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.

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. Learning French at Ecole des Trois Ponts in Riorges France  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

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 and Is It Wrong To Attend La Course Camarguaise (Provencal Bullfight)?

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 in the Loire Valley

17. Lunch At The Eiffel Tower

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’s in Paris

29. Historic Walking Tour of Paris

30. Take a tour of La Conciergerie

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

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

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

69. Two Special Experiences In Marseille: Seafood and Views

70. La Cité du Vin Wine Museum In Bordeaux

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

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

73. 36 Hour Stopover In Collioure With A Hike up to Fort Saint-Elme.

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

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

77. Rochers Sculptés (Sculptured Rocks) in Brittany

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

79. An Easy Hike In Colorado– Le Colorado Provencal

80. King Arthur And The Brocéliande Forest Legend

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

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

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

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

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

86. Celebrating Cinema At the Lumière Museum In Lyon

87, Traboules and Wall Murals In Lyon

88. Lunch At Pomze in Paris: Satisfying An Addiction

89. Paris Greeters: A Free Walking Tour Worth Taking

90. Highlights Of Montpellier And An Excursion to Sete

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

92. Seeing Fashion At  Musée Yves Saint Laurent In Paris

93. 9 Beautiful Spots To Get Away From The Crowds In Paris

94.  Paris Dinner Soirée At Jim Haynes

95.  “59 Rivoli”–A Former Squat That Provides Studios For Artists In Paris

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

97. National Library of France: 2 Sites Worth Visiting

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

99. My City Hunt With Paris In Action

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

And now the NEXT 100!

101. Abandoned railway in Paris: La Petite Ceinture

102. Where You Can Find Lavender In Provence

103. Discover Pont d’Arc By Kayak

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

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

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

107. Lunch with a view of Etretat

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

109. Hidden gardens in Etretat

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

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

112. Historical Walking Tour: Life In Paris During WWII

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

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

115. Localers Food Tour Near Canal Saint Martin

116. Point Zero and The Paris Meridian

117. Not your typical food court: Beaupassage Paris

118.  Augmented Reality At The Relief Map Museum In Paris

119. Exploring The Caves at Aven d’Orgnac

120. La Felicità, Paris

121. Sculptures de Décure At The Paris Catacombs

122. Two Days In The Ardèche

123. Free Water in Paris: Wallace Fountains

124. The Hidden Courtyard At Le Petit Palais

125. The Grand Gallery of Evolution

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

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

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

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

130. Concept Stores In Paris Worth Visiting For Unique Gifts

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

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

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

134. Wine And Relaxation At Château Autignac

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

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

137. Bike Ride Along The Canal du Midi From Carcassonne

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

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

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

141. Spending 2 Months In France

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

143. Cycling On Île de Ré

144. Roman Amphitheatres In France That Still Hold Events

145. France’s Alcatraz: Château d’If

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

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.

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