Easter in Paris 2026 – A Celebration Of Springtime & Food

Tables on a bateau on the Seine river in Paris set for Easter lunch

Easter arrives in Paris just as spring begins to settle in. Parks and gardens start to fill with color, chocolate shops display elaborate seasonal creations, and the city's churches prepare special services and concerts. Easter in Paris is a pleasant moment in the calendar when the city feels lively but not yet crowded with summer visitors.

Travelers spending Easter in Paris find plenty to do. Museums and landmarks remain open, restaurants serve special holiday menus, and classical concerts take place in historic churches across the city. Our guide explains what to expect during Easter in Paris, what is open over the holiday weekend, and how to plan your visit comfortably.

Where to Enjoy Easter Dinner In Paris

VIP Easter Dinner Cruise On The Seine

A Seine dinner cruise offers a relaxed way to mark Easter weekend in Paris as the city's landmarks pass by the windows. The evening includes a multi-course French dinner with wine, served at a private table while the boat glides past the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Louvre. Choose the Service Privilège option for front-row seating, an upgraded menu, and champagne.

Bateaux Mouches Easter Dinner Cruise

An Easter evening cruise with Bateaux Mouches pairs classic river views with a traditional French dinner. The four-course meal is served with live music on board as the boat drifts past the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower. The Excellence menu with champagne offers the best seating and the most complete dining experience.

Seine Dinner Cruise by Maxim's of Paris

This dinner cruise brings the spirit of Maxim's of Paris, the famous Belle Époque restaurant from the 1900 Paris Exposition, onto the Seine. The menu features dishes associated with the historic dining room while the boat passes the illuminated bridges and monuments of the river. VIP touches include guaranteed window seating for the best evening views of Paris.

Dinner on the Eiffel Tower at Madame Brasserie

Dinner at Madame Brasserie places you inside the Eiffel Tower while the city lights appear below. The experience includes priority access to the tower and a multi-course French meal served with views across Paris at night. The Menu Grande Dame – Paris View option offers the best tables as well as upgraded wines and additional courses. Reservations for lunch at Madame Brasserie are also available.

The Food Traditions of Easter in Paris

Easter Chocolate Tour & Tasting in Saint-Germain

Easter in Paris means chocolate, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the best places to find it. This small-group tour visits several of the neighborhood's respected chocolatiers, where you meet the makers and taste their specialties along the way. The tour begins at a historic shop that once supplied chocolate to Marie Antoinette.

Discover The Food & Wine Of The Marais

This guided tasting walk explores the food shops and markets of the historic Marais. The tour begins at one of Paris's oldest food markets before moving through the neighborhood to visit bakeries, cheese shops, wine merchants, and specialty stores. Along the way you sample French staples such as cheeses, charcuterie, baguettes, chocolate, and wine.

Paris Wine Tasting + Lunch

This guided tasting introduces five wines from important French regions in a historic Paris wine cellar once connected to Madame de Pompadour. The session begins with champagne before moving through Bordeaux and Burgundy, paired with cheeses, charcuterie, and fresh baguettes. It's a relaxed way to spend part of Easter weekend while learning how French wines and foods are traditionally enjoyed together.

Cheese & Wine Tasting in a Paris Cheese Cellar

This small-group tasting focuses on the craft of aging French cheeses. You meet a professional affineur in a Marais fromagerie before descending into a private cellar to taste seven classic cheeses paired with wine. With groups limited to ten guests, the experience remains relaxed and focused on the flavors and traditions behind French cheese.

More Things To Do In Paris Over Easter Weekend

Louvre Museum Small-Group Tour

The Louvre remains open over the Easter weekend, making it one of the most rewarding cultural stops during a Spring visit to Paris. This small-group tour includes timed entry and a guided walk through the museum's most influential works, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. It's the easiest way to see the highlights without spending the morning in the ticket line.

Classical Music Concerts In Historic Churches

Easter weekend means classical concerts in some of the city's most beautiful historic churches. Performances take place in venues such as La Sainte-Chapelle and Église de la Madeleine with programs featuring composers like Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and Vivaldi. Because Easter is a popular time for visitors, it's wise to reserve tickets in advance.

Best of Versailles with Priority Access & Lunch

A day trip to Versailles offers a change of pace from the city during the Easter weekend. This guided excursion includes transportation from Paris, priority entry to the palace, and time to walk through the gardens and parkland of the royal estate. The small-group format keeps the visit manageable while covering the most important rooms and spaces.

