Things to do near the Paris Grands Boulevards: your guide to the district from Hôtel Maxim Opéra
ALONG THE BOULEVARDS
Things to do near the Paris Grands Boulevards? The district packs a famous museum, covered passages, a monumental cinema and legendary theatres into a few streets. From boulevard Montmartre and boulevard des Italiens to the porte Saint-Denis, these Haussmannian boulevards line up ornate facades, historic theaters, department stores and brasseries, with the Musée Grévin, the Grand Rex, the Hôtel Drouot and the Palais Garnier all within walking distance. The 9th arrondissement is explored on foot here, with no complicated plan and no metro.
From Hôtel Maxim Opéra, a 4-star hotel on rue Geoffroy-Marie, the walk starts on the pavement opposite. Here is a comprehensive overview of what visitors will find: sights, landmarks, performances, food and unusual discoveries, and the best way to enjoy them.
Sights to see near the Grands Boulevards, from the Musée Grévin to the Grand Rex
THE FIRST DAY
Start with the Musée Grévin, at 10 boulevard Montmartre, which ranks among the best-known Paris attractions. Created in 1882, this wax museum brings together more than 250 celebrities and a few rooms worth the visit on their own: the Palais des Mirages and its game of mirrors, shown at the 1900 World's Fair, the Salle des Colonnes, and an Italian-style historic theater decorated by Bourdelle. The Grévin workshops reveal how the figures are made, and the space devoted to the One Piece crew, open since June 2026 in a Parisian cabaret set, appeals to adult visitors as much as to children. The museum is open all year and tickets can be booked online. Allow two good hours for the tour with the family.
Five minutes away, the Grand Rex raises its Art Deco facade at 1 boulevard Poissonnière, 75002 Paris. Built in 1932 and listed as a national historic monument, this cinema remains the largest in the city, with 2,700 seats in its Grande Salle under a famous starry ceiling. The Étoiles du Rex trail, inside the Rex Studios, takes visitors behind the screen into the backstage and technical areas over about fifty minutes, audio guide in hand, and doubles as a historical presentation of one of Paris's most iconic cinemas. Every Wednesday, new films reach the screen; the rest of the year, the building hosts concerts and premieres, and the Féerie des Eaux water show returns for the holiday season.
PARIS UNDER GLASS
The covered passages, an unusual walk near the Grands Boulevards
Opposite the Musée Grévin, the passage des Panoramas opens up, one of the oldest covered passages in Paris, cut through in 1799. Stamp dealers, restaurants and old shopfronts follow one another under its glass roof. On the other side of boulevard Montmartre, the passage Jouffroy, built under Louis-Philippe, leads to the passage Verdeau by way of rue de la Grange-Batelière: antiquarian bookshops, a cane maker, print shops and a smell of old paper that gives the place away. Discover this covered route on a rainy day and you have the finest stroll in the neighborhood, along with the best chance of an unplanned find. Push on to the Galerie Vivienne, then to the porte Saint-Denis and the porte Saint-Martin, two triumphal arches built under Louis XIV that mark the east end of the boulevards. These glass-roofed galleries make the walk work in any weather.
CURTAIN UP
Performances, opera and cabaret: the venues in the district
Few neighborhoods in Europe carry such a rich history of entertainment. The Théâtre des Variétés, at 7 boulevard Montmartre, has been playing comedy since 1807, and the Folies Bergère, a few streets from the hotel, has carried the spirit of Parisian music hall and cabaret since 1869. Further west, the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Comique share the city's lyric culture, while the Théâtre Mogador, in the 9th arrondissement, hosts the musical The Lion King, a Disney show that has already drawn more than two million spectators to this stage. Jazz enthusiasts head for the New Morning, at 7-9 rue des Petites Écuries, a club that has welcomed the greatest names since 1981. To end the night, the Rex Club drives the nightlife of boulevard Poissonnière and the bars nearby stay open late. Book early: events and performances here often sell out.
GOURMET CURIOSITIES
Chocolate museum, perfume museum and the Hôtel Drouot auctions
At 28 boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle, a street name that translates as good news, the Choco-Story chocolate museum traces four thousand years of cocoa history across 850 sqm and a thousand objects. Open every day, Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, it turns the transformation of the bean into an immersive experience, with videos, tastings and a workshop alongside a chocolate maker from age 7: the perfect gourmet activity for an afternoon with children. On the perfume side, Fragonard, a house from the south of France, has installed its Musée du Parfum at 9 rue Scribe, in a Napoleon III building of 1860, near the Opéra Garnier. And for a more unusual Paris, push open the door of the Hôtel Drouot, at 9 rue Drouot: the public viewings that precede each auction are free to enter, and you will find paintings, furniture and works of art there with no obligation to bid.
AT THE TABLE ON THE BOULEVARDS
Where to eat near the Grands Boulevards: bouillons, brasseries and bistros
Bouillon Chartier, at 7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, is the institution of the district and the immediate neighbour of Hôtel Maxim Opéra. Opened in 1896 and listed as a historic monument in 1989, it has kept its Art Nouveau room, its waiters in black waistcoats, its station clock and its popular French cooking, with traditional French dishes served continuously from 11:30 AM to 12:00 AM, without reservation. Expect to wait a little in the courtyard: the queue moves fast, and the Belle Époque room is a step back in time. For the rest, the neighborhood lines up bistros, cafés on the pavement and traditional brasseries, as far as Bouillon Pigalle, a little further north towards boulevard de Clichy. The concierge team will point you towards its favorite restaurants and share its own tips.
