The Best of Paris in a Week: Montmartre District

Paris has been romanticized for centuries as a city of love, the arts, and outstanding cuisine. If you find yourself lucky enough to visit, you may wonder how to fit in everything you want to do with your time.

A couple of months ago, my husband and I went to Paris for our honeymoon, fulfilling what was pretty much my life-long dream to visit there. We spent one full week taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of this incredible city and the surrounding area. I can hardly begin to express the wonder I felt as we explored so many historical and iconic sites.

*This red door set into the white brick of the Sacre Couer caught my attention*

After a ton of itinerary planning, we managed to develop a schedule that allowed us to hit most of the major highlights in and around Paris. We carefully planned our schedule around travel times and what was in the general vicinity each day. If not for the jet lag, we could have squeezed a few more things into this as well. After we returned, I tweaked the schedule just a bit to accommodate realistic times to see everything.

A One-Week Itinerary of Paris

If you’re looking for a good Parisian itinerary to fill a week of sights, I guarantee you will not be disappointed with this route! Keep reading for more details on each site, including pictures I took, and download this chart for a glance at the whole schedule.

Day 1: Explore the Montmartre District

Montmartre is a gorgeous area in the northern section of the city. Here you’ll find beautiful architecture, a couple of museums, breathtaking churches, and even a whimsical carousel.

The Sacré-Cœur

White Romano-Byzantine church in the Montmartre district, Paris. The Sacre-Couer — *The Sacré-Cœur*

We began our adventure by climbing the hill to the Sacré-Cœur. While we were certainly out of breath by the time we arrived, the incredible church at the top was worth the climb, not to mention our first widespread view of Paris. Later, we found out that there’s actually an inclined railcar that can take you to the top, but the stairs are free if you don’t want to pay for the ride.

The Sacré-Cœur, also known as the Basilica, is one of the more iconic churches in Paris with its white domes and ornate carvings. According to its website, the church was designed by Paul Abadie in a Romano-Byzantine style. It really is incredible. I highly recommend walking around the church’s exterior if you like architecture.

However, the exterior isn’t the only beautiful thing about the Basilica. Like many Catholic churches, the Sacré-Cœur’s interior is filled with stained glass and elaborate archways, plus The Grand Organ. It’s free to walk around the main area inside, however, you’ll have to pay if you want to visit the actual dome.

Square Nadar

After exploring the church, take a short walk to Square Nadar just to the right. It’s a tiny little park where you can rest while watching pigeons and soaking in the gorgeous landscape of Paris. This is where I got my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, and it was breathtaking.

The eiffel tower lit up in a sunbeam as seen from Montmartre — *My first view of the Eiffel Tower was lit with this sunbeam <3*

Wander Around

Once you’ve gotten your fill of scenery, head to the Carousel at the base of the Basilica along Place Saint-Pierre. Even if you don’t want to ride—which you should—it’s still an adorable and beautiful attraction with its double-decker selection of painted horses.

Ornate two-story carousel in Montmartre, Paris

If you’re hungry after all this walking, check out Le Ronsard across the street for a delicious crepe—honestly the best I had in Paris.

The Moulin Rouge

Depending on your personal preference and time frame, you can shop around, visit the Musée de Montmartre, or take a trip to the iconic Moulin Rouge, where shows are held daily. All of these are within walking distance or a quick metro ride away. If you decide to visit the Moulin Rouge for dinner and the cabaret, book your tickets online in advance and plan your explorations around the showtime.

Now, for dinner—unless you ate at the Moulin Rouge, of course! We stayed in the Montmartre area for our entire trip, which means we ate there several nights. My favorite restaurant by far was La Cave Gourmande on Rue des Martyrs, an unassuming place with a cozy atmosphere and delicious menu. We had the rack of lamb and Szechuan duck and finished every bite!

If you do everything here, you will definitely have a full day of exploring! But if you do manage to find extra time, stroll the streets. Montmartre is so peaceful and quaint, and it was actually my favorite place to explore by night. There are many lovely shops and cafes that you can duck into to enjoy the atmosphere and really embrace that Parisian ambiance.