Does the Paris Museum Pass Include Montparnasse Tower?
No — the Paris Museum Pass does not include the Montparnasse Tower observation deck. Its 56th-floor panorama and rooftop terrace require a separate ticket. The good news: the pass already includes two of Paris’s best viewpoints for free. Here’s the detail and where to get great views with your pass instead.
The short answer
The Montparnasse Tower’s observation deck — famous for offering the only major Paris skyline view that includes the Eiffel Tower rather than being on it — is a privately operated attraction with its own ticket, not part of the Paris Museum Pass. If you want to go up the tower, you’ll book it separately.
Why it’s not included
Like the Eiffel Tower, the Montparnasse Tower observation deck sits outside the museum-and-monument network the pass covers. The pass is built around heritage museums and monuments, not commercial viewpoints, so the tower — along with the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur dome — requires its own ticket.
Included viewpoints you can use instead
- The Arc de Triomphe rooftop terrace — looking down the Champs-Élysées with the Eiffel Tower in view.
- Notre-Dame’s Bell Towers — close-up gargoyles and Île de la Cité views (reservation required).
- The Panthéon dome — a Latin Quarter panorama, open seasonally.
The Arc de Triomphe: the best free-with-pass view
For most pass holders, the Arc de Triomphe terrace is the standout alternative to a paid tower. Included in the pass, it offers one of the city’s finest panoramas — the twelve radiating avenues, the Champs-Élysées and the Eiffel Tower across the rooftops — without any extra ticket. It’s the savvy way to get a great Paris view.
What the pass does cover
Beyond the viewpoints, the pass gives unlimited entry to over 50 museums and monuments, including the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and Les Invalides. So while the Montparnasse Tower is excluded, the pass still covers the vast majority of Paris’s headline sights — views included.
How to visit the tower alongside the pass
If you specifically want the Montparnasse Tower’s view — many love it precisely because the Eiffel Tower is in the picture — book it separately and slot it around your pass days. Sunset is spectacular but busy. Otherwise, the included Arc de Triomphe terrace may scratch the same itch at no extra cost.
Other notable exclusions
- The Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur dome.
- The Catacombs, Opéra Garnier and Grand Palais.
- Disneyland Paris and the Moulin Rouge.
- Cruises, buses and transport.
- Temporary exhibitions at included museums.
Is the pass still worth it?
Yes — with the Arc de Triomphe and Notre-Dame towers included, you don’t need the Montparnasse Tower for a great view. Buy the pass for the museums, monuments and its own superb viewpoints; it pays for itself after about three major sites, and the tower remains an optional, separate extra.
Why some travellers prefer the Montparnasse view
The Montparnasse Tower has one genuine claim the included viewpoints can’t fully match: from its 56th-floor deck and open-air rooftop, you get a 360-degree panorama with the Eiffel Tower as the centrepiece — and, as locals joke, it’s the one high view in Paris that doesn’t include the Montparnasse Tower itself. If that specific photo matters to you, it may be worth the separate ticket; if you just want a memorable high view, the included Arc de Triomphe terrace delivers beautifully at no extra cost.
Buy your Paris Museum Pass for the best free views
For Paris’s museums, monuments and two of its finest viewpoints, buy your Paris Museum Pass online in advance and book your free timed slots — then add the Montparnasse Tower separately only if you want it. Secure your pass and enjoy the city from on high without an extra ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Paris Museum Pass include Montparnasse Tower?
No — the observation deck needs a separate ticket.
Why isn’t it included?
It’s a commercial viewpoint, outside the pass’s museum-and-monument scope.
What views are included?
The Arc de Triomphe terrace, Notre-Dame’s towers and the Panthéon dome (seasonal).
What’s the best free-with-pass view?
The Arc de Triomphe rooftop, which faces the Eiffel Tower.
Should I still go up the tower?
Only if you want that specific view — otherwise the included viewpoints suffice.
Is the pass still worth it?
Yes — for three or more sites, with great views already included.