Paris’ Most Beautiful Neighborhood (Montmartre)

Montmartre might be the most famous neighborhood in Paris, with its white domes, artists and windmills, and it is also the one people get wrong the most. In this video we share our Montmartre walking tour: the exact one-day walk we would take ourselves, ten stops from the Moulin Rouge at the bottom of the hill to the best free view in Paris. It is about 2.9 km (1.8 miles), and it helps anyone who wants the real village rather than the crowded square.

The stops on our walk

  • The Moulin Rouge, opened in 1889, and the honest then-vs-now on Pigalle
  • Place des Abbesses, with one of the last Art Nouveau metro canopies in Paris and the Wall of Love
  • Shopping on rue Lepic, walking past the famous Amélie café
  • The funicular, which you can ride with a regular metro ticket
  • Sacré-Cœur and the dome climb, our favorite 360-degree view in Paris
  • Place du Tertre and the quiet Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church next to it
  • The Moulin de la Galette, painted by Renoir in 1876
  • The Clos Montmartre vineyard, the Montmartre Museum and Renoir Gardens, and the Maison Rose

Scams and tips

Keep your hands in your pockets on the Sacré-Cœur steps to avoid the friendship bracelet trick, ignore petition takers and never join a shell game. At Place du Tertre, only ask a seated painter for a portrait and agree on the price before they start. Wear comfortable shoes, because every day in Montmartre is a leg day.

Where to stay and eat

Our hotel picks are the Timhotel Montmartre for value and views, the cozy Le Relais Montmartre with its patio, and for a splurge the Hotel Particulier Montmartre. Skip the restaurants around Place du Tertre. Down the hill, Le Sanglier Bleu near the Moulin Rouge has a real local feel. We end the day with a glass of champagne on a terrace as the whole city catches the evening light.

Follow our exact route with the Montmartre Walking Tour. For more places to eat, see our 125 best restaurants in Paris guide or join a Devour food tour, and plan the rest of your trip with our Paris Guide Bundle.