On my last visit to Paris, I scorned the Eiffel Tower.  For views, I preferred the hilly haven of Sacre Coeur, or the dizzying spectacle around the Arc de Triomphe.  I still think the Arc gives you the best views of the Tower – yay for those iconic photographs! – and great views of Paris.  But I also have to humbly confess that I might have been wrong… the best views of Paris may well be those from the Eiffel Tower.  I was forced to change my mind after climbing the Eiffel Tower at night on my most recent visit.

We first wandered past the Tower during the day, on one of those perfect blue-sky winter days.  It was my friend Stacey’s first time in Paris, so I devised a whistle-stop tour of some of the highlights to cover in a day and a half.  The Louvre, Notre Dame, Le Marais, Sacre Coeur – not one could be missed!  The final stop in our traipsing round town was the Eiffel Tower, by now twinkly with lights and sending beams high into the cloud in a light-display every hour.  We hadn’t pre-booked as we weren’t sure where we would end up, so had plenty of time to admire the Tower during our 45 minute queue.  Top tip:  if you can, try to pre-book… it was chilly waiting in the wind!

Once we were through, we jumped into the lift which hurtled us high into the sky.  The first time I went up the Tower, many years ago, I’d only gone as far as the first floor due to time constraints.  This time, we were going all the way baby!  The top level is 180m high and as we discovered, more than a little windy!  But you just can’t beat these magical views of the City of Lights laid out beneath us.

Looking towards Place de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries

The Arc de Triomphe

Looking west down the Seine

It’s a tough gig, but next time I’m back in Paris I think I’ll have to try the Tower by day as well.  Just to confirm whether those views really are as magical in the sunlight!

Have you visited the Eiffel Tower?  Day or night?