Visiting Paris in a Heatwave

Quick tips: 

Accommodation: If you’re visiting Paris in the summer, try to book an accommodation with air conditioning. Because Paris is a heat trap, the city does not cool down much at night. A/C has become more common as summers get hotter, but it’s not a given. If your accommodation doesn’t have it, make sure to close windows and curtains before you leave for the day, and open them up to let the cool air in at night.

Timing: Plan to enjoy outdoor activities or crowded sights in the morning and evening. Some museums even have “nocturnes,” select days where they stay open into the night. During the heat of the day, escape into a church, smaller museum, or shaded park, or relax with a beverage at a café terrace and watch the passersby. 

Water: Paris has plenty of public water fountains with cold, fresh water. Bring a bottle to refill so you can stay hydrated!

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Gardens

🚫 Tuileries → ✅ Père Lachaise

In the height of summer or a heatwave, you'll have difficulty finding shade in the Tuileries Garden next to the Louvre. Its location in the very center of Paris, away from any tall trees, is a heat trap. Instead, explore the Père Lachaise Cemetery, located in the 20th arrondissement, and only about 20 to 30 minutes away from central Paris on the Metro. Stay cool under the tree canopy while you explore the largest cemetery in Paris and ponder the historical figures, celebrities, and ordinary people who are laid to rest on this tranquil hillside.

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Shopping

🚫 Galeries Lafayette → ✅ Samaritaine

Galeries Lafayette is air conditioned but it’s often fairly crowded. For an alternative department store experience, check out La Samaritaine, in the center of Paris right next to the Pont Neuf. This distinctive Art Deco building houses several major brands as well as a cute gift shop. Originally opened in 1870 and recently restored, its wrought-iron balconies and Art Nouveau murals inside make this a place to not only shop, but to discover a unique example of Paris's architectural diversity. 

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Museum

🚫 Louvre → ✅ Orangerie

With nearly nine million visitors passing through the Louvre each year, you are sure to encounter big crowds in the summer, and during a heatwave, the air conditioning can’t compete. For a cooler (and calmer) museum experience, visit the Orangerie museum, located just a few minutes’ walk from the Louvre. Here, you can see Monet’s stunning Waterlilies series up close and personal, as well as other impressionist art, in an air-conditioned, less crowded, and manageable museum.

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Church

🚫 Notre-Dame → ✅ Saint-Sulpice

Notre Dame Cathedral is a must-see sight in Paris, but during a heatwave it can get complicated. While the cathedral itself is nice and cool, you’ll likely have to wait about 30 minutes on the concrete square in front, in direct sun, before you can enter. A great alternative is Saint-Sulpice church. Located in the Saint Germain des Prés neighborhood, Saint-Sulpice is Paris’s second-largest church and boasts the same high vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses, Gothic decorations, and a historic pipe organ. You can also see three stunning murals by Eugène Delacroix, known for his colorful and dynamic painting style, in the first chapel to your right as you enter the church. 

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Seine Cruise

🚫 Batobus → ✅ Canauxrama

While practical for getting around, Batobus becomes more difficult to enjoy in high temperatures. With neither air conditioning nor a shaded area, we would advise against this option during a heatwave. Instead, try Canauxrama, which goes from Canal Saint-Martin, through a tunnel, and out to the Seine. While this cruise doesn’t have air conditioning either, a shady covered area and the tunnel part of the trip make it more manageable.

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Paris gets its fair share of hot weather nowadays, and summer crowds make it even more difficult to stay cool. With a little advance preparation and planning, you can enjoy Paris’s sights, museums, gardens, and churches even in a heatwave by choosing shadier and less-crowded sights. When you wander off the beaten path, you’ll also discover some hidden gems in Paris you might not otherwise see!