Paris in the springtime is rather glorious. The winter freeze has left the city, flowers and trees are in bloom and the terrace and park life we all love about Paris picks back up in a big way. The city seems to totally come alive and all the Parisians flood the parks and the banks of the Seine and the energy is electric around the City of Love. I personally soak up the warm springtime sunshine and a return to rosé season and ice cream weather and once you’ve experience Spring in Paris – you may just get hooked on it!
Paris In The Spring
I love Paris in the spring because it is still technically off season and so the crowds are a bit less than if you were to visit in the summer. The weather begins to warm up and there is suddenly even more to see and do and experience when visiting.
I always say there is no bad time to visit Paris, but truly Paris in the spring is so iconic songs have been written about it.
When Is The Best Time To Go To Paris?
I personally love visiting Paris in May and early June. April is also lovely albeit suffers from a bit more rainy weather typically. No doubt though Paris remains one of the most popular times for my Paris, Perfected clients to visit and there’s so many reasons as to why.
Read on below for some of my favorite things to do while in Paris in the spring.
17 Best Things To Do In Paris In The Spring
Take in the Cherry Blossoms
One of the best reasons to visit Paris in the springtime is it is the perfect time to take in the cherry blossoms across the city. A few of the best places to view the cherry blossoms? Square Jean XXIII, the Champs de Mars, the Petit Palais, the Jardin des Plantes, along the edge of the front of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Palais Royal.
Rest in the Palais Royal
In addition to the cherry blossoms in the Palais Royal, the gardens also have beautiful magnolias in bloom in the springtime and I love sitting next to the park’s fountain on a warm, sunny day. Grab a coffee nearby at several of my favorite coffee shops in Paris in the area.
Enjoy a Picnic on the Champs de Mars
A picnic in Paris is a favorite pasttime and there is no shortage of amazing food you can pick up from local purveyors to round out your spread. I love getting baguettes, cheese, fresh fruit and wine along with sparkling water and grabbing a blanket and heading to the Champ de Mars underneath La Tour Eiffel. The Champ de Mars is often in bloom with cherry blossoms in the spring so it is even more beautiful this time of year to picnic in. Plus what is better than watching the top of the Eiffel Tower while you enjoy French cheeses, fruits and good wine in a little picnic?
Consider a Day Trip
There are so many easy day trips from Paris. In the Springtime I think a visit to Monet’s former home and gardens at Giverny is particularly lovely as you get to experience the gardens as they begin to bloom. Giverny is a small village in Normandy in northern France and is accessible from Paris by a train ride that takes about 40 minutes. Claude Monet lived and worked there from 1883 until his death in 1926. The artist’s former home and elaborate gardens, where he produced his famed water lily series, are now the Fondation Claude Monet museum. If you’re a fan of Monet’s art, it is a spectacular place to visit – especially as the gardens begin to bloom again after the winter cold.
Wander the Luxembourg Gardens
This is my personal favorite park in Paris. It shows off during all seasons but spending a day walking through it in Spring never gets old when the weather in Paris feels like a gift with blue skies and sunshine.
Take a Walking Tour
Taking a walking tour is an amazing way to be introduced to Paris or to learn more about the city that you may not have known before. No matter what you are most interested in, I have a variety of great tour companies I recommend to my Paris, Perfected clients.
Hang by the Seine
Come spring, Parians are all ready to return to the banks of the Seine for glasses of wine and picnics. Join them and head to the many banks available for a hang out session.
Stroll the Open Air Markets
Paris has amazing open air markets on select days across the city. I adore exploring the various food stands and picking up items for a picnic. I also always love seeing the florals that the vendors have on display!
Get Berthillion Ice Cream
Berthillion ice cream is famed around Paris and you’ll find it offered at a variety of shops and restaurants. Springtime is the perfect time to return to glace weather!
Cruise down the Seine River
I never tire of a Bateaux Mouche ride down the Seine. It’s a lovely way to take in the city and learn a bit about its bridges, buildings and history.
Go on a Food Tour
There’s nothing like the amazing food in Paris and a great way to experience some of the best it has to offer is to take a food tour. A guide will take you around a neighborhood and introduce you to a bevy of treats.
Go to the Jardin des Plantes
Often overlooked for the Luxembourg Gardens and Tuileries Gardens, the Jardin des Plantes is a fun visit in the springtime as all the flowers and trees begin to be in bloom. Created in 1635 as a medicinal garden for Louis XIII, the Jardin des Plantes has been used throughout the centuries by botanists, doctors and pharmacists and today is home to botanicals gardens and even a zoo if you’re visiting Paris with kids in the springtime.
Better yet? The Jardin des Plantes is home to the largest cherry tree in Paris!
Explore the Arrondissements
Paris’s neighborhoods are all unique in their own and I personally love to get a coffee and croissant from a boulangerie and a local coffee shop in the morning and then head out to see where my feet take me. Think about doing so in the Latin Quarter, Saint Germain, Montmartre or Le Marais.
Visit a Rooftop Bar
There’s been loads of rooftop bars to crop up across Paris in the last decade and not all have to be super pricey any more as a result! Seek out some rooftop bars to enjoy beautiful views while you sip on a cocktail. The extra cost of the drink is worth a memorable view of Paris during your trip.
Take in Paris from Above
Spring in the City of Light is a great time for clear days to take in Paris from above. Consider a trip up the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe.
Enjoy the Nuit des Musee
For one night only 2,200 museums in Europe, half of them in France alone, open their doors for free from sundown until roughly 1 am. There’s something so fun about seeing a museum after dark. This year’s event will take place on May 13, 2023.
Enjoy the Sunset from a Bridge
As Spring arrives, the sun begins to set later and I always think stationing yourself on one of Paris’s beautiful bridges to enjoy the sunset and the Springtime skies is so worth it. Carve out time to do so before your dinner – you won’t regret it!
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If you experience a rainy day while visiting Paris in the springtime, head to one of the many museums in Paris.
What To Do in Paris When It Rains
If you plan to do a lot of museums you may want to consider a Paris Pass which allows you to skip the lines of several popular museums. Planning to go to the Louvre Museum? Buy your tickets in advance to get in more quickly!
Need help planning your trip to Paris? I offer customized travel planning recommendations for Paris through Paris, Perfected. I would love to work with you to make your trip to Paris…Perfected!
I would love to see Paris during Spring for sure.
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