Things To Do In Paris In October 2026: Autumn Arrives In Paris
The Tuileries Garden in October
October marks the arrival of autumn in Paris, with cooler days, changing leaves, and a full cultural calendar. Museums present major exhibitions, concert and theater seasons are underway, and cafés and restaurant terraces remain busy. Comfortable weather continues for walking, sightseeing, and exploring the city's parks and gardens.
October is an excellent month to combine the city's major sights with museum visits, concerts, and walks through parks and gardens. Crisp afternoons suit day trips to places like Monet's Giverny before the gardens close until spring, while evenings are well suited to Seine dinner cruises, classical concerts, and cabaret.
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Top Experiences In Paris
Things to Do in Paris October 2026
Dinner Cruise on the Seine River
The Seine becomes the setting for one of Paris's classic evenings. This dinner cruise pairs a multi-course French meal with views of the city's illuminated monuments while live music accompanies the journey. As the boat passes beneath historic bridges, landmarks appear one after another. Choose the Service Privilège option for a window table, upgraded menu, and champagne. Read our guide to dinner cruises →.
Versailles Palace & Gardens Guided Tour
Versailles is France's best-known royal palace. This guided tour includes reserved entry to the State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and the formal gardens. Your guide explains court life, royal ceremony, and the kings who expanded Versailles over more than a century. After the palace visit, continue through the gardens and see the fountains, sculptures, and long formal avenues. See our guide to Versailles tours →.
Guided Tour of the Louvre’s Masterpiece
The Louvre holds thousands of works across kilometres of galleries. A guided tour focuses on masterpieces including the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory while your guide explains their history and significance. After the tour, continue exploring the museum at your own pace. See our guide to Louvre tours →..
Eiffel Tower Reserved Access & Guided Tour
Ascending the Eiffel Tower is one of the classic moments of a Paris visit. With skip-the-line access and a guide, the elevator journey to the top becomes part of the experience. From the upper levels you see the Seine, the grand avenues, and the landmarks that define Paris, with views stretching across the city in every direction. See our guide to Eiffel Tower tickets and tours →.
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Moulin Rouge Dinner & Cabaret Show
An evening at the Moulin Rouge combines French dining with one of Paris's most famous stage productions. After dinner with champagne, the Féerie revue fills the theatre with dancers, music, elaborate costumes, and the classic style of Parisian cabaret. The show is a Paris tradition. See our guide to the Moulin Rouge →.
Saint-Germain Chocolate & Pastry Food Tour
Visit Saint-Germain-des-Prés' best-known chocolatiers, pastry shops, and bakeries on a guided tasting walk through one of Paris's classic neighborhoods. Along the way, you'll sample handcrafted chocolates and traditional French pastries while learning about the artisans behind them. See our guide to Paris food and wine →.
Cheese Tasting in a Paris Cheese Cellar
A guided cheese tasting introduces a range of French cheeses in the cellar where they are aged. An affineur (cheese aging specialist) presents regional varieties and explains how milk type and aging affect flavor and texture. Each cheese is paired with wine, creating a tasting journey that builds in flavor and complexity.
Musée d'Orsay's Impressionist Masterpieces
See the Musée d'Orsay with an expert guide and follow the story of Impressionism through works by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, and other artists. After the guided tour, stay to explore the museum's galleries at your own pace. See our guide to Musée d'Orsay →.
Paris Airport Transfers To Your Hotel
Land in Paris with a driver waiting at the terminal and a private car ready for the ride to your hotel. Leave the airport behind and head into the city.
Day Trips from Paris
Champagne tasting in the vineyards near Reims
Champagne Day Trip from Paris
A day trip from Paris brings you into the vineyards where France's most celebrated sparkling wine begins. Tour renowned champagne houses, walk through historic underground cellars, and taste several champagnes while learning how the region's grapes, methods, and traditions define each bottle. Many itineraries also include Reims Cathedral, where generations of French kings were crowned. See our guide to Champagne day trips →.
See Versailles on Two Wheels
Cycle through the grounds of Versailles on a guided bike tour that includes the Grand Canal, the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's Hamlet, and time for a picnic before visiting the palace. Riding between different parts of the estate reveals areas that many visitors never reach on foot. See our guide to Versailles tours →.
Monet's Gardens in Giverny
Visit Claude Monet's home and gardens at Giverny on a guided day trip from Paris. Walk through the flower gardens, cross the Japanese bridge, and see the water lily pond that inspired many of Monet's paintings. October is the last opportunity to visit before the gardens close for the winter. See our guide to Monet's Giverny →.
More Things to Do in Paris in October
A baking class focuses on shaping croissants
Learn the Art of Croissants with a Parisian Chef
A Parisian pastry chef introduces the techniques behind one of France's best-known pastries. Mix, laminate, and shape the dough before baking a batch of croissants, then enjoy them fresh from the oven while learning what gives them their delicate layers and buttery texture.
Classic Dinner Cruise on the Seine
See Paris illuminated from the Seine on an evening dinner cruise with a multi-course French meal and live music. Sail past the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and other landmarks while enjoying dinner on board. See our guide to Seine dinner cruises →.
