47 Glorious Things To Do In Paris – The October 2023 Edition

The days are shorter, the air is crisper, and Paris is back in the saddle with activities, museum exhibitions, concerts, food tours, and marvelous events. If the October weather holds, you'll be able to enjoy Paris park experiences at Jardin des Tuileries and Luxembourg and perhaps see the gardens in bloom at Claude Monet's Giverny at the end of its season.

Paris is a popular travel destination this Fall and you're likely to find many tours, activities, and even hotels selling out. Our advice is don't delay, book now! Let's take a look at nearly four douzaines of the greatest ways to explore and enjoy the city we all love.

The Most Popular Activities

Things to Do in Paris October 2023

Bateaux Parisiens VIP Dinner Cruise

Everything looks better from a boat cruising down the Seine. On this relaxing watery ride you see Paris from a different perspective. The famous landmarks of the City of Light pass by as you enjoy a multi-course French meal. Be sure to choose the Service Premier option for the best seating, best meal, and the ultimate experience.

Bateaux Mouches Glorious Dinner Cruise + Live Music

Gliding along the Seine at night, with the lights of Paris drifting past, is a memorable activity. And to do this while dining on a traditional 3-course French meal makes it absolutely magical. What with wine & champagne included, it's no wonder so many travelers love this activity. Departure time is 8:30 PM, seven days a week.

Champagne Cruise Along the Seine

This is our personal favorite way to cruise the Seine — made even better by a flight of three champagne tastings. We think you'll agree that this is the best way to see the sights of Paris — gliding past the monuments while sipping bubbly under the tutelage of an expert sommelier. Highly recommended.

Eiffel Tower + Dinner Cruise + Champagne at Moulin Rouge

Paris by night, three magnificent ways. First, go directly to the Eiffel Tower. From high above you can almost see the glass-enclosed bateau that awaits. Riverside, you'll glide along the Seine, dining from a classic French 3-course menu while you pass architectural masterpieces lit up in all their splendor. And to top off this magical tour you'll be whisked to the Moulin Rouge where you'll raise a glass of champagne and experience Europe's most popular cabaret.

VIP Twilight Tour – Champagne Cruise + Eiffel Tower

Sunset. Champagne. Eiffel Tower. Put the three together and you get a memorable evening in Paris. The fun starts as you're led VIP-style onto a bateau where a glass of cool bubbles await. As you sip, you'll glide by the best of Paris landmarks riverside. Back on land, the climax is skip-the-line access to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower. It doesn't get better than this!

Hear Classical Music in Paris

Paris is as much about music as it is art, fashion, and food. In October classical concerts, operas, and ballets are performed in iconic venues throughout the city from Sainte Chapelle on Ile de la Cite to Palais Garnier, the stunning 19th-century opera palace in the Opera district. Taking time to attend a concert in Paris is a great way to give your feet a rest and take a break. Find out what's playing on your trip to Paris.

Louvre Museum VIP Private Tour

It's no secret that the Louvre is the world's most popular museum. Do you want to wait in line to see the best art in the world, or would you rather zip ahead of the long line with fast access tickets and join a fascinating walking tour where your expert guide will personally take you right to the highlights — Venus, Mona, Nike, and other influential pieces? That's what we thought.

Musée d'Orsay Impressionism Tour

Skip the lines at Musée d'Orsay to marvel at stunning Impressionist works by the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and Renoir on this tour led by an Impressionism expert guide. D'Orsay holds the world's most important collection of Impressionist art. Since the lines are always long, the best way to get to see the art is on a skip-the-line tour. Once the tour finishes, you're free to spend as much time as you want perusing the masterpieces.

Eiffel Tower Guided Tour with Priority Access

By now you know that we hate to waste time standing in lines. There is no attraction more popular than the Eiffel Tower, which means there are always lines. That's why we love tours that allow you to bypass the lineup, go directly to the priority entrance, and then up the tower. Meet up with your guide and breeze past the line to the very top, for the best views of Paris.

