Coming to Paris this summer and concerned about how the Olympics will affect your trip? Fear not, while the Games will certainly provide some challenges for visitors, virtually all tourist attractions and museums will still be open and there are PLENTY of amazing things to do and neighborhoods to visit that will be hardly impacted by the sporting events. Whether you’ll be coming for the Games, or are looking to avoid them, we’ve got you covered on what to do in Paris during the Olympics in this roundup of super fun activities.
Where are the Olympics taking place and what areas to avoid
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be held from 26 July to 11 August, followed by the Paralympics from 28 August to 8 September. The Games will be quite unique because the city and many major monuments will be used as a backdrop for certain competitions. These include beach volleyball in front of the Eiffel Tower, archery at Les Invalides, skateboarding in Place de la Concorde, and various sports in the Grand Palais.
The Seine River will host the opening ceremonies on July 26th, which will involve over 10,000 athletes cruising down the river on 150 boats. Some events, like soccer, will be held around the country, and so, other destinations will be (mildly) affected as well. What’s more, only people attending events, or staying in nearby hotels, will be allowed in their proximity, and by showing a special QR code.
So, what does all this mean for those looking to visit Paris from late July through September? Since the Games are mostly taking place in the west of the city, if you stay away from these areas except if you’re attending an event, you can save yourself a lot of grief.
We’ve brought together further information and helpful tips on managing the city during the Olympics in our article 10 Very Important Things to Know if Visiting Paris During the Olympics and will instead be giving you lots of cool alternative activities below.
Take an evening tour of a major museum
Since there’ll be an influx of visitors to the city for the Games, if you’d like to visit the Louvre or Orsay museums, we highly advise going when the museums are open in the evenings. Actually, this is the best time to visit at ANY time of the year, but this is even more recommended this summer. The Orsay is open until 9:45 pm on Thursday evenings and the Louvre until 9 pm on Fridays. Taking a guided tour, like this Closing Time at the Louvre tour and this Orsay Crash Course tour, can REALLY help you navigate the museums and divert crowds considering the extra hecticness of this summer.
Visit a smaller unique museum
Maybe you don’t even need to go to Paris’s star museums? Paris has HUNDREDS of museums, so you could consider skipping the bigger museums and sites altogether in favor of visiting smaller, specialty museums. These are always less crowded and offer you a different, more unique perspective on the city. We highlighted our favorite smaller museums in Paris in this article, however, some of these, like the Musée Carnavalet, the Musée Picasso, and the Maison Victor Hugo, are conveniently located close to each other in the Marais – which is our next suggestion.
Hang out in the Marais
One of our favorite districts of the city, this historic, central, and hip neighborhood will be fairly removed from the hecticness of the Olympics. There’s SO much to do in the Marais, you could really spend a few days here. You can meander the thrift shops on Rue Roi de Sicile and Rue de la Verrerie, grab a falafel sandwich at the world-famous L’As du Fallafel or Miznon, browse the stylish boutiques of the Upper Marais or relax in Place des Vosges or the lesser-known Square du Temple park. You can get to know the area’s history on this Marais History tour or delve into its fantastic food scene on this Ultimate Food tour.
Image Courtesy of Fat Tire Tours
Tour the city by bike
The areas and métro stations around the sporting events will be closed which means there’s going to be a LOT of additional traffic in the city. So, one of our top tips on what to do in Paris during the Olympics is to opt to get around by bike. In addition to being more eco-friendly, cycling in Paris allows you to take in the city’s beauty and charms along your route and is often the fastest way to get around. Paris has a very affordable bike-sharing scheme, Vélib Métrople, as well as some private companies, like Lime, that rent electric bikes you can pick up and leave around the city. If you’d like to combine biking and sightseeing, consider taking this great Secrets of Paris bike tour. It’ll take you off the beaten path, give you an insider view of the city, and bolster your confidence to do more cycling in the city after your tour.
