My favorite Paris walk

July 19, 2021

My favorite Paris walk

Whether you’re planning a trip or just in the mood for some Paris daydreaming, this is for you!

I’ve done some variation of this walk on every trip I’ve taken to Paris, so I hope my memory serves me well.

*Start at the Louvre*

Unless you’re up for a walking marathon, I wouldn’t combine this walk and seeing the museum… my feet hurt just thinking about it! Fun fact: if you took 30 seconds to see each piece of art in the Louvre, it would take you 200 days to see everything.

Whether you take this opportunity to see the museum or not, you can enjoy the interesting architecture of the Louvre- there’s nothing quite like the contrast of a former royal palace and an ultra-modern glass pyramid. Sitting by the fountains is a prime place for people watching!

If that type of historic/modern contrast is your thing, I suggest taking a quick detour to the courtyard of the Palais Royal. It’s only a few minutes’ walk away, and there is an interesting art installation surrounded by the former residence of the Dukes of Orléans.

From the Louvre, continue past the Arc du Carrousel to the Jardin des Tuileries.

It’s a pleasant walk through the park, and you can even catch a glimpse of the tip of the Eiffel Tower. One of the benches with an Eiffel Tower view is where I had my first kiss with my husband, so I’m pretty partial to this spot.

If you need a pick-me-up, treat yourself by stopping at the Angelina salon de thé. It’s about halfway through the park along Rue de Rivoli. There’s Belle Epoque decor, it was Coco Chanel’s hangout spot, and they have the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted!

Once you make it through the garden, continue onto Place de la Concorde. It's hard to miss the ancient Egyptian obelisk standing in the center! It was a gift from the Egyptian government.

Depending on the season, you can sometimes find a ferris wheel here as well.

It’s hard to believe with all of the beauty surrounding you, but this plaza was a prime guillotine location during the French Revolution. Back when it was called Place de la Révolution, this was where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed.

One thing Parisians excel at (besides guillotining) is symmetry. If you stand in the middle of Place de la Concorde, you should be able to see buildings to the north and south that are both inspired by Roman Temples.

To the north is l’Eglise de la Madeleine (you can see in the background of the previous picture. It's worth a visit! I’d also recommend a stop at nearby Ladurée for macarons.

To the south is Palais Bourbon, where the National Assembly meets.

Now it’s time to continue onto Paris’ most famous boulevard- the tree-lined Champs-Elysées!

The Champs-Elysées is packed with shops and restaurants. Before checking them out, turn left when you get to Place Clemenceau. You should see the Grand and Petit Palais on either side of the street.

The Grand Palais hosts events and temporary exhibitions, and the Petit Palais is an art museum.

There are many lovely bridges in Paris, but the Pont Alexandre III is by far my favorite.

Besides how ornate it is, this bridge's Eiffel Tower view can't be beat.

Further down the street, you’ll see the golden dome of Les Invalides. Napoleon himself is buried under the dome, which seems just about ostentatious enough for his liking. The building also houses the Musée de l'Armée, or Army Museum.

At this point, if you still have any energy, I would head back to the Champs-Elysées to browse some stores and find something to eat.

The Arc de Triomphe, which towers over the end of the street, has one of my favorite views in Paris. I like it much better than the Eiffel Tower because 1. It’s less crowded and 2. It gives you a view of the Eiffel Tower!