Hôtel Maxim Opéra, a 4-star hotel in the heart of the district
COMFORT & IDEAL LOCATION
On rue Geoffroy-Marie, halfway between boulevard Montmartre and rue du Faubourg Montmartre, Hôtel Maxim Opéra holds a prime address for visiting the Grands Boulevards on foot. Bouillon Chartier stands a few metres away, the Musée Grévin and the entrance to the passage Jouffroy five minutes on, the Grands Boulevards metro station barely further. In other words, you can drop your shopping between two visits and set off again without touching public transport.
Behind the facade, the 31 rooms carry an unapologetically Parisian spirit: floral patterns, coloured velvets, tall headboards and pared-back bathrooms. All of them open onto the city, some over Montmartre and its Sacré-Cœur.
- Classic Room, 12 sqm, 2 guests, queen size bed and shower. A compact, well-planned format for a stay built around the district.
- Superior Room, 15 sqm, 2 guests, twinnable king size bed, shower, coffee machine and garment steamer.
- Deluxe Room, 17 sqm, 2 guests, twinnable king size bed, shower or bathtub, minibar and bathrobes. Tucked into the top floors, it opens a view over the rooftops of Paris or towards Montmartre.
- Adjoining Rooms, 24 sqm, up to 4 guests, one king size bed and one queen size bed, two showers. The answer for a stay with family or friends, together without being on top of one another.
In every room: L'Occitane en Provence toiletries, a desk, a safe, air conditioning, television, Wi-Fi, and a kettle with coffee, tea and herbal infusions. The hotel is accessible to guests with reduced mobility and EU Ecolabel certified.
Services and concierge to make the most of the stay
TAILORED COMMON SENSE
Reception is staffed 24 hours a day, with check-in at 3:00 PM and check-out at 12:00 PM. Leave your bags in the luggage room to explore the passages hands free, ask for a transport booking, a laundry service or a forgotten adapter.
Served from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, the buffet breakfast mixes sweet and savoury from local suppliers, in the dining room or in your room. Room service takes over from 12:00 PM to 11:30 PM for appetites returning from a show. Pets are welcome, and the concierge opens the address book: shops, exhibitions, leisure and tables in the district.
Around the Grands Boulevards: gardens, the Seine and escapes
A LITTLE FURTHER
The district is also a starting point. Three metro lines (7, 8 and 9), several bus routes and a Vélib' station right opposite, station no. 9011 Geoffroy-Marie, make travel across the city straightforward; Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est and Gare de Lyon follow within a few stops, the first with direct trains to London, the last for departures south. Shopping calls for a short hop west, to the department stores of boulevard Haussmann, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
On foot, allow twenty minutes for the garden of the Palais Royal and its Buren columns, then the Tuileries Garden and, a little further, the Louvre Museum. Eastwards, the banks of the canal Saint-Martin invite an outdoor stroll near Paris, street art along the quays. Board a bateaux-mouches next, several operators offering a guided Seine cruise beneath the bridges past the iconic monuments of the capital, or reach the Eiffel Tower by metro, with Saint-Germain-des-Prés just across the river.
There is more to discover near Paris on a day trip: the Bois de Boulogne, the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud and its access to the park, the Château de Versailles, or a day visiting Disneyland Paris, all reachable by public transport. Thanks to the hotel's partnership with Holland Bikes, you can also rent a bicycle or book one of their guided tours in Paris, in English.
Your stay near the Grands Boulevards at Hôtel Maxim Opéra
BEST RATE GUARANTEED
A wax museum, passages under glass, an Art Deco cinema, a brasserie from 1896 and the Paris Opera a few stops away: what is there to do near the Paris Grands Boulevards? The list is long, and it is walked at your own pace. In the evening, you come back to Hôtel Maxim Opéra, a 4-star hotel on rue Geoffroy-Marie: 31 rooms with a city view, some over Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur, a gourmet breakfast served until 11:00 AM, room service for returns from a show, and a concierge who knows every address in the district. The best available rate and all the practical information to plan your visit are on our official website.
Book your stay near the Grands Boulevards at Hôtel Maxim Opéra
FAQ - Frequently asked questions about the Paris Grands Boulevards
What to do near the Paris Grands Boulevards in one day?
Start with the Musée Grévin in the morning, have lunch at Bouillon Chartier, then take in the passages des Panoramas, Jouffroy and Verdeau in the afternoon. Finish with the Étoiles du Rex trail or a show. It all works on foot from Hôtel Maxim Opéra, without the metro.
Where are the Grands Boulevards in Paris?
The Grands Boulevards form a long axis between the Place de la Madeleine and the Place de la République, on the edge of the 2nd, 9th and 10th arrondissements of Paris, an area often signposted Opéra Grands Boulevards. The metro station of the same name, on lines 8 and 9, marks its center.
Which museums should you visit near the Grands Boulevards?
The Musée Grévin, on boulevard Montmartre, for its wax figures; the Choco-Story chocolate museum, on boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle, for its workshops and tastings; the Musée du Parfum Fragonard, on rue Scribe. The Hôtel Drouot completes the route with its public viewings and its auctions.
What to do near the Grands Boulevards with family and children?
The Musée Grévin and its playful trail, the chocolate museum and its workshop from age 7, the Grande Salle of the Grand Rex and its Féerie des Eaux, or the musical The Lion King at the Théâtre Mogador: the attractions for kids and the activities on offer are plentiful.
Which hotel should you choose to visit the Grands Boulevards?
Hôtel Maxim Opéra, a 4-star hotel at 13 rue Geoffroy-Marie, sits between the Musée Grévin and Bouillon Chartier, a few metres from the boulevards. Its 31 rooms offer a view over the city, some of them over Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur.
