Top 100+ Unique Experiences In France

Top 100+ Unique Experiences In France—The List Keeps Growing

France has so much to offer in terms of sites and experiences and while the typical travel guide will highlight the Top 10 or most common ones, I like to share those that have been truly unique. I have done each one of these Top 100 experiences in France (active, outdoor, culinary, arts and entertainment, or learning) during my many trips to France and some I have done more than once (ie. Kayaking under the Pont du Gard) because I loved the experience so much.

My list of unique experiences in France keeps growing and as you can see it is well over 100. I will continue to add to the list so keep checking back or bookmark this page.

Check out the map at the end of the page. Each of these experiences is indicated on the map, so if you’re looking at visiting a certain area of France, click on one of the locations and read about the experience.

1. Touring Many Chateaux In The Loire Valley 

2. Paddling A Kayak Under the Pont du Gard in Provence

3. Running In The Marathon du Medoc

4. A Week Taking French Language And Cooking Classes At Ecole des Trois Ponts

and

What To Expect When You Take A French Immersion Course In France

5. Having A Picnic Dinner In Paris

6. Attending A Chamber Music Concert in Sainte-Chapelle In Paris

7. Riding A Bicycle In France

8. Take a cooking course at Cordon Bleu

Check Out My Top 10 Favourite Culinary Experiences

9. Attend a performance or take a guided tour at the Paris Opera (Palais Garnier)

10. Visit a local market and buy a roasted chicken

11. Attend a French concert

12. Attend a bull fight (La Course Camarguaise)

13. Stand in the middle of a field of sunflowers

14. Try on (and buy) an Hermes scarf.

15. Sit in a bar on the Champs Elysee and watch the World Cup Finale

16. Fly In A Hot Air Balloon

17. Lunch At The Eiffel Tower–See #13

18. Attend the Fete de la Veraison In Chateauneuf-du-Pape

19. Eat Lunch or Dinner at a Farmhouse

20. Visit “Le Café Des Chats”

21. Seeing An English-Speaking Comedy In Paris 

22. Market Tour and Cooking Class at Le Foodist

23. Kitchen Gadget Shopping at E. Dehillerin in Paris

24. Be in Paris on New Year’s Eve

25. Be in Paris on July 14 and watch the Bastille Day Parade

26. Attend a fashion show at Galeries Lafayette in Paris

27. Do the Van Gogh Walk in Saint Remy de Provence

28. Drink a hot chocolate at Angelina in Paris

29. Historic Walking Tour of Paris

30. Take a tour of La Conciergerie–see #7

31. Buy an ice cream from Berthillon and walk around the Ils St-Louis

32. Walk along the Canal St-Martin

33. Have a drink on a barge on the Seine in Paris

34. Go to a book talk at Shakespeare and Co.

35.  Spend the night at a real chateau

36. Visit Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise

37. Hiking In Chamonix And The French Alps

38. Visit The D-Day Beaches Of Normandy

39. Champagne Tasting in Champagne

40. Volcanoes In France?

41. Running In France

Check Out My Top 10 Active Experiences

42. Marché Aux Puces: A Flea Market Worth Visiting In Paris

43. Experience Eating These French Foods

44. Taking Home Some Unique Gifts From France

45. Oysters and French 75 On New Year’s Eve

46. Great French Meal in Lyon

47. Visiting London and Paris via the Eurostar

48. Wine Experiences For The Senses In Paris

49. VizEat: A Dining Experience With Locals

50. Culinary Tour Changed My Mind About Montmartre

51. Experiencing Medieval France

52. Active Boomer In France: Some activities to consider

53. Surfing In Biarritz

54. Discovering The Covered Passages In Paris

55. Unique Experiences During My First Trip To France

56. Photographing The 10 Most Beautiful Places In France

57. Oysters and Wine At Le Baron Rouge Wine Bar After A Market Visit

58. Visiting Fondation Louis Vuitton For The Architecture

59. Seeing The Tour de France

60. Staying In A Chalet In The Heart Of The French Alps

