From Selfies to Skylines: Paris’ Prettiest Photo Ops

Grab your camera! Paris’ most photogenic moments are waiting for you.

Woman Taking Picture of Eiffel Tower

There’s no shortage of photo envy when it comes to Paris. From sunlit bridges and ornate cathedrals to charming side streets lined with patisseries, every corner looks like it was made for the ‘gram. So, how do you capture those wow shots and fill your travel album with memories you’ll love? We’ve collected the city’s best spots for shutterbugs—think sweeping skyline views, a few hidden gems, and some classics that always deliver. Camera charged? Let’s get snapping! 

Here's where we always reach for our cameras in Paris: 

  • Eiffel Tower (from Trocadéro and Champ de Mars) 
  • Montmartre & Sacré Coeur 
  • Arc de Triomphe Rooftop 
  • Sainte-Chapelle 
  • Musée d’Orsay Clock 
  • Palais Royal & Les Colonnes de Buren 
  • The Seine River Bridges 
  • Notre Dame & Ile de la Cité 
  • Galeries Lafayette Rooftop 
  • Le Marais Streets 

Eiffel Tower (from Trocadéro and Champ de Mars) 

You knew this would be here, right? But not all Eiffel Tower shots are a necessity. For those crisp, wide-angle photos, head to the Trocadéro. With its sweeping steps, fountains, and elevated vantage, the plaza delivers a jaw-dropping perspective day or night. Early birds get soft morning light and fewer crowds, while sunset chasers enjoy golden hues perfect for portraits. 

Over at Champ de Mars, you trade height for intimacy—think classic Parisian picnics with the Iron Lady towering above your blanket. In spring, cherry blossoms create a dreamy foreground; summer brings sunbathers, street musicians, and plenty of picnic action. Whichever view you choose, both are perfect for those “Wish You Were Here” moments. And don’t forget to walk around—the surrounding streets often hide unique angles, like wrought-iron balconies or vintage car shots with the tower in the distance. 

Montmartre & Sacré Coeur 

Montmartre feels like a village inside the city, and the photos you’ll snap here are steeped in bohemian charm. Start with the grand stairs leading to Sacré Coeur; from the basilica’s terrace, you’ll find one of Paris’s widest panoramas. In every season, the climb rewards you with painterly street scenes—think ivy-draped cafés, artists sketching outside their studios, and lamplit cobblestone alleys that look amazing in golden hour light. 

Venture a few blocks and you’ll discover Place du Tertre, famously busy with portrait artists and bustling outdoor cafés. Keep your lens ready for the famous “La Maison Rose”—that pink café always trending online—and the winding Rue de l’Abreuvoir, one of the city’s most charming streets. Montmartre adds a little magic to every frame, whether you’re posing beneath Sacré Coeur or catching candid moments in the leafy alleys. 

Arc de Triomphe Rooftop 

Archways and epic views—what’s not to love? Climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe rewards you with one of the city’s most symmetrical photoshoots: twelve grand avenues radiate out like a star, with Paris humming far below. Grab your wide lens and frame the Eiffel Tower off to one side for that ultimate postcard effect. 

The rooftop opens up to a sweeping panorama that captures both classic and modern Paris—the Eiffel Tower, La Défense business district, and the sprawling Champs-Élysées below. We always find sunset particularly captivating, as city lights start to glow and the golden dome of Les Invalides glimmers in your shot. Down at street level, the Arc itself adds drama to your portraits—especially at dusk when the monuments light up. 

Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle Stained Glass Windows

Paris is full of beautiful churches, but Sainte-Chapelle’s inside-out magic will make your jaw drop. This chapel’s stained glass windows reach dizzying heights and positively glow on a sunny day, turning every photo into a kaleidoscope of color. Zoom in to catch the intricate patterns, or up your selfie game with shimmering rainbow light casting dancing patterns across your face. 

Early visits promise fewer crowds and almost otherworldly silence, making every click feel special. Be sure to tilt your camera upward—those rows of glass detail real medieval storytelling. No filters needed here—the light does all the work for you! It’s the kind of place where every angle feels like a fresh discovery. 

Musée d’Orsay Clock 

You don’t have to be an art historian to appreciate the Musée d’Orsay, but we suggest heading upstairs for a truly unique photo stop: the giant clock window on the fifth floor. With its bold metalwork and mesmerizing city backdrop (hello, Sacré Coeur on the horizon), this spot guarantees dreamy, frame-worthy pictures. 

Here, you can silhouette yourself against Paris’s skyline or capture the intricate details of the clock hands. When the late afternoon sun streams through, it adds an ethereal glow—perfect for romantic couples or dramatic profiles. Whether you’re gallery-hopping or just in it for the views, this timeless perspective belongs on every photographer’s must-snap list. 

