When winter is getting tough, temperatures are low and the sun seems to have disappeared months ago, it’s hard to be determined to visit Paris. But it doesn’t always go with greyness and cold. If you live in Paris or if you’re just there for a couple of days, don’t worry, with this article, you will have enough tips to fully enjoy a day in Paris in winter!
1) Walking in the covered passages
We tend to forget about those almost-secret passages of Paris, and yet, the walks are very peaceful there. All under a huge glass roof, and hidden within the dynamic city, there are enough to please everyone – chic, elegant or full of plants …
The Galerie Vivienne, located in the 2nd arrondissement, is by far the most luxurious and owns a famous past. In 1970, the Galerie was used by Kenzo to host a fashion show.
In those passages, there usually are shops, so you can walk around and do shopping.
Where and when?
– Galerie Vivienne: 5 rue de la Banque 75002 Paris
Open from 8:30a.m. to 8:30p.m.
– Passage Verdeau: 6 rue de la Grande Batelière 75009 Paris
Open from 7:30a.m. to 8:30p.m.
– Passage Jouffroy: 10-12 Boulevard Montmartre 75009 Paris
Open from 7a.m. to 9:30p.m.
– Passage des Panoramas: 11 Boulevard Montmartre 75002 Paris
Open from 6a.m. to midnight.
– Passage Choiseul: 40 rue des Petits Champs 75002 Paris
Open from 8a.m. to 8p.m. (except on Sunday).
Price: Free
2) Ice-skating
This is the most wintery activity of this article. What would be winter without ice-skating?
On plastic or real ice, take your friends to the most beautiful spots of the city where skating rinks were especially set up for Christmas time – on the Champs de Mars, on the Grande Arche’s rooftop … Enjoy the view!
In some cases the entry is free! If you have skates, bring them or make sure you have around €3 to rent them.
Now it’s time to show everybody you’re good at figure skating and perform your best movements!
You can even draw out the pleasure for the whole year by going to the covered skating rinks of Paris.
When? During all of winter or Christmas time (special skating rinks) or during the whole year (covered skating rinks).
Where? On the Grande Arche’s rooftop, in the Champs de Mars, on the Tour Montparnasse’s rooftop …
Price: It depends on the place so get some information on the Internet when winter is coming.
3) Getting warm with a hot drink
After having spent a while in the cold, you have to warm yourself!
So let’s run into a café to drink a tea, a coffee, a hot chocolate or even a warm wine!
Choose a comfortable and welcoming place, not crowded, to stay as long as you want. You really need to take a break!
In Paris, you will find cafés on every street corner, but the most pleasant thing is to savour your drink in a wonderful tea room.
Why don’t you choose the Jacques Genin tea room? The place is a perfect mix of simplicity and modernity, but it keeps its stones visible, which makes an impression.
No doubt you will taste the best hot chocolates of Paris!
When? Open from 11a.m. to 7p.m. (except on Monday).
Where? 133 rue de Turenne 75003 Paris.
Price: €6.5 for the hot chocolate.
4) Doing a tour of the Big Wheel
When the night is falling, the City of Lights shines like a diamond. So what is better than looking at this amazing sight from the Big Wheel?
But watch out, this is not just a tourist attraction!
As it is set up on the place de la Concorde, it offers an incredible view over the Champs Elysées, the Tuileries Garden, the Louvre museum and the surrounding area.
On board the closed basket, you will be able to gaze at the entire city while being warm … we promise you a lovely time!
When? From November to May.
Where? Place de la Concorde 75008 Paris.
Price: Adults €12; Children under 10 years old €6; Seniors €10
5) Visiting the garden of the Serres d’Auteuil
Located in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, this botanical garden was created in 1791. Nowadays, it gathers a lot of rare plant varieties and it is one of the biggest gardens of Paris.
As soon as you enter one of the 5 main glasshouses, you travel into a far-off and exotic country …
If you’re lucky and the sun is shining, the heat in the building and the plants will make you forget that you are in the middle of winter in Paris.
You can even enjoy a tour to know more about this world!
Moreover, it’s free entry for everybody! What are you waiting for?
We guarantee you a big change of scene!
When? Open every day from 9a.m. to 5:30p.m.
Where? 3 avenue de la Porte d’Auteuil 75016 Paris
Price: Free
6) Going to the Christmas market
Do you love the Christmas atmosphere? Do you love to decorate your house from the 1st of December (or even before)? Do you wait all year long for this period with impatience? If your answers are “yes”, then this event is made for you!
If you didn’t find the presents for your friends yet, the Christmas market is the perfect opportunity to offer something authentic and hand-made.
