What to See & Do in Paris ⋆ Secrets and techniques of Paris

La Fête Nationale celebrating the 1789 French Revolution is likely one of the largest holidays in France, with a preferred navy parade and flyover on the Champs-Elysées and a night of fireworks and music on the Eiffel Tower. However there are a lot of extra occasions going down all through the town to have fun, and most of them are free!

The Navy Parade on the Avenue des Champs Elysées

The Bastille Day navy parade returns to the Champs-Élysées on July 14th, 2025, after relocating to Avenue Foch in 2024 because of the Olympic Video games. As at all times, spectators can count on a powerful present of navy may, that includes 1000’s of troops, armored autos, cavalry, and a flyover of plane and helicopters. The 2-hour parade from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde begins at 10am. With highway closures and safety checkpoints, it’s greatest to reach early—many metro stations across the Champs-Élysées will probably be closed from 6:30am. For everybody else, you possibly can watch it stay streaming on French TV (France 2).

This 12 months’s occasion opens with a solemn ceremony on the Arc de Triomphe to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Committee of the Flame, which has maintained the everlasting flame over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier since 1925. President Macron will attend alongside navy leaders and youth representatives, with a particular musical piece—Tout feu, tout flamme—composed for the event. After the tribute, the president will descend the avenue by command automobile, reviewing the assembled troops earlier than reaching the official tribune at Place de la Concorde.

The favored flyover begins at roughly 10:25am with the Patrouille de France tracing their bleu-blanc-rouge plumes throughout the skies of Paris in an eight-aircraft formation, adopted by 63 plane representing the French armed forces and allied nations together with the UK, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. You’ll be able to see them from any location in Paris that provides you a transparent view of the skies above the town as they move west to east (any bridges or quays alongside the Seine from Pont Alexander III to Pont d’Austerlitz are a reasonably positive guess).

Observe: When you can’t make the parade (or hate crowds), you may catch the follow flyovers and processions within the days main as much as Bastille Day on July ninth from 2:30-4:30pm at Place de la Concorde and alongside the Avenue des Champs Elysées.

As soon as the planes move overhead, the parade continues with marching troops, starting with navy faculties and adopted by operational items. Indonesia is the visitor of honor for 2025, with Indonesian troops and probably plane taking part within the parade alongside French forces. This 12 months’s highlight features a Franco-Finnish joint pressure, a mine-clearing flotilla, troops from New Caledonia and the French navy’s volunteer service, in addition to a space-focused air base. Among the many parade’s new highlights is the debut of the Gendarmerie’s “Centaure” armored intervention autos.

The mounted Republican Guard, with 196 horses and a full regimental band, closes the parade, adopted by a coordinated efficiency marking the centenary of the Bleuet de France (the blue cornflower represents France’s remembrance for battle victims, veterans, and survivors of terrorism), held all alongside the Champs-Élysées: Place de la Concorde, the roundabout at Place Clemenceau, and the Arc de Triomphe. This public tribute consists of youth cadets from nationwide service applications and a musical finale that includes former gendarmes-turned-musicians Yvard and Eloïz, who will sing La Marseillaise and “On sera là” (We’ll be there), the anthem of the Bleuet de France, accompanied by the Marine Troops Band:

A Somber Facet Observe
When you’ve seen the Bastille Day Parade earlier than, be ready for a slight change from custom: in accordance with the official press launch, this 12 months’s parade will strongly emphasize “operational readiness” over ceremony, with many troopers marching in full fight gear as an alternative of gown uniforms. The seventh Armored Brigade will parade each on foot and aboard its armored autos, together with Leclerc tanks, Caesar self-propelled weapons, and the Scorpion line of navy autos. That is supposedly meant to indicate that the 2025 parade is greater than a patriotic ritual exhibiting how properly they will march in unison, however is as an alternative meant to indicate France’s capacity to quickly deploy a full fight brigade anyplace on the earth in response to new international threats. For Europeans, Ukraine will not be that far-off.

