Visiting the Eiffel Tower: Floors, Summit and Best Times

Built by Gustave Eiffel's company for the 1889 World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower was only meant to stand for twenty years. It survived thanks to its usefulness for radio and telegraphy, and became the symbol of Paris. Today it is about 330 metres tall, and one of the most visited monuments in the world. Here is everything you need to know before you go up.

The three levels of the Eiffel Tower

The first floor (57 metres)

The largest level, with a glass floor that lets you look straight down at the ground below, exhibitions about the construction of the tower and a restaurant. It is often the quietest level, and a good place to understand how the tower was built.

The second floor (115 metres)

For many Parisians, this is the best view of the city: high enough to see far, low enough to recognise the monuments, from the Seine and the Trocadéro to the golden dome of Les Invalides, Montmartre and Notre-Dame.

The summit (276 metres)

Reached by lift from the second floor, the summit offers a panoramic view over the whole of Paris. You can also see Gustave Eiffel's office, recreated with wax figures of the engineer and his guest, Thomas Edison.

Lift or stairs?

Lifts serve every level. You can also climb the 674 steps from the ground to the second floor, which usually means a shorter queue and a closer look at the iron lattice. The summit can only be reached by lift.

When is the best time to visit?

• Early morning, right at opening, is the quietest time.
• Late afternoon and evening give you the golden light of sunset and the city lights.
• After dark, the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour: a sight best enjoyed from the ground.
• Summer and school holidays are the busiest periods. The summit can close temporarily in strong wind, bad weather or when it is too crowded.

Opening hours and prices change during the year: check the official Eiffel Tower website before you go.

Tickets and how to skip the line

Book online in advance and choose a time slot: tickets often sell out in high season, and the queues for tickets on the spot can be long. A guided tour with pre-reserved entry saves the guesswork. Our Eiffel Tower guided tour takes the lifts to the second floor with a local guide, with an optional summit upgrade, in about two hours.

The best views of the Eiffel Tower

• The Trocadéro: the classic postcard view, across the Seine.
• The Champ de Mars: the lawns at the foot of the tower, ideal at sunset.
• The Pont de Bir-Hakeim: an elegant iron bridge with the tower framed by its arches.
• Rue de l'Université: a Parisian street with the tower rising at its end.

How to get there

Take Métro line 6 to Bir-Hakeim, lines 6 or 9 to Trocadéro (for the view first, then a walk across the bridge), or the RER C to Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel. Boats on the Seine also stop at the foot of the tower.

Make a day of it

The Eiffel Tower is one of the great landmarks of Paris, along with Notre-Dame and the Île de la Cité, where the city began. Browse all our Paris landmark tours, or plan your stay with our 3-day Paris itinerary.