What to Do in Paris in April: Weather, Events and Outings

April weather: what the averages say

Over the 1991-2020 period, the Météo-France station at Paris-Montsouris records an average maximum temperature of 16.6°C in April and an average minimum of 7.9°C, giving a mean of 12.2°C. Average rainfall is 45.8 mm, spread over roughly 8 to 9 days with at least 1 mm: showers are frequent but rarely last long. Average sunshine comes to around 177 hours over the month.

These averages hide big swings. A single week can go from an afternoon above 20°C on a café terrace to a windy morning below 5°C. Evenings stay cool, especially along the Seine.

The light, on the other hand, is a real asset. Summer time has been in effect since 28 March 2027: the sun sets at 8:19pm on 1 April and at 9:02pm on 30 April, and rises between 7:30am and 6:33am. You can therefore stretch outdoor sightseeing right up to dinner time.

Crowds: school holidays and public holidays

April is part of the high season. To choose your dates, keep a close eye on the 2027 French school calendar:

• Zone C (Paris and Île-de-France): from Saturday 3 April to Monday 19 April 2027 (classes resume that day).
• Zone A: from Saturday 10 April to Monday 26 April 2027.
• Zone B: from Saturday 17 April to Monday 3 May 2027.

All three zones are on holiday at the same time over the weekend of 17 and 18 April, and two zones are between 10 and 26 April. This is the busiest period for museums, family attractions such as the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie and trains leaving Paris. The first days of April and the end of the month, on weekdays, are quieter.

Worth noting for 2027: Easter falls on 28 March, so Easter Monday (29 March) is outside April. There are no public holidays in April 2027, and 1 May falls on a Saturday. Details of closures on that day are in our guide to public holidays in France, and ideas for the Easter weekend are in Easter in Paris.

Cherry blossoms: where to see them

Blossoming depends on the weather in March and varies by one to two weeks from one year to the next. As a rule, the white-flowered varieties open in late March or early April, and the double pink-flowered cherries take over until the end of April, sometimes early May.

In Paris

• Jardin des Plantes (5th, entrance at 2 rue Buffon): the large 'Shirotae' cherry tree on the Allée de la Perspective, more than 15 metres wide, blooms between March and April; pink 'Kanzan' cherries flower in April and May in the Perspective and the ethnobotanical garden.
• Square René-Viviani (5th): pink-flowered Japanese cherry trees facing Notre-Dame.
• Parc Martin-Luther-King (17th, 147 rue Cardinet): around sixty pink and white cherry trees.
• Jardins du Trocadéro and the Tuileries Garden: a few individual trees, easy to combine with a visit.

The Parc de Sceaux, the place for hanami

South of Paris, on RER line B (Parc de Sceaux, Bourg-la-Reine or La Croix de Berny stations), the North Grove of the Parc de Sceaux holds 144 pink-flowered Japanese cherry trees. This is where people from the Paris region go for hanami, picnicking under the trees in bloom. In 2026, settling on the lawns of the North Grove required a free booking per time slot (between 10:15am and 6:15pm), and the first slots were fully booked within a few days. Watch for the Hauts-de-Seine Département to announce the 2027 arrangements from mid-March, and avoid weekends if you want to move around the paths easily.

The Paris Marathon, Sunday 4 April 2027

The 50th edition of the marathon, renamed the ASICS Marathon de Paris and handed to a new organiser, Cadence, takes place on Sunday 4 April 2027. A new route is due to be unveiled in early 2027. Race bibs (€169) are allocated by ballot this year, with registration closing on 30 September 2026.

If you are not running, the main thing to remember is that many roads in the centre and west are closed to traffic for much of the day: buses are diverted and taxis forced into long detours. Take the metro that Sunday. How the race works, the best spots to cheer and tips for supporters are in our guide to the Paris Marathon.

Fairs and shows this month

April brings together several major events whose 2027 dates have already been published.

• Art Paris, from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 April 2027 at the Grand Palais: the modern and contemporary art fair gathers around 170 galleries from some twenty countries for its 29th edition. In 2026, tickets cost €30 on weekdays and €35 at weekends.
• Festival du livre de Paris, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 April 2027, also at the Grand Palais: the major book event open to the public, with authors and publishers.
• Foire de Paris, from Friday 30 April to Monday 10 May 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (15th; metro 12, tram T2 and T3): home, food and crafts from around the world. Open 10am–7pm, with late opening until 10pm on Saturday 8 May. 2027 prices have not yet been published; in 2026, entry cost €16 on site and €14 online, free for under-7s.
• Foire du Trône, on the Pelouse de Reuilly (12th, metro Porte Dorée): the funfair sets up every spring on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes. The 2026 edition ran from 27 March to 25 May; the 2027 dates have not yet been announced by the organisers. Entry is free, and you only pay for the rides. Opening hours and tips are in our guide to the Foire du Trône.

Exhibitions to see in April 2027

Several major exhibitions with confirmed dates run through April:

• Le monde de Viktor&Rolf. 30 ans de haute couture (The World of Viktor&Rolf: 30 Years of Haute Couture), at the Musée des Arts décoratifs (107 rue de Rivoli, 1st), from 28 January to 4 July 2027.
• Les secrets de l'Alhambra (The Secrets of the Alhambra), at the Institut du monde arabe (5th), from 24 November 2026 to 16 May 2027; €17 full price, €9 for ages 12 to 26, free for under-12s.
• Magie (Magic), at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie (19th), an interactive exhibition on illusions and perception, for ages 9 and up, open since 13 October 2026 and until 1 August 2027; €12 to €15.

The Centre Pompidou is closed for renovation until 2030, so do not include it in your plans. For the up-to-date list, including exhibitions opening during the spring, see our page on exhibitions in Paris right now. Remember to book a time slot during the school holidays.

Terraces and open-air outings

1 April marks the return of the summer terraces: the City allows cafés and restaurants to extend their terraces onto parking spaces or pavements until 31 October, closing at 10pm. As heated terraces have been banned in France since 2022, bring an extra layer for when the sun disappears behind the buildings.

A few ideas suited to the month:

• Have a picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens or the Tuileries, where the green chairs come back out in large numbers.
• Walk along the Seine or the Canal Saint-Martin in the late afternoon, making the most of the light until 9pm at the end of the month.
• Head up to a viewpoint in the evening, when the city reveals itself without haze: our selection of the best free views of Paris spares you tickets and queues.
• Keep a plan B handy for showery days: covered passages, museums and department stores, detailed in Paris on a rainy day.

What to pack

• Clothes you can layer: t-shirt, light jumper, windproof jacket. A winter coat is rarely needed, but a warm jumper is useful in the evening.
• A folding umbrella or a waterproof jacket: showers are short but frequent.
• Comfortable closed shoes that can handle wet cobblestones.
• Sunglasses and a scarf or light wrap for the terraces.
• A light picnic cloth or blanket for picnics, and a water bottle to refill at public fountains.

April 2027 at a glance

Prices as observed in September 2026; 2027 prices may change.

Further reading

If you are still torn between April and another month, our guide to the best time to visit Paris compares the seasons, crowds and prices. To organise your days on the ground, see Paris in 3 days, and to book what needs booking before you leave, booking ahead in Paris.