61. Visiting the Cité Medievale de Conflans in Albertville

62. The Most Beautiful Villages Of France: Some That I Have Visited (and recommend)

63. Visit a“Cave à Vin” to sample delicious foods and wine.

64. Visit Verdun And Some Of The World War 1 Sites

65. Visiting and Going On top Of Some of France’s Arcs, Arches, and Portes

66. Be In France During “Les Soldes” (Winter or Summer)

67. Seeing Paris In A Different Light—Night Time

Check Out My Top 10 Arts And Entertainment Experiences

68. You MUST Try Bouillabaisse (Fish Soup/Stew) The Traditional Way

69. La Cité du Vin Wine Museum In Bordeaux

70. The Other Part Of Versailles Visitors Often Miss: Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet and Petit Trianon

71. Flamingos, Wild Horses and The Medieval Fortress of Aigues-Mortes In The South Of France

72. 36 Hour Stopover In Collioure With A Hike up to Fort Saint-Elme.

73.  Cruising Down The Seine River In Paris OR 4 Boat Tours To Experience Outside Of Paris

74. Fête de la Transhumance: Sheep Fill The Streets In St-Rémy

75. Rochers Sculptés (Sculptured Rocks) in Brittany

76. Quirkiest, Most Imaginative Sight: Les Machines de L’île In Nantes

77. An Easy Hike In Colorado– Le Colorado Provencal

78. What’s There To See In Brocéliande Forest In Brittany?          

79. Exploring The Other Side Of Montmartre (Beyond Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge)

80. Visit Le Chateau des Baux de Provence While You Can

81. Discover France’s Version Of Stonehenge: Carnac’s Megalithic Alignments

82. Seeing Optical Illusions At The Fondation Vasarely in Aix-en-Provence

83. Learning About Paris While You Run: With Paris Running Tours

Check Out My Top 10 Favourite Learning Experiences

84. Celebrating Cinema At the Lumière Museum In Lyon

85, Traboules and Wall Murals In Lyon

86. Paris Greeters: A Free Walking Tour Worth Taking

87. Highlights Of Montpellier And An Excursion to Sete

88. See Van Gogh’s Paintings Come Alive In Provence And On Film

89. Seeing Fashion At  Musée Yves Saint Laurent In Paris

90. 9 Beautiful Spots To Get Away From The Crowds In Paris

91.  Paris Dinner Soirée At Jim Haynes

92.  “59 Rivoli”–A Former Squat That Provides Studios For Artists In Paris

93. Remains Of The Bastille: 4 Spots You Likely Overlooked

94. National Library of France: 2 Sites Worth Visiting

95. Parisian bistro with traditional French cuisine: A la Biche au Bois

96. My City Hunt With Paris In Action

97. Watch, follow, or ride in a Citroën 2CV

And now the NEXT 100!

98. Abandoned railway in Paris: La Petite Ceinture

99. Where You Can Find Lavender In Provence

100. Discover Pont d’Arc By Kayak

101. Two Of The Best Ways To See The Cliffs At Étretat

102. Where To See The Best Bastille Day Fireworks In Normandy

103. Visiting A Lavender Farm In Provence And Learning About Lavender And Lavandin Oil

104. Lunch with a view of Etretat

105. Sound and Light Shows In Paris and Provence That You Must See

106. Hidden gardens in Etretat

107. Take Your Daughter To This Museum In Paris: Marie Curie Museum

108.  A multi-sensory experience devoted to Calvados apple brandy

109. Historical Walking Tour: Life In Paris During WWII

110. The drive between Normandy and Paris: ‘Route des Abbayes’

111. Where to see French films with English subtitles in Paris

112. Localers Food Tour Near Canal Saint Martin

113. Point Zero and The Paris Meridian

114. Not your typical food court: Beaupassage Paris

115.  Augmented Reality At The Relief Map Museum In Paris

116. Exploring The Caves at Aven d’Orgnac

117. La Felicità, Paris

118. Sculptures de Décure At The Paris Catacombs

119. Two Days In The Ardèche

120. Free Water in Paris: Wallace Fountains

121. The Hidden Courtyard At Le Petit Palais

122. The Grand Gallery of Evolution

123. “Dame de Coeur” Sound And Light Show At Notre-Dame de Paris

124. Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions at Château du Clos Lucé 

