These are the 20 Best Spots to See the Cherry Blossom in Paris (Your Personal Spring Guide and Some Bonus Spots)

Spring in Paris is like stepping into a painting where every corner pops with color. As the city shakes off its winter coat, pink and white cherry blossoms fill the trees, and wisteria climbs over the walls.

There’s something magical about strolling along the Seine with blossoms drifting like confetti in the breeze. It’s the season when the city feels most alive. The cafés are buzzing, parks are filled with people enjoying picnics, and the scent of spring is in the air.

But where are the best spots to see the cherry blossom in Paris? While the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame are always showstoppers, the hidden gems, like Parc de Sceaux, tucked away in quiet neighborhoods, really steal the show. Some spots are well-known, while others feel like your own secret discovery.

For me, the place I keep going back to so I can see the blossoms is just outside my favorite bookstore, Shakespeare & Company. It combines two things I love: beautiful blooms and books. I wonder which will be your favorite? Let’s dive in and discover the best places to see the cherry blossoms in Paris.

A Quick Guide Reference: Where To See The Cherry Blossom In Paris

This list is a quick overview of my 20 favorite spots, making it easy to see at a glance which arrondissement to visit and which metro to catch.

Location	Arrondissement	Nearest Metro
Parc de Sceaux	Outside Paris	Bourg-la-Reine (RER B)
Jardin des Plantes	5th	Jussieu (Lines 7, 10)
Square Jean XXIII next to Notre Dame	4th	Cité (Line 4)
Notre Dame Cathedral	4th	Cité (Line 4)
Parc Monceau	8th	Monceau (Line 2)
Square Gabriel Pierné	6th	Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Line 4)
Champs de Mars	7th	École Militaire (Line 8)
Petit Palais	8th	Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau (Lines 1, 13)
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont	19th	Buttes Chaumont (Line 7bis)
Square René Viviani	5th	Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (RER B, C; Line 4)
Shakespeare and Company	5th	Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (RER B, C; Line 4)
Parc Georges Brassens	15th	Porte de Vanves (Line 13)
Jardin Anne Frank	3rd	Rambuteau (Line 11)
Rue Monge in the Latin Quarter	5th	Place Monge (Line 7)
Jardins des Serres d’Auteuil	16th	Porte d’Auteuil (Line 10)
Montmartre	18th	Abbesses (Line 12)
Père Lachaise Cemetery	20th	Père Lachaise (Lines 2, 3)
Jardins du Trocadéro	16th	Boissière (Line 6)
Square Paul Langevin	5th	Jussieu (Lines 7, 10)
Place Franz Liszt	10th	Poissonnière (Line 7)

Spring Time In Paris

No matter where I am in France, I love the springtime, but spring in Paris is on a whole other level. 

March and April are my favorite months to visit Paris, as this is when the city is at its best.

The parks and gardens come alive, and outdoor living resumes with picnics and walks along the River Seine. The coffee shops are buzzing, and it’s lovely to see the tables outside full of people watching the world go by.

Paris Cherry Blossom Season

Cherry blossom season in Paris typically begins in late March and can last until mid-April. The exact timing of the blooms can vary slightly each year, depending on winter weather conditions and early-spring temperatures. 

To catch the cherry blossoms at their peak, planning a visit in early April is often your best bet. This is when the city’s cherry trees will most likely be in full bloom, transforming parks and streets with beautiful pink and white flowers.

It’s the time when I take the most photos as I can’t resist filling my phone with pictures of the cherry trees. It’s nature at its best, and every arrondissement has something different to offer.

Blossom in French

I’ve been learning French for a while now, and we always do some conversational stuff at the end. Last week, we talked about the cherry blossom, and as I’m about to head off to Paris again in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be good to remind myself of the words in French.

We always complain that French is a hard language to learn, but often, they make things quite simple, especially when it comes to fruit trees. 

Rather than saying the name of the fruit followed by the word for tree, as we would do, they add “ier” at the end of the name of the fruit.

So the word for cherry is “cerise”, so cherry tree is “cerisier”.

