Paris is known as the City of Light and it is renowned for its amazing historical architecture. Amongst all of these two landmarks that stand out as major attractions in Paris are the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower and the but which is better as an observation deck to look over the stunning city of Paris? You can actually visit both of these landmarks with a discounted entry plus tours using a Go City Paris Pass but I’ll tell you more about that later.
In this article, we’ll answer that question for you and delve into a detailed comparison of these two extraordinary structures based on 5 categories
- Height
- Price
- View
- Interior
- Value for money
First of all let’s get down to the numbers.
| Eiffel Tower | Arc de Triomphe | |
| Height | 324 metres (1,063 feet) | 50 meters (164 feet) |
| Price | €18 to €50 depending on the level and ticket type | €13 |
| Time needed to visit | 1.5 to 2 hours | 1 hour |
Height
No surprises here… As an architectural masterpiece, the Eiffel Tower easily wins the height battle, it towers over Paris as the tallest building in the city. Standing at a staggering 324 metres (1,063 feet), it was the tallest man-made structure in the world until 1930.
The Eiffel Tower offers the highest view of the city, which is great for panoramic pictures. There are 3 levels to visit though, the first floor, the second floor and the summit. Even the first floor is higher than the Arc de Triomphe at 187 feet. The second floor is 377 feet and the summit floor sits at a whopping 906 feet.
The Arc de Triomphe, on the other hand, stands at a height of 164 feet (50 metres), making it significantly smaller in comparison. However, what it lacks in height, it compensates with its intricate stone architectural detail and historical significance.
Winner: Eiffel Tower (on all floors)
Price
When it comes to affordability, the Arc de Triomphe takes the lead as the ultimate budget option. Visitors can explore the ground level of the Arc de Triomphe and take in some historical information for free. However, if you wish to go to the top terrace for panoramic views, there is an admission fee, albeit relatively modest.
On the other hand, the Eiffel Tower offers different ticket options. The price varies depending on the level you wish to access, ranging from the ground floor to the summit. But if you’re just visiting once you may as well go to the summit and max it out. While it may be more expensive compared to the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower does offer more immersive experiences over the different levels so you pay for what you get.
Winner: Arc de Triomphe
View
When it comes to the view, both landmarks offer amazing panoramic views of Paris, albeit from different vantage points. The Eiffel Tower’s huge height allows visitors to take in the entire cityscape, including famous landmarks like Notre Dame, the Louvre, and Montmartre. It offers that unbeatable 360-degree view that showcases the best of Paris’s cityscape.
The Arc de Triomphe is located at the west side of the Champs-Élysées and offers a unique perspective. From its terrace, visitors can marvel at the grand old avenue, with the Place de la Concorde on one end and La Défense business district on the other. The view captures the best of the bustling Paris city and the iconic Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Be aware that getting to the Arc isn’t very glamorous as you need to cross one of the busiest roundabouts of traffic you’ll ever see so expect a lot of traffic and noise.
Overall the view is a matter of opinion because from the Eiffel tower, the view makes everything else around it look small and insignificant but when you’re looking out from The Arc de Triomphe you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower which is not far away too, so for me it makes for better photographs, that’s one to consider depending on what you want out of your city view.
Winner: Eiffel Tower overall but Arc de Triomphe for photos
Interior
The Eiffel Tower’s interior is an engineering masterpiece, with its intricate iron lattice structure. However, there are dining options available at the tower, such as the Michelin-starred restaurant on the first level, allowing visitors to savour French cuisine while enjoying the surroundings. The information inside the Eiffel Tower is mostly architecture based rather than Parisian history or war-led like the Arc de Triomphe, which makes sense considering the size and shape of the tower.
The interior of the Arc de Triomphe, on the other hand, is stone-based so it looks very different and this is more dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers and honouring their sacrifice. It houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is a reminder of the price of freedom. There are a few rooms to explore but it doesn’t take long to get around as 1 hour should be enough from start to finish. There is a lift/elevator here too however I found it more immersive to take the stairs since it’s not the tallest of structures.
Winner: Eiffel Tower
Value for Money
In terms of value for money, both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe offer different experiences for their price. The Eiffel Tower allows the option to visit different levels depending on your budget, each level offers a different viewpoint of the city so you get more variety overall and you can even go all out and choose the €50 lift to the top floor with a glass of Champagne to add a bit of luxury. From the bustling streets to the Seine River and the distant horizon, the views are truly captivating. The ticket prices may be higher, but the memories and the vistas make it worth the investment and it’s an experience that lasts a lifetime in either option. The information inside is very architectural and it has a more modern, metal feel about it which is different to The Arc de Triomphe.
The Arc de Triomphe, however, offers a more condensed experience, the focus for this landmark mainly lies in its historical and architectural prominence. Go up and see the terrace as it offers a stunning panorama of the Champs-Élysées and its surroundings, which are amazing but there aren’t multiple viewpoint options in this landmark.
Winner: Eiffel Tower
The highlights and best bits of the Eiffel Tower
Well, it is THE Eiffel Tower! So it’s one of the biggy’s to tick off in terms of visiting famous landmarks. You get the choice of 3 different levels and the views are amazing from all 3 levels. There is a bar and a restaurant up there and the architectural masterpiece makes for some amazing surroundings throughout your visit. It will make you feel small and insignificant in a good way.
The not-so-good bits
The queues outside are horrendous. Expect a 1-3 hour wait unless you buy a skip-the-line ticket. This actually made me not go up the tower on my first trip. The lack of space is annoying and the metal grate in front of the viewpoint does take away some of the wow factor. It’s obviously one of the most famous attractions in the world so expect a lot of tourists to get in your way and take away the ambience.
The highlights and best bits of the Arc de Triomphe
The value for money is great and the views up top are hard to beat in Paris. Looking from a high vantage point upwards at the Eiffel Tower and downwards upon Paris is a great combination and it is probably my favourite viewpoint in Paris.
The not-so-good bits
It has to be the traffic outside as you make your way towards the entrance, it is very noisy and chaotic. The time it takes to get in and out is very quick considering it’s a major landmark but it does feel a bit cramped in certain areas, especially the stairs.
What is the best Arc de Triomphe or Eiffel Tower?
Choosing between the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe depends on the experience you want to get out of your Paris trip. Expect to deal with long queues and cramped spaces to enjoy the Eiffel Tower but it’s because it’s worth doing this at least once. The Arc de Triomphe is more simple to enjoy but it doesn’t have the same wow factor and level of choices that The Eiffel Tower does, so The Eiffel Tower is the overall winner for me.
The Eiffel Tower is best for
Stunning high-level city views, hugely impressive architecture, bucket list ticking.
My rating: 3.5 / 5
The Arc de Triomphe is best for
Views of the Eiffel Tower, military and emotional history, tighter budgets, and less time to queue.
My rating: 3 / 5
How to get discount tickets to The Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe
You shouldn’t have to choose between the two attractions. Do them both!
I saw both of these attractions on the same day using a Go City Paris Pass. It cost me €89 and I visited both attractions, which included a Champs-Élysées tour, an Eiffel Tower elevator guided tour plus we went to Parc Astérix the next day. Those 3 attractions should have cost me over €147 by paying for each individually. That allowed me to see 3 big Paris attractions and save €58… Bargain!