The Eiffel Tower is a world-renowned tourist attraction and one of the most popular in the world – it’s no wonder it’s on everyone’s bucket list!
You can easily buy Eiffel Tower tickets online, and we highly recommend doing so in advance to avoid any disappointment. Pre-purchasing your tickets online will give you an allocated time slot and you won’t have to queue for security. However, if you can’t reserve your tickets ahead of time, expect lengthy waits for tickets during the high season.
Why the Eiffel Tower is a must see
As the symbol of Paris, this iron structure is one of the most photographed buildings in the world. Very few landmarks can inspire such a passion for travel.
The Eiffel welcomes seven million visitors each year. There are different ways to experience it, from a daytime trip or an evening ascent amid twinkling lights, to a meal in one of its restaurants.
To enter the tower, all visitors must pass through security at the bullet-proof glass barriers surrounding the base. You can ascend to the 2nd floor on foot or by lift, and from there you can take a separate lift to the top floor. Please note that the top floor and stairs aren’t accessible to people with limited mobility.
The three levels of the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower’s first floor is a great place to stop for a quick bite or to buy a souvenir. The glass-enclosed Pavillon Ferrié has an immersion film as well as a small cafe and souvenir shop, while the outer walkway has a discovery circuit to help visitors learn more about the tower’s ingenious design.
You can also check out the sections of glass flooring that provide a dizzying view of the ant-like people walking on the ground far below. This level also hosts the restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel.
The second floor of the Eiffel Tower is home to the incredible Le Jules Verne restaurant, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Paris from 115m up.
The telescopes and panoramic maps on this floor will help you pinpoint locations in the city and beyond, while the story windows give you an overview of the lifts’ mechanics. The vision well allows you to gaze through glass panels to the ground, providing a unique perspective on the city.
The top floor of the Eiffel Tower is home to a champagne bar and a “secret apartment” with stunning views of the city below. On a clear day, you can see up to 60 kilometres away from the top of the tower.
Enjoy a drink at The Champagne and or take a peek into Gustave Eiffel’s restored office, also known as the secret apartment.
Enjoy a day trip on foot
There are guided tours where professional guides will take you on a tour of the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower, showing you the highlights of Paris. A visit to the Louvre Museum will include viewing and learning more about the main artworks, including the Venus of Milo statue representing the goddess Aphrodite, the painting of The Wedding at Cana, and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
Afterwards, you can head to the riverbank by the Pont du Carrousel to board a short cruise that will show you Paris from a different perspective as you float down the Seine. You’ll see some of the city’s magnificent bridges and monuments along the banks.
Then, you can enjoy some free time before going up to the Eiffel Tower’s second floor where you can learn about the secrets of the Eiffel Tower and enjoy a beautiful panorama of Paris.
Make a night of it
You can make a night of it with a night tour of Paris with a fantastic dinner cruise through the heart of the City of Light and a visit to the exquisite Moulin Rouge.
You’ll be captivated by the experience as you pass by famous illuminated monuments and bridges, including the Orsay Museum, the Conciergerie, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the Eiffel Tower.
You can enjoy priority access to the 2nd floor of the tower with your skip-the-line ticket. From 377 feet up, you’ll be able to see the French capital in a whole new way.
Afterwards, see the world-famous Moulin Rouge cabaret show in Paris’s bohemian Montmartre district. The Moulin Rouge has been performing its iconic review shows for over 120 years and is known all over the world for its French cancan dance. Get lost in a world of rhinestones, feathers, and sequins at this one-of-a-kind show.
In closing
The Tour Eiffel was designed by Gustave Eiffel and built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. It took 300 workers, 2.5 million rivets and two years of nonstop labour to assemble.
Upon completion, the tower became the tallest human-made structure in the world (324m) – a record held until the 1930 completion of New York’s Chrysler Building. A symbol of the modern age, it faced opposition from Paris’ artistic and literary elite but was spared because it proved an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas needed for radiotelegraphy.
The tower has been painted red and bronze since 1968 and is currently undergoing a project to strip the 19 previous coats of paint and apply the yellow-brown shade originally conceived by Gustave Eiffel. The goal is to have the new golden hue completed in time for the 2024 Olympics.
