Autumn is one of the loveliest seasons for strolling in Paris, when golden leaves and soft sunlight seem to turn each walk into a small work of art. It truly is the time of the year to slow down, take a detour and follow your inner flâneur or flâneuse. We’ve drawn together five walks to capture that spirit, each blending Paris’s art, history and natural beauty into a scene worthy of an Impressionist canvas.
Think of them as inspiration for how to spend a day—or just a few golden hours—in Paris. Depending on how often you choose to stop for a museum visit, a little shopping or a café to warm up, each walk can stretch or shorten as you wish. Along the way, we’ve included some of our favorite spots that will add an artistic touch to your autumn strolls.
Autumn hues in the Palais Royal. (Photo: Hannah Wilson)
1. Royal Gardens from the Palais Royal to the Tuileries
There’s no better place to begin than in the Jardin du Palais Royal, one of Paris’s most elegant gardens. Once the private domain of Cardinal Richelieu and later the royal family, it’s now a tranquil haven where the clipped trees form quiet allées all surrounded by arcades. In autumn, the garden seems to glow from within as the leaves turn honey-gold.
Then, it’s only a short walk along Rue de Rivoli leads to another royal masterpiece, the Jardin des Tuileries, stretching grandly between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Designed in the 16th century for Catherine de’ Medici, it became the first public park in Paris. It’s the perfect place for strolling and admiring the changing seasons. Find a green chair beside one of the fountains, watch the wind scatter leaves across the water and you’ll understand why so many artists tried to capture this light.
Autumn majesty in the Tuileries. (Photo: David C. Phillips)
When the air turns crisp, wander toward the far end of the gardens and head to the Musée de l’Orangerie, one of Paris’s small museum gems. Beyond Monet’s luminous Water Lilies, you’ll find a beautifully curated collection of Impressionist and early 20th-century masterpieces by Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse and Modigliani.
Or, for even more art—and an inspired place to pause for lunch—cross the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge over the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay on the Left Bank. The walk between the two is one of the most romantic in Paris in any season. Inside, the museum’s glass roof fills the galleries with soft light, the perfect setting for its world-renowned Impressionist collection. If you’re visiting the museum, stay for lunch at its elegant restaurant, where chandeliers and gilded ceilings recall its Belle Époque past, or enjoy a more casual meal or coffee in Café Campana, set behind the great clock with a view that feels like stepping into a painting.
Watch leaves flutter into the Seine along the Île Saint-Louis.
2. Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité – A Literary and Painterly Reverie
Begin your stroll on Île Saint-Louis, one of the most charming places in Paris. The island’s quiet streets and elegant façades have inspired writers and dreamers alike. Even Charles Swann, in Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, lived here on Quai d’Orléans overlooking the Seine. The quays that encircle the island are especially beautiful in autumn, when the chestnut trees turn amber and their reflections ripple across the Seine. If you can pull yourself away from the riverside views, be sure to visit Saint-Louis-en-l’Île Church, a baroque treasure located in the heart of the island with a gilded interior that glows with warmth on a cool day.
Then cross the Pont Saint-Louis to reach Île de la Cité, pausing midway to listen to the musicians that often play here, with Notre-Dame just ahead. Wander through the cathedral’s square and visit to see its recently restored splendor before following the river toward Pont au Double. Just across this bridge, Square René Viviani bursts with autumn color, its trees framing the bell tower of the Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre church. This is the ideal moment to stop in Shakespeare & Company, the legendary English-language bookshop, or settle into its cozy café next door for a coffee with a view of Notre-Dame. It’s one of the most atmospheric corners in Paris!
Stop in at Shakespeare & Company bookshop and cafe. (Credit: Hannah Wilson)
As the afternoon light softens, return to the island and stroll beneath the graceful weeping willows in the Square du Vert-Galant, at the very tip of the Île de la Cité, where the water flows around you on both sides. End your walk in Place Dauphine, one of the most romantic squares in Paris, with its chestnut trees scattering golden leaves over cobblestones and café tables. For those dreaming of staying longer, our La Place Dauphine apartments overlook this very scene and are the perfect place to enjoy Paris in the fall.
Montmartre transforms into a painting in the fall.