A Perfect Day in Paris – Private Custom Tour

New to Paris? Start your trip off right with a private tour tailor-made in advance to your own interests. Your Paris guide picks you up from your hotel and shows you the best of city — from the tippy-top of the Eiffel Tower to the hidden gems only locals know about. Choose from a half-day or full-day itinerary.

Paris in One Day: Eiffel Tower Lunch + Cruise + Louvre

This action-packed tour takes you to the best of Paris with skip-the-line access bypassing the crowds. You have priority-access at the Eiffel Tower for lunch overlooking the sights of Paris. Then, hop on a boat at the banks of the Seine River to see the best of Paris landmarks, riverside. It's not over yet! Visit the Louvre for a guided tour of the world's most famous museum. Whew!

Tour Paris & Montmartre by Night in a Classic 2CV

One of the most memorable Paris city tours is in a vintage Citroën 2CV…at night… in Montmartre! Your driver/guide gathers you from your hotel and takes you to the city's most iconic sites, from the Eiffel Tower to the Pantheon to the Latin Quarter to Montmartre, the highest point in Paris with the best views. If you can, upgrade to the champagne option!

Night Bike Ride + River Cruise

On a crisp autumn evening in Paris follow your experienced guide as you pedal down the ancient streets of the city. Cruise past the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and along the Champs Elysées. Visit the the iconic sights of Paris. Then hop on a river boat for a nighttime cruise on the Seine. A glass of wine is included, of course!

The Perfect Paris Hotel for October

Each month we present one of our favorite Paris hotels. For October, the Perfect Paris Hotel selection is the 4-star Hotel d'Aubusson, our top-rated accommodation in historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The rooms are charming, well-maintained, and equipped to modern comfort standards. We also love the public areas like the lobby and the bar with its curved zinc counter, not to mention the swimming pool, a rarity on the Left Bank.

The Best Latin Quarter Hotels

The historic and charming Latin Quarter of Paris is also home to some of our favourite hotels in the city. You'll be right in the center of things as well with so much in easy walking distance, including the Seine, the Pantheon, Notre Dame, Saint-Germain, and even the Marais just across the river. Discover our top seven picks of the best hotels in the best quartier.

Airport Transfers

Of all our Paris advice, this is perhaps the most appreciated — arrange for transportation from the airport into central Paris before you leave home. We find it's comforting to be prepared and to know what's going to happen when you arrive. An easy and affordable option is book a shuttle van service right to your hotel. Or, you can do what we do and an arrange for a private airport pickup in a luxury sedan. It's the only way to do it!

Glorious Day Trips From Paris

Things to Do in Paris October 2023

Spend a Wine-Tasting Day in the Champagne Region

One of our favorite things to do while we're in Paris is to spend a day sampling champagne in the region it comes from. The Champagne Region is easy to get to with a guided tour that starts out in the center of the Paris. Spend the day focusing on the bubbly as you visit both small producers and grands maisons. Includes A classic 3-course French lunch and round-trip transportation.

The Loire Valley – Chateaux & Wines

This is travelers' favorite way to visit the Loire Valley — probably because it combines visits to the most magnificent chateaux with tastings of the best wines of the Loire Valley. See castles like Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau, then descend into centuries old cellars for special wine tastings. Everything is arranged for you on this full-day trip from Paris.

The D-Day Landing Beaches

The landing beaches of Normandy are undoubtedly the most famous battle sites of World War II. Sign up for this popular small-group tour that takes you to the most important locations — the beaches, the monuments, the museums, and the dedicated cemeteries. This all-inclusive day trip also includes lunch and a tasting of the region's famous ciders.

Monet's House & Gardens in Giverny

October is the last month of the year to see Claude Monet's gardens at Giverny, a small town only about an hour from Paris. It's incredibly uplifting to spend time in the house and gardens of this Impressionist master – the very places where he painted those iconic canvases. A half day is the perfect amount of time for this art lover's experience.

