The best photo spots in Paris – with a map!

The best photo spots in Paris (4 hours to immortalize Paris)  – with a map!

Are you travelling to Paris any time soon? Or maybe you’re in Paris at the moment? Lucky you! Being in Paris is always special, and I’m sure you want to take amazing pictures to capture the moment! Let’s discover the best photo spots in Paris!

Fan of selfies or simply looking for photo shoot ideas?

In this article I will share with you the best photo locations in Paris (it’s just my opinion of course !). I know it’s a risky statement since Paris is full of incredible photo spots… Maybe at the end of this article you won’t be happy with my selection of 9 spots… It’s fine! You can leave a comment and I will be happy to read your suggestions!

Best Photo Locations in Paris: Open the tab on the top left corner of the map to discover the places.

The fact is that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and that you can take amazing pictures everywhere you go. However, your time in Paris is limited and you don’t want to miss the perfect spots to show all your friends that you visited the City of Lights.

It’s always a pleasure to share amazing pics on Instagram, right?

My mission in this article is to help you to find the best photo spots in Paris. I promise that in less than 4 hours of walking or public transportation you will be sharing the most beautiful pictures of Paris on your social network story.

Challenge accepted? Let’s start my photographer’s guide to Paris!

The best photos of Paris in less than 4 hours?

First of all, you may be thinking that Paris is a huge city like New York, London, or Los Angeles. However, it is important to know that among these cities, Paris is one of the smallest!

Paris (105 square kilometres) is “small” compared to London (1,583 square kilometers), Los Angeles (1,210 square kilometers) or New York City (784 square kilometers).

Hopefully now the thought of taking 9 amazing pictures of Paris in 4 hours isn’t so intimidating?

And now that I almost convince you, let’s travel to the first spot and look for the best places to take pictures in Paris!

Eiffel Tower

You can’t travel to Paris and miss the Eiffel Tower. First of all, no one would believe you…

Then, that would be disgraceful, isn’t it?

With more than 6 million people visiting the Eiffel Tower and with the on-going renovation works around this major landmark, taking the best picture of the Eiffel Tower isn’t so simple.

It is always crowded and all the streets around it are not accessible at the moment. It’s not easy to find the best photo spot for this major landmark, but I’m going to help you with that.

My advice for taking the best snap of the Eiffel Tower would be to take a picture from Place de Trocadéro. This place will certainly provide you with the best angle to admire this landmark. You must come in the morning – the sunrise and the morning atmosphere go well with our Eiffel Tower !

Rue Crémieux

Located in the 12th arrondissement, and not far from Gare de Lyon, rue Crémieux is an amazingly colourful cobble-stone street! For me it’s a ‘must take’ picture, especially because it’s not one of the most popular destinations. The colours are stunning!

Sacré Coeur in Montmartre

Montmartre is such as a particular neighborhood! It’s like a tiny village in Paris. Our popular article will present you this amazing area and all the things to do. Romantic and picturesque, it is one of the most inspiring places in Paris. Many artists, singers and actors live(d) in Montmartre. Also, there are so many fun facts and stories about Montmartre. The view of Paris from the top of the steps of Sacré Coeur Basilica is one of the best!

If you are not in a rush, the best advice I could give you if want to discover the secrets of Montmartre is to join a free walking tour with Discover Walks. We are located in Paris and we run fun and innovative walking tours of Montmartre daily at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. It’s free (tip-supported) and you will learn all of the fascinating details of the Sacré-Coeur. Click here for more information.

Le Moulin Rouge

Le Moulin Rouge is a very popular tourist attraction in Paris and one of the best places to take photos in Paris. Who never heard of le Moulin Rouge? Located in Pigalle and close to a metro station, the world-famous cabaret is well known for its can-can dance numbers, and elaborate costumes.

In 2014, Moulin Rouge celebrated its 125th anniversary! The best way to take a snapshot of the windmill is to cross the road in order to get a global view of the cabaret. The most important advice according to me? Night-time is the best for the coolest photos.

La Maison Rose Montmartre

Among the most Instagrammable (yes, that’s a word!) spots in Paris, La Maison Rose is not the most famous one. But for me, it’s definitely worth a visit and a photo ! La Maison Rose is a magical place that perfectly illustrates the diversity of the local architecture of Montmartre.

