The Top 10 Instagrammable Spots in Paris

The Top 10 Instagrammable Spots in Paris

So you are travelling to the City of Lights and want to show to your thousands of followers how great a life you live?

You are starting your Instagram account and intend on growing your followership by posting awesome pictures of the Eiffel tower?

You wish to show the world how fashionable you are by selfie-ing yourself on Avenue Montaigne?

Search no more, for you have stumbled upon the right article!

So put your smartphone or best camera in your bag, and prepare your best hashtags, for you are in for an artistic tour of the 10 best spots you can find in Paris to fit the square layout of your marvelous feed.

1. The colorful one – RUE CREMIEUX

Rue Crémieux – Picture from Instagram.com account @Nickcastillo_12 – all rights reserved

Why this spot? Rue Crémieux is a small narrow pedestrian street near Place de la Bastille. The houses there are all painted in pastel colors, allowing you to take wonderful pictures and portraits, Portobello Style. Take the time to wander from the blues to the greens, all the while looking for trompe-l’oeil art such as the painted cats and birds hiding among the real flower pots.

How to get there? Rue Crémieux is a 145 meter-long-street located East of Place de la Bastille in Paris 12^th Arrondissement. To get there, the best way it to ride the Metro to Gare de Lyon or Bastille, and take Rue de Lyon. Rue Crémieux is hidden about halfway between the two stations, roughly in front of the UGC movie theater.

How to take the perfect picture? First of all if you want to freely take a good picture, you should arrive early, for the spot is now quite renowned. The place is swamped by instagrammers from mid-morning to sundown. Choose a sunny day if you want the colors of the houses to fully show their splendor.

At last, ALWAYS remember that these houses our private houses, with real people living in them! Please remember to respect their privacy and tranquility, and do NOT trespass their private property (which includes their front steps) even if you see other people doing so.

Oh, and if you want this spot to remain protected somehow…keep this to yourself :)

2. The cliché – MONTMARTRE

Montmartre – Picture from Instagram.com account @Nickcastillo_12 – all rights reserved

Why this spot? If you want to see a typical Parisian neighborhood, Montmartre is, of course, one very good choice. Let us be clear, the area is the Paris cliché, which is pretty far from what most Parisians live. However, isn’t Instagram supposed to reflect real life or an idealized dream life? If you want to take nice Montmartre pictures, favor the Northern areas of the hill, behind the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. The Sacré-Coeur and Place du Tertre are way too touristy for you to take a good picture. The back streets such as Rue de l’Abreuvoir and Rue Saint Vincent are good choices for a paved-street rustic-looking picture.

How to get there? There are a lot of ways to go uphill. We already covered this topic, and you may find all the information you need here.

How to take the perfect picture? Pick a sunny day and go for a hike on the hill. You will stumble upon cute streets and buildings which will feed the best clichés. You may even find nice windmills by losing yourself near Rue Lepic. Montmartre is a neighborhood which you should visit by losing yourself and wandering. I can only recommend you go early before the hill gets too crowded with groups and tourists.

Also, once you have your perfect picture, why not complete your day by taking our Montmartre guided tour?

3. The fashionable one – AVENUE MONTAIGNE

Why this spot? You want your perfect Instagram picture in Paris to reveal your sense of fashion? You should then head to Avenue Montaigne, near les Champs-Elysées. Whether you feel like Emma Watson, Natalie Portman or want to reveal your inner Kardashian, the luxury stores of Avenue Montaigne will have you shine in your feed like Julia Roberts on Rodeo Drive!

How to get there? Avenue Montaigne is part of the Golden Triangle, the most luxurious area of Paris. To get there, the easiest way is to ride Line 9 of the Metro to the station FDR (also accessible by line 1) or Alma-Marceau.

How to take the perfect picture? Avenue Montaigne is a relatively wide avenue. Be careful if you wish to take a photo from the middle of the road, for the traffic can be dense. The large sidewalk is a good option for nice pictures, especially if you are carrying loads of shopping bags. You may also take pictures in front of famous fashion stores of course.

