Salon du Chocolat Paris 2026: tickets, workshops and tips
Salon du Chocolat et de la Pâtisserie runs October 28-November 1, 2026, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Pavilion 5, from 10am to 7pm daily. Choose your visit around a demonstration, workshop or browsing plan before buying admission. Hands-on workshops require a separate paid reservation, and you cannot leave the show and return on the same ticket.
This is a chocolate and pastry exhibition with makers, demonstrations and shopping. It can suit a food-focused Paris trip, but admission is not a promise of unlimited free chocolate. If your main aim is to buy one box of chocolates, a shop visit may be a better use of your time and budget. The show makes more sense when you want to compare makers or watch how something is made.
Which kind of visit should you choose?
| Your priority | A workable plan | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| A short browse after other sightseeing | Consider the 5pm-7pm late-entry ticket | Whether the activities you want finish before you arrive |
| Demonstrations and time to compare stalls | Allow a longer daytime visit | The live programme for your chosen date |
| Making chocolate with children | Choose a workshop first, then plan admission around it | Age requirements, available places and the separate charge |
| The opening-night occasion | Use the October 27 evening ticket | It is a separate visit, not a substitute for five days of admission |
The official dates page confirms the opening evening on Tuesday, October 27, from 7pm to 10pm. Some FAQ text still mentions a 2025 opening evening; use the specific 2026 date and ticket pages rather than that old line.
For a first visit, pick one scheduled activity and leave the rest of the time for browsing. A packed itinerary can turn an enjoyable exhibition into a sequence of missed starts.
Salon du Chocolat 2026 ticket prices
These prices were listed on the organizer's 2026 ticket page when checked on October 13:
| Admission | October 28-30 | October 31 or November 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | EUR 16 | EUR 20 |
| Child ticket | EUR 8 | EUR 10 |
| Student or reduced-mobility ticket, with qualifying proof | EUR 14 | EUR 17 |
| Family ticket, two adults and two children | EUR 45 | EUR 56 |
Children under six enter free. Check the booking system's child-rate eligibility before choosing tickets for older children.
Weekday tickets cover the October 28-30 period; they are not weekend tickets. Each admission is for one day, not a pass for the whole show.
The late-entry ticket costs EUR 10 for an adult, student or reduced-mobility visitor and EUR 5 for a child, for access between 5pm and 7pm. The shorter window may fit a browse, but check your chosen activities before assuming you can squeeze in a workshop too.
Opening-night admission is listed at EUR 30 for an adult and EUR 10 for a child. Gold passes cost EUR 40 on weekdays or EUR 45 at the weekend and are date-specific; compare their published benefits and availability before paying extra.
Is the family ticket cheaper for your group?
Paris's tourist office also lists the family prices. For two adults and two children who qualify for paid child tickets, individual admission totals EUR 48 on a weekday or EUR 60 at the weekend. The family ticket saves EUR 3 or EUR 4 respectively.
That calculation changes if a child enters free. Two adults with two under-six children would pay EUR 32 on a weekday using adult tickets, compared with the EUR 45 family rate. Count the people who need paid admission before choosing a ticket labelled "family".
Workshops cost extra: choose the session before the day ticket
The official activity programme separates paid, registered workshops from demonstrations and performances with open seating.
| Workshop type | Published age or audience | Duration | Extra charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's workshop | Ages 3-12 | 45 minutes | EUR 12 |
| Adult workshop | Ages 13 and above | One hour | EUR 25 |
| Premium workshop | Adult audience | 90 minutes | EUR 35 |
The organizer requires admission as well as a workshop reservation. Minors remain under their parent or guardian's supervision. Check the actual session terms, language and remaining places; this table does not establish live availability.
The Ateliers Gourmands description explains that participants make creations to take away. Choose an activity your child wants to do, rather than treating it as something to fill time between stalls.
For an under-six child, admission is free but the workshop has its own charge. Ask the organizer how to handle the admission requirement for that booking before paying. Free entry does not make the workshop free.
Budget for the whole visit: admission, any workshop, transport, a meal and purchases. A low entry price can still become an expensive afternoon if everyone books an activity and buys gifts.
What can you watch without a workshop booking?
The activity page lists open placement without reservation for the Pastry Show, conferences and Show Musical. Open placement is not a guarantee that your group will find seats together.
At the Pastry Show, chefs demonstrate their work on stage. This is the better starting point if you want to observe techniques without paying for a hands-on session. Check the current daily programme for the recipe or chef you want to see.
