Paris Digest
Paris city guide since 1997
The seven best Paris views are from Arc de Triomphe, Centre Pompidou, Notre-Dame Towers, Palais de Chaillot, Sacré-Coeur, EIffel Tower and Tour Montparnasse. A few restaurants with a view allow you to combine a first-class meal with a view of the city. The two Eiffel Tower restaurants provide great views of the tower and the city. Top places to visit in Paris.
The view of the Eiffel Tower from Palais de Chaillot is the most touristic view of Paris. Locate this viewpoint on the map.
In a city almost free from skyscrapers, face the incredibly tall and transparent Eiffel Tower in the background with the gardens and fountains of Palais de Chaillot in the foreground. Most city visitors take pictures of themselves with this background view. Sightseeing tour coaches stop at Palais de Chaillot to allow all visitors to see this viewpoint.
Many parisians think the view from Tour Montparnasse is the nicest view of the city as it is the only one where you don't see the controversial Tour Montparnasse itself! The 210 meters Tour Montparnasse is the only skyscraper of significant size in the center of the city. The view you get from the top is gorgeous. On the 56th floor, Ciel de Paris is one of the best restaurants with a view. Drinking there a cup of tea at tea time is cheaper than accessing the 56th floor platform.
At 327 meters, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest monument and highest point in the city. By clear weather, at dawn or dusk, the view from the third floor extends over 50 kilometers.
The views you get by walking up the stairs and gradually elevating yourself above the buildings and the Seine River near by are spectacular. This feasible walk is a thrilling experience and a photographer's paradise. See pictures.
Eiffel Tower information
The twin towers of Notre-Dame culminate at 69 meters. Once you have walked up 387 steps to the top (you should be fit), you enjoy a lovely Paris view (closed until 2024).
The Ile de La Cité, the banks of the Seine river, Le Marais district and the left bank are all close by. This is the view of the city we do prefer as you see the oldest sights close by at human scale. You also get spectacular views over the roof and towers of Notre-Dame itself. More Notre-Dame facts.
The view of Paris from the top of Arc de Triomphe is famous as it provides the best view of the Champs-Elysées Avenue to the east and La Défense business district to the west.
Look towards the Champs-Elysées Avenue and the Louvre Museum 5km east on a straight line. Look towards La Défense 5 km west. Look towards the imposing Eiffel Tower at a distance. The view from the top of Arc de Triomphe is altogether one of the best 360° panoramic views of the city.
You get a very wide view of the city from Sacré-Coeur at the top of 130 meters high Montmartre hill. This view may not be very clear and Paris may look grey. This view is nevertheless one of the attractions of Montmartre. At many other places in Montmartre, you will get interesting views of the City of Lights.
Elevate yourselves another 85 meters. Walk up 300 steps to the top of the dome of Sacré-Coeur and you wil enjoy an even better view of the city (ticket price: 6 euros). Sacré-Coeur.
Another great view of the city from the fifth floor of Centre Pompidou, the daring Museum of Modern Art. You have to buy entrance tickets to the museum. Go to the open air terrace where you will see close by Ile de la Cité, Notre-Dame and most of the central and historic districts.
You enjoy a good view in the background of the Panthéon at the top of Sainte-Geneviève hill, Montmartre, the highest hill of the city, Sacré-Coeur, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
The view from the platform at the top of Tour Saint-Jacques, close to Notre-Dame, is both lesser known and accessible. Open from April to October, it is only accessible through guided visits in French by Des Mots et Des Arts. There are 300 steps to climb to the platform. It is worth it. The platform is small and the wiew 360° over the Seine River, Notre-Dame and most of the central and historic districts. You enjoy a good view in the background of the Panthéon at the top of Sainte-Geneviève hill, Montmartre, the highest hill of the city, Sacré-Coeur, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
