Things to do in Paris in November: weather, events and outings

Paris weather in November: cool, grey and short days

According to Météo-France's 1991-2020 normals for the Paris-Montsouris station, November has an average temperature of 8.7°C, well below October (average high of 16.5°C), but frost remains rare: 1.6 days on average with a low below 0°C. Rain is frequent without being heavy, and sunshine drops to about 70 hours, compared with nearly 119 in October.

The real constraint is daylight: on 1 November 2026 the sun rises at about 7.37am and sets at about 5.31pm; on 30 November it rises at about 8.21am and sets at about 4.56pm. Plan outdoor walks (gardens, quays, viewpoints) between 10am and 3pm, and save museums for late afternoon.

Crowds, hotel prices and school holidays

November opens the low season for Paris hotels, which lasts until the end of winter. Paris is never empty, but demand is weaker than in spring, summer or over the festive season, and rates reflect this on weekdays. The month is not uniform, however:

• Early November: the Toussaint (All Saints') holidays, shared by all three zones, run from Saturday 17 October to the morning of Monday 2 November 2026; the weekend of 1 November stays busy with families. The Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament is played at the same time, from 31 October to 8 November, at the Paris La Défense Arena (Nanterre).
• 12 to 15 November 2026: Paris Photo draws international collectors, gallerists and professionals; hotels in the 8th arrondissement and the neighbourhoods near the Grand Palais fill up.
• From the end of the month: the opening of the Christmas markets and the Thanksgiving weekend bring the crowds back, especially on Saturday.

The best window for a tight budget runs from Monday 2 to Wednesday 11 November, then from 16 to 25 November, on weekdays. To compare price ranges and neighbourhoods, see our guide to hotels by budget.

Public holidays: All Saints' Day and 11 November

Sunday 1 November: All Saints' Day

In 2026, All Saints' Day falls on a Sunday: no long weekend, and shops keep their usual Sunday hours. Cemeteries, including Père-Lachaise, are busier than usual, as families lay chrysanthemums on the graves.

The Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Palace of Versailles are open. It is also the first Sunday of the month: several national museums are free, including Orsay (booking a time slot is compulsory). The Arc de Triomphe is also free on the first Sunday of every month from November to March, without booking.

Wednesday 11 November: Armistice Day

11 November commemorates the 1918 Armistice. The national ceremony takes place in the late morning under the Arc de Triomphe, at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the presence of the President of the Republic. Practical consequences:

• The Arc de Triomphe is closed to visitors in the morning of 11 November (as on 8 May and 14 July) and reopens in the afternoon.
• Place Charles-de-Gaulle and the top of the Champs-Élysées are cordoned off during the ceremony; some metro exits in the area may be closed. Avoid the neighbourhood by car or taxi before midday.
• Banks, government offices and many shops close; public transport runs a holiday service.

The Louvre, Orsay and Versailles remain open on this Wednesday. On other days, the flame of the Unknown Soldier is rekindled every evening at 6.30pm under the Arc, a short, free ceremony.

Paris Photo, 12 to 15 November 2026

The 29th edition of Paris Photo, the major international photography fair, is held at the Grand Palais from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026, with around 240 exhibitors, galleries and book publishers from 38 countries. The preview on Wednesday 11 November is reserved for guests and holders of the dedicated pass.

• Opening hours: 1pm to 8pm Thursday to Saturday, 1pm to 7pm on Sunday.
• Tickets (online sales only): €36 on Thursday or Friday, €41 on Saturday or Sunday, €26 for the evening ticket (from 5pm) and for students.
• Access: metro Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13) or Franklin D. Roosevelt (line 9), RER C Invalides.

How a visit unfolds, talks and book signings are described in our guide to Paris Photo. Aim for Thursday or Friday in the early afternoon: it is cheaper and less crowded than at the weekend.

Prices checked in September 2026.

The Salon du chocolat and the Beaujolais nouveau

The Salon du chocolat, until 1 November

The Salon du chocolat et de la pâtisserie (chocolate and pastry show) is held from Wednesday 28 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (hall 5), 10am to 7pm. Sunday 1 November is therefore its last day. Adult ticket €20 at the weekend (€16 on weekdays), €10 for ages 6-11, free for under-6s (prices checked in September 2026). More details in our guide to the Salon du chocolat.

