21 Most Instagrammable Places in Paris
Looking for some of the best Instagrammable places in Paris? I’ve got a lot of ideas for you!
I’m going to be honest here: Paris really is one, giant Instagrammable spot – its one of the big reasons we love the city! The streets are adorable, the buildings are gorgeous, the river views spectacular, monuments grandiose, and gardens a serene oasis. But, there are definitely spots you should know about and some tricks to get the best photos in Paris.
Now, I want to start this list by saying very clearly: I am not a professional photographer. I am NOWHERE CLOSE to a pro. However, we love capturing beautiful moments when we travel, we have a great camera on my cell phone (not even a real camera LOL), and we have some pretty good tenacity to keep trying for *the shot*.
21 Most Instagrammable Places in Paris
Le’ts dive into the list! While you can find great shots all over the city, this list shares some some specific ideas for great shots, including unique viewpoints for popular destinations.
Best Photo Spots in Montmartre, Paris
Montmartre is well-loved arrondissement in Paris for its cute village feel and for the impressive Sacré Coeur basilica. There are a lot of beautiful photo spots in Montmartre!
1. The View by the Ramp, the Carousel, and the Basilica
The Sacré Coeur Basilica is an extremely popular destination in Paris – the church is shockingly white, has distinctive domes, and sits on a hill overlooking the rest of the city. Unless you come first thing in the morning, though, the area in front of Sacré Coeur is going to be absolutely packed.
However, even during the middle of a busy day, you can get a really pretty shot of the basilica if you head to the ramp on the left side of Place Sant Pierre, by the carousel. This angle blocks out a lot of the people here, and gives you the pretty carousel in the foreground!
2. The Backside of the Sacré Coeur Basilica
Alternatively, go past the hoards of people to the backside of Sacré Coeur for this unique, beautiful, and much more empty shot of the basilica.
3. Stairs of Montmartre
Montmartre, the neighborhood around Sacré Coeur, is known for its staircases throughout the arrondissement – there are 38 to be precise! These staircases are some of the most Instagrammable spots in Montmartre.
4. Rue de l’Abreuvoir
A gorgeous street in the back of the Montmartre neighborhood, Rue de l’Abreuvoir just makes for a beautiful photo spot.
5. Rue Lepic
While the Moulin Rouge is the most famous windmill (moulin) in Paris, Le Moulin Radet on Rue Lepic in Montmartre is actually one that I find really pretty and charming. The pretty buildings, cobblestoned streets, and the old wooden windmill are just adorable and make for a great Paris photo.
Most Instagrammable Spots by the Louvre
As the most visited museum in the world, the Louvre sees very large crowds every day of the week, and will certainly be on your Paris itinerary as well. The Louvre is also an incredibly photogenic spot in Paris – these are some less obvious ways to get a beautiful picture with the Louvre.
6. The Covered Passageway from Rue de Rivoli
If you get off at the Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre stop on Metro Line 1 and take the exit for Rue de Rivoli, you’ll be able to enter the main courtyard through this covered passageway – a great photo spot by the Louvre!
7. The Basins and Pyramid Shot by the Louvre
This is another way to get a somewhat unique shot of the Louvre, with it’s distinctive pyramid and building in the background. Put that phone low to the water and enjoy the results.
8. The Pyramid and Louvre
What’s noteworthy about this photo is that it was taken during the busiest part of the day, but because I just focused on the top of the pyramid and Louvre buildings, you don’t see all the people – making for a nice picture-perfect shot.
Most Instagrammable Shots by the Eiffel Tower
9. The Trocadero Fountains
The ledge right in front of the water fountains in Trocadero (not running in this photo), is a great place for pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. We did aim for sunrise both to get the lighting and lower crowds. Plus, taking pictures by the Eiffel Tower is just an incredibly romantic thing to do in Paris.
10. Rue de l’Université
This gorgeous photo spot to the side of the Eiffel Tower has grown in popularity over the past couple of years, but if you go first thing in the morning, you may be able to sneak in a shot without anyone else there.
