15 Gorgeous Parks and Gardens in Paris to Explore [2024]

Looking for the best parks and gardens in Paris to visit? Read on for the most beautiful, famous, and hidden Parisian greenspaces!

The Medici Fountain in the Jardin de Tuileries has a long basin of water lined by an iron railing and white flower pots, with a large sculpture piece behind it.

One of my absolute favorite things to do when visiting the City of Light is stroll through the beautiful gardens and parks of Paris. Paris really has some of the best parks and gardens of any city in Europe!

And, if you follow the plan in my multi-day Paris itinerary, you’ll notice some of these spots making an appearance.

Parisians love hanging out in parks, so if you want a true local experience, head to the gardens! Additionally, the gardens make it super convenient to enjoy a picnic lunch! It’s easy to grab something from a nearby boulangerie or grocery store and enjoy your food in one of these lovely spots.

The 15 Best Gardens and Parks in Paris to Visit

Here are some of the best greenspaces which are spread out through many different arrondissements in Paris. As you will see, these parks all have unique aspects to them, but all are beautiful areas to relax in.

1. Jardin de Luxembourg

This garden is situated right in the heart of the Latin Quarter, and is one of the larger parks in Paris. Right at the main entrance is the Palais de Luxembourg, where the French Senate meets.

The Palais de Luxembourg, with its off-white walls and black room stands behind the main basin and fountain in the foreground, in the jardin de luxembourg.

This garden was commissioned by the Queen Mairie de Medici in the 1600’s. She intended to use the palace as her second residence, but the grounds opened as a public park in the late 1600’s.

This garden is known for its large basin, beautiful sculptures and pretty flower beds. Green chairs are plentiful, or you can relax on one of the many grassy areas. There are walking/jogging trails through the trees, and a playground for children.

In the summer, you can rent little boats to sail in the ponds. Numerous tennis courts, a basketball court, a cafe, and other smaller gardens are tucked away in the back corners of the garden.

Beautiful flower beds full of colorful flowers sits on a green lawn, with palm trees and other trees in the background, against the pink rosy sunrise sky in the Jardin de Luxembourg.

One notable spot is the Medici Fountain – you can find it on the east side of the Luxembourg Palace. This is a beautiful fountain that makes for a great photo spot in Paris.

The east entrance offers a great view of the Pantheon. This park is particularly popular with students and early morning joggers.

2. Jardin de Tuileries

The Jardin de Tuileries is right along the major tourist line in Paris. The garden starts at the Louvre and ends at the Place de la Concorde and Champs Elysées. While it used to be a private garden for the royal family, it became a public park after the French Revolution.

A fountain in a large basin, surrounded by pathways with chairs, sculptures, and green hedges behind it. You can see the top of the Eiffel Tower peaking out above the hedges.

There are so many amazing views in this park! You can see the Louvre, walk along the bank of the Seine, and see the Eiffel Tower peeking out above the buildings and trees.

My favorite viewpoint, though, is from the Grand Allée, the main thoroughfare, which has the obelisk of the Place de la Concorde framed by the Arc de Triomphe.

A lawn with flower beds on it, with a wing of the Louvre in the background. The Jardin de Tuileries is one of the best gardens in Paris you have to visit.

The Grand Couvert is a well-designed, forested area in the middle of the garden. You can explore the paths through manicured trees, and the sculptures and small basins hidden in them.

There are several larger basins with lots of green chairs for resting (you aren’t supposed to sit on the grass here) and you’ll find sculptures scattered around, spanning from the 1600’s to the 1900’s.

A woman in a red dress and a man kiss while sitting on chairs in front of a basin in the Jardin de Tuileries. The Eiffel Tower is in the background.

It’s a popular garden with locals and tourists alike, and for good reason!

3. Champ de Mars

The long greenspace in front of the Eiffel Tower, with wide walking paths and trees - a must visit park in Paris.

The Champ de Mars is the long, grassy area that leads up to the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to its proximity to the Tower, it’s one of the most famous parks in the city and is certainly the best for spectacular views of the tower.

This park is lined with trees, and is much more chill (no fountains or sculptures or flowers), but the grass is open for relaxing and enjoying a picnic.

View of the Champ de Mars green lawn through the back of the Eiffel Tower, from above.

In fact, it really would be a crime to not enjoy a picnic lunch on the Champ de Mars before heading up to climb the tower. You can pick up a variety of picnic foods on the nearby Rue Cler, a market street that has a boulangerie, fromagerie, wine shop, and several fruit stands.

While you absolutely can come back here at night to watch the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle, I actually prefer watching the light show from the Trocadero platform, across the river on the other side of the tower. The way the ledge perfectly frames the base of the tower is *chef’s kiss*.

4. Parc Monceau

A curved line of columns sits in a pond by a weeping wiloows, with trees in the background.

