Paris is best explored by neighbourhood. The best neighbourhoods in Paris to visit include Le Marais, St Germain, Champ du Mars, Montmartre, the 7th Arrondissement and Ile de Cite, but you’ll be rewarded for venturing to charming, leafy and quieter neighbourhoods like Montparnasse and Passy with a slice of everyday Parisian life.

Paris is divided into arrondissements, which are arranged a bit like a snail’s shell, working their way out from the centre of the city. Popular neighbourhoods often have blurry boundaries overlapping two arrondissements. For example, the Marais overlaps the 3rd and 4th arrondissements and Montmartre overlaps the 18th and 19th.

I’ve summarised my favourite neighbourhoods in Paris with a few things you can do in each. Look out for links to full neighbourhood guides throughout.

Planning a trip to Paris? Check out my itinerary for 3 days in Paris.

Map: Paris’ best neighbourhoods to visit

Ile de la Cite

Best neighbourhood in Paris for historic sights

Ile-de-la-Cite is the largest island on the Seine, and the historic centre of Paris. Visit Ile-de-la-Cite to find famous sights like Notre Dame, gorgeous Sainte-Chapelle and the Marche aux Fleurs (flower market). The Notre Dame is currently closed for renovations, but you can visit the Archaeological Crypt underneath Notre Dame, which has fascinating Roman ruins.

Ile Saint-Louis

Best neighbourhood in Paris for gelato

Charming, expensive and tiny, Ile Saint Louis is the smallest of Paris’ two islands. There isn’t anything to sightsee here, but you can taste the best gelato in Paris at Berthillon. On our last visit, we took our gelato to Square Barye, a small park on the tip of Ile Saint-Louis.

Louvre-Tuileries (1st Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for major sightseeing

Paris’ 1st Arrondissement is home to the ritzy Louvre-Tuileries neighbourhood. This is Hollywood’s Paris, and it comes at a high price. Visit Louvre-Tuileries for the Louvre, the gorgeous Jardin des Tuileries, and the elegant boulevards of Rue de Rivoli and Rue St-Honore. You’ll also find a key Emily in Paris filming location – the Jardins du Palais-Royal, which is where Emily meets Mindy. Whether or not you’re a fan of the show, the gardens are pretty and peaceful, and the striking art installation in the courtyard of the Palais-Royal is worth visiting.

Bourse, Sentier & Montorgueil (2nd Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for elegant, under-the-radar charm

Paris’s elegant second arrondissement manages to fly under the radar, despite being centrally located and surrounded by some of Paris’ most popular precincts. I loved exploring this beautiful neighbourhood, including visiting the historic Galeries Vivienne covered shopping arcade, and visiting one of Paris’ top foodie streets, Rue Montorgueil. On Rue Montorgueil, make sure to stop at Stohrer, which is the oldest patisserie in Paris.

Explore More: Paris’ 2nd arrondissement: Bourse, Sentier & Montorgueil

The Marais (3rd & 4th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for boutique shopping & a village atmosphere

The Marais spans the 3rd & 4th arrondissements, and is one of the loveliest neighbourhoods in Paris. The best things to do in the Marais are picnic in the historic Place des Vosges, browse jewellery and fashion boutiques, eat the best crepes in Paris at Breizh, and visit the Centre Georges Pompidou.

The Latin Quarter (5th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for Emily in Paris film locations & a student atmosphere

Part of the 5th Arrondissement is called the Latin Quarter after the students at the Sorbonne, who historically learned Latin. The Latin Quarter is a maze of tiny streets, and includes the magnificent Pantheon and the famed English language bookstore Shakespeare & Co. It’s also the setting for Emily in Paris, with both Emily’s apartment and Gabriel’s restaurant found in this neighbourhood.

