Rear view of man with arm around woman in foreground, overlooking Eiffel Tower

Things to do in Paris for a birthday

Soak up the best sights in Paris, the best French cuisine and the very best bubbly to guarantee a joyeux anniversaire!

Whether you’re looking for romance, fun, or simply chic celebrations, if you’re wondering what to do in Paris on your birthday, unwrap our ideas and tear the ribbon off our recommendations.

What brighter way to celebrate than by spending your birthday in Paris - the City of Light...of love...in short, a city that oozes as much style as it does cheese, chocolate and champagne?!

Breakfast in Paris

Why not start your day in style with coffee and the best Parisian breakfast you can find? Follow in the footsteps of famous writers, philosophers and artists; Oscar Wilde, Simone de Beauvoir and Ernest Hemingway, not to mention Sartre - and Picasso - were all regulars at Les Deux Magots, maybe the most famous café in Paris. Just across the Boulevard St Germain, Café de Flore is another legendary literary hangout. Sample their classic specialties or drop into nearby Café Louise for a top-class coffee and traditional French breakfast to set you up for a day of good things.

Learn how to make macarons

If you’ve a taste for macarons you could even try your hand at making your own, with a Macaron Pastry Class at Galeries Lafayette. Work with a French pastry chef to learn how to make the shells, the ganache and put it all together to create the perfect pastry sensation. Obviously you’ll have to sample a few along the way!

Over the river, Ladurée, shimmering on the Champs Elysée, is another contender for the best breakfast in Paris. Settle into the sumptuous 1950s decor and choose from specialty croissants and other sweet treats. Of course you can’t leave Ladurée without picking up a beautifully wrapped parcel of their world-famous macarons, 15,000 of which are sold every day! The delicious, disintegrating delight of these famous Parisian pastries make them worth every cent.

 

Shopping in Paris

Oh look! Since we’re already in Galeries Lafayette it would be a shame to not spend some of our birthday money on that favourite Paris pastime - shopping! As the undisputed fashion capital of the world, we can’t begin to suggest which are the best shops in Paris. But whatever your taste or budget, from opulent department stores to world-famous designer boutiques, via every style of independent outlet, your shopping dreams will surely come true here.

If you’re looking for French fashion tips, maybe drop into the exclusive mini fashion show at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann store? This 30-minute catwalk of couture showcases ultra-chic French style to help you get ahead of the latest trends.

And, of course, no Paris shopping trip would be complete without a promenade along the Champs-Elysée, the most famous shopping street in Paris, running for over a mile between the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde. Historically the home of famous fashion names like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel and Balenciaga, you’ll also find mainstream brands including Gap, Zara and H&M. Don’t miss Galeries Lafayette’s four-story flagship store, featuring 600 brands and 300 designers in a stylish art deco building. Rather than traditional ‘departments’ it mixes items from different categories, encouraging shoppers to enjoy a fluid experience between fashion, food, accessories and loads more.

Lunch in Paris

All that retail therapy has given us an appetite, but, once more, we’re spoiled for choice, since Paris is famously a gastronomic paradise.

One special way to enjoy a birthday lunch might be to hit one of the many fresh food markets dotted throughout the city. Bag a baguette, some choice cheeses, maybe a punnet of cherries and some patisserie items - perhaps even a cheeky bottle of wine - and set off for a Parisian picnic. The tempting food stalls of the Marché St Germain are particularly well placed to pick up something to enjoy whilst sitting beside the Seine, along the Left Bank, or whilst lazing on the lakeside lawns of the Jardins Luxembourg

Or, if you’re pushing the birthday boat out for something a little more high-end, perhaps consider a gourmet lunch at Mordu. Also under the arches of the Marché St Germain, and acclaimed by the Michelin Guide, this popular restaurant serves classic French and Mediterranean cuisine with a contemporary twist. Settle down in the rich dark wood interior or, if the sun’s shining, on the wide outdoor terrace - and pop a celebratory cork to accompany your meal.

Browse the best Paris museums

You don’t have to be a culture vulture to find something to fascinate in the Paris museums - and there are 150 to choose from, including the Louvre, the world’s biggest museum. Taking an outside tour of the Louvre’s surroundings will help you understand its buildings, history and significance, before you head inside to meet Mona and the other masterpieces.

You’ll find a more laid-back museum experience at the wonderful Musée de l’Orangerie, where you can almost drown in the beauty of Monet’s large-scale water-lily paintings.

