Travelling in Paris: exhibitions that transport us to faraway lands

Are you depressed by the greyness and concrete of Paris? The next vacations are still a long way off, but you need to get away now? Don't worry, we've got the solution! Forget planes, trains or hitchhiking: you don't have to leave Paris to travel and discover new cultures. The capital's museums and art galleries are brimming with magnificentexhibitions that take us from one end of the world to the other.

To escape from the gloom and doom that's setting in, there's nothing like a short trip for a change of scenery. The great thing about Paris is that you can immerse yourself in a wide range of cultures, and even change continents, just by taking a stroll or a ride on the metro. And sometimes, you can even cross the centuries to discover ancient foreign civilizations! Better than magic, it's art.

You don't need a passport or any special vaccinations: all you need to travel thanks to museums is a curious mind and wide-open eyes! Let us take you on a journey of discovery, according to the programming of the art venues, and prepare to be amazed. It's even said that some museums offer us journeys beyond our Earth, to the stars... Dare you try it?

Paintings, photos, sculptures, installations...Art transports us through the ages and across the globe, and we travel on a budget! Treat yourself to a cultural world tour, thanks to the museums, art galleries and cultural institutions in Paris and the Île-de-France region. Choose your next destination with this guide, and embark on an artistic world tour.

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Current exhibitions

Upcoming exhibitions

Japon rêvé, images du monde flottant: the immersive exhibition to be seen this summer at the Atelier des Lumières
Travel to the artists' dream of Japan with Atelier des Lumières' immersive exhibition, to be (re)seen from July 7 to August 30, 2025. [Read more]

Haïkus d'argent, the Michael Kenna exhibition that takes us to Asia at the Musée Guimet
Haïkus d'argent, l'Asie photographiée par Michael Kenna, is the new exhibition to be discovered at the Musée Guimet in Paris, until September 29, 2025. The exhibition plunges us into the pure, contemplative work of the British photographer through his black-and-white images of Asia. [Read more]

Jeju Island, living with the sea: the haenyeo divers exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center
Immerse yourself in the daily lives of the haenyeo, the legendary female divers of Jeju Island, through a unique exhibition presented by the Korean Cultural Center until September 6, 2025. A vibrant tribute to these guardians of the sea, between tradition, memory and contemporary creation. [Read more]

Exhibition by Thảo Nguyên Phan at the Palais de Tokyo - our photos
A first monograph for a renowned Vietnamese artist! The Palais de Tokyo is devoting an exhibition to Thảo Nguyên Phan, entitled "Le soleil tombe sans un bruit", from June 13 to September 7, 2025. A veritable polyphony of views on the history of Vietnam and the memories that run through it... [Read more]

Van Gogh, the last journeys: the exhibition at Château d'Auvers-sur-Oise - photos
Auvers-sur-Oise, the birthplace of Impressionism in the Île-de-France region, was home to the painter Vincent Van Gogh during the last years of his life. The château is extending its event exhibition, focusing on his last journeys, until November 2025. [Read more]

Une passion chinoise, the fascinating exhibition unveiled at the Musée du Louvre - photos
"Une passion chinoise, la collection de monsieur Thiers", the exhibition unveiled to us at the Musée du Louvre from May 14 to August 25, 2025, features more than 170 Chinese works from the collections of Adolphe Thiers. Installed on the Napoleon mezzanine, this retrospective highlights the richness of Chinese art from the XVIIIᵉ and XIXᵉ centuries, between porcelains, prints and imperial treasures. [Read more]

Jean Gaumy and the Sea: our photos of the intimate maritime exhibition at the Musée de la Marine
Discover the sea through the prism of journalistic and documentary photography... The Musée national de la Marine invites you to discover the maritime world of photographer Jean Gaumy, through the exhibition "Jean Gaumy et la mer", from May 14, 2025 to August 17, 2025. In all, over 140 prints await photo and ocean lovers, for an unparalleled immersion in the world of the sea! [Read more]

Jeju, the Korean island of a thousand secrets at the Korean Cultural Center
Sponsored - When it comes to South Korea, you're bound to know Seoul. From May 22 to September 6, 2025, thanks to the Korean Cultural Center's major exhibition, you can also discover Jeju Island and its famous haenyeo divers, emblematic figures of a maritime culture listed as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Jeju, an island of memories, legends, resistance and raw beauty. Free admission. [Read more]

Royal bronzes from Angkor, an art of the divine: our photos of the exhibition at the Musée Guimet
An exhibition not to be missed! The Musée Guimet is devoting an exhibition to Khmer art and bronze, entitled "Bronzes royaux d'Angkor, un art du divin", from April 30 to September 8, 2025. On the program: a presentation of exceptional statues on loan from the National Museum of Cambodia, tracing the bronze art of Khmer heritage from the 9th century to the present day. [Read more]

Mission Dakar-Djibouti [1931-1933]: Contre-enquêtes, the exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly, our photos
For the first time, an exhibition looks at the conditions of acquisition of over 3,000 objects collected during a famous ethnographic mission carried out in the 1930s in fifteen African countries. "Mission Dakar-Djibouti [1931-1933]: Contre-enquêtes" is not to be missed at the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac from April 15 to September 14, 2025. [Read more]

