Where Paris started, and the quietest street in the center next door. Two islands, two hours, one bridge between them.
The short version
- Start at the western tip, the Square du Vert-Galant, below the Pont Neuf. It is the prow of Paris, with the river on both sides.
- Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie are on boulevard du Palais, inside the Palais de Justice security line. Book the chapel for when the sun is on the glass.
- Notre-Dame is free and open daily since December 2024. Book the free reservation on the official site to skip the walk-up line.
- Walk behind the cathedral, through the Square Jean-XXIII, and cross the Pont Saint-Louis to the second island.
- Île Saint-Louis is one long street of 17th-century houses, shops and ice cream. It is the quietest stretch of the center.
- Finish on the quays at the eastern tip of Île Saint-Louis, with Notre-Dame’s back and the flying buttresses across the water.
The walk
From Pont Neuf, take the steps down to the Square du Vert-Galant at water level, then back up through the Place Dauphine, the triangle of houses Henri IV built in 1607. Out the other end and you are at the Palais de Justice.
Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie are both inside. Do the chapel if you do one thing on the island; do both and give it 90 minutes. Then the flower and bird market on the Place Louis-Lépine, by the Cité metro.
Notre-Dame is two minutes east. After the cathedral, walk around the back through the Square Jean-XXIII for the view of the apse and the new spire, and cross the footbridge to Île Saint-Louis.
Or walk it with a guide: our private Notre Dame and Latin Quarter tour is two hours from the Saint-Michel fountain, up to five people, the island and the Left Bank across from it, with a pastry stop on the way.
Where to eat
Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Île, the street down the middle of the second island, has the ice cream shops, Berthillon the most famous, with cafes and small restaurants between them. Get a cone and eat it on the quay.
The Île de la Cité around Notre-Dame is souvenir shops and snack bars. Eat on Île Saint-Louis or cross to the Left Bank.
The Place Dauphine has a few quiet restaurants with tables under the chestnut trees, and it is the place for a long lunch on this side.
When to go
Early morning, before 9:00, when the only people on the islands are the ones who live there and the light comes down the river from the east.
Sainte-Chapelle on a bright day, late morning in winter and mid-afternoon in summer, for the light through the glass. Notre-Dame at opening or in the last hour before closing.
Weekend afternoons from April to October, the Notre-Dame square and the Pont Saint-Louis are crowded with buskers and the ice cream lines run down the street. Île Saint-Louis is still the calm one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which island is which?
Île de la Cité is the bigger, western one, with Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice. Île Saint-Louis is the smaller one behind it, almost all 17th-century houses, joined by a footbridge.
What is free on the islands?
Notre-Dame, the flower market, the Place Dauphine, the Square du Vert-Galant and the walk along the quays. Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Notre-Dame towers are paid.
How long do the islands take?
Two hours for the walk above. Half a day with Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle inside.
Is Berthillon open every day?
No. The shop keeps a short week and closes for part of the summer, so check before you cross for it. Several other ice cream shops on the same street sell Berthillon too.
Is there a tour of the islands?
Yes. Our half-day Paris walking tour is about three hours with a private guide, start times from 9:00 to 18:00, and a Left Bank route crosses to the island for Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle.
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