Top 10 Viewpoints and their Views in Paris

There is so much to see in Paris that it is best to know where to look. In this post, I will tell you about ten essential places from which to enjoy unique views. If you want to know where to take the best panoramic photos of the city or where to take home an unforgettable souvenir, keep reading!

On this list, you'll find tourist viewpoints and other more hidden spots, places to enjoy the heights or at ground level, from monuments or in the open air. What they all have in common is that they offer you a unique and spectacular view of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Enjoy!

The Eiffel Tower is the most famous monument in Paris and one you cannot miss when travelling to the French capital. At 324 metres high, it also offers two unbeatable viewpoints over the city.

To enjoy the views from the Eiffel Tower, you can take the lift to the second floor (these are hydraulic lifts that you can take at the "legs" of the tower) or dare to climb up on foot. Mind you, there are quite a few steps: 704 to be exact. In my opinion, every one of them is worth it.

Don't miss the views from the second floor of the tower: it's 115 metres high and so large that you can share it with up to 1,600 people. From there, you can enjoy an impressive 360º view of the city. To make sure you don't miss a thing, you can hire a guide who will tell you all about the Eiffel Tower and share some interesting anecdotes.

If you've already enjoyed the viewpoint on the second floor, you'll probably want to go even higher. Don't worry, you're in the perfect place! The Eiffel Tower has a second viewpoint located right at the top: at the highest point of the tower, you can enjoy the views from the Le Jules Verne restaurant.

This place has an impressive window overlooking the city. There is also a small bar where they serve champagne... and it is a typical place for marriage proposals. If you stay there for a while in high season, you are sure to return home with a love story to tell, as well as the views.

The height of this second viewing platform is 276 metres. Although it is a little narrower than the one on the second floor, you can still share the views with 400 people at the same time. To enjoy these views, you can choose to eat at the Eiffel Tower restaurant, or you can simply pay the entrance fee to go up and enjoy the viewpoint. By lift, it costs approximately £26 to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and by stairs, it costs around £20.

Useful information

• Where is it? It is located in the Champ de Mars. The Eiffel Tower is very easy to find, as it is clearly visible from the surrounding area. It is also very well connected to Paris' public transport services.
• Opening hours: Every day from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.
• Price: The lift to the second floor costs approximately £15. You can also go up the stairs, in which case the entrance fee is around £10.
• Do I need to book in advance? You can book online (I recommend this to avoid queues and not waste time on your trip) or go to the ticket office. I recommend booking your ticket with a guide to enjoy the full experience.

The Quai du Branly Museum offers visitors a selection of non-Western art, with pieces from Oceania, America, Asia and Africa. It is located on the banks of the Seine, near the Eiffel Tower.

In addition to the interesting objects you can find there (from musical instruments to textiles), I recommend enjoying the building, especially the views from the viewpoint on the top floor. There you can have lunch ordinner with one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower.

Useful information

• Where is it? At 37 Quai Branly. You can also enter via 218 Rue de l'Université.
• Opening hours: From 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., except on Thursdays, when it is open until 10:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays.
• Price: Admission to the museum costs approximately £10. The price of meals in the restaurant depends on what you order, of course, although it is not a cheap place.
• Do you need to book? If you want to have lunch or dinner there, it is best to book in advance.

It is the second tallest building in Paris, so imagine the views. It's in the 14th arrondissement (the districts of Paris are numbered) and from its viewing platform you can see the nearby Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, Montmartre, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, the Latin Quarter...

The viewing platform is on the 59th floor, 210 metres above ground, and offers a 360º view of the city. They say that the lifts are among the fastest in Europe. They take 18 seconds to go up.

In winter it's freezing cold, but the views make up for it. What's more, on the floor just below there's a café where you can take a break and shelter from the Parisian cold.

Useful information

• Where is it? On Rue de l'Arrivée.
• Opening hours: You can enjoy the Montparnasse Tower at your leisure: the 360 Café (the highest panoramic bar in Paris) is open until 1 a.m. There is also a restaurant (Le Ciel de Paris) that closes at 11 p.m.
• Price: Around €23 for adults, €9 for children up to 11 years old. Admission is included in the Paris Pass.
• Do I need to book? You can buy your ticket online.

During your visit to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, don't forget to turn around, turn your back on the monument for a moment and enjoy the views of Paris.

The Basilica is one of the most important monuments in Paris, but its location on a hill (the Montmartre hill) also makes it a spectacular viewpoint that allows you to enjoy the view of Paris stretching out until it disappears on the horizon.

It is about 130 metres above the city and admission is free, so you can stay there enjoying the views for as long as you like. I recommend going up at sunset, as the view from the steps of the Basilica is unforgettable. Sometimes street musicians also add their own touch and make the visit even more special.

Useful information

• Where is it? 35 rue du Chevalier de la Barre, in the Montmartre district.
• Opening hours: The viewpoint is outside the Basilica, so you can visit it whenever you want. The Basilica does have opening and closing times: every day from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Price: Admission to the basilica is free. The viewpoint is also free.
• Do I need to book? No, the viewpoint is open to the public. I recommend taking advantage of your visit to the Basilica and Montmartre to enjoy the views.

