Choose your level, walk the first-floor glass floor, take in Paris from the second floor and, if the sky is clear, ride up to the 276-metre summit. Then add one easy extra nearby: Trocadéro, the Champ de Mars, a Seine cruise or the quai Branly museum.
Do not rush straight to the top. Use the first floor for the structure, the second floor for Paris in detail, and the summit for the widest view. Take the lifts up and linger on the way down.
At 276 metres, the summit is the highest public viewing platform in the European Union. It has an enclosed lower deck and an open-air upper deck, with panoramic tables showing directions to world cities.
At 116 metres, the second floor is high enough for a wide panorama, but low enough to pick out the Seine’s bridges, Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. Summit visitors change lifts here.
The first floor, at 57 metres, has a transparent floor that looks straight down to the esplanade, outdoor walkways and displays on the Tower’s history. It also shows a section of the original spiral staircase that once led to Eiffel’s office.
Stairs tickets let you climb about 670 steps to the second floor, surrounded by the lattice. It is also the cheapest way up, but it is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility. The summit can only be reached by lift.
At the summit, look through the windows of Eiffel’s restored private office. Wax figures show Eiffel with his daughter Claire and Thomas Edison, who visited the Tower in 1889 and gave Eiffel one of his phonographs.
The summit has a Champagne bar, and it also serves non-alcoholic drinks. It is one of the Tower’s most memorable small pleasures, especially in late afternoon light.
The second floor has Pierre Hermé macarons, buffet counters and souvenir shops. It is the natural break before the summit lift or before you start down.
Before you go up, stand beneath the four legs and look up through the open frame. The esplanade and gardens are free after security, so this works even without an ascent ticket. Look for the gilded bust of Gustave Eiffel by the north pillar.
Summit tickets often sell out, so you may not be able to add the top on the day. Choose summit access from the start. Timed tickets still require two security checks, so arrive 15–20 minutes before your booked time.
Do not add every nearby attraction. Choose one or two based on your energy, your ticket time and whether you want views, water, culture or a proper break.
This long public garden stretches from the Tower to the École Militaire. It gives you a full-height view of the Tower and space to rest, and it is the classic place for a picnic in good weather.
Across the Pont d’Iéna, the terrace of the Palais de Chaillot gives the famous full view of the Tower. The Trocadéro gardens and fountains lead down to the river. Come early morning for fewer crowds, or after dark for the lights.
A one-hour sightseeing cruise switches the view from height to water level, passing Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Bateaux Parisiens leaves from the quay at the foot of the Tower, and Bateaux-Mouches from Pont de l’Alma, about a 15-minute walk away.
A five-minute walk along the river, this museum covers the arts and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Its planted “living wall” and garden are worth seeing even if you do not go inside.
This two-level bridge carries Metro line 6 above a pedestrian deck, and it frames the Tower beautifully. From it, the tree-lined Île aux Cygnes leads to a small replica of the Statue of Liberty.
About 10–15 minutes’ walk east, this pedestrian market street has bakeries, cheese shops and cafés. It is ideal for picnic supplies or a relaxed lunch away from the tourist restaurants at the foot of the Tower.
About a 20-minute walk away, the golden-domed Hôtel des Invalides houses the Army Museum and Napoleon’s tomb. It works as an afternoon extension if you visited the Tower in the morning.
Both give the whole Tower in the frame. Go after your ascent, when you have already seen Paris from above.
Open space with no ticket or timetable. It is the sensible choice after a summit visit.
A second perspective with little walking. Keep the rest of the day simple around its departure time.
The second floor for a simpler, cheaper visit, or the summit for the highest panorama.
For most people: the glass floor, the second-floor view, and the summit or the stairs.
Trocadéro, the Champ de Mars, a cruise or a museum. Do not try to add all four.
The ticket name matters less than the level, route and extra experience you want. Read the selected option before paying.
Lift access suits most first visits, and a lift to the second floor is the right choice for visitors with reduced mobility. It does not include the summit unless you select that level.
