Things to do in Paris: experiences and activities near Hôtel R de Paris

YAY ("Yoga And You") is an intimate studio at 17 Rue de Douai, at the foot of Montmartre. The long, narrow room, designed as a haven of peace, welcomes a maximum of 11 people for Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin or gentle yoga classes, suitable for all levels. Cushions, bolsters, blocks and mats are provided. Rated 4.9/5 on Google, it's the perfect address for a calm, nurturing practice just minutes from the hotel.

Why go: Perfect to recover from travel, release tension, or keep up your fitness/wellness routine.

Good to know: Online booking is often required; arrive 10 minutes early, and wear comfortable clothes.

The Pigalle basketball court on Rue Duperre is the most photogenic court in Paris: a 3x3 court squeezed between two buildings, entirely redesigned by creator Stephane Ashpool (Pigalle brand) with Nike's support. The concept is a gradient of fuchsia, blue, canary yellow and orange inspired by painter Malevich, on a rubber surface that absorbs sound. What's fun is shooting a few hoops on this now-iconic court: it appears in the official Paris videos for the Olympics and draws players and photographers alike.

Why go: Great for street-sport vibes and iconic Paris neighbourhood photos.

Good to know: It's open-air; go in good weather and expect crowds at peak times.

Fitness Park is a chain of over 300 clubs across France with 14 gyms in Paris, open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. The concept is accessible premium fitness: Technogym, Hammer Strength and Eleiko equipment, over 60 cardio machines, a free-access cross-training area and specialised studios: Cycle Park (connected bikes), Burning Park (group HIIT) and Fight Park (martial arts). What's great is the multi-gym membership: you can train at any Paris club with the same pass.

Why go: Ideal for a quick session, especially if you need to loosen up after lots of walking.

Good to know: Look for day passes. Peak times: early morning or mid-afternoon is calmer.

Born from a Montreal inspiration, this colourful ceramic café on Rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette is the creative hangout of the 9th. You choose a white ceramic piece (cup, plate, vase, from 8 to 70€), paint it on the spot over two and a half hours with guidance from the team, then they handle the glazing and firing. The atmosphere is convivial, the walls bright, and there's a real satisfaction in creating something with your own hands.

Why go: A fun, creative Paris activity, great for couples, friends or a rainy day.

Good to know: Finished pieces are collected later (timing depends on firing).

SLÖO, tucked away at 50 Rue Saint-Georges in the 9th, is far more than a massage studio: it's a holistic philosophy championed by Delphine and Géraldine, who have been practising for over a decade. Every treatment is tailored (muscle release, deep relaxation or energy revitalisation) using organic, eco-friendly products. Rated 4.9/5 across 220 reviews, it's a genuine sanctuary of calm just steps from the hotel.

Why go: Perfect if you have walked a lot or want a real calm break with no schedule.

Good to know: Share your goal (relaxing vs deep) and sensitive areas from the start.

In the Batignolles studio of a master glass artist, you are initiated into traditional leaded stained glass: cutting the glass, framing, soldering, and leaving that very day with your own luminous piece. Four hours of precise craftsmanship, materials provided, in an art form few Parisians have ever practised.

Why go: a rare artistic craft, passed on in a very small group, a twelve-minute walk from the hotel.

Good to know: the Saturday morning slot is in high demand: book early; classes are in French, with movements easy to follow for non-French speakers.

Set at 4 Rue Houdon in the heart of Montmartre, this small spa with refined décor (exposed stone, parquet floors, hints of greenery) hides a hammam and scrub table in the basement, away from the neighbourhood bustle. You come for a hammam-and-scrub ritual, a Japanese lymphatic massage or a Yon-Ka treatment, all in an intimate atmosphere. Open even on Sundays.

Why go: Especially nice after walking around Montmartre.

Good to know: Bring swimwear if required; check their policy.

Sparkling VR is a 400 m² premium loft one minute from Gare Saint-Lazare that blends virtual reality, art gallery and bar. The concept is a space decorated with original works by international artists, with VR stations for co-op games, immersive adventures (swimming with whales, flying above Earth) and two thrill simulators. What makes it fun are the Saturday "Before" evenings (VR, tapas and champagne from 9 pm to midnight) perfect for an original start to the evening as a couple or with friends.

Why go: Fun indoor activity in Paris, great for groups and team moments.

Good to know: Choose beginner-friendly scenarios if it is your first time.

POSES reinvents yoga, pilates and barre in an immersive studio at 28 Rue de Châteaudun. For 50 minutes in low light, you flow through dynamic sequences inspired by Vinyasa and strength training, set to an exclusive playlist, their signature Pulse&Poses®. No experience needed: the flows are accessible from your very first session, with a Californian vibe in the heart of the 9th.

Why go: Perfect to recover from travel, release tension, or keep up your fitness/wellness routine.

Good to know: Online booking is often required; arrive 10 minutes early, and wear comfortable clothes.

L'Atelier des Chefs has been Paris's go-to cooking school for over twenty years, with several locations including a beautiful glass-roofed kitchen five minutes from the Champs-Élysées. The speciality here is variety: French cuisine, pastry, world food, vegetarian: there are formats for everyone, from a 30-minute express lunch class to a full two-hour workshop. What sets it apart is that you leave with real chef-level techniques, in a fun atmosphere led by passionate professionals.