Saint Germain des Pres (6th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for postcard-worthy Paris

One of the most famous neighbourhoods in Paris, Saint Germain has been attracting artists for centuries. Cafe des Flores and Les Deux Magots were popular haunts for literary heavyweights like Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, but today you’ll find them filled with literary tourists. St Germain is home to the beautiful Jardins du Luxembourg and many of Paris’ best restaurants and brasseries, including the local institutions Allard and Brasserie Lipp. This is one of the most popular neighbourhoods in Paris, with beautiful leafy boulevards and lots of great boutiques and cafes, including the famous Laduree patisserie and tearoom.

Eiffel Tower/Invalides (7th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for iconic Paris scenery

Paris’ 7th arrondissement is home to the Eiffel Tower, which makes it a very popular neighbourhood with tourists. However, away from the Champ du Mars & the Eiffel Tower, there are many excellent reasons to visit this neighbourhood, including Musee Rodin, Hotel des Invalides (Napoleon’s tomb) and dozens of low-key, relatively tourist-free bistros and brasseries. The Fontaine de Mars and the surrounding arcade of bars and restaurants is a particularly pretty spot!

Elysee (8th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for grand boulevards

Paris’ 8th arrondissement is expensive, with wide, elegant boulevards lined with stately homes, and the world famous luxury shopping strip, the Champs-Elysee. The Champs-Elysee is packed with tourists, pickpockets and international brands, and in my opinion, has lost a lot of its charm. However, the magnificent Arc de Triomphe is a must-see in Paris, and is worth making a trip to the neighbourhood.

Opera (9th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for shopping

Opera is a beautiful Paris neighbourhood in the 9th arrondissement, bordering on Montmartre (18th). In Opera, you’ll find the opulent Palais Garnier, the city’s original opera house that inspired The Phantom of the Opera. You’ll also find two of Paris’ premier department stores; Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. If you only have time for one, make it Galeries Lafayette for the incredible dome architecture. 

Montparnasse (14th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for classic brasseries and bistrots

Montparnasse is my favourite neighbourhood in Paris! It’s a gorgeous, leafy residential neighbourhood which I first discovered when I lived there, while I studied in Paris. I’ve stayed in Montparnasse on both my subsequent trips to Paris, because it is such a beautiful area, has hardly any tourists, and has reasonable accommodation. In Montparnasse, you’ll find old world institution brasseries and restaurants, like Le Select and La Coupole, both of which were hotspots for bohemians and intellectuals between the world wars. You’ll also find Tour Montparnasse, Paris’ only skyscraper inside the city centre, which offers unbeatable views over Paris from the Observation Deck – Eiffel Tower included!

Passy (16th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for a sophisticated, tourist-free atmosphere

Passy is the wealthiest neighbourhood in Paris. It’s chic, sophisticated and the streets are lined with gorgeous old buildings. It’s also right beside the 8th arrondissement, so it’s close to the Arc du Triomphe. The 16th Arrondissement includes the Trocadero, the beautiful square lined with golden statues, with the best views of the Eiffel Tower. You’ll also find the Musee Marmottan Monet, which has the best collection of Monet & other impressionist artworks, housed in an elegant Parisian townhouse in the quiet backstreets. Incredibly, this museum is not overrun with visitors – even when we visited in the middle of June, we had many artworks all to ourselves.

Montmartre (18th Arrondissement)

Best neighbourhood in Paris for legendary sights & atmosphere

Montmartre is one of Paris’ most romanticised neighbourhoods. Located on the northern edge of Paris, in the 18th arrondissement, Montmartre is famous for being home to Paris’ artists, dancers and bohemians during the early 20th century. Today, it has retained a lot of it’s village-like charm, with a maze of tiny cobblestoned streets cascading down the hillside. However, the main areas of Montmartre are very crowded and touristy, and rife with pickpockets. While it’s not my favourite neighbourhood to spend a lot of time in, it’s a must-visit for the magnificent basilica of Sacre Coeur. Sacre Coeur is free to visit, and as the highest point in Paris, offers amazing views of the city. You’ll also find the famous Moulin Rouge in Montmartre.

What is your favourite neighbourhood in Paris?