Paris Walking Tour: Champs Elysées, Louvre, Opéra

Here's a one day walking program in Paris, around the Champs Elysées, Louvre and Opéra districts. This tour will take around 4 hours without stopping and visiting the monuments from inside.

Depending on how much time you want to spend visiting monuments and having lunch, this could take a hole day or even several days (the Louvres by itself is a multiple day visiting monument).

A- Start at the Arc de Triomphe and wonder below the arch. you can acces it from a pedestrian tunnel at the top of the Champs Elysées; Don't try to cross the round about on foot, it's very dangerous.

B- Walk down the Champs Elysées towards the Concorde, cross the Rond Point des Champs Elysées and continue until you reach the Grand Palais and President Charles De Gaulle Statue.

C- Walk towards the Pont Alexandre III and enjoy one of the most beautiful scenes of Paris, surrounded by the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais and in front the Pont Alexandre III and the Invalides.

D- Go back towards the Champs Elysées and you can enjoy the Statue of Winston Churchill at the corner of the Petit Palais and Alexandre III, as well as President Clémenceau (The Tigre, Pdt during WW1). You can cross the champs Elysées and see the gates of the Elysées Palace, Quarters of the French President of the Republic. Walk again towards the Place de la Concorde and enjoy the Luxurious restaurants and Theaters around. The Avenue des Champs Elysées has two distinctive parts, separated by the Rond Point des Champs Elysées. The upper part (Arc de Triomphe to the Rond Point), is the most known because the commercial part, full of restaurants, cinemas and shops. The lower part is the classy part, with beautiful gardens, luxurious restaurants, theaters,... You also have the gardens of the Elysée Palace, and the Embassies of the UK, US and Japan.

E- Place de la Concorde: enjoy the great 360° perspective as well as the great monuments and buildings surrounding it: The Obelisque, Assemblée Nationale, Hotel de Crillon, Hotel de la Marine, Eglise de la Madeleine, Jardins des Tuileries, as well as the beautiful statues and fountains;

F- Continue towards the Louvre Palace by walking across the Tuileries Gardens. Enjoy the beauty of the landscape and the perspective on the Arc du Caroussel, the Pyramide du Louvre and the outstanding Louvre buildings.

G- By going out at the left when looking at the Pyramide, you will arrive at Rue de Rivoli, one of the most beatiful streets of Paris with its famous arcades. If you look at your left towards Concorde, you will find the main entrance of the Mall Le Caroussel du Louvre where you will find a few classy stores and some fast food restaurants.

H- Once you finish with the Louvre, take l'Avenue de l'Opéra towards the Opéra Garnier. At the right, in the beginning of the Avenue, you will find the Comédie Française (the oldest theatre school in France) and the Palais Royal. An than, admire the Palais Garnier, one of Paris Jewels. You can have a coffee at Café de la Paix, one of the most famous cafés of Paris.

I- Continue to Boulevard Haussman and visite the Grands Magasins (Galeries Lafayette & Printemps) and admire the inside dome of the Galeries Lafayette main Building. J- Finally, go towards the Madeleine church and have an Eclair pastry at Fauchon. You will find more details on every monument cited here in the Leisure activities section.

Souces: Pictures Wikimedia - Jebulon / SimdaPerse / Eric Pouher

A must do when in Paris!!!