The Trocadéro, on the Chaillot hill in the 16th arrondissement, owes its fame above all to a viewpoint: from the esplanade of the Palais de Chaillot, the Eiffel Tower appears head-on, across the Seine. But the neighborhood is more than a photo. The palace, built for the 1937 International Exhibition, houses three museums and a theater, the gardens run down to the river, and the residential streets of Passy, a few minutes away, have kept a village atmosphere. Hours and access are gathered in our page on the Trocadéro; this guide suggests visiting it in order, in half a day.
The Palais de Chaillot esplanade
Between the two curved wings of the palace, the Terrace of Liberties and Human Rights is open day and night. It is the classic viewpoint on the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars: early in the morning, it is still almost empty.
The gardens and the Warsaw Fountain
Below the esplanade, the gardens run down to the Seine around a large basin and its water jets. It is the best break in the neighborhood, and it is also where you find the Paris Aquarium, set in former quarries of the hill.
The Eiffel Tower
Just cross the Pont d'Iéna, about ten minutes on foot, to find yourself at its foot. The Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour after dark.
The museums of the Palais de Chaillot
The Paris wing houses the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine and its casts of French monuments; the Passy wing houses the Musée de l'Homme and the Musée national de la Marine. All three museums are closed on Tuesdays.
The Palais de Tokyo and the Museum of Modern Art
Ten minutes on foot along Avenue du Président-Wilson, the 1937 palace houses the Palais de Tokyo, a contemporary creation center, and the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, whose permanent collection is free.
The Musée Guimet
On Place d'Iéna, the Musée Guimet is the largest European museum devoted to Asian arts; it is closed on Tuesdays.
Passy and its intimate museums
Behind the hill, the former village of Passy has kept its sloping lanes. The Maison de Balzac, where the novelist lived from 1840 to 1847, and the Musée du Vin are easy to visit there; the Musée Marmottan Monet, near the Ranelagh garden, holds the largest Monet collection in the world.
Tips
- For a logical walk, get off at Trocadéro station (lines 6 and 9), enjoy the esplanade, go down the gardens, cross the Pont d'Iéna to the Eiffel Tower, then come back along the quay for the Palais de Tokyo or the Musée Guimet. Then allow an hour to walk up toward Passy, whose streets can be explored on foot from the Trocadéro. If the Eiffel Tower tempts you, also see our best free views in Paris to compare.
- For lunch, the restaurants right around the square are expensive and aimed at tourists; it is better to walk a few streets toward Passy, or pick the restaurant of one of the palace museums, often set on a terrace facing the tower. Seine cruises leave nearby: our guide to the Seine cruise compares the options.
- On the esplanade and in the gardens, pickpockets, street vendors and fake petitioners approach tourists: keep your bag closed in front of you and sign nothing. Come early for photos or late in the afternoon for the light on the front of the tower. Trocadéro metro (lines 6 and 9) serves the square; buses 22, 30, 32 and 63 also stop there. In case of trouble, keep our useful numbers in Paris at hand.
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