At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season August has a split personality: tourist numbers are very high, but most Parisian-owned shops and restaurants close for the month. Expect many neighbourhood bistros shut; tourist-area restaurants stay open but with a different energy.
Paris in August
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Paris in August offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for solo explorers & beach trips. Expect temperatures of 16–26°C, around 8 days of rain, and high crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around €85–170 for mid-range travellers. Book accommodation two to three months ahead — the most popular rooms sell out fast during peak visiting windows.
Contents15 sections
#Weather in Paris in August
Paris in August averages 16–26°C (61–79°F) with around 8 days of rain, and crowds are high.
| Measure | August in Paris |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 26°C / 79°F |
| Overnight low | About 16°C / 61°F |
| Wet days | About 8 |
| Sunset | 9:30pm on the 1st, 8:36pm by the 31st |
| Big dates | Assumption Day, Sunday 15 August 2027; Liberation of Paris anniversary, 25 August |
| Crowds | Busy with visitors at the big sights, while many Parisians are away |
Figures are Météo-France 1991–2020 normals for Paris-Montsouris.
What that actually means for your trip:
- August is as warm as July on average, and heatwaves are just as likely, especially in the first half of the month.
- Thunderstorms break the heat, often with heavy rain on a hot afternoon or evening.
- The evenings shorten noticeably. By the end of the month the sun sets nearly an hour earlier than at the start.
- The nights in the city stay warm after a hot day, and many rooms have no air-conditioning.
Is August a good time to visit Paris? It depends on what you want. The big museums and monuments are open and busy with visitors, while many Parisians leave for their holidays, so the neighbourhoods are quieter and some of their bakeries, bistros and shops close for two or three weeks. If you come for the sights and the summer events, August works well; if you come for the everyday life of the city, June or September is better.
#The August city
The great departure. Many Parisians take their holidays in August, and the city's small, family-run businesses close for two to four weeks, a "fermeture annuelle" announced on a note in the window. It is most noticeable in the residential districts, such as the 11th, 15th and 18th, and least in the Marais, Saint-Germain and around the big sights. The busiest weekend for departures is usually the one around Assumption Day, a public holiday, which falls on Sunday 15 August 2027.
Summer in the city. The free, supervised swimming spots in the Seine, at Bras Marie, Bercy and Grenelle, and the Paris Plages beaches are open through the month; in 2026 they ran until 30 August.
The open-air cinema at La Villette shows films on the lawns on summer evenings, usually until late August.
Rock en Seine, the big music festival, takes over the park of the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud in the second half of the month; check the dates and line-up in the spring.
The Liberation of Paris is remembered on 25 August, the anniversary of the city's liberation in 1944, with ceremonies at the Hôtel de Ville and around the city.
#What to Do in Paris in August
Solo Travellers
Visit the big museums when the crowds are thinnest, at opening time or in the evening: the Musée d'Orsay is free on the first Sunday of the month, 1 August 2027.
The Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, whose permanent collection is free, is cool and calm on a hot afternoon.
Couples
Take a picnic to the lawns of La Villette for a film under the stars, or to the quays of the Île Saint-Louis at sunset. An evening boat on the Seine is lovely in the long August twilight.
Families
The Jardin d'Acclimatation and the Jardin des Plantes, with its zoo and the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, are good for children, and the beaches and games of Paris Plages are free.
Groups
A day at Rock en Seine, an evening on the open-air bars of the quays, or a picnic in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont followed by a drink at one of its pavilions make a good summer day out.
#Getting Around
The RER B runs from Charles de Gaulle to Gare du Nord and Châtelet in 35 to 45 minutes, and Métro line 14 from Orly reaches the centre directly.
In 2026 a Métro ride cost €2.55 and the airport ticket €14; the Navigo Week pass, €32.40 in 2026, runs from Monday to Sunday. Fares are revised each January.
The Métro is quieter in August, with fewer commuters, but some lines and stations close for summer engineering work; check the RATP app before you set out.
The Vélib' bikes and the cycle lanes along the river are pleasant on warm evenings.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €85–120 | Hostel bed, market picnics, Métro, free swimming and films |
| Mid-range | €190–280 | 3-star hotel with air-conditioning, bistro meals, one paid museum |
| Luxury | €500+ | Palace hotels, fine dining, private guides |
August is high season for visitors, but some hotels discount in the second half of the month.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Swimming in the Seine | Free |
| Open-air cinema at La Villette | Free |
| Métro single ticket | €2.55 in 2026 |
| Louvre, EU and EEA visitors | €22 |
| Louvre, everyone else | €32 |
- The Musée d'Orsay is free on Sunday 1 August 2027.
- Book a room with air-conditioning for a heatwave.
- Some pharmacies close for the holidays; a "pharmacie de garde" is always open nearby.
