Explore the city the way Parisians do—quietly, curiously, and on foot.
Want to explore Paris like a true Parisian? Forget metro lines, overused guidebooks, and fast-paced sightseeing. To truly feel what it’s like to live in this city, you have to slow your pace, open your eyes, and let yourself be guided by the quiet daily rituals of the people who call it home.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through a day that doesn’t make you feel like a tourist, but like a participant. One day as a Parisian—on foot, of course.
1. A soft start: coffee, a window seat, and quiet observation
Most Parisians begin their day slowly. Whether they’re heading to work or easing into a weekend, mornings are for themselves. No rush. No small talk.
Step into a local café—preferably one without a tourist menu—order a café crème or noisette, and sit by the window. Then just watch. People walking by with fresh bread, a child singing to herself, a sleepy dog curled up in a doorway.
This isn’t the time to chat—it’s the time to tune in.
Parisians aren’t morning people per se, but they do know how to start the day with grace.
📍 Local tips: Le Reinitas, Café Loustic, or Café Caractèr – cozy spots where no one’s in a hurry.
2. To the bakery – and we mean the bakery
Once the city starts to stir, it’s time to join the ritual. Not at a supermarket, and not with plastic-wrapped bread—but at a proper bakery. Ideally one with a queue stretching outside.
Ask for une tradition, not a basic baguette (that one’s mass-produced). Add something sweet for later—maybe a chausson aux pommes, a croissant au beurre, or a seasonal tartlet.
It’s perfectly Parisian to tear off a piece of bread and snack on it as you walk. In fact, it’s almost expected.
🥖 Top picks: Maison Landemaine, Du Pain et des Idées, Mamiche.
3. Wandering without a plan – the art of getting lost
The Parisian way is not to conquer the city, but to stroll through it. Choose a neighborhood—Le Marais, Canal Saint-Martin, or the quieter edges of the 12th—and just wander.
Take the street that looks too quiet to be interesting. Peer into courtyards. Notice the shutters, the street art, the smell of something baking.
Leave the map alone. In Paris, not knowing where you are is often where the real beauty begins.
🚶♀️ Bonus: walk until you find a small square. Sit. Watch. Notice how nothing big happens—and yet everything does.
4. Lunchtime: a bench, a deli box, or a plat du jour
From 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., the city exhales. Offices empty. Students gather. Parisians take lunch seriously—whether it’s from a market stall or a bistro kitchen.
You can buy a fresh salad or quiche from a local traiteur and head to a bench in the park. Or find a no-frills café with a handwritten plat du jour board, where office workers eat without looking at their phones.
A good lunch here doesn’t take long, but it asks for your full attention.
🌳 Peaceful lunch spots: Square Georges Cain (Marais), Parc de Belleville (20th), Jardin Catherine Labouré (7th).
5. Drift into a bookshop or gallery
Afternoons are made for slipping away from the noise. Many Parisians find a quiet refuge in a bookshop, a chapel, or a tiny museum.
Wander into Librairie Delamain near the Palais Royal, flip through magazines at Ofr. Paris, or get lost in the quiet gardens of the Musée de la Vie Romantique. You’re not there to be impressed—you’re there to breathe.
📚 Locals treasure places where you can disappear for a moment and come back lighter.
6. Apéro: wine, light, and lazy glances
As the afternoon fades, café chairs spill onto sidewalks. It’s apéro time—arguably the most Parisian hour of the day. Sit outside. Order a glass of wine, a Monaco, or a kir. Maybe some olives, maybe just conversation.
The key? Don’t rush it.
Watch how friends arrive one by one. How the light shifts across the pavement. How no one checks the time.
🍷 Charming apéro spots: Place Sainte-Catherine, Square Gardette, Rue des Martyrs.
🎒 Walk this day with Solosights
At Solosights, we believe in slow travel. In listening to a city instead of ticking it off. Our bags and self-guided walking routes are designed for this kind of day: quiet, flexible, full of surprises. Curious? Book our Le Marais and/or our Montmartre tour now on this website.
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