate in eating tacos every Tuesday regardless of if the restaurants join or not.
Religiously my Tuesdays are spent chasing tacos around Paris. My go-to is a speakeasy style spot called Candelaria in the north of Le Marais.
Tacos at Café Chilango – by Café Chilango – Sourced from their website
The food is incredible. Everything is handmade and authentic — and the prices aren’t bad either. They also have a wide variety of cocktails on offer if you’re in the mood to get a bit festive on a Tuesday.
Across town in the Oberkampf district is another great spot called Cafe Chilangio. Slightly pricer than Candelaria but equally as delicious! They do great plated specials that always come with tequila to share.
2. Palace of Versailles in Paris
When Paris quietens down on Tuesdays it’s sometimes a good idea to venture slightly outside of the city and have a day trip. Versailles is the perfect place to do so.
Located about an hour outside of Paris’ city center, Versailles can be reached via most of the main metro stations around the city. They will take you directly into the centre of Versailles and you’ll get off right outside of our Tuesday attraction; the palace.
Versailles was the royal residence from 1682 all the way up until the French Revolution in 1789.
Palace of Versailles – by Stephanie LeBlanc – Unsplash
The Palace takes it’s weekly break on Mondays, and reopens to the public first thing on Tuesday mornings.
If you haven’t heard already, it is arguably the most beautiful building both decoratively and architectural on the continent of Europe.
A free guided walking tour of the Versailles neighborhood will give you all the history and information that you need to know about the palace and its inception. The Palace of Versailles holds many a tale between it’s walls — a great way to spend a Tuesday immersed in some French culture.
Admission: €20
3. Picasso Museum in Paris
Most of the museums around Paris take Tuesdays off and are closed for business. The Picasso Museum over in Le Marais is one of the few who keep their doors open on this day.
The collection of works within the space is hugely impressive. Over 5000 actual pieces and tens of thousands of archived ones call the museum home.
Picasso Museum Paris – by Kippelboy – Wikimedia Commons
The building is the original Hotel Salé; it was converted into the Picasso Museum in 1985. After recently undergoing a series of necessary renovations the museum is back to being open to the public.
I love visiting this museum because it is one that you can complete easily within one day. Working your way through the old hotel rooms is quite systematic and before you know it you’ve managed to absorb all of the works available.
Admission: €14
4. Saint Denis Market in Paris
Again we visit one of the outskirt suburbs of Paris in search of some Tuesday entertainment.
The Saint Denis Market is located directly north of Paris. It is only ever open on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. It is one of the largest markets in the region of Paris and has been around since the Middle Ages.
Today you’ll enjoy the variety of 300 vendor options spanning from fresh produce to collectables. The big hall is where you’ll find a dedicated food market with cuisines from all around the world to enjoy.
A lot of work goes into making this market possible. Due to its overwhelming scale, merchants begin setting up here from 4am on the day of exhibit.
Be sure to take cash along, not all of the vendors have card enabled facilities.
5. Take a Walking Tour in Paris
With a Tuesday to kill in Paris why not take advantage of one of the many free guided walking tours on offer. They are a great way to see neighborhoods you might otherwise have never heard of within the cities parameters.
You’ll also have the option of choosing your favorite Parisian neighborhood and walking through it’s history with a guide .
In terms of attractions and historical content, areas such as Le Marais, Montmartre, Menilmontant, Bastille and Montparnasse are the crème de la crème of places to walk through.
Enjoying Paris – by Atikh Bana – Unsplash
Exploring Paris by foot is always a completely new, eye opening experience compared to the conferments of a taxi or metro car. Being one on one with the streets, architecture and people is the best way to understand the true nature of this eclectic city and the beauty that it holds.
Tuesdays in Paris are the opposite of dull thanks to these walking excursions. Book yours today (and in advance) to avoid disappointment.
6. The Latin Quarter in Paris
Some neighborhoods in Paris just seem to never take a break. Similar to New York being the city that never sleeps, the Latin Quarter of Paris could bare that title itself.
Being a university town, the Latin Quarter makes up the 5th arrondissement and it seems there is always something happening on these streets no matter the day of the week.
