A Week in Paris - Arc de Triomphe

There a few spots in Paris as iconic as the Arc de Triomphe. Sitting in the middle of a circle on the Champs Elysee, this is one of the best places to see the skyline in the entire city. Taking the metro here gives you the great experience of popping up from underground in the middle of the circle to the immense scale of the arch. Be prepared for the hike up to the top (we did not do our research). The nearly 300 steps take you from the street to the top with only a break at the museum level about 40 steps from the top.

When you get to the top, the panorama of Paris falls away from you. Views across the city to all the landmarks including La Defense, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, and everything else you could want to see make this one of the best spots in the heart of the city. We happened to catch views as some scattered rain showers moved across the city, casting the Louvre in a mysterious haze.

The whole visit took maybe an hour depending how much time you spend at the top. We had very little interest in going up into the Eiffel Tower, but the view of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe was exactly what we wanted.