How to Climb the Eiffel Tower

Climbing the Eiffel Tower is the dream of many travelers who go to Paris. It is an icon!

If you are one of them and you are sure you want to include this monument among the activities you will do during your stay in the city, in this post I tell you how to climb the Eiffel Tower in detail so you do not miss anything. Do not miss it!

The Iron Lady is the most visited tourist attraction in Paris. If you want to see the inside, you have to buy your ticket to the Eiffel Tower. To avoid the long queues at the entrance of the monument, the best option is to book your tickets online. This step will allow you to choose the day and time that best suits your schedule in the French capital well in advance of your travel date. So you can organize in detail all the activities of the day making the most of your time in the city.

From 30 € you can get a ticket to climb the Eiffel Tower in Hellotickets to enjoy the magnificent views from its viewpoints while you are accompanied by a professional guide who will explain everything you are seeing as well as a lot of curiosities about the monument. But there are many more options at very different prices! I recommend you take a look at the website to see all the possibilities.

Types of tickets for the Eiffel Tower

Before visiting the Eiffel Tower, keep in mind that you have different ticket options. Here are the most popular ones:

• Tickets for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, from 30 €.
• No-queue tickets for the Eiffel Tower and cruise on the Seine, from 90 €.
• Night tickets for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, from 40 € (summer season only).

There are two main options to climb the Eiffel Tower: by stairs and by elevator. And you can combine both depending on the level of the tower you are going to access.

The stairs is the cheapest option (from 30 € the entrance). It is perfect if you want to visit the Eiffel Tower inside and you are traveling to Paris on a tight budget. With this ticket you can enter the first and second floor of the monument by the stairs and see amazing views from the heights. Of course, you should keep in mind that climbing on foot 116 meters high requires a physical effort that is not available to everyone.

The ascent by elevator is an alternative that I advise you to consider if you travel to Paris with a more flexible budget because the entrance costs a little more money (from 40 €). It is ideal if you want to avoid the long flight of stairs to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Once you manage to access the elevator you can enjoy the beautiful views of Paris from a privileged place.

And for a little more money you can complete the experience with the ascent to the top of the Eiffel Tower by elevator on the third level. You will be 276 meters high and you will be able to see the office of Gustave Eiffel, the engineer who built it for the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889.

That's right, and it's an option that I highly recommend because it's a lot of fun. With the guided tours of the Eiffel Tower, in addition to contemplate a breathtaking view of Paris you will also learn a lot about the history of this monument and its construction as well as anecdotes of the most curious.

My advice is that you decide on a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower if it is the first time you travel to Paris because you will get much more out of the experience by having a greater context about the monument you are visiting.

In addition, the guide's company will liven up the wait for the elevator, which can sometimes be a bit long and boring given the huge number of people in the monument. You can even ask him for tips and recommendations to make the most of your vacation in the French capital.

Unlike many tourist attractions in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is open every day of the year from 9:30 AM to 10:45 PM and closes its doors at 11:45 PM.

This schedule gives you ample time to visit the Eiffel Tower at any time but, most importantly, at a time that best suits your travel plan in the city.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower is one of the essential plans that everyone who is in good physical condition should do during their stay in Paris.

Due to the structure and characteristics of the monument, the ascent on foot is not suitable for visitors suffering from heart disease or other serious ailments. It is also not recommended for pregnant women because of the strain involved in climbing the Eiffel Tower in certain circumstances.

Wheelchair access is available for the second level of the Eiffel Tower but not to go to the top, which is on the third floor.

Absolutely! Children will love to contemplate the city from a bird's eye view and climb a monument as unique as the Eiffel Tower that they have surely seen in countless movies.

In addition, the Eiffel Tower has enough security measures to get to know it as a family. You have nothing to worry about, all areas of the attraction are protected by a security fence. The only thing you will have to be careful with is that they do not trip if you decide to walk up the stairs. In addition, at each level you can take a short break so that they do not get exhausted during the tour.

And if you are looking for other plans with the little ones of the house, do not hesitate to consult the article Paris with children.

Normally, a complete visit to the Eiffel Tower (from the base to the top) will take you about 2 hours or 2 hours and 30 minutes; while to see only the first and second levels of the monument, 1 hour and 30 minutes is probably enough.

In any case, there is no time limit to visit the Eiffel Tower. In fact, you can spend a long time browsing the souvenir stores in the atrium, the first or second floor or even have a drink in one of the bars of the attraction.

Inside the Eiffel Tower

Most visitors are usually enraptured by the views of the cityscape from the Eiffel Tower. However, the construction of the tower was one of the greatest engineering revolutions of the 19th century and made a huge impact on the contemporary public.

