The Best Parks and Gardens in Paris

Paris may be famous for its architecture but it’s also a very green city! It offers more than 500 green spaces spread in its 20 arrondissements with a total of around 2 300 hectares. Every neighborhood of Paris has its squares and public gardens. But the city also counts some bigger parks and gardens, and even some woods. I have gathered for you here the list of the best parks and gardens in Paris! You will love to discover and explore them all!

Jardin du Luxembourg

The Jardin du Luxembourg, Luxembourg gardens, is one of the best gardens in Paris and one of my favorites! It’s located in the 6^th arrondissement near the area of Odéon and St Sulpice. This garden is beautiful is all seasons!

It was created in 1612 at the request of the Queen Marie de Medici and covers 25 hectares. The Jardin du Luxembourg features French gardens, English gardens, and a forest. And there is a large pond where kids and adults can navigate model sailboats.

As you are wandering here, you can admire the stunning Medici Fountain and no less than 106 statues! But you will also find here an apiary, an orchard, greenhouses and an Orangery. Last but not least you can also visit the Luxembourg Palace in front of the garden. This building is actually the seat of the French Senate. I had the opportunity to see it a few years ago during the “Journées du Patrimoine”, and I was quite impressed!

And did you recognize Jardin du Luxembourg as one of Emily in Paris filming locations? It’s the park where Emily is jogging in Season 1 🙂

My secret tips: the Jardin du Luxembourg in quieter in the morning if you want to take some photos. Be aware that, because of the French Senate, the guards won’t let you use any tripod inside the garden.

Location: Jardin du Luxembourg

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Odeon (line 4 and 10), RER Station Luxembourg or Port-Royal (RER B).

Access: free entrance

Opening times: The Luxembourg gardens opens between 7.30am and 8.15am, and closes between 4.30pm and 9.30pm according to season. Find the detailed opening hours here.

Jardin des Tuileries

The Jardin des Tuileries or Tuileries garden is with no doubt one of the best gardens in Paris! It’s located right in the 1^st arrondissement in Paris between the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe du Carousel and Place de la Concorde. It was built in 1564 with the Palais des Tuileries at the request of the Queen Catherine de Medici. Actually, its name comes from the tile factories which previously stood on the site. Later in 1664 André Le Nôtre, the famous gardener of King Louis XIV, re-landscaped the gardens into their current French formal garden style. Many statues from Maillol, Rodin and Giacometti are standing in the park and you can admire them as you are walking around. Jardin des Tuileries is classified as a “Monument Historique” since 1914, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s especially pretty in spring with the magnolias and other blooming trees. But it’s also highly instagrammable in fall. Besides that, there is a summer festival organized with a ferris wheel and other merry-go-rounds in July and August. And last but not least, a Christmas market is taking place in the Tuileries garden at the end of the year.

My secret tips: the Tuileries garden is less busy in the morning if you want to enjoy it without the crowd. But the light is also very nice at sunset! In spring and summer, you can chill on a chair around one of the large fountains at the end of the afternoon. And you can also have a picnic here!

Location: Jardin des Tuileries

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Tuileries (line 1), Concorde (line 1, 8, and 12) and Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (line 1 and 7)

Access: free entrance

Opening times: From the last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in March: 7.30am to 7.30pm. From the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in September: 7am to 9pm.

Jardin des Plantes

The Jardin des Plantes, or Botanical Garden, is the main botanical garden in France and one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris! It’s located in the 5th arrondissement in Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine. The Jardin des Plantes was created in 1626 and offers 28 hectares. Since its creation it aims at gathering and studying plant and flower collections and welcoming the public.

The garden features 5 very special trees that received the label of “arbres remarquables” (remarkable trees): a pistachio tree (Pistacia vera), a cedar tree from Lebanon (Cedrus libani), a Japanese Sophora tree from China (Styphnolobium japonicum), an oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) and a Japanese white cherry blossom tree (Sato-zakura « Shirotae »).

This Botanical garden features a small zoo, the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes, and four museums or galleries:

• The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution (Gallery of Evolution’)
• And the Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie (Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology), a mineralogy museum.
• Also the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée (Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy),
• And the Galerie de Botanique (Gallery of Botany).

My secret tips: I highly recommend visiting the Jardin des Plantes in spring. In April you will be able to enjoy some spectacular pink and white cherry blossoms! And in May, the rose garden of the Jardin des Plantes is especially charming!

Location: Jardin des Plantes

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Quai de la Rapée (line 5), Jussieu (line 7 and 10), Place Monge (line 7) and Gare d’Austerlitz (line 5 and line 10).

Access: free entrance

Opening times: the Jardin des Plantes is open every day. Generally, it’s open from 7.30am to 7.45pm in summer and from 8am to 5.15pm in winter.

Jardin du Palais Royal

The Jardin du Palais-Royal or Palais-Royal Garden is one of the best and the prettiest gardens in Paris! This 20-hectare square is located in the 1^st arrondissement in the middle of the Palais-Royal near the Louvre. It was built for the Cardinal Richelieu in 1633 with the Palace. It’s so beautiful and so well maintained that it is part of the official list of the “Jardins remarquables” in France (remarkable gardens).

