Every route on the Paris city walking tour will reveal something new. From the charming locality of the centres outside, quiet, hidden streets, and the grand boulevards. It’s a great way to get under the skin of the city through the walking tours by the galore of monuments, pretty cobblestone lanes in the beautiful city of Paris.
The nook and corner of the city holds the inviting secret. You will always learn about the captivating history of the city, with beautiful memories, as well as the undiscovered gems, by looking at the iconic locations of the city.
The Self-Guided Tour of the Vintage City will take you through the historic surrounding areas.
I recommend that you wear athletic shoes while walking around on the uneven roads that are not suitable for wearing heels or flip-flops, which can be slippery.
The beautiful memories can be captured by filming the nature around and hearing the sounds while walking, and the aroma of the different restaurants and coffee bars.
The recommended season to travel around the city is during the shoulder season, with fewer visitors, and it is a bit warmer than the winter months.
Here are the Old Paris Walking Tour: Self-Guided Tour, Vintage Paris +.
While walking around the streets, and if you would like to have some snacks or a coffee along the walking ways and keep in mind that you carry the cash along with you, as many of the restaurants or cafes have the obligation to spend the minimum amount on the cards.
Old Paris Walking Tour: Self-Guided Tour, Vintage Paris +
1. Grand Walking Tour on Arrival Day:
Once you arrive in Paris, you can take a hotel accommodation around the street near 83, Rue Rambuteau, for economical accommodations are available in these areas. Relax for an overnight and start your day with a pleasant morning with coffee and a nice breakfast.
You can start your walking tour from the Saint-Eustache church is visited by a large number in Paris, and head towards the Nelson Mandela Garden, which is 500 meters away, with its special design of the park from the church.
From Nelson Mandela Garden, you can navigate to the Bourse de Commerce, famous for its sophisticated museum with numerous artworks (55 meters from the Nelson Mandela Garden), and visit the Fondation Pinault for its unique collections.
These are the places that can be visited from the Bourse de Commerce will guide you to navigate easily. Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and Palais Garnier for the beautiful opera house.
2. Tuileries Gardens:
The Tuileries Gardens are just 2.4 kilometers from the Bourse de Commerce, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the oldest park is filled with seasonal activities, Fountains, and beautiful sculptures.
The park features manicured lawns, free chairs for the visitors to relax, and many tree-lined paths, and offers nice filming of the great scenery in the park.
You can wander around the streets outside the Tuileries Gardens and grab some coffee, or if you are interested in the sweet Parisian treats of the world-famous macarons from Pierre Herme. If the weather is chilly, you can grab the hot chocolates from the Angelina store on the Rue De Rivoli only.
The garden has a larger collection of Sculptures that are the works done by the famous artists, like Maillol, Rodin, and Giacometti.
Pick some of the food items from the outlets and enjoy the meal by sitting on the benches over there.
Other places to roam after the Tuileries Gardens are the Place de La Concorde (bordering the garden), Musée d’Orsay (from the gardens across the Seine River), and Rue de Rivoli for the shopping and restaurants on the north side of the garden.
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3. Paris Pantheon:
From the Tuileries gardens, it is 4.2 kilometers to the Paris Pantheon. This place is special because of the Neoclassical architecture. And it is home to the technological wonders of Foucault’s Pendulum. It is a major monument built in Paris with its largest magnificent dome on top.
The Foucault Pendulum is designed to exemplify how the rotation of the Earth will happen. Pendulum is located in the central hall.
The tourists can go to the top of the viewing platform for the magnificent panoramic view of the 360 degree view of the city of Paris.
There are other places near the Paris Pantheon, that are the Luxembourg public garden, for relaxation, and the Musee de Cluny, based on the Middle Ages, with tapestries that are very impressive. The last one is the Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve is a public university library with a great collection of books to read.
4. Parsian Experience on Left Bank Stroll:
From the Paris Pantheon to the Left Bank Stroll, it is 2.2 kilometers away. You can start from the Hotel de Ville and cross the Seine to applaud the Notre Dame before going to Rue-Saint-Jacques.
While you are around in this area, from here you can go through the landmark places like Lycée Louis Le-Grand, La Sobonne, and College de France.
From there, you can wander and stop at the Saint-Germain-de-Pres, Saint-Sulpice, and continue to the Luxembourg Garden.
Before going and crossing Pont Neuf, you can visit the Institut de France, which is in Rue Bonaparte.
You can continue the walk, where you can go and pass through the places of Sainte-Chapelle, La Conciergerie, and this place will lead to the Pont au Change bridge.