Why go: A hands-on Paris activity, fun solo, as a couple or with friends.

Good to know: Check language and duration when booking.

Studio Pâtisserie is the French pastry school at 85 Rue de Rome, steps from the hotel, with classes taught entirely in English by a pastry chef. The speciality here is viennoiserie: you learn the art of laminated dough to create golden, flaky croissants and pains au chocolat, from preparing the layered dough all the way to baking. What makes it special is the intimacy: a maximum of 10 participants per class, with personalised attention for each student, and you take home everything you've made.

Why go: A fun Paris experience, great for food lovers and a unique souvenir.

Good to know: Places are limited; book ahead, and inform them of allergies if needed.

Studio 28 is the world's oldest avant-garde cinema, inaugurated in 1928 on Rue Tholozé in Montmartre. This is where Buñuel, Cocteau and Abel Gance came to screen their most daring films: the auditorium was even vandalised in 1930 during a showing of L'Âge d'or. Today it's a neighbourhood art-house cinema with 170 seats, a 4K projector, and the light fittings designed by Jean Cocteau are still there. Try a weekday screening: the atmosphere is that of a true local cinema, far from the tourist trail.

Why go: Ideal for a calm night out and films beyond the blockbuster circuit.

Good to know: Check if the screening is in original version or dubbed, as schedules vary.

A Grasse perfumery house founded in 1747, Galimard runs a creation workshop at 43 Rue de Provence in the 9th. Over 90 minutes to two hours, you compose your own 100 ml Eau de Parfum from an organ of 126 notes: you're guided through the architecture of a fragrance (top, heart, base), then blend your favourite accords. Your formula is saved: you can reorder it later.

Why go: A quintessentially Parisian experience (perfume) and an easy gift or souvenir to bring home.

Good to know: Book if you're targeting a specific workshop. Avoid wearing heavy perfume: you'll smell the raw materials much better.

Victory Escape Game is one of Paris's leading escape-game brands, with eight rooms at 21 Rue de la Victoire in the 9th, near the Opéra. The concept is team missions for 3 to 6 players in immersive sets often inspired by cinema, including two horror rooms for those who enjoy a good scare. What makes it fun is the variety of themes and the mechanics centred on physical manipulation: you touch, you search, you solve, all in 60 minutes flat.

Why go: Fun indoor activity for friends, couples or team outings in central Paris.

Good to know: Book your time slot; popular missions sell out.

Beneath the leafy canopy of avenue Rachel, the Montmartre cemetery is the most romantic in Paris: Dalida, Truffaut, Degas, Berlioz and La Goulue rest here among cats and moss-covered staircases. On a guided tour, the tombs become stories: tales of the mischievous Montmartre of cabarets and artists' studios.

Why go: a storytelling stroll, offbeat and surprisingly full of life, a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel.

Good to know: regular tours run in French; private English-speaking guides are available on request. Bring good shoes: there is a bit of a climb.

A life-size investigation through the backstreets of the Butte: armed with a booklet of clues, you follow the trail of a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery from Abbesses to the Passe-Muraille. Two and a half hours of team play that reveal hidden Montmartre without ever feeling like a guided tour.

Why go: the ideal activity for families or playful groups of friends: you explore, you laugh, you get a little lost, on purpose.

Good to know: trails available in French and English; a torchlit night version runs around Halloween.

The Piscine Georges Drigny is a municipal pool in the 9th at the foot of the Montmartre hill, with a 25 x 15 metre basin, 6 swimming lanes and water at 27 degrees. The concept is a neighbourhood pool that also offers aqua-gym classes, fin swimming and swimming lessons. What makes it great is the price (3.50 euros entry) and the proximity: it's the simplest option for a swim during your stay, just a few minutes' walk from the hotel.

Why go: Great in rain/cold weather or if you keep a fitness routine while travelling.

Good to know: A swim cap is often required; check opening times: some pools have specific slots.

Montmartre is more than a postcard backdrop: Invader mosaics, monumental murals and ephemeral paste-ups colonise the walls of the Butte. For two hours, a practising artist teaches you to read this open-air museum, from famous spots to backstreets tourists never find.

Why go: to see the contemporary, living side of Montmartre, narrated by someone who actually paints in the street.

Good to know: regular departures in English and French from Abbesses; wear comfortable shoes, as the route climbs.

Nestled in a listed building steps from the Opéra Garnier, this 500 m² spa offers a true sensory journey through beauty rituals from around the world: Moroccan black soap scrub with kessa glove, rhassoul body wrap, Balinese flower massage, Japanese Kobido facial. The curved architecture and soft lighting envelop you from the moment you step inside, a complete change of scenery without leaving Paris.

Why go: A true "treat yourself" moment in Paris.

Good to know: Treatments can sell out: book in advance.

Dynamo Cycling Lafayette has been Paris's go-to cycling studio since 2016, on Rue Chauchat in the 9th. The concept is a 45-minute immersive session in a dimly lit, candlelit room, with a coach pushing you through a motivating playlist: cardio, core work, dumbbells and abs all included in every session. What makes it fun is the collective energy: 4.9 stars from over 17,500 ClassPass reviews, a real community and a contagious buzz that makes each session addictive.

Why go: Ideal if you like high-energy fitness sessions in Paris.

Good to know: Arrive a bit early to set up your bike.