The Top Food & Wine Activities in Paris

Things to Do in Paris October 2023

Cheese & Wine Tasting in a Paris Cheese Cellar

In a fromagerie in the Marais you meet an affineur (expert in aging cheeses) and descend into the private cheese cellar where you learn all about the proper way to age cheese. Seven classic French cheeses will be presented along with wines and baguettes. The small group is limited to 10 to ensure there's more cheese for you!

The Food & Wine of the Marais

This is the original food tour that takes you through the Marais, visiting the top food & wine shops in the historic quartier, while tasting the best of French foods like cheese, charcuterie, baguettes, chocolate, and wine. You start your tour at the oldest food market in the city. This food activity continues to garner high praise from satisfied travelers.

Bateaux Parisiens Gourmet Lunch Cruise

Sailing along the Seine on a relaxing lunch cruise just about beats anything else to do in the world. It all starts with a crisp glass of champagne, followed by an exquisite French classic three-course meal. As you sip your wine, you'll admire the majesty of Paris landmarks, so close you could almost touch them. Best tip? Book the Service Privilege option to guarantee a private window seat.

Wine Tasting in the Heart of Paris

In the most knowledgable wine bar in the city, only steps from the Louvre in central Paris, a professional sommelier will guide you through an extensive tasting of wines from the most iconic vineyards of France — from Champagne to Sancerre, Bordeaux to Burgundy, Alsace to the Rhône. We recommend the 2-hour Grand Cru wine tasting.

Chocolate & Pastry Walking Tour of Saint-Germain

How could we not like this one? Chocolate, pastries and Paris — together at last! And it's not just us, this is also one of our readers' fave food activities. They love getting behind-the-scenes in a world of sweetness and goodness — with plenty of sampling, including regional specialities. You're able to choose between strolling through Saint-Germain or the Marais.

Learn to Make French Croissants

Flaky, crusty, tender croissants are an emblem of Paris boulangeries. In this small-group pastry class you'll learn from a trained French chef how to mix, roll, and prepare croissants and pain au chocolats from scratch. Imagine how impressed your friends back home will be when you whip up your batch of French pastries!

Paris Cooking Class & Food Market Tour

Have you ever dreamed of taking a cooking class in Paris? We know from experience that a an afternoon spent at a cooking class here will be a fond memory that you'll always treasure. It will be a highlight of your visit to the City of Food, and will inspire and educate you to on how to make the classic French dishes when you're back at home.

The Best Ways to Visit Versailles from Paris

Things to Do in Paris October 2023

From central Paris you are whisked to the royal estate. Included in your dossier are priority, skip-the-line tickets. Go directly inside to experience the grandeur of the chateau on a tour that includes the best of Versailles. There's plenty of time to stroll through the gardens. The full-day tour includes visits to the Grand Trianon & Marie Antoinette's farm.

Your Own Private Versailles

Visit Versailles the royal way on an exclusive private tour. Your driver takes you from your Paris hotel to the priority entrance at the Palace of Versailles. There you bypass the long lineups for the chance to to areas of the chateau usually seen only by dignitaries. You also visit the Hall of Mirrors, the king and queen's private residences, as well as the magnificent gardens.

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

Versailles leçon #1: the line-ups are incredibly long. On this half-day tour you breeze by the large crowds to see the top sights: the State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and the chapel. There's also free time to linger in the manicured French garden. This small-group includes transportation from Paris to Versailles and back.

Versailles Bike Tour + Chateau Visit

You're in luck! In October you can still join up with this 2-in-1 tour. Cycle the countryside near Versailles, through forests and pastures. Shop at local markets, then lounge in the gardens of Versailles eating grapes, nibbling on cheeses, while drinking in the history of the place. After le pique-nique, use your VIP skip-the-line pass to explore the Chateau de Versailles.

