A local’s guide to beautiful secret places to visit in the fall in Paris – from free museums to hidden courtyards, gorgeous cemeteries and cobblestone streets!
Paris is so much more than you would ever expect it to be.
To admire burnt orange and reddish fall foliage along the Seine and the Quartier Latin should only be the start of a bucket list if you decide to visit once summer is over.
As the leaves turn golden and the air becomes much chillier, Paris itself becomes a postcard, in the same romantic way that New York City is during the fall.
Today, we’re not just going to pop by the Petit Palais, one of the most beautiful and completely free museums of Paris – far from it.
As the summer crowds have thinned, the time has come for us to visit some secret Parisian gardens, historical streets, and other courtyards hidden away from the curious eye.
Fall in Paris: 17 Wonderfully Secret Places to Visit ASAP
As time passes by, I am falling ever more in love with Paris, a city in which I lived for about 5 years before moving to London, and then Rome, Barcelona and Istanbul.
At the beginning of the summer, I moved back to Paris for a bit and will be spending part of the fall in this beautiful city, which has rewarded me with some gorgeous, completely instagrammable places these past few months.
Here are a few of the Parisian hidden gems you wouldn’t expect to find by walking around the famous Parisian shopping areas, like the Champs-Elysées and Châtelet.
Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Cité Leroy, 20th Arrondissement
Close to the Pyrénées metro station, the Cité Leroy and the adjoining Rue de l’Ermitage both offer gorgeous cobblestone streets that make the area feel like a tiny village inside Paris.
We’re around the Ménilmontant area, in the beautiful, lesser-known 20th arrondissement, a place that seems to offer some of the best street art in Paris, along with hidden passageways and courtyards with mindblowing aesthetics.
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Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Passage Molière
The Passage Molière near Châtelet is a secret literary passageway complete with a poetry cafe, beautiful bookstores and stationery shops.
Alongside these gorgeous hidden shops, the Passage Molière offers colorful storefronts that make for the perfect photo spot only minutes away from one of the most central areas of Paris.
Read: Les Marronniers Paris Review, The Full Parisian Breakfast Experience
Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Cimetière de Montmartre
The Montmartre Cemetery is probably one of the best places to visit during fall in Paris, if only to admire the many sculptures scattered around this huge cemetery located close to Pigalle.
We’re here in one of the quietest and prettiest places in Paris, which houses the final resting place of significant figures of literature like Emile Zola.
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Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Rue du Trésor, Le Marais
Rue du Trésor is a small street in Paris with a closed end, located right in the heart of the Marais neighborhood, just off Rue Vieille du Temple.
This is where you’ll namely find small and very cute coffee shops, along with Mark’Style Tokyo, a very secret gift shop with Japanese stationery and other kinds of quirky presents.
Read: 14 Best Cafes To Work in Paris & Study (Laptop Friendly!)
Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Place Basse Garden, La Défense
Not only is La Défense one of the poshest areas, with its huge shopping center great to buy some proper French lipsticks in Paris and other amazing clothing brands, but you also have a straight view of the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.
To catch this view, get out of the shopping center to reach the Parvis de La Défense, and walk down this long pathway lined with shops, restaurants and sculptures till you reach the Place Basse Garden.
Beyond a great spot to visit in Paris in the spring, the Place Basse Garden, with its wooden benches and curated pathways, is a perfect place to admire fall foliage from September onwards.
Read: The Prettiest Neighborhoods in Paris to Walk Around
Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Rue des Rosiers, Le Marais
One of the prettiest streets in Paris, the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais area is very easily accessible from Rue de Rivoli, and with its quaint cobblestone paths, fits perfectly the Dark Academia aesthetic in the fall.
Smith & Son pictured above is a gorgeous bookshop I actually consider one of the most beautiful in town.
You’ll also find a secret garden just off Rue des Rosiers along with some of the best bagel shops and bakeries in Paris, traditionally Jewish to fit the area’s history.
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Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Cimetière du Père Lachaise
Located in the 20th arrondissement, the Père Lachaise Cemetery is a place I first visited years ago, when I was still a girl, and only popped by a couple of days ago again to enjoy some fall foliage.
From cobblestone paths to towering trees and a straight view of Paris, this cemetery is much different from the Montmartre Cemetery is that it is not only bigger, but also much more structured, French style.
Another reason to visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery would be to pop by the graves of famous figures of the arts, from French poet Guillaume Apollinaire to Molière to singer Edith Piaf and musician Jim Morrison.
Read: Where to See Autumn Colors in London?
Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Musée des Archives Nationales, Le Marais
The Musée des Archives Nationales, located in the Hôtel de Soubise in the Marais, is another gorgeous, and completely free place to visit in Paris during the fall.
Arches, columns and curated lawns in the garden, the private mansion has it all.
If you want to check out fall foliage, though, take the path on the right, right before you enter the museum and you will find a secret garden with a pond, ducks, many benches and a couple of beautiful sculptures.
Read: Where to Find Shakespeare Sculptures in London
Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Le Toit Rooftop, 20th Arrondissement
The 20th arrondissement I mentioned with the Père Lachaise Cemetery and the Cité Leroy at the beginning of this guide houses many more hidden gems; one of them being Le Toit rooftop just off La Bellevilloise.
Up high on this gorgeous rooftop cafe bar, you can catch views of the Eiffel Tower and the Montparnasse Tower along with typical Parisian roofs, all for the price of a drink.
