Top 12 Extreme Sports in Paris
When we hear Paris, we can't help it but think of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre or iconic districts such as the Latin Quarter and Montmartre. But there's also a more extreme side to the French capital for all thrill seekers and adventure lovers out there!
Welcome to Paris, the city of light, the city of lovers…you’ve heard all the clichés. However, maybe what you haven’t heard is that France’s capital city is an exciting place for extreme sports, there may not be any mountains or an ocean but Paris’s infrastructure makes for a perfect playground. No matter the season, there’s always an adrenaline fueled activity not that far away from the hustle and bustle at the Eiffel Tower...
1. Bouldering and Indoor Climbing
You have two types of climbing : climbing a cliff and bouldering. The bouldering technique should suit even the most reluctant because the climbs surface doesn’t exceed 5 meters in height for beginners. It doesn’t require all the fiddly equipment that you need in regular climbing, e.g. rope, carabiners, harness etc. Perhaps the biggest bonus of all is that the risk is pretty much non-existent thanks to the large mattresses-like crash pads that are placed below the wall ready to cushion your fall. We advise you kick-off your bouldering escapades at the climbing site of Fontainebleau, an hour from Paris and considered as one of the true paradises for free-climbing fans.
Within Paris you will find nice indoor climbing spots like Murmur in Issy les Moulineaux or Blocbuster in La Defense. If the weather doesn't cooperate, or if you simply want to stay indoors, this option is perfect! Hapik climbing gym for example offers a variety of climbing structures in the Paris suburbs, just a few metro stops from the centre of Paris.
2. Indoor Skydiving
All the sensations of free fall without having to jump out of an airplane! Enjoy the experience of an indoor free fall in Paris with an hour and a half of simulation fun, including a training session before you drop in.
Set in a spectacular glass tube 14-metres high and 4.30-metres wide (the highest in the world) with an atrium opening up to the balconies in the Villette shopping centre in the 19th district, this rather new attraction aims to recreate the conditions and sensations of a free-fall flight in the sky but in a secure and controlled surrounding.
Each session includes up to 12 passengers taking it in turns to experience two flights of 1 minute each accompanied by an instructor, equating to 3 trial jumps at 4,000 metres from an airplane. Did you know that you can combine virtual reality and indoor skydiving in Paris? You can enjoy the same experience, but this time with a virtual reality headset on your nose. It's the perfect way to discover Californian or Hawaiian landscapes at 360° without moving a toe. Fantastic, isn't it?
3. Skateboarding
Do you see skateboarding as a way of life? Whether indoors or outdoors, you'll be spoilt for choice. Skateboarding in Paris is much more than just a sport: it's a way of life and a genuine artistic expression. The city is packed with popular spots, from the cobbled streets of the Marais, the place of Republique to the vast esplanades of Bercy, offering a variety of challenges to skaters of all levels.
In the heart of the 18th arrondissement, EGP 18 (Espace Glisse Paris 18) is a must for skateboarders. Opened in 2008, this skatepark covers more than 3,000 square metres and offers high-quality facilities for beginners and professionals alike. Ramp, bowl and street park: everything you need for safe, all-round skateboarding. Boards and protective equipment are provided for lessons taught by qualified instructors. All the exercises will be adapted to your level: the aim is to improve your skills, make friends with other enthusiasts like yourself and, above all, learn the basics.
Longboarding
Welcome to the world of longboarding! As part of the skateboarding family, this creative and artistic discipline consists in elegantly moving up and down on the board whilst skating. More accessible than freestyle skateboarding, where you need a skatepark or street, this more cruisey variation stands out because riders just need a flat floor to express themselves. If you try longboarding in Paris, you can find the Dock Dession community led by the charismatic Lotfi Lamaali, with weekly meet-ups on Tuesday’s at the Trocadero and Sundays on the banks of the Seine, Quai Anatole France (opposite the Musée d’Orsay). Riders of all levels come together to have a good time in a relaxed and creative atmosphere : longboarding in Paris is very appreciated.
4. Indoor Surfing
Hard to believe, but surfing in Paris is possible! Ok, not on the Seine, but indoors. The crew will greet you on arrival, and you'll have a clear view of the wave from the bar. Thanks to modern facilities such as artificial wave simulators, surfers of all levels can train and have fun all year round, whatever the weather conditions. These centres, such as Wave In Paris, recreate perfect waves and allow you to work on your technique, balance and fitness.
It's a great alternative for Parisians who want to experience the thrill of surfing without leaving the city, while benefiting from professional coaching and a friendly atmosphere. Two by two, you'll make progress on the wave. First, you'll kneel on a bodyboard to familiarise yourself with the board, and once you've mastered your balance, you'll be able to try out flowboarding, standing on the board like a surfer! All the thrills of surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding in one! Heated to a temperature of 27°C, the water offers a constant range of waves all year round...
5. BMX
BMX in Paris is a real craze, offering enthusiasts of this acrobatic discipline specially-designed places to train and have fun. If you like urban sports but you prefer being on 2-wheels, then come test your skills with some freestyle BMX. A sport born in the 70s in California with a main goal of performing tricks with a small 20” bike.
Pick your terrain of choice, whether it’s the park for lovers of curves, the street for those who want to express themselves on urban modules or the flats for creative riders on a concrete floor, you can find lessons in the capital with the Paris BMX club. This Parisian association gives group lessons as well as private lessons upon request. The spots are the same as for skating (18th and 14th district skateparks) and the club will lend you a BMX tailored to your size with a helmet and protection pads. Learn the basics like bunny up, jumping with the bike without a trampoline, master your first balances without using the handlebars, and cruise down the park’s modules accompanied by qualified instructors.
