Top 15 Things to do near Orly Airport

Top 15 Things to Do Near Orly Airport

Update by Vanessa M in September 2023.

Don’t despair if you have a layover at Orly and don’t have enough time to visit Paris, there are plenty of things to do near the airport. Many first-time visitors are surprised to learn that Orly is located just five miles from Paris and is a town all its own with a surprising amount of entertainment. So here’s my list of the top 15 things to do near Orly Airport.

I recommend using a taxi, Uber or car-hire service to explore the area near Orly Airport. You don’t have much distance to cover, but public transportation is scant in this suburban area.

Also note that Orly is less than ten kilometers from Paris, and if you have time, you can add a visit to the French capital to a free walking tour of Paris.

1. Visit Rungis Market near Orly Airport

Courtesy of Rungis International Market – Sourced from their website

Rungis International market is certainly something to experience near Orly Airport. Covering over 7 hectares, Rungis is the largest wholesale farmer’s market in the world. Producers from all over the globe come here to sell their wares. This is where many Parisian restaurants source their goods – it’s a market known for high quality products like meat, cheeses, fish, flowers, and produce.

Wander around the different stalls taking in the sights and smells around you; it’s really an impressive place. And with over 20,000 visitors a year, Rungis is also the most visited market in Europe! You can book a guided tour or simply go on your own; and don’t worry if you have an early flight to catch as tours start as early as 4:30AM.

practical information

rungis international market – 1 Rue de la Tour, 94550 Chevilly-Larue

opening hours: click here for the full planning

2. Check out Musée de l’Art Contemporain near Orly Airport

Courtesy of MAC VAL – Sourced from their website

I bet you didn’t expect one of the top 15 things to do near Orly Airport to be an art museum! If you’re a modern art fan, you will want to pay a visit to the Contemporary Art Museum in Val de Marne. Nicknamed the MAC/VAL, you reach the art museum in just 15-minute drive from Orly Airport.

This museum has 13,000 square meters of exhibition space and showcases modern art from the 1950s until today. You can see the works of over one thousand artists here! There are works by Daniel Buren (the artist behind the Colonnes de Buren in Paris’ Palais-Royal) for example, as well as many rotating temporary exhibitions.

Read more on One Day in Paris: The Perfect 1 Day Itinerary

practical information

musée de l’art contemporain – Place de la Libération, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine

opening hours: tuesday – friday 10am//6PM

weekends 12PM//7PM

admission: Free

3. Catch a Movie at Salle Lino Ventura near Orly Airport

Photo by Peter Lewicki on Unsplash

Catching a movie at the cinema is the perfect way to fill up a layover at Orly Airport. The cinema Salle Lino Ventura is located in Athis-Mons, a town just a few minutes’ drive from the airport. Salle Lino Ventura is an independent cinema and shows an array of old-fashioned and current films.

Just a word of warning, this is a small place. So if your French is not so great, it may be more difficult to find a showing in English. Check out this article for more information on how t find English-speaking movies in France.

practical information

salle lino ventura – 4 Rue Samuel Deborde, 91200 Athis-Mons

Check their website for showtimes

4. Explore the Forêt de Senart near Orly Airport

Courtesy of Sénart Tourisme.fr

One of the top 15 things to do near Orly Airport is to get a little fresh air before your flight. The nearby Forêt de Senart is the perfect place to enjoy the great outdoors. In fact, you’ll probably forget you’re near a city at all.

The 3,000 hectare park was a former Royal hunting ground but today it’s a favorite for cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, and those just wanting a breath of fresh air. The Forêt de Senart is very lush and green filled with over 1,000 different plants. You may just catch a glimpse of some wildlife too; hares, pheasants, deer, and squirrels are all common sightings.

5. Stroll Around Orly City Center near Orly Airport

Photo by Mateo Malo on Flickr

If you have some extra time at Orly Airport, why not get acquainted with its namesake city? The city of Orly is located less than ten kilometers from Paris, and is super near Orly Airport.

While much smaller than Paris, there’s still a fair amount to see and do in Orly itself. You’ll find all the amenities you would expect; hotels, cinemas, shopping center, etc.  However, Orly is known for being home to some impressive street art, as well as some tasty restaurants. The city center is pretty walk able, and you should be able to see everything in an hour or two.