The garden is surrounded by 4 shopping arcades and features a big fountain. You will find here many places to sit: some chairs around the fountain and some benches under the trees around it. By the way, these benches are one of the filming locations of the Netflix series Emily in Paris Season 1!

Close to the garden, in the Cour d’Honneur (the larger inner courtyard of the Palais-Royal), you can see the famous Colonnes de Buren. Those unique candy-striped black-and-white columns of different heights were created by Daniel Buren.

My secret tips: The best time of the year to visit the garden of the Palais-Royal is in Spring. In March, several fuchsia magnolia trees are blooming in the garden and making it even more charming! Then in May you can enjoy some roses in the garden.

Be aware that the Palais-Royal has some staff dedicated to check who is taking pictures on the site. They might ask you to stop if you are nicely dressed and shooting with a professional camera and/or a tripod without an authorization.

Location: Jardin du Palais Royal

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre (line 1 and 7) and Pyramides (line 7 and 14).

Access: free entrance

Opening times: The garden of the Palais-Royal is open daily from 8am to 8.30pm in October-March, from 8am to 10.30pm in April-September.

Parc du Champ de Mars

The Parc du Champ de Mars is this huge park at the feet of the Eiffel Tower. Because of its privileged location I had to add it to the list of the best parks in Paris! Located in the 7^th arrondissement between the Eiffel Tower and the École Militaire, it was created in 1780. This large green space of 243 hectares was formerly used as drilling and marching grounds by the French military. Therefore, it got named after the Roman god of war.

The Parc du Champ de Mars is a great place for a walk but also for picnics in summer or the sunny days of spring and fall. This park is also one of the hotspots for big events (like the fireworks on the 14th of July). Actually, it was the site of the famous Expositions Universelles in 1867, 1878, 1889, 1900, and 1937.

My secret tips: if you want to take some photos, the best light is at sunset. But it’s also the busiest time especially when the weather is nice. In spring and in fall the Parc du Champ de Mars is worth the visit because of the beautiful colors. For example, at the end of February/ Beginning of March you can enjoy some plum blossoms and some magnolias with the Eiffel Tower as a background. Then in May some roses are blooming.

Location: Parc du Champ de Mars

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Bir Hakeim (line 6) or École Militaire (line 8), and RER C Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel.

Access: free entrance

Opening times: the Parc du Champ de Mars is open 24/7

Parc des Buttes Chaumont

Parc des Buttes Chaumont is one of the biggest and best parks in Paris. In fact, with its 247 hectares, it ranks as the fifth largest park of the city. It’s located in the north east of Paris in the 19^th arrondissement. It was created in 1864 at the request of Baron Haussmann under the regime of Napoleon III.

The parc features many interesting parts. First of all, you will find an artificial lake surrounding a 50-meter-high mountain with some stunning waterfalls (the Île du Belvédère). A grotto and some caves were built under it. And a little temple is standing on top of it creating a dramatic set up. This Temple de la Sibylle is a miniature replica of the famous ancient Roman Temple of Vesta in Tivoli in Italy. You can access the Belvédère via a suspension bridge built by the famous Gustave Eiffel. Besides that, you will enjoy in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont more than 47 species of trees, plants and shrubs, including indigenous and exotic trees. Lastly the restaurants in the park look like Swiss chalets, and the gatehouses like rustic cottages. The decor created in the park is really charming and therefore it’s one of the most romantic places in Paris! 

My secret tips:  From the Temple de la Sibylle you have an amazing view over Paris. Parc des Buttes Chaumont is especially nice for picnics with friends in summer. Moreover, the bar named Rosa Bonheur is super trendy in Paris to enjoy “apero” drinks in summer evenings.

Location: Parc des Buttes Chaumont

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Buttes Chaumont (line 7B), Botzaris (Iine 7B) and Laumière (line 5).

Access: free entrance

Opening times: The Parc des Buttes Chaumont is open every day from 7am to 8pm in winter, and to 10pm in summer.

Parc Monceau

The Parc Monceau in the 8^th arrondissement is one of the most beautiful and the best parks in Paris. It offers an area of 82 hectares not far from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. It was created in 1778 with the intention to surprise and amaze visitors. Therefore, you will find here some surprising architectural features, or follies. Can you imagine a classical colonnade with Corinthian pillars, a Dutch windmill, a bridge modeled after the Rialto bridge in Venice, or some scaled-down versions of an Egyptian pyramid and a Chinese fort? The water lily pond in front of the classical colonnade is also very lovely. Lastly the entrance of the park is very elegant with its iron gate embellished with gold. As a consequence, this park is quite original and fun to visit! I recommend to explore it as a romantic activity if you are in Paris!

My secret tips: the Parc Monceau is especially beautiful during fall as it takes some pretty orange hues. But it’s worth the visit in all seasons! And great news the park is equipped with free wi-fi!