4. The Amélie one – SAINT MARTIN CANAL

Canal Saint-Martin – Picture from Instagram.com account @Nickcastillo_12 – all rights reserved

Why this spot? Do you remember this scene in Amélie when Amélie is seen skipping stones on a canal lock? Well, this lock is part of a quiet waterway running through Paris.  The place is quite nice, especially when spring comes and the tree leaves cast shadows on the calm waters. The lock is, in fact, not opened to the public, but the whole Canal is a nice place to have a walk and take very Parisian pictures. The banks are paved giving the whole area a historic feel.

How to get there? The Saint Martin Canal runs from La Villette to the Bastille harbor of the Arsenal. However, one part of this course, located roughly between Place de la République and the harbor of Arsenal, is underground and not accessible unless you are on an approved boat. For the “Amélie” section of the canal – which is the best for your Instagram pictures – head North-East of Place de la République, along Boulevard Jules Ferry. The whole canal is nice until Bassin de La Villette, but the Southern section near République is the nicest one. The best way to get there is to stop at Metro stations République, Oberkampf or Goncourt and then walk there. You may also stop at Jaurès or Stalingrad.

How to take the perfect picture? There are plenty of ways to take a good picture by the Canal. Whether you take nice images of the paved banks in the sunset light or your cheese and wine aperitif with your friends, the Canal is a perfect setting for capturing the Parisian Joie de Vivre.

5. The grandiose one – THE TROCADERO

The Trocadero Esplanade- Picture from Instagram.com account @Nickcastillo_12 – all rights reserved

Why this spot? You can’t really come to Paris and not take a picture of the Eiffel Tower. However, the Iron Lady being visible from pretty much everywhere, the real challenge is to choose the right spot. By far, the Trocadero esplanade is your best option. The grandiose vista located across the Seine from the Tower is one of Paris’s most impressive viewpoint. The neo-classic and monumental Palais de Chaillot, built on the hill and surrounding the esplanade, offers a grandiose structure which emphasizes even more the view.

How to get there? Stop at Trocadero on line 9 of the Metro. You will exit right in front of the Esplanade!

How to take the perfect picture? The Trocadero is crowded from dawn to late at night. For nice pictures, choose a nice early morning. The esplanade will be a bit less full and the warm sunlight reflecting on the Palace walls will allow you to take sublime pictures of the infamous iron structure. If your camera allows you to take nice pictures at night, you may also choose to come after sundown, when the Tower is lit up in its yellow light, with its impressive rotating searchlight illuminating the Paris skies at the top. Careful though, on each hour, for five minutes, the Tower sparkles with thousands of blue flashlights. The moment is memorable for the hundreds of tourists admiring the light show, but it makes taking a nice picture a bit harder unless you have a very long shutter time.

6. The country side one – LA CAMPAGNE A PARIS

La Campagne à Paris- Picture from Instagram.com account @Nickcastillo_12 – all rights reserved

Why this spot? Paris is one of the world’s densest cities. It is quite hard to find a quiet and green area here. However, the city protects a hidden gem. One tiny neighborhood housing roughly 100 inhabitants has kept its historic outskirt feel, and a very bucolic atmosphere. Officially named “La Campagne à Paris” (Countryside in Paris), these four paved streets will allow you to take rarely seen pictures.

How to get there?  Let’s face it, la Campagne à Paris is hidden in the heights of the 20^th Arrondissement, which is one of the least pleasant neighborhoods to visit in Paris – and which is quite off the tourist paths. The shortest way to get there is either by riding the Metro to Gambetta (lines 3 and 3B) or Pelleport (line 3B), or by stopping at the Séverine Station of Tram 3B. You should be prepared to walk for a while. Bus line 102 also takes you to the nearest option: the “Pelleport” stop.

