Visiting Paris in October

By Ian Packham
Published: July 18, 2024
A panoramic view of Paris focused on Notre Dame Cathedral in fall

Whilst in the firm grip of the Parisian fall, October shouldn’t be dismissed as a good time to visit the French capital. Sure, the dog days of high summer may seem a lifetime ago, but in Paris in October the streets take on an alternative chic look with the beautiful fall color of its trees. You may even experience ‘second summer’, when temperatures rise once again for a few days of further warmth.

When it comes to visitor numbers, October straddles the line between high and low seasons, since it incorporates the school mid-term vacation. The benefit is a guaranteed range of fascinating one-off events to add to the long list of world-famous landmarks Paris is already able to boast.

Wondering what to do in Paris in October? We’ve got you covered!

 

Admire the fall color

Paris in October

Umbrellas are de rigueur in Paris at any time of year, and can become a useful shade from the sun on the hottest of October days – they do happen. With the weather on your side, the city’s multitude of public parks are a brilliant place for a stroll.

At this time of year there’s still plenty to see and do, with the chance to enjoy the crunch of freshly fallen leaves underfoot, the frenetic activity of squirrels burying acorns and the stunning array of yellows, oranges and reds which develop through the month.

The Aboretum de Paris within the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern edge of the city is hard to beat when it comes to fall color, with 2000 different species of tree from all over France and continental Europe.

On the Bois de Vincennes’ northern side you’ll also find the Château de Vincennes. Dating in parts to 1150, its dramatic 52 meter tower is the tallest medieval structure anywhere in Europe and has been the site of numerous important events in French history.

 

Enjoy some art and culture

Paris in October

When it comes to modern events, October has no reason to feel embarrassed. In addition to the internationally-important collections of the Louvre and Picasso Museum – among many, many others – October in Paris also sees the arrival of the sadly short-lived International Contemporary Art Fair.

Facing off against the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais on the Champ de Mars is the usual host for around 200 galleries specializing in modern and contemporary art, alongside talks and film screenings.

A healthy dose of culture can also be absorbed on the Nuit Blanche (White Night), combining all the fun of a festival with late-night museum opening. Taking place on the first Saturday in October each year, it’s a rare chance to see museum collections after dark, in between installations and concerts by top names.

 

Sample the food and drink

Paris in October

A gray morning is a great excuse for a lazy start to the day. And with Paris the world capital of pastries, we can think of no better way to do this than a traditional French breakfast at the likes of Café Louise, a popular haunt for creatives in the well-to-do Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood.

Best saved for an hour or two later in the day would be French wine tasting at the Les Caves du Louvre. You don’t have to know your Beaujolais from your Bandol with this guided exploration of the wines of France within the historic cellars that served the Louvre when it was a royal palace.

Believe it or not, within the Paris city limits lies a vineyard. At its most frenetic during October when the grapes are in need of harvesting, the vines of Vignes du Clos Montmartre become the center of attention in this part of the city.

Harvest time has been turned into a festival called the Fête des Vendanges, akin to a national holiday, with street performers, live music and more than 40 places to eat and drink getting involved in the action.

 

Scare yourself silly

Paris in October

Although it’s yet to rival scenes up and down the United States, Halloween festivities have also made their presence felt in Paris over recent years.

For the whole of October in Paris, Parc Astérix turns spooky, with special shows seen at no other time of year and haunted houses to get the hair on the back of your neck standing on end. If being scared out of your wits is something you enjoy, Le Grand Rex movie theater celebrates the season with classic horror movies.

Meanwhile, Paris Zoo and the Jardin des Plantes compete with one another to scare visitors with tales of mythical beasts in a family-friendly way. The Musée Gourmand Chocolat Choco-Story invites you to make your very own Halloween treats.

Still not enough freaky goings on to entice you? How about visiting the Manoir Halloween Festival at the Grande Halle de la Villette? It’s 4000 square meters are given over to an immersive horror show the likes of which you’ve probably never experienced. Only enter if you dare...

 

Take in some of October’s major events

Paris in October

Organized by the Paris Jazz Club, the Jazz sur Seine (Jazz on the Seine) event couldn’t be any more different to the Manoir Halloween Festival. Close to 500 artists from around the globe do their best to impress at around 200 concerts spread over 25 venues. It’s well worth checking out.