Full Video of Final Yr’s Parade

Bastille Day Official Parade Schedule

Solely the navy would give these exact timings, I do know I’ll be prepared with the stopwatch! 😉

• 9:30am: Completion of the positioning of the foot and motorized troops at Place Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile (Arc de Triomphe) and inspection of the troops by the final officers.
• 9:55am: Arrival of the President Macron on the Arc de Triomphe, welcomed by Military Common Thierry Burkhard (Chief of the Protection Workers), Lieutenant Common Loïc Mizon (Navy Governor of Paris), and Retired Lieutenant Common Christophe de Saint Chamas (President of the Flame Committee underneath the Arc de Triomphe).
• 10:07-10:17am: Presidential overview of the troops and his descent down the Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde, the place he’s obtained by the first and 2nd infantry regiments of the Republican Guard.
• 10:25am: Aerial parade of 63 navy planes (everybody’s favourite half!)
• 10:35am: Parade of foot troops, starting with this 12 months’s Visitor of Honor (Indonesia) and cadets of the French navy faculties, adopted by 5618 women and men of the French armed companies.
• 11:22am: Aerial parade of 33 helicopters.
• 11:26am: Starting of the parade of motorized troops (155 autos and 92 bikes). These go so gradual (additionally appear to get caught in site visitors jams, lol) you might have loads of time for pics.
• 11:42am: Starting of the parade of 200 horseback troops of the Republican Guard.
• 11:46am: Remaining efficiency celebrating 100 years of the Bleuet de France and La Marseillaise
• 12:00pm: Departure of the President.

Suggestions for Attending the Parade

About 25,000 individuals will probably be allowed into the “corrals” alongside the Champs Elysées to observe in particular person, so get there no later than 9am if you wish to get entry (and be ready to face). The police will funnel everybody via a number of checkpoints, so don’t deliver something like umbrellas, glass bottles, pocket knives, and so on, which will probably be confiscated by safety earlier than you’re allowed to entry the areas reserved for spectators. Alcohol can be prohibited in any container.

Many metro and RER stations within the space are closed for your entire morning and thru 2pm, so count on huge bottlenecks on facet streets as everybody tries to stroll from the few open metro stations to the Champs-Elysées itself (Miromesnil on the north facet of the Champs-Elysées and Alma-Marceau on the south facet are common). Vélib bike stations are locked within the space, and you might encounter giant crowds blocking the streets should you come by yourself bike. Observe that it’s normally not possible to cross the Champs-Elysées, so plan accordingly. In any case, be ready for lengthy walks and put on an enormous hat for the solar or rain!

You will get an inside peek of what’s it like on this Secrets and techniques of Paris Neighborhood members-only article, “Secrets and techniques of Paris Bastille Day Recap.”

Bonus Supplies for Navy Geeks

The French Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Air & House Forces) created its personal interactive web site for the flyover of their navy planes (avions) and helicopters: https://defile14juillet.fr/ Whenever you open the location, click on on the display and provides it a couple of seconds to load; you need to then see this display beneath:

It reveals on the left the order of the plane within the parade flyover, with textual content on the precise for each (click on on the person craft to make it pop up). The textual content is all in French, however you need to have the ability to activate the “translate web page” operate in your browser (I simply right-click on my mouse and select “translate” on my PC) to learn it in English:

When you actually need to geek out and may perceive (or are prepared to auto-translate) French, you possibly can obtain the Minister of the Military’s media booklet with the entire schedule and pictures with very detailed descriptions of the navy autos and troopers, together with their historical past and stats.

Meet the French Navy at Invalides

From 10am to 7:30pm, the general public is invited to the Hôtel des Invalides for Les Français à la rencontre de leur armée (“The French meet their armed forces”), an enormous open-house occasion the place the general public can meet French service members, discover navy gear up shut, and uncover cutting-edge improvements in protection. The whole web site—together with the Cour d’Honneur, the gardens, the moats, and the esplanade of Les Invalides will probably be crammed with exhibitions, demonstrations, and interactive experiences.

Guests can discover dozens of navy autos, together with helicopters, armored autos, and boats from all branches of the French navy. The Protection Innovation Company will current sixty new applied sciences within the Cour d’Honneur, overlaying themes like engagement, assist, coaching, house, and safety. Within the surrounding gardens and moats, there will probably be drone zones, re-enactments, and interactive workshops—together with an opportunity to make Bleuet de France remembrance flowers. Youthful guests can attempt impediment programs and bodily challenges, whereas recruitment cubicles and historic shows spherical out this system.

Reside demonstrations will happen all through the day, that includes navy working canines, close-combat coaching, VR simulators, and hearth security drills. On the Esplanade, a recreated navy base will showcase ten helicopters and a spread of fight autos, whereas a Mirage 2000 and Alpha Jet will probably be on view close by. For these much less within the battle machines, there will probably be a discipline bakery promoting pastries and music offered by bands from the Overseas Legion, the Marine Troops, and conventional Breton pipers. Contained in the historic Turenne Corridor, a blood donation drive organized by the Military’s transfusion heart can even be open to the general public (that you must be fluent in French for the medical interview to take part).

