Is Paris worth visiting in November 2026?
Is Paris worth visiting in November 2026? Yes, and the week I'd book is Thursday November 12 to Monday November 16: Paris Photo is on at the Grand Palais, the Cézanne exhibition is in the same building, the Louvre's two autumn shows are open, and the school holidays and the tennis are over. If the Christmas lights matter more than the art, come from Sunday November 22 instead, when the Champs-Élysées is switched on at 6:30pm, per the city's news feed on paris.fr, posted October 28, 2026.
The first week is the one to avoid. French school holidays run until Monday November 2, the Paris Masters tennis runs at La Défense until November 8, and the pass site warns that museums may be partly or fully closed on November 5.
What is on in Paris in November 2026?
| Dates | What | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| October 28 to November 1 | Salon du Chocolat, the chocolate fair at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles | Ends on the first Sunday; skip unless you are there that weekend |
| Sunday November 1 | All Saints' Day, a public holiday, and the first Sunday of the month | The Louvre is open; Sainte-Chapelle and the Rodin and Picasso museums are free. The Champs-Élysées is not car-free that Sunday |
| October 31 to November 8 | Rolex Paris Masters tennis at Paris La Défense Arena | Busy evenings toward La Défense, the business district west of the city |
| Wednesday November 11 | Armistice Day, a public holiday | The Louvre is open until 9pm; the Petit Palais is closed |
| November 12 to 15 | Paris Photo at the Grand Palais | The art week of the month; book Grand Palais tickets ahead |
| Sunday November 22, 6:30pm | The Champs-Élysées Christmas lights are switched on | The avenue will be packed that evening; see them the next night |
| Through January 2027 | Cézanne and Us at the Grand Palais, to January 17; Zurbarán and Sculpting Colour at the Louvre, to January 25 | The exhibitions to plan the trip around |
| From November 4 | Louvre Photo, at the Louvre to May 3, 2027 | Opens the week before Paris Photo |
Also open all month: the Gustave Fayet exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the art museum in the Bois de Boulogne, until March 8, 2027. The Centre Pompidou's own site sends visitors to partner venues from 2025 to 2030 while its building is closed, so leave it off the list.
What is closed on November 1 and November 11?
Less than you'd expect: the Louvre, the Rodin museum and Versailles are open on both holidays in 2026. The Louvre closes on public holidays only when they fall on a Tuesday, and neither does this year; on Wednesday November 11 it is also open late, until 9pm. The Rodin museum lists November 1 and 11 among its open days. Versailles closes on Mondays, so both dates are open there too.
The closures to plan around are the weekly ones: Monday for Versailles, Rodin, Picasso and Carnavalet, and Tuesday for the Louvre and the Orangerie. The Petit Palais, the city's free fine arts museum, closes on November 11.
What would I do with four rainy days in November?
- Day 1: the Louvre on a Wednesday or Friday, when it stays open until 9pm, with Zurbarán and Sculpting Colour.
- Day 2: Cézanne and Us at the Grand Palais in the morning, then the Petit Palais across the street, free, for the afternoon.
- Day 3: the Fondation Louis Vuitton for the Gustave Fayet exhibition.
- Day 4: Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie on the Île de la Cité, then the Carnavalet, the museum of the history of Paris, free and open until 6pm.
If that is four paid museums in two days, the Paris Museum Pass guide has the math. From November 1 a Versailles Passport is on its winter price of 25 euros, and from November 2 the Palace keeps winter hours, 9am to 5:30pm.
What should you book now for November?
- Grand Palais tickets for Paris Photo and Cézanne, if your dates are November 12 to 15.
- A Louvre time slot, since every visitor needs one.
- Your hotel, if your dates fall in Paris Photo week or on the weekend of the lights.
- Dinner on November 22, if you want to be near the Champs-Élysées for the lights.
The Christmas markets start at the end of the month: the Paris Christmas markets 2026 guide has the Notre-Dame market from November 26 and the Champs-Élysées market from November 22.
What else should you read before a November trip to Paris?
The rainy day in Paris guide plans a single wet day, and Paris on a Sunday covers the free first Sunday on November 1. On a return trip, the second-visit plan skips the places you have seen. For the hotel, Ritz Paris or Hôtel de Crillon makes the call between the two palaces.