Classical Concerts in Historic Paris Churches
Across Paris, historic churches provide memorable settings for classical music. Chamber ensembles perform works by Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and other composers while the vaulted architecture enriches the acoustics. Most programs last about an hour, making them an easy addition to an evening in the city.
Paris Food & Wine Experiences
Marché d'Aligre is one of Paris's classic food markets - Mark Craft
Paris Market Visit and Cooking Class
French cooking begins with good ingredients. Join a chef at a neighborhood market before returning to the kitchen to prepare a classic meal from scratch. Along the way, you'll learn traditional techniques and finish by enjoying the dishes you've created together.
Paris Wine Tasting Lunch
Wine and cheese are one of the classic pairings of the French table. In this small-group tasting a sommelier introduces several wines from across France alongside carefully matched cheeses and bread. Along the way you learn how the wines, regions, and pairings come together.
Tasting the Flavors of Montmartre
Montmartre's food shops continue traditions that have shaped the neighborhood for generations. Visit artisan bakeries, patisseries, fromageries, and specialty food stores while sampling classic French favorites. Your guide explains the ingredients, techniques, and history behind many of the foods along the way.
Find Your Hotel In France
Sleep among the vineyards, beside the Mediterranean, or in the heart of a historic French city. Find highly-rated hotels for your travels beyond Paris.
October Festivals, Events & Exhibitions
Celebrating the Fetes des Vendange in Montmartre
October is a busy month for museum exhibitions, concerts, festivals, and cultural events in Paris. The autumn calendar includes major temporary exhibitions alongside annual events such as the Montmartre Wine Harvest Festival.
Fetes des Vendange à Montmartre – Wine Harvest Festival
Montmartre celebrates its historic vineyard each October with the city's annual wine harvest festival. Parades, concerts, wine tastings, and food stalls fill the streets around the Butte while local producers and artisans join one of Paris's liveliest neighborhood festivals.
• Montmartre Mairie
• October 7 to 11, 2026
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Information…
Auguste Bartholdi: Liberty Enlightening the World
Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Musée d'Orsay examines the making of the Statue of Liberty through sculptures, models, drawings, photographs, and archival material. The exhibition also looks at the technical innovations, fundraising, and construction that transformed Bartholdi's ambitious design into an enduring international symbol.
- Musée d'Orsay
- Ends January 31, 2027
- Information…
More museum exhibitions in Paris →
Salon du Chocolat
Salon du Chocolat is Paris's annual celebration of fine chocolate. Leading chocolatiers, pastry chefs, and cocoa producers present tastings, demonstrations, workshops, and the festival's famous chocolate fashion show. It is one of the city's largest food events and attracts visitors from around the world.
• Porte de Versailles
• October 28 to November 1, 2026
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Information…
Le Festival d'Automne à Paris
Festival d'Automne brings contemporary theatre, dance, music, visual art, and film to venues across Paris. Running from September through December, it has been one of the city's leading cultural festivals since 1972, with performances by French and international artists.
- Venues throughout Paris
- September to December
- Information…
More October events in Paris →
Dinner Cruises on the Seine
From the river you see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Paris’s historic bridges as dinner is served on board. We compare the main dinner cruises and what each offers.
Day Trips From Paris
Beyond Paris are royal palaces, gardens, vineyards, and historic towns. See which day trips are easiest from the city and how long each visit takes.
Versailles Palace Tours
The palace of Versailles reveals the scale of French royal life, from the Hall of Mirrors to the vast gardens. See how the main tours differ and what each includes.
The Louvre's Most Rewarding Tours
A guided tour can turn a Louvre visit from overwhelming to rewarding. We compare the main Louvre tours and what each one covers.
How To Visit the Eiffel Tower
Paris spreads out from the Eiffel Tower’s observation levels. Our guide explains ticket options, elevator access, and tours that make the visit easier.
Paris Food Tours
Markets and specialty shops reveal another side of Paris cooking. See which food tours combine tastings, neighborhood walks, and market visits.
Find Your Paris Hotel: Choosing The Right Area
Wake up near the cafés of Saint-Germain, the streets of the Marais, or the village lanes of Montmartre. Find a Paris hotel in the neighborhood you want to call home.
FAQs About Visiting Paris in October
IS OCTOBER A GOOD TIME TO VISIT PARIS?
October is a wonderful month to visit Paris. Autumn colors appear in the city’s parks and gardens, the weather is usually mild, and museums and cultural venues are active. The city feels lively but less crowded than during the peak summer season.
WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN PARIS IN OCTOBER?
October is ideal for museum visits, exhibitions, and long walks through historic neighborhoods. Travelers explore galleries, attend concerts and cultural events, and enjoy seasonal food and wine experiences across the city.
DO YOU NEED TO BOOK ATTRACTIONS IN ADVANCE IN OCTOBER?
Reservations remain helpful for popular attractions. Tickets for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Versailles often sell out on busy weekends, and guided tours are frequently booked in advance during the autumn travel season.
IS PARIS CROWDED IN OCTOBER?
Paris is moderately busy in October but generally comfortable to explore. Visitor numbers are lower than in summer, and the city’s major landmarks feel easier to visit outside peak afternoon hours.
A Classic Seine Dinner Cruise
Dine on the Seine as Paris lights up around you, with French cuisine served aboard a glass-walled boat cruising past the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and Louvre.