While you’re planning and researching for your trip to Paris, you might be wondering what to do at night. Of course, enjoying some excellent French food is a must, but there are actually a whole bunch of other amazing things you can do here in the evening (perhaps before or after that mouth-watering meal). Keep reading to discover some of the best things to do in Paris at night, including original tours, late nights at museums, comedy shows in English, and more.
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(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)
Take advantage of the late-night openings at certain museums and sites
If you’d like to do some evening sightseeing, a range of Paris museums and monuments are open late every night or specific ones every week. Going in the evenings allows you to visit these venues with MUCH fewer crowds, so it’s an ideal time to go. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are open late every night (from 10 pm to 1 am depending on the time of year), as is the Palais de Tokyo, a hip contemporary art center near la Tour Eiffel.
On each night of the week, different museums are open late, most notably the Musée d’Orsay on Thursdays and the Louvre on Fridays. You can enjoy this quieter time at these museums by joining the Thursday evening Orsay Crash Course with Context Travel and the Closing Time at the Louvre tour with Take Walks.
Image Courtesy of Viator
Enjoy the city lights from a Seine sightseeing or dinner cruise
A LOT of Paris sites are located along the Seine River, so a nice way to see these is by boat, especially at night when the monuments are beautifully lit. That said, we don’t generally recommend the large cruise boats on the Seine, since they can be packed with big tour groups and aren’t great for the environment, however, there are some better smaller ones that we prefer to suggest.
The Vedettes de Pont Neuf has mid-sized boats and actual guides giving commentary. The Vedettes de Paris has a fleet of smaller, eco-friendly electric boats and offers champagne cruises in the evenings that add some extra sparkle to nighttime cruises. If you’ve got the budget, book a private boat tour which gives you a more personalized tour of the Seine. If you’d like to combine dinner with a cruise, consider Le Calife, a vintage wooden boat, or a gastronomic cruise aboard Ducasse sur Seine, star chef Alain Ducasse’s cruise boat.
Image Courtesy of Rosa Bonheur sur Seine via Facebook
Dance, picnic or grab a drink along the river or canal
If a boat cruise isn’t your thing, there are other ways to enjoy Paris’s watersides at night. While there are some great places to walk along the Seine in the evenings, there are some places which are darker (and dirtier) which you might want to avoid. We especially love the section along the Les Berges promenade, which goes along the Left Bank from Musée d’Orsay to close to the Eiffel Tower. It’s well-lit, attracts a lot of Parisians, and has some cool bars, like Rosa Bonheur sur Seine, which is moored near the glitzy Pont Alexandre III. Further on the Left Bank, east of Notre Dame and Ile de la Cité, the riverbanks can get quite lively on Friday and Saturday evenings with Parisians picnicking on the Port de la Tournelle and tango and salsa dancing next to the Tino Rossi Garden.
The Right Bank’s Parc Rives de Seine is another nice place for an evening riverside stroll, but if you go along here, we suggest sticking to the stretch extending from Hotel de Ville to the Pont des Arts. There are some great barge-boats along here, plus it has some pretty spectacular views over some top monuments, such as the Conciergerie, the domed Institut de France, and the Eiffel Tower.
For something more off-beat, head to the Canal Saint-Martin, where a hip crowd can usually be found on warm evenings. Located in the 10th arrondissement, the first of Paris’s three canals is a popular place to hang out in the evening, either picnicking right along the water or having a drink on the bar terraces bordering the canal.
Image Courtesy of Get Your Guide
Cruise around the city in a vintage car
If you’re looking for other cool things to do in Paris at night that include some sightseeing, you’ll have an amazing time on this vintage car tour. Hopping into a classic Citroen 2CV, your private driver guide will give you fascinating insight into the city and its history as you zoom past some of Paris’s top attractions including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Opera Garnier. It’s a super fun and memorable experience!
Image Courtesy of La Bellevilloise via Facebook
See some live music
Parisians LOVE music and every night of the week there are concerts around the city of all music styles. This is also an activity that relies less on being able to understand French, so it’s ideal for visitors. You can find a good listing of concerts on the website Lylo. Even though the site’s in French, it’s pretty easy to figure it out and there’s even a tab for free concerts (concerts gratuits). You might also like to check out the agenda (programmation) of these unique venues that offer regular concerts that are either free or have low ticket prices:
- Caveau des Oubliettes: This historic “Jazz” cellar in the Latin Quarter puts on Jazz, Funk, and Blues concerts on Wednesday to Sunday nights at low prices (8€/adults and 5€/students).
- Le Marcounet: This barge-bar moored near Hotel-de-Ville offers both paid and free concerts, usually Jazz, but also other types of music as well as DJ nights.
- La Bellevilloise: We love this great venue in the Belleville area that often has free concerts. It has a huge open bar space, casual restaurant, and garden terrace.
- L’International: This bar-club in the 11th has free concerts and attracts a younger festive crowd.
- Point Ephermere: This cool bar-concert venue on the northern end of the Canal St-Martin does free or very reasonably priced concerts (5-20 euros).
Get last-minute tickets to the Opera Garnier
If classical music, opera, or ballet is more your thing, luck might be on your side to score some VERY cheap last-minute tickets to the jaw-droppingly beautiful Opera Garnier. Tickets for seats in the 6th category, with a limited or no view of the stage, are sold on the day of the performance, only at the box office of the Opera Garnier and for the bargain price of €10.
Okay, we can admit that the view isn’t great, but you’re allowed to stand when the seat is at the rear of a box. Plus, the view matters less for concerts, which are performed regularly at the historic opera house. Over all, it’s still very cool to be able to access the gorgeous theatre and have a glass of champagne during intermission.
The box office also sells special reduced rates on last-minute tickets for young people under 28 or seniors over 65. So if you don’t mind gambling on if seats will be available, you can show up at the box office inside the building around an hour or 90 minutes before a performance.
Image Courtesy of Theatre in Paris via Facebook
Attend French theater with English subtitles
Theater fans don’t have to miss out on a theater outing while in Paris nor worry about understanding French by booking tickets through Theatre in Paris. This unique company arranges subtitles for certain French theater productions and special seats to be able to read these for foreign visitors. They usually have a few different plays available, which are always performed at really beautiful theaters, too. So if you’re dreaming of seeing Molière or a modern French play during your trip to Paris, this is the best way to do it.
Image Courtesy of Coucou Comedy
Have some laughs at an English comedy show
If you’re looking for things to do in Paris at night that involve some laughs, you won’t be disappointed with Paris’s English stand-up comedy scene. Over the last few years, it’s really taken off – so much so that there’s a comedy show in English virtually every night of the week. What’s more, these are often FREE (drink purchase required), making them a budget-friendly evening activity in Paris. Many shows are listed on the Comedy in Paris website, but here are some specific regular shows we can recommend:
- Coucou Comedy: Held on Friday evenings in central Paris, this one-hour show is free, although reserving your free seats is recommended as space is limited.
- Comedy Crush: Every Wednesday night comedians take to the stage of a bar on Ile-de-la-Cité, another free night but reservations are recommended.
- Green Mic Comedy: Taking place on Sundays in the Bastille area, this is a two-part show with an open mic followed by featured acts. Reserve your free tickets and tell the bartenders you are there for the show and you’ll get a discount on drinks.
- French Fried Comedy Night: Held in Montmartre on Wednesday and Friday nights, this is a fun activity after sightseeing in the area. Again, reservations are recommended.
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