#Food & Dining
August brings peaches, nectarines, figs, melons and the small green Reine-Claude plums to the markets; the Marché d'Aligre is open every morning except Monday, while some smaller street markets take a summer break. With many neighbourhood bistros closed, the restaurants of the Marais, Saint-Germain and the Rue Montorgueil are the safest bets. A picnic of bread, cheese and fruit from the market, eaten by the river, is the best-value meal in Paris.
#Nightlife
The concert halls and theatres take a summer break, but the city lives outdoors: the open-air bars and clubs on the quays and boats along the Seine, the terraces of the Canal Saint-Martin, and the guinguette Rosa Bonheur in the Buttes-Chaumont. The rooftop bars stay busy until late on warm nights.
#Shopping
The summer sales end in late July, so August prices are back to normal.
The Galeries Lafayette and Printemps stay open and air-conditioned. Many small boutiques close for part of the month, while the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market continues at weekends.
#Culture & Etiquette
- On 15 August, Assumption Day, many shops close, and Notre-Dame holds a procession on the river and the island.
- Expect closures in the residential districts, and do not take them personally; it is the French summer.
- Dress for heat, but cover up for churches: shoulders and knees.
- Greet before you ask: a "Bonjour" to the person behind the counter comes before any question or order.
#Essential Local Phrases
| English | French | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Closed for the holidays | Fermé pour congés | Fair-may poor kon-zhay |
| Is it open in August? | C'est ouvert en août ? | Say oo-vair on oot? |
| Where can I swim? | Où peut-on se baigner ? | Oo puh-ton suh bay-nyay? |
| A table in the shade, please | Une table à l'ombre, s'il vous plaît | Oon tah-bluh ah lombr, seel voo pleh |
| A glass of water | Un verre d'eau | Uhn vair doh |
| It's hot! | Il fait chaud ! | Eel fay shoh |
| Thank you | Merci | Mair-see |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | Oh ruh-vwahr |
#Packing List
- Light, loose clothes in cotton or linen
- A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Swimwear for the Seine and the pools
- A refillable water bottle for the Wallace fountains
- A light layer for evening films and boat trips
- Comfortable shoes for long, hot days of walking
#Backup Plans
If a heatwave hits: keep to the big air-conditioned museums in the afternoon, the shaded gardens of the Palais-Royal and the Jardin du Luxembourg, or the Catacombs, which stay cool underground all year.
If your neighbourhood is shut: head for the streets that stay lively all summer, such as the Rue Montorgueil, the Marais and Belleville, or for the markets that remain open.
If a thunderstorm breaks: wait it out in the Musée Jacquemart-André, a nineteenth-century mansion of paintings with a café, or the covered arcades north of the Palais-Royal.
#Safety & Health
Paris is generally safe, though pickpockets work the tourist crowds at the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and on the Métro, so keep bags closed. In a heatwave, drink plenty of water, rest in the shade in the afternoon and watch out for children and older travellers. Swim in the Seine only at the supervised sites when they are open.
Emergency: 112, or 15 for medical help and 17 for police.
#What's New for August 2027
- Assumption Day falls on Sunday 15 August 2027
- Swimming in the Seine: free, supervised sites at Bras Marie, Bercy and Grenelle, each summer since 2025
- The Louvre charges €32 for visitors from outside the EU and the EEA
- The Centre Pompidou is closed for renovation until 2030
- Paris transport: a single Métro ticket was €2.55 in 2026, and fares are revised each January
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for August 2027. Climate figures are Météo-France 1991–2020 normals for Paris-Montsouris. Dates and prices verified against:
- Ville de Paris for the Seine bathing sites and Paris Plages
- Rock en Seine for the festival
- Château de Versailles for opening days
- Louvre for admission
- Île-de-France Mobilités for transport fares
For the month before, see Paris in July, and for the season as a whole, Paris in summer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is everything closed in Paris in August?
No, but much of the neighbourhood city is. Many family-run bistros, bakeries and small shops close for two to four weeks, while the big museums, monuments, department stores and most restaurants in the Marais and Saint-Germain stay open. Check a place’s opening dates before you cross the city.
Is August a good time to visit Paris?
It depends what you want. The sights, the summer events and the swimming in the Seine are all on, but many Parisians are away, their local bistros are closed, and the big museums are busy with visitors. Book timed tickets and a room with air-conditioning.
How hot does Paris get in August?
The average high is about 26°C, but heatwaves of 35°C and more are common, especially in the first half of the month. Many older rooms and most Métro lines have no air-conditioning; drink plenty, rest in the afternoon and use the museums and parks to keep cool.
Are Paris hotels cheaper in August?
A little, in places. Rates stay high around the big sights, but business hotels and some in the residential districts cut their prices as Parisians leave, especially after the 15 August holiday. Rooms with air-conditioning are the first to sell out in a heatwave.