At a glance. The Eiffel Tower is 330 metres tall, with three levels to visit. The second floor gives a wide view and takes less time than the summit. Choose the lift for speed, the stairs for the experience, and the summit if you want the highest view in Paris. Book a time slot, because the lines on site can be long. Prices start from about €26.
What can you visit on the Eiffel Tower?
The tower has three levels you can reach. The first floor has a glass floor, a good place to look straight down. The second floor is higher up and gives you a wide view of the city. The summit, on the top platform at 276 metres, is the highest point you can reach, and you get there only by a lift from the second floor.
Gustave Eiffel’s company built the tower between 1887 and 1889 for the Universal Exposition of 1889, and it opened to the public on 15 May of that year. Today around 25,000 people go up every day, and more than five and a half million visited in 2022.
Lift, stairs or summit?
By lift to the second floor. This is the quickest way up and the right choice for most people, with families and anyone who does not want a long climb. The lifts go up from the north, west and east pillars.
On foot to the second floor. The stairs start at the south pillar and climb to the second floor, with more than 600 steps. It takes effort, but it is part of the fun, and the tour on foot is guided and takes about one and a half hours. You can add the summit at the checkout.
The summit. The view from the top covers the whole city. It is also where the wait for the lift can be long, which is why a booked slot makes a real difference. You reach it by a lift from the second floor.
When should you go?
The hours change with the date and the season. Pick your slot first, then plan the rest of the day around it.
If you want to see the tower without going up, there are two good places. From the Champ de Mars you see it close up, with the lawns in front. From the Trocadéro you see it from the other side of the river, and it is the classic photo spot.
How do you get to the Eiffel Tower?
The nearest stops are metro line 6 at Bir-Hakeim, metro line 8 at École Militaire and the RER C at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel. From École Militaire, a walk across the Champ de Mars brings you to the tower. For more about the transport, read our guide to getting around Paris.
What should you know before you go?
- Have a valid ticket. You must hold a ticket for your slot, and the ticket decides whether you use the lift or the stairs.
- Travel light. Keep your luggage to a minimum.
- Watch your belongings. The base of the tower and the lifts are spots where pickpockets work. Keep your bag closed in front of you.
- Check the weather. The tower can close because of weather or strikes.
Which Eiffel Tower ticket should you choose?
There are several ways to go up, depending on what you want.
- Simple and flexible. Reserved access with an audio guide on your phone, or the second floor by lift with a tour. These are the easy choices if you want to move at your own pace.
- On foot. The second floor by stairs, with a live guide in English and a meeting point 15 minutes before the slot. The summit is an option you can add.
- The top. Reserved summit access with a small group of up to ten people, or a guided tour of 1 hour 30 minutes that takes the lift to the first floor, the second floor and the summit.
- With a cruise. One ticket combines the summit with a one-hour Seine cruise, and takes about three hours in total. Our Seine cruise guide shows you what to expect.
- A meal. There is also an option to eat at Madame Brasserie on the first floor.
Short on time? Take the second floor by lift. Want a story as well as a view? Choose a guided tour. Want the highest view in Paris? Go to the summit. You can see every option on the Eiffel Tower page.
