You decided to visit Paris and its area during French school holidays? Here is a list of the most well-known places located in Northern Paris to explore all by yourself or with your family. Here you can find a lot of indoors and outdoors activities such as museums, parks, markets and different events... open all year long!
Scroll down the page to see activities and special events organized for each season of the year!
Find more information about public holidays in Paris and its area here.
Looking for activities to do in the Paris region during the CHRISTMAS vacations which last 15 days between December and January!
The dates for the 2024 christmas vacations in France will be held from Saturday, December 21, 2024 to Sunday, January 5, 2025.
Discover current exhibitions, take part in a workshop, visit a museum...
Take an unusual stroll: visit famous cemeteries on your own or on a guided tour (Père-Lachaise, Montparnasse or Montmartre, for example). Many celebrities are buried here. Tombstones of artists and the anonymous are to be seen for their splendor, their singularity, their history. To see on your own or on a guided tour.
Oscar Wilde's grave is in the Père-Lachaise cemetery, division 89, Paris. You'll also find Edith Piaf, Frederic Chopin, Jim Morrison's grave, painter Amédéo Modigliani, Egyptologist Jean-François Champollion,...
Famous graves at Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. You'll find Samuel Beckett, Marguerite Duras, Eugène Ionesco, Serge Gainsbourg, Bartholdi,...
Let yourself be tempted by a stroll through the Buttes Chaumont park in Paris.
A stroll along the Canal de l'Ourcq or Canal Saint-Denis, on foot or by bike, or an outing to a part of Paris you've never been to before.
Here are a few ideas for outings and leisure activities in Seine-Saint-Denis and north-east Paris to share with your children or friends. Sports and leisure activities, visits to sites and museums, theaters and cinemas, cultural outings... or simply a drink on a terrace, weather permitting
Stroll in the forest or parks of the 93 region. You can stroll in the parks or forest of Bondy or Bois St Martin in Noisy le Grand (for the latter, only on foot, no animals, no bikes), but also take part in the various urban walks on offer or make your own route, either on foot or by bike. If you don't feel like walking or cycling, take a look at some of our cultural and leisure outings below!
> On vacation or at the weekend: go graffiti-hunting and be surprised by what's new - one graffiti chases another, and they're regularly covered. Follow the Street Art Avenue along the Canal Saint-Denis!
> The Batman Escape play area (the largest in France) in Boom Boom Villette Paris.
You'll find: bowling, arcade games, interactive mini-golf, laser game, play area with trampoline...
The vacations are here at last... but what can you do to keep the whole family busy and find activities in Paris Region? Here are a few ideas for outings with the family, children, teenagers and friends.
It's Monday - what to do? Museums close on either Monday or Tuesday, so plan your program according to the weather.
In the meantime, here are a few ideas to keep you, your kids and your teens busy!
Free museums on the 1st Sunday of the month! Sunday 5th January 2025, Sunday 2nd February 2025
These museums are free on the 1st Sunday of the month: Centre Pompidou (partial closure from autumn 2024 then total closure from 2025 to 2030), Quai Branly, Musée d'Orsay, Musée des arts et métiers, Musée national des arts asiatiques, Musée de l'histoire et de l'immigration, Cluny - musée du moyen-âge, Musée de la céramique de Sèvres, Musée national Eugène Delacroix, Musée Rodin (October to March), etc. the Musee de l'air et de l'espace.
Please note that some museums only offer free admission during the winter months.
Consult the official websites to check access conditions.
I visit, I book before!
Book your tickets from home! We strongly recommend that you book before you visit, and that you respect the time indicated on your ticket.
A Basilica of the kings and queens of France
tombs of the kings and queens of France - Saint-Denis Basilica - Copyright: Pascal Lemaitre/CMN
> During your vacation, you'll want to discover the superb sculptures of the tombs and recumbent statues of French princesses, queens and kings (the great families of Merovingia, Carolingia, Capetian, Valois and Bourbon).
Let's brush up on our history and admire the sculpture, the finesse of the details, the beauty of the marble! Look up and you'll see the magic of stained glass and light.