Jazz sur Seine’s magnificent pedigree only dates back ten years. However, the Paris Motor Show held its inaugural event in 1898, just 13 years after Carl Benz patented his gas-powered vehicle.

Welcoming more than a million visitors at each biennial edition, it’s one of the most important motor shows held anywhere, with major manufacturers using it to unveil new production vehicles and debut concept cars.

 

Save on attraction admission in October

If this round up of everything taking place in Paris in October doesn’t have you reaching for the credit card to book transport and accommodation in the French capital nothing will. So don’t forget to buy your All-Inclusive or Explorer Pass at the same time! So grab whichever Paris attraction pass suits you best, and save while you sightsee!

Explore with Go City and you get the benefit of discounted admission to many of Paris’s top attractions. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for more great tips and to share your latest vacation snaps!

Ian Packham
Go City Travel Expert

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A couple walk in the snow towards the Eiffel Tower
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Outdoor Activities Paris

Paris offers plenty to entertain the outdoor enthusiast year round. Alongside its scenic canals, hundreds of pavement cafés par excellence and impressive program of summer festivals and outdoor theater, the City of Light boasts more than 500 green spaces, running the full gamut from tiny public squares to painstakingly manicured formal gardens and acres of wild, sprawling woodland. Hire a bike, try your hand at pétanque, or join the locals in a spot of people-watching over espresso and pain au chocolat. Read on to discover our pick of the finest outdoor activities Paris has to offer. Soak up the Views Paris is a city that just begs to be admired, photographed, sketched and painted. From the cobbled lanes of Montmartre, to the grand bridges that span the Seine, soaring monuments in steel and stone, and its bruised sunset skies, Paris’s vistas are rarely anything less than utterly captivating. Get a bird’s eye view of the city aboard the Ballon de Paris Generali. This tethered helium balloon in the Parc André Citroën soars 150 meters into the sky, affording fantastic views of all of the city’s landmarks. Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous (and fit), why not take the stairs – all 674 of them – up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower? A glass elevator does the rest of the hard work for you, raising you to the open-air observation deck that’s – gulp – a knee-knocking 276 meters above terra firma. A glass of Champagne at the bar may take the edge off. You’ll also be relieved to hear that you’re not expected to take the stairs all the way back down again. Take the cute funicular railway from the cobbled streets of boho Montmartre up to the Sacré-Cœur. There are worse ways to while away an hour or two than sitting on the stone steps of this beautiful basilica at sundown with a hot, sugary crepe, soaking up some of the city’s most wonderful widescreen views. Bateaux and bicycles Getting around on two wheels is a relatively easy and relaxing way to explore Paris, thanks to an excellent network of dedicated cycle paths and a fairly reliable bike rental system in the shape of the Vélib' Métropole. You can get daily, weekly (or longer subscriptions) that allow you to pick up and drop-off bikes at hundreds of rental stations around the city, giving you the freedom to sightsee at your own pace. Dodge the Segway tours wobbling their perilous way around the major attractions, swerve the camera-toting tourists dawdling in the Marais and make for the pleasant routes that meander alongside picturesque Canal Saint-Martin, with its romantic footbridges, laidback café culture, shabby-chic brasseries and secluded, tree-lined quays. Heading north, the scenery takes a distinct turn for the industrial, with twin cinemas that face off across the Bassin de la Villette. Pedal just a little further and you’ll reach the Pont Levant de la rue de Crimée, the last remaining hydraulic lift bridge in Paris and a relic of the canal’s extension at the end of the 19th Century. You might even be lucky enough to see it in action, rising up gracefully to allow boats to pass underneath. If pedal power sounds too much like hard work, there are plenty of bateaux that will let you enjoy the sights of Paris from the water – ideally with your feet up and a glass of something sparkling in your hand. Take a sunset Seine cruise to see the city in all its glory, as monuments including the Eiffel Tower, Pont Alexandre III and the Notre-Dame Cathedral light up atmospherically against a dusky pink sky. Summer in the City “I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.” So sang Ella Fitgerald in 1956. Granted, Ella also declared her admiration for Paris in fall, winter and spring in the song, but can you bask on golden sands by the Seine in January? Non! Paris Plages runs from July to August every year and sees the riverbanks of Trocadéro Gardens, Parc Rives de Seine and the Bassin de la Villette transformed into sandy beaches, complete with palm trees and parasols. Grab a delicious pistachio ice cream, pull up a deckchair and enjoy a flavor of the French Riviera in the heart of the city. A hot favorite with locals, Parc de la Villette is one of the largest green spaces in Paris. It’s also something of a cultural mecca, crammed with concert halls, theaters and museums, as well as a series of bright red metal follies designed by architect Bernard Tschumi – there are 26 to find across the 137 acres of this massive playground. In summer, the park bursts into life with a busy roster of open-air events, including the popular Villette Sonique music festival. Meanwhile, movie mavens make a beeline for the park’s Cinéma en Plein Air festival, where popcorn-toting viewers gather on blankets and deckchairs on the lawn for classic films under the Paris sky. Best of the Rest Make like Henri Lacroix and bring your A-game to the parks of Paris. Whaddya mean you’ve never heard of Henri Lacroix? He’s only one of the greatest pétanque players the world has ever seen – thirteen times a world champion no less! Take on the local hipsters and old folks at this ancient boule-throwing contest in locations including Place de la Nation and the stunning surroundings of the Luxembourg Gardens. If all that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, why not head to Montmartre’s Place du Tertre to have your least flattering facial features wildly exaggerated and recorded for posterity by a local caricaturist? Go scavenging for treasures at Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, Paris’s labyrinthine open-air flea market, or pay your respects at lavish celebrity tombs in the vast Père Lachaise Cemetery, where permanent residents include Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Marcel Marceau. Finally, there is no outdoor activity more Parisian than perching elegantly at a tiny pavement café table, and peering inscrutably through dark glasses at passers-by over your café crème. Overflowing ashtray of lipstick-stained Gauloises butts optional. Save on indoor and outdoor activities in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
View of the Eiffel Tower across the River Seine
Blog