6. Enjoy the Parc de Sceaux near Orly Airport

Sourced from Wikimedia Commons

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The Parc de Sceaux is perhaps the most famous of my top 15 things to do near Orly Airport. And for good reason! Most people know this park for its gorgeous cherry blossom (or sakura) grove which draws visitors from the world over during the annual spring bloom.  Not only that, but the tree-lined Parc de Sceaux is absolutely magnificent in Autumn when all the leaves change colors. But if your trip is planned during another season, don’t worry because the Parc offers plenty to enjoy all year around.

This immense park was once a French Royal garden, similar to Versailles but not quite as opulent. The 17th-century castle has been partially restored and ornate fountains can be found throughout the park; giving it a truly royal feeling.

practical information:

Parc de sceaux – Domaine départemental de Sceaux, 8 Avenue Claude Perrault, 92330 Sceaux

opening hours: open daily from 8AM//5PM

7. Try Some Delicious Lebanese Cuisine at Aux Delices de Rêve near Orly Airport

Courtesy of Delices de Rêves – Sourced from their website

Despite being relatively small in size, the city of Orly is home to a great variety of restaurants. From French fine dining to sushi or Lebanese food, you’ll find quite the selection of cuisines here. And since you should never fly on an empty stomach, why not venture into Orly and try some of their famed Lebanese food?

This place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but Aux Delices de Rêve has been around for years, and locals keep coming back for a reason. The service is great and the food is excellent; everything is homemade, and there’s quite a few dishes to choose from.

I recommend trying a few different dishes and sharing them family style – that way there’s a little something for everyone! You can also ask for your food to go if you’re short on time.

Here is a  Comprehensive Guide to Paris Airports

practical information:

aux delices de rêve – 21 Rue du Commerce, 94310 Orly

opening hours: monday – saturday 11:30AM//9PM

8. Tour the Fort de Sucy near Orly Airport

Sourced from Fort de Sucy official website

This next activity on my list of top 15 things to do near Orly Airport is a little surprising. The Fort de Sucy is actually an ancient military fortress dating back to 1879. It was built during the Franco-Prussian War to help defend Paris from incoming attacks. This was the last fort built using traditional stone masonry and showcases ancient French military architecture.

The history and architecture of the fort are what makes it interesting to visit, plus it’s just a twenty-minute drive from the airport. This was the last fort built using traditional stone masonry and showcases ancient French military architecture. Today, you can visit the Fort de Sucy and tour around – most of the stone dugouts and bunkers have been overgrown with grass and moss; creating an interesting juxtaposition between natural and man-made materials.

practical information:

fort de sucy – Allée du Général Seré-de-Rivière, 94370 Sucy-en-Brie

9. See the Aviation Museum near Orly Airport

Courtesy of Aviation Museum website

If you’re interested in planes, flying or aviation, the Aviation Museum is easily one of the top 15 things to do near Orly Airport. The Musée Delta Athis Paray is located just five minutes away from the airport itself, so this is a great option if you’re short on time.

At this museum, you can learn all about the history of aviation and see many different models and retired airplanes. Apart from learning some history, you can see some legendary planes like the Concorde and the Mirages!

practical information:

musée delta athis paray aviation – 1 Avenue Bernard Lathière, 91200 Athis-Mons

opening hours: open wednesday and saturday 2PM//6PM

10. Visit the Paris Catacombs near Orly Airport

Sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Now if you have a little more time during your layover at Orly, I definitely recommend a visit to the Catacombs. While technically located in Paris, the Catacombs are less than five miles away; definitely one of the top 10 things to do near Orly Airport. Plus, the Orly Bus departs and arrives directly from Orly Airport to right in front of the Catacombs.

If you’re a fan of spooky, this one is for you. Head a few stories underground and see the bones of over six million ancient Parisians. Yep, that’s right, the skull-lined Catacombs are the final resting place of more than six million remains which were placed there when Parisian cemeteries were over capacity more than a century ago.

practical information:

paris catacombs – 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris

metro station: denfert – rochereau

opening hours: tuesday – sunday 10AM//8:30PM

11. Visit the Exploradôme near Orly Airport

Exploradôme is a family-friendly museum full of surprises! This museum is geared toward children and emphasizes hands-on learning. Visitors are “forbidden not to touch,” as the belief is that you might discover the keys to scientific phenomena by using your hands and figuring things out for yourself.