125. Most Unusual Sight In Normandy: Le Chêne d’Allouville

126. A Quaint Coastal Village In Normandy: Veules-les-Roses

127. Concept Stores In Paris Worth Visiting For Unique Gifts

128. Lunch At Château de Champlong: A Delicious French Immersion Excursion

129. What It’s Like To Hike The Three Calanques Near Cassis

130. Day’s Outing To Marseille Via the Scenic Train Côte Bleue

131. Wine And Relaxation At Château Autignac

132. Journey On The Little Yellow Train To See The Pyrénées

Check Out My Top 10 Favourite Outdoor Experiences

133. A Unique Cave Experience In The Dordogne Valley: Gouffre de Padirac

134. Bike Ride Along The Canal du Midi From Carcassonne

135. Stained Glass at Eglise Saint-Pierre d’Yvetot: Largest In Europe

136. Affordable Michelin-Starred Lunch: La Barbacane In Carcassonne

137. Why You Should Line Up For Tickets To Font de Gaume Cave

138. Spending 2 Months In France

139. Food, Wine, and Tours at the Montmartre Wine Festival (Fête des Vendanges)

140. Cycling On Île de Ré

141. Roman Amphitheatres In France That Still Hold Events

142. France’s Alcatraz: Château d’If

143. The World Of Science In Paris: Arts et Métiers Museum

144. Relaxing Paris Oasis: Promenade Plantée

145. Interesting Sights At Fourvière Hill In Lyon

146. Should You Take The Time To Visit Carcassonne?

147. La Praluline: Delicious Pink Praline Brioche From Roanne

148. Impressive Castle Ruins: Château de Lagarde In The Ariège

149. Lemon Pastries In Menton At The Fête du Citron

150. 4 Types Of Caves In The Dordogne To Explore

151. Making the classic French 75 cocktail (Soixante-quinze)

152. Fête de la Musique (World Music Day)

153. Bastille Day In Paris: Parade And Dinner Cruise With Fireworks

154. Castles And Scenery-Kayaking On The Dordogne

155. Day’s Outing: Bicycle From Arcachon To Dune du Pilat (Europe’s tallest sand dune)

156. Visit Fondation Maeght For Modern Art In Saint-Paul-de-Vence

157. Walking In The Woods-La Forêt des Cèdres Near Bonnieux

158. Rendezvous with Doisneau-Cycling La Voie Verte (Sarlat)

159. Pont Julien: Historic Roman Bridge Near Bonnieux

160. Nice’s Iconic Symbol: La Chaise Bleue

161. Why stop in Biot? Glass. Bubble glass at La Verrerie de Biot

162, Tour and Tasting at Palais Bénédictine In Fécamp

163. Château Musée Grimaldi (And Parking) In Cagnes-sur-Mer

164. Visit The Best Perched Villages In The Lot Department: Saint-Cirq-Lapopie And Rocamadour

165. Tasting And Buying The Most Delicious Apératif From Normandy: Pommeau de Normandie

166. La Salle des Mariages-Jean Cocteau in Menton

167. Château de Versailles Spectacle: Marie-Antoinette Fireworks And Light Show

Need More Ideas?

1. If you want more ideas in the area where you are travelling, check out this map. It shows the location and related post about the site and experience. Click on the map or on this link and you’ll be directed to a Google Map indicating all the places in this post.

2. If you’re looking for specific, unique experiences in Paris, check out this page: Unique Paris Experiences 

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