Things to do in Paris this weekend

The list comes from the City of Paris "Que faire à Paris ?" listings, published as open data. Every morning, we keep the events that take place between Friday evening and Sunday evening. We do not copy everything: we sort them using five criteria.

Distance. Each event shows the travel time from the Place du Trocadéro. For example, an exhibition in the 16th arrondissement comes before one on the other side of Paris, if both are equally interesting. You are already here, so you might as well make the most of it.

Price. The City listings say whether entry is free or paid. The "free" filter keeps only events with no ticket.

Weather. The listings say whether an event takes place indoors. When rain is forecast, we move these up the list.

Families and evenings. Each listing gives the intended audience (children, adults, everyone) and the time. The "family" and "evening" filters use these two details. Always check the time on the official listing before you set off: an organiser can change or cancel at the last minute.

The Président-Wilson market, Saturday morning. It takes place on avenue du Président-Wilson, between rue Debrousse and place d'Iéna, a few minutes' walk from the square. City opening times: Saturday 7 am to 2:30 pm and Wednesday 7 am to 1:30 pm. It does not run on Sunday. Nearest metro according to the City: Alma-Marceau.

The Passy covered market, Saturday and Sunday. This market hall is at 1 rue Bois-le-Vent, near place de Passy. City opening times: Saturday 8 am to 7 pm without a break, Sunday 8 am to 1 pm. On weekdays, it opens Tuesday to Friday from 8 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 7 pm, and it is closed on Monday. Take the chance to wander through the old village of Passy.

The Vanves flea market, Saturday and Sunday morning. This is the antiques and second-hand market inside Paris itself, at Porte de Vanves (14th arrondissement, metro line 13). According to the market's website, the second-hand stalls open Saturday 7 am to 2 pm and Sunday 7:30 am to 2 pm. Come early: the best pieces go in the morning.

Free museums on the first Sunday of the month. Around the Trocadéro, three museums are free that day: the Cité de l'architecture (museum and temporary exhibitions), the Musée Guimet (Iéna site, no online booking that day) and the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, across the Seine. Further away, the Musée d'Orsay is also free that day, but you must book a time slot. The Musée Rodin is free on the first Sunday only from 1 October to 31 March.

Be careful: not every museum in the Palais de Chaillot follows this rule. The Musée national de la Marine says so clearly: it is not free on the first Sunday of the month. It is, however, free for under-26s. Our page on museums around the Trocadéro covers each one in detail.

Rain does not spoil a weekend at the Trocadéro: the square is surrounded by museums. The Palais de Chaillot alone has three. The Musée de l'Homme and the Musée de la Marine are open every day except Tuesday, so all weekend. The Musée de la Marine opens from 11 am to 7 pm.

With children, the Aquarium de Paris is just below, in the Trocadéro gardens. For a museum that is free all year round, the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, at 11 avenue du Président-Wilson, opens its permanent collections without a ticket, like a dozen other City of Paris museums.

In the listings above, the "indoors" filter keeps only indoor events.

The best evening show is free and right on the square. As night falls, the Eiffel Tower lights up, then it sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour. The Trocadéro esplanade is the ideal place to watch it. Tonight's first and last sparkle times are on our Eiffel Tower sparkle page.

To make a night of it, a Seine cruise leaves a few minutes' walk away, at the foot of the Tower. Our bars, terraces and dinners with a view are listed on Trocadéro at night. And for ideas on the other side of the Pont d'Iéna, see things to do around the Eiffel Tower.