List of French explorers

The following is a list of French people known as explorers.

Before 1500

 * Jean de Béthencourt (Canary Islands)
 * Gadifer de la Salle (Canary Islands)

16th century

 * Thomas Aubert (Newfoundland)
 * Jacques Cartier (North America)
 * Philippe de Corguilleray (Brazil)
 * Joseph de La Roche Daillon (North America)
 * François Le Grout du Closneuf (Indian Ocean)
 * Jean Ribault (North America)

17th century

 * Michel Aco (Mississippi River)
 * Philippe Avril (Near East, Russia)
 * Jean Barbot (West Africa)
 * Nicolas Barré (Brazil)
 * Augustin de Beaulieu (Sumatra)
 * Étienne Brûlé (North America)
 * François Caron (Indonesia, Japan)
 * François Cauche (Indian Ocean, Madagascar)
 * René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (North America)
 * Samuel de Champlain (North America)
 * Jean Chardin (Iran, India)
 * Daniel de la Rivardière (South America)
 * Simon François Daumont de Saint-Lusson (North America)
 * Nicolas Denys (North America)
 * Sieur Dubois (Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Réunion)
 * Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (North America)
 * Henri Joutel (North America)
 * François de La Boullaye-Le Gouz (Iran)
 * Jacques Marquette (North America)
 * Jean Nicolet (North America)

18th century

 * Jeanne Baré (circumnavigation)
 * Nicolas Baudin (Indian Ocean, Australia)
 * Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe (North America)
 * Louis Blanchette (North America)
 * Joseph Hugues Boissieu La Martinière (Pacific Ocean)
 * Louis Antoine de Bougainville (circumnavigation)
 * Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont (North America)
 * Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean)
 * Pierre Carré de Luzançay (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean)
 * Pierre Céloron de Blainville (North America)
 * Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu (oceans, New Guinea)
 * Philibert Commerson (circumnavigation, Indian Ocean)
 * Victor de Compiègne (Central Africa)
 * Julien Crozet (Indian Ocean, Antarctic)
 * Joachim Darquistade (South America)
 * Michel Dubocage (Pacific Ocean)
 * Abraham Duquesne-Guitton (Australia)
 * Louis Feuillée (Antilles, South America)
 * Paul Antoine Fleuriot de Langle (Pacific Ocean)
 * Alexandre d'Hesmivy d'Auribeau (Pacific Ocean)
 * Louis de l'Isle (Siberia, North America)
 * Jean Gilbert Nicomède Jaime (West Africa)
 * Charles Marie de La Condamine (South America)
 * Charles Joseph Lambert (Egypt, Sudan)
 * Jean-François de La Pérouse (Pacific Ocean)
 * Francis de Laporte de Castelnau (South America)
 * Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz (North America)
 * Lazare Picault (Indian Ocean)
 * Jean-François de Surville (Pacific Ocean)

19th century

 * Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie (Ethiopia)
 * Alexandre d'Albéca (Bénin)
 * Jacques Arago (circumnavigation)
 * Léonie d'Aunet (Spitsbergen)
 * Charles Babin (Iran)
 * Francis Barrallier (Australia)
 * Ferdinand de Béhagle (Central Africa)
 * Joseph René Bellot (Arctic)
 * Paul Blanchet (Sahara)
 * Jules de Blosseville (Arctic)
 * Charles Eudes Bonin (East Asia)
 * Aimé Bonpland (South America)
 * Gabriel Bonvalot (Central Asia, Tibet)
 * Ismaël Bou Derba (Sahara)
 * Édouard Bouët-Willaumez (West Africa)
 * Jules Braouezec (West Africa, Central Africa)
 * Frédéric Cailliaud (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia)
 * René Caillié (West Africa)
 * Ernest Carette (Algeria)
 * Edmond Caron (West Africa)
 * Jean Chaffanjon (South America, Central Asia)
 * Paul Du Chaillu (Central Africa, Scandinavia)
 * Désiré Charnay (Mexico)
 * Alfred Le Chatelier (Africa)
 * Henri Coudreau (South America)
 * Paul Crampel (Central Africa)
 * Jules Crevaux (South America)
 * Armand David (East Asia)
 * Louis Delaporte (Southeast Asia)
 * Georges Destenave (West Africa, Central Africa)
 * Ernest Doudart de Lagrée (Southeast Asia)
 * Francis Garnier (Southeast Asia)
 * Pierre-Médard Diard (Southeast Asia)
 * Albert Dolisie (Central Africa)
 * Ernest Doudart de Lagrée (Southeast Asia)
 * Camille Douls (North Africa)
 * Jean Duchesne-Fournet (Ethiopia)
 * Jules Dumont d'Urville (Pacific Ocean, Antarctic)
 * Louis Isidore Duperrey (Pacific Ocean)
 * Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars (Pacific Ocean)
 * Paul Flatters (Sahara)
 * Charles de Foucauld (North Africa)
 * Fernand Foureau (Africa)
 * Alfred Fourneau (Central Africa)
 * Louis de Freycinet (Pacific Ocean)
 * Joseph Paul Gaimard (Arctic)
 * Émile Gentil (Central Africa)
 * Henri Grout de Beaufort (West Africa)
 * Charles Guillain (East Africa, Indian Ocean)
 * Jules Harmand (Southeast Asia)
 * Xavier Hommaire de Hell (Russia, Iran)
 * Évariste Huc (China, Mongolia)
 * François-Joseph-Amédée Lamy (Africa)
 * Jean-Baptiste Marchand (Africa)
 * Parfait-Louis Monteil (Africa)
 * Joseph Nicollet (North America)
 * Camille de Roquefeuil (circumnavigation, Pacific Ocean)
 * Auguste Pavie (Southeast Asia)

20th century

 * Jean Alt (Antarctica)
 * Louis Audouin-Dubreuil (Sahara)
 * Louis Brusset (Sahara)
 * Jean-Baptiste Charcot (Arctic, Antarctic)
 * Norbert Casteret (Caves)
 * Pierre Chevalier (caver) (Caves)
 * Raymond Coche (Sahara)
 * Alexandra David-Néel (East Asia)
 * Jean-Louis Étienne (Arctic, Antarctic)
 * Bertrand Flornoy (South America)
 * Édouard-Alfred Martel (Caves)
 * Raymond Maufrais (South America)
 * Théodore Monod (Sahara)
 * Paul Pelliot (Central Asia)
 * Haroun Tazieff (Volcanos and caves)
 * Paul-Émile Victor (Arctic, Antarctic)