11. Trocadero Side Staircase
The stairs leading from the ground up to the viewing platform at Trocadero makes for a cool angle by the Eiffel Tower. As you can see, this was in the middle of the day when there are a lot of people around, but the angle minimizes the other people and gives a nice view of the tower.
12. Champ de Mars
The Champs de Mars is the grassy green lawn leading up to the Eiffel Tower and is one of the most classic spots to take a photo with it. If you move just off to the side of the lawn, you can find a spot like this, with the tower peaking from behind the trees – an alternative photo spot in front of the tower.
Best Photo Spots in the Gardens of Paris
13. Across the Basins in the Jardins de Tuileries
The Jardin de Tuileries is one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. There’s a lot of spots to capture beautiful pictures in the Jardin de Tuileries, but I’m partial to the view over the basin with the Eiffel Tower peaking out behind the trees!
14. The Medici Fountain in the Jardin de Luxembourg
The Medici Fountain is on the east side of the Jardin de Luxembourg, right against the east side of the Palais on the grounds. This stunning fountain is a great Instagram spot in the gardens. This garden gets pretty crowded later in the day, though, but is a great spot for a lingering picnic.
15. In Front of the Palais de Luxembourg
This garden, the Jardin de Luxembourg, is hugely popular with locals, and also with tourists. Enjoy the flowering gardens, lounging in the chairs scattered around the grounds, or sail a toy boat in this large basin in front of the Palais de Luxembourg, the building where the French senate meets.
16. The West Gate of Parc Monceau
This gorgeous, gold-tipped, wrought iron gate is on the west edge of Parc Monceau, at the end of Avenue Hoch. It’s a perfect Instagram spot in Paris thanks not only to the gate, but also the Arc de Triomphe that you can see in the background!
Other Great Spots for Pictures in Paris
These don’t fit in any tidy category, but are still amazingly beautiful photo spots in Paris.
17. Opera Garnier Grand Staircase
The Opera Garnier is hands-down one of the most gorgeous buildings in Paris! I particularly love this grand staircase up to the second level. I will say, you do have to have some patience to get this picture without other people in it, but we waited for a 15 second break in the action and then got this picture really fast. (And I love it!)
The cover picture at the top of this post is also from the Opera Garnier – in the Grand Foyer.
18. In Front of the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees
To access this stunning location, cross the Champs Elysees at the crosswalk closest to the Arc de Triomphe. There’s a small little “median” of sorts where you can take pictures! Expect a line, though!
19. In Front of the Metro Station
While not every metro station has this type of signage, these Art Nouveau metro signs are a fun and unique photo spot in Paris!
20. In A Cute Cafe
I never miss a chance to visit Angelina Cafe when I’m in Paris. The dining room is gorgeous, and the hot chocolate is rich, creamy and served in an adorable little setup.
21. With a Pastry
Have you even been to Paris if you don’t take a picture of a delicious pastry? 😉
Favorite Outfits for a Great Instagram Shot in Paris
When visiting Paris, you’ll notice that there is a “uniform” of sorts that many Parisians love: a jacket (often a leather jacket or a trench coat), a great pair of jeans, and white sneakers.
These are my favorite pair of WHITE SNEAKERS – they are the perfect travel sneaker becuase they look great and are also so comfortable and cushy on my feet!
However, for some of these shots, I’ve loved the drama that a flowy skirt brings. This is my favorite PINK SKIRT and this is my favorite RED SKIRT.
If you do go with those skirts, I think a tight fitting shirt matches best with the flowy skirt – I am wearing THIS LONG SLEEVED SHIRT in the photos above.
This awesome RED DRESS is another great option for a fun picture – what can I say, I love the way the red pops!
Beautiful Instagrammable Places in Paris – Final Thoughts
I hope this gives you some good ideas for great photo spots in Paris! Crowds are always something to work around. Some places you do have to come early or have patience, but hopefully some of these alternative angles have given you some inspiration on how to capture those memories. Have a great trip!
Pin for Later!
