How to Spend a Day in Montmartre (Self-Guided Walking Tour)
Are you trying to figure out what to do with a day in Montmartre? Read on for my recommendations – I have a great self-guided walking tour Montmartre itinerary for you!
With its cobblestone streets and artistic legacy, Montmartre, the hilltop neighborhood in the north part of Paris, almost feels like an escape from the city hustle and bustle. Known for its village-like atmosphere, Montmartre has a great vibe and an intriguing history.
For a long time, Montmartre wasn’t even in Paris city limits and was quite rural, filled with windmills, vineyards, and gypsum quarries. However, in 1860, Montmartre was incorporated into Paris, and it quickly became a bohemian hotspot, popular with singers, dancers, writers, and artists.
I love how remnants of all of this history can still be seen throughout the neighborhood today. Today, Montmartre is most well-known for its bohemian past, the gleaming white Sacré Coeur Basilica, and the panoramic views of Paris.
And while Sacré Coeur is a gorgeous site in Paris, there is so much more to the 18th arrondissement (aka neighborhood) of Paris.
Over my 8 visits to Paris (including a 3-month stint living in the city), I’ve made a point to really explore and wander around Montmartre, walking up and down the charming streets and discovering its hidden corners.
This guide covers the best things to do with a day in Montmartre and essentially works as a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood.
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Spending One Day in Montmartre – The Logistics
Arriving in Montmartre
If you’re arriving via metro, I’d recommend Abbesses on Line 12, Anvers on Line 2, or Chateau Rouge on Line 4.
When To Start
Montmartre is a great place, but Sacré Coeur gets crazy busy during the day, enough so that the high crowds start to diminish the experience at the basilica.
I would highly, highly recommend starting your day in Montmartre fairly early. You don’t have to be here at sunrise, but if you can be at Sacré Coeur by 9am, you’re going to have a much better time than if you get here a few hours later.
How Long Do You Need?
Depending on how fast you walk and how long you linger at spots, you could spend anywhere from a half day to a full day in Montmartre, especially if you enjoy a relaxing lunch here. Of course, you can also stay in the Montmartre area and spread out these sites over a few days.
Which brings me to my next point…
Want to Stay in Montmartre?
Montmartre is a great area to stay in Paris, and although it is farther away from the city center, it is well-connected to the rest of Paris by multiple metro lines. I’d recommend the following three hotels in the 18th arrondissement:
Hotel Terrass: The views over Paris from the guest rooms and the rooftop terrace are truly spectacular – some rooms even have an Eiffel Tower view! The decor throughout the property is a trendy, modern style.
Hotel Monsieur Aristide: The Aristide is a newer boutique hotel, and they really show attention to detail with the furnishings around the property. The garden terrace is particularly gorgeous.
Hotel Litteraire: This is a great budget option in Montmartre and has nice, comfortable rooms. It’s still in a great location in the neighborhood and the design centers around renowned French writer, Marcel Ayme.
Can’t Climb the Steps to Sacré Coeur?
There is a funicular that starts at the “ground level”, not far from the carousel at Square Louise Michel. This funicular takes you almost all the way up to the basilica, you’ll just have to do the final steps.
Riding the funicular takes a standard metro ticket, and there are machines to buy tickets outside the entrance.
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Best Places to Visit and Best Things to Do in Montmartre
Okay, let’s get into the best things to do with your day in Montmartre. I’ve tried to list the places to visit in an order that can be easily walked through the village, essentially functioning as a self-guided walking tour of Montmartre.
1. Square Louise Michel

Square Louise Michel is the square and lovely greenspace in front of and leading up to the Sacré Coeur basilica. There are walking paths, staircases, and this charming carousel.
This is a common spot for the “Bracelet Scam” – if anyone approaches you and asks if you want a bracelet (or asks if you will sign a petition), just respond with a firm no and keep walking.
2. Tilted House


Have you heard of this fairly well-known “tilted” house near Sacré Coeur? The house is, of course, not actually tilted, but is just a matter of shifting the perspective of the camera.
There is a perfectly slanted hill right in front of it, so if you rotate the picture so the hill is “flat” and the house appears slanted. You can find this at the bottom of the top staircase in front of Sacré Coeur, on the right side of the basilica. This is the exact location for this view.
3. Staircase on Rue Chappe
Montmartre is full of staircases (38 to be exact!) and the staircase on Rue Chappe, just to the left of Square Louise Michel, is the longest one in Montmartre, with 222 steps!