You will not only find gifts but also decorations and food. All of this in a family atmosphere !
Despite the closure of the famous Christmas market of the Champs Elysées, others take place in the city. Some of them are even focused on a particular country, like Norway, to make you discover the foreign culture of this time of the year.
It is also the perfect moment to enjoy the lights of the city, especially set up for Christmas time – a wonder for your eyes.
When? During Christmas time.
Where? Everywhere in Paris.
Price: Free, but watch out, you can easily get attracted …
7) Enjoying the shop windows of the Grands Magasins
Here, the main attraction is not shopping but decoration!
The Grands Magasins like Les Galeries Lafayette and the Printemps are famous for their amazingly decorated shop windows for the end of the year.
Those are considered as real pieces of art, the windows then become the main attraction of the stores.
In an enchanting and festive atmosphere, some tiny figurines move like in a little theater. It is a real show for your eyes, that will enthrall you for sure!
You can also do shopping and climb on the stores’ rooftops, where you will have a breathtaking view of Paris.
When? From November to January.
Where? In the Grands Magasins, boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris.
Price: Free
8) Visiting a museum, the Fragonard Musée du Parfum for example
Why don’t you warm yourself while improving your personal culture?
And for that, nothing is better than visiting a museum.
In Paris, you have a lot of choices: modern art, foreign art, for children, history…
We advise you to go to the Fragonard Musée du Parfum, which is very entertaining and easy to reach for everybody who wants to improve their culture.
The entry and the guided tour are free. Actually, the museum has opened very recently and the setting is splendid.
You will learn a lot about the perfume, its origins and its uses.
Remember, every first Sunday of the month, you can visit lots of museums in Paris and its suburbs for free. Enjoy!
When? Open from Monday to Saturday, from 9a.m. to 6p.m.
Where? 3-5 Square de l’Opéra-Louis Jouvet 75009 Paris.
Price: Free
9) Going to the Paris International Agriculture Show
Every year at the end of winter, this show gathers farmers, producers and all the other people of the agricultural world.
Come there to discover all these jobs!
You will have the chance to talk with all the professionals, to see animals or to taste some local gastronomic products.
With lots of stands and workshops, this event is THE one to go in winter, and it totally belongs to French culture.
When? 10 days at the end of February.
Where? Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles 75015 Paris.
Price: Per day:
– Full €14
– Person with reduced mobility and friend €9 each
– Student €7
– Children from 6 to 12 €7
– Children under 6 free
1) Walking in the covered passages
We tend to forget about those almost-secret passages of Paris, and yet, the walks are very peaceful there. All under a huge glass roof, and hidden within the dynamic city, there are enough to please everyone – chic, elegant or full of plants …
The Galerie Vivienne, located in the 2nd arrondissement, is by far the most luxurious and owns a famous past. In 1970, the Galerie was used by Kenzo to host a fashion show.
In those passages, there usually are shops, so you can walk around and do shopping.
Where and when?
– Galerie Vivienne: 5 rue de la Banque 75002 Paris
Open from 8:30a.m. to 8:30p.m.
– Passage Verdeau: 6 rue de la Grande Batelière 75009 Paris
Open from 7:30a.m. to 8:30p.m.
– Passage Jouffroy: 10-12 Boulevard Montmartre 75009 Paris
Open from 7a.m. to 9:30p.m.
– Passage des Panoramas: 11 Boulevard Montmartre 75002 Paris
Open from 6a.m. to midnight.
– Passage Choiseul: 40 rue des Petits Champs 75002 Paris
Open from 8a.m. to 8p.m. (except on Sunday).
Price: Free
2) Ice-skating
This is the most wintry activity of this article. What would be winter without ice-skating?
On plastic or real ice, take your friends to the most beautiful spots of the city where skating rinks were especially set up for Christmas time – on the Champs de Mars, on the Grande Arche’s rooftop … Enjoy the view!
In some cases the entry is free! If you have skates, bring them or make sure you have around €3 to rent them.
Now it’s time to show everybody you’re good at figure skating and perform your best movements!
You can even draw out the pleasure for the whole year by going to the covered skating rinks of Paris.
When? During all of winter or Christmas time (special skating rinks) or during the whole year (covered skating rinks).
Where? On the Grande Arche’s rooftop, in the Champs de Mars, on the Tour Montparnasse’s rooftop …
Price: It depends on the place so get some information on the Internet when winter is coming.
3) Getting warm with a hot drink
After having spent a while in the cold, you have to warm yourself!
So let’s run into a café to drink a tea, a coffee, a hot chocolate or even a warm wine!
