The Best Holiday Activities In Paris – December 2022

If you're lucky enough to be in Paris in December, you'll be rewarded with some of the most magical events and activities of the year. The city sparkles with a million fairy lights, and hundreds of decorated trees line the boulevards. Christmas markets spring up all over the city — from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre to a special holiday lighting ceremony on Champs-Elysées.

Christmas is a busy time in Paris, so be sure to book your holiday activities as soon as you can — tout de suite !

Most Popular Activities

Things to Do in Paris December 2022

Bateaux Parisiens VIP Holiday Dinner Cruise

Reserve your place for the Christmas version of a Seine River dinner cruise. It's a floating extravaganza as you watch the holiday lights of Paris pass by while listening to live music and being served a classic 4-course French meal. Departure time is 8:30 PM. Choose the Service Privilege option for the best seating, best meal, and the ultimate experience.

Bateaux Parisiens Christmas Day Dinner & Lunch Cruises

This is the ultimate in Christmas celebrations in Paris. A VIP lunch or dinner cruise along the most magical river in the world. Sail on Christmas Day for lunch or dinner. For the most memorable experience, choose the Service Privilège dinner option. This is something you will remember forever. These sailings will sell out, so book right now.

VIP Twilight Tour – Champagne Cruise + Eiffel Tower

If we had to choose one evening activity this would be it. A beautiful combination of a champagne-fueled sunset Seine River cruise followed by skip-the-line access to Level 2 of the Eiffel Tower. From there, the city unfolds in a dazzling vista beneath you. Here's what we love: you're treated like a VIP with no waiting, no jostling, just pure Paris fun.

New Years Eve Dinner Cruise & Party

Even better than a normal-night dinner cruise is this five-hour New Years Eve dinner cruise extravaganza with a multi-course gourmet French meal, champagne, and wine. You marvel at the lights of Paris as you dine, and it's all followed by followed by a Paris party to celebrate 2022! Check link to confirm availability, as things tend to change in these unusual times.

Bateaux Mouches Glorious Dinner Cruise + Live Music

Here's another way to indulge your inner romantic on a magical evening cruise along the Seine, viewing the City of Lights at its most magical. You dine on a decadent 4-course classic French dinner, accompanied by live music on-board, as you float past illuminated landmarks like the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower.

Seine Dinner Cruise + Eiffel Tower with Private Transportation

We really like this one. It combines two great Paris landmarks in one night. Your driver takes you on a city tour before delivering you to a bateau on the Seine for pure bliss – a classic French multi-course meal served along with fine wines and champagne. Choose the 20:30 (8:30) dinner time for the best experience. After dinner your driver escorts you to the Eiffel Tower where from the summit, you'll admire the glittering city landscape beneath you. It doesn't get better than this.

Champagne Cruise Along the Seine

What could be better than a relaxed, champagne-fueled boat ride down the most beautiful river in the world? Well, what about having priority seating at the front of the boat? How about a French sommelier to guide you through a flight of three different types of champagne? Glide past the sights while sipping bubbly and discovering that the best way to see the City of Lights is on a bateau.

Opera & Ballet Performances in Paris

There's really no more magnificent spectacle than Grand Opera, particularly when performed at one of the two stunning opera houses in Paris – Palais Garnier & Opera Bastille. Also in December are magical ballet performances by the Paris Opera Ballet company. Revel in works by Puccini, Nijinsky, and Nureyev

Concerts at La Sainte Chapelle

A Paris Insiders Guide Favourite

You're going to love hearing classical music performed in the stunning La Sainte Chapelle. Come for the music and be amazed by the recently restored stained glass and Gothic architecture. Sitting among these magnificent windows is an experience not to be missed, especially while listening to some of the greatest pieces of music ever composed. Only a few dates have tickets still available, so act now.