Private Tour of Versailles + Monet's Gardens

Start your day out from Paris day with a visit to the chateau and gardens of Versailles. You then visit the luscious gardens of Claude Monet in nearby Giverny to see his Impressionist world blossom in front of your eyes. This private tour includes transportation from your Paris address. October is the last month of the year Monet's gardens are open.

What's On at the Museums

Things to Do in Paris October 2023

Private Louvre Nighttime Tour

This private tour of the Louvre is one of the very best VIP experiences in Paris. Imagine the Louvre at night, when the crowds have diminished and your art-expert guide takes you on an exclusive tour to the museum's most well-known artworks. Stand in front of works by Raphael, da Vinci, Caravaggio. This one-of-a-kind VIP art experience is only available on Friday nights, and it's very likely to sell out!

Edvard Munch

In collaboration with the Munch Museum in Oslo, Musée d'Orsay is devoting an exhibition to the famous Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944) who, though he created numerous paints over sixty years, still remains largely unknown.
• Musée d'Orsay
• Ends January 22, 2023
• Information…

Picasso – New Works of Art

The exhibition celebrates the nine masterpieces by Picasso donated to the French National Collections by his daughter, Maya Ruiz-Picasso.
• Musée Picasso
• Ends December 31, 2023
• Information…

Picasso à l'Image

Here's a chance to see art films, archives, and documentaries shot during Picasso's lifetime, presenting facets of his personal and artistic life.
• Musée Picasso
• Ends February 12, 2023
• Information…

Cézanne – The Light of Provence

This new exhibition features some of Cezanne's best work, displaying his composition, his approach to light and color, and his greatest source of inspiration.
• Atelier des Lumières
• Ends January 2, 2023
• Information…

Rosa Bonheur

To celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899), the Musée des Beaux-Arts in her hometown of Bordeaux and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris are presenting a retrospective of her paintings.
• Musée d'Orsay
• October 18 to January 15, 2023
• Information…

The Golden Age Of The Portuguese Renaissance

Discover the elegant and accomplished art of the painters who were active in Lisbon in the first half of the 16th century.

• The Louvre
• Ends October 10, 2023
• Information…

Giuseppe Penone – Dessins

Italian sculptor Giuseppe Penone (born 1947) is known for his large scale sculptures of trees, but he has always kept a pencil and paper nearby for his drawings. This exhibition presents over 200 of his drawings donated by Penone to the Pompidou, along with six sculptures.

• Centre Pompidou
• October 20, 2023 to March 6, 2023
• Pompidou Exhibition Information…

Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans

If there's one event that captures New Orleans it's the Mardi Gras Carnival with floats, brass bands, and lots of street dancing. Part of the scene, and tracing their roots to the French colonial era, are the Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) who parade in magnificent Native American costumes adorned with pearls, sequins, and feathers. The exhibition is organized with the Louisiana State Museum.

• Musée du Quai Branly
• October 4 2023 to January 15, 2023
• Information…

Kanak Journals

It took Roger Boulay, a museum curator, more than two decades to document 3,000 sketches and watercolors of the Kanak people. In case you've forgotten your cultural geography, the Kanak are the indigenous people of New Caledonia, a southwest Pacific island territory still governed by France. The Kanak speak more than twenty distinct languages with eleven dialects including Creole, and use French as their common language. This is a must-see exhibition!

• Musée du Quai Branly
• October 4, 2023 to March 12, 2023
• Information…

André Devambez – Dizziness of the Imagination

A retrospective of the work of Belle Époque artist André Devambez. An artistic jack of all trades, Devambez was a painter, an engraver and and illustrator at the same time, producing work oscillating between serious and light subjects.

• Petit Palais
• September 9, 2023 to December 31, 2023
• Information…

Walter Sickert – Painter & Transgressor

A major retrospective dedicated to the English painter Walter Sickert. Sickert painted subjects considered too audacious for this time, such as music hall scenes and de-eroticized nudes.