6. Wakeboarding
If you’re already a fan of skateboarding or snowboarding, then you’ll be pleased to learn that you can ride the same kind of board on the water, and not far from the capital city. Wakeboarding near Paris is the perfect activity to try with family or friends and you can find nautical bases near the city of lights for a “free-surf” session or an introductory lesson to this activity.
Wake is a sport in which you are connected by a cable to a motorboat or a ski lift that tows you around, ride on the water keeping your balance. A rather physical board sport in the riding world which requires strength offers the chance to jump off modules, such as Kickers, Fun Boxes and Sliders, anchored in around the course. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, progress at your own pace in wakeboarding, wake-skating, knee-boarding or water skiing. Come on down to the Nautic Verberie Park in the Oise near Compiegne or to Paris Wakepark, located on a peninsula in the heart of the Choisy-le-Roi Park, only 20 km outside of Paris.
7. Escape Games
Escape games in Paris offer an immersive and captivating experience for fans of intellectual challenges and adventure. Spread across the capital, these escape games take place in themed rooms where participants, in teams, have to solve a series of enigmas to escape in a limited time.
The varied scenarios, ranging from police investigations to science fiction missions and historical adventures, mean that everyone can find a theme to their liking. Escape games such as Le Donjon or Le Hangar de la Villette are designed to stimulate team spirit, logic and creativity. They have become a popular leisure activity for friends and families, as well as for companies looking to strengthen team cohesion. In Paris, escape games offer a fun and exciting escape right in the heart of the city.
8. Parachute Jump
An Escape Game is not an extreme enough activity to do in Paris for you? We agree! You will instead be very pleased to discover the incredible sensation of a tandem parachute jump near Paris. Arrive at one of the jump zones that are less than 2 hours from Paris you'll under-go a 15-minute training brief where your instructor will introduce you to all the equipment and safety rules of the tandem jump. Once equipped, its time to go to the runway to jump aboard the plane and climb up to 4,200 metres, which takes around 15 minutes. Securely attach yourself to the instructor on the plane and get ready to jump!
When the jump altitude is reached, the doors open out on to an exceptional panorama, and now it’s time, time to experience the adrenaline rush of a lifetime! The rush of the jump, followed by a fall-free of around 50 seconds and then the thrilling views of a panoramic landscape and, finally, the jolt of your parachute opening and guiding you safely back down to solid ground!
9. Scuba Diving
That’s right, believe it or not you can go scuba diving in Paris. And even though there is very little chance of coming across a manta ray, it’s still worth a try! It is also possible to obtain you PADI Diploma! You will have the chance to experience diving without having to travel hundreds of miles to the ocean. Enjoy this chance to learn about the sensations of diving with friends, family, or on your own. Lessons are available for ages 8 and up. Diving enthusiasts who have already achieved a certain grade can enroll in a course to raise their proficiency, practice unrestrictedly, or focus on specific skills.
You can train in the city all year round with this perfect diving solution, which features a 20-meter depth pool and clear water heated to 29 degrees! When you dive in an urban setting, you can hone your technical diving skills and feel completely at ease exploring the seabed and taking in the sights and sounds of the local flora and fauna.
10. Freerunning & Parkour
One of the most modern sports of today, and interestingly, the only urban sport that requires no equipment; no board, no bike and no wheels are needed for this acrobatic discipline. Invented in 2003 by Sébastien Foucan, free-running is a sport derived from Parkour, focussing on aesthetic and acrobatic skills, movement and the art of urban displacement forms a certain language customised to each free-runner.
Come and discover the techniques of this physical and creative practice during an introductory 2-hour course in a securely adapted freerun parkour in Paris. Learn to move fluidly and naturally, led by professionals. Your free-run teacher will train you in the basics of this urban sport with a theoretical lesson and a warm-up beforehand, followed by a fun-filled technical run to teach you your first steps.
11. Freestyle Scooter
Looking for an original activity to do in the heart of Paris? The freestyle scooter course in Paris, the new wave of board sports, is the ideal plan. At the core of the new wave of board sports is the freestyle scooter, the Parisian association Street Trott Klub offers group or individual courses as well as lessons with certified instructors. Personalised coaching is geared at beginners and young children from 5 years old and up, taking place in the EGP18 (Porte de la Chapelle) skatepark, known as the central hub for skateboarders and riders for years.
Each lesson is conducted in a fun and dynamic way, adapted to the age and the level of each individual participant, and leaving you with a feeling of accomplishment and a buzz that lasts for weeks!
12. Helicopter Tour
Finally, it’s time to leave the world of freestyle and board-riding behind us and take to the sensational skies with a helicopter tour in Paris! Fly over the city of love and admire the capital's unusual sights: the Château de Versailles and the Sun King's gardens, the Iron Lady, the Parc des Princes, the Bois de Boulogne and the Longchamp racecourse. You can choose between a flight with 6 passenger seats or a private tour for greater intimacy.
Venture aboard a six-seat Airbus H135 twin-engine helicopter for an aerial adventure taking you on a journey of discovery around the western side of Paris lasting an hour and half with 25 minutes of flight time. Whether it's for a special occasion or simply for an out-of-the-ordinary adventure, a helicopter flight in Paris is an experience that combines thrills and wonder, offering an incomparable visual immersion in one of the most beautiful cities in the world...
Other unusual activities to discover in and around Paris...
We hope we've convinced you that there's more to Paris than strollong along the Seine river. A great number of thrilling activities in Paris await you!
If you're more into Indiana Jones-style adventure, why not try a survival course at Maisse, in Essonne, 1h30 from Paris. You'll learn more about the basics of survival, such as how to build a shelter, how to eat and how to look after yourself.