Whether or not you’re into navy reveals or not, I extremely advocate checking it out. There’s a lot to see and do — at all times one thing shocking every year I’ve attended — and it’s 100% free. And even when there are lots of people, you’ll see extra up shut than you possibly can throughout the parade. Click on on the photographs to see them full-size with captions:

The Bal des Pompiers

The standard Bal des Pompiers (Firefighters’ Ball) takes place every year on the eve and evening of Bastille Day. For 2025, festivities will happen on July twelfth and thirteenth (as a result of the 14th falls on a Monday this 12 months). Though every station, or “caserne” in French, is free to make their very own hours, usually the events normally begin within the night round 9pm and end at 4am. The occasions are free in principle, however a €5 entry payment is normally charged, and raffle tickets are bought to assist elevate funds to enhance the working circumstances of the firefighters or native charities. Music is normally a DJ however typically stay bands play early within the night, and there are at all times foods and drinks stands.

Bal des Pompiers on July twelfth:

• Caserne Montmartre: 12 Rue Carpeaux, 18th arrondissement

Bal des Pompiers on July thirteenth:

• Caserne Blanche: 28 Rue Blanche, ninth arrondissement
• Caserne Boursault: 27 Rue Boursault, seventeenth arrondissement
• Caserne Bitche: 2 Place de Bitche, nineteenth arrondissement
• Caserne Ménilmontant: 47 Rue Saint-Fargeau, twentieth arrondissement

Ready for 2025 Affirmation (Assume July thirteenth):

• Caserne Rousseau: 21 Rue du Jour, 1st arrondissement
• Caserne Sévigné: 7 Rue de Sévigné, 4th arrondissement
• Caserne La Monnaie: 11 Quai de Conti, sixth arrondissement
• Caserne Colombier: 11 Rue du Vieux-Colombier, sixth arrondissement
• Caserne Chaligny: 26 Rue Chaligny, twelfth arrondissement
• Caserne Masséna: 37 Boulevard Masséna, thirteenth arrondissement
• Caserne Port Royal: 55 Boulevard de Port-Royal, thirteenth arrondissement
• Caserne Grenelle: 6 Place Violet, fifteenth arrondissement

WARNING: Whereas they’re a ton of enjoyable, they’re additionally very crowded, so be ready to attend in traces for all the pieces from entrance to meals to loos and watch your belongings for pick-pockets. This video by Lisa Anselmo of “My (Half-Time) Parisian Life” provides you a way of the ambiance:

And don’t suppose that I forgot to share the well-known “teaser” video of the Strasbourg Bal des Pompiers for 2025, take pleasure in!

There Will Be Fireworks

The fireworks present and stay musical live performance on the Eiffel Tower is going down as typical beginning at 9pm on the Champs de Mars with a classical music live performance that includes the Orchestre Nationwide de France, the Radio France Choir, and varied soloists. It is going to be broadcast stay on France 2 tv (and on many YouTube feeds), with the Marseillaise sung for the finale. There’s at all times a theme, however in 2025 there will probably be three matters honored throughout the occasion: The Seine River, the ten years of the Paris Settlement, and Brazil (as a part of the six-month Brazil-France cultural season). The official description: “Within the Parisian sky, colours evoking Brazil, Belém and the Amazon will take us on a journey… earlier than returning to Paris by the Seine, a dwelling artery connecting the banks of historical past earlier than concluding with a sequence devoted to like, friendship and solidarity. A well-liked celebration punctuated by songs of all genres and all generations!’

The fireworks above the Eiffel Tower start at 11pm and final for about 35 minutes. Like final 12 months there will probably be over a thousand tiny drones along with the standard fireworks. Many individuals camp out on the Champ de Mars all day to have a front-row seat, however you possibly can see this present from anyplace with a view of the Eiffel Tower (however should you’re too far to listen to the synchronized music, attempt tuning into the stay streaming on France 2 or France Infos).

Right here’s the recording of the 2020 present:

Bastille Day Picnic and Celebration Guidelines

When you’re going to picnic on the Champ de Mars for Bastille Day, know that there will probably be an enormous police safety presence, identical to the Champs-Elysées, and you’ll probably need to undergo one of many 4 checkpoints earlier than getting into. Knives (even in your picnic) and glass bottles of any type are prohibited, in addition to all alcohol after 4pm.