The French word for blossom is “fleuraison,” so cherry blossom is “fleur de cerisier.”

Wisteria in Paris

Wisteria in Paris typically blooms a bit later than the cherry blossoms, with the best displays usually seen from mid-April to early May.

It’s quite a sight, as so many house facades, gardens, and courtyards in the city have cascading clusters of purple and white flowers.

Best Places To See Cherry Blossom In Paris

Whenever I visit Paris in the spring, I find a new place to add to my cherry blossom list. 

Here, you’ll find them in order of their popularity, but as always, this type of thing is very subjective, and the places I love might not be the ones you love. 

The best thing to do is use this list as a starting point, so you know where to go, and then make your own shortlist.

No 1 Shakespeare and Company

My favorite cherry blossom spot in Paris is Shakespeare and Company. This literary institution dates back to 1919 when Sylvia Beach first opened its doors on Rue Dupuytren before moving to its famous location on Rue de l’Odéon in 1922. 

It became a gathering place for the Lost Generation of writers, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce, whom Beach famously supported and published. 

The current shop, opened in 1951 by George Whitman under the name “Le Mistral” and later renamed in honor of Beach’s original store, continues this legacy as a sanctuary for writers, readers, and dreamers. 

The cherry trees in front of the shop are just lovely, and whenever I’m in Paris in the spring, I try to stay in a nearby hotel so I can go there early with a coffee and sit and look at the Notre Dame in the background.

Best Spot for Photos: Face the bookshop, with its iconic green and yellow signage and weathered bookstands outside, in the small square opposite the shop, so you get the backdrop of the Seine, Notre Dame, and the trees. 

TOP TIP! Go early in the morning if you want a picture without hundreds of people in it. The bookshop is popular, and crowds are often waiting to get in, so be an early bird like me, and you’ll be snapping away.

📍  5th Arrondissement | 🚆 Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (RER B, C; Line 4)

No 2 Parc de Sceaux

Parc de Sceaux isn’t actually in Paris itself, but just outside. However, it’s still easy to get to by train and is well worth going if you want to see cherry trees en masse. 

The park was designed by André Le Nôtre, the gardener of King Louis XIV, which gives it a grandeur reminiscent of that period in France.

The area around it is lovely and full of history, including the Château de Sceaux, which houses the Musée de l’Île-de-France, a museum dedicated to the history and art of the Île-de-France region.

The trees here are among the first to bloom in spring, including the Yoshino and Somei-Yoshino varieties. At the end of March, the annual “Hanami” festival, inspired by the Japanese tradition of enjoying the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, is held here.

Best Spot for Photos: The central alley of Parc de Sceaux, lined with cherry trees, is a popular spot for pictures. As the blossoms reach their peak, this pathway transforms into a stunning pink tunnel, with the Château de Sceaux in the background.

📍 Outside Paris | 🚆 Bourg-la-Reine (RER B)

No 3 Jardin des Plantes

I love this area, as it’s right in the heart of Paris, in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank. It’s filled with beautiful old buildings, bookshops, cozy cafés, and coffee shops. 

You’ll also find some big tourist attractions, like the Panthéon and Sorbonne University.

Jardin des Plantes is Paris’s main botanical garden and part of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, so there is plenty to see and do here.

The garden has several different varieties of cherry trees, and some magnolias, and the greenhouses have a huge array of plant life if you fancy taking a look.

Best Spot for Photos: Near the garden’s south end is a small orchard where the pink and white blossoms frame the glasshouses. It’s absolutely the best spot for a picture.

📍 5th Arrondissement | 🚆 Jussieu (Lines 7, 10)

No 4 Square Jean XXIII, next to Notre Dame

It doesn’t get much more Paris than the 4th arrondissement and the Île de la Cité, one of two natural islands in the Seine River. 

And here you’ll find one of the most iconic Paris landmarks, Notre Dame, currently undergoing restoration after the fire. 

The nearby streets are lined with cafes and souvenir shops, and the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle are just a short walk away.

