48 Hours in Saint-Germain-des-Prés : the itinerary

Two days are enough to get a feel for Saint-Germain-des-Prés, as long as you don’t rush. You can explore the entire neighborhood on foot starting from Rue des Saints-Pères: the Musée d’Orsay is eight minutes away, the Jardin du Luxembourg ten, and the Île de la Cité a quarter of an hour. This itinerary alternates between a major museum, a walk, a meal, and some downtime, because that’s the best way to experience the neighborhood. It works either way and adapts to the weather.

Day 1, morning : Orsay before the crowds

Start at the Musée d’Orsay, an eight-minute walk down Rue de Lille. Arriving right when it opens makes all the difference: you can explore the Impressionist galleries on the fifth floor in a rare calm. Allow two hours for the highlights, three if you take your time.

On your way out, walk along the Seine toward the west until you reach the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge. The view of the Louvre and the Tuileries gives you a sense of the city’s scale.

Day 1, noon : Rue de Buci and the surrounding area

Head up toward Rue de Buci and Rue de Seine. This is the neighborhood’s shopping heart, with its market stalls, cafés, and outdoor seating. Grab lunch without a reservation, choosing a table set back from the busiest streets.

Extend your walk along Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte: the art galleries there are open in the afternoon and can be visited freely.

Day 1, afternoon : Delacroix and Furstenberg

The Eugène Delacroix National Museum is housed in the painter’s former studio on Place de Furstenberg. It’s a small museum, which is precisely what makes it so appealing: an hour is all you need. The adjacent square is also one of the quietest in Paris.

Continue on to the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church in Paris, then take a break at the Café de Flore or the Deux Magots. The area is touristy, but it’s nonetheless a piece of literary history.

Day 1, evening : dinner and a quiet return home

The neighborhood has restaurants at every price point within a ten-minute radius. Make a reservation if you have a specific place in mind, the dining rooms are small.

End your evening at the hotel bar rather than out on the town: it’s the best way to wrap up the night without having to take the subway.

If you’d rather keep walking, the quays between the Pont des Arts and the Pont-Neuf are well-lit and bustling until late. The view of the Île de la Cité at night is worth a ten-minute detour.

Day 2, morning : the Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens are ten minutes away. Enter via Rue de Vaugirard and let yourself wander to the pond, where children still rent sailboats. The garden opens early and takes thirty minutes to walk through, or two hours if you sit down.

The Musée du Luxembourg, bordering the garden, features intimate temporary exhibitions, a pleasant option if you’ve already visited the Orsay.

Day 2, noon : Saint-Sulpice and the 6th arrondissement

Head back down Rue de Fleurus toward Place Saint-Sulpice. The fountain, the chestnut trees, and the church’s unfinished façade make this one of the most beautiful squares on the left bank.

The surrounding streets are home to designers and long-established fashion houses, far from the crowds of the grand boulevards.

Day 2, afternoon : the quays and the bookstalls

Head toward the Seine via Rue Bonaparte. Book vendors line the Quai Malaquais and the Quai de Conti. This is a stroll, not a set itinerary: the pleasure lies in the serendipity of your discoveries.

Cross the Pont des Arts for the view, then return via the Pont-Neuf. You’ll have completed a loop around the neighborhood along the river.

If you only have one more half-day

Three options to suit your taste. The Beaux-Arts on Rue Bonaparte, where the exhibitions are rarely crowded. Le Bon Marché on Rue de Sèvres, for its architecture as much as for its departments. Or simply Rue Jacob and Rue des Saints-Pères, where antique dealers open their display windows.

A word about the weather. This itinerary works in the rain, provided you reverse the order: museums in the morning, shopping streets in the afternoon, and the galleries on Rue de Seine at the end of the day. None of this route requires good weather.

Practical Information

Hôtel Pas de Calais, 59 Rue des Saints-Pères, 75006 Paris.

Musée d’Orsay: about an 8-minute walk. Musée national Eugène Delacroix, Place de Furstenberg: about 5 minutes.

Luxembourg Gardens: about 10 minutes. Place Saint-Sulpice: about 8 minutes.

Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Line 4), Rue du Bac (Line 12).

You’re staying in the area

This itinerary starts on Rue des Saints-Pères, in the center of the area. The rooms and suites at the Hôtel Pas de Calais let you return for lunch or a rest between visits—something a hotel further out of the way wouldn’t allow.