With bakery tourism making headlines and more travelers planning their trips around culinary experiences, there’s no better city to explore than Paris—the undisputed capital of croissants, pâtisserie, and all things golden, flaky, and buttery.
Leading luxury rental brand onefinestay can curate a dedicated Croissant Crawl itinerary, guiding travelers through Paris’s most iconic neighborhoods and bakeries, with hidden gems tucked in along the way. From arranging transportation and insider reservations to pairing the crawl with tickets to museums and cultural highlights, onefinestay ensures guests can savor the best of Paris like true locals.
Below is a sample itinerary to eat your way through the city, one perfectly baked croissant at a time:
Stop 1: Champs-Élysées & Surrounds (8th Arrondissement) – for stylish bakeries set amongst luxury storefronts
- Ladurée (75 Av. des Champs-Élysées) – Tourist-famous for macarons—which are certainly worth popping in for—but for a lesser-known treat, the croissant au beurre is flaky and perfectly buttery. Paired with location’s Belle Époque setting, this is a glamorous first stop, while taking in the perfect view of the Arc de Triomphe.
- Pierre Hermé (86 Av. des Champs-Élysées) – Known as the “Picasso of Pastry,” Pierre Hermé’s croissant Ispahan (rose, lychee, raspberry) is legendary, but the classic butter croissant is also impeccable. It’s easy to take Metro Line 1 to your next stop, or travel on foot and stroll through Place de la Concorde on your way.
Stop 2: Le Marais (3rd & 4th Arrondissements) – this neighborhood offers a vibrant mix of ancient history and modernly chic bakeries, blending historic charm with creative pastry recipes.
- Tout Autour du Pain (134 Rue de Turenne) – While it may not have the name recognition of some other stops on this list, the pastries speak for themselves. Try the award-winning croissants au beurre with a crisp shell and honeycomb layers for a real treat.
- Au Petit Versailles du Marais (1 Rue Tiron) – It’s teatime on your tour, and here you’ll find ornate interiors, pastries, and delicate tarts at this elaborately decorated bakery and tearoom. Afterwards, saunter through the boutique-lined streets like Rue des Francs-Bourgeois or explore Place des Vosges (one of the city’s most beautiful squares) and the Picasso Museum.
Final Leg: Historic Core & Rue Montorgueil (1st & 2nd Arrondissements) – the perfect ending to the day’s trek in the heart of Paris, surrounded by iconic Parisian landmarks such as The Louvre.
- La Maison Stohrer (51 Rue Montorgueil) – The oldest pâtisserie in Paris, Stohrer was founded in 1730 by King Louis XV’s pastry chef, Nicolas Stohrer. An almond croissant is a must or stick to the classic au beurre (made with real butter!) for a taste of history. Strolling Rue Montorgueil—a market street beloved by locals—pairs perfectly with Stohrer. On the way to the Louvre, the Palais-Royal Gardens are lovely to explore via foot (to work up an appetite for your next stop!)
- Jean Noël Julien (75 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1st) – Just steps from The Louvre in an unassuming storefront, Boulangerie Julien is highly regarded for its buttery, slightly caramelized offerings. Grab one before popping in (or standing in line!) to gaze at some of the world’s most famous pieces such as the Mona Lisa and the sculpture of Venus de Milo.
To truly embrace Paris like a local, stay a little longer. For stays over a week, the new Élysée Collection from onefinestay, in the heart of the 8th arrondissement (the perfect place to kick off a croissant crawl across the city), offers a portfolio of elegant short- and medium-term rental homes.
Beyond accommodations, onefinestay can arrange everything needed for a perfect croissant crawl—from booking transportation to insider reservations or even a pastry chef to give a private baking lesson in the home—so all you have to do is savor every bite.
