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On my fourth trip to Paris, I stayed at a hotel inside one of Paris’ famous covered passages, and the experienced piqued in my interested in learning more about Parisian shopping arcades. These narrow passages, galleries, lanes and alleys have a rich history, and while they might not look the same as they did when they were first built, they most definitely still deliver on authentic local charm.

The history of Paris’ covered passages dates back to the early 1800s, as the city’s population, and wealth, began to explode. Discerning shoppers wanted to spend their money, but the experience of shopping on dirty, unpaved roads in the rain and snow was not a pleasant one. Seeing an opportunity, wealthy developers started constructing indoor shopping streets, where vendors could operate on the ground floor and live in apartments above their shops. 

In this guide I will share eighteen of the prettiest and most interesting shopping arcades in Paris. I’ve grouped them into three categories: those in the Grands-Boulevards district, those around the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements, and those dotted in other locations around the city. At the end you’ll find a link to a Google Map with all of these passages marked, for easy navigation during your trip! 

The first four covered passages that I want to highlight are all located within easy walking distance of one another, in the Grands-Boulevards district of the 9th arrondissement.

Passage Jouffroy

Passage Jouffroy has a special place in my heart because this is where I stayed for part of my fourth trip to Paris. As I mentioned, it was my stay here that inspired me to explore more arcades and write this guide. This passage dates back to 1845 and is known for being the first of its kind to completely eschew wooden construction in favor of metal and glass (any wood you see inside is purely decorative).

Inside Passage Jouffroy you’ll find Hotel Chopin, which is a great budget hotel in central Paris. I stayed here and can happily recommend it! The hotel says that their name comes from the composer, who apparently enjoyed relaxing in this pretty shopping arcade.

Next to Hotel Chopin you’ll also find the exit to the Musée Grévin, the oldest wax museum in Paris and home to a Hall of Mirrors dating back to the 1900 Universal Exposition, plus numerous cute shops and cafes.

Address: 10-12 Boulevard Montmartre (despite the name it’s not in Montmartre!)

Nearest Metro: Grands Boulevards

Passage des Panoramas

Passage des Panoramas is right across the street from Passage Jouffroy, and it predates its neighbor by 45 years. In fact, Passage des Panoramas is among the oldest covered shopping arcade in Paris, and one of the oldest in all of Europe.

The main draw in this historic covered arcade is the restaurants!  The entire passage is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants, and during lunch and dinner it is packed with locals. For upscale French cuisine check out FrenchParadox (I saw their produce being delivered one morning and it looked beautiful) and for classic brasserie fare stop by Astair.  I visited a cafe called Culotée for coffee and a yogurt bowl for breakfast one morning and it was great. 

Address: 11 Boulevard Montmartre 

Nearest Metro: Grands Boulevards 

Passage Verdeau

Passage Verdeau is also just opposite Passage Jouffroy, but on the north side of the gallery (Panoramas is to the south).  When the nearby antiques action house Hôtel Drouot opened, Passage Verdeau saw an influx of antiques dealers set up shop inside. Today, you’ll definitely want to spend a few minutes browing Le Cabinet des Curieux, an eclectic shop curated by a graduate of the École du Louvre, where you can find weird, wild and wonderful artworks and artifacts. 

Address: 6 rue de la Grange-Batelière

Nearest Metro: Grands Boulevards or Le Peletier

Passage des Princes

The last covered passage in Paris to be built in the 1800s, the Passage Des Princes you can visit today is actually a mid-1980s reconstruction of the original. Fortunately the reconstruction incorporated numerous elements from the original design, most notably the domed glass roofs.

Locals have always loved bringing their children to Passage des Princes as many of the shops here sell toys and games. At the time of my visit it was closed for renovation work, but signs indicated it was scheduled to reopen shortly. 

Address: 5 Boulevard des Italiens

Nearest Metro: Richelieu – Drouot

The next group of Paris arcades that I want to highlight are located between the four I wrote about above.  Mostly located in the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements, these are good passages to visit when you’re already at nearby attractions like the Pompidou Centre, Les Halles and Palais Royal.

Passage de l’Ancre

Passage de l’Ancre is quite different than most of the other Paris arcades on this list. In fact, I considered not including it, but it was just so cute that I had to!  Unlike the other arcades on this list, which are mostly covered shopping arcades, Passage de l’Ancre is an open-air shopping arcade lined with dense green foliage.

Most of the storefronts in the passage have been converted into artists studios, although one small shop remains – I will let you visit to see what it is for yourself!

Address: Best accessed from 223 rue Saint-Marin

Nearest Metro: Reaumur – Sebastopol

Passage du Grand Cerf

Opened in 1825, Passage du Grand Cerf is one of the prettiest shopping arcades in Paris.  Its elegant black-and-white tiled floor, hugged by the three-story walls that rise on either side, looks especially pretty after nightfall when the warm interior lights are turned on.  Inside Passage du Grand Cerf, independent boutiques sell jewelry, crafts and other handmade goods.

By far the busiest shop inside Passage du Grand Cerf is Louise Carmen. When I visited, people were queuing to enter this little boutique where you can design a custom notebook featuring a colorful leather cover, a wrap-around cord in a matching or contrasting color of your preference, gold or silver charms, several different paper choices and optional embossing on the front. 