Between the bars and the bookshops, you’re bound to find something that tickles your fancy.
Shakespeare & Company Paris – by Mike Peel – Wikimedia Commons
Sometimes late on Tuesday evenings I venture through to the Shakespeare & Company Bookstore on the edge of the district at the banks of the Seine. This is a property rich in Parisian history and has been in business since 1951.
Two blocks down from this bookstore there is a restaurant called Le Grenier de Notre-Dame. It’s nice to buy a book and come spend a few hours in this space gorging on vegetarian food.
The food at Le Grenier de Notre-Dame is all organic, which is hard to come by in Paris.
7. Take Photos Outside the Louvre in Paris
As I mentioned, the museums of Paris are notorious for taking Tuesdays as their day of rest. Even the well known tourist attractions need a day off, and the iconic Louvre Museum is amongst those that shut their doors.
This is the day when you’ll see numerous photographers flocking to the museum’s main square to capture the perfect photo of the famous glass pyramid and adjacent buildings.
Since there are no people in the vicinity, there is opportunity to capture a completely vacant photograph. This is not something that is easy to do on any other day at the Louvre thanks to the thousands of people the museum attracts by the hour.
Louvre on a Tuesday – by Vitor Pinto – Unsplash
If you find yourself near the museum on a Tuesday make a point of doing a walk through the square and enjoy being able to take a solo photograph with the glass structure.
Unlike other tourist photos, yours will be most unique and void of the tourist presence that cloud selfies on every other day. Lucky you!
8. Eat at Ima Cantine in Paris
Right next to the Canal Saint Martin is a little hidden gem of a Tel Aviv themed restaurant: Ima Cantine.
Ima is open every day of the week and is the perfect stopping point after a walk down the canal on a Tuesday afternoon.
I can’t say enough good things about this restaurant. It is a French-Israeli fashion space with a solely vegetarian menu that has been executed perfectly.
Ima Cantine – by Ima Cantine – Sourced from their website
I love their twist on traditional dishes such as Shakshuka. Their cakes are also made fresh in house and many of them are entirely vegan so that all patrons to the restaurant can enjoy them.
Ima is easy to get to if you’re in or near the Le Marais district. It is juts to the north of the 3rd arrondissement. You’ll be absolutely fine wandering in on a Tuesday without a reservation. They are open from 8am to 10:30pm — all day essentially!
Average Cost: Under €20
9. Swim at Piscine Molitor in Paris
The Piscine Molitor was originally founded back in 1929, but after many years of inactivity it only saw its rebirth recently in 2014.
It is known to be the most beautiful swimming pool in Paris. You might recognize it from the iconic scene in Life of Pi where the the characters travel back in time to enjoy a historic swimming pool in the heart of Paris.
Piscine Molitor – by BikerNormand – Wikimedia Commons
Today you’ll find the Piscine Molitor in the 16th arrondissement. The pool is attached to a hotel and is open to all guests to enjoy.
Unfortunately enjoying this pool as a member of the public comes with a hefty price tag. A day ticket will set you back €180. yes, you read that correctly.
In the mood to drain your bank account this Tuesday? The wonder of Piscine Molitor awaits.
10. Watch Free Jazz at Le Gare in Paris
Also in the 16th arrondissement, Le Gare is a jazz club that was set up in an abandoned train station on the edge of the Jardin du Ranelagh.
Both the garden and the train station are worth of a visit on any given Tuesday, but from 9pm be sure you’re in the vicinity of Le Gare as there will be a free jazz show for all to enjoy in the entrance hall.
After the show, enjoy a drink and light meal in the jazz terrace of the establishment. It’s a great way to waste a Tuesday evening with the sweet saxophone sounds filling the background.
Jazz at Le Gare – by Le Gare – Sourced from their website
Le Gare captures the ambiance of the Parisian jazz scene perfectly, I find myself returning here for some music for the soul.
Tuesdays in Paris; sounds like the title of a 1950s romcom, doesn’t it?
Hopefully this list of things to do makes your average Tuesday slightly as whimsical as the big screen would.
And remember, when in doubt; stick to the freebies! It costs nothing to enjoy the gardens and streets around Paris — make the most of them this Tuesday!
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