Week in Paris

Planning a holiday in Paris? First off: lucky you! Secondly, although a week may seem like a lot for a city break, there’s just so much to see and do in Paris that, in fact, seven days is just about the right length of time needed to see the sights and fall in love with the place. Remember that time spent traveling between and queueing for some of the more popular attractions adds up. So, decide which are your must-sees, remember that skip the line tickets are your friend and dive into our suggested itinerary for a week in the City of Love. Day 1: Seeing the Sights Start your break with a bang by ticking off some of the biggest hitters in town. A trip up the Eiffel Tower is essential on any visit to Paris and, with a whole week to spare, you really have no excuse not to. Climb the steps (all 674 of them!) to the second floor for one of the world’s most unforgettable workouts, or take it easy and cruise up in the great glass elevator. Afterwards, head across elegant Pont d'Iéna to the Jardins du Trocadéro with their eye-catching fountain display, then onwards to the Arc de Triomphe, where committed climbers can again take the stairs to the viewing platform up top – 284 this time, fact fans. From here, the view along the Champs-Élysées, with the Luxor Obelisk, Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre’s glass pyramid all perfectly aligned is nothing short of remarkable. Day 2: Art and Culture We recommend picking one or other of the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay and spending an entire day in your chosen museum. These, after all, contain some of the finest art on the planet, so there’s no sense in rushing. The Louvre, with its distinctive pyramid is huuuuge – it’s estimated that it would take around 200 days to see every piece of its 35,000-strong collection so, again, it’s important to plan your must-see masterpieces (Mona Lisa, anyone?) before you go. The relatively bitesize Musée d’Orsay is set inside the beautiful former Gare d’Orsay railway station and contains some huge original station clocks as well as the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, including Monet, Manet, Degas and Renoir. If you do find yourself with time on your hands afterward, there’s plenty to do within strolling distance of both museums. Take a wander into the stunning Jardin des Tuileries by the Louvre and relax by the lakes or ride the old-fashioned carousel there. From Musée d’Orsay wander east along the Seine to shop the riverside book stalls and pause for a coffee and pastry in the boho Latin Quarter. Day 3: Gently Does It After two days of serious sightseeing it's time to kick back and slow the pace a little. Take a gentle amble through the authentic cobbled lanes of the Marais district, with its cute independent boutiques, delightful sidewalk cafés and – at the Marché des Enfants Rouges – some of the best street food in town. People-watch with a picnic in the gardens of the 17th-century Place des Vosges and while away an hour or two admiring the paintings and sculptures in the Picasso Museum. Cross one of the picturesque arched bridges to Île de la Cité. This tiny island in the middle of the Seine packs in an impressive number of big-hitting attractions including Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Conciergerie and medieval Saint-Chapelle with its extraordinary stained-glass windows. Pick up some fresh blooms at the daily flower market (which magically transforms into a bird market on weekends) and cool down with some of the best ice cream in Paris at the Berthillon store. Day 4: Shopping! Paris is an absolute mecca for shoppers, from the luxury designer names that line the broad Champs-Élysées boulevard to bargain antiques and knick knacks at the world’s biggest flea market in Saint-Ouen, just north of the 18th arrondissement. You’ll find historic 19th-century shopping arcades scattered throughout the city center. Inside, beneath elegant glass-and-iron canopies, you’ll find everything from chic fashion boutiques to