The best january things to do in paris

January in Paris is one of the coldest months of the year but also one of the most beautiful with the new year’s celebrations and energy of fresh new beginnings but also a little christmas cheer left over from December.

if you’re wondering what to do in paris in the winter months this list will help you plan your trip, its made up of things that i also do every year here with my family

1 Celebrate new years on the Champs Elysee or at the Eiffel Tower

• if you can brave the cold then ring the new year on one of the most beautiful streets in paris with spectacular light shows and good cheer
• to get to the eiffel tower you want to get off at Ecole militaire line 8 and walk a bit over to the Champs de Mars park sitting under the Eiffel Tower
• to get to the Champs Elysee you can get off the metro at Charles De Gaulle Etoile line 2 at Arc de Triomphe

2 Enjoy the Last Days of the Christmas Markets 

• Typically the Champs Elysee is alive with french christmas cheer, but due to the sanitary restrictions in the last few years we have seen the Christmas Market been displaced to the equally historic Tuileries Garden. Expect lots of theme park type games, bumper cars, an ice skating rink and the smell or fries, crepes and churros everywhere. 
• Stop on over to place Vendome the home of French luxury jewelry designer but also one of the most beautifully winter decorated places in Paris

3 Visit Montmartre 

• The little village on the hill has been my home for the last 6 years and a favorite of my Parisian tours. And for good reason! go back in time and feel like you’re on a movie set with artists, small winding streets, mulled wine and the smell of bohemia still in the air. The highest point of Paris home to the Sacre Coeur church and a stone’s throw away from the notorious Moulin Rouge
• Speaking of which enjoy a show at the Moulin Rouge, Book a tour with me or a 2CV car ride 

4 Promenade the beautiful Galleries and Passages

• should it ever rain one of our favorite things to do is wander the beautiful covered passage and galleries like 1 passage du grand cerf, galerie vivienne, galerie colbert, passage choiseul, passage de panoramas, galerie véro dodat the galeries Montpensier, Beaujolais,  Valois,  Proues with its boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops circle the Palais Royal gardens. to see a full list go here http://passagesetgaleries.fr/passages-parisiens/

5 Take a dinner boat ride along the Seine River

• Some of the best views of Paris can only be seen and enjoyed in its wholesomeness from along the Seine River. In all my years planning weddings and fancy picnics I can say that even simply having a glass of wine as you cruise past the Eiffel tower is indeed magical 

6 Enjoy a Panoramic view Paris from a rooftop 

• Galeries Lafayette allows you free access to one of the most stunning view of arial Parisian streets and rooftops not to mention it’s the perfect place to snag a photo of yourself from that high with the eiffel tower in the background
• Centre Pompidou give you another view
• the panoramic lookout from atop the Arc de Triomphe and Sacre Coeur are super cool 

7 Shop during Le Soldes / the twice yearly sales

• legally in France we are only afforded two sales per year and if you are lucky enough to be visiting in January the winter sales take place the second week of january. It runs for 4 weeks starting always on a wednesday, as you can imagine it’s massive with each successive week getting deeper discounts each wednesday. this year it ends on the 8th of Februay
• here are my top department stores and brands to shop in paris 
• BHV Marais, Galeries Lzfzyette, Rouge, Zara, Shinzo and Freepstar (this is a vintage store and they never do sales because everything is reasonably priced already) 

8 Epiphany Day / Eat a Galette des Rois 

• celebrated with great delight every January 6th is kings day with an almond filled cake called a Galette des rois. Many bakeries and now famous pastry chefs make their own collectible versions as they hide a special ‘feve’ inside. Whoever gets the feve gets to wear the crown and is king for the day. 
• head over to Fous de Patisserie boutique, or the Gourmet section of Galeries Lafayette to see all the most popular pastry chefs creations in one place 

9 Partake in Parisian Cafe Culture

• if you’re into more traditional cafes like Cafe de Flore or Cafe de la Paix or artisanal coffee shops like Matamata or TenBelles you can surely find your pick 

10 Visit Paris Small museums 

• Many museums in Paris have free entry if you are a european under 26, and the public ones have permanent exhibitions that are free to everyone!
• fave small museums are Musée de la vie Romantic, Gustav Morea and Victor Hugo
• fave free museums Musée Carnavalet and Petit Palais 
• See more on museums here 

11 Paris Tour with a local 

• One of the best ways to see any city is through the eyes of a local 
• you can join me for one of my fun customizable tours or look around online for whatever passions you’d like to lean more into while here!

12 Beauty Shopping the Parisian Way 

• Oh My Cream 
• inside the beauty floor of Galeries Lafayette 
• Buly 1803
• Diptyque for the candles and the hand cream 
• City Pharma and pharmacie monge are the two go to pharmacies Praisian women love to stock up on their everyday no fuss skincare essentials like Bioderma 
• Merci is the one stop concept store that has curated international beauty range and french cult classics 

13 Feast on a budget

• nothing beats eating out in Paris and one of my favorite high/low indulgences is to go to the Bouillons or have a wonderful prix fixe lunch at an otherwise expensive restaurant 
• here are some of my faves 

Bouillon pigalle

Escargot on Rue Montorgueil

Pink mamma in Pigalle area 

Le tire bouchon close to Rue Montorgueil 

14 Here are 5 of my best hotels to stay in Paris for January 

There are plenty of hotels in Paris that range in taste and budget, here are some of the best that I like to recommend to my wedding clients or visiting friends 

Eiffel Tower view – Shangri La Hotel 

Montmartre – Hotel Particulier

Spa – Hotel Spa Belle Juliette beside Luxembourg Gardens 

Chic Hostel – Generator or Citizen 

Seine River view – Cheval Blanc Paris 

15 Paris Fashion Week

Two fashion events, Men’s Fashion Week followed by Haute Couture Fashion week takes place in the city during the month of january

Even though the shows are reserved for professionals and celebrities you don’t have to be a either to hang with the fashion crowds around Palais Tokyo, Grand Palais, Costes, Cafe Charlot and Tuileries 

 If you’d like me to plan your paris trip, plan an event or lead you on a one on one tour – take the stress out of figuring out what to do and email me at [email protected]

PS 

Paris January Weather 

What to pack for January in Paris

Paris Activities in January 

Getting around Paris – metro, walking, cycling and uber 

Fun things to do when it rains in Paris

Supermarket and Market shopping in Paris

Best neighborhoods to stay in Paris

What to do when it’s cold in Paris

The most fashionable places in Paris