No single structure in Paris is the source of as much excitement as Gustave Eiffel’s 10,000-ton, 330m-tall (1,083-ft.) iron masterpiece. Soaring, sparkly, and photogenic, the Eiffel Tower is synonymous with Paris and a bucket-list monument with enough beauty and symmetry to turn an ordinary vacation photo into something special.
But where do you get that special shot? Too close and you’re overwhelmed with detail, too far away and it’s just a stick in the distance. The most famous vantages, such as the Jardins du Trocadéro, remain impressive but might feel overfamiliar, while the view from the tower itself (I like the second level best) will, to state the obvious, give you an entirely Eiffel-free skyline.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other options. From metro bridges to hotel rooftops, here are my top five places for that perfect eyeful of the Eiffel—and the selfies that will inevitably ensue.
Rue Saint-Dominique: The Peekaboo Street Shot
7th arrondissement
Even without the Eiffel Tower view, rue Saint-Dominque would be a winner. It’s your quintessential Parisian street—a long meander of posh apartment blocks that give way to pretty boulangeries, shops, and a handful of classic bistros. Among them is the venerable Fontaine de Mars (open since 1908), its red-and-white gingham-clad tables spilling out beneath a gorgeous arcade. Don’t miss the garlicky escargots.
But the real showstopper is the view. Go to the crossroads with boulevard de la Tour-Maubourg, and suddenly there it is: the Eiffel Tower, rising between the buildings like a ready-made postcard. The striking juxtaposition of tower, street, and sky will stop you midstep.
Pont de Bir-Hakeim: The Cinematic Bridge
15th and 16th arrondissements
If the double-decker Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge looks familiar, that's probably because you’ve seen its elegant steel and stone frame in movies such as Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010) or Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris (1972). Opened in 1905, the bridge accommodates the Métro Line 6 along the top, while the lower deck is shared by cars, cyclists, and pedestrians.
For a long, contemplative gaze at the Eiffel, choose the sidewalk below. Here, the tower’s monumental stillness contrasts nicely with the bustle of city life around you. For something more dramatic, jump on the Métro at Passy station and watch the tower burst into view with flawless cinematic timing as you cross the Seine.
TOO Hotel: The Panoramic Sleep
13th arrondissement
Fancy waking up with the Eiffel Tower at your feet? TOO Hotel is situated at the top of architect Jean Nouvel’s 120m (393 ft.) Tours Duo, a pair of tilted skyscrapers on the edge of the modern Avenue de France district. Set between the 17th and 25th floors, the hotel's Executive Corner rooms have beds facing floor-to-ceiling windows that frame both the city and the tower like a living painting.
By day, the tower’s silhouette shimmers against the Parisian haze; by night, the landmark glows in a way that feels almost private from this height. If you don’t stay the night, you can still take in the panorama from the TacTac rooftop bar or TOO Restaurant, where vistas stretch all the way over Paris to the hills beyond the périphérique.
Parc de Belleville: The Rebel’s Panorama
20th arrondissement
Forget the postcard-perfect angles. This gritty, artsy hillside park in Belleville offers a panoramic view of the capital, with the Eiffel Tower peeking out of the gray-hued skyline like a dart. Start at the 108m-high (354-ft.) belvedere at the top of the park, where street art frames the view and you can spot other monuments as well—the glass roof of the Grand Palais, the colored pipes of the Centre Pompidou, the restored spire of Notre-Dame.
Then work your way down into the park, where patchworks of lawn give way to wisteria-draped paths and an excellent children’s playground full of ropes and tunnels and the longest slide in the city.
Hôtel Dame des Arts: The Cocktail Lover's Skyline
6th arrondissement
Rooftop bars abound in Paris, but few offer 360-degree views like the Hôtel Dame des Arts. Get there just before nightfall and you can watch the Eiffel Tower switch on its lights beyond a tangle of rooftops and soaring church spires. Order a pink spritz (prosecco, Sarti Rosa liqueur, and fizzy water) to match the color of the sky.
You could double up with an overnight stay, too. The hotel's guest rooms are decorated with natural woods, porcelain, and glass. Fourteen units have views of the tower, many from a balcony.
When the Eiffel Was an Eyesore
The tower is so well-loved today, it’s hard to believe that hasn’t always been the case. Yet when the monument first opened in 1889 for the Exposition Universelle, Eiffel's creation was derided by much of the Parisian intelligentsia. They called it, among other things, a truly tragic street lamp, a giant, ungainly skeleton, and a hole-riddled suppository.
Author Guy de Maupassant supposedly dined regularly at the restaurant on "this high and skinny pyramid of iron ladders" just so he wouldn't have to look at it.
It was only the advent of radio that saved the structure. As the tallest tower in the world (until the Empire State Building came along), the tip of the ol' metal suppository made an ideal spot for placing an antenna in 1909.
From reviled to tolerated to useful, it was a fairly short trip to iconic and universally adored.
Anna E. Brooke is the author of Frommer's Paris 2026.
Frommer's Paris 2026
Frommer’s books aren’t written by committee, by AI, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We employ the best local experts to author our guides, like longtime Paris resident Anna E. Brooke. In this innovative, easy-to-carry, itinerary-based g...
Get the bookFrommer's Paris 2026
Frommer’s books aren’t written by committee, by AI, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We employ the best local experts to author our guides, like longtime Paris resident Anna E. Brooke. In this innovative, easy-to-carry, itinerary-based g...