3. An Autumn Walk in Montmartre
There’s something especially artistic about Montmartre in the autumn. We suggest starting your walk in the peaceful little park behind Sacré-Cœur. It’s a little garden with a big name—Parc Marcel Bleustein Blanchet dit Parc de la Turlure—which is a popular spot for wisteria watchers in the spring. But it’s equally as lovely in the fall with autumn-tinged vines and benches with superbly framed views of the Basilica. From there, follow the cobblestone lanes downhill toward the Clos Montmartre, a little vineyard that still produces wine. In autumn, the vines turn deep shades of red and gold, creating a rare rural view right in the middle of Montmartre.
Continue along narrow streets past the historic La Maison Rose to the Musée de Montmartre, where Renoir once lived and painted The Swing and The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, and where later Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo lived and worked. Warm up with a cup of tea from the museum cafe overlooking the gardens, and you can imagine the scenes they captured here with that distinctive Montmartre light. Enjoy this glimpse inside the Musée de Montmartre and a surprising connection to a the very special Rose de Loire vacation rental with Maddy:
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For a truly local experience in Montmartre, stay in the beautiful Rose de Loire and wake up surrounded by the same beauty that inspired generations of artists. Take a tour inside this remarkable house:
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While in Montmartre, you won’t want to miss strolling through Place du Tertre where artists set up their easels and sell their artwork beneath the trees. The mix of autumn colors and creativity makes this one of the most enjoyable times to visit. If you want to dive even deeper into Montmartre’s fascinating history and hidden corners, book a Montmartre Walking Tour led by an expert local guide to learn about the artists, writers and characters who shaped it.
Autumn colors in Montmartre.
4. Jardin des Plantes – A Nature Break in the Latin Quarter
For a quieter side of Paris in autumn, spend some time wandering through the Jardin des Plantes in the Latin Quarter. Established in the 17th century as a royal garden for medicinal plants, it has long been a place where Parisians come to stroll and breathe a little deeper. In autumn, the wide allées are lined with plane and chestnut trees that glow gold and russet in the afternoon light and the air is full of the scent of fallen leaves.
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Follow the main avenue toward the grand glasshouses that are full of palms and tropical plants. The flowerbeds and arboretum create a tapestry of textures and tones, shifting from green to bronze as the seasons change. It’s a beautiful spot for a quiet morning walk, though the gardens are just as enchanting later in the day when the light begins to fade and the pathways have the perfect painterly glow.
Take a break from art museums and visit the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle to see the grand Galerie de l’Évolution, a soaring space filled with displays of animals, fossils and marine life beneath a glass roof. Whether you spend time seeing the exhibits or simply find a quiet corner in the park to enjoy the autumn colors, the Jardin des Plantes offers a refreshing place to pause.
Parc Monceau is like a painting come to life!
5. Elegance & Autumn Colors in Parc Monceau
If Paris has a park made for autumn, it’s Parc Monceau. Located in the 8th arrondissement, this romantic garden feels more like a private world than a public park. Curving paths wind past Corinthian columns, classical statues and a small pond where the trees reflect like brushstrokes on the water. Designed in the 18th century for the Duke of Chartres, the park was meant to surprise and delight – and it still does!
This is where Claude Monet came to paint again and again, fascinated by the way sunlight dappled through the trees. Writers such as Marcel Proust and Guy de Maupassant also lived nearby and found inspiration in its beauty. You can read even more about the artistic side of Parc Monceau here. It’s a peaceful place to pause and watch local life unfold with Parisians walking their dogs, reading on benches or simply enjoying the golden light.
Landscape: The Parc Monceau by Claude Monet. (credit)
When you’re ready to explore more, head to the Musée Cernuschi, set right on the edge of the park, to admire its remarkable collection of Asian art. The neighboring Musée Nissim de Camondo, a beautifully preserved mansion from the early 20th century, is currently closed for restoration but will reopen in 2027 after a careful renewal. End your walk at the elegant Musée Jacquemart-André just a short stroll away, where you can enjoy lunch or tea in the museum’s glass-roofed café – one of the loveliest spots in Paris to while away an autumn afternoon.
Plan the perfect autumn stay in Paris!
Make the Most of Autumn in Paris
However you choose to explore Paris in the fall—strolling through royal gardens, wandering quiet islands or following in the footsteps of artists—we hope these walks reveal a side to the city that feels in step with the season. To make the experience even more memorable, stay in one of our Paris Perfect apartments rentals, where you’ll feel at home while discovering the beauty of the city just beyond your doorstep.
