Paris is the second most filmed city in the world after New York. Here is where Amélie, Inception, Lupin, Emily in Paris and more were shot, and how to visit each spot.
Paris hosts roughly 900 to 1,000 shoots a year, and many of the city's most filmed places are free to visit: Café des Deux Moulins from Amélie, Pont de Bir-Hakeim from Inception, the Louvre Pyramid from Lupin and The Da Vinci Code, and Trocadéro from John Wick: Chapter 4. Guided tours focused on Emily in Paris locations are also available on foot, by vintage sidecar and by classic Citroën.
Few cities appear on screen as often as Paris. Estimates put the number of shoots at around 900 to 1,000 per year, making it the second most filmed city in the world after New York. The city's film office, Paris Film, processed more than 1,000 filming requests in 2019 alone, representing over 5,000 days of filming across the streets, squares and bridges that travelers already come to see.
That abundance works in the visitor's favor. A single morning walk can take in the Louvre Pyramid from The Da Vinci Code, Lupin and John Wick: Chapter 4, then the striped columns of the Palais-Royal where both Lupin and Emily in Paris shot scenes. Recent series have only intensified interest, with fans streaming into Montmartre and the Left Bank neighborhoods featured since 2020.
The productions below span more than three decades of filming in Paris, from the 1991 romance Les Amants du Pont-Neuf through to the 2023 action of John Wick: Chapter 4. Some used the city as pure spectacle, others embedded it in the story until the streets became characters in their own right.
| Title | Year | Type | What was filmed here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amélie | 2001 | Film | Café des Deux Moulins and Montmartre streets |
| Inception | 2010 | Film | Pont de Bir-Hakeim and dream-folding sequences |
| The Da Vinci Code | 2006 | Film | Louvre Pyramid and Saint-Sulpice Church |
| Lupin | 2021- | TV | Louvre, Palais-Royal, Place Dauphine, La Samaritaine |
| Emily in Paris | 2020- | TV | Palais-Royal, Place de l'Estrapade and various streets |
| Midnight in Paris | 2011 | Film | Saint-Étienne-du-Mont steps, Shakespeare and Company, Musée Rodin |
| Before Sunset | 2004 | Film | Shakespeare and Company bookstore |
| John Wick: Chapter 4 | 2023 | Film | Louvre Pyramid, Trocadéro, Arc de Triomphe |
| The Bourne Identity | 2002 | Film | Hotel Regina, Jason Bourne's apartment on Avenue Kléber |
| Mission: Impossible - Fallout | 2018 | Film | Trocadéro Esplanade |
| Taken | 2008 | Film | Square du Vert-Galant, Avenue d'Eylau |
| The Devil Wears Prada | 2006 | Film | Place de la Concorde, Rue Frédéric-Sauton |
| Inglourious Basterds | 2009 | Film | Bistrot La Renaissance |
| Les Amants du Pont-Neuf | 1991 | Film | Pont Neuf |
| La La Land | 2016 | Film | Le Caveau de la Huchette jazz club |
12 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Pyramid scenes and courtyard sequences
The glass pyramid and its courtyard have anchored sequences in The Da Vinci Code (2006), Lupin and John Wick: Chapter 4. The exterior is free to visit, and the courtyard is at its best at night when illuminated and far less crowded. Museum entry is separate for anyone wanting to follow Robert Langdon inside.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Bridge folding illusion and romantic scenes
The two-level steel bridge where Inception staged its dream-folding illusion in 2010, and previously a setting for Last Tango in Paris. Access is free. Golden hour or rain brings out the atmosphere, and the metro line running above the lower deck adds a distinctive sound and visual that filmmakers clearly noticed.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Amélie's workplace and crème brûlée scene
Amélie's workplace and the site of the famous crème brûlée scene, this working café in Montmartre still serves an Amélie crème brûlée of its own. It remains a normal neighborhood spot, so arriving early is the best way to avoid the crowds the 2001 film continues to draw through the door.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Bookstore reading and literary strolls
The legendary Left Bank bookstore appeared in both Before Sunset (2004) and Midnight in Paris (2011). Browsing the exterior is free, though interior photography is restricted. The adjacent café has views toward Notre-Dame, making it an easy pairing with a literary stop.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Midnight time-travel pickup scene
The stone steps beside the church are where Owen Wilson's character is picked up for his midnight time travel in Woody Allen's 2011 film. The exterior is free, and blue hour is the most evocative time to stand there. Inside, the church holds a rare rood screen worth a look.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Garden and striped columns scenes
The palace gardens and striped Buren columns served both Lupin and Emily in Paris, and the arcades make a striking photographic backdrop. Access is free, and early morning is the quietest time. The location sits steps from the Louvre, so it pairs naturally with a Pyramid visit.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Eiffel Tower backdrop and action sequences
The wide terrace facing the Eiffel Tower hosted action for both John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) and Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018). It is free and open, with direct Eiffel Tower views. Sunrise is the time to come for empty terraces, before tour groups and street vendors fill the space.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Bridge as romantic stage
Paris's oldest bridge was the romantic stage for Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (1991). Walking is free, and descending to the lower quays gives unusual angles most visitors miss. The nearby Square du Vert-Galant, itself a Taken location, extends the walk along the tip of the Île de la Cité.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Square scenes in heist series
This calm, plane-tree-lined square on the Île de la Cité appears in Lupin's heist storyline. It is free to visit and remains a residential spot rather than a tourist attraction, so a quiet, respectful visit is the norm. Its intimacy explains why location scouts keep returning.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Phone toss into fountain climax
The vast square hosted The Devil Wears Prada's climactic phone toss into the fountain in 2006. Free to visit but ringed by heavy traffic, so use the official crossings and head for the Fountain of Rivers side. The scale of the square makes it one of the city's most cinematic open spaces.