Relax in the Buttes-Chaumont Park
Found in the northeast of the city, this park is so far from the Olympics that you wouldn’t even know they’re taking place. In addition to being beautiful, the park is also a unique example of urban renewal. Meaning bald hill (chauve mont) in French, the Buttes-Chaumont was previously a sewage dump and stone quarry before being transformed into a pleasure garden in the mid-1800s. Its large mountain was cleverly created from the morphology of the stone quarry and from its summit, you can enjoy lovely views over the north of Paris and all the way to Montmartre. After your stroll around the lovely greenspace, you can stop for a drink at one of its two cool bars, Rosa Bonheur and Le Pavillon Puebla.
Image Courtesy of Ville de Paris
Walk the Petite Ceinture Promenade
Over the past few decades, sections of the former mid-19th century railway that once encircled Paris, La Petite Ceinture, have been refurbished and converted into walkways.
A nice stretch can be found in the 15th, which is actually near the Porte de Versailles where some sporting events are taking place, and thus could be a good place to escape after attending an event there. You can access it across from 99 rue Olivier de Serres and it extends 1.3 kilometers to Place Ballard. The peaceful pathway takes you along the walls of buildings, past some street art, and some unique vantage points of the neighborhood. There’s another nice section in the 12th district, which is the extension of the great promenade, the Coulé-Verte Réné Dumont. This part of la Petite Ceinture actually goes as far as the Bois de Vincennes – which we cover next.
Take a boat ride on the Canal de l’Ourcq or Daumesnil Lake
Instead of taking one of the big tour boats on the Seine, drive your own boat away from the masses at these two locations. You can rent charming row boats on the Lac Daumesnil, a decent-sized lake in the Vincennes woods – which is found on the opposite side of the city to where the Olympics are taking place. You can also rent self-drive electric boats (no license required) through la Marine Douce on the Canal de l’Ourcq, in the northeast of the capital. Pack a picnic to enjoy on the boat or just afterward either on the grass of the woods or along the Canal – making this an ideal summertime activity.
Skip Versailles and visit these castles instead
Some sporting events are taking place at Versailles, so you might want to avoid France’s most visited castle unless you’re attending these events. What’s more, there are dozens of other great castles to visit around Paris. Some fantastic alternatives, which are also on the other side of the city, include the Château de Fontainebleau and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. These two castles can be visited with ease on this joint excursion. Another cool option is the Château de Vincennes, Europe’s largest Medieval keep, which is accessible by métro AND on the edge of the Vincennes Woods, so you could visit both at the same time. If you’re dead set on visiting Versailles, considering the sporting events, it would be much better to take a tour, like this tour by Walks or one of these bike tours, as the guides will know how to manage the site and closed areas.
Image Courtesy of Context Travel
Discover some stunning Art Nouveau architecture
If you’re looking for what to do in Paris during the Olympics that’s a little more unique, you might like to explore the gorgeous Art Nouveau architecture in the 16th district. This area is near the Olympics zones of the Eiffel Tower and Rolland Garros tennis facilities, but far enough away and accessible by bike or métro. A “newer” district of Paris, the 16th was very popular for innovative architecture at the turn of the 20th century. Many buildings were designed by Hector Guimard, the creator of Paris’s funky Art Nouveau métro entrances. Some of his most famous buildings in the area are the Castel Béranger (14 Rue Jean de La Fontaine, 75016), the Hôtel Mezzara (60 Rue Jean de La Fontaine, 75016), and the Hôtel Guimard (122 Avenue Mozart, 75016), and you’ll see others in the vicinity of these. If you’d like to visit these with a guide, consider booking this tour by Context Travel.
Wander the charming lanes of “The Countryside in Paris”
Another perfect place far from the Olympics is a really cute and secret place in the 20th called La Campagne à Paris or the Countryside in Paris. Located on a small hill next to the Porte de Bagnolet, the area is a lovely grouping of tiny lanes lined with cottage-like houses built in the 1910s-20s. You can reach it by bike or métro line 9 (take the exit for Boulevard Mortier). Take the staircase on rue Géo-Chavez and you can meander the maze of streets around rue Irénée-Blanc and rue Paul-Strauss. It’s a wonderful offbeat place to stroll with few cars or people.
After reading our suggestions on what to do in Paris during the Olympics, are you looking for other cool things to do in Paris? Read these articles next:
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