The Show Musical uses chocolate costumes and choreographed scenes. It is a different activity from a pastry demonstration, so choose it because the performance interests you, not because you expect to eat the costumes.
When browsing stalls, ask before assuming a sample is available or included. Set a shopping budget and compare what you are buying: quantity, ingredients and packaging, rather than a "show offer" label alone.
Visiting with younger children
A child who enjoys decorating or making things may get more from one workshop than several hours watching adults shop. A three-year-old's interest is less predictable; age eligibility does not guarantee that a long exhibition visit will hold their attention.
Keep the route short enough to leave when the child has had enough. Ask the organizer about stroller arrangements before bringing one, and plan a meal break inside the show if you intend to stay. The organizer lists sandwich and salad sales in Pavilion 5, but do not rely on chocolate samples as lunch.
For a wider trip, use our France with kids guide to balance this outing with other activities. The chocolate show does not need to occupy your whole Paris day.
Bags, payments and the no-re-entry rule
The visitor FAQ says leaving is final. Get any cash you need before entry: it also says there is no cash machine inside. Do not assume every exhibitor accepts the same payment methods.
Leave suitcases elsewhere. The organizer bans suitcases and bulky bags, while its practical-information page uses broader wording about bags. No dimensions are specified. Ask about any necessary bag before travelling rather than treating the cloakroom as luggage storage. The listed cloakroom charge is EUR 2 per item, for coats, jackets and helmets.
The FAQ permits digital tickets but recommends an A4 printout. Save the actual ticket offline and keep the code readable; a booking-confirmation email alone may not be what staff need to scan.
Online tickets are described as non-exchangeable and non-refundable except for a technical problem caused by the organizer. Check the current terms before purchase. Buy through the official sales route, not an unknown seller offering an apparent bargain.
Food allergies and access questions to ask in advance
Do not assume a sample or workshop creation is suitable for a food allergy. Ask the exhibitor or workshop provider about ingredients and handling before taking part. A chocolate event is not an allergen-free setting.
France's consumer authority explains food-labelling rules, including highlighted allergenic ingredients on prepacked foods and allergen information for non-prepacked foods. Keep the details of your own requirements available in French, and do not treat an automatic translation as a safety guarantee.
The organizer says reduced-mobility access is provided at the exhibition park. Ask for the appropriate entrance and any session-specific assistance before you visit. A reduced-price ticket or an accessible park entrance does not confirm every part of a workshop route meets your needs.
Getting to Pavilion 5 at Porte de Versailles
The organizer's transport page lists Metro line 12 to Porte de Versailles, the tram connection at Porte de Versailles and nearby buses. Use Pavilion 5 as your destination, not merely the name of the large exhibition park.
If you arrive in Paris by train, your mainline station is the start of the local journey, not the show entrance. Plan the connection from that station or your accommodation using the official Île-de-France Mobilités app. It provides routes, real-time traffic information and accessibility preferences.
Check again for your actual day and return time. An event's general directions do not confirm that every line is running normally. Keep the station exit and remaining walk in the plan, especially if you have booked a workshop start time.
For an evening visit, agree on how your group will get back before entering. Keep your tickets and phone secure in crowded areas and choose a meeting point if you separate. Save the address of your accommodation before leaving, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the area.
Mobile data and tickets for a Paris food-focused trip
Save admission and workshop tickets offline, along with the venue address and return route. Bookmark the live programme for any changes and keep enough battery for ticket presentation. A connection is useful for updated transport and group messages, but your entry code should not depend on finding Wi-Fi at the door.
OpenSim's France eSIM plans suit visitors who want a separate allowance for those checks while moving around Paris. On October 13, 2026, the public catalog listed a 5GB, 30-day plan for USD 5.40, eligible for top-up. It gives you a defined data budget for the wider trip rather than depending on venue Wi-Fi; it does not guarantee reception inside a crowded hall.
An existing plan with enough included France roaming may already cover your needs. Check our phone compatibility guide, installation timing guide and travel data calculator before buying another plan. Confirm current package terms at checkout.
Sources, photograph and updates
Dates, prices, workshop terms, visitor rules and transport information were checked against the linked organizer, tourism and public-authority pages on October 13, 2026. We will update this guide for material ticket, programme, access or transport changes before the October 27 opening evening. Check the live session listing before booking.
The photograph shows a chocolate stall at the 2015 edition, not the 2026 exhibitor lineup. Photo by Tasaka Sama, taken October 31, 2015, via Wikimedia Commons. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0; the cropped and compressed image on this page is distributed under the same license.