Meanwhile the Musée d’Orsay is home to a wonderful collection of furniture, sculpture and especially Impressionist paintings, breathtakingly housed in a soaring converted railway station. Get up close and personal with works by Monet, Renoir, Gaugin, Cézanne and Van Gogh, then recover in the café alongside the giant station clock.

Explore Montmartre

For a relaxed afternoon, strolling the pretty streets of Montmartre makes for a perfect birthday outing. Take a walking tour, climb the steps to Sacre Coeur, peep through the gates of the only vineyard in Paris and soak in the history and culture of this atmospheric Parisian district, famed for its street artists. There are endless bars and cafés for snacks, drinks and people-watching. Or maybe get your portrait painted in the Place du Tertre as a lasting memory of a special day.

Have a drink!

With apologies to the tee-totallers, another popular Parisian hobby is wine-tasting! And when better to raise a glass but on your birthday? Perhaps unsurprisingly France produces more wine than any other country - around 550 million cases per year. Les Caves du Louvre offers a choice of 50 different wines available by the glass. Sample your favorites (and cheese too!) in an historic wine cellar and learn about the different wine-making regions.

If beer is your preferred bevvy there’s another tasting package available at authentic Parisian microbrewery Brasserie BAPBAP. Sample some of their 35 original beers and take home a goodie bag, including two beer glasses, as a birthday souvenir.

Perhaps you’ll opt for a cocktail in St Germain as an aperitif before your evening celebrations or, French style, mid-afternoon. Or, for the full romantic experience, relax on a sunset cruise on the Seine, spotting iconic landmarks and watching the city light up, with a glass of sparkling bubbles in your hand.

Dinner at the Eiffel Tower

As evening falls, take your tastebuds on tour to the Tour Eiffel. For the ultimate Paris birthday treat, jump the queues and ride the lift to the champagne bar on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, where you can gaze at the spectacular city view as you sip your bubbles at an altitude of 276m. Alcohol free drinks are also available and the view is just as good.

For a birthday dinner you’ll never forget, book well in advance for the sumptuous Eiffel Tower restaurants. Madame Brasserie on the first floor offers contemporary seasonal dishes served with a panoramic view over the Seine and Trocadero whilst, on the second floor, the Michelin starred Jules Verne is an unbeatable gastronomic experience. And who needs birthday candles? There’s no more magical sight than the tower’s 20,000 lights, glittering every hour from dusk until 1am.

 

Visit a Paris cabaret show

To round off a birthday to remember, a famous Paris cabaret is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Both The Lido and The Crazy Horse are renowned venues with extravagant sets, costumes and choreography. But it’s the mesmerising Moulin Rouge that’s known the world over for its mixture of elegance and risque entertainment. Its Féerie show featuring 80 performers, including 60 high-kicking Doriss girls and over 1,000 costumes bedecked with jewels and feathers, is a jaw-dropping celebration of joie de vivre.

 

Can you see and do more with Go City? Yes you can can! The freedom to explore on your own terms is the best gift we can give you. Pick up an All-Inclusive Pass and you’ll think it’s your birthday every day! So grab a Paris attraction pass and save while you sightsee!

Jo Cooke
Go City Travel Expert

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A panoramic view of Paris focused on Notre Dame Cathedral in fall
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Visiting Paris in October

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 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 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 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 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 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! 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
Sun sets behind Notre Dame Cathedral
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Is Paris in May a good idea?