The Louvre Pyramid

The Louvre Pyramid is impossible to miss if you are in Paris.  Not only is it beautiful, but it is also original and very photogenic. Conveniently located in central Paris, all roads lead to… the Louvre! What is really surprising about the Pyramid is that any photo will be stunning no matter the weather!

At night, during the sunset, when it’s raining, snowing… it doesn’t matter. This photo spot will surprise you. It is definitely a must-do if you in Paris!

Notre Dame de Paris

Right after the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris is one the most visited places in France. It was built in the Middle Ages, and is a wonderful example of Gothic architecture. The queue to get inside is quite long, but it’s moving quickly. While waiting, you can take some amazing pictures of Notre Dame. We definitely recommend that you arrive early to beat the lines.

I can tell you that there are so many photo opportunities around Notre Dame that it would take an entire article to describe them all.

Obviously, the main one would be from the place at the front. This is where most of the pictures are taken by tourists and it’s still a beautiful spot.

Notre Dame is beautiful from all angles, and please don’t forget to visit the public park behind the cathedral. The small streets of l’Île de la Cité (surrounding the cathedral) are also quite charming.

A second photogenic spot which is for me the best secret spot around Notre Dame. No one goes there in general and I can tell you won’t see any tourist around you. In addition to a nice shot of the Cathedral, you will have the opportunity to visit the tiny streets of that represent l’Île de la Cité quite well.

It’s quite simple to reach this instagrammable photo spot:

As you face the Notre Dame’s main entrance, head left and make a first right (the church will be on your right). Take the first left, the first right, then another first left. Walk to the end of the street, and look for rue des Chantres.

Turn around. Look up, and you’ll be able to see the roof tops of Notre-Dame. Enjoy!

If you are planning to visit Paris, my advice to discover this fantastic neighborhood would be to join a free walking tour of Notre Dame with Discover Walks. It’s fun, innovative and it’s running every day. Find more information on Discover Walks.

Pont Alexandre III and the river bank

Another perfect spot to take photos in Paris is located in the 7th district, not far from the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées, and the Invalides. The Pont Alexandre III is Paris’ most elegant bridge. I recommend walking across the bridge to admire the Seine river, as well as the Eiffel tower.

Sunrise or Sunset, any time will be the best to snap the best picture of this bridge!

After enjoying the view, you could continue to walk towards the Eiffel Tower. But if you want to relax in this busy neighbourhood, you could always take a break at the Esplanade des Invalides.

It’s not the most ‘touristy’ green space in Paris – most of the time you will find local people doing yoga, playing football or just relaxing on the grass.

By the way, if you are looking for a typical French experience, visit the Invalides Esplanade to have a picnic! You will meet local people and take amazing pictures of the river, the bridge and the Dôme of the Invalides.

So many pictures to take…

I have to admit that this list is far from being complete. It was really hard to narrow down all of the choices, so I mainly picked well-known landmarks to showcase Paris’ beauty.

Of course there are several other locations that deserve an honorable mention: the Terrace of the Institut du Monde Arabe, the Pont des Arts, Place des Vosges, etc.

If you are looking for spots that are ‘off the beaten path’, we invite you to join Discover Walks’ Hidden Gems and Secret Paris tour. It runs every day at 11 a.m. and is tip-supported. Don’t miss it!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article about the best spots to take photos in Paris. If you are looking for fun things to do in Paris, finding great photo locations is one of them !

Please use the Google Map of all the locations I mentioned:

[iframe src=”https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1uVgx71F0qfyVXurfUQOJwqAg5dMmGuUb” width=”640″ height=”500″]

Open the tab on the top left corner of the map to discover the places.

Don’t forget to leave a comment, and share your favourite photo locations! We all have our favourite secret places in Paris, right?

Dear photographers, see you soon in Paris!

Additional information about Paris:

• Top 5 streets to see in Paris: if you are looking for the best streets of Paris this article is for you!
• See Paris in 2 days? We wrote a complete article to tell you the best things to do in Paris : from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre you will see that two days is  enough to discover Paris!
• Looking for a free walking tour? Discover Walks run free, fun and innovative Paris tours : Montmartre, le Marais, Notre Dame…

Enjoy !