Even though you’ll see everybody making an attempt to get away with popping open beers and wine throughout Paris, there are fairly strict legal guidelines now about alcohol consumption in public. The police will probably flip a blind eye should you’re behaving, however be ready to have your wine or booze (particularly if it’s in a glass bottle) confiscated in the event that they determine to crack down.

The Prefect of Police has banned the “acquisition, possession and use” of firecrackers and fireworks by anybody (besides professionals) in Paris and the encircling Petite Couronne suburbs from July 4th till July fifteenth. So don’t suppose you could pop all the way down to Chinatown within the thirteenth and decide up some sparklers and firecrackers to throw your personal personal rooftop pyrotechnics present.

Parisian Rooftops to Watch the Parade or Fireworks

When you don’t need to watch the navy flyover or the fireworks on the TV and also you don’t have a good view out of your window, the subsequent greatest choice to keep away from the crowds is to attempt to ebook a spot – rapidly! – at one of many many rooftop bars and eating places in Paris. Advance reservations are a should in all circumstances and areas replenish rapidly, such because the Observatory of the Tour de Montparnasse, which is promoting spots throughout the day for €35 (for the fireworks present at evening it’s €90).

Looking for a rooftop to observe the night fireworks present is an excessive sport for Parisians. Both you pay lots to ebook a restaurant or resort rooftop with a view (the Workplace of Tourism lists a couple of on this article), or you might have a “pal who has a pal” with a balcony with a view. In any other case, there aren’t any “secret spots” to observe the place there aren’t huge crowds (even should you watch from the distant hilltops of Belleville or Montmartre). I at all times counsel discovering the most effective view you possibly can inside acceptable strolling distance again to the place you’re staying that evening. 😉

Different Bastille Day Actions

Bastille Day on the Water

You’ll be able to watch the fireworks present proper on the Seine with a cruise on the Bateaux Parisiens (from €80/particular person for only a field meal and commentary, or €195-€270/particular person for the complete dinner cruises (relying on the place you sit); the Vedettes du Pont Neuf presents a luxurious boat cruise and dinner on the foot of the Eiffel Tower (€219/particular person); Les Bateaux Mouches has dinner cruises with a stay band and singer from €250; and Captain Fracasse has connoisseur dinner cruises with Champagne from €199 (together with a vegan choice).

You received’t see something occurring on the opposite facet of Paris, but it surely’s the right daytime escape to flee the crowds on the Canal de l’Ourcq with your mates in a self-drive electrical boat with Akwa, no license or prior boating expertise wanted. These quiet, eco-friendly boats are straightforward to navigate and are available varied sizes—together with one with a built-in electrical BBQ grill for cooking onboard – for 4 to 11 individuals. Leases begin at €45 (one hour on a small boat) as much as €525 (5 hours on the BBQ boat). You may also pre-order tapas and picnic baskets (from €14) or a collection of non-alcoholic drinks (you can even BYOB, however the particular person driving the boat can’t drink).

And naturally Paris Plage will probably be open all day and night on the Quays of the Seine, Canal Sanit-Martin, and the Bassin de la Villette.

Museums and Monuments Open on Bastille Day

Bastille Day 2025 falls on a Monday, which implies that even when it wasn’t a vacation, municipal museums, smaller eating places and boutiques could be closed. However there are lots nonetheless open on July 14th, together with the Louvre (with free entry for everybody; reservations open only a few days prematurely and promote out quick!), the Military Museum at Invalides, the Pure Historical past Museum within the Jardin des Plantes, l’Orangerie (however solely within the afternoon, already full for 2025), Musée Jacquemart-André, Musée du Luxembourg, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Musée Maillol, Guimet Asian Arts Museum, Musée Montmartre, Musée de l’Homme, Hôtel de la Marine, and the Méliès Cinema Museum on the Cinémathèque. Monuments such because the Eiffel Tower (within the morning, largely bought out), Arc de Triomphe (within the afternoon), Le Conciergerie, Panthéon, Château de Vincennes, and Château Vaux-le-Vicomte will probably be open. Church buildings (Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur) and cemeteries are open their typical hours. As typical, ebook on-line prematurely to ensure you get in!

What Else is Open on Bastille Day, July 14th?

Meals & Eating: Basically, extra issues are open than in previous years. The open-air markets are closed as typical on Mondays, however most supermarkets and comfort shops are both open all day or simply for the morning, and the various eating places and cafés are open as typical, so that you received’t threat ravenous should you haven’t deliberate forward. When you’re in search of some suggestions to get began, take a look at Paris By Mouth’s evaluations of eating places open on Monday (name to substantiate they’re open July 14th should you can’t reserve on-line).