4. Sacré Coeur Basilica

Sacré Coeur is the shining jewel of Montmartre, and is an impressive basilica with shockingly white domes. Thanks to the particular travertine stone used in construction, the basilica stays an impressive white year after year.
And thanks to being set on a hill (Montmartre means “Mountain of the Martyrs”), it towers over the surrounding neighborhoods, creating one of the more dramatic views you’ll find in Paris.
I’d definitely recommend walking through the basilica – it is filled with soaring domes, stained glass windows, and colorful murals. No photos are allowed inside, so you’ll just have to go and experience it for yourself!
- Cost: Free
- Hours: 6am-10:30pm
5. Domes of Sacré Coeur

Very few people realize this, but you can climb up Sacré Coeur’s towers and into the main basilica dome.
Right before you enter the basilica, look for the sign for the panoramic viewpoint that leads you down and to the left. Here, you’ll pay the entrance fee and then start climbing the 292 steps of the spiral staircase up to the rooftop.
When you reach the rooftop, you’ll walk a short pathway between the different domes and spires along the roof – a super cool part of the experience.

Then up another short staircase and then you’re in the dome! There’s a little walkway inside the columns and you can walk around, enjoying the incredible 360° views over Paris.

And while you can’t see the Eiffel Tower from the base of Sacré Coeur, up in the domes, you can enjoy one of the best Eiffel Tower viewpoints in the city. This is an incredible hidden gem in Paris to experience.
6. Back of Sacré Coeur

While the front of Sacré Coeur is iconic, I love walking around the back to admire the unique view (and lack of crowds) from behind. Certainly, the front of the basilica is the more photographed angle, but I think the back still qualifies as one of the most Instagrammable places in Paris.
The above picture was taken on the northwest (left) side of the basilica, and the below picture was taken in Square de la Turlure, a quiet and pretty garden on the northeast corner (right side) of the basilica.
The very back corner of the Square gives you the best angle of the entire church.

7. Staircases of Montmartre

Delightful little staircases are scattered around Montmartre hill and are a well-known feature of the neighborhood. Finding cute little staircases is one of the most enjoyable parts of exploring Montmartre, in my opinion.

I mentioned one staircase earlier (Rue Foyatier), and you’ll certainly come across quite a few of them naturally as you wander around. However, these are a few of my favorite staircases (and they all definitely make for a great photo spot):
- Rue de Mont-Cenis (just behind Sacré Coeur)
- Lamarck-Calaincourt metro station (charming with the metro sign)
- Rue Juste Metivier (super pretty)
- Rue Girardon (by the Buste de Dalida, shorter)

8. Place du Tertre

Place du Tertre is a café-lined square in the heart of Montmartre, where artists are out drawing, painting, and selling their pieces underneath leafy trees. This is a popular place to pick up a unique and beautiful artwork souvenir as a memory of Paris.
9. Le Consulat

Le Consulat is a well-known cafe with a charming facade and sidewalk terrace and is famous for its prestigious clientele during the 1800’s and early 1900’s. These patrons included famous artists, writers, and philosophers, including Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso.
Van Gogh in particular was a frequent visitor to the cafe, and today, you can do as Van Gogh did and linger over a coffee or a traditional Parisian bistro meal, or just admire the view as you walk by.
10. La Maison Rose

La Maison Rose has become a very famous restaurant in Montmartre (possibly even more so than Le Consulat), located at the top of Rue de l’Abreuvoir. Founded in 1908, the restaurant is painted an adorable pink color, and used to host singers and artists who lived and worked in Montmartre and Pigalle.
Today, it’s a very popular photo spot and continues to be a working cafe serving traditional French dishes.
11. Vigne du Clos Montmartre (Vineyard of Montmartre)

While Montmartre used to have multiple vineyards, the only remaining one in Paris city limits is the Vigne du Clos Montmartre. Established in 1933, this vineyard is not open to the public, but you can walk by and admire it from the street.
The best view of it is from the corner of Rue Saint-Vincent and Rue des Saules.

12. Rue de l’Abreuvoir

Rue de L’Abreuvoir is one of the prettiest, quaintest little streets in Paris. This short street starts by La Maison Rose café, and then curves down to the Place Dalida.
The view from the bottom of the street looking up lets you appreciate the curve of the street, and you can also see the tops of the Sacré Coeur domes peaking out behind the buildings.
Ivy climbs the sides of several buildings on this street, and in fall turns a fiery red, making the area even more beautiful.
13. Place de Dalida

Place de Dalida is located at the bottom of Rue de l’Abreuvoir. Here you can find a bust of Dalida, a French singer who sold millions of albums through the mid-1900’s. She is widely considered to be one of the most famous French singers of all time.
Tradition holds that it is good luck to rub her breasts, and as you can see, a lot of people have tried their hand at good luck.
From this square, you can also access the small staircase down Rue Girardon (mentioned in the Staircase section a few sections up).
14. Boris Lumé Bakery

On the back edge of the Montmartre neighborhood, the popular children’s TV show “Miraculous” is based on this adorable, charming bakery. This is a French animated show that has been dubbed into English (and my kids love it).