Address: 145 rue Saint-Denis 75002 Paris

Nearest Metro: Étienne Marcel

Passage du Bourg-l’Abbé

The west end of Passage du Grand Cerf leads into Passage -l’Abbé. The two female statues (caryatids) at the entrance to this 1828 passage represent Industry and Trade, characteristics which are still visible in the Atelier Lulli furniture-making workshop you’ll find inside this arcade.  Inside there are offices, art galleries and a nightclub named after those female figurines. 

Address: 120 Rue Sant-Denis

Nearest Metro: Étienne Marcel

Passage du Caire

The longest Paris arcade is also the city’s second-oldest. It gets its name from the Egyptian capital, which is referenced in the three statues of the goddess Hathor at the arcade entrance. Few visitors will know the passage’s historic secret: at the time it was constructed, the marble tiles on the floor were repurposed tombstones taken from a nearby convent.

Inside Passage du Caire you’ll find the third hotel inside a covered passage in Paris: Hotel du Sentier. It gets good reviews for having a great location and airy rooms with lots of natural lighting.

(Cross the street at the west end of Passage du Caire and you’ll find Passage du Ponceau, which I didn’t think was pretty enough to include on this list, but you might feel differently.)

Address: 2 Place du Caire

Nearest Metro: Sentier

The rest of the covered arcades on my list are dotted around Paris in various different locations. Consider adding them to your Google Map and then just popping by if you happen to be sightseeing in the area.

Galerie Véro-Dodat

Two blocks north of the Louvre pyramid, Galerie Véro-Dodat was once a hangout for elite Parisienne actresses, writers and gallerists.  Along with the expected boutiques and cafes you’ll also find some unique shops, such as a luthier selling stringed instruments and an antiques dealer who specializes in old dolls. If you’re fascinated by French pharmacy products then also be sure to stop by the flagship store of By Terry, one of France’s most luxurious niche makeup companies.

Address: 19 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Nearest Metro: Louvre – Rivoli

 

 

Galerie de la Madeleine

Across the street from La Madeleine Church (admission is free, so make sure to go inside!), Galerie de la Madeleine was constructed by the same people who built Passage Jouffroy. Artist (and poet, and filmmaker…) Jean Cocteau used to live inside this gallery, in building #9.

The most famous business inside Galerie de la Madeleine is Restaurant Lucas-Carton, which has one Michelin star and is recognized both for its cooking and for its stunning Art Nouveau decor. For a mere €500 you can enjoy a five-course meal with champagne pairings… seems like a good deal to me!  There are also high-end fashion boutiques, with a focus on menswear. 

Address: 9 Place de la Madeleine

Nearest Metro: Madeleine

Cité Berryer

Billing itself as “a village within a city”, Cité Berryer, which also goes by the name of Village Royale, is just one block away from Galerie de la Madeleine. This open-air passage has been carefully renovated to create an upscale atmosphere, and today it is lined with high-end brand names like Chanel and Dior.

Designers like Christian Louboutin will occasionally create installation pieces in the alleyway here, so it’s worth walking through (even if you can’t afford to shop) just to see what’s on display.

Address: 25 Rue Royale

Nearest Metro: Madeleine

Cour du Commerce Saint-Andre

One of the few shopping arcades on Paris’ left bank, Cour du Commerce Saint-Andre is home to Paris’ oldest restaurant: Le Procope. Founded in the 1600s as a cafe, today the restaurant has reasonably-priced prix fixe and a la carte menus, including typical French dishes and even some vegetarian options.

Parts of this passage are covered, while others are open-air. Along the street you’ll find restaurants and cafes, vintage clothing shops and independent boutiques. It’s an easy walk from the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, so don’t miss it if you’re in the area!

Address: 130 Boulevard Saint-Germain

Nearest Metro: Odéon

Passage Brady

Along with Passage du Prado, Passage Brady is a bit further afield: it’s located in the 10th arrondissement. Split in half by Boulevard de Strasbourg, both sides of charming Passage Brady are worth exploring. The east side of the passage is open-air while the west side is covered with a typical glass roof.

Passage Brady is most famous for housing numerous South Asian restaurants where you can sample dishes from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I passed by at lunch and the passage smelled so good!

Address: 46 Rue Du Faubourg Saint Denis

Nearest Metro: Château d’Eau

Passage du Prado

An alley existed in this spot as early as the mid-1700s, but it only received its cover in 1925. Shortly after that, this passage was reamed after Madrid’s Prado Museum. Although Passage du Prado was renovated in 2012, it still has a reputation as being grittier and less charming than Paris’ other covered arcades. However, if you’re nearby it’s still worth swinging by to see some of the Art Deco details (especially on the ceiling).

Address: 12 Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis

Nearest Metro: Strasbourg Saint-Denis

🗺️ Need a map?  I’ve plotted all of the covered shopping arcades in Paris listed above on a Google Map here.

Strolling through these beautiful covered passages is one of my favorite free things to do in Paris, but I’ve also compiled fourteen more free, indoor Paris activities at the link.

A highlight of my trip to Paris was doing a custom perfume workshop at a historic French perfume house – I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Paris who has an interest in beauty!

Planning a trip to Paris?  Pin this post for later!