In short
- What’s there: the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Musée Marmottan Monet, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, the Musée de l’Homme, the wine museum, the aquarium, the Trocadéro and the Bois de Boulogne.
- Location: western Paris, from the Trocadéro in the east to the Bois de Boulogne in the west.
- Good to know: check closing days: many museums here close on Mondays, others on Tuesdays, and the wine museum on Sundays too.
- Food markets: eight, two of them covered (Saint-Didier is closed until further notice).
- Restaurants: just three recommendations, which reflects the character of the arrondissement.
- Who it suits: anyone who loves museums without lines and is looking for peace and quiet.
- Walking itineraries: two take place entirely in the arrondissement, and four more pass through it.
The 16th is the largest arrondissement in Paris after the 12th, and in my opinion the most underrated of them all. It’s a quiet, bourgeois neighborhood that most visitors to Paris skip, and yet it has a concentration of museums like no other arrondissement.
What makes this arrondissement interesting is the mix: four major art museums, eight food markets (two of them covered) and a huge wood on its western edge. When it comes to restaurants, my list is short: just three.
So before we set off, here’s what you’ll find on this page: first the hotels and apartments I recommend in the arrondissement, then the museums and attractions one by one, the restaurants I send people to, the eight food markets with their days and hours, and finally the walking itineraries.
Recommended hotels in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
The 16th suits travelers looking for peace and quiet and anyone coming for Roland-Garros or the Parc des Princes. It’s less suited to people who want to step out the door and find a bistro. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, answer three questions and I’ll pick from my recommendations:
My personal pick
Which hotel in the 16th is right for you?
One short question, and I will pick out of the places I already checked and wrote about on the site the ones that fit the trip you are planning.
One moment, I am going over my recommendations to find what fits you…
Prefer to go through all my recommendations yourself, with photos and details on every hotel? See my page of recommended hotels in the 16th.
Recommended apartments in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
With eight markets, two of them covered, an apartment with a kitchen makes a lot of sense in this arrondissement. Here too, you can let me choose:
My personal pick
Which apartment in the 16th is right for you?
One question about the area, and I will filter the apartments I checked and wrote about on the site. The apartments I recommend directly get booked very fast, so I added excellent Booking.com apartments that I hand-picked for my readers.
One moment, I am going over my recommendations to find what fits you…
Want to go through all the apartments I recommend, with photos and details? See my page of recommended apartments in the 16th.
Museums and attractions in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
These are the sites I recommend in the 16th. Check the closing day before you go: many museums here close on Mondays, others on Tuesdays, and one on Sundays too.
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My top pick
Fondation Louis Vuitton
Frank Gehry’s building in the middle of the wood. In my opinion, the building is more impressive than what’s inside it.
The building by Frank Gehry (born 1929) opened in 2014, and it’s made of twelve glass sails wrapped around the main structure. Good to know before you go: the terraces and rooftops are half the visit, with views over the wood and the city. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, and it’s worth checking what’s on before you buy a ticket, because the exhibitions change.
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Impressionism
Musée Marmottan Monet
The world’s largest collection of works by Monet, in a private mansion next to the wood.
The museum holds the largest collection of works by Claude Monet (1840-1926) anywhere, including Impression, Sunrise, the painting that gave the whole movement its name. It was stolen from here in 1985 and recovered five years later. To me, this is a museum you can enjoy at a relaxed pace in an hour and a half, without the crowds of the Musée d’Orsay. It’s closed on Mondays.
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Fashion
Musée Yves Saint Laurent
His own fashion house, with the original studio preserved just as it was.
The museum is in the building where Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008) worked for nearly thirty years. The most moving part is the studio itself, left with his worktable, his pencils and his drawing board. The museum is small, an hour is enough, and the exhibitions change by theme.
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Eiffel Tower views
Musée de l’Homme
The museum of anthropology in a wing of the Trocadéro, with the Eiffel Tower in its windows.
The museum deals with three questions: where we come from, who we are and where we’re going. It reopened in 2015 after a long renovation, and it works well with school-age kids. A bonus nobody tells you about: the restaurant and the terraces offer one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower, without the crowds on the esplanade. It’s closed on Tuesdays.
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Closed Sun and Mon
The Wine Museum (Le M. Musée du Vin)
A museum in the cellars of a 15th-century monastery, with a tasting at the end.
The museum is set in limestone quarries dug between the 13th and 18th centuries, which later served as the wine cellar of the friars of the Passy monastery. The collection has more than 2,000 objects related to wine and winemaking, and there’s a restaurant on site too. Important: the museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Sundays and Mondays.
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Great with kids
Aquarium de Paris
An aquarium inside the hill below the Trocadéro, and a good choice for a rainy day.
The aquarium is set in an old quarry under the Trocadéro Gardens, and there has been an aquarium here in one form or another since the World’s Fair of 1878. What works especially well with kids is the touch pool and the shark tank. I’ve written a separate article about it, with information on tickets and hours.
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Free admission
The Trocadéro Gardens (Jardins du Trocadéro)
The esplanade where everyone photographs the Eiffel Tower, and the gardens below it.
