Île de la Cité and the Latin Quarter: a walk in Paris

From Notre-Dame across the medieval island to the Left Bank, up Montagne Sainte-Geneviève past the Panthéon and Roman arena to rue Mouffetard.

Best time: Weekday morning; Sainte-Chapelle glass is best in sun before noon

The route, stop by stop

1
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Cathedral interior 30-45 min (free); towers need a pre-booked slot.
Reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire: the restored limestone interior is brighter than it has been for centuries, and the towers climb (424 steps) gives gargoyle-level…
2
Sainte-Chapelle
Upper chapel glass, 30-40 min; book a timed slot.
13th-century royal chapel whose upper level is almost entirely stained glass, 1,113 biblical scenes; best on a sunny morning.
3
Conciergerie
Gothic halls and Marie-Antoinette's cell, 45 min, or skip if short on time.
Surviving Gothic halls of the medieval royal palace, later the Revolutionary prison where Marie-Antoinette was held; the Salle des Gens d'Armes is one of Europe's largest…
4
Square du Vert-Galant
Willow-shaded tip of the island below Pont Neuf, 10 min.
5
Shakespeare and Company
English-language bookshop facing Notre-Dame, 15 min.
6
Musée de Cluny – National Museum of the Middle Ages
Lady and the Unicorn tapestries and Roman baths, 60 min.
Medieval art in a 15th-century abbots' mansion built over 3rd-century Roman baths; the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries have their own darkened room.
7
Panthéon
Crypt and Foucault's pendulum, 45 min.
Neoclassical necropolis holding Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Zola, Marie Curie and Joséphine Baker; Foucault's pendulum swings under the dome.
8
Arènes de Lutèce
Roman amphitheatre, 10 min.
1st-century Roman amphitheatre hidden behind apartment buildings; locals play pétanque in the arena and children play football on it.
9
Au P'tit Grec
End with a crêpe on rue Mouffetard, near Place de la Contrescarpe.
Takeaway crêpe stand on rue Mouffetard known for oversized savoury galettes stuffed with feta, ham, egg and salad; a student staple.

Walking directions

Île de la Cité and the Latin Quarter

The route, stop by stop

More walks in Paris