13 Famous Paris Filming Locations (Movie and TV Favorites!)

Do you want to visit the famous Paris filming locations for your favorite shows and movies on your next trip to France?

The dazzling City of Light is no stranger to the cameras of film and TV crews. As one of the most beautiful cities in the world, hundreds of silver and small screen projects have been filmed here. 

Whether it’s seeing our favorite characters snack on French pastries while walking along the Champs-Élysées or toasting champagne while looking out at the sparkling Eiffel Tower, there are tons of iconic scenes set throughout Paris.

Best of all, it’s easy to create them for yourself on your trip to Paris!

This guide will help you find some of your favorite Paris film locations. Plus, learn tips on how to visit these marvelous Paris landmarks!

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1. Emily in Paris (2020)

Luxembourg Gardens

This lighthearted rom-com stars Lily Collins as Emily Cooper and set in Paris. It really captured picturesque Paris when travelers truly needed it.

As the first season came out in October 2020, many were craving gorgeous locales, and in this, the series seriously delivers.

Cooper is a marketing executive from Chicago who transfers to a company in Paris. The series follows her as she adjusts to Parisian life, including making friends, learning French, and her love life.

There are many Paris filming locations seen throughout the series, but one of easiest to find is the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens. In the series, you’ll find Emily jogging through the park (just like the locals do!).

Other famous Paris filming locations from Emily in Paris include Café de Flore, The Panthéon, Bistro Terra Nera, La Maison Rose, Pont Alexandre III, Palais Garnier, and Musée des Arts Forains.

How to Visit: As one of the public gardens of Paris, it’s easy to visit during open hours.

Love Emily in Paris? You’ll want to book this official Emily in Paris walking tour! Plus you’ll get fun show-themed souvenirs to take home!

2. Midnight in Paris (2011)

Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

This fantastic film boasts tons of gorgeous Parisian scenery as its star, Owen Wilson, wanders around Paris encountering various characters — from Hemingway to F. Scott Fitzgerald.

While the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont isn’t the only location you could explore while following Wilson’s footsteps, it is one of the most beautiful choices. 

At this 16th-century church, he is transported back in time to the Jazz Age. While there’s no guarantee this magical mystery tour will take place for you, simply stopping by is well worth the visit.

This gorgeous church features 17th-century stained-glass windows, an antique organ, and the only surviving rood screen in Paris. It’s also home to the shrine of Saint Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, who rests in an ornate gold sarcophagus.

In the film he also visits the Rodin Museum, the Moulin Rouge, Musée de l’Orangerie, rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, and the Left Bank shops down Rue Galande. 

How to Visit: Admission is free, just be mindful of services taking place when visiting.

3. The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Church of Saint-Sulpice

This 17^th-century site has long been famous for its chapel frescoes, which were painted by the renowned French artist Eugène Delacroix.

However, it became even more so when the sensation that is The Da Vinci Code hit the bookshelves in 2003, as it’s the location that holds one of the key clues that led to the discovery of the Holy Grail.

Robert Langdon finds the ‘Rose Line’ here, a pagan astronomical device that marks the Paris Meridian.

While the ‘Line’ is fictional, the church does have a brass line set into the floor, which runs north to south. However, it marks the spring equinox and the summer solstice and is not the location of the holy relic.

The Louvre also plays a key role in this film, so several scenes were shot in front of the Pyramid designed by Ieoh Ming Pei.

How to Visit: The Church of Saint-Sulpice is open to visitors daily and offers guided tours and other special events during select times and dates.

4. Amélie (2001)

Café des Deux Moulins

This adorable French bistro was the setting for this quirky film named for its main character.

Nestled in the streets of Montmartre, the endearing Amélie works here, and the cafe’s appearance remains very similar to how it looks in the film. 

For an unforgettable experience, order the ‘Crème Brûlée d’Amélie,’ a classic crème brûlée dish that is featured in the film as Amélie’s favorite treat.

Afterward, tour the streets of Paris like Amélie by strolling down Rues des Trois Frères. Keep an eye out for #56, the apartment where she lived.