Palais Royal & Les Colonnes de Buren 

Tucked between the Louvre and some of Paris’ best pastry stops, Palais Royal offers serene gardens, elegant arcades, and the playful “Colonnes de Buren” art installation. These black-and-white striped columns—a modern touch in a historic setting—beg for photos: jump, pose, or simply soak up the artistic flair. 

The symmetry of the gardens and arcades creates lush, green frames in spring and golden leaves in autumn. Early mornings keep things quiet, so you can stage your own mini photo shoot. The courtyard’s mix of classic and contemporary makes every shot stand out—not to mention it’s just steps from the Louvre, making it easy to pair culture with creativity. 

The Seine River Bridges 

The Seine delivers endless photo opps: reflections at sunset, boats gliding beneath historic arches, and those romantic iron lamp posts that look straight out of a postcard. Pont Alexandre III charms with its golden statues and dramatic angles (particularly dazzling at dusk), while Pont des Arts tempts couples to add a lock and stroll hand-in-hand. 

Every bridge offers a slightly different vantage: Notre Dame broods on one side, the Eiffel Tower peeks across the water on another. Sunrise along the river banks is especially rewarding, catching Paris as it wakes up with soft light and mirrored water. Bring a picnic and time your walk for golden hour; your snaps will have friends mistaking you for a professional. 

Notre Dame & Ile de la Cité

Notre Dame at Sunset

Rising from the heart of the city, Notre Dame still draws crowds—and cameras. The west façade looks fantastic from Place Jean-XXIII, especially when the flowers bloom. Explore the neighboring Ile de la Cité for moody side-street snaps, glimpses of the Seine, and romantic bridges. 

If you visit after dark, Notre Dame glows from within, bathing the square in warm light. Around the corner, Square du Vert-Galant offers tranquil moments beneath leafy trees and benches perfect for candid picnic shots or views back toward Pont Neuf. The blend of Gothic drama and riverside calm means every photo feels like a story waiting to be told. 

Galeries Lafayette Rooftop 

Shopping and city views? Yes, please. After admiring the glittering stained-glass dome inside Galeries Lafayette, head up to the panoramic terrace for sweeping scenes from the Opéra Garnier all the way to the Eiffel Tower. The space feels surprisingly peaceful—even in the center of Paris—with cozy seating and fresh air to go with your skyline backdrop. 

Time your visit for sunset if you can: the city’s rooftops glow gold and the Eiffel Tower starts its hourly sparkle. Whether you want selfies, wide-angle landscapes, or fun snaps with friends, this is one of the few places where you can shop, snack, and shoot—all in the same afternoon. 

Le Marais Streets 

If Parisian style had a home address, it would be Le Marais. This neighborhood’s winding streets, colorful doors, and centuries-old townhouses are made for casual strolls and quick snaps. Every café terrace seems picturesque, especially at Place des Vosges—whose brick facades and square gardens star in countless feeds. 

Step down Rue des Rosiers for quirky storefronts, street art, and bakery displays packed with impossible-to-ignore pastries. In the afternoon, dappled sunlight through the narrow lanes makes for dreamy portraits. Stop for some people-watching and a coffee; then capture those candid, living-in-Paris vibes to round out your photo collection. 

 

Paris makes it nearly impossible to take a bad photo, and the fun truly comes from exploring at your own pace. Whether you’re here for classic skyline views, colorful street life, or a glimpse of Parisian magic at sunset, each of these locations promises photos you’ll want to show off again and again. Feel free to wander off the suggested route—sometimes the best shots happen when you least expect them, maybe on a quiet bridge or during a surprise street performance! 

So, grab your camera, keep your eyes open, and get ready for some of the most photogenic adventures of your travels. 

Enjoyed this? Check out Everything You Need to Know About Go City’s Paris Passes or Things to Do Near Sacré Cœur 

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Women at Paris Café
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Paris on a Monday: Culture, Food & Fun to Kick Off Your Week

Think Paris is sleepy on Mondays? Think again—adventure, art, and flavor await!
Stores show off their goods in Passage Jouffroy
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When should I visit Paris?