Tarō Okamoto, Japan reinvented: a new exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly, our photos
Want to discover one of the great figures of Japanese avant-gardism? Head to the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris from Tuesday, April 15 to Sunday, September 7, 2025 to admire the small exhibition devoted to the multidisciplinary Japanese artist Tarō Okamoto. [Read more]

La résilience du corbeau: free Ainu photo exhibition at the Maison de la culture du Japon
Want to find out more about Ainu culture? Then head to the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris to discover "La résilience du corbeau" (The Resilience of the Raven) from April 29 to July 31, 2025. This small exhibition of photographs by Lorraine Turci takes us straight to Japan's northernmost island to discover the Ainu, the fascinating indigenous people living on the island of Hokkaido! [Read more]

Treasures saved from Gaza: the history of Gaza exposed through archaeological remains at the IMA
From April 3 to November 2, 2025, the Institut du Monde Arabe is presenting an exceptional collection of masterpieces and archaeological artefacts rescued from disaster in Gaza over the centuries. Discover the archaeological past of the Palestinian enclave! [Read more]

Deserts: the scientific exhibition unveiled at the Paris Natural History Museum
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris takes us to the most extreme corners of the planet, with the "Déserts" exhibition, to be explored from April 2 to November 30, 2025. [Read more]

L'Horizon de Khéops: an immersive VR journey to the heart of a pyramid, at Bercy Village
Join us on a unique journey, an immersive virtual reality experience, as we discover one of the seven wonders of the world. Horizon de Khéops is back in Paris, waiting for us at Bercy Village. [Read more]

Wax: fashion and culture meet in Musée de l'Homme exhibition - photos
The Musée de l'Homme explores the cultural implications of wax, a colorful fabric emblematic of African outfits, in an original exhibition on view from February 5 to September 7, 2025. [Read more]

L'écologie des choses: a new exhibition at the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris
Environmental art invites itself to the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris. On view from April 30 to July 26, 2025, the exhibition "L'écologie des choses" (The Ecology of Things) showcases the work of a number of Japanese artists, from different generations, addressing ecological issues from 1970 to the present day. [Read more]

MIDAN, a naive art museum nestled in a country house in Vicq (78)
The Musée international d'art naïf d'île-de-France (MIDAN) is located in Vicq, a small town in the Yvelines department of France, a cultural venue dedicated to a little-known yet very rich artistic movement. [Read more]

Mission spatiale, the new permanent exhibition in the stars at the Cité des sciences
Take a trip into space from October 23, 2023 at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, with a new permanent exhibition on the conquest of space. [Read more]

Europa Expérience, an immersive exhibition on the European Union
Europa Experience is a unique interactive space on the European Union situated in the heart of Paris, in front of the famous Madeleine church. This 1500m2 permanent exhibition about the European Union, spread over three floors has a main goal: providing visitors with an immersive, interactive and enriching experience. Through a multimedia journey with enhanced reality activities and a 360° cinema, you travel to the four corners of the EU... from Paris. [Read more]

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Destination Moon: an immersive journey with Tom Hanks: the next Atelier des Lumières exhibition
In September 2025, l'Atelier des Lumières presents "Destination Lune : un voyage immersif Tom Hanks", a Lightroom creation combining art and science. [Read more]

Amazonia at the musée du quai Branly: the exhibition at the heart of indigenous cultures
As part of the Brazil-France 2025 Season, the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac presents Amazonie, an original exhibition featuring indigenous voices, contemporary art, cosmology and ancestral knowledge, from September 30, 2025 to January 18, 2026. [Read more]

Isao Takahata: an exhibition dedicated to the master of animation at Japan's House of Culture
Considered one of the greatest masters of Japanese animation, Isao Takahata is honored in a groundbreaking exhibition at the Maison de la culture et du Japon in Paris from October 15, 2025 to January 24, 2026. An opportunity to delve into the career of this celebrated Japanese director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli. [Read more]

Tropical autumn: palms in the spotlight at the Grandes Serres exhibition in the Jardin des Plantes
A lively exhibition and a journey into the heart of nature: this is the exotic experience offered by the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, in the Grandes Serres of the Jardin des Plantes. From October 16 to November 24, 2025, discover "Tropical autumn: palm trees, treasures and secrets", a walk that plunges us into the discovery of palm trees and their secrets. [Read more]

In the wake of Magellan: the immersive exhibition at the Musée national de la Marine
Discover the incredible epic of Magellan and his crew 500 years ago on the seas of the globe through an immersive exhibition, from October 22, 2025, in the heart of the Musée national de la Marine. [Read more]

Pekka Halonen: a hymn to Finland, the exhibition at the Petit Palais
From November 4, 2025 to February 22, 2026, the Petit Palais is devoting a major retrospective to the Nordic painter Pekka Halonen. Entitled "A hymn to Finland", this temporary exhibition will showcase the work of this Paris-trained Finnish artist, who loved to depict wild, snowy landscapes. [Read more]

Amerindian allies at the court of Louis XV: the historical exhibition at the Château de Versailles
Immerse yourself in the Mississippi Valley from November 25, 2025 with the Château de Versailles exhibition on the native nations who allied themselves with the French when they settled in Louisiana during the reign of the young Louis XV. [Read more]

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No need for a passport, you can leave immediately for the most beautiful of journeys. So, where do you start? What's your next destination?