A Guide To All Of The Arrondissements of Paris

There are twenty neighbourhoods or “Arrondissements of Paris” which are numbered in a spiral, like the shell of a snail (escargot) counting up from the center of the city outwards. Each Paris Arrondissement is different and offers visitors a different vibe.

When visiting Paris one of the best things to do is to walk around the different neighbourhoods, but it’s important to get to know each of the Arrondissements of Paris is so that you know what to look for in each.

The smallest Arrondissement in Paris is the 7th, at less than a square-kilometre, while the largest is the 12th at over 16 km².

In the center of Paris, where most of the sites are, the Arrondissements are less than 10 blocks in length, so you can easily tackle a few in a day while stopping to see their most notable monuments, plazas, parks and museums.

The center-most Arrondissements of Paris – like the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th – are where you’ll find the majority of the main tourist sites like The Louvre, the Notre Dame, La Marais etc.  But as you get further out, the neighbourhoods become more and more local.

Getting lost in different Arrondissements was hands-down our favourite thing to do in Paris and it’s something you need to give yourself time to do while in the city.

So many people only have 2 days in Paris and yet they spend 6 hours in the Louvre, 3 hours in the Notre Dame (when it was still open to the public before the fire) and 3 hours going up the Eiffel Tower.

Consider prioritizing getting to know the real Paris, rather than spending too much time in the most touristy areas. Of course, you have to tick the highlights off your list, but be sure to have plenty of extra time for just getting lost, being charmed by Paris and getting to know the city of love a little more intimately.

In this post, I’ll list each of the Arrondissements of Paris, but I’ll also include useful information like the sights you won’t want to miss, the best restaurants, where to stay and more.

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