What's on in Paris

By Go City Expert
Paris Eiffel Tower

Plan your trip to Paris with our guide to what's on in Paris! From festivals and seasonal events to annual celebrations and more, discover Paris with the Paris Pass!
 

Paris Seine

SPRING

Easter in Paris
As the promise of spring fills the air, and the parks begin to bloom, take a stroll along the Seine or head to the many green public parks around the city to soak up the early sunshine. Indulge in the wonderful chocolate confections that decorate the shop windows, cheer on the runners in the Paris Marathon, and then head to Foire du Trone in Pelouse de Reuilly in Bois de Vincennes to enjoy old-school fairground rides and family-friendly fun.

La Nuit Européene des Musées
In May, museums across Europe throw open their doors for a night at the museum. In Paris, museums will stay open late into the evening – offering a unique and memorable way to enjoy their treasures. Participating attractions include: the Louvre, the Decorative Arts Museum and the Palais de la Découverte.

 

Paris summer

SUMMER

The French Open
From the end of May into June, a couple of weeks before Wimbledon, you can watch the best tennis players in the world at Stade Roland Garros in Paris. If you’re willing to swap the strawberries for macarons and the Pimms for champagne, you can enjoy great tennis in the Paris sunshine. 

We Love Green
This popular Parisian music festival is powered entirely by solar panels and recycled-oil generators. Attracting a great line-up every year, you can enjoy fabulous music, organic food and connect with people at the sustainability and environmental think tank for 2 days at the beginning of June in the Bois de Vincennes.

Paris Plages
Each summer, from the beginning of July until the end of August, the banks of the Seine and canal de Villette are transformed into public beaches. Pack a picnic, pull up a deckchair and relax in the Parisian sunshine. Or head to Bassin de la Villette where you can even bathe in the waters before enjoying an ice-cream at one of the neighbourhood vendors.

Bastille Day
If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris on 14th July, head to the Champs Elysées in the afternoon to see the military procession. Later, Champs de Mars is the place to be. Here, you can enjoy the fireworks over the Eiffel Tower… unless you’re lucky enough to be staying in a hotel with views to the tower, of course, when you can sit back and enjoy the show from the comfort of your own balcony.

 

Paris Metro

AUTUMN

La Nuit Blanche
At the start of October, Paris hosts an art festival with a difference: avant-garde and emerging artists show their works by night. At various venues across the city, a mix of art, theatre, dance and music events ensure that “for one night only, let art take over the city, and let the city be in its thrall”.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland Paris
The Disney parks are fabulous fun at Halloween, so if you’re in Paris through October with children don’t miss a trip a to Euro Disney. Dress up in costume and join in the Halloween-themed fun, including trick or treating, costumed characters and the spooky procession and fireworks.

 

Paris winter

WINTER

Christmas in Paris
Christmas in Paris is truly magical: with the city lit and dressed for Christmas, ice-skating rinks at Hotel de Ville and Trocadéro and Christmas markets along the Champs Elysées, Place Saint Sulpice and Place Saint Germain des Prés. Browse the pretty stores selling handicrafts and treats, mingle with the crowds and sip vin chaud at the markets. Then head to Trocadéro to skate across the ice with the lights of the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the background. If you’re in Paris on Christmas Eve, don’t skip a visit to Notre Dame for midnight mass.

New Year in Paris
In recent years, Paris hasn’t put on an official new year fireworks show, so the best place to head on New Year’s Eve is the Champs Elysées. Here, you can wish fellow revellers a “Bonne Année” from about 9pm – giving you time to eat at your favourite restaurant before you head out. Or mingle with the crowds here before heading on somewhere else. Just make sure you wrap up warm!

Shop the Winter Sales in Paris
If you love bagging yourself a bargain, the winter sales at the grand department stores, and the city’s malls and boutiques – or at one of the outlet malls outside the centre – are the place to head during January and early February. Don't miss a visit to the famous Galeries Lafayette - shopping heaven!

We hope you have enjoyed this guide to what’s on in Paris, brought to you by the team at the Paris Pass. Bon voyage!