Best Spot for Photos: The garden itself, with its lawns, flowerbeds, and Notre Dame in the background, is the place for photos. Early-morning light or late-afternoon golden hours are particularly magical, as everything has a soft glow. The blossoms here are among the most photographed in Paris.

📍  4th Arrondissement | 🚆 Cité (Line 4)

No 5 Notre Dame Cathedral

Just across from the last spot is Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been rebuilt and is once again open to the public after the 2019 fire.

On a small public square to the south of the cathedral, you’ll find the cherry trees. And this is also the best spot for pictures.

📍  4th Arrondissement | 🚆 Cité (Line 4)

No 6 Parc Monceau

In the 8th arrondissement, Parc Monceau is surrounded by Haussmann buildings, art galleries, and boutiques. I love coming here because it feels like an English garden, which makes me feel right at home, being English-born and bred. 

I love the architecture here, too, with all the little follies, including a Renaissance arch and an Egyptian pyramid. If you come earlier in the morning, the light filters through the trees, and it’s just gorgeous.

Best Spot for Photos: The most picturesque spot in Parc Monceau is undoubtedly near the classical colonnade that overlooks a small pond.  

📍  8th Arrondissement | 🚆 Monceau (Line 2)

No 7 Square Gabriel Pierné

Another favorite area of mine in Paris is Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the 6th arrondissement. In times gone by, it was a real writer’s haunt. The likes of Ernest Hemingway spent time writing in places like Les Deux Magots, and creativity just seems to ooze from every wall. 

Square Gabriel Pierné is a stone’s throw from the Institut de France, and although it’s only small, it’s a favorite spot for tourists looking to find some beautiful blossoms in the city of love. 

Best Spot for Photos: Go right into the middle of the square, looking towards the fountain, and you’ll get a great picture. You’ll have the buildings in the background, and the ironwork on the benches adds depth.

📍  6th Arrondissement | 🚆 Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Line 4)

No 8 Champs de Mars

Another hugely popular place is the Champs de Mars in the 7th arrondissement, with the Eiffel Tower in the background and museums like the Musée d’Orsay and Les Invalides close by. 

Originally, this big green space was used for planting and cultivating fruit and veg. But it wasn’t really conducive to growing things, and later it became a military training ground, complete with a military school, the École Militaire.

Now, the landscaped area has lovely walkways and picnic areas, and cherry trees line the paths in the spring, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Best Spot for Photos: The most iconic photographs of the Champs de Mars feature the Eiffel Tower rising in the background. The best spots are the gardens directly beneath the tower, where the juxtaposition of nature’s softness with the iron lattice creates a stunning contrast. 

📍  7th Arrondissement | 🚆 École Militaire (Line 8)

No 9 Petit Palais

The Petit Palais is in the 8th arrondissement, home to the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, leading up to the Arc de Triomphe and the hub of luxury shopping. The Petit Palais was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle and serves as the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. 

The gardens have lots of beautiful cherry trees, complemented by curated flower beds and ornamental plants that frame the walkways and seating areas. It’s a peaceful oasis within the bustle of a capital city, perfect if you’re looking for some peace and quiet.

Best Spot for Photos: You can get beautiful pictures near the pond, with the cherry trees reflected in the water or the museum’s stone façade in the background.

📍  8th Arrondissement | 🚆 Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau (Lines 1, 13)

No 10 Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Now we’re going into a less touristy part of Paris, the 19th arrondissement, where the locals enjoy hanging out in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, the fifth-largest park in Paris, built during Napoleon III’s reign.

The only time I’ve been to the 19th was to see the Paris Philharmonic play at Cité de la Musique, which is a bizarre, futuristic looking building with insane acoustics. 

The park actually spreads over two arrondissements; it’s so big and quite rugged in design. There are cascading waterfalls and rocks everywhere, combined with trees coming into blossom. It was featured in the first episode of Season 3 of Emily in Paris.

Great place for a picnic, and you almost don’t realize you’re in Paris.

Best Spot for Photos: For the best picture, go to the Temple de la Sibylle. It sits on the park’s highest cliff, giving panoramic views of the park and the distant silhouette of Montmartre’s Sacré-Cœur. 

