An Insider’s Guide to the Best Things to do in Île de France

Last Updated on 20th May 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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Most famously known as the region in which Paris sits at the heart of, Île de France is the country’s richest and most populated territory. What many people don’t know is that beyond Paris, the region is home to treasures such as fairytale châteaux, sleepy artist villages, Disneyland dreams and forested green pockets. Here’s your insider’s guide on the best things to do in Île de France!

Candlelit Evenings at Vaux le Vicomte (French Château Experience)
what to book in advance in paris

Where is Île de France?

Île de France is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, located in the north-central part of the country and often called the Paris Region because the capital city sits at the heart of the region.

What is Île de France known for?

Île de France translates to ‘Island of France’ and is named so because it’s bordered by the rivers Seine, Oise and Marne. The capital of the region is Paris, which is also the capital of France, making this one of the most important regions of the country, culturally, fiscally, and logistically.

However, outside the capital city boundaries, there’s plenty more to be uncovered! After all, this region is also home to Disney dreams, and countless other famous attractions including the magnificent Palace of Versailles and the medieval town of Provins, all of which make an excellent choice for day trips from Paris.

Best things to do in Île de France

Paris 

Of course, the main attraction of Île de France is checking out France’s beloved capital city. Known as the City of Love and the City of Light, the French capital is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world… and for good reason!

Home to an abundance of important historical monuments, the largest museum on earth (The Louvre), art galleries filled with some of the finest works of art ever created, fine French wine, delicious French cuisine and filled with secret hidden gems that are only found in this sweeping city of romance.

Top of the arc de triomphe: where to see fall foliage in paris

Explore the Palace of Versailles 

There is perhaps no palace in the world that is quite as famous as that of Versailles, a French château best known for its status as a seat of royalty, over-the-top opulence, and of course, where the Sun King Louis XIV himself lived in the lap of luxury.

Versailles started life as a hunting lodge in the 17th century, it was also a place of royal parties, and the Palace of Versailles was known to host thousands of people at once! From 1682, it became the main residence of the French Court and government.

The Hall of Mirrors is the most famous room in the Palace of Versailles, a coveted room of gold gilt, jewel-encrusted and velvet lined… it’s certainly a display of opulent wealth in every sense of the word.

While in the area, another place that would be remiss not to explore is Versailles Town itself, which is often overlooked because of its grand château. Versailles is filled with secret spots, adorable cafés, speciality bookstores and all the French charm you could hope for!

Best Versailles Tours: Versailles Garden, Ile de France, France

Disneyland Paris 

A magical kingdom of fairytales, Disneyland Paris is considered to be one of Europe’s leading tourist destinations and on average draws in a whopping 15 million visitors per year!

Turning dreams into reality since 1992, Disneyland Paris is a world of fun and entertainment for families, couples and friend groups alike, no matter what age you are this theme park never fails to disappoint! Disneyland is a huge sprawling site that comprises two theme parks that are part of the same resort:

Disneyland Park, or Parc Disneyland as it is so-called in French is the larger of the two theme park areas of Disneyland Paris. This is the oldest part of the park and is where iconic attractions such as the ‘pink castle’ can be found.

The smaller and newer of the two theme park areas at Disneyland is the Walt Disney Studios Park. This part of the park includes rides related to Walt Disney Studios movies and is where you’ll find the Toy Stories Rides, Cars rides etc.

Planning a trip to Disneyland Paris? Read our guide on how to get the most out of your trip here.

Walt Disney Studios Park

Go shopping at Vallée Village

Since the village opened in 2000, this has been a shopping haven that shopaholics swear by! As a result, this unique open-air outlet mall has become the most successful of its kind in all of France.

Compromising of over 110 stores, including plenty of French designer brands. As well as ‘accessible’ designers from the high street such as Sandro, Maje, Levi’s, and Guess, there are also high-end designers such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Prada, and Burberry.

For everything you need to know (including how to get the best discounts) read our guide on how to visit La Vallée Village here.

