Things to do in Paris in the Morning

It’s well worth dragging yourself out of bed early for a peek at Paris’s pink-tinged dawns. And one of the best places to do so is in the perfectly manicured Trocadéro Gardens, a prime vantage point to experience Paris icon, the Eiffel Tower, bathed in the morning sun’s golden glow. This is prime time for those coveted ‘alone in Paris’ selfies, when the streets are still surprisingly quiet, and you can wander across the Seine to worship at the feet of the Iron Lady unaccosted by the madding crowds that begin to assemble here from mid-morning. Arm yourself with a croissant and coffee from the nearest boulangerie and arrive for around 6.30AM-7AM for the best sunrise snaps.

Montmartre’s cobbled streets and café-lined squares are enchanting at any time of day, but perhaps especially in the early morning, when sunrise turns the Sacré-Coeur Basilica a beautiful blushing pink. Find out what artists, including Renoir, Modigliani, and Picasso, found so inspiring here on a dawn dawdle that takes in the Sacre-Coeur, picture-perfect Rue de l'Abreuvoir, and the famous Place du Tertre, where street artists will already be eagerly setting up their easels.

Meanwhile, Luxembourg Gardens is a tranquil city-center oasis that’s perfect for mindful morning meanders. There are 56 acres of green space to explore, with plenty of woodland walking trails, plus eye candy courtesy of French and English formal gardens, a cute boating lake, and the grand baroque confection that is Luxembourg Palace.

Many major Paris attractions open from 9AM, and it really does pay to turn up early if you want to avoid the lines that inevitably begin to form by mid-morning, particularly during peak season. This is especially true of the likes of the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, two of the city’s most popular and enduring tourist magnets. The Iron Lady pulls in a whopping 6m+ lovers of latticework each year, so it’s well worth getting there first thing, especially if you’d prefer to take the elevator than the stairs (all 674 of them), as lines to take the easy way up are invariably longer.

The same applies at the Arc de Triomphe, the monumental neoclassical war memorial that stands at the top of Place Charles de Gaulle. It’s a mere 284 steps to the top of this Paris landmark. Foot-weary climbers are rewarded with glutes of steel and one of the finest views in town, taking in the broad sweep of the Champs-Élysées boulevard, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre-Coeur Basilica, the Panthéon, and more.

Most visitors to Paris will only find time to visit *either* the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay, one the home of the enigmatic Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, the other boasting the biggest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art anywhere on the planet, including masterpieces by Manet, Money, Whistler, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec to name just a few (phew!). Whichever you choose, you should consider a morning visit essential for avoiding the lines and giving you the best chance to see these iconic works of art close-up and unimpeded by a sea of bobbing heads.

There’s little to match the atmosphere of the Marais in the morning. Its maze of quaint cobbled streets, pretty garden squares, tempting boulangeries, and cute cafés makes it perfect for early-bird strolls. Soak up the stillness of the Place des Vosges at dawn. You’ll feel yourself thrust into a bygone era here, where formal gardens ringed by swoonsome arcades and picture-perfect 17th-century townhouses. A fine spot, in other words, for gorging on your boulangerie-sourced breakfast of still-warm sugar-coated chouquettes and lip-scalding espresso. Suitably fortified, make an early morning pitstop at the quite wonderful Picasso Museum and pause to smell the roses in the gardens of the National Archives Museum.

Still hungry for more? The Marais has you covered. Its 17th-century marché des Enfants Rouge is one of the best foodie markets in town, promising everything from farm-fresh fruit and veg to crêpes, burgers, and belly-busting pan-fried sandwiches. Or hit up the atmospheric Rue des Rosiers for its fine Jewish bakeries and excellent falafel joints.

Foraging for supplies in a traditional French market is one of the best things to do in Paris in the morning. Whether it’s the aroma of just-baked bread, fragrant formages or freshly cut flowers that floats your boat, there’s a market for you. The mighty Marché Bastille runs from the historic Place de la Bastille all the way down leafy Boulevard Richard-Lenoir every Thursday and Sunday, promising the finest regional produce – cured meats, mushrooms, cheeses, jams, pastries, wines – France has to offer. Then there’s the magical Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux, which, as French speakers will have gathered, specializes in the sale of exotic flowers and… birds. This Île de la Cité stalwart is one of the oldest markets in Paris and offers blooms on weekdays; budgerigars on weekends.