watchmakers, wine cellars and old-fashioned antique stores selling unique period pieces. Passage du Jouffroy in the 9th arrondissement is one of the most popular, and features Instagram-tastic geometric tiling, an ornate stucco clock and even a tiny 150-year-old wax museum! Head to Galeries Lafayette Haussmann for high-end department store shopping beneath opulent galleries and a soaring stained-glass dome. This landmark Paris mega-mall has around 65,000 square meters of big-name boutiques to explore, plus a Decléor spa and more than 20 cafés and restaurants. Day 5: Rest and Relaxation Holidays are all about relaxing, right? And green spaces are some of the most relaxing places on the planet, yes? Great news: Paris has over 400 public parks and gardens to explore, many within short walking distance of the city’s premier attractions. Pick up a picnic from the local boulangerie and make for the Jardin du Luxembourg, where you can sit and idly watch kids sailing toy boats on the lake in front of the Palais and see locals competing on the pétanque courts. Or stroll the flower-filled gardens of nearby Jardin des Plantes, which also contains a small zoo and natural history museum. Further afield in the 16th arrondissement, you can take an old-fashioned rowboat onto the lake in Bois du Boulogne, where a forest trail and botanical garden will also help you recharge. Not relaxed enough yet? Paris also boasts dozens of excellent spas, with facilities to be found in the likes of ultra-luxe La Réserve Paris as well as the Latin Quarter’s exquisite Mosquée de Paris, with its beautiful byzantine-style hammam and leafy courtyard. Keep it zen with a champagne cruise along the Seine in the evening, admiring the city sights as the sun goes down. Day 6: Highs and Lows The Paris Catacombs surely rank as one of Paris’s most interesting – and most macabre – attractions. Here, deep beneath the unassuming streets of the 14th arrondissement lies a labyrinth of tunnels, where curious souls can come face to skull with some six million long-dead Parisians, their mortal remains displaced here from overflowing Paris cemeteries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Take the 1.5-kilometer walking route through these hushed and dimly lit tunnels for a bone-freezing experience you’ll never forget. Afterwards, shake off the chill with a quick whiz up the nearby Montparnasse Tower, where the uninterrupted 56th-floor views across Paris are considered some of the best in town. You’ll find locals to be especially effusive about these views because it's one of few vantage points in the city where you can’t see the Montparnasse Tower itself – it’s considered to be a bit of a blight on the skyline! Day 7: Montmartre No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to Montmartre. You can easily spend a day here, exploring the maze of cobbled streets that are home to world-famous attractions including the Moulin Rouge cabaret and Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Save your legs by taking the funicular up the steep butte (hill), then find your bearings on a walking tour of the main sights. Afterwards, grab lunch in one of the adorable cafés or splash out on famous restaurants such as the Café des Deux Moulins of Amélie fame and Moulin de la Galette, part of the famous windmill immortalized in art by both van Gogh and Renoir. Then keep the arty theme going with a stroll to the Place du Tertre to have your portrait painted in the shadow of the basilica by one of the resident artists. Stroll the picture-perfect Rue des Abbesses – great for people-watching and home to the Sunday flea market where you can pick up antique bits and bobs as well as jewelry and art from local designers. And don’t miss sunset from the basilica steps where, as the sky turns pink and orange and a carousel wheels into motion below, you’ll truly feel like you saved the best for last. Save on top attractions during your week in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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