How to Visit the Eiffel Tower: Tickets, Hours, Tours, and More!

Heading to Paris and want to visit the Eiffel Tower? You are most definitely not alone since the Eiffel Tower is one of the biggest attractions in Europe. Tickets to the Eiffel Tower are hard to come by but don’t worry. This article will cover everything you need to know about how to visit the Eiffel Tower, from tickets to tours.

Pro Tip: Our tour company is all about memorable experiences. You can trust us to provide those experiences by booking one of our tours in Paris or try and go it alone. If you do it alone, bookmark useful blogs and articles in your browser in a “Paris” folder. You can start by bookmarking this one!

Visiting the Eiffel Tower: What We’ll Cover

Gustav Eiffel’s monument hasn’t always been the jewel of Paris, but it certainly is to millions of visitors today. There are three levels you can visit on the Eiffel Tower, so you’ll need to plan your trip accordingly. All tickets to the Eiffel Tower can be hard to get during peak summer season, so be sure to plan ahead. Keep reading to learn how to visit the Eiffel Tower and what you need to know.

Eiffel Tower Hours and Tickets

Hours: 9am – 12:45am (daily)

The last ticket time to the top is 11 pm.

There are 5 different types of admission tickets for the Eiffel tower at varying prices:

Short Answer: 3 hours

Assuming you get tickets or a tour to go up the Eiffel Tower, you should plan on at least three hours. As you’ll read in my below recommendations, I think this is best done in a half-day event including a meal and ideally champagne if you plan on doing things correctly.

If you are reading this then you are very possibly planning ahead for your trip. I recommend putting aside some additional sheckles to have a killer meal on the Eiffel Tower! Eating and exploring would take about 4 hours at lunch or 5 to 6 hours at dinner.

If you can’t get tickets or decide not to go up (which is a true mistake!) you should plan on spending 20 minutes walking through the area until you capture that picture of you touching the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Tours of the Eiffel Tower

With many evening and daytime departures, this is the best way to visit the Eiffel Tower. An English-speaking guide will explain the full history of the tower and take you on a Seine River cruise. You’ll sip champagne as you pass by many Parisian monuments including the Eiffel Tower. Your guide will then bring you to the tower and you’ll visit the first and second floors. You’ll be able to spend as much time as you like inside prior to leaving.

This is a much more extensive tour of Paris led by an English-speaking guide. You’ll visit many monuments including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (outside), and more. Be sure to click the link above to get a full description including pricing.

Our Best Guided Tours of Paris

Likely to Sell out

Privileged Access Eiffel Tour with Champagne on the Seine

Sometimes the most amazing moments happen by chance. Other times, they are orchestrated by professionals. Our Eiffel tower tour cruises by the famed monument as it lights up and you drink champagne. After, you’ll have tickets to enter the tower and ascend to the 2nd level with an elevator. Admissions included and we’ll take care of the details… you simply pay and show up!

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Le Marais Paris Food Tour with Champagne & Local French Food!

Embark on a culinary journey in Le Marais, one of the hippest neighborhoods in Paris. Enjoy a feast of French cheese, street food, boeuf bourguignon and crème brûlée, and more. This three-hour food tour combines the best of Paris’ culinary heritage.

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What to See When Visiting the Eiffel Tower

You may read this and think, “You go to the tower, then you go up the tower, and finally, you see a great view. Right?”

In reality, there is a lot more to do than you may expect. The structure is extremely tall and it is framed by two huge parks that occupy more than 2 million square feet of downtown Paris France. In this section, we’ll explain what do to in, on top of, and around the Eiffel Tower.

First Floor, Second Floor, and the Summit

Yes, you should make every effort possible to go up the Eiffel Tower. The tickets start at 10.40€. which is affordable enough for anyone who can afford a visit to Paris.

With the exception of 2020 given the reduced levels of tourism, don’t think you can show up on a Saturday and say, “Two please!” These tickets are extremely difficult to obtain.

You’re going to want to book ahead, especially if you’re looking to see the best view from the summit.

Hungry? Restaurants at the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower may look like a thin, wiry structure but at any given moment there could be up to 3,000 people eating, drinking, or snapping selfies from 58 meters to 276 meters off the ground on Eiffel’s three observation decks.