Paris Christmas Food Walking Tour

Here's an easy way to see all the seasonal goodness that Paris has to offer. Follow your guide to explore Christmas in its many forms — the decorations & displays at Galeries Lafayette, window displays in the city's Art Nouveau shops & boutiques, in and out of quaint food and tableware shops, and finishing up at a traditional Parisian win bar for champagne and foie gras. Bonnes Fêtes !

The Catacombs of Paris

You can't tell from street level, but six million Parisians are laid to rest in limestone caverns 130 steps underground. The Paris Catacombs is an amazing, if somewhat creepy, place. It is also very popular, which is why we choose this skip-the-line tour with an expert guide who also explains the history of this eerie landmark. Good availability in December.

Skip-the-Line Guided Tour of the Louvre

The Louvre is very, very popular, and rightly so, but that means long lineups. Luckily, though, you can grab priority access by booking this guided tour, especially designed to feature the most famous works, the ones you must see when in Paris. Don't waste your time in line or get lost in the mammoth 60,000 square foot museum — see it like a Paris VIP.

Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Line Tour – Don't Be Left Out in the Cold

The Eiffel Tower is very popular, and there is always a long line. The only sure way to avoid waiting out in the cold is to book a skip-the-line tour. You meet your guide at the base of the tower and are escorted past the massive lineup to the priority entrance. Since availability at the Tower changes, the best way to approach a no-wait ET visit is to check with the link below.

The 7 Best Latin Quarter Hotels

The Latin Quarter is pretty much everyone's favorite part of Paris. It turns out that this historic and charming quartier is also home to some of our favorite hotels in the city. And it's right in the center of things, with so much in easy walking distance. Discover our top seven picks of the best hotels in the quartier, including our #1 top hotel pick in all of Paris.

The Best Ways to Visit Versailles from Paris

Things to Do in Paris September 2022

Best of Versailles with Priority Access + Grand Canal Lunch

Your driver spirits you from Paris to the royal estate, where priority access lets you skip the long lines and head directly inside to experience the grandeur of the chateau on a guided tour that includes the state apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's Chambers. Afterwards, stroll through the stunning gardens until lunch on the Grand Canal. Later, visit the Grand Trianon and Marie Antoinette's fantasy village farm. The small-group size ensures individual attention.

Half-Day, Skip-the-Line Tour of Versailles

We also recommend this half-day tour to Versailles that includes priority access. We like that it's a small-group activity with an expert guide and that pick-up at your hotel your hotel is included. Tours leave in the morning.

Our Top Food & Wine Activities

Things to Do in Paris December 2022

Cheese & Wine Tasting in a Paris Cheese Cellar

Under the guidance of a master affineur (an expert in the art of cheese aging) you descend into the cheese cellar of a fromagerie in the Marais. Here you learn all about this culinary art while you sample seven classic French cheeses, along with wines — discovering how cheese became one of the most revered foods of France. The small group is limited to 10 to ensure there's more cheese for you.

The Food & Wine of the Marais

Everyone seems to love this food tour of one of the oldest quartiers. Start the tour at the oldest food market in the city, and then follow your food-expert guide through the historic Marais neighborhood to visit the top food & wine shops, tasting the best of French foods — cheese, charcuterie, baguettes, chocolate, and wine.

Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Gourmet Lunch

Another Insiders secret is that the best place to see the dazzling landmarks of Paris is on a boat, on the Seine, sipping champagne while enjoying a leisurely classic 3-course French meal. What we like about this one is the menu is a la carte, with wine & champagne compris (included). We highly recommend the Service Privilege option to guarantee you a private window seat and a better menu.

Wine Tasting in the Heart of Paris

Sign up for a 2-hour in-depth tasting — that allows enough time to explore all the best wine regions of France, including Champagne. In this informal & informative wine tasting a professional French sommelier pours wine from the regions while giving an in-depth explanation of each. It takes place in a charming, centrally-located wine cellar. Available Christmas Eve & New Years Eve.

