The best time for a Paris photoshoot, month by month

Half an hour to 45 minutes after the sun comes up is the best time for a Paris photoshoot, whatever the season. Depending on the month, that means anywhere from around 6:15 am in late June to around 9:30 am in early January. The light is soft, the landmarks are still quiet, and you get the city almost to yourselves.

The best time of year is a separate question, and the honest answer depends on what you're willing to trade: rain, cold, crowds or an early alarm. So here is what each month really looks like for a shoot in Paris: sunrise and sunset, the window I aim for in my couple sessions, weather, what's in season, and where the crowds are.

A note on the numbers: sunrise and sunset times are calculated for Paris and rounded, so treat them as "around". Weather figures are the 1991 to 2020 averages for Paris-Montsouris from Météo-France. Rainy days are days with at least 1 mm of rain.

What time of day is best for a Paris photoshoot?

The first hour of daylight, and more precisely the stretch that begins about half an hour after the sun comes up. The sun is still low, so faces get warm, side-on light instead of hard shadows, and the places that will be packed by 10 am are still calm. I know an early alarm on vacation is a big ask. The photos repay it.

If mornings really don't work for you, we can still make beautiful photos at other times of day. Just expect busier streets, and a few spots where the crowd will decide the frame for us.

Isabel and Thomas's session starts on the Bir-Hakeim bridge before sunrise. In the first frames, the sky is pink and the lights along the river are still on. A little later, they are walking along an empty cobbled quay with the Eiffel Tower reflected in the Seine.

Sunrise or sunset: which is better in Paris?

Sunrise, for most couples. Sunset is a real option, with different trade-offs.

Sunrise gives you:

• the emptiest version of every landmark,
• soft light that flatters skin,
• the rest of the day free, already "done" with the photos.

Sunset gives you:

• no early alarm,
• a warm golden glow over the city,
• in winter, the lights coming on just after: the sun sets around 4:55 pm in December.

What sunset costs you: people. At the Trocadéro, families gather at sunset to wait for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle, while the same esplanade is at its quietest at sunrise. And in June and July, sunset is close to 10 pm, which means a late dinner.

Some places do prefer the evening. At Pont Alexandre III, golden hour before sunset lights up the gilded sculptures and lampposts. In the Tuileries, late afternoon light along the Grande Allée, facing west toward the Concorde, is lovely. The Palais Royal garden is south-facing, which keeps late afternoon light flattering there too.

How do you avoid crowds at Paris landmarks?

You go early, and you know when each place fills up. Here is what I tell my couples:

• Trocadéro: busy during the day; in summer, tour buses begin pulling up around 8 am.
• Palais Royal: the striped Buren columns fill up with visitors and influencers from mid-morning.
• Montmartre: quiet between 7 and 9 am, busy after 10 am with tour groups.
• Sacré-Cœur: in peak season, the square in front of the basilica is crowded by 10 am.
• Champs-Élysées: before 8 am is essential.
• Pont Alexandre III: avoid midday, when the bridge can be busy with tour buses.
• Le Marais and Place des Vosges: avoid Saturday afternoons.
• Luxembourg Gardens: the Medici Fountain is especially peaceful before 9 am.

Compare these two photos. Above, the Trocadéro during a sunny summer day, full of visitors. Below, the Pont d'Iéna in summer, early in the morning, with nobody on it. Same tower, a few hundred meters apart.

Paris photoshoot month by month

For each month: sunrise, sunset, the window I aim for (30 to 45 minutes after sunrise), the weather, and what's special. One thing to know first: the gardens have opening hours. The Tuileries open at 7:30 am from the last Sunday of September to the last Saturday of March, and at 7 am the rest of the year. The Palais Royal garden opens at 8 am all year. From mid-November to mid-February, both open before sunrise. In summer, the sun beats them by an hour or two, so sunrise sessions happen by the river and around the Eiffel Tower, and the gardens come later in the morning.