Procuring: The soldes (summer season gross sales) are nonetheless going robust via July twenty second, and outlets aren’t about to overlook out on a day when nobody has to work. So many bigger outlets will probably be open, together with:

Parks & Swimming pools: Some municipal companies will probably be closed like libraries and city halls (mairies), however the parks are all open, and some public swimming pools will probably be open as nicely: Suzanne Berlioux (Les Halles) within the 1st, Roger Le Gall within the twelfth, Josephine Baker within the thirteenth, Aspirant Dunand within the 14th, Aquaboulevard and Keller within the fifteenth, Champerret within the seventeenth, Pailleron and George Hermant within the nineteenth, and Georges Vallerey within the twentieth.

Outside Enjoyable

The festive Fête des Tuileries has opened for the summer season with the Ferris wheel, stomach-emptying rides, barbe-à-papa (cotton sweet) and whack-a-mole video games. Open every day on the Jardin des Tuileries, 11am-midnight (free entry, tickets may be bought for particular person rides), though it could open in a while the 14^th because of the official ceremony going down proper subsequent door on the Place de la Concorde within the morning.

When you’d prefer to get out of the center of the town, the Jardin d’Acclimatation within the Bois de Boulogne is a enjoyable escape, together with the funfair rides extra applicable for youthful youngsters (and anybody who doesn’t like rides that make you puke up your lunch).

Parks and Gardens Open Till Midnight

Most parks and gardens in Paris shut at sundown if they’ve gates. However from July 5-September 7 there are a lot of parks that keep open till midnight, together with:

Parks and Gardens Open 24/7

And every time the town is experiencing a “canicule” warmth wave with temperatures going above 35°C/95°F, there are seven parks open 24/7:

Public Transport Notes

Examine the RATP web site for station closures throughout the day. Often stations all alongside the Champs-Elysées and across the Place de la Concorde are closed throughout the navy ceremony, and stations across the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro are closed throughout the fireworks.  When you do plan on going out, take into account that even when the Paris metro extends its hours prefer it normally does throughout the Fête Nationale, be certain you might have a strong Plan B to get your self residence should you’re out after 12:45pm. Vélib’ service may be affected (ie bikes are locked at sure stations to forestall vandalism), so pack your comfortable footwear if that you must hoof it residence.

Metro & RER Station Closures – July 14th

Morning Closures (6:30am–2pm):
As a result of navy parade, a number of stations alongside the Champs-Élysées and central Paris will probably be closed within the morning:

• Line 1: Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, George V, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Champs-Élysées–Clémenceau, Concorde, Tuileries
• Line 2: Charles de Gaulle–Étoile
• Line 8: Concorde
• Line 12: Concorde
• Line 13: Champs-Élysées–Clémenceau
• RER A: Charles de Gaulle–Étoile

Afternoon/Night Closures:
Further stations will shut beginning at varied occasions later within the day, particularly across the Eiffel Tower and fireworks zones:

• From 3pm:
  • RER C: Champ-de-Mars–Tour Eiffel
• From 7pm:
  • Line 6: Cambronne, Kléber, Passy, Trocadéro, Bir-Hakeim, Dupleix
  • Line 8: École Militaire, Invalides, La Tour-Maubourg
  • Line 9: Trocadéro, Alma-Marceau, Iéna, Rue de la Pompe
  • Line 10: Most western stations (Javel–André Citroën via Ségur)
  • Line 13: Invalides, Saint-François-Xavier, Varenne
  • RER C: Pont de l’Alma, Avenue du Président Kennedy, Javel, Invalides
• From 11pm–11:30pm:
  • Line 6 & 8: La Motte-Picquet–Grenelle, Boissière, Sèvres-Lecourbe
  • Line 10: La Motte-Picquet–Grenelle
  • Line 6: Boissière, La Motte-Picquet–Grenelle, Sèvres-Lecourbe

Buses & Trams:
On each July 13 and 14, bus and tram service will cease by 10pm. Nonetheless, metro and RER trains will run on their common schedules till 1:30am (besides on the closed stations listed above).

Did You Know?

First celebrated in 1790 to mark the one-year anniversary of the July 14^th storming of the Bastille jail that kicked off the French Revolution, it was initially known as the Fête de la Fédération. And since the Revolution hadn’t fairly but entered “Terror” mode – they have been nonetheless testing the Constitutional Monarchy mannequin – King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette have been even allowed to depart their heavily-surveillanced residence on the Tuileries Palace to attend the occasion as “King and Queen of the French”.