Île-de-France, Paris Ticketed
Filmed here: Museum guide scene outdoors
The sculpture garden stood in for the outdoor museum guide scene in Midnight in Paris. Entry requires a garden ticket, but the payoff includes The Thinker and a civilized pause near the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the few film locations on this list where the film is arguably the excuse to linger.
Île-de-France, Paris Free to see
Filmed here: Bistro scene with Shosanna
This working bistro, with its authentic 1930s interior, was where Shosanna met her fate in Inglourious Basterds (2009). Visitors can order traditional fare in the same room Tarantino filmed. It sits a short walk from Montmartre's other film sites.
Paris has no permanent studio-backed studio tours or film studio attractions listed for travelers. The screen-tourism offer here is entirely location based: the city itself is the set, and Paris Film, the municipal film office, handles permits for shooting in public spaces, with major monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre interior and the Arc de Triomphe managed directly by their own operators.
Guided options currently concentrate on Emily in Paris, the Netflix series that has done most to reshape screen-tourism in the city since 2020. Walks cover the Palais-Royal, Place de l'Estrapade and surrounding streets, while vehicle-based tours by vintage sidecar or classic Citroën DS add a transport twist. Ratings across the board are strong, from 4.8 to a perfect 5.0.
The Official Emily in Paris Locations Walking Tour
The flagship official walking tour with 578 reviews and a 4.9 rating, covering the central Paris locations from the series.
Paris Vintage Sidecar Tour: Emily in Paris highlights
A 4.9-rated sidecar ride through Emily's Paris, letting travelers cover more ground than any walking tour while riding a vintage motorcycle combination.
The Official Emily in Paris Montmartre Walking Tour
At USD 56, the official Montmartre walking tour takes the series into the neighborhood that also gave Amélie its backdrop.
Paris TV Show Tour in a Open Top Vintage French Car Citroen DS
A perfect 5.0 rating from 27 reviews for an open-top vintage Citroën DS drive past TV locations, a genuinely period-appropriate way to see them.
Paris: Emily in Paris Filming Locations Walking Tour
At USD 34, a 5.0-rated walking tour of filming locations that undercuts the official options while covering the same streets.
Rome Walking Tour - Official Emily in Paris Experience
For travelers extending to Italy, the official Rome walking version, rated 5.0 from 10 reviews.
Rome Vespa Tour - Official Emily in Paris Experience
The Rome companion on a Vespa, 5.0 rated, for fans pairing both cities from the series.
Yes. Paris hosts around 900 to 1,000 shoots per year, making it the second most filmed city after New York. Productions from Amélie (2001) to Lupin and Emily in Paris have used its streets, and most key locations are free to visit.
Yes. Sites like the Palais-Royal, Place de l'Estrapade and the Colonnes de Buren are public and free. Several guided walking tours also cover them, including official options, along with vehicle tours by vintage sidecar or Citroën DS.
The 2001 film used the Café des Deux Moulins as Amélie's workplace, along with surrounding Montmartre streets. The café still operates and serves an Amélie crème brûlée.
Pont de Bir-Hakeim is the main one, where the bridge appears to fold in the dream sequence. It is free to visit, and the metro line running overhead adds a distinctive visual.
The Louvre Pyramid and Cour Napoléon exterior, seen in The Da Vinci Code, Lupin and John Wick: Chapter 4, are free to view at any time. Night visits offer illuminated views with fewer crowds. Entry to the museum itself requires a separate ticket.
Walking tours of Emily in Paris locations start at USD 34, with the official Montmartre walking tour at USD 56. Vehicle-based options by sidecar or vintage Citroën DS are priced on booking, and all currently listed tours are rated 4.8 or higher.
Paris rewards film fans who travel on foot. The Louvre Pyramid, Palais-Royal, Pont Neuf and Place Dauphine cluster within a single riverside walk, while Montmartre pairs Café des Deux Moulins with the streets of Amélie and the series that followed. Add Trocadéro at sunrise for the John Wick and Mission: Impossible backdrop, and the city's filmography opens up in a day or two.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for Paris.