Finally, you can arrive at the Place de Chatelet and halt, and spend some time at Tour Saint-Jacques.
5. Shakessphere And Company:
The Shakespeare and Company is located on the banks of the Seine, and it is a milestone destination in the city of Paris. The present store founder is George Whitman, and he started operations in 1951.
Inside the store, it provides an unconventional ambience, which is cozy and warm. Many of the tourists and the local people who admire the book reading and numerous writers are being attracted here.
There is a quiet library upstairs, where you sit and read your favourite books of various literature. You can go through the shelves and imagine what it might have been like decades ago.
During recent years, they have expanded the bookstore; they have launched their own cafe shop, and sometimes it is busy during the daytime. The cafe offers delicious specialty coffee with savory and sweet snacks.
The nearby places of Shakesphere and Company that you can visit are the Square René Viviani (Historic Church), the oldest tree in Paris, and Richard’s Wonder World is a beautiful place to view the adventures by King Richard.
6. The Louvre:
The Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world, with the glass pyramids with a unique marking entrance has become a priceless art with a global symbol. Every year, numerous tourists visit, and everyone would like to see the glance of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
There are multiple long lines to enter the museum, and one of the entrances is from the underground on the Metro stop on Lines 1 and 7, which will lead to Palais Royal Musee du Louvre, though both entrances will have lines to enter.
But you can always enter through the Royal Pyramid entrance, and where you have to stand for more time, and queue goes outside as a passing snake.
You can always skip the queue and take the guided tour, and explore the museum’s best collections. The museum is very vast, and it is always worth taking the local guidance to show you the most proper way.
The artwork is located on the four floors, where the art is so amazing. There is an amazing Sphinx at the Louvre that is so pretty. One of the statues is headless, and it is most famous in the Louvre.
7. Point Zero Of Paris:
The Point Zero of Paris is the ceremonial point from which all distances are measured from this point. It is noticeable from the bronze sign over there. It is the starting point for measuring the distance from all the motorways and national roads in France.
It is a famous spot for taking photos. The current mark is an exact replica of the original marking been damaged. Most of the tourists stand on the marker and make a wish that they would like to come back to Paris.
There is an Urban myth that if you leave a coin here and you will be acknowledged with Good Luck.
8. BHV Marais:
The BHV Marais is the crucial shopping icon in the city of Paris. It is a huge departmental store in the Marais district. And it is located across the Hotel de Ville.
It is very popular for the diversity of the offerings it makes, like the beauty products, homeware, fashion, hardware collections and the large DIY products. The store is spread across multiple floors, where the DIY products and the hardware collection are in the basement.
The store is having a dining option on the 5th floor with Marlette’s cafe with food and beverage options. And the famous rooftop bar of Le Perchoir with the beautiful city views.
This mighty store is open on all seven days of the week, and it can be accessed through the Hotel de Ville metro station, lines 1 and 11.
The store is stocked with the local French brands and the Global designers with so much authenticity.
9. Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole
The Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole is popular as a historic restaurant in the city of Paris. They serve conventional French food in the magnificent ambience inside, with a covered exterior. This restaurant is located on a small street near the Norte Dome Cathedral.
The entire interior is filled with classical furnishings. It is described as a hidden gem with much romantic feel and is so charming.
They serve the classical French food with friendly staff in the restaurant, with the famous dishes including the Escargot and the wine.
You can pick your own wine in the cellar, and there are a lot of food varieties to be served by them.
During the spring, the cafe facade is decorated with wisteria. And they do the decorations during the Christmas festival season.
Inside decor features with red barcode, glazed mirrors, and velvet furnishings, with a private ambience.
10. Paris’ Oldest Clock:
This clock is the oldest clock in the city of Paris, it is the Clock Tower (La Tour de l’Horloge and it is installed on the Île de La Cité. It was initiated by King Charles V in 1370 and installed in the city in 1371 as a public clock in Paris. And it is used to manage life in the city.
The clock features the allegorical information related to Justice and the Law. Later, it was reinstated by King Henri III, who had been installed with the decorations and the modern dail.
You will notice that the clock looks so pretty and shiny, and with the golden glows during the sunny weather.
Hidden Gems in Old Paris Walking Tour: Self-Guided Tour, Vintage Paris +- Conclusion
That’s all about the hidden gems in Paris from my end. I hope this article will help you plan your trip accordingly.
If you have already visited Paris or you are a local there, share your experiences or any other gems that should be added to this list.
Don’t forget to comment below.