The grocery below was also used as a filming location for her ‘local’ shop, Maison Collignon. 

How to Visit: As this is a cafe, it’s easy to visit during open hours.

5. Charade (1963)

Champs-Élysées

This iconic wide, tree-lined boulevard is in the heart of Paris, making it a prime Paris filming location captured in Charade (and many others).

Constructed in the 17th century, it connects iconic Paris sights such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Élysée Palace, and the Place de la Concorde.

It is also here, in the Champs-Élysées Gardens, which border the avenue, that Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant meet up at a marionette show in the film Charade.

Those who love this classic film will also adore that marionette artists still perform in the park today! You can check out a show at the open-air Théâtre Guignol, making it easy for film buffs to walk in Hepburn and Grant’s shoes.

The Champs-Elysées is also where Liam Neeson has a clandestine meeting with an old CIA contact in the thriller Taken (2008).

How to Visit: Paris’s most famous street, the Champs-Elysées, is open to the public and easily accessible by foot or public transport. It’s a must for any Paris itinerary!

6. Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Pont de Bir-Hakeim

This steel bridge is partially notable for its Art Nouveau design. Named after a World War II battle, it hosts many commemorative plaques dedicated to French soldiers.

But it may be more familiar to film buffs as the place where Marlon Brando sees his lover for the first time in Last Tango in Paris.

Today, it is a popular spot for photo shoots, so make sure to bring along your camera. Have your camera ready for a wonderful shot with the Eiffel Tower in the background. 

You’ll also probably recognize the bridge from Inception (2010) — it’s the mirror bridge that Ariadne creates in her dream.

Last Tango in Paris also featured the Tour Montparnasse while under construction.

How to Visit: Visitors can simply walk across the bridge, accessible by taking the Paris Metro Line 6 to either the “Bir-Hakeim” or “Passy” stations. The bridge’s pedestrian walkway on the lower level offers stunning views of the Eiffel Tower, while the metro line uses the upper level.

7. Marie Antoinette (2006)

Hôtel de Soubise

This is a very popular Paris filming location, having been the set of famous movies and TV shows such as Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018), The Day of the Jackal (1973), Paris Has Fallen (2024), and many more.

Most notably, however, it stood in for the Palace of Versailles in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006). Several scenes were filmed in the drawing room, where we saw Kirsten Dunst lounging in the ornately decorated room.

While Hôtel de Soubise was a superb stand-in, other scenes were filmed on-site at the Palace of Versailles.

How to Visit: This beautiful 18th-century mansion currently houses the National Archives and hosts exhibitions and musical performances throughout the year. It is open to the public, free of charge.

8. Gossip Girl (2007)

Musée d’Orsay

While Gossip Girl is primarily based in New York City, it occasionally finds itself outside the Upper East Side. It follows the lives of its teenage characters in locations such as Paris for a summer of decedent fun. 

At the start of season four, viewers find Blair meeting Prince Louis Grimaldi while she stares at her favorite painting, The Luncheon on the Grass by Manèt.

Noted as one of the best museums in France, the Musée d’Orsay is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.

The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography.

Other filming locations for Gossip Girl include Chez Julien and Café Louis Philippe.

How to Visit: You’ll need to buy a ticket to enter the museum. It’s generally best to purchase it on-site. (Tickets are cheaper there.) You can also purchase the Paris Museum Pass for access without a reservation.

9. James Bond: A View to Kill (1985)

The Eiffel Tower

As the 14th Bond film in the series, it’s hard to think there would be many daring stunts left for the agent to take on, but this film takes it to another level atop the Eiffel Tower, one of the most famous monuments in France.

This film stars Roger Moore, Grace Jones, and Christopher Walken and is set in and around London. When its characters visit Paris, Bond luxuriously dines with private detective Aubergine in the exclusive top-floor restaurant of the Eiffel Tower, Jules Verne.

You, too, can have a culinary experience during a trip to Paris!