You can make a sensible case for summer being the answer to the question ‘when should I visit Paris’. After all, it has the best chance of good weather and the longest days. But you can also say that spring is a brilliant time to visit since the city is flooded with flower blossom. And fall, when the foliage turns a multitude of oranges. And winter too, because of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Check out our seasonal breakdown to uncover when you should visit Paris, whether you’re looking for great weather, seeking out the calendar’s top events or are keen to discover the most budget-friendly time of year. Summer The summer season in Paris roughly corresponds with June through to the beginning of September. Typically described as the ideal time to visit Paris, the temperatures aren’t the only thing to soar. As the official start of the high season, so do hotel and flight costs, which are some of the highest of the year. On the plus side, July beckons in T-shirt weather, albeit with an umbrella in hand – there’s a chance of a light shower even now. This doesn’t stop hundreds of thousands of people pouring onto the Champs-Élysées for the Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, marked by a grand military parade, fly past and fireworks behind the Eiffel Tower. From then on, Parisians tend to leave the city for their summer vacations on the French coast. But you don’t have to leave the city to enjoy the coastal feel, with beaches appearing on the quais (banks) of the River Seine, concerts filling the air with music and open-air movie screenings taking over parks late into the night – usually in their original language. It means that by August a languid air takes over Paris, with no one wanting to do anything very fast – which is just fine for anyone looking to get in the holiday mood. It makes it a wonderful time to cruise along the Seine, people watch from a café terrace or picnic in any of the 150 main parks too. Fall The start of fall sees temperatures drop away a little, and rain showers become heavier than they have been. But beyond that, fall really is a great time to consider visiting the French capital. Why? Well, it’s still warm enough in September to continue exploring the city’s parks and gardens. They begin taking on fall colors as well as being the sites of two major September events – the city-wide Fête des Jardins (Garden Festival) and the historic Fête à Neuneu funfair in the Bois de Boulogne. The fall color is usually at its best with the arrival of October. With hotel prices falling away again and visitor numbers dropping alongside the mercury – temperatures peak at 16°C – October is another month great for avoiding the crowds. The change in seasons is even celebrated at the Fete d'Automne, whilst the Contemporary Art Fair arrives at the Grand Palais to add to the buffet of permanent art collections, from the Musée d’Orsay to the Orangerie Museum. The start of the low season, November sees some of the lowest visitor numbers of the year, but it’s still not a bad time to visit Paris. Come prepared for the wintery weather, and the city’s charm and authentic feel is sure to keep you as warm as the hot chocolates and the winter restaurant menus. To brighten the days there are several public holidays and festivals to look forward to – not least the start of the Christmas period. Winter By the beginning of December Christmas is in full-swing. Main avenues shine with festive lights, Christmas markets hum with the sound of Parisians enjoying each other’s company and the arrival of several ice rinks makes for one of the more unusual things to do. Believe it or not, few travelers get to see any of this exuberant feasting. It makes a Christmas in Paris all the more special. Kicking off with a very literal New Year bang, January is one of the cheapest months to go to Paris, with some excellent deals on hotel stays. Set firmly within the low season, the city’s major attractions are less crowded than other times of year. However, with 30 million annual visitors, there’s no month that can be described as totally crowd-free. Wrap up well – temperatures are stable at 2 – 7°C – and you can catch the Festival of Lights at the Jardin des Plantes and an armful of bargains in the winter sales. Although February has similar temperatures and low season prices to January, it actually has the least rainfall of any month, making it one of the best times to visit Paris on a budget. That said, Valentine’s Day sees low season prices go out of the window for anywhere with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Spring Waving goodbye to winter, March sees a massive increase in the number of visitors, although accommodation prices remain good compared to the summer months. Temperatures remain on the chilly side, with lows of 5°C and highs of around 12°C. Levels of rainfall are still very much on the low side too. Heralding the warmer months to come, it’s in March that the early spring bulbs begin to flower. Whilst still in the shoulder period between low and high seasons, spring sees Parisians planning outdoor events with much more certainty than had been possible so far in the year. Step anywhere near the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern outskirts of the city and you’ll be enticed by the bright lights of the Foire de Trône funfair, which traces its history back to AD 957. April usually also sees the Easter public holidays and the associated arrival of chocolate eggs in storefront windows. Meanwhile, May is another great month to visit Paris – and if the growing crowds in the Louvre are anything to go by, it’s not exactly a secret either. One of the busiest months of the year when it comes to tourism levels, part of the reason is the ever-improving weather together with hotel prices still substantially below the high season peaks. A further quirk of visiting Paris in May is the fact it’s technically the wettest month of the year, although there’s not a great deal of difference – just 22 mm or less than an inch – between May and February. No wonder then that May is chosen for the first rounds of the French Open, and not one, but two jazz festivals. How to save whatever the season Whenever you decide you should visit Paris you can save on attraction admission to many of the city’s top sights with Go City. Then check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook to share your vacation snaps with us!
Ian Packham
A girl taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower
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Things to do in Paris With Teens

