Paris, But Make It Weird: 11 Unusual Things to Do (Without Becoming a Metro Victim)

Paris sells itself like a luxury perfume ad: soft light, sharp cheekbones, a baguette held like a fashion accessory. But the city’s best moments aren’t the obvious ones. They’re the “why is this here?” corners—the secret doors, the underworld tunnels, the abandoned rail lines slowly being eaten by plants like nature is doing a quiet hostile takeover.

This is a guide to the most unusual things to do in Paris when you want the city to feel less like a postcard and more like a story you’ll tell with a grin. Also: these spots are scattered, and if you try to stitch them together with public transport, Paris will humble you. Hard. That’s why some people skip the standard city tour Paris routine and do the whole thing as a rolling, open-air Paris tour—yes, in a sidecar attached to a motorcycle—because it’s the quickest way to bounce between weirdness without losing half your day to transfers.

(And yes, if you’ve typed “paris sidecar tour” or “side car paris tour” at 1 a.m., you’re not alone.)

1) Go underground with millions of silent roommates: The Catacombs of Paris

If you want Paris to drop the romance and lean into goth, start with the Catacombs: an underground ossuary built in old quarries, holding the remains of several million Parisians. It’s not “spooky haunted house.” It’s “the city calmly shows you the endgame.” The official site is here: The Paris Catacombs (official).

One very practical note: the City of Paris states the Catacombs are closed from November 3, 2025, with a planned reopening in Spring 2026 for major modernization works. So if this is your must-do, check the latest status before building your day around it. City of Paris page.

2) Walk a rewilded railway like you’re in a soft apocalypse: La Petite Ceinture of Paris

La Petite Ceinture is an old railway ring around Paris that’s been partially turned into ecological promenades—green corridors where you can feel the city exhale for once. It’s urban nature with a faint “this used to be industrial” edge, which is exactly the vibe Paris does best when it’s not trying too hard.

Start with the official explainer: La Petite Ceinture et ses promenades écologiques. The city also notes more sections are planned to open by the end of 2026.

Want a specific segment to anchor your plan? Here’s an example official location page: Petite Ceinture du 16e (PC16).

3) Time-travel through glass-roofed alleys: the covered passages

Paris has a whole network of covered passages—19th-century shopping arcades with glass ceilings, tiny storefronts, and a built-in “I’m the main character” filter. They’re perfect when you want something atmospheric without doing a museum marathon.

Use this reference list to pick your targets: Paris Je t’aime – Covered passages. And if you want a classic: Passage des Panoramas. The City of Paris also has a fun “stats and superlatives” page if you like trivia with your wandering: Paris.fr – passages facts.

4) Visit the museum that feels like an elegant fever dream: Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

This is the museum you recommend to someone who thinks they “don’t like museums.” It’s housed in historic mansions in the Marais, and it explores the relationship between humans and animals through art and objects—sometimes beautiful, sometimes unsettling, always memorable.

Start here: Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (official). And the museum’s own overview page (in English): The museum.

5) Drink cocktails behind washing machines: Lavomatic

Paris loves a secret door. Lavomatic is a bar hidden behind actual washing machines—an absurdly Parisian sentence that somehow becomes normal five minutes after you walk in.

Here’s the official site (address + hours): Lavomatic (official). And the contact page if you’re the responsible type: Lavomatic contact.

(They note they don’t take reservations—arrive with patience and a little main-character energy.)

6) Accidentally stumble into ancient Rome: Arènes de Lutèce

A Roman amphitheatre, in Paris, quietly hanging out in the 5th arrondissement like it’s no big deal. The Arènes de Lutèce are one of those places that makes you stop and think: “Wait… how many layers does this city have?”

Official place page: Square des Arènes de Lutèce et square Capitan. If you want context on recent revitalization, the 5th arrondissement mairie has a detailed post: Les arènes de Lutèce redynamisées.

7) Float above the city on a green ribbon: Coulée Verte René-Dumont

This is Paris doing “secret level.” The Coulée Verte (Promenade Plantée) is a long linear park built on an old railway line—elevated in places, tunnelled in others. It’s peaceful, photogenic, and feels like a quiet flex.

Official location page: Coulée verte René-Dumont. And an official route idea: De Bastille à Vincennes par la coulée verte.

8) Take a respectful walk through the celebrity afterlife: Père-Lachaise

Père-Lachaise is famous, yes—but it’s also a working cemetery and one of the most atmospheric walks in the city. Go slow, keep it respectful, and bring good shoes because the ground is uneven and the place is huge.

Start with the official info page (hours, access, seasonal changes): Père-Lachaise information. And the City of Paris “welcome” dossier is useful if you want deeper context: Bienvenue au cimetière du Père-Lachaise.

9) Do street art like a local, not like a confused tourist: open-air galleries

Paris street art changes fast—new murals appear, old ones vanish, and the city keeps moving. If you want a reliable starting point that won’t feel like you’re chasing outdated blog posts, use the City of Paris overview: Street art in Paris (Paris.fr).

10) Montmartre… but smarter: Sacré-Cœur + the quieter side streets

Montmartre can be magical and chaotic at the same time (like a beautiful concert where someone keeps stepping on your toes). The trick is to do the iconic bit, then drift into the side streets where the vibe gets calmer and the city feels like itself again.

Official site (English): Sacré-Cœur Basilica. And a solid destination guide: Visit Paris Region – Sacré-Cœur.

11) The real hack: connect the weird dots in a sidecar

Here’s the part everyone learns the hard way: Paris is dense, but the weird stuff is spread out just enough to turn your day into a logistics sim. A normal itinerary becomes: walk, metro, walk, line closed, walk, existential crisis, snack, repeat.

That’s why people who want an actually memorable fun tour Paris experience go open-air. A sidecar (or side car, if you’re typing fast) lets you stitch together the city’s strangest corners without constantly checking a map like you’re defusing a bomb. It’s an instant vibe upgrade: the streets feel closer, the neighborhoods blend into each other like scenes, and every stop becomes a little event.

Some travellers look for a vintage car tour Paris because they want that retro movie feeling. A sidecar gives you the same cinematic energy, but with the city in your face—no glass box, no separation, just Paris happening around you.

If what you want is a guided tour that doesn’t feel like a lecture or a cattle-herding operation, this is the sweet spot: fast enough to cover ground, flexible enough to chase a sudden “wait—stop here” moment, and weird enough that strangers will smile at you for no reason (rare in any capital city, including France).

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, I want that version of Paris,” you already know what to do: pick the mood (hidden corners, classic monuments with detours, sunset, night) and book your ride. Paris is better when you treat it like a playground, not a checklist.

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