January

• Sunrise: around 8:45 am on January 1, around 8:40 am mid-month. No month has a later sunrise, and it never reaches 9 am, whatever some guides say.
• Sunset: around 5:05 to 5:20 pm
• My window: around 9:15 to 9:30 am
• Weather: 46°F (8°C) high, 38°F (3°C) low, about 10 rainy days, the coldest month
• What's special: no early alarm at all. The Palais Royal (8 am), the Tuileries (7:30 am) and the Luxembourg Gardens (around 8:15 am in early January) are all open before sunrise. The Champs-Élysées lights stay up until early January.

February

• Sunrise: around 8:20 am on February 1, around 8:00 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 5:45 pm early in the month, around 6:05 pm mid-month
• My window: around 8:50 to 9:05 am early in the month, 8:30 to 8:45 am by mid-month
• Weather: 48°F (9°C) high, 38°F (3°C) low, about 9 rainy days
• What's special: still a gentle wake-up time. The Tuileries open before sunrise all month, the Palais Royal until about mid-month. Valentine's Day 2027 falls on a Sunday.

March

• Sunrise: around 7:35 am on March 1, 7:05 am mid-month, then around 7:30 am after the clocks go forward on March 28, 2027
• Sunset: around 6:30 pm early in the month, close to 8:20 pm by March 31
• My window: around 7:35 to 7:50 am mid-month, around 8:00 to 8:15 am after March 28
• Weather: 55°F (13°C) high, 42°F (6°C) low, about 9 to 10 rainy days
• What's special: the cherry trees in the Trocadéro gardens bloom from late March to mid-April. Watch the time change: a session planned for "7:30 am" is not the same light before and after March 28.

April

• Sunrise: around 7:00 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 8:40 pm
• My window: around 7:30 to 7:45 am
• Weather: 62°F (17°C) high, 46°F (8°C) low, about 9 rainy days, sunshine doubles compared with February
• What's special: peak season starts, and early morning slots go quickly from April to October. The Trocadéro fountains usually run from April to October. The Tuileries now open at 7 am, right on time for the morning light.

May

• Sunrise: around 6:10 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 9:25 pm
• My window: around 6:40 to 6:55 am
• Weather: 68°F (20°C) high, 52°F (11°C) low, about 9 rainy days
• What's special: the Luxembourg flower beds are in bloom from May through September. Note that May has about as many rainy days as March: bring a plan B, not a cancellation.

June

• Sunrise: around 5:45 am at the solstice
• Sunset: close to 10:00 pm
• My window: around 6:15 to 6:30 am
• Weather: 74°F (23°C) high, 58°F (14°C) low, about 8 rainy days
• What's special: the earliest alarm of the year. At that hour the gardens are still closed, so I plan June sunrises around the Seine, the Bir-Hakeim bridge, the Pont d'Iéna and the Trocadéro, where the morning is spectacular.

July

• Sunrise: around 6:00 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 9:50 pm
• My window: around 6:30 to 6:45 am
• Weather: 78°F (26°C) high, 61°F (16°C) low, about 7 rainy days, the sunniest month
• What's special: the fewest rainy days of the year, just ahead of September. Midday is bright and hard, with strong shadows, so the morning matters even more.

August

• Sunrise: around 6:40 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 9:10 pm
• My window: around 7:10 to 7:25 am
• Weather: 78°F (26°C) high, 61°F (16°C) low, about 8 rainy days
• What's special: the same warmth as July with a sunrise about 40 minutes later, which is kinder on a jet-lagged body.

September

• Sunrise: around 7:25 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 8:05 pm
• My window: around 7:55 to 8:10 am
• Weather: 71°F (22°C) high, 55°F (13°C) low, about 7 to 8 rainy days
• What's special: early autumn is one of the two best seasons for weather and color. The Tuileries open at 7 am until the last Sunday of the month, then at 7:30 am.