How to Visit La Vallée Village Paris Shopping Outlet

Visit the Vallée aux Loups 

Parc de la Vallée aux Loups is translated into English as Valley of the Wolves Park. The park was created when the owner of Châteaubriand decided that an English-style garden would make a nice addition to his estate. In the beginning of the 19th-century, pharmacist to Napoleon, Charles-Louis Cadet de Gassicourt, started growing rare plants and trees in the space.

Boasting one of the most impressive bonsai collections in France, today you can visit an incredible greenhouse which houses dozens of unique and special bonsai tree specimens. Several are over a hundred years old and there is even a bonsai tree that is approaching 250!

Found within the grounds are plenty of other interesting and unique trees. One of the more rare finds in the park is the Atlas Blue Cedar, which has a mutation meaning that the cedar actually has a weeping appearance, making it the only known tree of its kind in the world. 

bonsai collection vallee aux loups

Go off the beaten path in Yerres

This sleepy town is situated in the southeastern suburbs of Paris. Charming and quiet, Yerres boasts the claim to being none other than the birthplace of world-renowned painter Caillebotte, an impressionist painter who lived in the latter half of the 19th century.

There has been evidence of the human inhabitation of Yerres since at least 650 CE. However, the town only truly rose to importance following the construction of the Abbey of Yerres during the 12th century.

Of course, one of the most popular attractions of Yerres is to see the home and gardens of Caillebotte, where many of his impressionist works were created. There are also two châteaus to visit, one from the 15th and the other from the 17th century.

Today, although the town is quite residential, there are plenty of historic gems to be seen and it’s the perfect place to spend time soaking up an area pretty much untouched by tourism.

Château Du Maréchal De Saxe
Château Du Maréchal De Saxe, 17th century

Admire the art of Auvers-sur-Oise

The cute little town of Auvers-sur-Oise is situated on the northwestern outskirts of Paris and is filled with the usual boulangeries, restaurants and pastry shops, typical of the French countryside communes. However, there’s more to this town than meets the eye…seemingly a pocket of land which breeds creativity, Auvers-sur-Oise was often frequented by artists like Cézanne, Daubigny and Pissarro.

The most famous link to artists has to be that of Van Gogh, who spent his final 70 days here. It’s for that reason that the entire town and Van Gogh’s lives are entirely interwoven; you’re unlikely to find a street without art dedicated to the man or a plaque signifying that he produced one of his final pieces there.

There are several spots scattered across the town where you can indulge in works by masters. You can visit the Daubigny Museum (which shows the home and studio of the artist), and Auberge Ravoux, which is also known as Van Gogh’s house, offering quite a macabre setting as it’s where he passed away.

Art aside, there’s the beautiful 17th-century château and grounds which have ties to the Medici family and the Absinthe Museum, where you can learn more about the distilled spirit and the myths that claim this strong alcohol causes hallucinations!

For more inspiration, read our guide on the best things to do in Auvers-sur-Oise here.

offbeat paris destinations: day trip to vincent van gogh's resting place

Discover an artist’s village at Barbizon

Tranquil and simply gorgeous: the magic of Barbizon swiftly becomes apparent to anyone who visits and the little village exudes creativity. Situated on the edges of Fontainebleau forest (a luscious green space a mixed lying sixty kilometres southeast of Paris) Barbizon has been a fashionable escape from Paris since the 19th century.

The quaint village is most famed for its art movement, The Barbizon School of painters, where the likes of Rousseau, Daubigny, Dupré and many more attended. During the 19th century, Monet, Renoir, and Alfred Sisley all painted in Barbizon.

Another famous face to have visited Barbizon is Leon Trotsky, who resided in the village for a brief time in the first half of the 20th-century.

Little has changed in the sleepy little village during the past few centuries, home to (of course) plenty of art-related museums, a mosaic trail, and small shops from which you can purchase a souvenir or two. It has to be said, that one of the greatest things to do while in Barbizon is simply wander around and soak up its serene ambience.

