Après la nuit tombée · On land
For most people the best Paris night tour is a private golf cart or a vintage 2CV: two hours past the lit monuments, with pickup and room to stop for photos. Here is how they compare with the bus, the bike and doing it on foot.
Updated October 26, 2026 · Prices checked October 26, 2026 · Tour prices refresh daily
Photo: Léonard Cotte / Unsplash
Paris after dark is a different city. The Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre are lit, and from late November the Champs-Élysées glows for Christmas. In November and December the sun sets around 5pm, so a night tour fits before dinner.
This page covers night tours on land: golf carts, vintage cars, an open-top bus, a bike ride and walks you can do yourself, plus when the tower sparkles. If you would rather see the lights from the water, our guide to evening Seine cruises compares the boats.
N° 01Short on time
1erPrivateBest overall
Paris by Golf Cart
A private two-hour golf cart loop past the lit Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, with photo stops at Trocadéro and Pont Alexandre III. Pickup is free in seven central arrondissements.
Free cancellation
From$170.73
private tour; per person or group not stated
2ePrivateBest vintage car
Cédric's Paris
A Parisian driver-guide collects you anywhere in Paris in a classic Citroën 2CV and shapes the route around what you have already seen. It takes three passengers at most, so it suits a couple or a small family.
Free cancellation
From$348.28
private car, up to 3; basis not stated
3eSmall groupBest for active travelers
Boutique Bike Tours
A small-group evening bike ride with a licensed guide on separated bike lanes, finishing with a Seine boat ride that is included. Ages 13 and up, and you need moderate fitness.
Free cancellation
From$66.75
per person
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N° 02En un coup d’œil
Five night tours on land, from a shared bus to a private car. Prices are the lowest listed option. The private tours do not all say whether the price is per person or per group, so check the price basis before you book.
| Tour | Format | Length | Reviews | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris by night private golf cart tourParis by Golf CartCouples and small groups who want to see Paris lit up without walking Free cancellation | Golf cart · private | 2 hours | 5.0064 reviews | $170.73private tour; per person or group not stated | Check |
| Private 2CV by nightCédric's ParisTwo or three people who want the lit-up city from an open-top classic Free cancellation | Vintage car · private | 2 hours | 4.9581 reviews | $348.28private car, up to 3; basis not stated | Check |
| Pink 2CV by nightPinky Tour - ParisA playful, photogenic evening for a couple Free cancellation | Vintage car · private | 2 hours | 4.8250 reviews | $158.21lowest listed option; Champagne option costs more | Check |
| City of Lights Evening Bike Tour + Seine CruiseBoutique Bike ToursActive travelers who want night views by bike and boat Free cancellation | Mixed · small group | 5 hours | 4.92200 reviews | $66.75 | Check |
| Big Bus night tourBig Bus - FranceThe cheapest overview of the lights, if you accept a recorded commentary Free cancellation | Bus · shared | 2 hours | 3.75930 reviews | $32.78 | Check |
N° 03En voiturette
These are the night tours we would book. All three are private, last two hours, and stop when you want a photo. You ride low and close to the street, which beats a bus window.
The golf cart is the most complete loop: the illuminated Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro, Pont Alexandre III, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre. Pickup is free in the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th arrondissements; otherwise you meet at Place Vauban. Bottled water and onboard WiFi are included, and one booking can take up to 12 people. The listing does not say whether the price is per person or for the whole cart, so check the price basis before you pay.
PrivateParis by Golf Cart
Free cancellation
From$170.73
private tour; per person or group not stated
This 2CV is unmarked, so it feels less like a tour. Your driver-guide picks you up and drops you off anywhere in Paris and builds the route around what you have already seen. It speaks English and French, takes up to three passengers, and children must be over 6. Drinks are not included.
PrivateCédric's Paris
Free cancellation
From$348.28
private car, up to 3; basis not stated
The pink 2CV is the playful version, with a licensed guide. It starts and ends at the Arc de Triomphe unless you choose pickup, and the listing promises the Eiffel Tower sparkle and the lit Champs-Élysées, with photo stops you pick. The Champagne option costs more, and alcohol is only for travelers 18 and over. It is the better choice for a couple; the plain 2CV has more reviews.
PrivatePinky Tour - Paris
Free cancellation
From$158.21
lowest listed option; Champagne option costs more
In the Christmas season there is also a lights version of the 2CV ride, for up to three passengers, with blankets. It has fewer than 20 reviews and its run dates are not listed, so confirm the date when you book:
Private4 roues sous 1 parapluie
Free cancellation
From$260.64
lowest listed option
N° 04En bus
The Big Bus night tour is the cheapest way to see the lights from a seat. It is a two-hour open-top loop past the lit Champs-Élysées, the Moulin Rouge, Notre-Dame, Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower, timed to catch the sparkle. It leaves from Big Bus stop 1 at 11 avenue de l’Opéra. The Viator listing still says 9:30pm, but Big Bus’s own site says the night tour has left at 8:30pm since September 28, 2026, so check the time on your ticket and arrive 15 minutes early.