Chocolate & Pastry Walking Tour

In Paris, chocolate is a major food group. At least that how it seems, what with over 200 speciality (and amazing) chocolatiers. On this tour (our readers' fave food activity) you walk from chocolate shop to pastry shop to chocolate shop in an historic district of Paris and sample all along the route. On a small group tour like this you get hands-on attention at a relaxed pace.

9 PM Romantic Dinner Cruise with Window Seating

There's nothing better than spending an evening in Paris, gliding down the most famous river in the world, watching the monuments and sites all aglow, while dining on a multi-course, classic French meal. On this nighttime cruise dinner is served with wine plus a half bottle of champagne. Choose the window seating option for the best experience.

Gourmet Food Walking Tour – The Holiday Edition!

You start your culinary afternoon on the historic Left Bank, a gourmet haven. At a traditional fromagerie you learn about French cheeses while you sample them. Next up are freshly baked baguettes followed by French wine. Don't forget the foie gras! And, don't worry, any calories you consume are going to be burned off by the walk! The Christmas version of this popular tour is not to be missed.

Fave Day Trips From Paris

Things to Do in Paris December 2022

Three Magnificent Loire Valley Chateaux

One of the things you don't want to miss when you visit Paris is the Loire Valley with its magnificent castles. It's an easy day trip from Paris and this particular tour is our reader's favorite because you visit three of the most spectacular — Chenonceau, Amboise & Chambord. The full-day activity includes pick-up at your Paris address, transportation to the Loire in a luxurious Eurovan, and a French 3-course lunch with drinks.

Spend a Day in the Magical Champagne Region

A day spent in the Champagne region is certain to be a highlight of your holiday. Starting from your Paris address your driver/guide whisks you off through rolling hills and world-class vineyards to Reims, capital of the Champagne region. After touring this historic area the champagne houses beckon and your sampling of bubbly begins! Lunch is included on this full-day trip.

Visit the D-Day Beaches of Normandy

Although it took the Allied Forces 70 days to get from the Atlantic shore to Paris, it will only take you a few hours to get from Paris to the historic D-Day beaches of Normandy. Perhaps the most important battle site of World War II, the landing beaches still evoke powerful memories and emotions. Visit the important sites on a day trip from Paris that returns you to Paris the same day. Limited availability in December.

The Best Left Bank Hotels in Paris

Who doesn't love staying on the Left Bank of Paris? Since Hemingway and the Jazz Age, the Left Bank has defined the essence of Paris. The Saint-Germain neighborhood is charming, and so are the best of the hotels in the quartier. In fact, here is our selection of the top Left Bank hotels — with a couple of bonuses as well!

The Best Events in Paris

Things to Do in Paris December 2022

Christmas Markets

From the middle of November to early January bundle up warm and set out on the streets of Paris to learn how the French celebrate Christmas. Seasonal markets are set up up in many quartiers of the city. These temporary cabin villages are where tout les Parisiens shop for seasonal specialties, decorations, and Christmas crafts. During this festive time of year you will find Noël markets throughout the city.

Christmas Lights on Champs Elysées

Paris lights up for the holidays, but the most famous light show is on Champs Elysées. If you're lucky enough to be in Paris in mid November you can watch the Christmas lights be turned on by celebrities and French dignitaries. (We're still waiting to be invited to throw the switch!)
• Avenue des Champs Elysées
• November 15 to January 6

Le Grand Tasting Paris

Attention wine lovers! Hundreds of French and global winemakers will gather at the Le Festival des Grands Vins in Paris to offer tastings, workshops, and culinary events.
• Carrousel du Louvre
• December 3 & 4 2022
• Information…

Noël en Bio – Organic Christmas Show

• Paris Nord Villepinte
• Dates TBA
• Information…

Salon Nautique de Paris

France's largest boat show! Unfortunately, the 2022 salon has been cancelled. We look forward to December 2022.

