Bonjour Paris is a two-minute hyperlapse film by videographer Tyler Fairbank of Light Owl Productions. He spent two weeks in Paris one summer, on his first visit to the city, and compressed the trip into a fast, flowing ride past its great buildings, squares and streets.

The Louvre courtyard and glass pyramid in a Bonjour Paris film still by Tyler Fairbank
The Louvre courtyard and glass pyramid in a Paris film still. Gallery attribution: Tyler Fairbank.

The film went online in early 2016, was featured by Vimeo Staff Picks and was soon shared around the world. Watch it below, then use the second half of this guide to plan your own, slower version of the same city.

Tyler Fairbank and the making of Bonjour Paris

Fairbank had never been to Paris before. His girlfriend, who knows the city well, acted as his guide, steering him to the places and viewpoints that ended up in the film. The result is a personal portrait: one visitor’s two weeks of discovery, edited down to about 120 seconds.

A hyperlapse is a time-lapse in which the camera moves. The filmmaker takes a photograph, steps forward a short distance, takes another and repeats the process hundreds of times, keeping the same point centred in the frame. Played back at speed, the still frames become a gliding camera move that sweeps through space while crowds and clouds race past. It is slow, patient work, which is why two weeks of shooting yield only a couple of minutes on screen.

The Louvre and its glass pyramid

One of the film’s most recognisable scenes is the Cour Napoléon of the Louvre, where I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid rises 21.6 metres above the courtyard. Completed in 1989, the pyramid serves as the museum’s main entrance.

The Louvre is the world’s most visited art museum, so pick two or three wings or collections before you go and book a timed entry. Arriving early in the morning gives you the courtyard and its reflecting pools at their quietest.

The Eiffel Tower and the Paris Catacombs

The Eiffel Tower was finished on 31 March 1889 as the centrepiece of that year’s World’s Fair, held for the centenary of the French Revolution. It stands 330 metres to the tip of its antenna, and its top platform sits 276 metres above the ground. Around six million people visit each year, so reserve tickets in advance and consider a sunset slot for the best light over the Seine.

Below the streets lie the Catacombs, an ossuary holding the remains of more than six million Parisians. Bones were moved here from the city’s overflowing cemeteries from 1788 onwards. The visit involves a long descent by stairs and a walk through cool tunnels, so bring a light layer.

Plan Paris at your own pace

A hyperlapse can jump from a museum to a palace in a single cut; a real day cannot. Build each day around one major visit, then add a neighbourhood walk nearby: a café, a bookshop, a garden bench. The Palace of Versailles lies outside central Paris and deserves a full day of its own.

The official Paris tourism website has current opening hours, transport tips and neighbourhood ideas. For another European city seen through a fast-moving lens, watch A Taste of Vienna.

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