Are you looking for a walking Montmartre itinerary to discover this beautiful neighbourhood? Visiting Paris on foot is undoubtedly the best way to fully enjoy the City of Lights! To explore its different neighborhoods, I will suggest several walking itineraries in Paris. Let’s start today with a Montmartre itinerary!
You’ll have the opportunity to discover the must-see sights as well as the secret corners of Montmartre where few curious visitors venture! The neighborhood is rediscovering its village soul, as Montmartre was a village before it was incorporated into Paris in 1860! Here is my Montmartre itinerary for a beautiful stroll, with my favorite spots for a gourmet or nature break, and a detailed map that you can download to your phone to follow in the footsteps of La Marinière…
Enjoy your stroll!
To continue exploring Paris, check out my travel guides:
3 Days in Paris Itinerary by a French Girl
The Best Latin Quarter Self-guided Walking Tour
Stroll through the Butte aux Cailles, with street art and flower gardens
The 9 Best Photo Spots in Paris
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR YOUR MONTMARTRE ITINERARY
Map of this walking Montmartre itinerary
Map of the walk :
You can also display this map and follow the route on your phone using the Cirkwi app. Simply search for “75018” for the neighborhood, and you’ll find my walk called “Walk in Montmartre: must-see sights and secret spots.”
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur: practical information
Musée de Montmartre: practical information
How to get to Montmartre?
The walk starts at the Anvers metro station (line 2). It ends at the Blanche metro station (line 2).
How long does this Montmartre itinerary take?
Allow about 2.5 hours for this walk in Montmartre.
Where to stay for this Montmartre itinerary?
In the heart of Montmartre, the Hôtel des Arts Montmartre offers great value for money (from €100 in high season). Cozy and modern, it is the ideal place to discover Montmartre. Some rooms even offer views of the Parisian rooftops!
And if you want to treat yourself, the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre is a little paradise hidden in the greenery of the Montmartre hill. The luxurious suites are tastefully decorated and the unusual setting of a real mansion surrounded by a garden make it a real gem (€400 per suite in summer).
Find your accommodation in Montmartre!
3 recommended accommodation to visit Paris
HÔTEL OFF PARIS SEINE
- Sleep on the Seine !
- With a pool
- From €150
HÔTEL DES ARTS MONTMARTRE
- Rated 9,6/10
- Quiet and with a view !
- From €180
HÔTEL JOSÉPHINE BONAPARTE
- In the heart of Paris
- In an old convent
- From €300
My top picks for this Montmartre itinerary
– Restaurants: Le Cabanon de la Butte (6 rue Lamarck – beautiful view and rustic dishes), Le Poulbot (3 rue Poulbot)
– Bakery: Le Grenier à Pain des Abbesses (38 rue des Abbesses): a neighborhood institution
– Tea room: La Bossue (9 rue Joseph de Maistre): delicious homemade pastries in a cozy atmosphere
– Bar: Chez Camille (8 rue Ravignan): another institution in the Abbesses neighborhood with very reasonable prices!
– Green space: Square Jehan Rictus (place des Abbesses)
MONTMARTRE ITINERAY : START AROUND SACRÉ CŒUR
Montmartre stairs
Our Montmartre itinerary begins at the Anvers metro station, at the foot of the hill. Take Rue Briquet, where you can admire several works of street art. You’ll see more throughout your walk in Montmartre! Then join Rue de Steinkerque, which leads straight to the foot of the Sacré-Cœur! You can go around the park on the right until you reach the pretty stairs that lead up to the basilica.
On the way, you will pass the Halle Saint Pierre, where fashion designers flock to buy fabrics. A little further on, you will arrive at the foot of the Montmartre stairs, ready to climb the many steps of the hill, which rises to a height of 128 meters. These stairs are typical of the neighborhood and particularly picturesque: admire the houses and small courtyards that line them…
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
The square in front of the Sacré-Cœur offers a 180° panoramic view of the rooftops of Paris, and you can even see some famous monuments in the background… You’ll probably also be surprised by how white the Sacré-Cœur is, which hasn’t really changed since it was built in 1923. In fact, as I mentioned in my article on Paris monuments that hold records, it’s because the stone secretes a white substance when it rains!
You can visit the basilica for free (except for the dome and the crypt). And if you want to stop for lunch, the Cabanon de la Butte, located to the right of the Sacré-Cœur, is a great place to go, with a beautiful view to boot!
Alternatively, go around the basilica on the left via Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, then turn right onto Rue du Mont-Cenis and go down the Montmartre steps. Then turn left onto Rue Saint-Vincent to continue our walk in Montmartre.
THE MOST SECRET SPOTS OF MY MONTMARTRE ITINERARY
Clos Montmartre vineyard
On Rue Saint-Vincent, you will discover the vineyards of Clos Montmartre on your left. Today, only this small square remains in Montmartre, producing 500 bottles of red wine per year, whereas in the Middle Ages, the hill was covered with vines! The fête des vendanges (grape harvest festival) in Montmartre takes place every year in October: it’s a very enjoyable experience that’s worth trying at least once!