📍  19th Arrondissement | 🚆 Buttes Chaumont (Line 7bis)

No 11 Square René Viviani

We’re back in the lively Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement, with its labyrinth of medieval streets echoing the footsteps of Paris’s past. Square René Viviani is a small public garden with the best views of Notre Dame, and is usually devoid of people, as not many people know about it.

It also happens to be the home to the oldest tree in Paris, a Robinia planted in 1601. The tree opened in 1927 and was named after the French prime minister, René Viviani, who was in power during the first year of World War I.

It also happens to be around the corner from my favorite bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, which is next on the list.

Best Spot for Photos: Head for the Saint Julien Fountain. You can’t miss it because it is a strange-looking piece of architecture. Although it wasn’t erected until 1995, it apparently represents the legend of St. Julien the Hospitaller, who killed his mother and father in a case of mistaken identity because of the curse of a witch. 

You couldn’t make this stuff up, could you? Anyway, it makes for a great photo when the cherry trees are in bloom.

📍  5th Arrondissement | 🚆 Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (RER B, C; Line 4)

No 12 Rue Monge in the Latin Quarter

Whilst we’re in the 5th, I wanted to mention Rue Monge, a lovely street in Paris with its cafes, bookshops, and small boutiques, because in the spring, it’s lined with cherry trees, and it’s like walking under a canopy of blossom.

Just around the corner is Odette’s Tea Room, a great place to enjoy a cream puff and views of the cherry blossoms.

Best Spot for Photos: Place Monge Market Square, with all its stalls selling local produce, and the nearby Arènes de Lutèce, one of Paris’s hidden gems and a remnant of the Roman era, are two of the best spots for piccies.

📍  5th Arrondissement | 🚆 Place Monge (Line 7)

No 13 Parc Georges Brassens

Named after the famous French poet and singer Georges Brassens, Parc Georges Brassens occupies the site of the former Vaugirard slaughterhouses, but don’t hold that against it. It’s the 15th arrondissement, which is a predominantly residential district.

The park’s design incorporates elements of its past, including the preserved belfry and the open-air book market, which pays homage to Brassens’s love of literature. 

As well as the cherry trees, there is also a rose garden, a collection of beehives, a vineyard, and a plant and herb garden with medicinal plants, so lots to look at and enjoy.

Best Spot for Photos: Ooh, where do I start? I’d probably say the old horse market turned book market, where you can just feel old Paris among the rows of second-hand books and vintage prints. 

The park’s vine-covered pergola, especially when it’s in bloom, is lovely, too. It provides a natural frame for photographs, with the park’s pond and the old belfry as the backdrop.

📍  15th Arrondissement | 🚆 Porte de Vanves (Line 13)

No 14 Jardin Anne Frank

Situated in the heart of the Marais in the 3rd arrondissement, a district deeply marked by the history of World War II, the Jardin Anne Frank is dedicated to the memory of Anne Frank. 

She was a Jewish teenager who wrote a diary, now famous, while hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II.

The park is a relatively recent addition to Paris’s green spaces, opened in 2007 and hidden behind the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan. The decision to name the garden after Anne Frank and to plant a sapling from the original chestnut tree mentioned in her diary was an act of remembrance and the enduring power of Anne Frank’s legacy.

Whilst the park doesn’t have the abundance of cherry trees that some other places have, its layout is conducive to spending some quiet, reflective time away from the hustle and bustle of Paris.

The Best Spot for Photos has to be the chestnut tree that Anne Frank wrote about in her diary.

📍  3rd Arrondissement | 🚆 Rambuteau (Line 11)

No 15 Jardins des Serres d’Auteuil

The Jardins des Serres d’Auteuil is in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, where you can find attractions such as the Bois de Boulogne, the Palais de Tokyo, and the Maison de la Radio. 

It dates back to the late 17th century when the land was part of the royal estate belonging to Louis XIV. However, the garden as it is known today wasn’t established until 1761 under Louis XV. The purpose was to cultivate medicinal plants for the royal household.