Know what you get: recorded commentary, a shared bus, and a top deck that closes in poor weather. It is rated below 4 on Viator, well under the private tours above. If your budget allows, a golf cart or a 2CV is a much better evening.
Big Bus - France
Free cancellation
From$32.78
per person
For the daytime hop-on hop-off routes, see our hop-on hop-off bus guide.
N° 05À pied
Go up the hill as the light fades. The Sacré-Cœur basilica is free and open every day from 6:30am to 10:30pm (to midnight on the first Thursday of each month), so you can step inside after dark and then look back over the lit city from the steps. Then wander down through Place du Tertre. If you want the stories of the hill, our Montmartre walking tours page compares the guided walks.
Start at Saint-Michel, cross to Île de la Cité and walk the quays along the river. From November 26 to December 27, 2026, the Notre-Dame Christmas market in Square René-Viviani is open until 8pm (9pm on Fridays and Saturdays), which makes a good stop. Since 2022 the city has switched off the ornamental lighting of its own monuments, such as the Hôtel de Ville and the Tour Saint-Jacques, from 10pm, so walk earlier rather than later.
Once the Champs-Élysées lights are on, this 90-minute walk follows the avenue and Avenue Montaigne to the Arc de Triomphe, with two sweet tasting stops. It has only a handful of reviews and its run dates are not listed, so check them when you book:
Small groupParis Fun Tours
Free cancellation
From$67.15
per person
To cover more ground, see our Paris bike tours.
N° 06Le scintillement
The golden lights switch on automatically at nightfall, and the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour after that. The official example: if night falls at 8:35pm, the first sparkle is at 9pm. Sunset is not nightfall, so allow for twilight.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Golden lights and beacon | Switch on at nightfall |
| Sparkle | 5 minutes, at the start of each hour after dark |
| Lights off | When the tower closes: about midnight, 1am in the summer late season |
| Sunset, mid-November | 5:11pm |
| Sunset, mid-December | 4:56pm |
| Sunset, mid-June | 9:58pm |
Checked 2026-10-26. The tower’s own pages disagree on the final sparkle (one says 11pm, others midnight), so do not count on a sparkle after 11pm. Sunset times are calculated for central Paris. Source: Eiffel Tower official site, lights.
N° 07Le soir
N° 08Bon à savoir
01
A 6pm start in November or December is already a night tour, and you are done in time for dinner. In mid-June the sun sets around 10pm, so book late.
02
The Préfecture de Police advises a small bag rather than a backpack, little cash, nothing in back pockets, and never leaving a phone on a café table. Refuse unofficial taxis, and remember that real police never ask you for money.
03
The US State Department rates France at Level 2, “exercise increased caution” (October 21, 2026), and warns that street crime late at night is more likely to be violent. Do not leave drinks unattended or accept drinks from strangers.
N° 09Good to know
For most visitors, a private golf cart or vintage 2CV tour. Both last two hours, pick you up or meet you centrally, and stop for photos at the Eiffel Tower and the other lit monuments. On a budget, the evening bike tour with a Seine cruise is excellent, and the Big Bus night tour is the cheapest seat, though it rates below 4.
For five minutes at the start of every hour after nightfall, until the lights go off when the tower closes. In November and December the sun sets around 5pm, so the sparkles start early in the evening. The tower’s own pages disagree on the last sparkle (11pm or midnight), so aim for one before 11pm.
The US State Department rates France at Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, and notes that pickpocketing is common at tourist sites and that street crime late at night is more likely to be violent. Carry a small bag, keep your phone out of outer pockets, and stay with company late at night.
Most are two hours, including the golf cart, both 2CV tours and the Big Bus loop. The evening bike tour takes five hours because it includes a Seine cruise.
Yes, and winter is arguably the best time. The sun sets around 5pm in November and December, so a night tour fits before dinner, and from November 22 the Champs-Élysées Christmas lights are on. Dress warmly: the golf carts and the bus top deck are open to the air, and a 2CV is not much warmer.
Keep planning
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Every official ticket type and what it costs, plus the guided tours worth paying more for.
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Montmartre · On foot
Guided, tip-based, private, and food walks on the hill, compared by group size and what Sacré-Cœur includes.
Read the guideOur top pick
Paris by night private golf cart tour