Location: Parc Monceau

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Monceau (line 2)

Access: free entrance

Opening times: the Parc Monceau is open from 7am to 10pm in summer and from 7am to 8pm in Winter.

Parc Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther King

The Parc Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther-King is one of the best parks in Paris! This green space of 10.8 hectares was quite recently created in the 17^th arrondissement near Porte de Clichy and the neighborhood of Les Batignolles. Its name is also a tribute to Martin Luther-King. The Parc Clichy-Batignolles was built with sustainable principles. For example, you can find here some solar panels and wind turbines, walkways were created with reconstituted materials and rainwater is harvested. Even the plants are low maintenance!

The park is a nice place to walk around or to go for a picnic when the weather allows it. There are some recreation facilities like a skatepark, some basketball courts and children’s play area. You can also chill on the deckchairs in the Jardin du rail.

My secret tips: Come here in spring to enjoy the cherry blossoms!

Location: Parc Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther-King

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Brochant (line 13), Porte de Clichy (line 13, 14 and RER C) and Pont Cardinet (line 14). You can also use the Tram 3b in Porte de Clichy.

Access: free entrance

Opening times: The Parc Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther-King is open every day from 7am to 9:30pm in summer, and from 7am to 5:45pm in winter. The detailed hours are available here.

Parc de Bagatelle

Parc de Bagatelle is one of the best parks in Paris and also one of the four botanical gardens that you can find here. It’s located inside the Bois de Boulogne, in the 16^th arrondissement. The parc and the little castle inside – the Château de Bagatelle – were built in 64 days only! In fact, Marie-Antoinette wagered against the Comte d’Artois, her brother-in-law, that he wouldn’t be able to build a new chateau within 3 months. And he won!

With 26 hectares, the Parc de Bagatelle offers a great area to wander around. The gardens have an Anglo-Chinese style with some follies like pagodas, pavilions, a pond, wooden bridges, waterfalls and an orangerie. A lot of the places in the park are covered with flower growing naturally (like daffodils or hyacinths).

One of the highlights of the Parc de Bagatelle is the rose garden. With around 10,000 rose bushes and 1200 rose cultivars, it’s one of the biggest and oldest rose gardens in France! Since 1907, the city of Paris runs an international competition for new roses in June of each year.

My secret tips: I recommend you visit Parc de Bagatelle in spring at the end of March. You will be able to enjoy magnolias, daffodils and also cherry blossoms!

Location: Parc de Bagatelle

How to get there by public transport: Metro station Pont de Neuilly (line 1), from here you have to walk quite a while to enter the parc (around 25 min) or you can take the bus (line 43 or 93).

Access: free entrance in low season (1st of October to 31st of March). And 2, 50€ in high season (1st of April to the 30th of September)  – only 1,50€  for young people ages 7-26, and free below 7.  

Opening times: the Parc de Bagatelle is open every day in winter from 9.30am to 5pm and in summer from 9.30am to 8pm. More details open the opening hours depending on the seasons here.

Parc de Sceaux

Parc de Sceaux is not part of Paris but it’s totally one of the most beautiful parks in the area! At only 10 km from the center of Paris, this huge park of 181 hectares is located partly in Sceaux and partly in Antony. The Parc de Sceaux was designed at the end of the 17^th century by André Le Nôtre. This beautiful estate features a castle: The Château de Sceaux. Nowadays this château from the Second Empire (around 1856) is used as a Museum about the history of Paris from the 17th century to the middle of the 20th century. Additionally, in the park you will find the Orangerie, an art gallery, and the Pavillon d’Aurore, a magnificent garden pavilion. If you walk around in the park, you will see a lot of statues, a big canal, some pretty fountains and the beautiful gardens from the castle.

My secret tips:  The best moment to visit the Parc de Sceaux is in spring. The Bosquet Nord features a field of cherry trees and the Bosquet Sud a field of white cherry trees. Around mid-April, all the trees are blooming and it’s magical! It makes the park one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in and around Paris. The Japanese community but also the Parisians love to come here to enjoy Hanami under the Sakura. It’s an amazing place for a picnic! That’s one of the reasons why I had to put the Parc de Sceaux in this list of the best Parks in Paris.

Location: Parc de Sceaux

How to get there by public transport: you can come here with the RER B, station Parc de Sceaux or La Croix de Berny (also Sceaux depending on where you want to go inside the park). It’s only around 30 min from the center of Paris.

Access: free entrance

Opening times: in winter 8am to 5pm and in summer 7am to 10pm. In April if you want to come for the cherry blossoms, it’s opened from 7am to 8:30pm.

Detailed info about the park, the castle and the opening hours here.

In Conclusion…

I hope you enjoyed this list of the best parks and gardens in Paris! Which ones would you like to visit on your next trip to Paris?

If you are visiting Paris in spring, take a look at this article that gathered all the best places to see the blooms, including the cherry blossoms. And if you are coming here in fall, have a look at the best photo spots in Paris in fall. Some of the best parks in Paris are also part of those two blogposts.

Find more of my travel guides and food guides about Paris here.

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