When I travel, I am a bit of a bon vivant. We all work hard so decompressing on vacation and enjoying the sweet fruits of your labor is super important. This is why I always say, “If you can, you should go inside.” This goes for eating at Madame Brassiere or Le Jules Verne – if you can.

Check out our dedicated article on Eating at the Eiffel Tower to plan and even make reservations.

How to Get to the Eiffel Tower

Metro

The preferred method of transport in Paris is the metro. The Eiffel Tower is located footsteps away from Camp de Mars / Tour Eiffel station which is on the RER C. You can also get off at the Ecole Militair on Line 8 or Bir-Hakeim on Line 6 which are both within walking distance. When you get out of the metro station look for the Eiffel Tower and you’re there!

Bus

You can take the 30, 42, 80, 82, 86 or Direct 2. Get off when you feel you are close enough to walk to the tower.

Walking

Luckily, you can see the Eiffel Tower from basically anywhere in Paris. Walk towards it!

Eiffel Tower Facts

Where? Eiffel Tower is located in a park known as Champ de Mars which is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris in France.

When? The tower was constructed to be the entrance to the World’s Fair in 1889 and took two years to build.

Who? It was built by engineer Gustave Eiffel whose innovative design has led to his name going down in the history books. Many said that a structure of this size simply couldn’t be built. I assume that motivated him even more.

What? The Eiffel Tower is 1063 feet tall (324m) which makes it about 75 stories tall (14ft per story).

Why? On average, about 7 million people visit the tower per year making it one of the most visited (ticketed) buildings on Earth. It was constructed to display France’s engineering prowess at the World’s Fair and beyond. Today, it has become the emblem of Paris.

Mountain Climbers – Apparently when the city decided to add more lights to the tower, approx 20,000 lights, they hired mountain climbers to scale the tower and attach them. I wonder what the electricians union thought about that?

Anything Else? Yep, a ton more. The tower is host to three levels, two restaurants, and various bars.

Le Jules Verne, which is a Michelin star-rated restaurant on the second level of the tower. The second is named Le 58 which is on the tower’s first level, 58 meters from the ground.

The absolute top level features a Champagne bar named “Bar A Champagne”. You don’t need a fancy name to sell a class of Champagne on the summit of arguably the world’s most romantic structure.

Beyond that, there are multiple buffets, terrace bars, and even a macaroon bar (makes sense).

Best Time to Visit the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited attractions on Earth with 7 million + visitors per year. Reserving ahead is the key to a positive and stress-free experience. If you can get the tickets, when is the best time to go?

Sunset

At and after sunset is by far the most attractive time to visit the Eiffel Tower. The tower lights up every hour on the hour after sunset for 5 minutes until 1am or 2 am depending the season. The 336 lamps/projectors make the tower light up in a very sporadic fashion which is really a joy to look at.

Do a search for when sunset is the day of your visit and show up 45 minutes before sunset. Book your tickets anytime between 45 minutes before sunset to closure. This way you can see the tower at sunset and go up in the same evening.

Day Time

You can enjoy the Eiffel Tower during the day as well and watch the light show from the ground at night.

An afternoon at the Eiffel Tower can be really great. The official website advises 1.5 hours for the 1st and 2nd levels and 2.5 hours for all three levels, but you can really stay as long as you like.

Visiting during the day allows you to explore and have a casual meal and or drink while walking around.

Try to get tickets to go up around noon. This way you can have a drink and meal while you are in the tower. If you don’t want to eat buffet food, reserve your tickets for later afternoon. Maybe after 4 pm. This way you can have some drinks on the tower at the end of your day before you get ready for dinner.

April 1 – Oct 31

From April 1st to Oct 31st, the Eiffel Tower will be extremely hard to reserve. Make sure you reserve in advance to get the entry time you like.

I highly recommend joining a guided tour if you go in the summer. The guides really make the tower come to life and it often includes a sunset cruise on the Seine river. Make sure you read the details to know if the tour you are booking includes that. It is an awesome experience.

Nov 1 – March 31

With the exception of Christmas, you basically will be able to have your pick on what time to visit the tower. I recommend you go in the afternoon as the temperatures may be warmer.

That said, you are going to want to see it at night evening in the winter. If this is the case, dress warm!