Walk With MeAudio Tours
Paris Marais WalkCobbled Rue des Rosiers in the old Jewish quarterColoured pipes on the outside of the Centre Pompidou

Paris Marais Audio Walking Tour

A self-guided Paris walking tour through the Marais, from the Hotel de Ville and Place des Vosges to the old Jewish quarter and the Centre Pompidou.

3.4 km walk48 min walking8 stopsFrom Hotel de Ville to Centre Pompidou12 min of stories6 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic
$8.99
  • 8 stops and 12 minutes of stories, told as you reach each place
  • The intro and stop 1 are free in the app: try before you buy
  • Download before you go; the audio plays without signal (the street map needs a connection)
  • Walking with friends? Pick 1 to 10 seats; everyone hears each stop on their own phone, at the same moment
Hear stop 1
30 seconds of the real narration

Plays in the free Walk With Me app on iPhone and Android.

What you'll see

Cobbled Rue des Rosiers in the old Jewish quarter
Cobbled Rue des Rosiers in the old Jewish quarterQueues form at the falafel counters and bakeries, and small plaques along the walls recall the quarter's darker years.
Coloured pipes on the outside of the Centre Pompidou
Coloured pipes on the outside of the Centre PompidouThe sloping square in front fills with street musicians, and the outside escalators give a wide view over the Paris roofs.
The Hôtel de Ville and its square on a clear day
The Hôtel de Ville and its square on a clear dayThe walk starts here, in front of more than a hundred statues of famous Parisians set into the rebuilt city hall's front.

About this tour

The Marais escaped the great nineteenth-century rebuilding of Paris, so its medieval lanes still twist the old way, and much of what makes it special is hidden from the street. On foot you find the unmarked passages into the courtyards of the Village Saint-Paul, the arcades of Place des Vosges, the carved doorways of old mansions on Rue Vieille du Temple and the bakeries and falafel counters of Rue des Rosiers, all within a few minutes of each other. The walk is flat, from the Hotel de Ville to the Centre Pompidou, so take it slowly and look through any carriage door you find ajar. If you would like company, open the Walk With Me live map to see who else is out walking Paris.

The route

3.4 km in walking order from Hotel de Ville to Centre Pompidou. Stop 1 is free in the app.

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  1. 1Hotel de VilleThe city hall's ornate front, lined with statues of famous Parisians, and why the building you see is not the original.Free in the app
  2. 2Saint-Gervais ChurchA Gothic church behind the city hall with an early classical front, an organ tied to one family of composers, and an old elm.
  3. 3Village Saint-PaulLinked courtyards of antique dealers reached through easy-to-miss passages, close to surviving fragments of the medieval city wall.
  4. 4Place des VosgesThe oldest planned square in Paris, thirty-six matching brick pavilions around a garden, and the writer who lived in one corner.
  5. 5Musee CarnavaletThe museum of the history of Paris in two Renaissance mansions, free to enter, with a formal garden and courtyards to rest in.
  6. 6Rue des RosiersThe narrow lane at the heart of the old Jewish quarter, its bakeries and falafel counters, and the memorials to darker years.
  7. 7Rue Vieille du TempleA long street of old aristocratic houses above today's boutiques and bars, and the carved doors and courtyards worth looking up for.
  8. 8Centre PompidouThe modern art center built inside out, its pipes and escalators on the outside in bright colors, and the stir it caused on opening.

Questions

How long does it really take?

48 min of walking plus 12 minutes of stories, so plan for about 1 h 00 with stops.

Is the Marais a good walk on a Sunday?

Yes. It is one of the few Paris neighborhoods where many shops and cafés stay open on Sundays, so expect it to be busy. Late afternoon into early evening is a good time to go.

Can I go inside the Musée Carnavalet?

Yes, and it costs nothing; check opening hours before you go. Even if you stay outside, its courtyards and formal garden make a good place to rest.

Nothing else to pay

No stop on this route charges a ticket: the price above is all you spend.

Toilets and water on the way

18 public toilets (17 free) and 25 drinking fountains within 150 m of the route.

StopNearest toiletNearest water
1. Hotel de Ville67 m, free63 m
2. Saint-Gervais Church133 m, free123 m
3. Village Saint-Paul157 m, free156 m
4. Place des Vosges275 m, free21 m
5. Musee Carnavalet133 m, free142 m
6. Rue des Rosiers76 m, free65 m
7. Rue Vieille du Temple82 m, free127 m
8. Centre Pompidou70 m, free156 m

The full map is in our Paris guide. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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By Yahya, founder of Walk With Me · Written · How we write

Photos: Pixabay / Pexels; Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; Ulrick Trappschuh / Pexels; BAE JUN / Pexels.