There are two restaurants at the Eiffel Tower: the legendary Jules Verne (a Michelin-starred restaurant by Frédéric Anton) on the 2nd floor; and Madame Brasserie (a new venue headed by Chef Thierry Marx) on the 1st floor.

Another iconic moment in the film is when Bond leaps onto a boat off the Pont Alexandre III to escape a dramatic car chase. For even more Bond in Paris cinema, check out Thunderball (1965).

How to Visit: You’ll need to buy a ticket to ascend the Eiffel Tower. I highly recommend that you purchase in advance to beat the queues, especially if you’re heading to the top of the Tower.

10. The Tourist (2010)

Galerie Vivienne

A mix of both action and comedy, this film depicts Elise (Angelina Jolie) being followed by the French Police and Scotland Yard as they are searching for her ex-lover.

A lot of the film’s start is set in Paris, before moving to Venice.

Follow in Elise’s footsteps down Place Boieldieu (one of the most beautiful plazas in the 2nd arrondissement), Opéra Comique, and Galerie Vivienne. Galerie Vivienne is often considered to be the most beautiful covered passageways in Paris.

The film also features Gare de Lyon (one of Paris’s main railway stations) and Place des Victoires (where Elise’s apartment is located).

How to Visit: Admire the colorful mosaics created by the famous mosaicist Facchina or look up at the beautiful glass roof. Then check out the wide range of shops and restaurants here for a bite to pick up a French souvenir.

11. Before Sunset (2004)

Promenade Plantée

This elevated 3-mile walkway along an abandoned railroad line cuts through the center of Paris from the Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes.

Boasting panoramic views of Parisian rooftops, it’s a lovely spot for some photos as the walkway features trees, arches dotted with roses, and decorative reflecting pools.

It is ideal for those wanting a romantic stroll like the one Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy took in Before Sunset (2004).

The film also showcases Pont Neuf, Le Pure Café, and the iconic bookstore Shakespeare & Company, a must for bookish travelers.

How to Visit: Also known as the Coulée Verte René-Dumont, this free elevated park is a great place to walk, jog, or relax.

12. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Place de la Concorde

Though most of this film takes place in New York City, towards the end, we see Andy (Anne Hathaway) and Miranda (Meryl Streep) head to Paris for Paris Fashion Week. 

Andy (Hathaway) spends the entirety of the film trying to please Miranda, Streep’s fashion magazine editor character.

In Paris, she realizes this isn’t the life for her and chucks her phone into the Place de la Concorde’s fountain after quitting her job.

The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in the French capital. Dating from the 18th century, it is located at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.

How to Visit: Visitors can access this square on foot or by public transportation.

13. Sex and the City (1998)

Pont des Arts

Arguably one of the most famous bridges in Paris, the Pont des Arts is instantly recognizable from the thousands of locks that decorate it.

This bridge became famous as a popular spot for couples to come and secure a lock to the bridge, symbolizing their everlasting love. The tradition was banned in 2015 due to safety concerns as the weight of the locks compromised the bridge’s structural integrity.

However, it’s still a marvelous place to take a stroll to check out all the various locks still adorning the bridge. It set the scene in the mega-hit HBO show Sex and the City (2008). It’s where Mr. Big and Carrie share a romantic kiss.

It’s also been a Paris filming location for several movies, such as The Bourne Identity (2002) and Now You See Me (2013). 

How to Visit: Visitors can simply walk across the bridge.

Final Thoughts:

Whether you’re a fan of classic films starring the likes of Audrey Hepburn or more modern TV shows featuring daring outfits and scenic locations, there is a filming location in Paris that you can explore. 

As noted above, these filming locations are pretty easy to visit either by purchasing a ticket, going on a tour in Paris, or simply by strolling the streets of the City of Light. 

Love Paris? Me too! Here are more posts to help you plan your trip to Paris:

• Best Paris Night Tours
• Must-See Paris Tourist Attractions
• Romantic Things to Do in Paris, France
• Is Paris Worth Visiting?
• Guide to the Luxembourg Gardens
• Can You Drink Tap Water in Paris?