Significantly transformed and expanded in the late 19th century under Jean-Camille Formigé, the chief architect of the City of Paris, the Jardins des Serres d’Auteuil was redesigned to include a greenhouse complex. 

Now the garden is a riot of color in the spring and summer with magnolias, rhododendrons, and azaleas.

Best Spot for Photos: The central feature of the Jardins des Serres d’Auteuil is its magnificent greenhouses; the Palmarium has lots of exotic plants. But really, anywhere outside in the garden is lovely as it’s filled with ornamental ponds and statues, and the seasonal blooms frame the pathways beautifully.

📍  16th Arrondissement | 🚆 Porte d’Auteuil (Line 10)

No 16 Montmartre

Another favorite haunt of mine is Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement. It was the epicenter of modern art movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, home to artists like Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. 

The area’s affordable rents and vibrant community fostered a creative environment that contributed significantly to the development of Impressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. 

Montmartre’s artistic spirit is celebrated in its many studios and galleries, as well as in the Musée de Montmartre, which tells the story of the area’s bohemian past. 

Here, you’ll find one of the city’s most concentrated areas of blossom, and I love sitting in Artist’s Square, taking it all in.

Best Spot for Photos: The best photo opportunities here are found along the quieter streets and hidden courtyards, such as Rue de l’Abreuvoir and Place Émile Goudeau, where the pink blossoms contrast beautifully with the historic facades.

📍  18th Arrondissement | 🚆 Abbesses (Line 12)

No 17 Père Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th arrondissement is the largest cemetery in Paris and one of the most famous burial grounds in the world. Established in 1804 by Napoleon Bonaparte, it was initially outside Paris’s city limits and struggled to attract burials until celebrated figures like Molière and La Fontaine had their remains transferred there.

Today, it houses the graves of icons such as Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and Frédéric Chopin. There is something rather special about the blossoms here, sitting among the lush avenues, ancient mausoleums, and artistic gravestones.

Best Spot for Photos: In reality, anywhere in the graveyard with blossoms will give you a spectacular backdrop.

📍  20th Arrondissement | 🚆 Père Lachaise (Lines 2, 3)

No 18 Jardins du Trocadéro

The Jardins du Trocadéro is in the 16th arrondissement, directly across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The gardens and the Palais de Chaillot were created for the 1937 International Exposition, designed to showcase the art and culture of the time. 

Best Spot for Photos: With sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower, which you’ll no doubt have seen on Instagram, any spot within the gardens is ideal for breathtaking photographs. 

The best shots are from the terraces of the Palais de Chaillot, where the fountains and sculptures of the gardens create a stunning foreground against the tower’s backdrop. 

📍  16th Arrondissement | 🚆 Boissière (Line 6)

No 19 Square Paul Langevin

I keep returning to the Latin Quarter, and I should have kept them all together, but I decided to put the most popular first. Anyway, Square Paul Langevin was named after the renowned French physicist of the same name, in recognition of his work in atomic physics and his active participation in Paris’s scientific and intellectual community.

It’s a lovely green space that bursts into spectacular color in the spring when the blossom is out in force. It is well worth a quick visit if you’re going to some of the other places on the list.

📍  5th Arrondissement | 🚆 Jussieu (Lines 7, 10)

No 20 Place Franz Liszt

As a classical pianist and a big fan of Liszt, I love this square in the 10th arrondissement. This area was historically a working-class neighborhood but has evolved into a lively district with a vibrant mix of cultures and a picturesque Canal Saint-Martin setting that features traditional bistros, trendy cafes, and eclectic shops. 

The square is adorned with cherry blossoms and other spring flowers, bringing a burst of color to the area. 

Best Spot for Photos: The central fountain is the perfect place to capture the prettiness of the place.

📍  10th Arrondissement | 🚆 Poissonnière (Line 7)

Final thoughts: The Paris Cherry Blossom

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Paris at any time of year is wonderful, but there is something special about Paris in bloom. It takes things up a notch.

Whether you’re there for one day or ten, this list is a great starting point for seeing the blossoms in Paris.