The best way to discover the soul of any city is by getting lost in the maze of its side streets. Thus, exploring Paris on foot is the best experience you could possibly imagine. And who needs maps! On the contrary, good walking shoes are a different matter. Ready? Let’s go. Let’s explore the best walks Paris has to offer.
How to Spend a Day in Paris?
Exploring Paris in a day can be challenging. Let’s be honest about that. The world’s most visited capital, Paris is simply packed with the endless attractions worth visiting.
However, for the most authentic experience while in the City of Light, think outside the box and enjoy the slow travel.
What does this mean?
When in Paris, try to follow the “less is more” philosophy. Instead of overstuffing your itinerary with all attractions at once, do not be afraid to see less, but have more in-depth experience.
There is no need to rush from site to site snapping selfies without ever stopping to immerse in the moment. Or to feel obliged to visit all famous landmarks for the sake of bragging about seeing them. Believe me, there is no shame in missing a visit to Louvre in favor of Paris walking tour to wander off the lesser-known streets of the French capital.
Whether you decide to spend your day enjoying the heart of Paris or to explore the hidden gems of this splendid city, take your time to fully indulge in its beauty.
Paris Walkabout Must See
Notre Dame and the Heart of Paris
Even if you want to savor the city’s most iconic sites, don’t limit yourself to visiting just the famous landmarks. After exploring the architecture and the spiritual power of the Notre Dame Cathedral, get lost in the nearby medieval alleys. Venture into the old Paris away from the touristy crowds. Scout new spots for the original photos. Imagine to be a local for a day – just stroll and take in the atmosphere.
Latin Quarter
Further exploring the left bank of the river Seine, wander the cobbled streets around the Sorbonne University. The students there have mastered the art of scholar life for almost a thousand years. Discover the winding streets full of traditional bistros and the city’s famous patisseries La Parisienne.
Stroll to the magnificent Pantheon and the gorgeous Luxembourg Garden to bask in their authentic atmosphere.
Still exploring the left bank of the river Seine, leisurely walk through the charming maze of the streets in the 6th Arrondissement, the central Paris neighborhood. Whether you are exploring Paris alone, with your partner or a group of friends, do not rush. Do not forget to take a few breaks for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine to fully take in your Paris walking tour experience.
The Right Bank Stroll
Journey across the Seine will take you to its right bank. Of course, before, circle around the Eiffel Tower. It’s the city’s most notable landmark, after all.
Cross the river at the Pont d’léna and drift into the exquisite Trocadéro Gardens in the 16th Arrondissement. Take a stroll around the wings of the Palais de Chaillot. Then, treat yourself with the relaxed walk to the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most prominent monuments in Paris at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. The side streets of this iconic neighborhood welcome you to explore its personality.
In fact, they will introduce you to the real Paris and may show you a secret or two behind façades of the elegant old buildings.
With the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks gleaming all around you, enjoy discovering the authentic Paris away from the hustle and bustle of tourist traps.
At Night Activities
Wrap up your enchanting Paris walkabout with a dinner at the famous Au Pied de Cochon. The authentic brasserie (a French-type restaurant with a relaxed sitting and affordable food) opened in 1947 and has operated 24/7 service since. It became the first Parisian restaurant to be open every day of the week, 24 hours a day.
Both Parisians and city visitors love dining there. The list of patrons includes some pretty renowned names like Salvador Dali, Grace Kelly, and General Charles de Gaulle.
Relax at the end of the exciting day in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere of this legendary Paris brasserie that specializes in everything pork.
Also, the Au Pied de Cochon offers outside sitting, perfect during cozy summer nights. Savor the late-night meals. If you are not a pork meat lover, try some of the restaurant’s superb seafood. Afterward, take pleasure in delicious desserts and first-class wines.
Paris Walkabout Takeaways
For the most comprehensive experience, try Paris walking tours. Fall in love with the City of Light while slowly wandering through its splendid streets. Discovering Paris in a day is a challenge on its own. But exploring Paris on foot can be a once in a lifetime adventure.
A Few Practical Tips
Sure, bring a map if you like. At the same time, Google Maps App works in Paris just fine.
Speaking of SIM cards, there is no roaming in the EU. As a result, a SIM card from any EU country would work in Paris.
Uber is available in Paris. It comes very handily if you stay late in the city since the metro closes relatively early.
Good walking shoes are a must as you’ll be doing a lot of walking around the city.
In addition, you will be spending the whole day outdoors. Make sure to dress in layers for all seasons except for mid-summer.
Staying hydrated while exploring the City of Light is very important, so don’t forget to carry a bottle of water wherever you go. Also, an umbrella could be helpful to protect from both, rain and sun. During summer months, sunscreen and sunglasses should be in place in your Paris walkabout gear.
So In conclusion, while in Paris, don’t run around the city like a headless chicken to check off every site mentioned in your tourist guide. Pace yourself instead, and enjoy life – you’ll be happy to find out that simply wandering streets of Paris could be very rewarding.
More unscripted city walks around the world:
- Side streets of Athens
- Porto walkabout
- Tbilisi walkabouts
- Kobe: when typhoon is a blessing
- San Francisco, the city that I do not like
- Tainan walkabout
- Hong Kong in pictures: sleek and modern
- What to do on a layover in London
- Meknes, Morocco: Now Is The Time For A Renaissance
- A brief travel guide to Vienna
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I have not spent enough time in Paris and the time I did spend was in rain. Lots of rain. I need to return and love the idea of wandering the side streets!
Paris is a wonderful city in which to get lost. I have many happy memories of wandering city streets just for the sake of it. I particularly loved Luxembourg Gardens and the Latin Quarter, as well as the St. Germain des Pres neighborhood. So many lovely shops and bakeries!
I can’t agree more with you. Exploring Paris on foot is the best way to visit the city. I have been to Paris twice and I still like to go back and get lost in the city. It is just amazing to go around and stroll in the streets. We used google Maps sometimes. The good things about Europe is that you have the internet everywhere and there is no roaming charges for EU SIM Cards.
Couldn’t agree more: visiting a city by foot is the best way of feeling its vibe. Went to Paris years ago and would love to visit it again. Love the final tips you give at the end. Super useful.
I agree with visiting the unbeaten path rather than following the crowds hust to see the famous sites. Id love to try the Au Pied de Cochon looks fabulous place.
These are great tips, especially about less is more. We were those headless chickens on our last visit. In the end, we only saw the Notre Dame and hung around the Eiffel Tower gardens because we didn’t book in advance and never expected such long queues even for walking up.
Paris is an amazing city! I try to do everything on foot anyway. Everything is so walkable!
Paris would be a tough one for me to try and narrow it down to a few choice sites. And I would absolutely HAVE to visit the Louvre! And the Eiffel Tower (of course!). I’d be like country come to town with an ear to ear grin. 😀
I totally agree with your “less is more” approach. Better to pick a few things or an area and really enjoy them. We have spent days enjoying the area around Notre Dame. And have hundreds of pics of this great church to prove it. We love to take a picnic and sit by the Eiffel Tower and watch it come to light as the night settles in. We always travel with a great offline map app so we don’t need internet to get around.
You’re not lieing when you say it’s hard to do Paris in a day! But I tip my hat. The crowds meant I struggled to fit it into 3 days. Like you say, Uber is a bit of a blessing. I’ll have to check out the Latin quarter next time I go
Hi Tom, great to hear from you. In the end, the Latin Quarter was my favorite. Given the opportunity, I would spend much more time there. Cheers!