best-time-to-visit-paris-eiffel-tower-april

One of my favorite things about Paris is how much it can change from morning to evening and from sunny to rainy. The city is a place of a million personalities and each season brings a different one to life.

There really is no bad time to visit Paris. Each season has a unique experience to offer and there is never a lack of things to explore regardless of rain or shine.

That being said, having experienced all 12 months in the city of lights, I think the best times to visit Paris is either late Spring / early Summer (May-June) or Autumn (late September through mid-November).

The Best Time to Visit Paris

Both early summer and Autumn are wonderful times to visit Paris, and choosing between the two depends on what type of experience you want to have. If you want to see the city being enjoyed to her fullest, spend hours outside and soak up every ounce Paris has to offer, then plan to visit Paris in early summer. On the flip side, if you want a slower, more romantic, breathtakingly beautiful Paris, plan your trip to Paris in Autumn.

Late spring/early summer is the best time to visit Paris to experience all the city has to offer. Spring in Paris brings beautiful flowers, full green foliage on the trees, ideal weather for walking around and longer days. It’s the perfect time of year to grab a sunny spot to picnic with friends along the Seine, take day trips to destinations just outside of Paris (like Monet’s gardens in Giverny or Château De Fontainebleau), and to enjoy all of your delicious meals curbside.

Autumn is the most beautiful time to visit Paris. As long as the rain holds off until November, in late September and October Paris is bursting with stunning foliage, sunny days, cool temperatures and falling leaves. It feels exactly like the Paris portrayed in the movies: walks along the Seine as leaves fall, hand in hand with your love, wearing a trench coat and boots and a scarf. October brings many less tourists than the summer season due to lack of school and government holidays, and Autumn in Paris is a great time to visit the Château De Chantilly outside of the city.

When to not visit paris

Again, there is no technically bad time to visit Paris (which I will expand on more in the month to month section below), but there are a few seasonal things to be aware of.

The major thing you will likely want to avoid when planning your trip to Paris is coming in late July or August, but especially August. August in Paris is high summer. High summer means that it is incredibly hot. The buildings of the city are designed to retain heat, and when the summer sun blazes into the concrete jungle that is Paris, things heat up.

It’s likely that your Parisian hotel will have air conditioning, however, there is no air conditioning most places, so if you are sensitive to heat this could prove to be a major issue.

August is also the month Parisians (and most Europeans go on holiday), and many of the shops and restaurants close during the month of August. For weeks at a time. Last August, our boulangerie closed for three weeks meaning we literally couldn’t buy our go-to baguettes.

PAris by month

january in paris (janvier à paris)

We moved to Paris on a sunny and crisp January day, so January in Paris will always have a special place in my heart. That being said, I often describe January in Paris as Paris at her worst. But Paris at her worst is still Paris which is still magnifique.

January is Paris’ darkest and coldest month with a low average of only 63 hours of sunshine during the whole month and with average temperatures of 45°F. That being the case, it one of, if not the, least crowded month of the year, making it a great month in Paris to discover the museums with a fraction of the crowds you’ll find in the high seasons. It’s also a great time to book your Parisian hotel at the most affordable price.

January Events in Paris: Les Soldes (Parisian sales), Paris Fashion Week

january-paris-palais-royal — *January in Paris at an empty Palais-Royal*

what-is-paris-like-in-january-view-from-sacre-coeur — *January in Paris view from Sacre-Couer in Montmartre*

sunset-over-paris-january-eiffel-tower — *A January sunset over Paris*

february in paris (fevrier à paris)

February in Paris is pretty much the same as January in Paris in that it is still dreary and cold. However, February has a surprising number of sunny days, so you could potentially luck out and get some of the beautiful Paris pictured below (images are from both February 2022 and February 2023 in Paris).

Planning a trip to Paris in February is a great way to take advantage of the most romantic city in the world, especially if your version of romance is one of snuggling and cozy winter clothes and warming up with a cup of hot chocolate and strolling through museums and spending the evening over a candlelit dinner inside.

February Events in Paris: Les Soldes until mid-month (Parisian sales), Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day

february-in-paris-louvre-pyramids — *February in Paris at the Louvre*

when-to-visit-paris-february-sunset-seine — *February in Paris at Pont Neuf*

when-to-visit-paris-february-pantheon — *February in Paris at the Pantheon in the 5eme arrondissement*

March in paris (Mars à paris)

March in Paris brings typically late Winter / early Spring weather, with potential for both ends of the spectrum from bright, sunny days to gloomy, rainy ones. At some point in early March the flowering trees will begin to bloom alongside the popping up of a variety of bulbs. March is still pretty low on tourism when compared to the upcoming months, meaning everything is still slightly more affordable.

March Events in Paris: Ready-to-wear fashion week (early March), Paris half-marathon in early March, La Foire de Chatou (an antique fair twice a year outside of Paris)

April in paris (avril à paris)

April in Paris is when Spring arrives in her full splendor, with many longer sun-filled days, increasing temperatures and more opportunities to enjoy Paris by foot. The city’s gardens burst with color and greenery, and April is a great month to take advantage of some day trips from Paris (like a trip to Versailles or to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny).

April Events in Paris: Spring, Easter, Monet’s Gardens Open early April, the Paris Marathon, Musical Fountain show begins at Versailles.

may in paris (mai à paris)

May in Paris means warmer temperatures, longer days and both tourists and Parisians enjoying every single corner of the city. Anything in Paris that can turn green (trees, vines, gardens, grass) will be fully grown, and the city is transformed into a lush vine-covered wonderland. The roses also start to bloom in May and you can discover them in gardens throughout the city (they are especially beautiful in Palais-Royal and the Rodin Museum).