Choose a comfortable and welcoming place, not crowded, to stay as long as you want. You really need to take a break!
In Paris, you will find cafés on every street corner, but the most pleasant thing is to savour your drink in a wonderful tea room.
Why don’t you choose the Jacques Genin tea room? The place is a perfect mix of simplicity and modernity, but it keeps its stones visible, which makes an impression.
No doubt you will taste the best hot chocolates of Paris!
When? Open from 11a.m. to 7p.m. (except on Monday).
Where? 133 rue de Turenne 75003 Paris.
Price: €6.5 for the hot chocolate.
4) Doing a tour of the Big Wheel
When the night is falling, the City of Lights shines like a diamond. So what is better than looking at this amazing sight from the Big Wheel?
But watch out, this is not just a tourist attraction!
As it is set up on the place de la Concorde, it offers an incredible view over the Champs Elysées, the Tuileries Garden, the Louvre museum and the surrounding area.
On board the closed basket, you will be able to gaze at the entire city while being warm … we promise you a lovely time!
When? From November to May.
Where? Place de la Concorde 75008 Paris.
Price: Adults €12; Children under 10 years old €6; Seniors €10
5) Visiting the garden of the Serres d’Auteuil
Located in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, this botanical garden was created in 1791. Nowadays, it gathers a lot of rare plant varieties and it is one of the biggest gardens of Paris.
As soon as you enter one of the 5 main glasshouses, you travel into a far-off and exotic country …
If you’re lucky and the sun is shining, the heat in the building and the plants will make you forget that you are in the middle of winter in Paris.
You can even enjoy a tour to know more about this world!
Moreover, it’s free entry for everybody! What are you waiting for?
We guarantee you a big change of scene!
When? Open every day from 9a.m. to 5:30p.m.
Where? 3 avenue de la Porte d’Auteuil 75016 Paris
Price: Free
6) Going to the Christmas market
Do you love the Christmas atmosphere? Do you love to decorate your house from the 1st of December (or even before)? Do you wait all year long for this period with impatience? If your answers are “yes”, then this event is made for you!
If you didn’t find the presents for your friends yet, the Christmas market is the perfect opportunity to offer something authentic and hand-made.
You will not only find gifts but also decorations and food. All of this in a family atmosphere !
Despite the closure of the famous Christmas market of the Champs Elysées, others take place in the city. Some of them are even focused on a particular country, like Norway, to make you discover the foreign culture of this time of the year.
It is also the perfect moment to enjoy the lights of the city, especially set up for Christmas time – a wonder for your eyes.
When? During Christmas time.
Where? Everywhere in Paris.
Price: Free, but watch out, you can easily get attracted …
7) Enjoying the shop windows of the Grands Magasins
Here, the main attraction is not shopping but decoration!
The Grands Magasins like Les Galeries Lafayette and the Printemps are famous for their amazingly decorated shop windows for the end of the year.
Those are considered as real pieces of art, the windows then become the main attraction of the stores.
In an enchanting and festive atmosphere, some tiny figurines move like in a little theater. It is a real show for your eyes, that will enthrall you for sure!
You can also do shopping and climb on the stores’ rooftops, where you will have a breathtaking view of Paris.
When? From November to January.
Where? In the Grands Magasins, boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris.
Price: Free
8) Visiting a museum, the Fragonard Musée du Parfum for example
Why don’t you warm yourself while improving your personal culture?
And for that, nothing is better than visiting a museum.
In Paris, you have a lot of choices: modern art, foreign art, for children, history…
We advise you to go to the Fragonard Musée du Parfum, which is very entertaining and easy to reach for everybody who wants to improve their culture.
The entry and the guided tour are free. Actually, the museum has opened very recently and the setting is splendid.
You will learn a lot about the perfume, its origins and its uses.
Remember, every first Sunday of the month, you can visit lots of museums in Paris and its suburbs for free. Enjoy!
When? Open from Monday to Saturday, from 9a.m. to 6p.m.
Where? 3-5 Square de l’Opéra-Louis Jouvet 75009 Paris.
Price: Free
9) Going to the Paris International Agriculture Show
Every year at the end of winter, this show gathers farmers, producers and all the other people of the agricultural world.
Come there to discover all these jobs!
You will have the chance to talk with all the professionals, to see animals or to taste some local gastronomic products.
With lots of stands and workshops, this event is THE one to go in winter, and it totally belongs to French culture.
When? 10 days at the end of February.
Where? Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles 75015 Paris.
Price: Per day:
– Full €14
– Person with reduced mobility and friend €9 each
– Student €7
– Children from 6 to 12 €7
– Children under 6 free
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