October

• Sunrise: around 8:10 am mid-month, then around 7:25 to 7:35 am once the clocks go back on the last Sunday of the month
• Sunset: around 7:05 pm mid-month, around 5:30 to 5:45 pm after the time change
• My window: around 8:40 to 8:55 am mid-month, around 7:55 to 8:20 am after the time change
• Weather: 62°F (17°C) high, 50°F (10°C) low, about 9 to 10 rainy days
• What's special: the Luxembourg foliage turns from mid-October to early November, the Tuileries alleys go orange and gold, and Montmartre celebrates its grape harvest in October.

November

• Sunrise: around 7:35 am on November 1, around 8:00 am mid-month
• Sunset: around 5:30 pm early in the month, around 5:10 pm mid-month
• My window: around 8:05 to 8:20 am early in the month, 8:30 to 8:45 am mid-month
• Weather: 52°F (11°C) high, 43°F (6°C) low, about 10 rainy days
• What's special: the last autumn leaves at the start of the month, then the Christmas season. The Champs-Élysées lights go on in late November (announced for November 22 in 2026).

December

• Sunrise: around 8:20 am on December 1, around 8:40 am at the solstice
• Sunset: around 4:55 pm
• My window: around 8:50 to 9:05 am early in the month, 9:10 to 9:25 am around Christmas
• Weather: 46°F (8°C) high, 39°F (4°C) low, about 11 rainy days, the wettest and darkest month
• What's special: Christmas lights, markets and a blue hour on the Champs-Élysées between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. For this year's light and market dates, see my guide to a Christmas photoshoot in Paris.

Which month is best overall?

There isn't one winner, so here is how I'd decide.

• For the best odds of good weather: September. Mild (71°F), the fewest rainy days with July, and a sunrise around 7:25 am that doesn't feel brutal. More broadly, the stretch from April to June and the first half of autumn are where weather and color line up best.
• For the easiest morning: December and January. Sunrise between about 8:20 and 8:45 am, gardens open before the light arrives, and mist on the river some mornings.
• For blossoms and fresh green: late March to mid-April.
• For golden leaves: mid-October to early November.
• For long evenings and late sunsets: June and July, if you're happy with either a 6 am start or a crowd.

If your dates fall between April and October, reserve your morning at least 2 to 3 weeks out; sunrise is the first slot to be taken. If you're still deciding on a budget, my guide to what a Paris photoshoot costs lists every package. And if the photos are for a proposal, start with my plan for a surprise proposal in Paris: it covers the two ways to do it and the two places I recommend, the Palais Royal and the Tuileries.

How do we get there at dawn?

The simplest way is an Uber or a taxi, which cost about the same. Some spots are walking distance from each other, but for most of the main locations a car is the better choice.

Before your session, you get a pin with exact GPS coordinates and walking directions, and I pick the starting point with your hotel's location in mind. If you'd rather take the metro, the Trocadéro station (lines 6 and 9) is a 2-minute walk from the esplanade, and Bir-Hakeim (line 6) is right by the bridge. Check the first trains for your date before you count on them.

FAQ

What is the golden hour in Paris?

It's the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, when the sun is low and the light is warm. In Paris, morning golden hour starts around 5:45 am in June and around 8:45 am in early January. Evening golden hour ends around 10 pm in June and around 5 pm in December.

What time is best for sunrise photos?

Not at the exact moment of sunrise, when the light is still thin, but a little after it. For Eiffel Tower sessions, that usually puts the start between 6 and 7 am in summer and between 8:30 and 9:30 am in winter.

Is the best light right after sunrise or right before sunset?

After sunrise, if you can only choose one. Both give you low, warm light; only the morning gives you empty backgrounds.

Where is the best place to see the sunrise in Paris?

For photos, the Bir-Hakeim bridge and the cobbled Seine quays facing the Pont d'Iéna give you the Eiffel Tower in morning light. The Trocadéro is at its quietest at sunrise, and up in Montmartre, the Sacré-Cœur steps face south and catch soft morning light before the crowds. In winter, when the gates open before the light, the Palais Royal and the Tuileries are beautiful at first light.

Which month has the least rain in Paris?

July, closely followed by September. Even then, a light shower shouldn't scare you off: only a real storm makes me move a session, and the new date costs nothing.