Champagne Day Trip From Paris

A visit to the Champagne region introduces the vineyards and cellars where France's most famous sparkling wine is produced. The excursion includes visits to established champagne houses along with stops in vineyard villages such as Hautvillers, associated with Dom Pérignon. Private tour options are also available for travelers who prefer a more personal experience.

Easter Egg Hunts

Vaux-le-Vicomte

Over the past few years, the biggest Easter egg hunt in France has been held at Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, located about 30 miles southeast of Paris. Thousands of families travel to this beautiful and famous chateaux to enjoy the weather and to hunt for the 85,000 eggs and beaucoup de chocolate hidden in André Le Notre's famous garden. Check the Vaux-le-Vicomte website for updates.

Easter Egg Hunt at the Parc Zoologique de Paris

You may be able to participate in an Easter egg hunt at the Paris Zoo — Parc Zoologique de Paris. Children will try their luck to find hidden eggs and trade them in for real chocolate eggs. Check the website for details.

• Parc Zoologique de Paris
• Vincennes
• Information…

Where to Attend Easter Mass & Passover

Notre Dame during service, photo Wikimedia by Marc Betrand

Easter weekend is one of the most important moments in the Christian calendar, and many of Paris's historic churches hold special services during Holy Week and Easter Sunday. The city is also home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe — Passover observances take place in synagogues across Paris. Visitors are welcome at many services, though arriving early is wise during major holidays.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Following its restoration, Notre-Dame once again hosts major liturgical celebrations during Holy Week and Easter. Services typically include Palm Sunday mass, Good Friday ceremonies, and Easter Sunday celebrations attended by both Parisians and visitors. Check the cathedral's website for the current schedule of services.

• Île de la Cité
• 4th Arrondissement
• Cathedral Website…

Sacre-Coeur Basilica

The white domes of Sacré-Coeur rise above Montmartre and the basilica remains open daily from early morning until late evening. Entrance is free, and visitors may attend regular masses or spend time in quiet reflection inside one of Paris's most recognizable churches. Service times vary during Holy Week and Easter.

• Montmartre, 18th
• Sacre Coeur Website…

Sainte-Etienne-du-Mont

Just beside the Pantheon in the Latin Quarter, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont offers a quieter setting for Easter services. The church is known for its ornate rood screen and historic stained-glass windows dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Mass schedules are posted at the entrance and on the parish website.

• Place Sainte-Genevieve, 5th
• Sainte-Etienne-du-Mont Website…

Grande Synagogue de Paris

The Grande Synagogue de Paris on Rue de la Victoire is the largest synagogue in France. Built in 1874 with support from the Rothschild family, the synagogue can seat more than 1,800 people and remains an important center of Jewish life in Paris. Passover services are held here each year.

• 44 Rue de la Victoire, 9th
• Grande Synagogue Website…

Saint Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral

This Russian Orthodox cathedral on Rue Daru was established in 1861 and remains one of the most important Orthodox churches in Western Europe. The church is known for its onion domes and historic interior. Pablo Picasso married Olga Khokhlova here in 1918.

• 12 Rue Daru, 8th
• Saint Alexandre Website…

American Cathedral in Paris

The American Cathedral in Paris, an Anglican church near Avenue George V, serves a large English-speaking congregation. The neo-Gothic building is classified as a historic monument and holds services throughout Holy Week and Easter.

• 23 Avenue George V, 8th
• American Cathedral Website…

American Church in Paris

Founded in 1814, the American Church in Paris was the first American church established outside the United States. Located near the Seine between Pont de l'Alma and Pont des Invalides, it continues to host English-language worship services for visitors and residents.

• 65, Quai d'Orsay, 7th
• American Church Website…

Practical Information For Easter In Paris

Good Friday

Shops, museums and restaurants are open. Good Friday is not an official holiday in France, but train stations become busy as many Parisians leave the city for a four-day Easter weekend break.

Saturday

Shops and services are open, but expect heavy crowds at chocolatiers, fromageries, and anywhere food and wine are sold. Many Parisians shop for Easter Sunday and Easter Monday meals, so popular food shops can be packed. It's a good day to pick up anything you'll need before the holiday closures.

Easter Monday

Easter Monday is the official holiday in France. Many restaurants, shops and some museums close for the day. Our advice is to plan ahead — book a lunch, dinner cruise, or activity so the day feels like part of your Easter in Paris rather than a quiet day of closed doors.

What's Open In Paris – Museums & Monuments

Many major monuments remain open over the Easter weekend. The Eiffel Tower operates every day of the year, although lines can be long. Booking a skip-the Line Eiffel Tower tour helps avoid the worst waits.