Best time to visit Paris

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Paris

Best time of year to visit Paris

If your main intention is excellent weather with a variety of different activities, choose June to August as the best time to visit Paris. Summer is perfect to walk along La Coulée Verte and relax on the beaches on the Seine banks. However, the city usually gets overcrowded with inflated hotel prices in summer. So here you go, autumn—affordable rates, Paris Fashion Week (crowded again), beautiful foliage, and shorter queues at the main city attractions. If your trip drops between November and February, pack warm rainwear with you as the city is the rainiest during this period. Known for the same rain and mist, spring in Paris can be also dynamic and beautiful as it welcomes Marathon de Paris and offers a promenade among blooming abandoned railway.

12 THINGS TO DO IN PARIS (OCTOBER 03 - OCTOBER 12)

Flea Markets

Flea Markets

April–October • activity

A true capital of flea markets offers countless beautiful trinkets from all historical eras

Louvre with Shorter Queues

Louvre with Shorter Queues

September–May • activity

Whether you are a keen museum goer or not, the world's finest art is worth exploring!

Parks and Gardens in Autumn Foliage

Parks and Gardens in Autumn Foliage

late September–November • activity

Parisian parks and gardens are beautiful at any time of the year but in autumn they become especially charming and poetic

Étretat

Étretat

April–October • nature

Known for its white cliffs and beaches strewn with rocks, Étretat attracts both tourists and world-famous artists

Autumnal Père Lachaise Cemetery

Autumnal Père Lachaise Cemetery

late September–November • activity

This burial ground charms not only with graves of famous people but also its exceptional coziness

Catacombs: Shorter Waiting Time

Catacombs: Shorter Waiting Time

October–mid-December | January–April (except school holidays) • activity

The city of love, the city of lights, and the city of the dead—the Paris Catacombs hold 6 million skeletons

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

all year round • activity

This world tourist magnet draws over 7 million visitors yearly

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

all year round • activity

Get a sense of royal lifestyle in the residence of the Kings of French Monarchy

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris

all year round • activity

Check out some of your favourite characters and attractions at Disneyland Paris

Harvest in Montmartre Vineyard

Harvest in Montmartre Vineyard

late September–early October • activity

Would you believe that a piece of the countryside could be concealed right in downtown Paris?

Musée d'Orsay

Musée d'Orsay

November–March (all year round) • activity

Some of the best of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art is collected at one neat place on Seine's left bank

Halloween

Halloween

early October–early November • event

Check out the city's best amusement parks or take a special cruise on Seine

32 THINGS TO DO OUT OF SELECTED DATE RANGE

Fête de la Musique

Fête de la Musique

out of rangeJune 21 • event

The longest day and the shortest night of the year shouldn't just silently pass by. Do like the Parisians—party all night long!

Paris Fashion Week

Paris Fashion Week

out of rangeSeptember 25–October 3, 2023 • event

One of the world's coolest fashion parties!

Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets

out of rangemid-November–early January • event

Get into the holiday spirit surrounded by famous landmarks

Sunset in the Arc de Triomphe

Sunset in the Arc de Triomphe

out of rangemid-May | early August • nature

A biannual natural phenomenon that was not planned by the architect of the monument

Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain (FIAC)

Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain (FIAC)

out of rangeOctober 19–22, 2023 • event

An opportunity to discover some of world's best contemporary art in the heart of Paris

Nuit des Musées or Night of Museums

Nuit des Musées or Night of Museums

out of rangeMay 18, 2024 • event

Visit world-famous Parisian museums when they offer free admission!

Bastille Day or La Fête Nationale

Bastille Day or La Fête Nationale

out of rangeJuly 14 • event

The military parade held in Paris's main avenue proves to be the largest one in Europe

Ice Skating

Ice Skating

out of rangeDecember–early March • activity

Only in Paris can one skate 60 metres above ground at the Eiffel Tower

Terrace of the Galeries Lafayette

Terrace of the Galeries Lafayette

out of rangeJune–August • activity

This huge department store amazes with its architecture, fashion shows, and city panoramas which open from the rooftop terrace

Christmas Atmosphere

Christmas Atmosphere

out of rangeDecember–early January • event

Christmas time in Paris is adorable for a number of reasons, yet the most delightful part is the festive dinner on Christmas Eve

