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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 16 January, 2023
Expert travel writer: Anna Brooke

Paris has been catering to the fancies of the wealthy for centuries, and thanks to French haute couture brands like Chanel, Dior and Givenchy, it’s still associated with luxury shopping today.

But there’s loads more to discover than just posh shops. Stroll the Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Pres and South Pigalle to find gorgeous indie fashion boutiques, or seek out one of the city’s chocolate shops, bookshops, kitchenware boutiques or quirky concept stores selling everything from sustainable clothing to make-up and furniture.

In the 19th century, Paris was the birthplace of the French department store, and its legacy lives on in some of the most famous shopping spots in Europe. And of course, there are the fabulous markets too – from weekly food stalls to vast antiques bazaars.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: Any
A classic vintage Paris candy store front À la Mère de Famille with Dark Green facade and appetizing samples in window
Experience

A la Mere de Famille

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

There are old-fashioned bonbons, jellied fruits and chocolates galore in this historical sweet shop, founded in 1761.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

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Interior of the centre of the mall with four floors of shops and beautiful glass dome
Experience

Galeries Lafayette

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Chic department store with a dazzling Art Nouveau cupola, famed for its food court, luxury fashion brands and rooftop restaurants.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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A front view of the best shopping mall Le Bon Marche on a sunny blue day
Experience

Le Bon Marche

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Ultra-chic department store, with architecture by Eiffel and stylish fashion displays, plus an adjacent luxury supermarket and eateries.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Internal view of a warehouse with two floors of stalls
Experience

St Ouen Flea Market

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

The largest antiques market in the world, with serpentine alleys lined with shops and stalls of curios, knickknacks and furniture.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Paris VIP Shopping Experience with Lounge Access, Lunch and Transfer

Paris VIP Shopping Experience with Lounge Access, Lunch and Transfer

Paris

Want to live a great time shopping? Head to the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann to enjoy a unique day. On the program, guaranteed hours o...

€99 | Rating 4.02 / 5 [44 ratings]

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The Fashionista Experience: Personal Shopping and Styling in Paris (Teenagers)

The Fashionista Experience: Personal Shopping and Styling in Paris (Teenagers)

Paris

The Fashionista Experience is THE quintessential Parisian shopping experience in the heart of Paris’ Marais area. We’ll visit unique boutiqu...

€100 | Rating 4.88 / 5 [18 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Teen Shopping and Fashion Accessories Tour in Paris

Teen Shopping and Fashion Accessories Tour in Paris

Paris

Girls, are you looking for something that just screams "I got this in Paris"? Make your best friends green with envy when you arri...

€140 | Rating 4.24 / 5 [37 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Private shopping tour at the Paris Antique Flea Market

Private shopping tour at the Paris Antique Flea Market

Paris

Get lost in Paris' Saint-Ouen Flea Market (Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen) without literally losing your way on this private guided tour of ...

€152 | Rating 5 / 5 [15 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Hotel Duo Paris

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[0.2 miles]

A designer boutique bolthole that’s perfectly positioned for the stylish, gay-friendly Marais district and Centre Pompidou.

Official star rating:

Hotel d’Aubusson

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[0.9 miles]

A grand, historic boutique hotel, set in a 17th-century St-Germain townhouse, offers both history and a brilliant, contemporary Left Bank location.

Official star rating:

La Pavillon de la Reine

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[1 miles]

Smack bang in the museum-filled Marais, this ivy-clad hotel with a spa and restaurant is a romantic spot for couples.

Official star rating:

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[1.2 miles]

This tranquil hotel has a gorgeous garden and delightful, old-fashioned charm, in the heart of Paris.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Paris

Ile-de-France, France

Crammed with iconic buildings, world-class art and a culinary scene steeped in history, Paris is one of the world’s great capitals, overflowing with style, romance, and art de vivre. 

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Overview >

Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

La Conciergerie

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[0.5 miles]

This vast Medieval palace was most famous as the ‘antechamber to the guillotine’ in the French Revolution. Three thousand prisoners were tried and convicted here, including France’s last queen Marie Antoinette.

Best for ages: 13+ | £10

Museum of the Middle Ages

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[0.9 miles]

Paris’ official museum of the Middle Ages, set one of Paris’ oldest and finest medieval buildings. It’s home to the world-famous 15th-century La Dame a la Licorne (The Lady and the Unicorn) tapestry, and Paris’ oldest sculpture (1349 AD).

Best for ages: 13+ | £4

Picasso Museum, Paris

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[0.9 miles]

One of the world’s most important Picasso museums, highlighting the artist’s prolific career and his own collection of art in a sumptuous 17th-century mansion.

Best for ages: 18+ | £12

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

internal view showing extraordinary stained glass windows
Experience

Sainte-Chapelle

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[0.5 miles]

Paris’ most exquisite Gothic monument was built by Louis IX in 1248 to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns (now at Notre-Dame Cathedral). It has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained-glass collections anywhere in the world.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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An inside view of Victor Hugo's first editions drawings and home-made furniture on display
Experience

Victor Hugo’s House

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[1 miles]

The apartment where famous French poet and novelist Victor Hugo lived for 16 years, now a museum about his life and works.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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The front view of Stohrer on a street in Paris. The exterior of the shop is painted in navy with a dark blue parasol
Experience

Stohrer

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[1.1 miles]

The birthplace of the rum baba in the 18th century, the city’s oldest patisserie still wows with its gateaux (cake) today.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

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Inside view of the museum with multiple structures of dinosaur bones on display
Experience

Natural History Museum

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[1.6 miles]

Founded in 1793 during the French Revolution, this impressive museum has four substantive galleries, with dinosaurs galore, all dedicated to preserving and educating about the natural world.

Best for ages: 4+ | £26

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