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Paris can be really great in winter, but the weather can get pretty grey and rainy — which isn’t ideal for lots of outdoor sightseeing. However, since there is SO MUCH to do in Paris, there are some ways to get around the iffy winter weather. Our selection of the best tours to take in Paris in winter (and some cool activities) either take place entirely indoors or spend part of the time inside. Enjoy the city without having to battle with the elements.

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(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)

This is an image of the inside of Sainte-Chappelle. It has a beautiful stained-glass window display leading all the way up to the roof.

This is an image of the Sainte-Chapelle’s interior

Discover the city’s best indoor Medieval sites

The Medieval period was fairly important in Paris and some of the top historic sites in the city are from this era. Some of the absolute best are found on the Île-de-la-Cité Island and they are visited on this great tour. These include Notre Dame Cathedral (which will be reopening after the fire on December 8th, 2024), the Conciergerie (the former palace of the royals), and the Sainte-Chapelle. Taking a tour will give you an incredible intro to these fantastic places, allow you to learn about Gothic architecture, and get a picture of what life was like around 600 years ago. The tour includes skip-the-line tickets, so this means you’ll breeze into the Sainte-Chapelle — which otherwise has some of the longest entrance lines in the whole city.

Join a Medieval Paris Walking Tour with Notre-Dame and Skip-the-Line Sainte-Chapelle | 1st and 4th Arrondissements

This is an image of a group of friends talking together over food at drink at a table in a restaurant or cafe.

Image Courtesy of Take Walks

Eat your way through the best food shops of the Marais

This excellent ultimate food tour is one of the best tours to take in Paris in winter for a number of reasons. As it hops around to different shops, you’ll have a chance to warm up at each stop. It also visits the Upper Marais, a fabulous local neighborhood that we really love. Your guide will reveal valuable information and tips on French cuisine and introduce you to some of Paris’s top culinary artisans. It includes over 10 tastings, including two different French wines, enough food for a full lunch and to fuel you up for your further explorations of Paris.

Book a Paris Ultimate Food Tour | 3rd Arrondissement | WA*

*An alternate route can be arranged to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs. Please contact Devour Tours’ Guest Experience Team at least one week before the tour to discuss arranging a private tour that meets your accessibility needs. 

This is an image of one of the gorgeous passageways in Paris filled with shops and people.

Image Courtesy of Get Your Guide

Tour the city’s historic passageways

One of the best ways to take in Paris when it’s grey and drizzly is to visit its beautiful covered shopping arcades. Called a “passage” or galerie” in French, these shopping lanes were mostly created in the first half of the 1800s and are really gorgeous. This two-hour tour visits some of the nicest ones which are also located pretty close to each other, so you won’t even have to be outside too much. Along your way, your guide will share fascinating stories of artists, writers, and intellectuals who once lived or spent time in the galleries. Magical places, certain passageways also have fantastic shops and restaurants that you might want to return to after the tour — another great way to stay warm.

Join a Local Secrets and Passageways Walking Tour | 2nd Arrondissement | WA*

*With private option only

This is an image of a tour guide taking a tour group through a French food market before a cooking class.

Image Courtesy of Cook’n With Class

Learn how to cook your own classic French meal

Among the best tours to take in Paris in winter, this experience includes a visit to a food market followed by learning how to prepare some traditional French dishes. Taking place in the local area behind Montmartre, the tour begins with a visit to a very authentic market street where you’ll pick up the items for your meal. Returning to the toasty cooking school, you’ll have a hands-on cooking lesson and enjoy your creations afterward — staying nice and warm in the process.

Take a French Cooking Class with Market Visit in Paris | 18th Arrondissement

This is an image of two ladies decorating denim jackets at a crafty table smiling.

Image Courtesy of Viator

Create a personalized denim jacket with the designer of French celebrities  

Shopping in Paris is certainly a great warm activity, but what if you made your own jacket instead of purchasing one? This workshop takes place in a real fashion workshop in the trendy 2nd arrondissement of Paris. Guided by a designer who has created items for stars and celebrities, you’ll design your own unique denim jacket. No sewing experience is needed, and you can also use the skills you gain from the workshop to do more clothing up-cycling afterwards — plus your creation will help keep you warm.

Book a denim jacket workshop in Paris | 2nd Arrondissement

This is an image of someone putting nutella on a crepe.

Whip up your own batch of the coziest of French dishes

If you asked us what are some of the best winter dishes to try in Paris, crepes would certainly be on the list. This fun class teaches you how to make both sweet and savory crepes. A different type of batter is used for each here in France and this class will give you a great overview of how to make perfect crepes, which you’ll get to sample at the end of your class. The class is held in Paris’s hip east end and so it gives you an incentive to explore this cool after your lesson.

Reserve a Crepe-making Class in Paris | 12th Arrondissement

This is an image of a tour group that has been blindfolded, so the tour guide can feed them cheese for them to guess.

Image Courtesy of Viator

Find out how to perfectly pair wine and cheese on a tour and tasting on rue Mouffetard

This thematic food and wine tour takes a different approach to other food tours and visits the charming rue Mouffetard in the 5th. A fantastic street market, the experience starts with touring some food shops, including one of the best cheese shops in the city. Here, you’ll learn the basics of French cheese before going to a nearby intimate restaurant where you’ll taste several different French cheeses along with French wines. In addition to some basics about each, you’ll learn the art of pairing cheese and wine from the restaurant’s chef. 

Join a Cheese and Wine Tasting in the Latin Quarter | 5th Arrondissement | WA

This is an image of a tour group reading clues in the middle of Palais Garnier huddled together.

Image Courtesy of Get Your Guide

Visit or solve the mysteries of the Paris Opera House 

Of all Paris buildings, the Opera Garnier has some of the most spectacular interiors. Finished in 1875, the opera house’s amazing interiors will warm you up thanks to its sumptuous decor, sparkling chandeliers, and cozy red velour drapery. If you want to add a fun element to your visit, consider joining this mystery tour. Provided with your entry ticket and a roadmap, your goal is to solve a thrilling case as you explore the Opera House. So if you have a travel companion or are traveling in a group, this could be a really great activity to do together.

Book a Palais Garnier Mystery Game with Opera Entry Ticket | 9th Arrondissement | WA

After checking out these Tours to Take in Paris in Winter, are you interested in other great Paris tours? Read these articles next:

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Lily Heise

A long-time Paris resident, Lily Heise is a travel writer whose work has been in Condé Nast Traveler, Huff Post, Fodor’s, AFAR, and Frommer’s, among others. When she’s not uncovering the city’s best secrets, she can be found on a Parisian café terrasse or traveling the globe.

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