Visiting Paris can be overwhelming. There are countless museums to visit, restaurants to enjoy, and alleyways to stumble down. It can be tempting to jam-pack your trip with landmarks like the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Tuileries, and the Arc de Triomphe. But if you want to have a more relaxed Paris itinerary, consider taking inspo from Emily in Paris.
OK, the Netflix show isn’t exactly known for its accurate portrayal of Parisian life. Lily Collins’ character — including her bad French accent and wild outfits — might not be exactly who you want to emulate during a trip to France’s capital, but the show did get one thing right: The Emily in Paris filming locations are definitely worth seeing. The best part? It won’t take too much time to hit the most memorable spots. One day is all the time you need.
Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Paris a few different times, so on my latest visit with Uber, I wasn’t too concerned about seeing *all* the typical tourist sights. Instead, I took my cues from Emily in Paris, using the show as a guide for a more casual approach to touring the City of Lights.
From Gabriel’s restaurant to Emily’s apartment, here are all the spots I visited during my self-guided Emily in Paris-inspired tour.
How I Channeled Emily In Paris With My Solo Travel Itinerary
9 a.m.: After taking a red-eye into Paris, I knew I wanted my first morning to be filled with plenty of walking — partially to get my blood flowing and partially to keep myself from falling asleep.
My hotel, which luckily let me check in early, was located in the Latin Quarter, aka the Fifth arrondissem*nt (district). After freshening up, I walked around the corner to a local cafe, Les Insouciants, for some coffee and a croque monsieur (the French version of a ham-and-cheese sandwich) before taking a 10-minute walk toward the Panthéon.
10:15 a.m.: After checking out the famed monument, I kept walking toward Gabriel’s restaurant, only two minutes away. The eatery is actually called Terra Nera and serves Italian food.
Since I wasn’t planning on eating Italian while in France, I can’t tell you whether it’s any good, but as a fan of the show, it was definitely cool to see that recognizable storefront. Plenty of other tourists were there, too, snapping photos. If you are hoping for any Emily-inspired Instagrams, stopping here is a must.
Immediately to the left of Terra Nera is Place de l’Estrapade, a courtyard often featured in Emily in Paris. Both stops are on Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, Paris’ oldest street, which is often where the show is filmed. Emily’s apartment building is there too, right behind the courtyard. The miniature park is really beautiful and quiet, so it’s a perfect spot to hang out with a book and some coffee.
10:45 a.m.: I spent some time walking around Emily’s neighborhood. Her street is pretty quiet, but there are a few bookstores, cafes, and pharmacies nearby. (Pro tip: If you’re not in a rush, be sure check out one of those pharmacies, which are symbolized by a lit-up green cross. There’s a reason buying skin care products [hello, Caudalie!] from French pharmacies is a viral TikTok trend — it’s so much cheaper to purchase in France than the United States.)
Next, I headed to Jardin du Luxembourg, a gorgeous garden that’s popular with locals and tourists for good reason. It’s also a favorite of Emily’s. In the show, she frequently goes for runs in the park.
11:15 a.m.: I walked through the garden in the direction of Boulevard St. Germain, a quintessential Parisian street full of gorgeous architecture, to visit Café de Flore, another place Emily goes to in Season 1 of the show. In Episode 6, she went there for a drink while on a date with Thomas (one of her briefer flings).
She’s in good company — famous names like Pablo Picasso, philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, and even actor Jane Fonda have all stopped by the cafe. Fair warning: At this point, the cafe is pretty touristy and there can be long waits for a table. If you have your heart set on going here, try an off time, like 6 p.m. (way too early for Parisians to eat dinner) or after 10 p.m. Otherwise, there are plenty of other restaurants nearby for the same level of people-watching.
Bonus: There are plenty of other tourist attractions nearby, including Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, and Shakespeare & Co. bookstore.
12:30 p.m.: After hitting some of the biggest Emily in Paris spots near my hotel, I took a lunch break at La Jacobine, a traditional French restaurant. (It’s not featured in the show, but I was told by multiple people that it had the best French onion soup in Paris, so I made an exception.)
Since I spent the first half of the day in the Fifth and Sixth arrondissem*nts, I was ready to head to over to the other side of town to see more hallmarks of Paris (Emily’s Version).
2 p.m.: Once I wrapped up my lunch, I walked along the Seine (the river that runs through Paris) to see the famous Louvre museum, about 11 minutes away. Before hitting the Tuileries garden nearby (another one of Emily’s favorite running routes in the show), I took a quick detour to check out two other filming locations from the show: Place de Valois and Jardin du Palais Royal.
Place de Valois, a small, nearly hidden courtyard, makes frequent appearances in the show since it’s where the Savoir offices are located. A short one-minute walk away is Jardin du Palais Royal, one of Emily’s favorite hangout spots. The expansive garden is full of fountains and tree-lined pathways. In the show, Emily often meets Mindy there for a coffee and a catchup.
Jardin du Palais Royal instantly became one of my favorite spots. I only had about 72 hours total in Paris, but I made a point to go there a second time with my Kindle once I was too tired to continue playing tourist. (And if I was a marketing genius living in Paris, I’d spend many mornings sipping coffee and gossiping on the benches there.)
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Then, I headed back toward the Tuileries, a must-see for any Paris trip in my opinion. It’s a gorgeous walk if you want to stretch your legs and take in plenty of sculptures. (Plus, the garden houses Musée de l’Orangerie, the museum that has Claude Monet’s famous Water Lilies.)
The garden lets you out about a block away from Pont Alexandre III, one of the most famous bridges in Paris and another filming location. The bridge serves as the setting for the controversial perfume ad in Season 1, and the bridge can also be spotted in the background of some scenes. If you’re crossing the Seine, it’s one of the more beautiful ways to make the journey.
3:30 p.m.: From Pont Alexandra III, it’s an easy 10-minute and ~$2 metro ride to the Eiffel Tower. (I opted for the 25-minute walk instead since it’s my favorite way to take in the city, but to each their own.) As one of the most iconic landmarks in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is featured frequently in Emily in Paris. And TBH, it’s a must-see for anyone visiting the city.
Still, that doesn’t mean you have to get up-close-and-personal with the tower if you’d rather skip the biggest crowds. Across the Seine, in the Trocadéro neighborhood, you can hit Café de l’Homme, another filming location. In Season 1, Episode 2, Emily goes to a work party there and has a conversation with Maison Lavaux owner Antoine with the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the background. It’s a great spot for a co*cktail, coffee, or snack — especially if you want a view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. (Just a heads up: It is a popular tourist spot. For a similarly spectacular view with smaller crowds, I’d suggest stopping at Bambini Paris, another restaurant that is just a 15-minute walk away.)
Season 4, Part 1 of Emily in Paris is now available for streaming on Netflix.