• Porte de Versailles
• December 4 to 12, 2022
• Information…

What's On at the Museums

Things to Do in Paris December 2022

Picasso – Rodin

This clever and much-anticipated exhibition is showing at both of the museums dedicated to the title artists — the Musée Picasso in the Marais and the Musée Rodin in the 7th Arrondissement. It demonstrates (perhaps for the first time so graphically) how the two artists, in their own ways, heralded a turning point in modern art.

• Musée Picasso & Musée Rodin
• Ends January 2, 2022
• Information…

Signac, the Collector

Paul Signac (1863-1935), the inventor of pointillism, was also a keen art collector. See his fabulous collection of Bonnard, Matisse, and Fauves.
• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends February 13, 2022
• Information…

Dalí – The Endless Enigma

Be immersed in the surrealistic and metaphysical landscapes of the world of Salvador Dalí. Paintings scattered around around the world are featured in this dazzling digital exhibition, including works from the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation at Figueres, the Dalí Museum in Florida, the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, and MoMA in New York.
• Atelier des Lumières, 38 Rue Saint Maur, 11e
• Ends January 2, 2022
• Information…

The Narcissus Theorem – Jean-Michel Othoniel

Contemporary French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel is taking over Petit Palais' museum and garden with his art installation. It's his biggest solo show since his retrospective at the Pompidou.

• Petit Palais
• Ends January 2, 2022
• Information…

Maro Ura – A Polynesian Treasure

The exhibition traces the history and cultural importance of the feather belt, one of the most prestigious objects of the great chiefdoms of the Society Islands. Related to worship of the god 'Oro, these sacred belts were used during commemorative ceremonies.

• Musée du Quai Branly
• Ends January 9, 2022
• Information…

Chaïm Soutine/Willem de Kooning – Painting Embodied

Discover how Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943), a Russian painter of the School of Paris, influenced Willem de Kooning (1904-1997), the Dutch/American Abstract Expressionist.

• Musée de la Orangerie
• Ends January 10, 2022
• Information…

Cinema at Last! French Entertainment from 1833 to 1907

Discover 300 films and related paraphernalia by well-known artists from Pierre Bonnard to Auguste and Louis Lumière, the inventors of cinema.

• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends January 16, 2022
• Information…

Marlene Dumas

To celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), South African artist Marlene Dumas has produced a series of paintings inspired by his work.

• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends January 30, 2022
• Information…

Petits Papiers du 20e siècle

Paul Destribats (1926-2017), was an avant-garde collector and scholar. This exhibition showcases 12,000 of his leaflets, posters and documents that have been donated to the Kandinsky Library.

• Centre Pompidou
• Ends January 31, 2022
• Information…

Paris to Athens – Birth of Modern Greece

To celebrate the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution, the Louvre presents an exciting exhibition that traces the artistic link between Greek and European culture; specifically focussing on Paris and Athens. The show concludes with works by the Greek group TECHNE, which exhibited in Paris in 1919.

• Louvre, Hall Napoleon
• Ends February 7, 2022
• Information…

David Hockney: A Year in Normandy

Celebrated British painter David Hockney has initiated a new chapter in his artistic journey depicting his house, his garden and the surrounding countryside of Normandy. In the form of a narrative cycle depicting the arrival of spring, this work was created during the Covid lockdown.

• Musée de l'Orangerie
• October 13, 2022 to February 14, 2022
• Information…

The Manet Girl

This is the first exhibition dedicated to Julie Manet (1878-1966), the only daughter of the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot, and the niece of Impressionist mentor Édouard Manet. One hundred works feature paintings, sculptures, pastels, and watercolors that retrace her life.

• Musée Marmottan-Monet
• Ends March 20, 2022
• Information…

From Afar: Precious Objects from Elsewhere

Since ancient times, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony, and other precious materials have circulated along trade routes. This exhibition highlights these precious materials as well as exotic animals who have traveled between the continents since the Middle Ages.

• Louvre, Petite Galerie
• Ends July 4, 2022
• Information…