The Beaujolais nouveau, Thursday 19 November 2026

The Beaujolais nouveau goes on sale every year on the third Thursday of November: in 2026, Thursday 19 November, from 12.01am. This young red wine, made from gamay and vinified in a few weeks, is drunk young and cool. In Paris, bistros, wine bars and wine shops display the traditional « Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé » (the Beaujolais nouveau has arrived) and many hold an evening event on the Thursday. There is no central official event: the parties are found from one neighbourhood to the next.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 26 November 2026. In France, it is an ordinary day: everything is open. A handful of American restaurants and hotels serve a turkey menu, and the American Church holds a community dinner every year. The next day, Friday 27 November, is Black Friday: the big retailers offer discounts of their choosing, often spread out until Cyber Monday, Monday 30 November. Addresses, menu prices and American grocery shops are gathered in our guide to Thanksgiving in Paris.

The first Christmas lights

The second half of November opens the Christmas season:

• Champs-Élysées illuminations: in 2025, they were switched on on Sunday 16 November and stayed up until 4 January. The 2026 switch-on date had not been announced in September 2026.
• Department store animated windows: in 2025, Printemps unveiled its windows on 6 November and Galeries Lafayette on 12 November; 2026 dates not announced. Details in our guide to the department store Christmas windows.
• Christmas markets: the market in the jardin des Tuileries opened on 14 November in 2025; the 2026 date had not been officially confirmed in September 2026. The other markets generally open in late November or early December. See our guide to Christmas in Paris.

Exhibitions to see in November 2026

All these exhibitions are open throughout November.

• Cezanne et nous (Cezanne and Us), at the Grand Palais, from 23 September 2026 to 17 January 2027. Timed ticket €20.50 full price.
• Zurbarán (1598-1664), at the Louvre, Hall Napoléon, from 7 October 2026 to 25 January 2027. Entry with the museum ticket: €22 for residents of the European Economic Area, €32 for other visitors.
• Mary Cassatt, l'indépendante (Mary Cassatt, the Independent), at the Musée d'Orsay, from 6 October 2026 to 31 January 2027. Around 80 works by the American Impressionist painter; late opening on Thursdays until 9.45pm.
• Monet, peindre le temps (Monet, painting time), at the musée de l'Orangerie, from 30 September 2026 to 25 January 2027, for the centenary of the painter's death.
• Gustave Fayet, collectionneur-créateur (Gustave Fayet, Collector and Creator), at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, from 9 October 2026 to 8 March 2027: Van Gogh, Gauguin and Redon brought together by this early admirer.

Prices checked in September 2026. Book a time slot in advance, especially at weekends.

What to do in Paris when it rains or gets dark early

With around ten days of rain and night falling before 5.30pm, November lends itself to days planned around indoor places:

• The covered passages between the Grands Boulevards and the Palais-Royal let you walk under cover for several hours, from arcade to arcade. Route in our guide to the covered passages.
• Late museum openings: Wednesday and Friday at the Louvre, Thursday at Orsay, Friday at the Grand Palais. The galleries empty noticeably after 6pm.
• The department stores on boulevard Haussmann, especially once the Christmas decorations are up, with their free panoramic rooftop terraces.

More ideas, sorted by neighbourhood, are in our guide to Paris on a rainy day.

What to pack for November

• A waterproof mid-season coat or a light down jacket: the 10°C of the afternoon quickly drops to 5 or 6°C in the evening.
• Closed shoes that can handle rain: wet fallen leaves make cobblestones and pavements slippery.
• A scarf and thin gloves for the evenings, especially for seeing the lights.
• A compact umbrella and layers: the metro, museums and department stores are well heated.

November 2026 in Paris at a glance

Dates and prices checked in September 2026; opening hours on public holidays may be adjusted by venues.

Further reading

To prepare for the month's two public holidays, our guide to public holidays in France details what opens and what closes. The full list of current exhibitions is in our selection of current exhibitions in Paris, and if you are still deciding on the dates of your stay, our article on the best time to visit Paris compares the seasons.