> The Basilica's organ (known as Cavaillé-Coll) is not to be outdone; in fact, a dedicated organist gives a few concerts a year (autumn, spring).
> Access to the Basilica, necropolis of kings.
Buy your ticket to visit the Basilique des rois. General public
> Close to the Basilique des rois is the Museum art et d'histoire Paul Eluard in Saint-Denis.
Museum visits and/or workshops are offered regularly.
Chapelle Expiatoire (c) Benjamin Gavaudo - CMN
The Chapelle Expiatoire, located in Paris near the Gare St Lazare, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. A booklet-game is available for children.
This site is managed by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.
A guided tour is offered on Saturdays (see schedule on official website).
Outings to leisure parks, places to let off steam, jump from boulder to boulder or play indoor soccer, but also ideas for quieter outings.
> Indoors, whatever the weather - for the adventurous, and with your teens and friends, try out the climbing wall! Three great indoor climbing sites near Paris are open during the vacations. Ideal even for beginners.
> at the Archives Nationales in Pierrefitte: permanent exhibition "Archives explore time" (free admission). Open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4.45pm.
The Philharmonie for children aged 4 to 10 is open; reservations required. It's the music version of the Cité des enfants.
Musical activities and game booklets are available online on the Philharmonie website, so you can play while you're at home.
La Cité des enfants! Spaces dedicated to different activities for different ages. Fun and interesting. Be sure to book in advance and be on time for your time slot, otherwise you won't get in. The area of the "City of Children" is open to 2-7 year-olds.
>> The Cité des Enfants play area for 5-12 year-olds at the Cité des sciences Paris la Villette closes its doors on June 24, 2024 for 1 year. This play area will close for renovation until June 2025. <<
See the official Cité des sciences website for access conditions. Closed on Mondays.
Ideas for guided tours and walks at La Villette!
It's outside, and it's free!
For children - Outside in the Parc de la Villette there's... the free Dragon Garden for children. You can also access the Jardin des Dunes, open outdoors but secured by gates and divided by age group (open according to the weather).
Near the Jardin des Dunes (open in fine weather - free of charge), you'll find an antique merry-go-round, and food trucks serving sweets (cotton candy, waffles, etc.).
It's not free, but you can take a ride on the Carousel Jules Verne in the Parc de la Villette (near the Canal de l'Ourcq) : for kids.
Free sport for teenagers and adults - urban
Teens, adults... for sports enthusiasts: come to the Voltiges garden in the Parc de la Villette, near the Zénith de Paris, to train in the open-air sports area (street-workout, parkour, body-building apparatus, etc.).
These three large, delimited areas are open all year round and in the open air.
An inexpensive plan for an outing with family, friends or solo.
My vacation, my weekend at the Puces de Paris St Ouen!Looking for a rare or vintage item, a gift or decoration idea, Saturday, Sunday and Monday are the days to find what you're looking for. All day long - Paris St Ouen's various flea markets and chic antique shops - unusual or classic, clothing, curiosities - are open to the public. The Puces de Paris can be affordable or very chic or even luxurious!
Let yourself be tempted by the open-air markets and enjoy the sunshine. Some markets are indoors only.
For many Parisians, it's a free stroll and a place that keeps renewing itself. The surprising alleyways of these little "villages" promise relaxation. Les Puciers are open at weekends all year round! The Puces are open in August, although there are fewer vendors.
The Puces are open at weekends, even on public holidays (Saturday, Sunday and Monday).
For sports enthusiasts: run during the week or at weekends, solo or with others, for pleasure or to train for the various races organized throughout the year, get out the bikes (bike itineraries) or simply for a stroll!
The weather's still cooperating, so take a look at the various routes you can follow as you please - in rando or promenade mode.
We're off to the Air and Space Museum (closed on Mondays). Book your ticket to enter the museum.
Entrance to the museum is free for children under 26 (see conditions on the official website).
Museum admission is free on the 1st Sunday of the month.