Many tourists often fail to notice the interior framework and its ingenious structure. The operation of the elevators is also very striking. So take a good look and don't miss any detail, you will be surprised!

The views from the monument

The views from the Eiffel Tower are sensational. From the observation deck on the second floor you will be 116 meters high and you will be able to see many of the sights of Paris as you have never seen them before. The monument's spyglasses will help you with the task!

The highlight will come when you ascend to the top of the Eiffel Tower on the third level at 276 meters above sea level. Contemplating the city's skyline from the top is a dizzying and thrilling sensation. Some of the places you can see from the top are the Sacre-Coeur Basilica, the Musée d'Orsay: It is an old train station converted into a museum that houses very complete exhibitions on the arts of the nineteenth century. It is one of the best museums in Paris and therefore a must visit Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, the Louvre Museum, the Trocadero Gardens, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs de Mars: These are the gardens located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower where if it is a sunny day you can relax with a picnic with an incredible view of the monument or the Champs Elysees.

And to round off the visit, what you can not miss on the third level of the Eiffel Tower is to visit the office of Gustave Eiffel, the famous engineer who built it for the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889. It has the original atmosphere of that time!

Paris is a wonderful city capable of leaving you speechless at any time of the day, but it is true that at night it has something special. Having the chance to contemplate Paris from the heights is a fantastic experience, especially at night when the city looks splendid and the monument shines in all its splendor.

Moreover, from its viewpoints you can see the cityscape adorned with thousands of tiny colored lights. A picture postcard and the finishing touch to a great day of sightseeing in the 'City of Light'!

Enjoying the night views of the Eiffel Tower is a fabulous plan that you can not miss. Discover all that this experience has to offer in the post Eiffel Tower by night.

Paris is a huge city with long distances. If you do not have time to go for a walk, it is best to take public transport to get quickly to the Eiffel Tower.

• By metro: Line 6 (Bir-Hakeim station), line 8 (Ecoile Militaire station) and line 9 (Trocadéro station).
• By bus: Lines 82 and 42, Eiffel Tower stop.

If, on the other hand, you decide to take your car to get to the Eiffel Tower, you should know that there are several parking lots nearby where you can park it.

• Pullman Tour Eiffel Parking (about 5 minutes walk)
• 443 Avenue Joseph Bouvard (about 6 minutes walk)
• Quai branly-Tour Eiffel car park (about 8 minutes walk)
• 2 Place Joffre, 75007 Paris (about 12 minutes walking distance)

If you are looking for more detailed information on this topic, don't miss the post How to get to the Eiffel Tower, we take a closer look!

Take note of these tips to fully enjoy your visit to the legendary Eiffel Tower!

• Being the most visited monument in Paris, I recommend you to buy your tickets in advance and online to skip all the endless queues at the ticket office.
• If it is the first time you visit Paris, it may be a good idea to take a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower, because with the company of a guide you will get more out of the experience and you will have a great time.
• When you are organizing the visit, I advise you to check the weather forecast of the day you want to go, because sometimes Paris usually dawns with a layer of fog and you can not enjoy the same views.
• For a more intimate, low-key experience at the Eiffel Tower, it is best to plan your visit in the early morning (if there is no fog) or at dusk.
• If you are traveling to Paris on a tight budget and would like to see the Eiffel Tower without spending a lot of money, my advice is to choose the staircase tour.
• On the other hand, if you are traveling to Paris on a loose budget, I recommend you opt for the elevator tour with access to the top of the Eiffel Tower on the third level.
• Paris is an expensive city. If among your plans is to climb the Eiffel Tower and take a cruise on the Seine a good option is to opt for a savings pack, which combines both activities and allows you to save a little money.
• Sunset is a good time to climb the Eiffel Tower if you want to enjoy both day and night views but do not want to do the visit twice. Just be prepared for crowds because it's the most popular time of the day!
• If you feel like grabbing a bite to eat before or after your visit to the Eiffel Tower, I recommend having a picnic in the Trocadero Gardens or on the Champs de Mars if the day is sunny. It's a most relaxing experience and you'll get great views of the monument from another perspective.
• Inside the Eiffel Tower there are also several fabulous restaurants where you can go if you feel like having a special and romantic evening. Highly recommended!
• Take care of your belongings throughout your visit. Pickpockets are on the lookout for any carelessness.
• At the end of the visit, save time by going down the stairs because the elevators form long lines, it will only take you a few minutes and on the way down you will have unparalleled views of the landscape!

If these little 'tips' have helped you to prepare your visit to the Eiffel Tower, I recommend you also take a look at the post Tips to visit the Eiffel Tower (when to go, duration of the visit ...) where you will find many more.