Last Updated on February 17, 2026
In February, there’s little of postcard-style Paris in sight. You might say that the capital is at its lowest ebb: the surge in tourism that comes with Christmas and New Year’s is firmly in the rear-view mirror, and there’s a sense of hunkering down and “just getting through” the rest of the winter. But while it’s not for everyone, visiting Paris in February can provide some unexpected charm.
If you know where to look for it, and have the ability to see past the rather sleepy, gloomy pall that occasionally seems to hang over the air (and in the grumpy faces of many locals), you might just end up loving the capital at this time of year.
After all, this is a city that has produced some of the most significant artistic and literary movements in history. Do you really think much of that groundbreaking work got done on balmy spring or summer days, when the promise of sipping wine outside and chatting away with one’s fellow “salon” members on cafe terraces probably drew the likes of Victor Hugo, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Richard Baldwin, Simone de Beauvoir and Allen Ginsberg away from their desks or easels?
I don’t think so. Winter inspires some of us in ways that are both mysterious and hard to define.
{Why Not to Hate Paris in January}
But I digress. My point is this: you, too, can find inspiration in this quieter version of Paris. That doesn’t mean giving up on the prospect of finding stimulating and interesting things to do, though.
Read on for a few of my suggestions on making the most of your trip in February 2019. For even more ideas and tips, I recommend consulting the Paris Tourist Office page and the event calendars hosted there.
February Weather in Paris, & Packing Tips
February is generally quite cold in the capital, and it isn’t unusual to experience temperatures that hover at or dip below freezing.
Clear days can be beautiful and afford the perfect opportunity for a walk among bare winter trees like these ones, but make sure your suitcase is properly stocked.
It’s essential to bring plenty of warm clothes: thick sweaters, a good winter coat, warm socks, and even a waterproof jacket or windbreaker to protect you from any unpleasant lashings of icy rain– or even the rare snowfall.
Wool-based socks, a good pair of gloves, hat and a warm scarf are also very important items to wear out on most days: this is flu season and you don’t want to be even more vulnerable to catching something nasty, thereby ruining your trip. In case of the odd warm day, bring lighter clothes to layer underneath your winterwear.
Minimum Temperature: 2 degrees C/35.6 degrees F
Maximum Temperature: 9 degrees C/48.2 degrees F
Average temp: 5-6 degrees C/41-42.8 degrees F
Average monthly precipitation: 1.6 inches (only occasional snow or icy rain)
It does sometimes snow in February, but as I’ve already explained in my other winter guides to Paris, it almost never stays put.
Instead, after promptly melting, it can form an unpleasant and sometimes hazardous icy slush, or rarely, black ice on the streets and sidewalks.
This is ice you can’t see and than can send you flying. Sorry to the fashionistas among you, but you’ll have to wear sensible shoes if conditions get icy like this.
Keep your heels in a bag and put them on once you get to your gala or other event– it’s not worth it to attempt navigating slick winter streets in wobbly Manolos.
What to Do in February in Paris?
Like I said earlier, this is Paris hivernal (wintery Paris) in its most acute form, and it’s true that there are relatively fewer big events on this month to fill your schedule. Yet there’s still plenty to see and do. Keep reading for ways to stay warm, stimulated and busy.
1. Celebrate Chinese New Year
Generally falling in February, Chinese New Year injects some much-needed color, warmth and festivity into the streets and air.
In 2026, Chinese New Year begins on February 17th. Traditionally, the biggest parade of the year is held on Avenue d’Ivry in the heart of the biggest Chinatown in Paris, and turns the usually rather sleepy 13th arrondissement into the scene of a bright, noisy, joyful party.
Enormous red and green dragon heads and bodies form the most eye-catching point in the parade; but there are also bright red Chinese lanterns, dancers in traditional costumes, and red firecrackers making a bit of a din (I don’t recommend bringing your dog along).
Since it’ll probably be cold out, it’s a strong tradition to duck into one of the area’s many Chinese restaurants for a big bowl of steaming soup, or a plate of warm dumplings. Here’s a list of some of the best, over at Culture Trip.
2. Explore some of the city’s smaller, more intimate museums
As I detail in this article on the 10 best small museums in Paris, some of the collections I recommend the most are smaller, more intimate ones that tourists frequently overlook.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend some time at the Musee d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, or The Louvre: they offer too many masterpieces to simply skip over.
But once you feel well acquainted with some of the heavyweight institutions, try reserving a morning or afternoon to explore collections such as the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, which houses masterpieces such as the one from Paolo Ucello above.
Or get lost in contemporary images at the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie. See more of my suggestions in the article above (the painting links to it, too). Also see our guide to the best free museums and galleries in Paris.
3. Take a self-guided tour of some stunning Parisian monuments.
The history of Paris is a dizzying one that stretches back millennia– and its hundreds of public monuments and historic sites form a living memory of it.
While most people know to beeline for Notre-Dame Cathedral or The Arc de Triomphe, there are plenty of fascinating sites that aren’t as obvious– even if they’re in plain view.
One of these is the Conciergerie, a former medieval royal palace that was repurposed during the French Revolution of 1789 to become a tribunal and prison.
Pictured above, many visitors just think it’s a pretty turreted building on the banks of the Seine, and skip right past it. Yet it was here that Queen Marie Antoinette was imprisoned and sentenced to death by guillotine. See more about it in this self-guided tour to medieval Paris.
Read related: When Paris City Hall Was a Gruesome Public Execution Site
The Conciergerie is located on the same site as the Sainte-Chapelle, one of the most stunning examples of high Gothic architecture in Europe, and boasting 15 monumental beautiful, delicate stained glass windows depicting over 1,000 different Biblical scenes.
