Did you say Cherry Blossoms in Paris? Yes! Everyone knows about Japan, but Paris is also one of the best places for cherry blossoms. You can find these gorgeous pink blooms all over the city, but also at Paris’ main landmarks, making the city of love even more romantic and beautiful.
As someone who’s lived in Paris her entire life, it has become a tradition of mine to chase the cherry blossoms every April. During that month, the weather gets sunnier, and strolling around surrounded by these lovely flowers, is a real pleasure.
Cherry blossoms in Paris usually start blooming at the beginning of April and end in mid-April. However, it (obviously) depends on the past winter’s weather and it can vary from year to year: they might bloom later in April if winter was too cold.
If you are planning a trip to Paris during springtime, use this guide to find the best places to see the city’s cherry blossoms.
Chapters
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Cherry Blossoms in Paris
1 – Eiffel Tower, Jardins du Trocadéro
As Trocadéro faces the Eiffel Tower and the river Seine, it is the best spot to take pictures of the monument all year around. And it’s even truer during spring! The gardens, located below the esplanade called “Parvis des Droits de l’Homme”, offer two parallel alleys adorned with cherry blossom trees on the outer sides!
You will find scenic benches alongside those alleys, making the Jardins du Trocadéro (Gardens of the Trocadéro) the most popular place for cherry blossoms in Paris.
The current garden was restructured in 1937, on the site of the original Palais du Trocadéro‘s gardens, built for the 1878 “Exposition Universelle” (World’s Fair) in Paris.
The gardens are free, open 24/7 and easily accessible from Trocadéro station on métro lines 6 and 9.
2 – Notre-Dame de Paris, Square Jean-XXIII
My personal favorite spring spot to chase the cherry blossoms in Paris is the gardens next to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Here you will find four majestic trees whose branches intertwine to create a flower sky above your head while letting you admire the impressive architecture of the monument.
It is also a good spot to admire some white cherry blossoms in Paris. You’ll find them at the garden’s entrance, located next to the facade of Notre-Dame.
You will find a few benches, alongside a sandpit, right under the trees, making it a very popular after school spot for Parisian families.
These gardens are free, open at 7:30AM on weekdays/9AM on weekends, and until 9:30PM and are accessible from station Saint-Michel Notre-Dame on métro line 4.
UPDATE: In the wake of the April 2019 fire that destroyed Notre-Dame’s roof and spire, the gardens are now closed to the public. Fortunately, the trees survived, and we will be able to enjoy them once again when the garden re-opens. There is no official date yet, but let’s hope the renovation work will progress enough for a 2024 opening.
In the meantime, you can admire these cherry blossoms trees from the other side of the river surrounding the cathedral, on Quai de Montebello.
3 – Institut de France, Square Gabriel Pierné
This little heaven is located behind the Institut de France monument, featured in the picture below, at square Gabriel Pierné. It’s less known than Trocadéro and Notre-Dame, but just as beautiful. You often find Parisian couples and families enjoying some quiet time there, alongside walking tourists who stumbled upon this gem. Bonus: the square also features benches shaped like open books, so don’t hesitate to bring a novel and take some time to read under the gorgeous pink sky!
The Institut de France was established in 1795 and manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and châteaux open for visit. The dome, partially hidden by the square’s cherry blossoms, is actually the chapel of the Collège des Quatre-Nations (“College of the Four Nations”), one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris.
While this spot has a more private feel, it doesn’t lack for history or importance, making it one of the best places to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Paris!
This place is free, open from 8AM until 7:30PM and is accessible from station Mabillon on métro line 10 (7min walk), station Saint-Germain-des-Prés on métro line 4 (7min walk) or station Pont-Neuf on métro line 7 (8min walk).
4 – Shakespeare and Company
Facing Notre-Dame, the worldwide famous Shakespeare and Company is an adorable English independent bookstore blessed with a few cherry blossom trees in front of it! Besides a great selection of books, they also sport a café, so you’ll be able to enjoy the sight even more with a cup in one hand and a book in the other. These particular cherry blossoms best epitomize the Parisian “Vie en rose”.
Shakespeare and Company was opened in 1951 and was originally called “Le Mistral”, but was renamed to “Shakespeare and Company” in 1964 on the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. Today, it continues to serve as a purveyor of new and second-hand books, but also as an antiquarian bookseller and as a free reading library open to the public.
The bookstore is situated at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, so you can admire the blooming trees at any time of the day. And if you are a bookworm like me, the bookstore is open from 10AM until 8PM and is accessible from station Saint-Michel Notre-Dame on métro line 4.
5 – Jardin des Plantes
During spring, the Jardin des Plantes is the most magical place and another great place to admire cherry blossoms in Paris! It has so many different trees and flowers blooming that each month will bring some new aspect to discover and enjoy! The biggest pink cherry blossom tree of the city is also located here!
Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France, so it comes as no surprise that white and pink cherry blossom trees can be found there.