Paris is always a good idea. But Paris in May could well be the good idea to end all good ideas. Offering perfect sightseeing weather – sunny skies, almost no rain and very little humidity – Paris in May is a joy to behold. Temperatures which seem to rise by the day trigger a wealth of spring blooms alongside a sense of good cheer that even the surliest of Parisians can’t fail to get caught up in. Weather aside, Paris in May is able to boast a busy calendar of events and lengthening daylight hours in which to enjoy them to their max. Whilst the start of the city’s high season, there’s nowhere near the number of visitors as in July and August. The result? A happy balance between T-shirt wearing weather and entrance line lengths – which can of course be avoided by exploring with Go City! When in Paris... Paris has no fewer than four public holidays scheduled for May: Labor Day (May 1), World War II Victory Day (May 8), Ascension Day (40 days after Easter) and Whit Monday (or Pentecost, 50 days after Easter). Expect some shops and restaurants to be firmly closed for each. It’s best to check in advance though, with the Louvre’s mighty galleries closed on May 1 but open the rest of the month. Other museums may have reduced hours. What does this mean for anyone visiting Paris in May? It means the chance to see the city from the eyes of its residents. Many love nothing more than using their free days to head to the banks of the River Seine or one of the city’s multitude of green spaces. Spots on the Place du Vert Galant at the tip of Notre Dame Cathedral’s Île de la Cité are fiercely fought over because of its views across to the Louvre and the 18th-Century Hôtel de la Monnaie. But there’s no shortage of other potential picnic locations in a city with over 400 parks. Take a stroll Alternative activities on the Île de la Cité include a stroll among the stalls of the Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market. A stone’s throw from the stained-glass windows of the Church of Sainte-Chapelle and the ancient stonework of La Conciergerie, it has a particular significance on May 1. By tradition, the date is marked by giving a sprig of lily of the valley to loved ones. Every Sunday, it turns into a bird market alive with chirruping. The pleasant weather makes May in Paris a great time of year to pull on the walking shoes whatever your interests. The river’s banks are a good place to start, with a guided walking tour along the Seine full of fascinating stories from the city’s extensive history. Anyone who knows Paris a little already can instead explore the hidden gems of Le Marais, a residential area filled with historic sites such as Place des Vosges, once home to Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables. Sun and sea – of a kind Hitting the sidewalks of the French capital isn’t the only way to discover the city. Visitors have been getting a bird’s eye view from the top of the Eiffel Tower since 1889. But those seeking elevated views of the tower itself can opt for the Ballon de Paris Generali instead. It’s the world’s largest helium-filled balloon. The adventures can continue beneath the waves at the Aquarium de Paris in the Trocadero Gardens opposite the Eiffel Tower. Concentrating on lifeforms found in French waters – which include islands in the Indian Ocean and Caribbean Sea – 60 tanks provide habitats for 7500 individual animals, including 50 sharks and 2500 jellyfish. Night owls will love the fact that the nearby Palais de Tokyo stays open late at least once a week. It’s home to the Paris Museum of Modern Art, one of two major contemporary collections in the city. The Pompidou Center is the other. Sample cordon bleu menus With café and restaurant tables again a firm fixture on the Paris streets after the chill of the winter months, May is also a great time to get to grips with the city’s famed food scene. For a lunch on the go that would make any Parisian proud, look no further than jambon-beurre. A ham sandwich with an added touch of class, both bakeries and cafés prepare this half-baguette containing butter and jambon de Paris ham in vast quantities each day. If you’re after a more leisurely midday meal the croque monsieur may be the answer, sharing many of the main elements of a jambon-beurre but with extra sumptuousness supplied by a béchamel sauce and a light grilling. Your tastebuds also won’t want to miss the Fête de Pain (Bread Festival) the week either side of May 16. An annual celebration of Saint-Honoré, the patron saint of bakers, it has the city’s artisans sharing their skills with the general public. Just add cheese for a perfect bite to eat! Major May events Around the same time, sports fans begin descending on the Bois de Boulogne for the opening rounds of the French Open Glam Slam tennis championships at Roland Garros. However, there are still plenty of other events for those who don’t know their Halep from their Barty or their Federer from their Nadal. The Printemps Des Rues street festival on the Canal Saint-Martin’s Quai de Jemmapes creates a magical atmosphere suitable for all the family. Dance, music and theater all come together for just one weekend to mark the coming of spring to the city’s streets. It’s the upmarket Saint Germain-des-Prés neighborhood that’s the main location for one of the city’s foremost music events – Festival Jazz. Its stages bring together new talent and household names wherever they might be found. There’s always a strong contingent of American musicians, alongside those hailing from as far afield as Cameroon and India. The Villette Sonique Festival at Parc de la Villette sees crowds welcoming not only jazz greats but also rock and post-punk experimental acts. Better still, it’s free to attend many of its outdoor daytime concerts! What to do in Paris in May May in Paris can more than hold its own against the other months of the year. Continuously improving weather, a relaxed holiday atmosphere and brilliant events mean a vacation at this time of year will be remembered for all the right reasons. And whilst Paris in May is the start of peak vacation season, with higher accommodation costs, don’t forget that by traveling with your trusty Go City app to hand you’re going to make substantial savings on admission to many of Paris’s top attractions!
Ian Packham

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