The ultimate guide to visiting Paris in October

Paris in October is about breathing room. Summer’s crowds are gone, there’s less of a crush around attractions like the Eiffel Tower, and winter’s chill hasn’t yet arrived.

Mild days are ideal for wine tasting at the Grape Harvest Festival or touring the tombstones of Père Lachaise Cemetery. Alternatively, embrace the city’s outstanding nightlife with hot jazz at a cool club or catch a scary movie night at the landmark Grand Rex Cinema. Whatever experience you’re seeking, this guide covers exactly what to do in Paris in October.

Why go to Paris in October?

No summer crowds or winter chill

If you’re wondering what Paris is like in October, think of the best of both worlds: summer is in the rearview, and winter isn’t here yet. The Paris weather in October is still relatively mild, but the crowds have dissipated and taken premium summer pricing with them. It’s an ideal time to explore the city’s historic landmarks on crisp fall days without the throngs of the warmer months. And, as the sun goes down a little earlier than in summer, there’s more time to enjoy the city’s famous nightlife.

October brings fall foliage to Paris

Fall brings a riot of color to the city’s parks and gardens. Throughout October, leaves start to turn toward fall coloring in spots like the Tuileries Garden and Luxembourg Gardens. For a hidden gem, explore the impeccably landscaped meadows and Japanese gardens at the Albert-Kahn Museum and Garden in the Boulogne-Billancourt suburb.

Embrace Paris’ vibrant art scene

In addition to the city’s always-busy roster of world-class museums, theaters, and galleries, the special events lineup for October makes it an ideal time for art enthusiasts to visit. The Autumn Festival alone brings elite performing arts and film to more than three dozen venues across Paris. There’s also exceptional contemporary art on display at Art Basel Paris and the historic Salon d’Automne.

Paris does Halloween surprisingly well

Halloween is not a traditional French holiday, but the French capital still has fun with it. Disneyland Paris goes full Halloween for the whole of October, with seasonal attractions, parades, and decorations. Look out for Halloween-themed menus in the park’s restaurants and Halloween makeovers for beloved Disney characters.

Elsewhere, the famous skull-lined walls of the Paris Catacombs take on renewed, eerie significance. Tours of historic graveyards like Père Lachaise Cemetery enjoy a spike in popularity as guides turn to tales of ghosts and hauntings for the season.

What’s the weather like in Paris in October?

You’ll need a jacket when visiting Paris in October. While September can feel a lot like summer, October is most definitely fall. Average daily highs drop quickly between September and October—a sure sign that fall has truly arrived. It’s also one of the wetter months in Paris. Pack an umbrella, but look forward to mild days and the city’s characteristically stunning sunsets.

• Average daily high temperature: 61 F (16 C)
• Average daily low temperature: 49 F (9 C)
• Average days of rain: 13 days
• Average daily hours of sunshine: 5 hours

Top things to do in Paris in October

1. Celebrate the grape harvest in scenic Montmartre

With the stunning Sacre-Coeur Basilica as its backdrop, the annual Grape Harvest Festival (Fête des Vendanges) in Montmartre is not your average harvest festival. A celebration of Montmartre’s winemaking heritage that dates back to the 1930s, the festival typically runs for five days in mid-October. Expect to find wine tasting, vineyard tours, music and dancing, and the grand finale, a 1,000-strong parade through the picturesque cobblestone streets of the 18th arrondissement.

Address

Various locations around Montmartre.

Opening hours

Check the festival’s official website for dates and timings.

2. Visit the Salon d’Automne on the Champs-Élysées

The Salon d’Automne, an annual exhibition of contemporary art, has been one of the best things to do in Paris in October since its inception in 1903. Legendary artists like Cézanne, Matisse, and Duchamp have had works exhibited here. The salon remains a major contemporary art event, staged in a temporary pavilion on the Champs-Élysées, between two great art centers of Paris, the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais.

The exhibition sees a modern art gallery — bright white walls and floors supporting vivid canvases and striking installations — in one of Paris’ most historic and esteemed settings.

Opening hours

Typically Monday–Saturday, 11:00 AM–8:00 PM
Sunday, 11:00 AM–6:00 PM

3. Have a hot night out at a cool jazz club

Catching top-tier jazz on a chilly fall evening feels like it should have always been on the list of things to do in Paris in October, but the Jazz sur Seine Festival has only been running since the 2010s. The concept is compelling: 25 clubs around Paris host around 200 concerts over two weeks in October, featuring over 400 musicians. Rue des Lombards, a short walk from the Louvre Museum, is home to several of the city’s best-known jazz clubs, but you’ll quickly see most of Paris if you follow the entire festival program.

4. Walk among the tombstones at Père Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise Cemetery is the most famous graveyard in Paris, perhaps all of France. Its hilly, winding cobblestone pathways weave between more than 4,000 trees and some of the most elaborate funerary architecture in the city. The cemetery is well-known for its famous residents: Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison are among the names buried here. It’s one of the more scenic historic places in Paris at any time of year, but in October, as thousands of trees gently change into their fall foliage, it’s spectacular.

Address

75020 Paris

Opening hours

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
Saturday, 8:30 AM–6:00 PM
Sunday and holidays, 9:00 AM–6:00 PM

5. Catch scary movies at the largest cinema in Europe

If you’re a fan of scary movies and historic places, you should put visiting Paris in October on your bucket list. The Grand Rex Cinema is a stunning Art Deco fever dream, not far from the infamous Quartier Pigalle, the Folies Bergère, and the Moulin Rouge. It’s the largest cinema auditorium in Europe, seating up to 2,800 people in front of Le Grand Large, a behemoth 3,000-square-foot (280-square-meter) screen.

Halloween at Le Grand Rex is not to be missed for horror enthusiasts. A typical event might see “Alien” screening on Le Grand Large while “The Exorcist” and “Silence of the Lambs” play on smaller screens around the building. The cinema’s annual scary movie screenings are a rare chance for an immersive experience inside a historic Parisian landmark.

Address

1 Bd Poissonnière, 75002 Paris

Opening hours

Visit the cinema’s official website for timings.