Marathon de Paris

Marathon de Paris

out of rangeApril 7, 2024 • event

It's not just about running beside world-famous monuments—music, cheese, and wine tasting wait en route too

Art Basel

Art Basel

out of rangeMarch 23–25, 2023 (Hong Kong) | June 15–18, 2023 (Basel) | October 18–22, 2023 (Paris) | December 7–9, 2023 (Miami Beach) • event

Don't miss the chance to become a part of the art world for a week full of exciting events

Warm Up in Covered Passages

Warm Up in Covered Passages

out of rangeNovember–March • activity

When it's cold and windy outside find a beautiful and cozy old passage and have a cup of tea or shop for souvenirs

Abandoned Railway Abloom

Abandoned Railway Abloom

out of rangeMarch–May • nature

This densely flowered railway is an ideal refuge from all the urban fuss, and one of the most romantic walking ways in Paris

International Paris Air Show Le Bourget

International Paris Air Show Le Bourget

out of rangeJune 16-22, 2025 • event

Discover one of the largest events dedicated to the space and air industry

French Open (Roland Garros)

French Open (Roland Garros)

out of rangeMay 26-June 19, 2024 • event

The most prestigious clay court tennis championship of the world

Paris New Year's Eve (La Réveillon de Saint Sylvestre)

Paris New Year's Eve (La Réveillon de Saint Sylvestre)

out of rangeDecember 31 • event

What could be more inspiring than a New Year countdown in Paris?

Beaches on the Seine or Paris Plages

Beaches on the Seine or Paris Plages

out of rangeearly July–August • activity

When sand is brought onto the asphalt, lounge chairs, umbrellas, and cool showers are placed atop and downtown turns into a beach

Paris Games Week (PGW)

Paris Games Week (PGW)

unconfirmedNovember 1–5, 2023 • event

The most awaited event for gamers and developers

Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom

out of rangelate March–early April • nature

Spring is in the air when thousands of pink buds cover cherry trees

Festival Django Reinhardt

Festival Django Reinhardt

out of rangeJune 27-30, 2024 • event

The annual mecca for the fans of jazz, guitars, and Romanis

La Coulée Verte

La Coulée Verte

out of rangeJune–August • activity

The green oasis in the middle of the city provides a great escape from a hot summer day

Summer Nights at Sacré Cœur

Summer Nights at Sacré Cœur

out of rangeJune–mid-September • activity

This iconic basilica is a hundred times more charming when lit at night, and Paris itself seems more beautiful when observed from above

Carnaval de Paris & Carnaval des Femmes

Carnaval de Paris & Carnaval des Femmes

out of rangeFebruary 11, 2024 (Carnaval de Paris) | March 3, 2024 (Carnaval des Femmes) • event

The graceful moves of the colorful processions drive away winter and bring spring

Repainting the Eiffel Tower

Repainting the Eiffel Tower

out of rangeFebruary 23–March 31 • activity

To repaint this iconic tower from top to bottom one needs 25 professionals, 1,500 brushes, 60 tons of paint, and 18 months

White Night (Nuit Blanche)

White Night (Nuit Blanche)

out of rangeOctober 7, 2023 • event

The unique global all-night art festival originated in Paris

Paris Villaroche Air Legend

Paris Villaroche Air Legend

out of rangeSeptember 14-15, 2024 • event

Admire war aircraft and take in the 1940s ambiance

Paris Jazz Festival

Paris Jazz Festival

out of rangeJune 29–September 7, 2023 • event

Soothing sounds of jazz in the beautiful green setting

Jazz à la Villette Festival

Jazz à la Villette Festival

out of rangeAugust 30–September 10, 2023 • event

This festival is proof that jazz is not dead!

Picnics

Picnics

out of rangeMay–September • activity

Icons of Paris provide some of the world's most romantic settings for a picnic

Fête Aérienne: Le Temps des Hélices

Fête Aérienne: Le Temps des Hélices

out of rangeMay 18-19, 2024 • event

One of the oldest and most famous air shows in France

Banlieues Bleues

Banlieues Bleues

out of rangeMarch 8–April 5, 2024 • event

The highlight of music season in Ile de France region

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