The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic attractions in Paris, and whether you’re in the area for a pleasant stroll or some serious sightseeing, the Eiffel Tower should be a must-see on your Paris bucket list.
After climbing up to the top of the Eiffel Tower for one of the best views in Paris, visit more of the neighborhood with our list of top things to do near the Eiffel Tower. Some Paris’ tourist attractions can be found around there, and there are plenty of other things to see around the Eiffel Tower.
Where is the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th district of Paris, on the Seine’s left bank. Paris 7 is the result of the city’s extension beyond Ile de la Cité and Le Marais, and it is considered a bourgeois district, characterized by wide avenues and beautiful buildings.
The 7th Arrondissement of Paris is a good place to base yourself, especially if you are looking for a hotel with Eiffel Tower views (there are also good apartments with view of Eiffel Tower too), and it is also a lively neighborhood with many fun things to see and do.
How to Get to the Eiffel Tower?
There are many ways to get to the Eiffel Tower, but we will let you know the best ones.
The Eiffel Tower is best served by the RER C trains (yellow line). From central Paris, you can catch the RER C at Saint Michel or Musée d’Orsay. If you are on the other side of the river, then take RER B (blue line) at Châtelet-Les Halles station to the south (B2 or B4) and change lines at Saint Michel-Notre Dame station. The closest RER C stations to the Eiffel Tower are Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel or Pont de l’Alma.
If you prefer to travel by metro, you will need to walk a bit more to the tower. You can take line 6 and stop at Bir-Hakeim station or line 8 and stop at Ecole Militaire station.
If you want to head to the Eiffel Tower directly from the airport, check out our dedicated guides.
Things to Do Around the Eiffel Tower
Wondering what to do near the Eiffel Tower after the climb? Here, the list of best things to do near the Eiffel Tower.
Look for the Best Views of the Eiffel Tower
Look for the best Eiffel Tower view for the perfect Paris souvenir. The Eiffel Tower is so photogenic that you don’t need a fancy camera to capture the magic of Paris.
You can see the Eiffel Tower from different perspectives from nearly everywhere in Paris because of its size. Here’s our selection of the best Eiffel Tower views, with a map to pinpoint the places.
Address: different locations
Look for the Eiffel Tower’s Chimney
Before leaving the Eiffel Tower, look for the Eiffel Tower’s chimney, hidden in the garden, for a quirky picture. Few visitors notice this chimney near the west pillar of the Eiffel Tower. Nestled among the vegetation, it is invisible in summer, so it is a kind of treasure hunt!
The Eiffel Tower chimney dates from the time when the tower was built in 1887. A pipe linked it to the old machine room managing the elevators, located under the south pillar. It was then used to evacuate the smoke produced by the energy required to supply the elevators.
Address: near the tower’s west pillar
Take a Boat Tour
The first on any list of things to do near the Eiffel Tower has to be a boat tour! The Seine River pier sits directly underneath the Eiffel Tower itself, so it’s the perfect place to hop on and enjoy a sightseeing Seine River tour.
Save your feet, and relax on a boat tour to soak in the rest of the tourist sights. You’ll be treated to loads of incredible views from the river – and you can hop off at the other end of the Seine or ride it round in a circle back to where you started.
There are different Seine River experiences, and it mostly depends on your budget.
- Seine River cruise, with or without meal – the most touristy
- The Batobus (hop-on, hop-off boat tour) – the most local
- Private River Cruise with skipper (4pax max) – the coolest
All the options come with the option of champagne except the Batobus.
Address: Port de Suffren
Relax in Champ de Mars
This is one of the best free things to do near the Eiffel Tower and one of our favorites. This peaceful patch of grass overlooks the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River and is one of the most popular places to picnic in Paris on a sunny day. Usually, you’ll also find street performers nearby who will entertain you as you eat!
Address: Champ de Mars
Stroll through Rue Cler
Rue Cler is one of Paris’s best market streets, where locals go to buy their favorite foods. Most of the street is a pedestrian area, and there is a wonderful selection of specialty food stores, patisseries, cheese specialists, chocolate shops, and cafés.
Address: Rue Cler
Visit the Sewer Museum
The Sewer Museum is one of the most unique and fascinating places of underground Paris and one of the coolest hidden gems in Paris. Explore some of the Paris’ sewer system’s underground galleries and learn about the history of water in Paris.
Address: 93 Quai d’Orsay
Enjoy a Good Meal with Eiffel Tower View
Enjoy good Paris food with an Eiffel Tower view in one of the restaurants near the Eiffel Tower. We recommend Les Ombres, the rooftop restaurant part of the Musée du Quai Branly. Les Ombres proposes quality food served by a friendly staff, and the atmosphere and the view are great.
Address: 37 Quai Branly
Visit Musée du Quai Branly
And while you are there, don’t miss this fantastic museum dedicated to the civilizations of Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Americas across the centuries.
Apart from the permanent exhibition, the Musée du Quai Branly proposes interesting temporary exhibitions based on a specific culture or civilization.
Click here to buy your tickets to Quai Branly
Address: 37 Quai Branly
Look for the Most Beautiful Art Nouveau Buildings
The Art Nouveau buildings are one of the most beautiful things to see near the Eiffel Tower. Art Nouveau is an artistic movement developed during the Belle Epoque, from the 1880s to 1914. It is characterized by forms inspired by nature, curves and arabesques, and the use of stone, metal, and glass or ceramic in various colors.
You will find many beautiful Art Nouveau buildings to see near the Eiffel Tower, here’s the list of our favorites:
- Hôtel Monttessuy, 12 rue Sédillot (Jules Lavirotte, 1899)
- Building Lavirotte, 29 avenue Rapp (Jules Lavirotte, 1901)
- Building, 3 square Rapp (Jules Lavirotte, 1899-1900)
- Building of Société Théosophique, 4 square Rapp (Lefranc, 1912-1915)
- Building Les Arums, 33, rue du Champ-de-Mars (Octave Raquin, 1900)
Address: different locations
Visit Les Invalides and the Tomb of Napoleon
The Hotel des Invalides, with its golden cupola, is one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks. Inside, you will find the Musée de l’Armée, with a permanent collection from Antiquity to the end of WWI. With more than 500,000 objects, Les Invalides is the largest museum of military history in France and one of the world’s leading ones.
Les Invalides’ church hosts the tomb of Napoleon I, right under the golden cupola.
Click here to buy your tickets to the Invalides
Address: 129 rue de Grenelle
Visit Rodin Museum
The Musée Rodin, located a few steps from the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides, is a beautiful museum dedicated to the work of the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. It is set in a beautiful 18th-century private mansion surrounded by a lovely garden that houses the biggest sculptures by Rodin.
The museum also has a room dedicated to Camille Claudel, Rodin’s talented collaborator who was also his lover.
Click here to buy your tickets to Musée Rodin
Address: 77 rue de Varenne
So there you have it, our selection of the best things to do near the Eiffel Tower. Which activities do you like most?