• Petit Palais
• October 14, 2023 to January 29, 2023
• Information…

André Derain – Paysages Méridionaux

Influenced by the masters, André Derain (1880-1954) turned to more classical painting after World War I. His landscapes capture the intense light of Provence. Hence, "Southern Landscapes".

• Musée de l'Orangerie
• September 21, 2023 to March 6, 2023
• Information…

Parisiennes Citoyennes!

"Women of Paris!" This historical exhibition takes you on a journey in search of traces of women's struggles for emancipation from the French Revolution to the achievement of parity in politics,

• Musée Carnavalet
• September 28, 2023 to January 29, 2023
• Information…

The Top Events in Paris

Things to Do in Paris October 2023

Nuit Blanche – White Night 2023

This fantastic event is the brainchild of former Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë. His idea was to create a Paris all-nighter with monuments, museums, and theaters kept open from dusk to dawn. Twenty years later, Nuit Blanche is more popular than ever. Expect to be one of thousands that stay awake all night exploring the artistic side of Paris. At dawn, revelers enjoy a free breakfast compliments of the Hôtel de Ville.
• Information…

Salon du Chocolat

Chocolate lovers unite! If you're in Paris and a chocolate lover, this event will plug you into the latest choco-trends with plenty of tastings, demonstrations and symposiums. Meet the growers of cocoa, taste delicacies from the best Paris chocolatiers, and attend the famous Chocolate Dresses Fashion Show.
• Porte de Versailles
• October 28 to November 1, 2023
• Information…

Fetes des Vendange à Montmartre – Wine Harvest Festival

Join the festivities at Montmartre's town hall (mairie) as locals harvest the annual crop of grapes to produce 500 bottles of Clos Montmartre. It's the last working vineyard in Paris, and Montmartians celebrate in the annual event with parades, tastings and wine-related festivities.
• Montmartre Mairie
• October 5 to 9, 2023
• Information…

Salon de la Photo

Also in October is the giant photography trade show at the Paris Expo, out at Porte de Versailles, where you'll have a chance to see all the latest in international photography, equipment and other displays. There may be some changes this pandemic year, so check the website before you go.
• Grand Palais Éphémère
• October 6 to 9, 2023
• Information…

French Heritage Society 40th Anniversary Gala

Yes, you can attend the 40th Anniversary Celebration saluting American philanthropy in the City of Light. The elegant gala takes place at the Petit Palais, a Belle Époque masterpiece where you'll be able mingle with the folks who have been working hard to preserve the rich architectural and cultural heritage throughout France.

• Petit Palais
• October 15, 2023
• Information…

FIAC Art Contemporain

A world of wonderful contemporary art displayed at the Grand Palais — and it's free! Since 1973 this annual art fair has welcomed a selection of the most important galleries from the international art scene. In recent years, for instance, the art fair was joined by five internationally recognized galleries renowned for their contemporary art expertise — Jousse Entreprise, Galerie Kreo, Downtown Gallery, Eric Philippe, and Galerie Patrick Seguin.

• Grand Palais Ephémère, Champ-de-Mars
• Information…

Foire d'Automne à Paris

Explore the good life in France through home decor, gastronomy, furniture & design at the Autumn Fair. What to expect? 300 exhibitors with practical workshops to teach you how to make your own decorative objects, DIY classes, artisans demonstrations, conferences and free meetings with architects and five Grand Prix Awards.

• Porte de Versailles
• October 21 to October 30, 2023
• Information…

Le Festival d'Automne à Paris

Founded in 1972, the Paris Autumn Festival celebrates contemporary arts and embraces all forms — visual arts, dance, theatre, music, and cinema. From September to December the festival features more than fifty events at venues throughout Paris.

• Venues throughout Paris
• September to December, 2023
• Information…