The Eiffel Tower is Paris' most-recognized icon. Built for the World Exposition of 1889, the tower is a relative newcomer to a city whose history stretches back to over a millennia.
Wildly unpopular when it was unveiled and nearly torn down, the Eiffel Tower was finally embraced as the symbol of a modern and elegant Paris. It remains one of Paris' must-see attractions and has drawn over 200 million visitors.
Detractors will call the Eiffel Tower cliche, but few can peel their eyes away when the tower bursts into a shower of scintillating light every hour each evening. What would la ville lumière be without it?
- Located: On the Champ de Mars in the 7th arrondissement (midwest Paris)
- Metro: Bir Hakeim or Trocadero (Line 6), Ecole Militaire (Line 8)
- RER: Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel (Line C)
- Buses: 42, 69, 72, 82, 87
- Taxi station: Quai Branly, Pilier West
- Phone: 33 (0) 1 44 11 23 23
- Visit the official website
Nearby sights and attractions:
January 1st to June 14
- Tower: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Elevator: 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. (Final ascension 11:00 p.m./10:30 p.m. top floor)
- Stairs: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Final admission at 6:00 p.m.)
June 15th to September 1st
- Tower: 9:00 a.m. to midnight
- Elevator: 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. (Final ascension at midnight/11:00 p.m. top floor)
- Stairs: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. (Final admission at midnight)
September 2nd to December 31st
- Tower: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Elevator: 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. (Final ascension 11:00 p.m./10:30 p.m. top floor)
- Stairs: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Final admission 6:00 p.m.)
Admission fees to the Eiffel Tower vary depending on how many levels you wish to visit and whether you plan to take the elevator or the stairs. Taking the stairs is always less expensive, but it can be excruciating-- and access to the top of the tower is not available via stairs.
For complete information on current fees and discounts, visit this page.
Brochures and detailed visitors' info is available at the information booth on the ground floor.
Access to the top of the tower may be suspended due to weather conditions or security measures.
Visitors with limited mobility or in wheelchairs may access levels one and two of the tower via the elevator. For security reasons, access to the top of the tower is not available for visitors in wheelchairs.
For more information on accessibility issues, see this page.
The Eiffel Tower is Paris' most-visited attraction, so it's easy to understand why it's preferable to visit when crowds are likely to be a bit thinner than usual:
- Low season in Paris is October to March. If you can visit during these times, you'll be more likely to avoid long lines and overcrowded observation areas. However, visiting the tower during the cold and wet months of November-February is less likely to be a pleasant experience, especially when overcast skies obstruct magnificent views of the city.
- Visiting during weekdays rather than weekends and in the early morning or late evening is also a good idea.
- By stairs: You can access the first and second levels of the tower (187 and 377 ft., respectively) by climbing 1,652 stairs. There is a small admission fee. Visitors with vertigo should abstain.
- By elevator: Three elevators are available to shuttle you to the first and second levels of the tower. For security reasons, only one or two will be operating on a given day.
A second elevator must be taken from the second level to get to the top of the tower (another 905 ft.). Keep in mind that during peak tourist season (April-September), you may need to wait for a while.
Restaurants and Snack Bars
- The Eiffel Tower has two restaurants: one on the first level and one on the second. The second-level restaurant, Le Jules Vernes, is remarkable for its breathtaking views of the city and for its kitchen, which is lead by celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse. In addition, snack bars can be found on the ground floor, first, and second levels.
Read here for more information on the restaurants.
- Souvenirs and gifts are available on the ground floor, first and second levels. The second level also includes a specialty food shop where you can purchase traditional French food items.
- March 1889: The Eiffel Tower is unveiled at the Paris World Exposition of 1889. French engineer Gustave Eiffel manages to see his project through despite impassioned protest.
The tower was constructed from 18,038 separate pieces (mostly iron) and weights a total of 10.1 tons. Nonetheless, it remains relatively lightweight.
- 1909-1910: The tower is nearly torn down, but is salvaged due to its usefulness as a radio tower. Some of the world's first radio transmissions are broadcast here.
- 1916: The first transatlantic telephone transmissions are realized from the tower.
The first level features a circular gallery that gives visitors an overview of the tower's history and design, as well as an introduction to some of Paris' most famous sights and monuments.
- A part of the spiral staircase that once led from the second floor to the top level is displayed on the first level. The staircase was eventually dismantled in 1983.
- You can also see the hydraulic pump that once supplied water to a former elevator.
- The "FerOscope" is an informational exhibit installed in one of the tower's beams. Interactive videos, light shows, and other media give visitors an evocative look at how the tower was built.
- The "Observatory of Tower Top Movement" is a laser beam that monitors the tower's oscillation under the effect of wind and temperature.
- Panoramic indicators of places and monuments visible from the first level, as well as historical panels tracing the tower's history, are placed around the gallery. You can also view the city in minute detail from an electronic telescope.
The second level offers noteworthy panoramas of the city, as well as more insight into the tower's history and construction.
- Animated window scenes tell a visual story of the tower's unique history.
- Get a dizzying perspective of the ground through the glass floor. Once again, not for those prone to vertigo.
The top floor provides breathtaking views of the entire city, as well as top-rate dining. The elevator climb of 18 meters (59 ft.) also allows you to fully appreciate the tower's elaborate metal latticework.
- A reconstitution of Gustave Eiffel's office features wax figures of Gustave and American inventor Thomas Edison.
- Panoramic indicators and viewpoint indicators help you identify the city's landmarks.
Seen from a distance, the tower bursts into a shimmering display of light every hour after nightfall, until 2 a.m. in the summer. This display is made possible by 335 projectors, each equipped with high-wattage sodium lamps. The intense sparkling effect is created by the beams shooting upward through the tower's structure.
