5 Best Paris Views...That Aren’t the Obvious Ones

Phil Thomas
Jan 7
5 min read

Street scene in Montmartre, Paris. People walk up a cobblestone path lined with trees and colorful buildings. A bike rests near a lamppost.

Paris is a city that rewards looking twice. The first time you visit, you’ll snap all of the classic viewpoints – Notre Dame from directly in front (get closer to admire some of the grotesque architecture above the door!), Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero etc...

Inevitably when you return, you’ll be lured back to the blockbuster sights – Paris does that to you. And yet, move a few streets away and you get a whole new perspective on landmarks you thought you knew inside out. The best views in Paris are not the ones everyone heads to.

Have no fear, the Eiffel Tower will still be twinkling and Sacré-Cœur will still look as bonkers as ever, but step off the tourist treadmill and you’ll find perspectives that feel more personal, more cinematic, and a lot less crowded. Here are five views where the city quietly shows off.

And seeing as you’re back in Paris, have a read of my ‘Second Time in Paris’ blog on all the other things you should do to entertain yourself.

At A Glance

Public Transport

Buy your tickets via the Bonjour RATP app (you can store the pass on your phone). Standard day passcosts €12 and are valid across metros (numbered lines), RER suburban trains (lettered lines), buses and trams.

I’ve never driven in Paris and the sight of cars circling the Arc de Triomphe yielding to vehicles entering the roundabout has convinced me never to try!

Where To Stay

Paris’ extensive public transport network means nowhere within the city is truly out of reach. Assuming you’ll be out and about most of the day – and night – these are all good mid-range options with comfortable beds and close to public transport.

Hotel Puy De Dome (18 th Arr.) – Excellent budget option within walking distance of Montmartre and close to Metro. Clean, quiet, comfortable rooms. From £72/€85/$95 per night.
Hotel Aida Marais (10 th Arr.) – Central location close to the Canal St Martin and two Metro lines. Small but impeccable rooms. From £105/€125/$140 per night.
Hotel Chouette (15 th Arr.) – Funky boutique hotel (‘The Owl’) with multiple good restaurants within a 5-minute walk. Excellent air-conditioning (not always the norm in Paris). From £120/€145/$155 per night

While You’re Here

Montmartre Highlights Walking Tour: This tour gives deliciously gossipy insight into the artists that called Montmartre home and includes the stellar views most tourists miss, including Place Dalida, described below.
Montparnasse Experience – Guided Tour around the district of Paris that was home to Josephine Baker and the Guggenheims, includes entry to Montparnasse Tower (another contender for Best Views of Paris) so you won’t miss any views from the top
Left Bank Food & Wine Tour: Assuming you have the energy for a tiny bit more walking, this curated guide is the ultimate way to experience the best places to dine and sip in the Latin Quarter while swerving the tourist traps.

Heads-up: some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you decide to buy something - at no extra cost to you. I only recommend brands and products I use and have had excellent experiences of.

Best Views of Paris - My Top Five

1. Eiffel Tower from Rue Luís de Camões

Nearest metro: Bir-Hakeim (Line 6)
Best time: Evening, just before the tower sparkles on the hour

Nighttime view of the Eiffel Tower glowing yellow, seen from steps with streetlamps. Cars and trees line the dimly lit street below.

From the end of this quiet residential street, the Eiffel Tower suddenly rises at the end like a film set reveal. There are limited crowds, just the glow of belle-epoque streetlamps and locals strolling home.

When the lights begin to shimmer, the tower feels framed just for you like one of those ubiquitous posters you see all over the city.

It’s the kind of view that makes Paris seem intimate and personal, not overwhelming and loud .

Just remember this is a residential street so don’t being a dick and start vlogging in an ever-so-loud voice – nobody wants to hear that.

2. Montmartre from Place Dalida

Narrow cobblestone street lined with ivy-covered houses in Montmartre. Pink house, grey sky, distant dome visible. Quiet, serene mood.

Nearest metro: Lamarck–Caulaincourt (Line 12)
Best time: Late afternoon, golden hour

Named after France’s beloved chanteuse Dalida, this tiny square is a few hundred metres from Sacre-Coeur and yet is missed by 95% of visitors.

Their loss as it offers one of Montmartre’s most romantic angles. From here, cobbled streets tumble downward, framed by leafy trees and pastel façades. The hulking basilica peeks over rooftops, but the real beauty is the atmosphere. Unlike most spots in modern Paris, here you can actually imagine walking in the footsteps of the impressionists who called Montmartre home at the turn of the 20^th century.

3. Notre-Dame from Place René Viviani

Lush garden with vibrant flowers and a path, overlooked by a historic tower in the background. People stroll under a clear blue sky.

Nearest metro: Saint-Michel (Line 4, RER B)
Best time: Morning, when the sun lights the cathedral’s western façade

Across the Seine from Notre-Dame, Place René Viviani is a pocket-sized park that is hiding in plain sight.

Most views directly in front of the new capture Notre Dame in full-frontal mode with little sense of scale and a foreground of concrete. Nice if you like that sort of thing

Walk five minutes across the river and you’ll be rewarded with this postcard-perfect view.

You’ll see the cathedral rising just beyond flowerbeds and Paris’s oldest tree, planted in 1601. The mix of ancient stone and bursts of floral coloure gives the scene a layered sense of history, that is utterly Parisian.

4. Sacré-Cœur from Parc Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet

Nearest metro: Lamarck–Caulaincourt (Line 12)
Best time: Early morning, when Montmartre is still sleepy

White basilica with domes under a cloudy sky. Two people sit on a bench in a green park. Peaceful atmosphere with lush trees.

Another Montmartre classic, this one from literally round the back of its most famous sculpture.

Skip the crowded basilica steps – you’ve already done this - and climb instead to this hidden park behind Sacré-Cœur. From the terraces, the Byzantine-meets-Gothic domes rise above a green canopy, birdsong replacing the thousand wannabe photographers.

It honestly amazes me that so few people venture this side to admire the basilica’s creamy silhouette against the morning sky.

You might even bump into a local, out for a morning stroll with their impeccably groomed dog.

5. The City at Night from the Arc de Triomphe

Nearest metro: Charles de Gaulle–Étoile (Lines 1, 2, 6, RER A)
Best time: After dark, when Paris lives up to its “City of Light” name

This is a bit of a cheat as the Arc de Triomphe is hardly unknown.

But from a straw poll of friends, I was surprised how few had ventured to its summit. Why bother? It’s far less crowded (and considerably cheaper) than the Eiffel Tower and delivers a sweeping 360° view. Even more fun, take a look over the edge at the most cardiac arrest-inducing roundabout in Europe where cars yield to those joining the traffic.

In the words of David from Schitt’s Creek, ‘Absolutely Not!’

Eiffel Tower glowing at dusk, overlooking Paris streets lined with buildings and car lights, under a cloudy sky with a pink horizon.

At night, Paris unfurls in all its glittering splendour. Boulevards are illuminated, the nearby Eiffel Tower performs its nightly show (on the hour) and even the head and tailights streaming down the Champs-Élysées look like festive ribbons of light.

This is the only entry that needs tickets – you can also get a private guide to explain both the symbolism of the Arc (trust me, there’s a lot to take in) and explain exactly what you’re looking at when you reach the summit.