Eye-rolling teenagers everywhere will tell you, with utter conviction, that there are few things in life more embarrassing than going on vacation with mum and dad. Here’s your chance to prove them wrong in one of the world’s greatest cities, with our guide to the best things to do in Paris with teens. Demonstrate your cool credentials and wow your progeny with ideas that include selfies at the Sacré-Cœur, rollercoaster rides, spooky subterranean skeletons and more. Instagram Inspiration Of course, your little darlings will be keen to document every moment of their Paris adventure online. And why not? Many literary and artistic greats have been seduced by the city’s beauty down the centuries, and your kids will likely be no exception. A selfie in front of the Mona Lisa should be considered essential. But be warned: the Louvre’s vast network of galleries and buildings makes for a fair bit of hiking from one major exhibit to the next. Planning your visit carefully and making a list of must-sees before you arrive may help mitigate any family arguments once you’re inside. Photo opportunities abound on a climb up the 674 steps to the viewing platform on the Eiffel Tower’s second floor. During the ascent, intrepid teens with a head for heights can step out onto the first level’s – gulp – transparent floor, 58 meters above the forecourt. Better still, kids over 12 can make the climb without parental supervision, meaning that, while they wear themselves out trying to bag the best selfie, you can get started on your picnic of cheese and wine on the sprawling lawns of Champs de Mars far below. Tick off some of Paris’s other great views. The Ballon de Paris Generali is a lot of fun: this tethered helium balloon rises a whopping 150 meters over the Parc André-Citroën. Montparnasse Tower goes even higher at 200 meters (by elevator), while the climb to the top of iconic Paris landmark the Arc de Triomphe is a relatively exhausting 284 steps, but does benefit from being on the famous Champs-Élysées boulevard, for a bit of light window-shopping and some decadent Ladurée macarons afterwards. Museums and Art Paris has a plethora of fine museums and galleries to keep teens entertained. Many, including big hitters like the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay offer free entry for under 18s. Centre Pompidou is a cultural mecca with cool ‘inside-out’ architecture; its colorful exposed pipework and air ducts making it something of a work of art in itself. There’s an entire floor dedicated to kids, including workshops, interactive exhibits and bags more hands-on fun. Workshops for teens don’t require parental supervision, leaving you free to explore the center’s vast collection of modern art, from Picasso to Pollock. Play hide and seek among the box hedges, statues and ornamental pools in the Rodin Museum’s seven-acre sculpture garden and visit Europe’s biggest science museum in Parc de la Villette, where the Cité des Sciences (CSI) counts a planetarium, an IMAX theater, and even a submarine among its myriad attractions. Or, if your offspring roll their eyes dramatically at the very idea of enduring all that boring old stuff from the past, rent some Vélib bicycles instead, and take them on a self-guided tour of eye-popping contemporary Paris street art around the Oberkampf neighborhood, La Villette canal and Montmartre. They’ll thank you for the additional Instagrammable photo opportunities, if not the mild physical exertion required to get there. Teen-Friendly Tours Bike isn’t the only fun way to see Paris though. Guided Segway tours are a great way to tick off some of the city’s big attractions with minimal effort. There are short tours, long tours, day tours, night tours, every kind of tour! All you need to bring with you is a reasonable sense of balance and in no time at all you’ll be whizzing to the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and beautiful Pont Alexandre III with its soaring arch and Art Deco lanterns. Teens are permitted to ride if joined on the tour by their parents. Creepy and very cool – the perfect combination for any self-respecting teenager – the Paris Catacombs are an underground network of tunnels and caverns used to store the mortal remains of some six million or so Parisians, displaced from the city’s cemeteries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kids will love this bone-chilling subterranean adventure, where wall-to-wall skulls and bones are stacked neatly from floor to ceiling. There’s a 1.5-kilometer circular route through this macabre ossuary: just about the right length for fidgeting teens before boredom starts to set in. Shopping and Entertainment Even the most apathetic teenager will struggle to feign immunity to the charms of a themed rollercoaster ride for long. Good news! Both Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix are easily reached from central Paris, with trains taking less than an hour. Teens can also take to the skies on a jetpack adventure with Flyview Paris. This thrill-a-second VR experience mimics the real-life sensations of jetpack flying and takes you on a dizzying flight over major landmarks including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower and more. Back on terra firma, take them shopping for unique souvenirs in the atmospheric cobbled streets of the Marais and Montmartre districts. Here’s where you’ll find independent boutiques selling vintage fashions, old-fashioned sweets, handmade artisan crafts and jewelry, and much more. The cute funicular that carries foot-weary passengers up the hill to the top of Montmartre will melt all but the hardest of teenage hearts. After grabbing a chocolate crêpe – and, naturally, a selfie or ten in front of the Sacré-Cœur – head round the back of the basilica to the Place du Tertre, a traditional Parisian square that’s teeming with local artists who’ll be delighted to provide your kids with a souvenir they’ll treasure forever: a one-of-a-kind portrait or caricature of themselves. Who knows, they might – just might – even crack a smile for the occasion. Save on things to do with teens in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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