Tour Montparnasse
The one tower in central Paris, and the view that excludes it
- Area Montparnasse
- Type Viewpoint
- Time needed 1h
Tour Montparnasse is the single tall office block in central Paris, finished in 1973 and 210 metres high, with a paying observation level near the top and a roof terrace above it. The point of it is the view, which takes in the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, Les Invalides, the Louvre and Sacré-Cœur in one sweep — and, unlike the view from the Eiffel Tower, includes the Eiffel Tower. It stands over the Montparnasse station complex on the Left Bank.
Open in the planner →Getting there
Metro lines 4, 6, 12 and 13 all serve Montparnasse Bienvenüe, which sits underneath the building; follow signs out and the tower is unmissable. From Châtelet take line 4 southbound, about ten minutes. Line 6 from Charles de Gaulle Étoile is a useful elevated ride if you are coming from the west. Transilien N and TGV services arrive at Gare Montparnasse in the same complex, so it is easy to fit in around a train.
What you see
A lift takes you up in well under a minute to the enclosed 56th-floor level, which has glazing on all sides, orientation panels naming what you are looking at, and a cafe. Work round it clockwise and the set pieces arrive in turn: the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars to the north-west, the gilded dome of Les Invalides, the Seine with its bridges, the Louvre and the Tuileries, the Panthéon dome on the Left Bank, Sacré-Cœur on its hill to the north, and Notre-Dame with the island. Stairs then continue to the open roof terrace, which has no glass between you and the city and is the better place for photographs. Directly below, the pattern of the Montparnasse cemetery and the rail approaches to the station is clearer than from anywhere else.
What to pair it with
The Catacombs are about a fifteen minute walk south. Les Invalides and the Rodin museum are a reasonable walk or a short Metro ride north-west, and Luxembourg Gardens are twenty minutes east.
When to go
Go for sunset if you can and arrive well before it, since the terrace fills in the last hour of daylight and stays busy after dark when the Eiffel Tower lights up. Clear winter afternoons give the sharpest distance; summer haze flattens the view. Late morning on a weekday is the quietest time. The tower stays open into the evening, later than most Paris viewpoints, which is a real advantage on a short trip.
What is hard about it
The building is widely disliked and the ground-level surroundings are bleak concrete and a busy station, so the arrival is unpleasant. Tickets are not cheap for what is essentially one lift ride, and the Paris Museum Pass does not cover it. The glazed level reflects badly, so photographs through it rarely work and you need the open terrace, which means more stairs and exposure to wind and rain. Queues build in the late afternoon, and the roof terrace can be closed in bad weather without warning. Timed booking is normally needed at peak times.
Common questions
How long do you need at Tour Montparnasse?
About an hour, including the lift and time on both the enclosed level and the roof terrace. Longer if you are waiting for sunset.
Is the view better than from the Eiffel Tower?
For photographing Paris, yes, because the Eiffel Tower is in the picture and the queues are shorter. The Eiffel Tower wins on the experience of being on it.
Is it accessible without stairs?
Lifts reach the enclosed observation level. The open roof terrace above is reached by stairs, so check at the desk if that matters to you.