Don't miss the panoramic view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

This monument islocated in the centre of the city, right where the twelve most important avenues in Paris meet. The Arc de Triomphe is equally impressive in size: it is 22 metres wide, 45 metres long and 50 metres high.

At the top of these 50 metres is a terrace from which you can enjoy the city. You can get there from inside via a spiral staircase with 286 steps that takes you to the highest point, where there is a viewpoint. From the top, you can see the city bustling around you.

Please note: If you like taking photos on this route of Paris' viewpoints, please note that selfie sticks and camera tripods are not allowed inside the Arc de Triomphe monument.

Useful information

• Where is it? Place Charles-de-Gaulle.
• Opening hours: The monument is open from 10:00 to 21:45. Last admission is at 21:45.
• Price: Admission costs around £13. Children under 18, disabled people and their companions, and young Europeans between 18 and 25 can enter for free. It is also free on Sundays.
• Do I need to book? I recommend buying your ticket online to ensure you get a place at your preferred time.

I recommend visiting the Pompidou Centre, both for its contemporary art exhibitions and for the viewpoint at the top of the building. If you don't have time to see the museum, you can go directly to the terrace on the 6th floor. Admission to this part is free.

The Pompidou Centre's viewpoint is 46 metres high in the city centre. Admission to the museum includes a visit to the viewing platform on the 5th floor, but if you're only interested in the views, you can also go up to the terrace on the 6th floor on your own.

It's definitely worth it. From there you can see the heart of the city: the Seine, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Palais Royale and all the narrow streets that make Paris such an unforgettable city.

Useful information

• Where is it? On Place Georges-Pompidou.
• Opening hours: The museum is open every day except Tuesdays. Opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Price: Tickets to the museum cost around £12 and are included in the Paris Pass. Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month. With this ticket, you can enjoy the viewing platform on the 5th floor. If you are only interested in going up to the terrace, you can go on your own to the 6th floor. Access to this terrace is free.
• Do I need to book? Although tickets are available at the ticket office, I recommend buying your ticket online.

The Arc de la Défense is located in the financial centre of Paris. You've probably seen it if you've gone up to see the views from the Arc de Triomphe. In France, it is known as the "Grand Arche de la Fraternité" and from the top of its 35 floors (110 metres high) you have an impressive view of the city.

The arch houses a photojournalism museum, among other things, but you can take the lifts directly to the top of the building and enjoy Paris from above. The viewpoint is called "La Promenade" and is an open terrace from which you can see many of Paris' most recognisable monuments, such as the Louvre.

Useful information

• Where is it? At 1 Parvis de la Défense.
• Opening hours: On opening days, you can go up to the viewpoint between 10:00 and 19:00. The last ascent is at 18:30. Check the opening days on their website, as it is not always open to the public.
• Price: Adults pay around £14 and children under 18 pay around £7.
• Do you need to book? You can buy tickets there, but I recommend booking and checking availability before you go. It's not a very touristy neighbourhood and there are restrictions on access to the monument.

Take in Paris from the terrace of a unique building. Near the Place de l'Opéra, on Boulevard Haussmann, the Galeries Lafayette are a classic for visitors who want to experience an afternoon of shopping in Paris. In fact, they are the largest shopping centre in Europe.

What's more, this building offers an added bonus: the terrace is a viewpoint over the city. You can visit completely free of charge, with no obligation to buy anything. From there, you can see the rear façade of the Opera House, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and, in the distance, the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower.

The building itself is also worth a visit: it has been declared a historic monument. Take a look at the dome and its stained-glass windows, they're amazing!

Useful information

• Where is it? At 40 Boulevard Haussmann.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm and Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 8 pm.
• Price: Admission to the building is free and access to the terrace to enjoy the views is also free.
• Do I need to book? No, as long as the shopping centre is open, you can come and enjoy the viewpoint.

If you still have a taste for heights, I recommend climbing the Saint Jacques tower. It is all that remains of the monument to which it belonged, the Gothic-Flemish church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie.

Climbing up to the viewpoint at the top of the tower is a 300-step workout, but the views are incredible. However, it is a narrow medieval building. If you don't like enclosed spaces, you may find the staircase a little overwhelming.

This building is also interesting for other reasons: it houses a small weather station and is the starting point of one of the routes to Compostela that make up the Camino de Santiago, the Way of Tours.

Useful information

• Where is it? In the Place de la tour Saint-Jacques
• Opening hours: Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
• Price: Admission costs approximately £10.
• Do I need to book? Yes, you need to book because this viewpoint only allows 17 people at a time.

Take a peek at one of the least known and least crowded viewpoints in Paris: the Louis Vuitton Foundation is a museum housed in a unique building with several terraces offering spectacular views. You can take advantage of this visit to the heights to check out the contemporary art exhibitions housed in the building.

If the building catches your eye, it's no surprise. It was designed by Frank Gehry, the same architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. It is a glass and metal building that has created a very special space, playing with light in the City of Light.

Useful information

• Where is it? The address is Bois de Boulogne - 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi.
• Opening hours: The museum is closed on Tuesdays. On other days, it is open from 12 noon to 7 pm, with extended hours on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, when it is open from 11 am to 8 pm.
• Price: Admission costs approximately £8.
• Do I need to book? Although you can buy tickets at the ticket office, I recommend booking in advance to avoid unnecessary queues.