The 15 best outdoor activities to do in Île-de-France

Need some air? No need to get away from the French capital to live life-size adventures! Here is a selection of 15 outdoor activities to do in Île-de-France!

Did you think you had to go away to make the adventures in the open air? Get out of here! Paris and its region offer a splendid playground for a multitude of outdoor leisure activities. As a family, friends or solo, there are many ways to have fun.

Fun, unusual, sporting or adventurous excursions allow you to discover the cities and nature around the French capital. Whether you are resident or simply passing by, don't miss new experiences by practicing one of the outdoor activities in Île-de-France selected for you!

1. Electric Trottinette

Urban activity par excellence, the scooter allows to explore cities freely, without polluting! During a guided tour or in total autonomy, you will enjoy a pleasant journey on the streets of the capital and its surroundings.

You can stop everywhere and go through the narrowest alleys. It is an outdoor activity to be done in Île-de-France alone, with family or friends. Fun and unusual!

2. Urban Rally

Among the outdoor activities to be done in Île-de-France, it is particularly user-friendly! As a team, this interactive journey is punctuated with puzzles and sporting or creative challenges. This concept is perfect for discovering a city in a new aspect. The spirit of mutual assistance, reflection and good legs are the keys to success this unusual and playful adventure.

In Paris, these urban games are also all indicated for events such as boy/young girl life funerals or days of team building business.

3. Jump in parachute

Do you like adrenaline? The emotions of the free-fall flight are intense. What's more exciting than this feeling of flying? In Île-de-France, you can jump into the Val d’Oise, the Essonne, the Yvelines and the Seine-et-Marne.

The free fall in biplace is a much appreciated aerial activity of fish lovers. Wait until you lose several thousand meters in seconds! The clubs of course offer tandem air baptisms accompanied by a graduated and experienced monitor.

For the most seasoned, PAC parachuting courses (Progression Accompanied in Chute) are also on the map of most schools.

4. Sled dogs

There is no need for large snow-covered areas to escape from his daily life. In the heart of the forest, one of the best outdoor activities to do in Île-de-France is waiting for you: a sled dog ride.

Imagine yourself aboard a drag mounted on wheels and pulled by a pack of huskys Siberia guided by an expert in the sled dog race.

This unusual experience is possible to Fontainebleau in the Paris region.

5. Mountain biking

This activity, also known as cyclo-draisine, is the marriage of bicycle and rail. The principle? Like a pedalo, tapped on your funny machine, you pedal in a small group on an old track. You thus enjoy a fun time in the middle of the surrounding nature.

In Île-de-France, it is in Seine-et-Marne that you will be able to test the bicycle, on a path that once connected Paris to Sezanne (13 km round trip). Nights are also organized for excursions off the beaten paths!

6. Accrobranche

The Paris region is rich in dense forests, ideal for outdoor activities in Île-de-France. Many facilities allow you to climb the trees and test its agility.

The avalanche is a fun and sporty leisure, but accessible to all thanks to the different levels of difficulty offered. At the four corners of the Paris region, these routes combine relaxation and nature. Play the Tarzan freely and have fun with friends or family!

7. Tyrolienne

Often located in the middle of the circuit, zip lines offer you the pleasure of flying! Connected to a cable with your shoulder harness, you can travel long distances between trees along a cable suspended in the air. The sensations are at the Tyrolean rendezvous!

Some routes are very original, such as the zipline that passes over the lions at the Thoiry Zoo. Other experiences are dizzy, like the Tyrolean Nemours, up to 40 meters tall!

8. Karting

Do you like flying? Enjoy your car sport. Karting promises you strong sensations on very secure tracks. In mono or bi-place, you will be able to sprint, negotiate your turns and move the finish line up!

Fries and fun for this decorating activity! In the capital and cities of the Paris region, there are no more kart clubs. Simple beginners or expert pilots, you will have the embarrassment of choice to spur you on the track.

9. Bike ride

The bike ride is one of the most pleasant outdoor activities to do in Île-de-France. It is not necessary to go far from Paris to pedal along the country roads... The remarkable heritage composed of castles, historic villages and churches, associated with the numerous rivers and forests are pretexts for long journeys throughout the Paris region.

Often, you just need to take a train from Paris to get directly close to a bike or mountain biking trail. Canal de l’Ourcq or Coulée Verte in Paris, Vallée de Chevreuse pour les sportifs·ves, bords de Seine à Fontainebleau : voici quelques noms des grands chemins à explorer à bicyclette.

10. Nautical smoothing

Surf, wakeboard, waterski... A wind of freedom blows on the water in Île-de-France! Is the sea too far for you? No need for the Atlantic to enjoy the pleasures of slipping. Near Paris, you'll be able to practice surfing, waterskiing or wakeboarding at Cergy Pontoise's leisure base, or Jablines' leisure base.

For surfing, an artificial wave will make you know sensations close to break on the ocean! You can also choose to slide quietly, tapped on your stand-up paddle. It’s up and with a row that you’ll move forward at your own pace by enjoying the surrounding natural spaces quietly. A real moment of communion with the elements!

11. Horse ride

Do you love riding and look for an outdoor activity to do in Île-de-France? The walking paths throughout the year are legion around Paris. In the heart of the forests, along the rivers, meadows and fields, many equestrian walks are possible.

Whether you’ve never approached a horse or you’re a warrior, there are activities for all ages, levels and desires. Between the pony club, the family outing, the demanding hikes or riding lessons, you will surely find your equestrian happiness. Among the best spots to practice :

• Forest of Rambouillet;
• Fontainebleau Forest;
• Parc du Gâtinais;
• Chevreuse Valley.

12. Bootcamp commando

An original experience in the middle of nature that plays on the team spirit and testes your physical limits, does it tempt you? The courses sponsoredo bootcamp are a growing success among outdoor activities in Île-de-France!

The goal? Provide cohesion to advance through workshops that combine mud, water, smoke and other technical difficulties. This is the perfect exit for a party event, a challenge between friends, or just a good time with family.

13. Canoë-kayak

Nothing like a canoe-kayak hike in the middle of nature to cool down and offer a beautiful parenthesis away from everyday life. Sailing through the water and discovering the Seine and the Paris region from a new angle becomes a real pleasure on board its boat.

This leisure is accessible to all and all is also ideal for getting to know the fauna and flora of Île-de-France. Visit a nautical leisure centre in the departments of Essonne, the Yvelines of the Seine-et-Marne or the Val d’Oise to practice one of the best sporting activities in live waters.

14. Paintball

You live in the Paris region and are looking for a center where to paintball with rubber balls? Discover the best centers in the middle of nature. On beautiful open-air terrain, you will benefit from complete equipment, with launcher, protective mask, laminators, smokers, pistol.

The goal? According to a well-established scenario, you will have to capture a flag, be the last survivor... But, as soon as a bill of paint touches you, you are eliminated! A nice team game session awaits you!

15. Montgolfière

Enjoy an exceptional moment away from the urban hustle during a flight to Montgolfière! The ascent is simply magical, and from above, the panorama is breathtaking. Varnished landscapes, castles, rivers will open in front of you. What more wonderful than enjoying the view from heaven?

A tip: do your flight at sunrise or sunset to enjoy an incomparable light... In the Ile de France region you can fly in hot air balloons on three areas: in Seine-et-Marne, in Versailles-Rambouillet, west of Paris, in Val d’Oise and Eure, towards Gisors.