Stairs access gives an active route to the second floor, and it is the cheapest ticket. Some options add a summit lift, but the stairs are not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility.
A combined format joins Tower access with a Seine cruise. It saves separate bookings, but the Tower level still depends on the option you choose.
Madame Brasserie on the first floor and Le Jules Verne on the second floor are booked separately from standard sightseeing. A meal does not automatically include the upper viewing floors.
Compare these by what each one solves: access level, a stairs route, a cruise pairing, an evening on the river or lunch inside the Tower.
Most reviewed
Choose this if your main decision is the viewing level. Check the selected option carefully, especially if reaching the top is essential.
Stairs route
Choose this for an active climb and close views of the ironwork, with the option to continue to the summit by lift.
Tower + cruise
A lift visit and a river perspective in one plan. Check the selected Tower level before confirming.
Top rated
The highest-rated Tower option here. It is a strong choice if you want to settle your level and time slot well before the day.
Evening river view
A good evening addition after a daytime Tower visit, with Paris lit up from the water. It does not include Tower access.
Lunch in the Tower
Pick this when a seated midday meal on the first floor matters more than a packed schedule. Book separate viewing access if you also want the higher floors.
Paris Tower Tickets is an independent visitor guide and is not the official Eiffel Tower website. Some links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. *Ratings, review counts and starting prices come from booking data at the time of writing and can change. Check the live booking page for your date and option.
Plan food around the route, not squeezed between timed sights. Remember that your ticket allows one entry only, so eat inside the Tower or after your visit, not halfway through.
Have breakfast or lunch beforehand, for example on Rue Cler. Glass bottles and cans are not allowed through security.
A French brasserie by chef Thierry Marx, serving lunch and dinner at 57 metres. Book ahead, because tables by the windows are popular.
Frédéric Anton’s Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne has its own private lift. For something quicker, try the Pierre Hermé macarons or the buffet counters.
A glass at 276 metres, with non-alcoholic options too. It makes a good pause before the lift down.
Quick snacks and drinks are available at ground level, useful while you wait for your slot.
Buy bread, cheese and fruit nearby and relax on the lawns with the Tower above you.
A good day and an exhausting one usually differ in how many separate things are fitted around one timed Tower visit. Leave room for security, the lift change and a slow descent.
Summit tickets sell out, and you may not be able to add the top on the day. Choose summit access when booking if that view matters.
Everyone passes two checks. Arrive 15–20 minutes before a timed slot, and even earlier in summer.
Allow at least 1.5 hours for the first and second floors, or about 2.5 hours for the summit.
Suitcases and large bags are not allowed, and there are no lockers or cloakrooms at the Tower.
Children under 4 go free but need a ticket. Folding strollers are allowed, and young children must stay with an adult.
The summit can close in high winds or storms. On hazy days, the second floor often gives the clearer view.
Holding phones or cameras over the railings is forbidden. Use a strap if you like to take many photos.
Exit is final. Visit the floors, food outlets and shops you want before leaving.
Short answers to what visitors ask most often when planning their time at the Tower.
On a clear day, yes. The 276-metre view and Eiffel’s office make it memorable. On hazy days, the second floor often gives better detail.
About 1.5 hours for the first and second floors, and about 2.5 hours including the summit. Allow extra time for security.
Yes. The esplanade under the Tower is free after security, and the Champ de Mars and Trocadéro are free public spaces.
For five minutes every hour, on the hour, after dark. Trocadéro and the Seine bridges give the best views.
About 670. The summit is only reachable by lift from the second floor.
Madame Brasserie on the first floor, Le Jules Verne and macarons on the second floor, a Champagne bar at the summit, plus buffets and snack kiosks.
For a first visit, choose lift access, enjoy the glass floor and the second-floor view, and add the summit if the sky is clear. Finish with one addition only: Trocadéro, the Champ de Mars or a Seine cruise.