Opening of the "Planète Pilote" game area in the museum. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Monday (closed).
Air museum exhibitionsThe Musee de l'Air presents a new exhibition Flight... the secret - 17th December 2024 to July 2025
Which metro or RER to use to visit Paris, tourism in the Ile-de-France region, exhibitions and events in play parks accessible by public transport or shuttle bus?
Grab your Navigo travel card and let yourself be tempted by a visit to Paris or the Ile-de-France region... the countryside's limit!
Disneyland Paris open every dayGoing to Disneyland Paris during the holidays. It's not that far ...
From November 9, 2024 to January 6, 2025, let yourself be tempted by Disney's Enchanted Christmas!
Disneyland Paris (ticket) is just a few stations away via the RER A towards Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy. The park and its attractions are just 2 minutes from the station.
Where to book a hotel around Disney or Studio Park (by foot, shuttle or car)
This park is the second most visited amusement park in France after Disneyland Paris, so don't miss it when you come to the Paris region.
Parc Astérix opens from December 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025 for the GAULOIS CHRISTMAS!
Parc Astérix (ticket) - Book your ticket now for Parc Asterix !
Parc Astérix: how to get there?
You'll need a car, but you can also get there by public transport: RER B to Charles De Gaulle Airport - Get off at the "Aéroport Charles De Gaulle 1" stop. Then go to the "Parc Astérix" ticket office - buy a ticket to board the shuttle bus that will take you to the park (¤9 to ¤10/person round-trip ticket).
Please note that work is being carried out on the RER B at weekends, and that the RER does not necessarily take you to CDG, but rather by bus! (check the Transilien.com website for RER traffic information).
Visit the most famous flea market in the suburbs of Paris. Old or new clothes, books, music, art, furniture: you will find what you are looking for! Open from Saturday to Monday.
This place is a former monastery transformed into a museum of art and history since 1981 and also composed of a garden.
This aviation museum located in the North of Paris offers exhibitions, activities for children, a planetarium and also recounts the story of the different aircrafts in France. Why you should visit it?
Located in the Northern Paris, the Parc de la Villette as too many things to offer: movie theaters, concert halls, museums, shopping malls... This is the place to spend a great day with your family!
This science museum is perfect for children and teenagers and their thirst for discovery! Check out the different permanent and temporary exhibitions!
The Philharmonie de Paris offers exhibitions, workshops and concerts all year long. You can also visit the Cité de la Musique (Music Museum) located next to it.
This place made of glass and iron is composed of 3 halls and holds professional or public events such as exhibitions, circus shows, dance and music festivals.
The Basilica of Saint-Denis is one of the most important heritage site near Paris. Explore the crypt, the necropolis and the recumbent effigies of the French Kings and Queens.
Virtual tour - Basilica
You can find at this market exotic products coming from all around the world or just buy some fruits and vegetables to your local farmer.
Come to visit this emblematic stadium! This is here that the most important sport games and concerts are held! Follow in your favorite soccer player or rockstar's footsteps...
The Shoah Memorial located in Drancy is a museum and an information center about Jews' life during the WWII. Visit this place of remembrance.
The Cité des Enfants, located inside the Cité des Sciences was specially created for children from 2 to 12 years old offering interactive exhibitions. If you have bigger children, check the activities for teenagers in Paris.
The Imax cinema at the Géode (Parc de la Villette) is scheduled to reopen in spring 2024.
Do not miss this incredible movie theater with a giant hemispheric screen, one of the largest in the world!
You are visiting Paris and its region on your spring, summer, fall or winter vacation? Here are some activities, events or places to visit according your schedule!
Summer is the most important season of the year, that is why the Seine-Saint-Denis region suggests you plenty of activities for all the family!
Fall is the season of festivals and exhibitions!
Celebrate Christmas in a different way in Christmas market (illumination Paris)There are three terms in the school year, starting in September. While everybody starts on the same day, dates of the French school holidays vary according to the “zone” you live in listed in regional education authorities –“academies”.
Back to school 2024 - Paris: Monday, September 2, 2024
