One of my favorite ways to discover a city is on foot! This self-guided walking tour of Paris will take you from the Luxembourg Gardens along the Seine to the Eiffel tower.
Fair warning, this is a very long walk and will take most (if not all) of the day! Make sure you’re up to a full day of walking and wear comfortable shoes. I’ve intentionally not laid out a specific route for you to follow and instead simply marked each of the bolded locations on the map. This allows you to explore on your own and plan your own path from point to point. You can find an interactive copy of the map here.
Start your walking tour with a leisurely stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens. Pathways wind through beautiful gardens and among a variety of sculptures. If the weather is nice, kids can sail boats on the central fountain. Make sure to visit the Medici Fountain tucked away in the corner of the park.
Next, head north towards the river. You may want to consider a stop by the Musee de Cluny before continuing on to the Seine. Currently the museum is under construction (until 2021) and a large number of their medieval exhibits are closed…but you can still visit the Unicorn tapestries. If you have a Paris Museum Pass, this museum is included, otherwise you can buy tickets at the door.
This is a great time to grab a quick snack! Circus Bakery is nearby with their incredible cinnamon buns. A. Lacroix Patissier offers a variety of pastries as beautiful as they are tasty…with views of Notre Dame Cathedral. Or, for more American style coffee and baked goods (plus a great tea selection!), stop by the Shakespeare and Co. Cafe.
Regardless of what bakery you choose, you should take a few minutes to peruse the shelves of Shakespeare and Co. This English language bookstore is exactly what a bookstore should be…welcoming, full of history, and packed to the ceiling with books. Make sure to get any purchases stamped with their “Kilometer Zero” logo…just ask at checkout.
Next, cross over to Isle de Citie. Unfortunately, Notre Dame Cathedral is closed for the foreseeable future as it recovers from the devastating fire earlier this year, but you can still appreciate the external architecture. If the area is accessible, take a few minutes to look for the Kilometer Zero marker, considered the center of Paris, in the square across from Notre Dame. Consider checking out one or two other interesting sights in the area. The Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation offers a moment of solemn reflection for those individuals deported from France to Nazi concentration camps during WWII. Gardeners will appreciate the extensive floral displays at the Flower Market (important note…on Sundays the Flower Market becomes the Flower and Bird Market…best to avoid those days if you have concerns about captive pet birds).
After exploring the area around Notre Dame Cathedral, head towards another breathtaking church…Sainte Chapelle. I recommend taking time to go inside this church. From the outside, Sainte Chapelle is unassuming and barely visible from the street…once inside, though, this church showcases some of the most amazing stained glass windows anywhere in the world! Stretching all the way to the ceiling, they glitter and gleam in the sunlight. If you have a Paris Museum Pass, Sainte Chapelle is included, otherwise you can buy tickets at the door. If you can, return to Sainte Chapelle for one of their nightly concerts (additional charge) when the entire space fills with music. You can find out about their concert schedule and tickets here.
Continue your walking tour by crossing over the Pont Neuf (the oldest bridge in Paris!) and walk along the Seine towards the Louvre.
I don’t recommend trying to visit the Louvre during this walking tour. The museum is huge, often crowded, and best left for its own day (check out these tips on visiting Paris’s museums)…or even skipped altogether (check out these alternatives). Don’t get me wrong, the Louvre collections are absolutely worth seeing…but if you have limited time in Paris, you may need to consider whether the logistics of a visit fit with your schedule. For now, enjoy the architecture of the building and I. M. Pei’s pyramid.
From the Louvre, spend a little time in the Tuileries Gardens. Flowers…sculptures…fountains. This is a great place to sit and rest a while in one of the many green chairs scattered all over Paris’s parks for just that reason. You’ll be in good company! Every time I have visited, the parks have been packed with people…even in the dead of winter on a cold, yet sunny, January day.
Consider having a bite to eat in the area. The gardens themselves have a few different options where you can sit outdoors and people watch while you eat. Or take a quick side trip to Angelina for some of Paris’s famous hot chocolate.
After lunch, I recommend a stop at one of the incredible museums in the area. Both Musee de l’Orangerie and Musee d’Orsay are close by. Musee de l’Orangerie showcases Monet’s waterlilies with an additional small gallery. Musee d’Orsay is a larger museum housed in an old train station and includes everything from paintings and sculpture to furniture…plus the Instragrammable photo op in front of the building’s clock faces. Both of these museums are included with the Paris Museum Pass or you can buy tickets at the door or in advance online. (Check out this post for more information on the Paris Museum Pass)
Next, walk through the Place de la Concorde. Currently home to an Egyptian obelisk, this was once the location of the guillotine!
Continue walking west along the Seine. Many places have paths right along the water and I recommend using these where possible. There’s something about walking along the Seine past all the houseboats…. On this walk, you’ll pass by the flashy Pont Alexander III with its tall columns and gold statues.
Eventually cross back to the south side of the river in time to see the gravity defying vertical garden wall outside the Musee de Quai Branly.
Conclude your walking tour at the Eiffel tower! This is the perfect place to end your day. I recommend eating in the area. There are couple options if you want to eat on the tower itself…58 Tour Eiffel is located on the first floor of the Eiffel tower or go all out and splurge on the Jules Verne. If a view of the tower is what you’re after, Les Ombres at the Musee de Quai Branly has a balcony with an incredible view. Or, my favorite, consider packing your own picnic meal (don’t forget the wine!) and enjoying it on the Champ de Mars.