Musée départemental des peintres de Barbizon
Barbizon Departmental Museum of Painters

Sample Brie at Meaux

Where better in the world to try the famously buttery cheese than its place of origin? The French take their cheese seriously, and the government officially certifies only two types of brie, Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. And generally, Brie de Meaux is considered to be the best!

Brie de Meaux has a unique, creamy flavour and is a designated AOC, meaning that it can be only produced under specific circumstances. As of the early 2000s, over 6,774 tonnes of Brie de Meaux have been produced on an annual basis.

Cheese aside, the city of Meaux itself is home to a surprising amount to see including, The House of Brie (of course), Museum of the Great War, a beautiful cathedral and historic old town, as well as a tranquil canal and pockets of green spaces.

Best things to do in Meaux, Île de France, day trip from Paris, France: meaux river

Visit a famous church in Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis is the second most populated suburb of Paris and is home to the beautiful Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis, which is considered the cradle of Gothic art and inspired centuries of the development of Gothic Style and building techniques throughout Europe.

Named after France’s patron saint, Saint-Denis, it is believed to be where Denis was buried after his death in around 275 AD. As a result, this basilica has become a place of pilgrimmage.

The medieval basilica is the final resting place of almost all of the kings and queens in France, it retained this important role as the burial site for hundreds of years. However, during the French Revolution, many of the tombs were opened and the remains were removed.

Today, you can visit the former abbey and masterpiece of Gothic art and even head down to the archaeological crypt and burial site of Saint-Denis himself!

basilica of saint denis

Step back in time in Provins

Filled with mysteries and rich with history, Provins is a picture-perfect town which feels as though straight off a vintage postcard, allowing all those who visit to step back in time! Characterised by timber-framed houses that are surrounded by the remains of medieval walls, this quiet pocket of Île de France is easily one of the prettiest French towns near Paris.

Home to a beautiful 12th-century basilica where Joan of Arc attended mass, here you can climb the Ceasar Tower, which has become somewhat of an iconic symbol of Provins. Elsewhere in the town, there are medieval tunnels with a mysterious history.

Medieval town of Provins, home to the historic 'Champagne Fairs' of the middle ages. Provins, 1.5 hours from paris, France

Admire a cherry blossom orchard at Parc de Sceaux

One of the prettiest towns in the Île de France region is the quaint town of Sceaux, a wealthy suburb which is best known for its beautiful park, Parc de Sceaux, which has one of the most breathtaking cherry blossom orchards that you could ever hope to see during cherry blossom season in Paris!

Cherry blossoms in Paris typically start to bloom from late March to early April, although you can always keep an eye on Instagram as you’re sure to see someone post a picture of the beautiful pink puffs. A famous celebration that takes place in Parc de Sceaux is Hanami, which takes its name from the Japanese meaning “flower viewing”.

sceaux orchard paris france

Chateaux near Paris 

Of course, most people are familiar with the famous Versailles, but Île de France is awash with fairytale châteaux, many of which are minutes by train from Paris and can still be visited and admired to this day:

  • Fontainebleau –Versailles without the crowds‘, a 12th-century treasure that used to be where the kings of France came to take some respite from their duties.
  • Château de Courances – Built around 1630, the moated chateau is described to have one of the “loveliest gardens in France”.
  • Chevreuse (castle ruins) – The Magdalen castle ruins tower above the cliff face of a valley and has a history that dates back to the 11th cenutry.
  • Rambouillet – Built in the heart of a densely forested area, this was the summer residence of the Presidents of France from 1896 until 2009.
  • Sceaux – This grand country house is just a few minutes by train from central Paris, originally built in the 15th century for Louis XIV’s minister of finance, much of what is seen today was rebuilt in the mid-18th Century, hence the style of architecture. 
  • Château de Vaux le Vicomte – This Baroque French château is one of the largest in all of France and is a masterpiece of European architecture which has inspired the world of design for centuries!
vaux le vicomte at sunset
Château de Vaux le Vicomte

Looking for more travel inspiration in France? Read our following guides for travel tips and your fill of wanderlust!

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