Most visitors go up to the esplanade, take their photos and leave, and they miss what’s below: whole gardens with fountains, statues from the 1937 World’s Fair and an artificial grotto. Worth knowing: the best spot for photos is the eastern steps, not the middle of the esplanade. I’ve written a separate article about the gardens.
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Free admission
Bois de Boulogne
The western wood of Paris, two and a half times the size of Central Park.
The wood was once a royal hunting ground, and Napoleon III turned it into a public park inspired by Hyde Park in London. Inside it you’ll find the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the botanical garden, an amusement park for kids and two horse racing tracks. In my opinion, it’s best to go with a specific destination in mind rather than just wandering around, because it’s huge.
More attractions in the 16th worth knowing about
These are places I haven’t written a separate article about yet, but if you’re exploring the arrondissement, it’s worth knowing they’re there:
| The place | Address | Why stop there |
|---|---|---|
| Palais de Tokyo | 13 avenue du Président Wilson | One of the largest contemporary art centers in Europe, open until late in the evening |
| Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris | 11 avenue du Président Wilson | In the same building, and the permanent collection is free. It’s home to the Matisse room with La Danse |
| Musée Guimet | 6 place d’Iéna | One of Europe’s largest collections of Asian art, and its rotunda library is beautiful |
| Maison de Balzac | 47 rue Raynouard | The house where Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) wrote and hid from his creditors. A City of Paris museum, with a free permanent collection |
| Palais Galliera | 10 avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie | The City of Paris fashion museum, with changing exhibitions |
| Roland-Garros and the Parc des Princes | Southwest edge of the arrondissement | The tennis stadium and the football stadium of Paris, both with guided tours |
Tours and activities in the 16th you might enjoy
Show me more activities in Paris
And if you’re looking for attractions in other arrondissements, my Paris attractions page brings them all together in one place.
My recommended restaurants in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
In the 16th my list is short, three recommendations, and that reflects the arrondissement: few restaurants aimed at visitors, and lots of places that cater to the locals and close early.
| The restaurant | Type | Address | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Mouton Blanc | Classic French | 40 Rue d’Auteuil | An old inn in the heart of Auteuil, and according to tradition Molière (1622-1673) and Jean Racine (1639-1699) ate here |
| Substance | On my radar | 18 Rue de Chaillot | A Michelin-starred restaurant that’s on my radar. Book weeks in advance |
| Bistrot Le 90 | Classic French | 90 Rue de la Tour | A neighborhood bistro in Passy. I couldn’t find an active official website for it |
Looking for restaurants in other arrondissements? My recommended restaurants page is organized by cuisine and by arrondissement.
Food markets in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
There are eight food markets here, the highest number I’ve come across so far. Two of them are covered markets, and the most interesting one, in my opinion, is the Marché Président Wilson, considered one of the best in Paris, where chefs do their shopping. The data comes from the website of the 16th arrondissement town hall and from paris.fr.
| The market | Address | Days and hours | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marché Président Wilson | Avenue du Président Wilson, between rue Debrousse and Place d’Iéna | Wednesday 7:00–13:30, Saturday 7:00–14:30 | Alma-Marceau or Iéna |
| Marché Auteuil | Rue d’Auteuil, place Jean Lorrain | Wednesday 7:00–13:30, Saturday 7:00–14:30 | Michel-Ange-Auteuil |
| Marché Amiral Bruix | Boulevard de l’Amiral Bruix, between rue Weber and rue Marbeau | Wednesday 7:00–13:30, Saturday 7:00–14:30 | Porte Maillot |
| Marché Gros-La Fontaine | Rue Gros and rue Jean de La Fontaine | Tuesday and Friday 7:00–13:30 | Ranelagh |
| Marché Point du Jour | Avenue de Versailles, from rue Le Marois to rue Gudin | Tuesday and Thursday 7:00–13:30, Sunday 7:00–14:30 | Exelmans |
| Marché Porte Molitor | Boulevard Murat, Place de la Porte Molitor | Tuesday and Friday 7:00–13:30 | Porte d’Auteuil |
| Marché couvert de Passy | 1 rue Bois-le-Vent, at the corner of rue Duban | Tuesday to Friday 8:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00, Saturday 8:00–19:00, Sunday 8:00–13:00 | La Muette |
| Marché couvert Saint-Didier | 23-25 rue Mesnil | Closed until further notice (paris.fr, October 2026) | Victor Hugo |
The Saint-Didier covered market is closed for now, with no reopening date announced, so check paris.fr before you go. On my markets page you’ll find my recommended markets in the rest of the city.
Walking itineraries in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
In this arrondissement I have two itineraries that take place entirely inside it, in Auteuil and in Passy, and four more that pass through it.
Want all the itineraries I’ve written, by arrondissement and by theme? My Paris walking itineraries page brings them all together.
The next step in your trip
The 16th is too big for one day, so I recommend choosing: the Trocadéro and the museums around it in the east, or the wood and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in the west. To the east are the Arc de Triomphe and the 8th arrondissement, and to the south the 15th arrondissement.
And if you want to be ready for anything, my complete Paris guide brings together everything I’ve learned. Have a wonderful trip, and don’t forget to walk down from the esplanade to the gardens for me.