Parc Monceau isn’t really one of the famous gardens in Paris, but its definitely a local favorite in the upscale neighborhood of the 8th arrondissement.

The gates around the park are a fancy black wrought iron with gold tips at the top, and there are numerous interesting features in the park.

These include a rotunda at the main entrance, a carousel for children, a pond with a pretty weeping willow and curved line of columns, a bridge, a waterfall feature, a playground, and several sculptures scattered among the grass. It’s undoubtedly a romantic spot in Paris.

A stone bridge crosses a small stream. The bridge is tucked away behind and among bushes and trees in a park.

Plus, there are lots of natural trees and grass for people to relax and play on, and wide walking paths with park benches lining the paths.

When I did a 3 month study abroad in Paris, I lived about 10 minutes from Parc Monceau and absolutely fell in love with it. So, I might be biased, but to me, this is one of THE most beautiful parks in all of Paris!

Bonus: You can get a magnificent view of the Arc de Triomphe through the gate at the east end of the park.

A woman in a red dress stands in the middle of a tall, wrought iron gate with fancy, told-tipped decorations. The streets of Paris and the Arc de Trioimphe are visible behind her.

5. Parc des Buttes Chaumont

A pond surrounded by grass and greenery, with a bridge crossing some tall rocks in the background.

This is another local favorite park, this time located even farther out in the 19th arrondissement.

This park is a little bit less “fancy” than other Parisian parks -fewer sculptures and landscaped features. But it is still beautiful. You’ll find a large pond and a bridge with a towering cliff face, but most of the park is grass, trees, and walking trails.

Flowers in the foreground, and a little veranda set on top of a rocky hill in the background.

It’s a great spot for a relaxing picnic and to get a feel for a local Parisian experience, and because the park is set on a hill (the butte), you get a unique view over the city.

6. Père Lachaise Cemetery

A cobblestoned path goes through a tree-filled cemetery, with old, historic, fairly large above ground tombs line the pathway.

As a cemetery, this may be the most unconventional “park” on this list, but hear me out! While yes, Père Lachaise is a cemetery, it’s also a very peaceful, beautiful, and nature-centric cemetery.

Trees line a cobblestoned lane with some above ground tombs also lining the path.

At 110 acres, there are a lot of lovely, cobblestoned, tree-lined paths to walk, and the old, ornate, above ground tombs and sepulchers make for interesting scenery. There is no grass or benches to sit on, but if you’re looking for a peaceful, relaxing spot to stroll through, Père Lachaise delivers.

7. Bois de Boulogne

Green-blue water fills a lack surrounded by trees in the Bois de Boulogne, a large park in Paris.

On the southwest edge of the city, on the edge of the 16th arrondissement, you’ll find a VERY large park – it’s just over 2000 acres of land! Unsurprisingly, there is a LOT to do in this park.

You’ll find 10 lakes and ponds, plus 3 streams. You can rent a boat on the Lac Inferieur.

There is an English garden, a zoo, and a series of greenhouses. A horse track and tennis complex are also found on the grounds, where annual horse races and the French Open occur.

Of course, like any public park, there are numerous trails for walking, biking, or jogging, and lots of grassy areas to relax on.

8. Bois de Vincennes

A small veranda sits on some rocks on the far side of a lake, surrounded by trees.

As massive as the Bois de Boulogne is, the Bois de Vincennes is just slightly bigger. This park is located on the southeast edge of the city, essentially opposite from Boulogne.

In the Bois de Vincennes, you can explore 4 different lakes, each with different features (like a grotto or the “temple of Love”). You can tour the old Château de Vincennes, visit a small botanical garden, a zoo, and an arboretum.

The Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes have a lot of similarities, and I would say both of them are great options for really escaping city life and feeling like you’re immersed in nature.

9. Versailles

The Chateau of Versailles is about a 45 minute train ride southwest of the city of Paris, and it is one of the most well-known landmarks in France, with one of the most well-known gardens in all of France! As beautiful as the chateau is, the grounds are just as stunningly intricate and groomed.

the manicured, heavily landscaped gardens of Versailes, one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. There's a basin in the middle, curlicue designs in the hedges and grounds, and plants and trees everywhere.

The park and gardens are actually free to enter (on days when there is not a musical fountain show, check the schedule for the dates), and there are a few gates where you can access the grounds directly. The easiest way is by entering on the left hand side of the front of the palace, through the Courtyard of the Princes.

You can stroll down the Tapis Vert, or explore the many manicured groves off the Tapis Vert. Each grove has paths winding through it and a focal point in the middle – be it a large fountain, statues, or even a mini-amphitheater.

The large fountain in Versailles, with a long, wide pathway behind it, lined with sculputres, hedges, and tees, and a long, rectangular lake in the background. — The area in the middle of the shot, between the fountain and the lake, is the Tapis Vert.