We’re here in what could be one of the most instagrammable cafes in Paris, hidden in the heart of the Ménilmontant neighborhood, just two steps away from colorful streets like Rue du Retrait.
Read: 15 Themed London Itinerary Ideas Off the Beaten Path
Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Jardin des Abbesses, 18th Arrondissement
Back to the Montmartre neighborhood, we’ll find another gorgeous spot to visit during the fall in Paris; the Jardin des Abbesses, just off the Passage des Abbesses.
If there are many amazing things to do in Montmartre, walking around this secret garden located right behind the I Love You Wall, complete with wooden pergolas and an arched entrance, makes for a cute little moment.
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Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Hôtel de Sens Garden, 4th Arrondissement
Hidden between the Saint-Paul area and the Quais de Seine, the Hôtel de Sens houses some of the most secret places in town, and this includes not only the Forney Art Library but also the manicured garden at the back.
Built to serve as a residence for the Archbishops of Sens in the 14th century, the building is free to access and even if you do not have a membership, you can take the stairs (picture on the left) to admire the beautiful library.
That secret garden at the back of the Hôtel de Sens is reason enough to visit the area, and dresses in stunning golden and red colors in the fall – but by all means, do not miss out on a visit to the building’s courtyard.
Read: The Best Free and Secret Rooftops in London
Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Les Bougies de Charroux, Montmartre
Located in a beautiful Montmartre shopping street, Les Bougies de Charroux is a French scented candle brand I’ve been buying from for years, and while I love my fall Yankee Candles and other Bath & Body Works scents, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about this particular brand.
Lovers of strong candle scents, I have purchased many of these from Les Bougies de Charroux.
Latte Macchiato to Automne Boisé and Jardin d’Asie are some great scents, as is my recent repurchase Waffle, a perfect fall candle scent that will certainly remind you of your visit to Paris in the best way.
Read: The Most Secret Gardens in Central London
Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Medieval and Historical Streets of Saint-Paul and Le Marais
There are some gorgeous places to visit in Saint-Paul, a historical neighborhood located right off Rue de Rivoli, and the medieval houses, Rue de Charlemagne and other Village Saint-Paul are definitely part of the bucket list.
I myself come from the medieval city of Troyes, in the North-East of France, and whenever I find the opportunity to walk around historical sites, I just feel like I’m back home – the same thing happens when I walk around Spitalfields or Smithfield in London.
Saint-Paul, along with many of the streets in the Marais, is a great area to visit if you’re looking for the fall aesthetic in Paris for some amazing pictures.
Don’t forget to pop by Eataly when you get to the Marais for some tasty Italian street food!
Read: The Best Things to Do in Greenwich, London’s Maritime Neighborhood
Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Montmartre Streets
I’ve mentioned a few must-visit places in Montmartre throughout this guide, like the beautiful Montmartre Cemetery.
If you’re looking for something new, fresh, beyond visiting the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, then take a chance on losing yourself in the area’s aesthetic streets.
Place du Tertre, Rue du Mont-Cenis, Rue Germain Pilon and the Passage des Abbesses are some of the streets you could start with, and are all lined with proper French restaurants and independent boutiques worth a glance or two!
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Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Passage du Grand Cerf and Quartier Montorgueil
The Montorgueil area is located between Châtelet and Sentier, two quite crowded areas at all times of the year, since they house many cute cafes, bakeries, and other local food shpos.
For that beautiful fall aesthetic, the Passage du Grand Cerf, which leads to the Montorgueil area, make for a great backdrop in which you can also go for some light shopping and a good French lunch.
Read: The Most Secret Places in Rome and Hidden Gems
Places to Visit During the Fall in Paris: Petit Palais
At the end of the Champs-Elysées and close to Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries, the Petit Palais is a completely free museum housed in a neoclassical building with the prettiest columns and sculptures you’ll find in Paris.
Every time I visit, I wonder how it is possible that the Petit Palais, with its hidden garden and coffee shop in the back, is free for both locals and tourists – and yet, it is.
The pathway that leads to the garden, with its mosaics on the floor and painted ceiling, is probably one of the most breathtaking places I’ve seen in town.
You can also find mosaics on the edges of the ponds in the midst of the small garden, which the Petit Palais dome towers over, and as soon as September comes around, we have here one of the best places to see fall foliage in Paris.
Read: The Best Free and Unique Things to Do in Rome
Best Things to Do in the Fall in Paris: Jardin des Tuileries, Louvre
Off Rue de Rivoli, close to the Quais de Seine that lead to the Quartier Latin area, and with the Concorde metro station on one side, the Jardin des Tuileries is another place I love visiting in the fall in Paris.
Spring and autumn are actually in my opinion the two best seasons in Paris, but if you’re looking for that Dark Academia vibe, then come on a September or October day to stroll between the many classical sculptures scattered around the garden.
With its ponds, sculptures, and curated lawns, this is a gorgeous place to come read in Paris, write, have a picnic on one of the many benches, and maybe even finish with a visit to the Louvre Museum on the other end of the garden.
1st Arrondissement of Paris: The Best Places to Visit
Fall in Paris: 17 Wonderfully Secret Places to Visit ASAP
Every single time I share my favorite – almost or completely free things to do in Paris, hidden gems or cafes, I wish I could make them all fit into just one guide.
However, there are so many secret places in Paris, from small passageways to lesser-known gardens and very local neighborhoods, that it’s just not realistic.
Now, as far as I am concerned, if you’ve decided to spend the fall in Paris, these are all very charming places to visit on a budget when you’re in town!