Montmartre walking tour: past the painters' square and up to the Sacré-Cœur

A Montmartre walking tour takes you up the hill in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, past the painters and caricaturists of Place du Tertre, to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the top. Spice Escapes includes a guided Montmartre walk of about three hours on All Inclusive Perfect Paris, a hosted short break for people who book on their own.

Below: what to see, how much climbing there is, and how the walk fits into 3 nights in Paris with a group and a host.

Montmartre was a village outside Paris, and on foot it still reads like one

The hill had mills and vineyards, says the Musée de Montmartre, and stayed outside the city until Paris annexed it in 1860. Artists moved in from 1870, and the cafés and cabarets multiplied through the 1880s. That history is in small squares and studios, best seen on foot.

What to see in Montmartre: Place du Tertre, Picasso's studio, the Sacré-Cœur

Our itinerary names only the Sacré-Cœur, and the rest of the route is the guide's. Here is what else is on the hill, from the museum and the Paris tourist office.

• Place du Tertre, the main square, famous for its caricaturists and painters. The bistro La Mère Catherine has stood at number 6 since 1793. Utrillo painted the square and Doisneau photographed it.
• The Musée de Montmartre at 12 rue Cortot. Renoir lived there in the 1870s and painted the Bal du Moulin de la Galette, and Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo later had their studio there. Its gardens look over the Clos Montmartre vineyard.
• The Bateau-Lavoir on place Émile-Goudeau, the artists' studios where Picasso lived in the early 1900s, which the museum links with the birth of cubism.
• The Moulin de la Galette, the Lapin Agile cabaret, the Maison Rose and the Wall of I Love You.
• The Sacré-Cœur at the summit, where, the basilica says, prayer has gone on day and night for well over a century.

How steep it is: three main climbs, a funicular, and 280 steps to the dome

One tourist office walk gives a fair measure: 2.6 kilometres from Place des Abbesses up to the Sacré-Cœur, with three main climbs and few stairs, and no heels, please.

If your knees would rather not, the funicular climbs from the Anvers side, on metro line 2, and a little tourist train runs from Place Blanche to Place du Tertre in about fifteen minutes.

The dome of the Sacré-Cœur is the real test: 280 steps up a narrow staircase, with no lift, and the basilica does not recommend it for anyone with mobility problems. The reward is a 360-degree view of Paris.

Our guided walk: three hours on the third morning of the Paris break

The current itinerary calls Montmartre a 19th-century village at the heart of the city, and the walk takes in the Sacré-Cœur. Home is a river boat a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, with full board and drinks on board.

The afternoon is free, so you could stay on the hill. The Musée de Montmartre opens every day from ten until six, and its ticket covers Valadon's studio and the Renoir Gardens.

Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty. Most people book on their own, and Samantha Pike travels with the group as host, so there is someone beside you on the hill and at dinner. A cabin to yourself carries a single supplement or room-to-yourself cost, explained on our single supplement page.

New to group holidays? Our notes for first-time solo travellers and on over 50s solo holidays answer the usual questions. The break runs on 3 Feb 2027 – 6 Feb 2027, from £679. See the dates and book online on All Inclusive Perfect Paris.

If the Paris dates do not suit: hosted breaks in Seville and Athens

Surprising Seville puts you minutes from the cathedral and the Barrio de Santa Cruz, with a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket included and a guided cathedral, Alcázar and Giralda tour offered as an extra. It is 4 nights with Jackie Whyte, on 4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027, from £549.

Ancient Athens starts with dinner together at a local restaurant and offers an optional walking tour of the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora with a licensed guide. It is 4 nights with Jackie Whyte, from £579.

More city breaks, more on France, and Paris from the Seine.

Questions people ask

How long does a Montmartre walking tour take?

The guided walk on our Paris break takes about three hours. The tourist office's own Montmartre walks run from under an hour and a half to two and a half hours.

Do you have to pay to go into the Sacré-Cœur?

No. The basilica is free and open every day from half past six in the morning to half past ten at night, and it asks visitors to dress appropriately and stay quiet. Climbing the dome costs extra.

Is Montmartre too steep if my knees are not good?

There are real climbs, so wear flat, comfortable shoes. The funicular from the Anvers side and the little train from Place Blanche both carry you up the hill.

Will I be walking it with people I do not know?

At first, yes, and so will everyone else, because most people book on their own. By the Montmartre morning you will have shared two evenings, and the host travels with the group.

See the dates and book All Inclusive Perfect Paris online

To walk Montmartre with a guide and come back to a boat on the Seine, see the dates and book online on All Inclusive Perfect Paris. Places: 13 places left.

Samantha Pike hosts the Paris break. For a question before you book, ask Rosie, the chat on the holiday page, or contact the team, who can put it to her.