How to Have a PERFECT Picnic at the Eiffel Tower in Paris
It’s no surprise that there are tons of dreamy things to do in Paris – it’s called the City of Love, after all! But having a picnic at the Eiffel Tower is definitely at the top of the list!
While most people choose to climb the Eiffel Tower, I much prefer admiring it from the ground.
On our last two trips to Paris, we made a point to sit in front of the Eiffel Tower, drink French wine, and watch the Tower light up and sparkle. And it was pure magic!
In this guide, I’lll break down everything you need to know about having your own Eiffel Tower picnic, including what to bring, where to go, and other things you should know!
Quick Mini Guide to Paris
Don’t have a lot of time? Here’s a quick mini guide to Paris to help plan your epic adventure!
Where to Stay:
– 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th arrondissement
– Hotel Louis II (moderate & clean)
– Hotel des Londres Eiffel (great location)
– Hotel Mayfair Paris (boutique hotel)
When to Visit:
– I recommend shoulder season (Early May or late September)
– Summer (June – August) is peak season
– Winter can be chilly and rainy!
Things to Do:
– Go on a Seine river dinner cruise
– Picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower
– Stroll through the many gardens
– Take a day trip by train
Best Time of Year to Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
If you are interested in having a picnic at the Eiffel Tower, you may be wondering the best time of year to do so!
In my opinion, the best time of year to picnic at the Eiffel Tower is, of course, summer!
Summer is Paris is simply devine, and visiting during this time of year typically means you will have the warmest weather.
For example, in the month of July, the average high in Paris is 77°F (25°C), while the average low is 59°F (15°C). So, if you don’t want to be too chilly, a summer picnic in Paris is the way to go!
However, keep in mind that summer is also the busiest time of year to visit Paris, thanks to the wonderful weather and holiday travel. This means you’re likely to be sharing the green space with plenty of other people!
Spring and autumn are also wonderful times to visit Paris, thanks to the more mild weather and fewer crowds. If your main goal is to avoid crowds in Paris, I recommend choosing a less popular month like April or October!
This is referred to as “shoulder season” – i.e. the season in between low and high season! Shoulder season in Paris typically means March through May and late September through November.
I would avoid visiting Paris in the winter if your main goal is to have a picnic! Winter weather in Paris can be less than ideal – cold, windy, and rainy.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually get cold enough to snow, so you won’t witness a white Christmas in Paris! However, it will still be cold and maybe rainy, which is not ideal for being outside cozied up in front of the Eiffel Tower!
What Time to Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
Now that you know when you are visiting Paris, it’s time to decide what time you will have your picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower.
These two go hand in hand, since sunrise and sunset times vary by time of year. This means the exact time the Eiffel Tower lights up will also vary based on what month you are visiting!
Breakfast or Lunch Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
If you are looking to avoid the crowds, having a breakfast or lunch picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower is a great option. There are typically much fewer crowds on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower during the day.
This means you can spread out and enjoy yourself a bit more than if you have a picnic at night.
However, while the views of the Eiffel Tower are still gorgeous, having a picnic during the day means you will miss the iconic lighting on the Eiffel Tower. This is why I recommend a dinner picnic; however, it is totally up to you
For those who do want to have an evening picnic, below I’ll dive a little deeper into planning the specific time based on the time of year.
Dinner Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
As mentioned above, I think picnicking at night is the best time!
In order to have the most iconic dinner picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, I recommend arriving one hour before sunset. This will allow you time to get a good seat and enjoy the various shades of the sky as golden hour sets in.
Again, this will vary depending on the time of year, so make sure to look up the sunset time for whatever day you are planning to visit! You can just google “Month Day Paris sunset time”.
Once dusk arrives, the Eiffel Tower will light up golden thanks to its automatic light sensors! Then, at the top of the next hour, the Eiffel Tower will begin its 5-minute long sparkle. This sparkle repeats at the top of every hour until 12:00am (or 1:00am in the summer!)
Note: The Tower used to continue this sparkle until 1am. However, this changed in 2022 as part of energy saving plan. Now, the sparkles continue until 1am only during the summer months.
So, if dusk is at 9:30pm, then the golden lights will turn on between 9:30pm and 9:40pm. Then, the entire tower will first sparkle from 10:00pm to 10:05pm.
The last sparkle of the evening (either at 12am or 1am) is extra special, as the golden lighting turns off, and the sparkles look extra special!
You can read more about the engineering, history, and schedule of the lights on the Tour Eiffel website here!
Where to Picnic for Views of the Eiffel Tower
In my opinion, the most iconic place to have a picnic near the Eiffel Tower is on the Champ de Mars.
The Champ de Mars is a large stretch of green space directly in front of the Eiffel Tower. You may have even seen it in famous movies or tv shows!
The park opened in the late 1700s and today is used as a communal space for Parisians and tourists alike to enjoy Paris. Its 60 acres make it an ideal place to enjoy the incredible views of the Eiffel Tower that towers over it (see what I did there?!).
The best part? The Champ de Mars is completely free to access for everyone! This of course means it gets busy, which is why it’s important to arrive early!
Note: If you want to climb the Eiffel Tower too, I highly recommend purchasing a ticket in advance to avoid long lines!
If you find the Champ de Mars too crowded for your tastes, there are other popular spots around Paris to have a picnic with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
The second most popular option for an Eiffel Tower picnic is to find a place to sit along the Seine River. Because the Seine snakes through the heart of Paris, there are plenty of spots along its banks to have a picnic with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
If you want to be up close and personal, you can try to find a seat near the Pont de Bir Hakeim or Pont d’Iéna. One of the most popular spots, however, is near or along the famous and ornate Pont Alexandre III.