Go City Expert
Paris Travel Expert

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Couple taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower
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5 Days in Paris Itinerary

You’ll have very little trouble filling a 5-day Paris itinerary, thanks to the City of Love’s swoonsome selection of bucket-list landmarks, must-see museums, gorgeous galleries and romantic river walks. And that’s just for starters! Dive in for our suggestions on how to spend five days in Paris, including: The Eiffel Tower The Louvre  Père Lachaise Cemetery Montmartre The Marais  Galeries Lafayette Haussmann The Picasso Museum … and much more! Day 1: Tick Off a Big-Hitter or Two The Eiffel Tower is hands-down the most famous monument on the planet, so it makes sense to make a beeline for it on your first day in Paris. There are stacks of ways to see this wrought-iron masterpiece of Victorian latticework: you can queue for the elevator to the top, or if you fancy braving the queues (and the climb), you can walk up 674 stairs to the viewing platform on the second floor. If, however, you’d prefer to dodge the crowds and just enjoy the views of this architectural marvel, hit up the Montparnasse Tower – Paris’s only skyscraper – for some of the best in town. You can also catch a glimpse of the Iron Lady at her best from the Jardins du Trocadéro just across the Seine, or from the steps of the glorious Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre. And, now that you’re in Montmartre, you might as well stick around for the afternoon. Sure, it’s all gone a bit ‘Paris theme park’ up here at the highest point in the city, but that’s all part of the fun. Wander the atmospheric cobbled lanes and scratch your selfie itch in front of the famous red neon sails of the Moulin Rouge windmill, by the Wall of Love and outside (or indeed inside) the café featured in the movie Amélie. Heck, you can even have your best facial features mocked, distorted and exaggerated in perpetuity, thanks to the caricature artists on the picture-postcard Place du Tertre. Now that's what we call a souvenir! Day 2: A Spot of Culture City of Love, City of Light, City of Culture… Paris is home to some of the finest galleries and museums on the planet, and no mistake. Be sure to see at least one of ‘the big two’ (i.e. the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay) while you’re here. Can’t decide whether to tick the Mona Lisa or van Gogh’s equally enigmatic Self Portrait off your bucket list? Check out our guide to the best (and worst) of these Paris sightseeing titans here. Feeling suitably cultured, amble over to the Marais for a decidedly lazy déjeuner before exploring this charming district’s maze of cobbled lanes that lead to enchanting garden squares and oh-so-tempting pâtisseries. Pause at Paris’s oldest planned square, the Place des Vosges, where formal gardens flanked by 17th-century townhouses and atmospheric arcades provide a lovely location to just stop and watch the world go by. If you’re not already all cultured out, hit up the nearby Picasso Museum to ogle thousands of pieces – paintings, sculptures, illustrations, engravings – from one of the all-time greats. Pro-tip: the Picasso gift shop, just next door, boasts some of the coolest souvenirs in town. Day 3: Picnic and a Walk Whaddya mean you’re halfway through your 5-day Paris itinerary and you haven’t experienced the sensory joy of a street market yet? Well, now’s the time to rectify that. Make a beeline for one of these foodie meccas – Marché Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement, Marché Raspail in the 6th, and Marché des Enfants Rouge in the Marais are among the very best – and stock up on still-warm baguettes, pungent cheeses, glorious local charcuterie and, heck, maybe even a bottle of fine Bordeaux for a gratuitously decadent pique-nique in the park. Jardin des Tuileries by the Louvre is the vibe if it’s formal gardens, tranquil lakes and sculptures by Mailliol and Rodin that float your boat. Or bag a few #humblebrag snaps as you tuck in on the manicured lawns of the Champs de Mars, where the Eiffel Tower provides that essential picnic-selfie backdrop. If you want to make a whole day of it, you could do worse than the wooded valleys, secluded hills and colonnaded Temple de la Sybille of Parc des Buttes-Chaumont on the edge of town. Then there’s the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, the city’s largest public parks, which promise relative seclusion and room to roam (and picnic) amid botanical gardens, grottoes, chateaux, boating lakes and more. Heck, you could even consider finding a suitable lunch spot among the permanent residents of Père Lachaise, Paris’s biggest cemetery. This atmospheric stretch of parkland is chock-full of ornate headstones and gothic tombs, including such luminaries of the entertainment world as Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, Chopin, and Jim Morrison of The Doors. There’s a great guided tour you can take while you’re there, too! Day 4: Shop Til You Drop There are plenty of ways to lighten your wallet in Paris. Why not spend day four of your trip doing precisely that? Bonus: because Paris is so achingly pretty, you can effortlessly combine it with a little sightseeing and a lot of café culture. Hit up the iconic Galeries Lafayette Haussmann where the ornamental galleries and soaring atrium topped by a huuuuge steel-and-glass cupola vie with 65,000 square meters of prime retail space as the star attraction. You could easily spend a whole day in here, but that would be to overlook Paris’s equally charming 19th-century shopping arcades. These atmospheric throwbacks to a more gentile era are all stained-glass ceilings, old-school wood-fronted stores and intricate mosaic tiling. Some even have iron-and-glass domes and canopies, pure masterclasses of Victorian architecture and engineering. There are around 20 to explore across the city, each promising hip boutiques, antique emporia, old-school watchmakers, jewelers and bookstores, as well as any number of tempting beautiful bistros and cute cafés from which to take it all in over espresso and croissants. Day 5: Bonus Bucket-Listers You want your last day in Paris to be as special as the first, am I right? With that in mind, consider the big-ticket items you’ve missed and whether now’s the time to fit them in. Didn’t go to Musée d’Orsay on day 2? Now’s your chance. Been lured Quasimodo-style by the bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral? Get yourself down to Île de la Cité, the tiny island in the middle of the Seine that’s also home to the remarkable Conciergerie and medieval Sainte-Chapelle, as well as a must-visit flower (and sometime bird) market. Or you could meander around the storied lanes of the Latin Quarter, following in the footsteps of such legendary wordsmiths as Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway. This left bank enclave still exudes literary cool, thanks to hip cafés with book-lined shelves, the unmissable Shakespeare and Company Bookshop, and the army of Bouquinistes (open-air booksellers) that line the banks of the Seine. Or just soak it all in (and much more besides) on a relaxing sightseeing cruise that takes in the Pont Neuf, Jardin des Tuileries, Louvre and Grand Palais. Save on Paris’s most popular tourist attractions Save on admission to Paris attractions with The Paris Pass. Check out @TheParisPass on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Paris Louvre
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Art & Museums in Paris

