The Eiffel Tower is Gustave Eiffel’s 330-metre iron tower on the Champ de Mars, built for the 1889 World’s Fair and still the best view in Paris. As of October 2026 an adult ticket costs €36.70 by lift to the top, €23.50 by lift to the second floor and €14.80 by stairs to the second floor; ages 12–24 pay half. It opens every day from 9:30, with lifts running until about 23:00. Walking under the tower is free. Book a timed ticket on the official site and allow two to three hours for a visit to the top.
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Why the Eiffel Tower matters
In June 1886 the organisers of the 1889 Exposition Universelle chose Eiffel’s design for a 300-metre tower, leaving less than three years to build it. Work began on 26 January 1887. The secret of its speed was prefabrication: about 12,000 iron parts were drawn, cut and pre-riveted in Eiffel’s workshops at Levallois-Perret, then assembled on site in 22 months by a team of 150 to 300 workers. Around 2.5 million rivets hold it together.
Meant to be temporary, the tower survived thanks to its use for science and radio, and it still carries broadcast antennas. A new digital radio antenna added on 15 March 2022 took it to 330 metres. Look for the 72 names of French scientists and engineers that Eiffel had written in gold around the first floor; a matching frieze of 72 women scientists is in preparation, with the list published in January 2026. The tower is part of the “Paris, Banks of the Seine” UNESCO World Heritage site.
What you’ll see
- The esplanade and gardens: free to enter after the security check, with the classic view straight up through the iron lattice.
- First floor: the glass floor over the drop, a history trail along the outer walkway, and a terrace with seasonal events.
- Second floor: the best balance of height and detail, where you can still pick out the Louvre, Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur.
- The top: at 276 metres, reached by a second glass lift, with an open-air and an indoor level, Gustave Eiffel’s restored office and a champagne bar.
After dark the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour. For the famous photo, cross the river to the Trocadéro; for a picnic, spread out on the Champ-de-Mars lawns.
Tickets and how to visit
Prices and hours from the official Eiffel Tower website, as of October 2026:
- Lift to the top: €36.70 adults; €18.40 ages 12–24; €9.20 ages 4–11 and visitors with a disability.
- Lift to the second floor: €23.50; €11.80 ages 12–24; €6 ages 4–11.
- Stairs to the second floor: €14.80; €7.40 ages 12–24; €3.80 ages 4–11. Stairs to the second floor, then lift to the top: €28; €14 ages 12–24; €7 ages 4–11.
- Free: under-4s, who still need a free ticket. The disability rate also applies to one companion. Children under 12 must be with someone aged 18 or over.
- Hours: every day from 9:30; the lifts run until about 23:00 and the last lift to the top leaves around 22:30. Stairs can close earlier on quieter days, and summer evenings run later. Times change day to day, so check the calendar on the official site.
- How to book: buy a dated, timed ticket at toureiffel.paris, the only official seller online. Ticket offices on site open with the tower and sell what is left. According to the tower’s FAQ, stairs tickets are sold online at weekends and on holidays and otherwise on site, while the stairs-plus-lift ticket is sold on site. The Paris Museum Pass is not accepted.
- Security and bags: everyone is screened at entrance 1 or 2. Large luggage and pets (except assistance dogs) are not allowed, and there is no left-luggage office.
How long to allow and when to go
The tower suggests about 1½ hours for the first and second floors and 2½ hours for a full visit to the top, as you change lifts on the second floor and may queue there. Lines are usually shortest first thing in the morning and in the evening. The first time slot of the day puts you on one of the first lifts up; a sunset slot gives you the city in daylight and lit up in one visit. The 674 steps to the second floor take 30 to 45 minutes.
Accessibility
Wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility can reach the first and second floors by lift, with step-free access at the entrances and lift cabins designed for wheelchairs. The top is closed to them for safety reasons, because an emergency evacuation would mean walking down nearly 1,000 steps, so buy a second-floor ticket. Visitors with hearing, sight or learning disabilities and normal mobility can go to the top.
Getting there
The official address is 5 avenue Anatole France in the 7th arrondissement. RER C to Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel is five minutes’ walk from entrance 1, and metro line 6 to Bir-Hakeim under ten. Trocadéro (line 9), with the best view on the way in, and École Militaire (line 8) are about 15 minutes away on foot. Buses 30, 42 and 82 stop near entrance 2, and 69 and 86 at the Champ de Mars. One standard €2.55 metro ticket covers the trip from anywhere in central Paris.
Combine it with
Walk across the Pont d’Iéna and up to the Trocadéro, then on to the Arc de Triomphe (about 1.7 km) for a second rooftop view, or follow the river east to the Musée d’Orsay. Seine cruises leave from the quays at the foot of the tower; see our boat trips guide. For the rest of the city, see our Paris travel guide.
Eiffel Tower FAQ
How much does it cost to go up the Eiffel Tower?
As of October 2026, adults pay €36.70 by lift to the top, €23.50 by lift to the second floor and €14.80 by stairs to the second floor. Ages 12–24 pay half, ages 4–11 about a quarter, and under-4s go free.
Can you walk under the Eiffel Tower for free?
Yes. The esplanade and gardens beneath the tower are free; you just go through security at entrance 1 or 2, using the queue for visitors without tickets.
Is the Eiffel Tower included in the Paris Museum Pass?
No. The pass is not accepted. Book a separate ticket on toureiffel.paris.
How long does a visit to the top take?
Allow about 2½ hours to see all three levels, or 1½ hours for the first and second floors only. There is no time limit once you are in.
Can you climb the Eiffel Tower by the stairs?
Yes, up to the second floor: 674 steps, about 30 to 45 minutes. The stairs above the second floor are closed to the public, so you take a lift for the last stage.
Is the Eiffel Tower wheelchair accessible?
Up to the second floor, by lift. The top is not open to wheelchair users or visitors with reduced mobility for safety reasons.