With such beautiful weather, May does start to become more crowded with tourists and is also the month with the most French holidays (meaning travelers from other parts of France will come to Paris for their Holiday weekend).

May Events in Paris: May 1 - Fête du Travail, Fête du Pain (Festival of the bread) near Notre-Dame, La Nuit des Musées (an evening in May when museums across the country stay open late), May 8 - Victory in Europe Day.

*May in Paris on the roof of Hotel Rochechouart, overlooking Sacre-Couer*

may-in-paris-france-when-to-visit — *May in Paris on the Seine river*

june in paris (juin à paris)

June is one of my favorite months in Paris. The weather is warm without being too hot. The days are incredibly long (sunset is around 10PM), and you want nothing more than to spend the entire day outside. June is a great month to visit Paris if you simply want to enjoy the city (vs. spending too much time in a museum). It’s also a great month to enjoy the Seine, either from the riverbanks or by boat.

June Events in Paris: Summer Soldes start in late June

july in paris (Juillet à paris)

July in Paris is peak tourist season, so it’s a good time to avoid if you don’t want rub shoulder to shoulder with the crowds. It can also start to become very warm at times in the month (especially if there is a heat wave creating temperatures over 100F). Hotels in Paris will be most expensive in July, in addition to peak flight costs.

July Events in Paris: Tour de France, Bastille Day (July 14), Paris Plages (beaches along the Seine), Summer Soldes, Paris Fashion Week

august in paris (Août à paris)

Out of all the months, I personally think August is the worst time to visit Paris. You can, of course, have a very enjoyable trip regardless of the cons I have already listed in the intro and will repeat here, but they are major downsides to your Parisian experience. In August, Parisians go on Les Vacances, or vacation, and literally leave Paris for weeks at a time. Shops close up, restaurants aren’t open, and you might be limited in some of the things you can do. August is also incredibly hot and often very dry. However, if you want to experience an almost empty city, then a visit in August would be a good fit. I actually really enjoyed Paris in August as a local because it felt a little like I had the whole city to myself!

August Events in Paris: Les Vacances (Parisians go on holiday), Paris Plages (beaches in Paris)

*August in Paris from the Galeries Lafayette rooftop*

paris-france-in-august-why-to-avoid — *August in Paris at Jardin du Luxembourg*

september in paris (septembre à paris)

Paris in early September is unique in that it’s the season of La rentrée. La rentrée is the term given to the French culture phenomenon of returning to work and school after the long summer holiday. As the Parisians return, you can feel a bustle and energy throughout the city as locals reunite with friends and colleagues that they missed over the summer months. The weather in September is still warm, with a mix of lingering summer greenery and early browning of leaves. The temperature starts to cool off, and there are chances of thunderstorms (the only month we experienced them was in September).

September Events in Paris: La rentrée, European Heritage Days (free access to museums), Paris Design Week

*September in Paris at Jardin du Luxembourg*

what-does-paris-look-like-in-september — *September in Paris in the 9eme arrondissement*

october in paris (octobre à paris)

October is easily (in my opinion) the best month to visit Paris, thanks to the superb Autumn weather, bringing lovely temperatures and that Autumn glow. October is the best month in Paris for spotting gorgeous foliage throughout the city and feels quintessentially Parisian with all of the locals showing out in their best fall fashion. The evenings are cooler, so pack a sweater and coat and expect substantially less crowds than other times of year. The one thing to look out for is rain, but it often holds off until November.

October is also a wonderful month to take day trips or overnight trips from Paris, like a visit to Monet’s gardens to experience it in the fall (absolutely stunning), a road trip to Normandy, or a trip to Château De Chantilly.

October Events in Paris: Disneyland Paris Halloween decorations, Grand Magasins and boutiques start putting out Christmas displays.

november in paris (novembre à paris)

November in Paris means cold weather and shorter days, and potentially a lot of rain. The month still boasts a lot of lovely Autumn foliage in parks like Jardin du Luxembourg, and the Christmas spirit is in full swing. November is another month with very few crowds and there are many days that are beautiful enough to enjoy the city by foot.

November Events in Paris: All Saints Day (November 1) and Armistice Day (November 11), Paris Christmas Markets (opening around November 19), Paris Christmas Lights and window displays, Christmas at Disneyland Paris

when-to-see-fall-foliage-in-paris-france — *November in Paris at the Medici Fountain in Jardin du Luxembourg*

is-paris-pretty-in-november — *October in Paris from the top of Sacre-Couer*

december in paris (decembre à paris)

December in Paris is dark and cold and rainy; however, it is full of Christmas magic making it an enjoyable time to come explore the city. Paris itself has a few Christmas markets, and you can also use your trip to visit the famous Alsatian Christmas markets, just a train ride away from Paris.

December Events in Paris: Paris Christmas Markets, Paris Christmas Lights, Disneyland Paris Christmas display, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve

christmas-displays-paris-france-december — *December in Paris at the Dior Christmas Display*

weather-in-paris-france-december — *December in Paris at a frosted Jardin du Luxembourg*

To end, I will reinforce this: there really is no bad time to visit Paris. Each month and season in Paris has something special to offer and your experience will be unique and entirely your own regardless of when you plan your trip to Paris.

If you have specific questions around any of the seasons or months, please ask in the comment box below. After experiencing all four seasons and all twelve months in Paris, I can likely answer any of your concerns!