How to spend 24 hours in EVERY Paris arrondissement

Looking for ideas of things to do in Paris?

Well here comes an in-depth guide to the city, like you’ve never seen before.

What is the Paris countdown?

This was a season of The Earful Tower that spanned the first six months of 2022. Over those months, we visited each of the city’s 20 arrondissements, spent a full day there, and shared everything we found. All the way from 20 to 1, a countdown. We went singing with Edith Piaf, browsing on a floating bookshop, and sipping wine with a caricature artist in Montmartre. And that’s just the first three episodes!!

This was followed by sneaking inside gobsmacking Paris building lobbies, going up into a magnificent domed coupole apartment, and sipping cocktails in a stunning art nouveau bar. And that’s just the next two districts!

We also stayed in interesting hotels, dined in great restaurants, and found awesome events, wonderful bars, and exceptional cafes. We interviewed the locals to try and understand the soul, the flavour, of the various neighbourhoods.

And we shared our findings, starting with the 20th district and going all the way, in order, to the fancy first arrondissement.

How to follow the journey

While the season is now over, the Paris tips remain at your disposal. You can explore our findings on this very website page by scrolling down, with dozens of blog posts from the trip. There are over 20 Earful Tower podcast episodes where we discussed each district, mixed with the voices of the local experts. (Here’s a guide to how to listen to the podcast, if you’re new around here)

We also published a weekly travel vlog on YouTube, so you can see it all with your own eyes. Make sure you’re subscribed here. Our photographer Augusta Sagnelli joined for the ride, so we’ve been sharing some beautiful images on social media. Hit follow on Instagram here and Facebook here.

And here’s the playlist of the podcast season.

How to help make this show possible

I feel like it’s important to stress that we paid our way for everything. No freebies, no sponsorships, no press passes. We purposely did it this way to ensure that every choice we made, and every review, was honest and real.

Everything was made possible by the Earful Tower Patreon supporters, whose monthly membership fees continue to go directly into making this show and paying our team. Join the other members here, and you’ll get bonus content from our Paris explorations including extra videos, detailed PDF guides, and more.

From exploring this content, you’re going to get a whole new Paris and I hope you’re going to love it.

Where we’ve been so far

The 20th: Where Bohemia meets the world
How singing with Edith Piaf can transport you to ‘The Old Belleville’.

The 19th: City life by the water
Meet the man with the floating Paris bookshop.

The 18th: What to find in Montmartre
Here’s what happened when we got our portrait drawn in Montmartre.

The 17th: A slice of family life
Check out what the inside of a Parisian domed apartment looks like.

The 16th: The sweet life
So much to find here: exceptional museums, art nouveau buildings and bars, even amazing mosaic lobbies.

The 15th: The overlooked district
Stroll along the Parisian island you’ve never heard of.

The 14th: The surprise package
Vanves: What it’s like to visit the OTHER flea market in Paris.

The 13th: Hidden gems
Did you know about the king’s enormous globes hidden in a Paris library?

The 12th: A district on the move
What it’s really like to dine in the legendary Paris restaurant Le Train Bleu

The 11th: The cool part of town
Have you explored the secret passageways of the 11th arrondissement?

The 10th: The melting pot
The alternative Paris picnic spot: A Guide to the Canal Saint-Martin

The 9th: A district of note
Everything from playful Pigalle to the famous Palais Garnier Opera House.

The 8th: The most elegant part of Paris
Where you can find one of the most exquisite museums in Paris.

The 7th: Paris When it Glitters
Discover eight things to do really close to the Eiffel Tower.

The 6th: Classic Paris
Take a look inside Oscar Wilde’s old hotel room.

The 5th: Historic Paris
Visit the historic Rue Mouffetard.

The 4th: The Old Marais
Where ancient buildings meet modern culture.

The 3rd: The New Marais
Bustling cafe scenes, hip boutiques and fashionable flaneurs and flaneuses. 

The 2nd: Centre Stage
The five most breathtaking covered passages in Paris

The 1st: Best of Paris
How to visit the Louvre museum: Six tips from a Louvre guide

All photos: Augusta Sagnelli

Want more? You can support our work by buying one of our children’s books, or our PDF guide, below. Merci!