Continue walking towards the back of the estate and you’ll hit the Grand Canal, which is in the shape of a cross. This canal extends deep into the grounds, and you can find many walking paths along or near the canal. Alternatively, you can rent a rowboat and experience Versailles from the water!

The foreground is a large basin with a sculpture of a Greek god and horses, in the background is a lake and tall hedge trees.

The grounds of Versailles are truly spectacular and are for sure worth a visit.

Gardens Cost: Free, except on Musical Fountains days, cost of ticket to the palace starts at 18 euro.

10. La Coulée Verte

La Coulée Verte is a charming elevated walking path in the 4th arrondissement (Le Marais) that is located on an old railway line. This railway line was in use from 1853-1969 and then was converted to a greenspace.

It has a paved walking trail, and fantastic views looking over the Parisian cityscape. This is a local favorite, and at 4.5 km long, you can spend a lot of time enjoying this walking path, which is a total hidden gem in Paris.

11. Jardin des Plantes

Flowers and greenery, with a sculpture, in Paris's botanical garden.

The Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in Paris and is located in the Latin Quarter (the 5th arrondissement), right along the Seine.

As a botanical garden, the Jardin des Plantes has gorgeous flower and tree displays, plus areas like an alpine garden, a menagerie, and a greenhouse. A natural history museum is also on the premises.

This Parisian garden is gorgeous any time of year, but is absolutely stunning in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom!

Entrance Fee: 6 euro

12. Place Des Vosges

A fountain sits in the middle of a lawn, with trees and buildings behind it.

Place des Vosges is a small but absolutely charming garden square in the Marais area of Paris.

It’s the oldest planned square in Paris, and is unique in that it’s perfectly symmetrical, with regularity in the buildings that line the square. These buildings are made with red bricks and beige stone, a style unlike anything else in Paris.

A wide walkway ends at red and white buildings with black roofs.

The entirety of the square (apart from the road on the perimeter) is filled with this little park. Place des Vosges is very symmetrical, with two gates on either end, four fountains in each corner, trees in the center, and paths between the fountains.

There is also an abundance of grass that is open for people to relax on, which makes it a very popular hangout spot for friends to meet up and enjoy the afternoon sun. This is one of the best Parisian gardens to get off the tourist track and hang out with locals.

Place des Vosges features the apartment of Victor Hugo (the writer of the famous works Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), which is now a free museum in Paris. Today, it is still a trendy and fashionable area of town, with charming cafes, boutiques, and art galleries in the buildings lining the square.

13. Palais Royal

Palais Royal is a charming little garden in a large courtyard, and with the long, manicured row of trees, sculptures, a big basin, potted plants, and green chairs, almost feels like a mini-Tuileries garden.

Don’t miss the nearby Buren Columns, another courtyard filled with an art installation of black and white striped columns.

14. Rodin Museum

A lawn with pathways is in the foreground, with a manor house in the background.

Just behind Les Invalides, and not far from the Eiffel Tower, is the Musée Rodin. While not the most famous, this is actually one of my favorite museums in Paris! Rodin was a sculptor and the museum is filled with pieces he and his students created.

So why is this listed as a park? While it is a gorgeous art museum, the property is actually an old manor, with lovely grounds. Indeed, the museum moves fluidly from indoors to outdoors, with many beautiful sculptures, and the most well-known of Rodin’s works (The Thinker), displayed outside in the gardens.

You’ll find The Thinker tucked in the center of some very tall hedges, and the Gates of Hell (another impressive and really massive sculpture) standing proudly along the edge of the garden wall.

A woman in a trench coat smiles as she walks through a path lined with trees and hedges.

It’s a very peaceful way to experience both nature and art, and strolling through the trees or by the fountain while admiring the sculptures is a calming way to spend an hour or two. While you do need to buy a ticket to enter, the garden aspect of the museum is a lovely (and usually not very busy) oasis in the city.

Entrance Fee: 13 euro (or is included in the Paris Museum Pass)

15. Square Louise Michel

The crisp white domes of Sacre Coeur church, with the staircases and lawn in front of it.

Set in the shadow of the Sacré Coeur basilica, the Square Louise Michel has a lawn and stairs to sit on (and lots of people love relaxing on the stairs here), plus a carousel. Because this square is on the hill of Montmartre, you get a great vantage point out and over the city of Paris.

This square gets very busy during the day, so get here early if you want a more peaceful experience. This spot is also a great starting point for spending a day exploring Montmartre.

Map of The Best Gardens in Paris

Here’s a handy dandy map of where to find each of these beautiful parks and gardens:

Beautiful Parks in Paris – The Wrap Up

Some of these gardens are very well-known and popular, while others are more off the beaten path. Whichever ones you choose, an exploration of a few of these best parks is definitely a must-do on your vacation to Paris!