Explore the world of art and culture in Paris Paris has always been one of the most important hubs of creative inspiration and architectural masterpieces in Europe. Artists have fled to the capital to be inspired and hone in on their hidden talents since the Middle Ages and have produced renowned pieces of works from Picasso to Monet, Degas and Cezanne. Paris is brimming with galleries and museums to be explored to discover some of the world’s artistic genius and cultural sensitivity. The Louvre The Louvre was built in 1793 and contains over 35,000 pieces of art ranging from Egyptian antiques, to Renaissance masterpieces; including works from Da Vinci and Delacroix. Walk through the history of France, take in some of the artistic wonders of the world and behold the Mona Lisa in all its glory. After, unwind in the formal Carrousel gardens surrounding the iconic pyramid museum to reflect upon your visit. Musée d’Orsay Originally designed as a train station in 1900, the Musée d’Orsay became a theatre and finally, as it stands now, a museum exhibiting art from 1848 to 1915. Admire works by Delacroix, Manet, Cézanne and Renoir, among others, including Auguste Clésinger’s controversial "Woman Bitten by a Snake" from 1847. The imposing architectural masterpiece of the Museum itself sits on the bank of the Seine, opposite the Tuileries Gardens, and is a must-see in your visit to Paris. Musée de Rodin August Rodin was one of the world’s greatest neoclassical sculptors in the early 1900s. As a hugely influential artist in his contemporary scene, The Musée Rodin opened in 1919, after Rodin handed over his personal collection to the Government three years earlier. The museum now holds a number of sculptures, paintings, drawings and works by other artists such as Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Situated in Hôtel Biron, the museum is definitely worth a visit to expand your cultural appreciation of the early 20th century Parisian art scene. Espace Dali The surrealist artist Salvador Dali is one of the most recognised artists in the world from his ground-breaking masterpieces in cubism to impressionism. His enduring popularity means his works are as much appreciated to this day as they were before. L’espace Dali in Montmartre takes you through his metaphysical, religious and scientific inspirations, visible in his works. The museum is a must-see to learn about Dali’s individual artistic expression that challenged the art scene of the 1920s. Musée des Égouts de Paris The Paris sewer system dates back to 1370, and its design is the one of a kind. Attracting as many curious visitors as ever down the windy 500m paths alongside the Seine, The Musée des Égouts offers a tour down the tunnel’ s underground system illustrating how the sewage system has changed from its invention to today. Not for the claustrophobic, this underground museum provides a unique perspective into a lesser known part of Parisian social history.
Go City Expert
Chocolat chaud
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Guide to the Best Hot Chocolate in Paris

Luxuriating over a hot chocolate is a quintessential Parisian activity. From classic chocolate chauds served with decadent crème Chantilly on the side to unexpected flavor infusions, here are our top spots.
Go City Expert
Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor Guided Climb
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