Lastly, another option for a picnic with epic views of the Eiffel Tower is across the Seine river at the Trocadero Gardens! These gardens offer a stunning vantage point of the Tower and are adorned with beautiful fountains and statues.
This is a popular place to visit in Paris for beautiful Eiffel Tower views, and there are also manicured lawns to have a picnic on!
What to Pack for your Eiffel Tower Picnic
Picnic Essentials
Now that you’ve picked out where and when you are going to have your Eiffel Tower picnic, it’s time to figure out what to pack! We will cover food and drink in the next section, but for now, let’s talk about things to bring from home and/or your hotel.
First up, you’ll want to bring a small picnic blanket (or makeshift blanket) with you in case the ground is wet or rough. For example, we were glad to have my little beach pashmina with us to use on the Champ de Mars since the grass was a little wet!
You can easily use something like this, or you can go all out and bring a true picnic blanket! I personally did not want to lug a picnic blanket around Europe for two weeks that I knew I would only use once, so we went with the pashmina.
Next, make sure to bring some sort of reusable bag or large purse to carry all your picnic essentials plus whatever food you buy for your picnic in! Again, I recommend bringing something you can use throughout your travels instead of an actual picnic basket you might use only once.
If you plan on drinking wine during your Eiffel Tower picnic (as you should) there are a few other items you will need. You can bring your own cups, or try to get paper cups from a nearby store!
In case the bottles of wine you buy are not screw off, most liquor stores will open them for you. Luckily, there are no open container laws in France, so you are free to walk through the street with an open bottle of wine. How great is that?!
In addition, if you plan to be there awhile, having a small, insulated wine bag like this one is a great addition to ensure your wine stays cold.
Food and Drink
Now, let’s talk about what food and drink to bring for your Eiffel Tower picnic! Of course, this totally depends on what time you are having your picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower.
For example, maybe you are doing a breakfast picnic, so all you need is a croissant and coffee to go from a local cafe! This makes it super easy with minimal pre-planning required.
However, if you want a more elaborate lunch or dinner picnic, you may need to bring or pick up some additional items like utensils, napkins, or potentially even plates.
During our Eiffel Tower picnic, we tried to pack the least amount possible, so we decided to make a little charcuterie board we could eat with our hands (no utensils or plates required).
We stopped by a little market we found off the Champ de Mars to grab the items we wanted, including a baguette, cheese, meat, fruit, and some nuts! In addition, we grabbed two bottles of wine from a nearby liquor store.
You can simply just wander around the area by the Eiffel Tower and find a market to grab food and drinks for your picnic from.
Or, if you want to have more of a plan, consider heading to a Franprix or Monoprix, which are French supermarkets that can be found scattered around the 7th arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower!
Note: Keep in mind that most local markets and bakeries are only open in the mornings. So, if you are planning a dinner picnic, you’ll either need to shop earlier in the day, or be prepared to go to a chain grocery store like Franprix.
Organized Picnics
If the logistics of planning a Paris picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower overwhelms you, I have another option to check out!
There are several different companies in Paris who will set up a custom picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower for you!
This takes away all the stress of planning and shopping so you can simply enjoy the romantic vibes. (This is also a great option if you are trying to surprise your significant other!)
You can check out the options on websites like Viator and AirBnB Experiences, or check out some local companies directly like Picnic Like a Parisian.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you picnic by the Eiffel Tower?
Yes! Having a picnic by the Eiffel Tower is one of the best things to do in Paris! This guide will cover a few different spots to picnic, but the most popular one is in front of the Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars lawn.
Can you bring food to the Eiffel Tower?
You can bring a “reasonable amount of food and drink” if you plan on climbing the Eiffel Tower. However, this is determined by staff. If you want to picnic at the Eiffel Tower, skip going up and do it outside the Tower instead!
Where to buy food for an Eiffel Tower picnic?
There are plenty of stores around the Eiffel Tower to buy food from if you want to picnic! You can hit up a local market during the day, or visit a Franprix or Monoprix grocery store at any time of day.
How much does it cost to eat at the Eiffel Tower?
There are a few different options for eating at the actual Eiffel Tower. Besides a few quick-service food options, there are two restaurants at the Eiffel Tower, one on the first floor and one on the second floor. Prices vary depending on if you are eating breakfast, lunch or dinner. However, expect to pay a pretty penny! For example, the cheapest option is 90 euros per person for dinner at Madame Brasserie.
Other Things to Do in Paris
Before we wrap up this guide on how to have a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, I wanted to touch on some other activities to check out while you are in Paris! Here are my top recommendations:
- Go on a Seine River dinner cruise (this was the most romantic thing we did in Paris!)
- See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre & wander through the Tuileries Garden
- Explore some hidden gems in Paris
- Climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe
- Take a day trip to Versailles (if you have 3 days in Paris or more, I highly recommend this!)
Or, check out my other Paris blog posts below! ⬇️ 🇫🇷
Visiting Paris For The First Time: 10 Things To Know!
Where To Stay In Paris For First Time Visitors: Detailed Guide
3 Days In Paris: The Perfect Paris Itinerary
Day Trip From Paris To Versailles: A Complete Guide
19 AMAZING Things To Do In Paris At Night!
5 BEST Dinner Cruises In Paris: Prices, Duration, & More
The 7 Best Day Trips From Paris By Train: A Complete Guide
How To Spend 4 Days In Paris: The Ultimate 4 Day Paris Itinerary
A Perfect Packing List For Paris For Every Season!
15 Hidden Gems In Paris You HAVE To Visit!
How To Have A PERFECT Picnic At The Eiffel Tower In Paris
London Vs Paris: Which European City Should YOU Visit?
The BEST 7 Day London And Paris Itinerary!
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