A famous place has two visits inside it. One is the photograph you already knew: the tower from the lawn, the arena from the street, the palace from the hill. The other is a timed ticket, a bag check, and an hour you will not get back if the queue is the point.
At the Eiffel Tower the lawn is the visit if you do not want the lift. At the Colosseum the exterior still does the work; the interior is a decision. The Alhambra is the exception that proves it: the ticket is the visit, and turning up without one is a different day.
Walk the outside first. Decide after you have stood there whether the inside is worth the rest of the afternoon. The gallery on this site is that first look, not a booking desk.