Mismdd, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These experiments, chosen for their appealing and outstanding character, will surprise and amaze visitors as they experiment, learn, and comprehend. As a result, you and your family will literally become acquainted with topics such as movement, energy, structures and shapes, optical illusions, and weather.

There’s also a Parcours Vert dedicated to sustainable development. Extend the pleasure by participating in one of the museum’s many workshops and visiting the temporary exhibition space: there are plenty of options to improve your knowledge of a certain topic in a fun and playful way.

practical information:

Exploradôme- 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France

metro station: Villejuif – Louis Aragon

Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 AM//6 PM/Sunday 1 pm//6 pm

12. Tour de Montparnasse near Orly Airport

In the same neighborhood, about 32 minutes from the Orly you may climb the 18th tallest building in the European Union. From the summit of Tour Montparnasse, you can see the Eiffel Tower and the gorgeous Parisian cityscape.

Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This modern office tower stands 210 meters (689 feet) tall and is within two kilometers from the Iron Lady. The enormous skyscraper completed in 1973, opens its top floors to guests who come to enjoy the unrivaled panoramic views of the City of Light.

A clear day allows you to see for up to 40 kilometers (27 miles). Tour Montparnasse which has an enclosed observation floor as well as an open-air roof terrace is one of Paris’ best-kept secrets offering amazing views of the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, Sacré-Coeur, Place Bastille, and many other iconic Parisian sites.

Click here for top 5 Fun Facts About Montparnasse Tower

practical information:

Tour de Montparnasse- 33 Av. du Maine, 75015 Paris, France

Metro station: Edgar Quinet

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 9:30 AM//11:30 PM

13. Take a stroll at Jardin des Plantes near Orly Airport

Get down at the Gare d’Austerlitz, 20 minutes from Orly, for Jardin des Plantes a park that reveals botany and other natural science mysteries. This park was established in 1635 by Louis XIII’s physician as a medicinal plant garden.

DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With florid rose gardens, a menagerie, a stunning Art Deco winter garden, and Australian and Mexican greenhouses with exotic vegetation, the botanical garden is now a must-see site in its own right.

The Jardin des Plantes is more than just a garden. It also houses Paris’s first zoo, a famous botanical school, and the Natural History Museum (Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle).

practical information:

Jardin des Plantes- 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France

metro station: Villejuif – Austerlitz

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 7:30 AM//8 PM

14. Add some knowledge at François-Mitterrand Library near Orly Airport

The BnF is a bibliophile and historian’s dream, with the main branch in the 13th Arrondissement, southeast of Paris. With 14 million volumes and printed materials, as well as artifacts like ancient manuscripts, coins, medals, and enormous multimedia collections, the library is practically unrivaled.

Arthur Weidmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you wish to spend a day lost in a universe of knowledge and learning while in Paris, you can get a pass for a day lost in a universe of knowledge and learning. Discover the BnF I Richelieu, the national library’s historical birthplace.

A unique cultural offer and an eighteenth-century architectural heritage await discovery just steps away from the Louvre Museum and the Comédie-Française. There are also guided tours and temporary exhibitions on a regular basis.

practical information:

François-Mitterrand Library- Quai François Mauriac, 75706 Paris, France

metro station: Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand

Opening hours: Monday 2//8 PM/Tuesday-Saturday//9 am-8 pm/Sunday//1-7 pm

15. Visit the Musée Fragonard d’Alfort near Orly Airport

After exploring the Catacombs, you may continue the eerie theme at the National Veterinary School’s odd museum. The Fragonard Museum is one of France’s oldest museums.

It was founded in 1766, together with the Royal Veterinary School of Paris. The collection has survived revolutions and wars to offer you an unparalleled heritage dedicated to animals, preserved in a fascinating location.

Zythème, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It has been moved three times in its roughly 250-year history, and it offers the illusion of a timeless place where thousands of things are given to the sight of tourists transported into the atmosphere of the end of the nineteenth century.

practical information:

Fragonard Museum- Alfort National Veterinary School, 7 Av. du Général de Gaulle, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France

metro station: École Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort

Opening hours: Wednesday-Thursday and Saturday -Sunday 2 pm//6 PM

So, now you know all about the top 15 things to do near Orly Airport! I hope this list will make your layover more interesting, and I hope you’ll come to explore Paris with us one day.

Hope to see you soon in Paris!