Jardin des Plantes

Greenhouses, themed gardens, mosque tea next door

Hours: Gardens open daily. Greenhouses closed Tuesdays, 10:00–18:00 (to 17:00 from 26 Oct to Feb 2027)
Tickets: Gardens free. Grandes Serres €9, reduced €7
Address: Gate at 57 Rue Cuvier, 5th arr.; another entrance faces the Seine near Pont d'Austerlitz

It started as a medicinal herb garden in 1626 and now belongs to the National Museum of Natural History. Paths lead past a rose garden, an alpine garden and an Art Deco greenhouse, and the main glasshouses let you walk among tropical plants. The iron-and-glass buildings are sights in themselves. Pair it with mint tea and pastries at the Grand Mosque of Paris nearby and an afternoon disappears. The garden is free to wander; the greenhouses and the zoo take separate tickets.