How to take the perfect picture? The streets of the neighborhood are winding and paved and offer great opportunities to take nice bucolic pictures. For the best shots, head to Rue Irénée Blanc and Rue Jules Siegfried. Once again, remember these houses are private properties. You should respect them and their inhabitants, and not trespass or stall in front of them.

7. The hidden ones – PARIS’S VILLAS & CITES

In Paris, some hidden pedestrian streets or passageways, named “villas” or “cités”, go across and between buildings behind closed doors.

Why this spot? Paris’s villas and cités are great spots for awesome Instagram pictures. They often offer bucolic historic landscapes. Whether you like paved alleyways or cute flowers, Paris’s villas and cités are a place you should go to, to enrich your feed. Villas are often lined with beautiful houses and form part of the richest neighborhoods. Cités, on the other hand, are more often streets of popular neighborhoods, lined with old buildings and artists workshops.

How to get there? This one is a tricky question. Indeed, Paris’s villas and cités can be found all across the city. To get there, you should know where to look. But even then, not all villas and cités are easily accessible. Most are private streets, and closed with gates. To go to the villas, be prepared to find yourself in front of closed doors as they are often the Paris equivalent of US “gated communities”. Cités are more easily accessible.

Among the ones most worth the detour, La Cité Florale or La Villa Daviel (13^th arrondissement), La Cour Damoye (near Bastille in the 11^th Arrondissement), the adorable Villa Léandre (18^th Arrondissement), La Rue des Thermopyles and Le Square Montsouris (14^th Arrondissement).

How to take the perfect picture? Due to the bucolic nature and the relatively narrow aspects of these streets, I recommend you only try to get to the villas and cités on a very sunny day of spring or summer to ensure you take the best possible pictures. As I previously said, most streets are private so remember to respect the lives of these who live there and do not trespass the limits of their individual properties. At last, never try to enter a cité or villa if you find closed doors. Bear in mind that villas are usually hard to enter. You should never force your way inside, unless authorized by someone who lives there.

8. The romantic one – PLACE DE FURSTEMBERG

Why this spot? I am not going to discuss extensively the beautiful and romantic atmosphere of tiny Place de Furstemberg, because I already described it here. You may see Place de Furstemberg and many more other places of the Saint Germain area in our guided tour. Place de Furstemberg is a great spot for an Instagram romantic shot.

How to get there? You may reach Place de Furstemberg by stopping at Saint-Germain-des-Prés or Mabillon.

9. The historic ones – from NOTRE DAME to LE MARAIS

Typical Paris Street – Picture from Instagram.com account @Nickcastillo_12 – all rights reserved

Why this spot? To capture the historic spirit of the center of Paris, most side streets of the Islands and Le Marais may allow you to catch the perfect Instagram picture. If you like paved streets, old walls, and ancient signboards, these neighborhoods are an ideal place to head to.

How to get there? Metro stops Cité and Saint-Paul are you best options. Rather than advising you to go to some specific place, the best piece of advice I can give you is to get there, and lose yourself in the surrounding streets. This way, you will surely stumble upon a photographic wonder which will perfectly enrich your feed.

How to take the perfect picture? Early mornings in the week-end, these areas of Paris are way less crowded and will allow you to take wonderful dawn-lit pictures.

10. The scenic one – THE ROOFTOP OF THE RAPHAEL

Why this spot? The Raphael is one of the most luxury hotels in Paris located close to les Champs-Elysées, between the Arc de Triomphe and the Trocadero. Just like in the Peninsula (next door), you may find wonderful settings for your pictures inside. But the real jewel of the Raphael is the amazing rooftop terrace at the top. The view up there spans all the way to the Eiffel Tower. You may learn more about this rooftop bar here.   

Be aware though, you may end up spending upwards of €20 for a glass of wine, so make sure that the photo is worth it!

How to get there? From Charles-de-Gaulle Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe, walk down Avenue Kleber for a few blocks.

With these ten spots, your Instagram feed will potentially skyrocket to new heights! So get ready and prepared yourself to hit the streets of the #CityOfLights.