From Sex and the City to The Da Vinci Code: My Cinematic Tour of Paris

I’ve always wanted to visit Paris. Not because it’s the City of Lights or the City of Love but because I’ve seen it as its own character in countless movies and TV shows over the years.

I wanted to relive the scenes from films like The Tourist, visit iconic Paris sights like The Louvre as seen in The Da Vinci Code, walk the Pont des Arts like Carrie and Big from Sex and The City and explore the Montmartre neighbourhood like Amélie. I did just that.

I stayed in Home Latin, a hotel located in the Latin Quarter, the area I wanted to base myself in so I could easily hit the filming locations on my list. The hotel is just a few streets away from the Notre Dame and Shakespeare & Co Bookstore and right next to a Metro station.

I could list a hundred films and TV shows but I had three days in Paris and narrowed it down to the most popular spots (including some personal favourites). So here’s the best filming locations in Paris, France.

It would be wrong to write any post related to Paris without mentioning its star player, the Eiffel Tower. So I’m starting with the most iconic landmark in Paris which you’ll definitely see at some point of your trip.

There’s likely not a movie or TV show based in Paris that wouldn’t glimpse the Eiffel Tower at some point but it features more prominently in movies like A View to Kill (1985) when James Bond has dinner in the Jules Verne restaurant before chasing May Day up the stairs.

Also seen in: Ratatouille, Monte Carlo, Midnight in Paris, Gossip Girl, Emily in Paris, and Sex and The City.

One of the bridges in Paris I most wanted to see was the Pont des Arts which was the focal point for the last two episodes of Sex and The City (2004) where Big finally declares his love for Carrie Bradshaw on this iconic bridge, making their love official.

I visited all the Sex and The City locations in Paris including Rue Servandoni, Kong, Place Saint Sulpice and Jeu de Paume museum but Pont des Arts definitely takes the top spot.

Until recently Pont des Arts was the ‘love-lock bridge’ where couples would leave their mark on the city in the form of a lock before it got too heavy and needed to be removed.

Also seen in: The Bourne Identity, Taken, Amelie, Gossip Girl, and Emily in Paris.

Paris is filled with bridges so it’s only right that I visited the ones that were used as filming locations on my literary tour of the city. Next up is Pont de Bir-Hakeim which is a two-level bridge with views of the Eiffel Tower.

It is most recognised for being featured in Inception (2010) when Cobb (Leonardo di Caprio) takes Ariadne into the dream world and they used the colonnade of the bridge’s viaduct to shoot Ariadne ‘creating’ the bridge using mirrors. It’s the perfect location for the concept of the movie and one you can’t miss in Paris!

Also seen in: The Last Tango in Paris.

The TV show that inspired me to book a trip to Paris as a screen tourist was Emily in Paris (2020). The show had more depth than the cliche American girl moves to France plot because it truly made Paris its own character and I wanted to follow Emily’s footsteps.

One of the best places to start with was Palais Royal Gardens where Emily meets her best friend Mindy and the location is used for many scenes throughout the series. Within a bustling, urban area like Paris is Palais Royal Gardens, a quiet escape of trees, fountains and benches for the perfect Parisian lunch.

During my time in Paris, I visited over 80 Emily in Paris locations including Emily’s apartment, Gabriel’s restaurant, Savoir office and cafes but for somewhere special where you can enjoy a picnic, head to Palais Royal Gardens.

Also seen in: Gossip Girl, Paris.

The Louvre is the largest museum in the world in size, covering over 73,000 square metres. It’s also astonishing to look at, which is why it’s often used as a filming location (like a lot of Paris buildings).

The most famous movie that used The Louvre for shooting is The Da Vinci Code (2006). Harvard Professor, Dr Robert Langdon is in Paris when the Louvre’s curator is killed and Langdon is asked to help explain markings of the body by the French police.

The most recognisable part of the museum is the Louvre Pyramid in the courtyard which serves as an entrance but now as one of the most instagrammable places in Paris.

Also seen in: Wonder Woman, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, and The Sopranos.

The neighbourhood of Montmartre is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Paris and was the setting of Amelie (2001), a fantasy movie about a waitress who changes the lives of those around her.

Filming locations here include Café des Deux Moulins, the cafe where Amelie works, Maison Collignon grocery store for Amelie souvenirs and Basilique du Sacré-Cœur where you can climb the steps like Amelie did for unbeatable views of Paris.

Montmartre is the home to the famous Moulin Rouge, the “I Love You Wall” and Canal St Martin which all make for excellent stops while in the area.

Also seen in: John Wick, Monte Carlo, Moulin Rouge, and Emily in Paris.

Before Sunset (2004) is a romance movie about American Jesse and French Celine who reunite at a real-life Paris location, Shakespeare & Co bookstore where Jesse is promoting his novel about their love story. The bookshop is located adjacent to Notre Dame.

The opening scene takes place in this famous English bookstore, a Paris must-see for all book lovers but be mindful of the queues to get in!

Also seen in: Julie & Julia, Anthony Bourdain: The Layover, and Midnight in Paris.

• Notre Dame as seen in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and The Man in The Iron Mask (1998).
• Place de la Concorde as seen in The Devil Wears Prada (2006).
• Bistrot La Renaissance as seen in Inglorious Basterds (2009).
• Le Nemours Café as seen in The Tourist (2010).
• Musée d’Orsay as seen in Gossip Girl (2010).
• Pont Alexandre III as seen in Me Before You (2016).
• Caveau de la Huchette as seen in La La Land (2016).

And that’s how I spent my time in the French capital, finding all the best filming locations as seen in iconic movies and TV shows so you can take this list and easily tick off the spots for yourself.