We came for the TV show association but stayed for the delicious food. I can highly recommend the kouign-amann croissant and their baguettes were incredible!
15. Le Passe-Muraille

The Passe-Muraille is rather odd attraction in Montmartre, and is a giant bronze sculpture of a man walking out of the wall. The statue is based on a famous French book of the same name, by Marcel Ayme, a famous French author.
In the book, a man realizes he has the power to walk through walls, and uses his ability to commit crime and have an affair. However, his power suddenly stops one wall while passing through a wall, and he becomes trapped – the moment that is immortalized in this sculpture.
16. Square Suzanne Buisson

Square Suzanne Buisson is a a small, quiet garden in the heart of Montmartre, notable for its statue of Saint Denis. Denis was the first bishop of Paris, and was executed by beheading in Montmartre in 250AD.
Legend says he picked up his head and walked to what today is a northern suburb of Paris, where he finally died. Today, the Basilica of Saint Denis stands where he died, and is the burial place for the kings and queens of France.
Saint Denis is always depicted in artwork holding his head in his hands.
17. Rue Lepic

Rue Lepic is also in Montmartre and is a long street that does a dramatic curve as it slopes down the hill, and then finally ends at the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.
This is the perfect Parisian walking street – generally few cars, a cobblestoned road, and beautiful buildings with stately doors. You’ll also pass Moulin Radet (more on this below) on Rue Lepic.

The section of Rue Lepic between Rue des Abbesses and Blvd Clichy is a great market-like street. You can find a great fromagerie (cheese shop), chocolaterie (A La Mère de Famille), bakery and pastry shops, and numerous cafes, including Café des Deux Moulins (one of the best cafes in Montmartre), where scenes in the movie Amélie were set.
18. Moulin du Radet

Historically, Montmartre used to have over 30 windmills, as the elevation on the hill was favorable for catching the wind. Moulin Radet, built in 1717, is one of two remaining windmills in Paris, and is today associated with the Moulin de la Galette restaurant. (In French, “moulin” means windmill).
The other windmill in Montmartre – Moulin Blutte-Fin, is privately owned and not accessible.
Fun fact: One of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s most famous paintings was inspired by these windmills – the piece being named “Le Bal de Moulin de la Galette.“
19. Gilles Marchal

The Gilles Marchal Patisserie is a neighborhood pastry shop that specializes in madeleines. They make a huge variety of madeleines daily – I opted to try triy the plain and the pistachio.
Now, I’ll be honest and say that madeleines are generally not my favorite French pastry, but the Gilles Marchal ones are the exception – the pistachio had a perfectly tender crumb and a lightly sweetened pistachio cream in the center. Delicious
Closed Mon-Tues.
20. Mur des Je t’Aime

The ‘I love you’ Wall is a cute fixture in Montmartre, tucked away in a little garden at Place des Abbesses. The phrase “I love you” is written in 250 languages, and snapping a picture in front of the wall is a cute, romantic thing to do in Paris.
21. Creperie Brocéliande

Wrapping up our walking tour of Montmartre is a stop at one of my favorite Parisian restaurants that serves up galettes, which are buckwheat crepes from the Normandy region.
You can order both sweet and savory galettes, and the flavor combinations are really interesting and delightful. I recommend ordering a savory galette for yourself and a sweet galette to share!
22. Moulin Rouge

Speaking of moulins, the Moulin Rouge cabaret is one of the most iconic features of the Montmartre area. This Red Windmill is entirely decorative and was never a functioning part of the windmills of Montmartre, but of course is a well-known fixture in the neighborhood today.
Attending a show is certainly a popular activity in Paris and you can grab a ticket here (although make sure you are aware that this is a cabaret where many of the women are topless).
Leaving Montmartre
If you end your day in Montmartre at Moulin Rouge, you can easily hop on the metro station Blanche, which is just adjacent to the cabaret, making it easy to get to your next destination in Paris.
Is Montmartre Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! Montmartre is absolutely delightful and there are so many charming little spots to discover in the neighborhood.
Many people just visit Sacré Coeur and don’t venture farther in – but if you follow the walking tour laid out in this Montmartre guide, you’ll get to enjoy a deep exploration of some of the best spots in the village.
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