You can also see the vineyards from the Musée de Montmartre, located just above. It has a quiet, bucolic garden and temporary and permanent exhibitions of artists from Montmartre’s heyday. Renoir once used it as his studio, which welcomed many painters, and it remains one of the vestiges of the old village of Montmartre.
Just opposite the vineyards, on your right, take a look at the Lapin Agile, one of the oldest cabarets in Montmartre, still in operation today! It was the rabbit painted on the façade by André Gill that gave it its surprising name… You can then continue straight on to Place Constantin Pecqueur.
Villa Léandre
From the square, continue along Avenue Junot. This wide street lined with mansions and private alleys leading to hidden homes shows another side of Montmartre: calm, chic, and secret. Along Avenue Junot, stop on the right at Villa Léandre. This is one of the most beautiful streets in Montmartre, offering a complete change of scenery! Here, it’s hard to imagine that you’re in the heart of Paris…
At the end of Avenue Junot, take a look at the sculpture that crosses the wall of Place Marcel Aymé. It is a representation of the writer’s Passe-Muraille! You can also take a quick detour down Rue Girardon to admire the famous Moulin de la Galette. A hotspot of Montmartre life in days gone by, its dance hall was immortalized by Renoir, among others.
L’allée des brouillards
Now return to Avenue Junot and cross the playground to reach Rue Simon Dereure. Climb the few steps that lead you to the narrow allée des brouillards. Lined by the former Château des Brouillards, which is linked to many legends, this charming alley leads to Place Dalida, where a statue of the artist stands.
MONTMARTRE ITINERARY : AROUND PLACE DU TERTRE
Then continue straight ahead on the pretty Rue de l’Abreuvoir, one of the most photogenic streets in Montmartre with its pretty pink house. Immortalized by the painter Maurice Utrillo, it is undoubtedly one of the most photographed houses in Paris! Its pink color certainly contributes to its fame!
Then turn right and walk up Rue des Saules. You will arrive in the lively streets lined with restaurants and rustic open-air cafés. Take Rue Poulbot on the right until you reach Place du Calvaire. You will pass Le Poulbot, a restaurant that I highly recommend if you want to eat in the neighborhood. Not all restaurants are equal in these touristy streets!
Don’t forget to admire the view from the top of the Calvaire stairs before turning left onto the famous Place du Tertre! Famous for its artists who skillfully sketch portraits of curious passersby, it still retains the special charm of a village square.
MONTMARTRE ITINERARY – AROUND THE ABBESSES
Le Bateau-Lavoir
Then head back towards the Sacré-Cœur to reach rue Foyatier. This shaded stairway runs alongside the Montmartre funicular. But there’s no need to go down all the steps, as you can turn right onto the pretty rue Gabrielle! This peaceful street is also home to some beautiful street art.
Continue to Rue Ravignan, which leads to Place Emile Goudeau. This charming square hides an important landmark in the neighborhood: the Bateau-Lavoir! This place was once a symbol of Montmartre’s cultural life, where avant-garde artists and writers worked from 1904 onwards. It was at the Bateau-Lavoir that Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, along with many other masterpieces by Modigliani and Van Dongen.
At the bottom of the stairs, stop for a drink at Camille, a neighborhood institution! Otherwise, turn left onto Rue des Trois-Frères, then right onto Passage des Abbesses, known for its street art, until you reach Place des Abbesses.
La place des Abbesses
The lively Abbesses neighborhood is quintessentially Parisian. Stroll around the square to admire Hector Guimard’s metro entrance, or visit Square Jehan Rictus, home to the “Mur des Je t’aime” (Wall of I Love You’s). The magical phrase is written in 250 languages!
Then take Rue des Abbesses, a lively shopping street, until you reach Rue Lepic on your left. On the way, stop at Grenier de Montmartre, one of the best bakeries, or La Bossue, a friendly tea room serving delicious homemade pastries.
Rue Lepic will take you back down to Boulevard de Clichy, but don’t forget to take a look at the Passage Lepic on your left. You can enter during the day by pressing the button to the right of the door. The neighborhood is full of private passageways and “cités” (private courtyards). Once you reach the boulevard, you’ll find yourself face to face with the neighborhood’s most famous landmark: the Moulin Rouge!
But keep walking along the sidewalk to discover the last private neighborhood on this Montmartre tour: the Cité Véron. Its leafy street seems completely cut off from the hustle and bustle of the boulevard…
You can now return to the boulevard or continue towards the Montmartre Cemetery, where Dalida, Zola, Stendhal, François Truffaut, and many other famous figures from the arts and literature are buried!
Our Montmartre itinerary ends here. I hope you enjoyed it!
If you’re looking for other ideas for walks in Paris, check out my travel guides:
3 Days in Paris Itinerary by a French Girl
The Best Latin Quarter Self-guided Walking Tour
Stroll through the Butte aux Cailles, with street art and flower gardens
The 9 Best Photo Spots in Paris
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