The elaborately painted columns, ceiling and frescoes are incredibly colorful, in contrast to most Gothic cathedrals where the paint has long worn away.
I always recommend a joint visit to both the Conciergerie and the Sainte-Chapelle, because you get a much fuller experience of this important place.
Book priority entrance tickets for the Sainte-Chapelle/Conciergerie (via Tiqets)
Another site I wholly recommend to get out from the cold and take in some stunning architecture is the Palais Opera Garnier, historically home to the National Opera.
But since the opening of the ultra-modern Opera Bastille in 1989, the “Opera” Garner has become mostly reserved for the French National Ballet and Academy of Music; superb ballets and dance performances now fill the theatres here.
Built from 1861 by a young architecture student who had won a competition to construct a new opera house, the building oozes with lavish decorate details, from elegant staircases to details in gold and bronze.
Inside the main theatre, a stunning ceiling painting by Marc Chagall (pictured above) is reason enough in itself to visit the site– at least in my book.
Book a self-guided tour of the Opera Garner (via Tiqets)
In addition to the places I’ve recommended, there are virtually limitless ways to take advantage of the February lull to delve into the treasures of Parisian history and culture. This is a good (and visually stunning) list that will take you further in that endeavor.
4. Take a romantic cruise on the Seine.
Not everyone will be interested in celebrating Valentine’s Day– it’s arguably much better, after all, to celebrate and nurture a relationship all year long than to focus on a single day.
But if you’ll be in town in February month, you may as well live it up together and embrace the technicolor-romantic fantasies of the city. A romantic cruise on the Seine is always an excellent way to to that.
Viator offers a wide variety of excellent cruise packages, from sightseeing boat tours to romantic lunch and dinner options.
They’re also currently promoting special Valentine’s Day dinner cruises for couples, but book soon to ensure you get a spot.
5. Warm up with tea & pastries.
Finally, February is an excellent time to retreat indoors for traditional tea and pastries, French-style. Sometimes that means macarons and a cup of rich black tea with milk.
At other times, it means luxuriating over fresh Moroccan mint tea paired with a honey-laced chunk of baklava, watching birds flutter around an ornate Marrakesh-style tearoom.
Tempted, much? Read my picks for the most inspiring spots for afternoon tea and pastries in Paris here. Then bookmark and browse our guide to tasting some of the most delicious French pastries in the capital, and the patisseries that make them.
Exhibits & Shows Worth Seeing in February 2026
As you’ve already gathered, February is far from peak season when it comes to exhibits and other cultural events in the capital. But there are still noteworthy exhibits that are well worth reserving some of your time for.
For a full, free list of exhibitions and events around town this February, try this one.
Martin Parr – Global Warming (at the Jeu de Paume Gallery)
The Jeu de Paume Gallery is staging an ambitious retrospective on the work of British photographer Martin Parr: one that highlights his responses to the absurdity of the contemporary world, from consumerism to the damages wrought by global tourism, from the takeover of automobiles to tech addictions and global warming.
The show comprises some 180 works from the photographer, who is beloved in France, and spotlights some of his masterpieces dating from the 1970s to the 2020s (Parr died in 2025). As the exhibition site notes, his perspective is tinged with a particular sort of British irony and satire that means you can’t help but come away from the show thinking about the world in a different, more critical way.
- Location: Galeries du Jeu de Paume, 1 Place de la Concorde
- Metro: Concorde
- Dates: Showing through 24 May 2026
- Visit the official website
Empire of Sleep (at the Musée Marmottan Monet)
While the Musée Marmottan Monet is best known for its extraordinary collection of masterpieces from Impressionist painter Claude Monet, it also stages temporary shows on other artists and broader themes. Such is the case with its latest exhibit, “Empire of Sleep”, running at the museum through March 1st.
The show explores cultural representations of sleep across the ages, and particularly those that came to popularity in the 19th and 20th century, amid the development of psychology and psychiatry. The theme of sleep (or a lack thereof) is highlighted across a vast repertoire of artworks, from paintings and sculptures to drawings, art objects and scientific documents.
- Location: Musée Marmottan Monet
- Metro: La Muette or Ranelagh (Line 9)
- Dates: Showing through 1 March 2026
- Visit the official website
Book Your February Trip to Paris Now
To make sure getting there doesn’t break your budget, you can search for and compare deals on flights (via Expedia). Taking the train from somewhere else in Europe? If so, you can find train tickets and discounted passes over at Rail Europe.
If you’re struggling to decide where to stay, consult our full guide to choosing the right accommodations in Paris. Then search for deals on hotels, apartments or B&Bs at Booking.com.
If you’re considering travel insurance for France, read our full guide to make an informed decision. You can compare insurance policies and get an instant quote at World Nomads.
[World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we
receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the link above. We do not represent
World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.]
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Editor’s Note: This post contains some affiliate links. Booking experiences, flights or hotels through these comes at no additional cost to readers like you, but helps fund more in-depth, expert features here at Paris Unlocked. Merci!
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Courtney Traub is the Founder and Editor of Paris Unlocked. She’s a longtime Paris resident who now divides her time (as well as she can manage) between the French capital and Norwich, UK. Co-author of the 2012 Michelin Green Guide to Northern France & the Paris Region, she has been interviewed as an expert on Paris and France by the BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Le Figaro, Matador Network and other publications. Courtney has also written and reported stories for media outlets including Radio France Internationale, The Christian Science Monitor, Women’s Wear Daily and The Associated Press. In addition to going down various rabbit holes of curiosity when it comes to French culture, history, food and art, Courtney is a scholar of literature and cultural history whose essays and reviews have appeared in various forums.
