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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
- 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
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google LLC, used with permission.
5 Comments
Mahima
August 6, 2019 at 3:30 amwow!! so many great things and amazing pictures.
Thanks for sharing this.
Karen
December 23, 2019 at 1:44 pmI can’t begin to tell you how inspiring your posts and photos are, Jan. When I (finally) go to France, even just from this post, it will be difficult to narrow down my choices. It’ll have to be a nice long visit!
Happy Holidays,
Karen
Jan
December 23, 2019 at 2:11 pmThank you for your kind comment. Hopefully you’ll get to France in 2020!
Joseph
January 13, 2020 at 10:39 amYour tips are the best I have come across so far as long as Travelling France and Europe is concerned. Thank You Jan
Jan
January 13, 2020 at 11:04 amMany thanks