The garden is in the style of a French formal garden, and covers five hundred meters between two geometrically-trimmed rows of plane trees. Its rectangular beds contain over a thousand plants!
It is also the headquarters of the National Museum of Natural History and is classified as a national historical monument.
From the end of March to the end of September, the garden is open from 7:30AM to 8PM. The entrance is free, however there is a cost for the museum, the arboretum, the zoo and the guided tours.
6 – Petit Palais
Another lovely corner to see cherry blossoms in Paris is right outside of the Petit Palais. There, a gorgeous blooming tree frames the stunning monument!
Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle (“World’s Fair”), the Petit Palais houses the City of Paris’ Museum of Fine Arts. It is located across the Grand Palais on Avenue Winston-Churchill.
You can also find another type of cherry blossom trees inside the Petit Palais earlier in March, as the museum is blessed with a gorgeous courtyard which you can admire from the museum’s café. It is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet afternoon, surrounded by majestic architecture, while sipping a drink.
Access to the permanent collections and courtyard in the museum is free, from 10AM until 6PM. And if you want to make your visit even more cultural, check out Petit Palais’ exhibitions program.
7 – Métro Falguière – Place Camille Claudel
Cherry blossoms in Paris aren’t rare, but these, with the metro entrance in the background, are particularly cute!
Located in a lesser touristy area, the station Falguière is on line 12 of the métro. You will only encounter locals and photo enthusiasts here. So sit on one of the benches there and take a little break to enjoy the scenery!
Honorable mention: Eglise de la Sainte Trinité
A lesser known beautiful spot to see the cherry blossoms in Paris is in front of “Eglise de la Sainte Trinité” in the 9th arrondissement. There, you will find a garden to sit under the cherry blossoms while admiring the monument. The park is open from 8AM until 8.30PM in April, but don’t worry, you can still enjoy the sight of the cherry blossoms over the church from the street.
This spot is located on station Trinité – d’Estienne d’Orves on line 12 of the métro. Please note that the church is under renovation until 2027, and completely covered by scaffolding and tarps.
Cherry Blossoms Around Paris
8 – Parc de Sceaux
Located in the city of Sceaux, in the close suburbs of the French capital, Parc de Sceaux is the most scenic place to see the cherry blossoms in the Paris area. In fact, the park has two cherry blossom trees groves. One with pink trees and one with white trees!
These trees bloom later than the ones in Paris: usually after mid-April! It’s the perfect picnic place, and probably the most romantic garden I’ve ever been! It also is the rendez-vous of all Paris, and the park gets very crowded at the peak of blooming season.
Parc de Sceaux is part of an estate with a castle. So you can easily spend a day there, walk around the park, visit the château and end picnicking under the cherry blossom trees.
Parc de Sceaux is open between 7AM and 8:30PM in April. Access is free, and the closest public transportation stop is La Croix de Berny on RER B.
9 – Parc de Bagatelle
Another breathtaking park to see the cherry blossoms in Paris is Parc de Bagatelle, in Bois de Boulogne. This botanical garden is home to a small Neoclassical château with several small formal French gardens, a rose garden, and an orangerie.
The overall feeling is very charming and romantic! You can even find a 19th century Chinese pagoda, gigantic trees, varied flora, small bridges, caves and artificial waterfalls.
During April, cherry blossom trees bloom all around the garden, but this park is worth visiting throughout all spring, especially when the roses are in bloom!
The entrance ticket is 2.50€ per person between April and September (and free the rest of the year). The easiest way to get there is to get off at station Pont de Neuilly on métro line 1, grab the bus line 43 and stop at Place de Bagatelle.
10 – Vincennes
Last but not the least of the best places to see the cherry blossoms in Paris is in the city of Vincennes. This magical pink tunnel of cherry blossom trees is located in the quiet street called “Rue Villebois Mareuil”. It resembles the beautiful Bonn’s Blossom Street in Germany, making it a good alternative if you are not planning a trip there.
Although Vincennes is not technically in Paris, it is easily accessible, as this street is a 5min walk from station Château de Vincennes on line 1 of the métro. And you can make the journey even more worthwhile by visiting the medieval castle of Vincennes in the same go.
To conclude on cherry blossoms in Paris
Paris is a great place to experience the cherry blossoms in Spring. They can easily be found all across the city. While I already listed the best spots to check out blooms, there are even more! So if you have the time, here is a short list of other places in Paris to admire the blooms:
- Square Paul Langevin
- Place Louis Aragon
- Métro Saint-Paul
- Eglise Saint-Vincent de Paul
- Mail de Bièvre
- Allée Vivaldi
- Eglise Saint-Augustin
- Square Marie Trintignant
So my advice to you, as a local Parisian, is to wander around Paris during spring and enjoy the vibes!
Check out my complete guide of Spring in Paris to learn everything there is to know about blooming season in Paris.