6 Best Sights in Around the Eiffel Tower, Paris

The Eiffel Tower is to Paris what the Statue of Liberty is to New York and what Big Ben is to London: the ultimate civic emblem. French engineer Gustave Eiffel spent two years working to erect this iconic monument for the World Exhibition of 1889. Because its colossal bulk exudes such a feeling of permanence, it's hard to believe that the tower nearly became 7,000 tons of scrap when the concession expired in 1909. Only its potential use as a radio antenna saved the day. Though many prominent Parisians derided it at first, the tower gradually became part of the city's topography. It's most breathtaking at night, when every girder is highlighted in a glittering show of 20,000 golden lights for five minutes every hour on the hour from nightfall until midnight (until 1 am in summer).

More recent enhancements include a renovation of the first level that added a vertigo-inducing "transparent" floor 187 feet above the esplanade as well as a miniturbine plant, four vertical turbine windmills, and eco-friendly solar panels to minimize the tower's carbon footprint over time. You can stride up 704 steps as far as the second level, but only the elevator goes to the top. The view of the flat sweep of Paris at 1,000 feet is sublime—especially if you come in the late evening, after the crowds have dispersed. Beat the crushing lines by reserving your ticket online, or book a skip-the-line guided tour offered by many companies (from €47). Better yet, ride up the private elevator to chef Frédérick Anton's Jules Verne restaurant—with its Michelin star—on the tower's second floor. It's about as dramatic a lunch or dinner spot as you'll find, apart from Madame Brasserie, a chic sit-down bistro helmed by Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx on the first floor (online reservations for both restaurants are a must). Or you can watch the glimmering lights from the top of the tower over a glass of bubbly or a nonalcoholic drink at the Bar à Champagne. There are also small "buffet" snack shops on the esplanade and the first and second floors. 

At the tower's tippy top is Gustave Eiffel's "secret apartment," which he used as his office, including wax mannequins of Eiffel in conversation with Thomas Edison; the blonde woman in the background represents Claire, Eiffel's oldest daughter, with whom he was very close. You'll also hear actual recordings of Eiffel's voice.

The baroque complex known as Les Invalides (pronounced lehz-ahn-vah-leed) is the eternal home of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821) or, more precisely, his remains, which lie entombed under the golden dome. Louis XIV ordered the facility to be built in 1670 to house disabled soldiers (hence the name), and, at one time, 4,000 military men lived here. Today, a portion still serves as a veterans' residence and hospital. The Musée de l'Armée, containing an exhaustive collection of military artifacts from antique armor to weapons, is also here.

If you see only a single sight, make it the Église du Dome (one of the two churches here) at the back of the complex. Napoléon's tomb was moved here in 1840 from the island of St-Helena, where he died in forced exile. The emperor's body is protected by no fewer than six coffins—one set inside the next, sort of like a Russian nesting doll—which are then encased in a sarcophagus of red quartzite. The bombastic tribute is ringed by statues symbolizing Napoléon's campaigns of conquest. To see more Napoléoniana, check out the collection in the Musée de l'Armée featuring his trademark gray frock coat and huge bicorne hat. Look for the figurines reenacting the famous coronation scene when Napoléon crowns his empress, Josephine. You can see a grander version of this scene by the painter David hanging in the Louvre.

The best entrance is at the southern end, on Place Vauban (Avenue de Tourville); the ticket office is here, as is Napoléon's tomb. There are automatic ticket machines at the main entrance on Place des Invalides.

Located in the west wing of the Palais de Chaillot and one of five national museums dedicated to all things nautical (other locations are in Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort, and Toulon), the Paris branch is the country’s foremost treasure trove of art and artifacts documenting maritime development pertinent to France over the centuries. The sparkling new design includes impressive special effects, interactive features, and games for adults and kids. Exhibits highlight a notable collection of models of vessels, from 17th-century flagships to modern warships. Kids can climb a step to get a closer look at a model aircraft carrier or a nuclear submarine cut in half to expose their decks. The main gallery displays several figureheads recovered from sunken ships, including a giant Henry IV, miraculously saved from a shipwreck in 1854 during the Crimean War. An enormous representation of Napoléon, in his favored guise as a Roman emperor, was taken from the prow of the frigate Iéna in 1846. There is also a sinister-looking metal diving suit from 1882 and the menu from a 1935 voyage of the SS Normandie cruise ship. The café-restaurant offers snacks and warm meals along with views of the Eiffel Tower, and the shop stocks original sea-themed artworks, chic clothing, and toys. Free English audioguides are available.

Sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) briefly made his home and studio in the Hôtel Biron, a magnificent 18th-century mansion that now houses this museum dedicated to his work. He died rich and famous, but many of the works that earned him a place in art history were originally greeted with contempt by the general public, which was unprepared for his powerful brand of sexuality and raw physicality.

Most of Rodin's best-known sculptures are in the gardens. The front one is dominated by The Gates of Hell (circa 1880), which illustrates stories from Dante's Divine Comedy. Rodin worked on the sculpture for more than 30 years, and it served as a "sketch pad" for many of his later works: you can see miniature versions of The Kiss (bottom right), The Thinker (top center), and The Three Shades (top center). The museum also showcases long-neglected models, plasters, and paintings, which offer insight into Rodin’s creative process. Pieces by other artists from his personal collection are on display as well—including paintings by van Gogh, Renoir, and Monet. A room is devoted to works by Camille Claudel (1864–1943), his student and longtime lover, herself a widely acclaimed sculptor. An English audio guide (€6.50) is available for the permanent collection and for temporary exhibitions.  Tickets can be purchased online for priority access. If you wish to linger, L'Augustine café serves meals and snacks indoors or outdoors under the garden's linden trees. The fine museum boutique sells quality gifts and objects d'art, such as reproductions of some of the master's most famous sculptures made from the original molds.

Home to four major cultural centers, this honey-colored Art Deco structure on Place du Trocadéro was built in the 1930s to replace a Moorish-style building constructed for the 1878 World's Fair. Its esplanade is also a top draw for camera-toting visitors intent on snapping the perfect shot of the Eiffel Tower. Facing the building from the Place du Trocadéro, to the left are the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine—billed as the world's largest architectural museum—and the Theâtre National de Chaillot, one of the city's major dance and performance venues, which occasionally stages plays in English. The twin building to the right contains the Musée de l’Homme, a thoroughly modern anthropology museum, and the marvelous Musée National de la Marine, reopened in 2023 after a six-year restoration. Sculptures and fountains adorn the garden leading to the Seine.

Visiting graveyards in Paris can become addictive. Less well known than Montparnasse or Père Lachaise, Passy Cemetery, which dates from 1821, is raised high above Place du Trocadéro behind towering walls so that passersby hardly know it's there. Here under the chestnut trees are the tombstones of famous aristocrats and artists, such as composer Claude Debussy, Impressionist painters Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, and fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, all with superb, and eternal, views of the Eiffel Tower.