Visiting the Eiffel Tower?: Everything You Need to Know from a Local Tour Guide

Here at HiP Paris, we encourage visitors to look beyond the big tourist attractions to discover the hidden pockets of Paris that make the city so alluring. However many of you will nevertheless want to see its iconic landmarks so we are bringing you an insider’s guide to the most famous of them all – the Eiffel Tower. Aside from writing for HiP, I’m also a part-time tour guide in the City of Light. Now this is a super cool gig because I get to meet people from all over the world. I show them my favorite city, my breathtaking home. The one monument I work at the most often is our beautiful Iron Lady. I’ve visited the Eiffel Tower as a tour guide for visitors hundreds of times. This means I have plenty of insider knowledge to pass down to our beloved HiP readers who will be able to master their next visit to the Tour Eiffel by the end of this article. 

A Brief History of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 by Gustav Eiffel who specialized in metal works and is responsible for many other famous builds such as New York’s Statue of Liberty, Porto Viaduct in Portugal and the dome of the Nice Observatory in France, just to name a few. 

The Tower was built for the Paris World Fair in 1889, which was also the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. It took an impressive 3 years and 3 months to build.

Where to Stay If You Want to Visit the Eiffel Tower

In our opinion, it’s not necessary to stay close to the Eiffel Tower on your visit. There are other more interesting neighborhoods full of local flavor, and the city is compact so it will be easy to get there from almost anywhere. Here are some HiP recommended places to stay in Paris with family. If hidden gems are more your thing, here’s our list of best boutique hotels in Paris. 

Eiffel Tower Opening hours

9:30 am to 10:45 pm

Eiffel Tower Ticket Prices

Beat the long queues and buy online tickets, especially if you’re going to the top level of the tower. You can also get pre-booked tickets to the 2nd floor. Tickets can be booked two months in advance. You’ll save lots of time by buying online tickets, especially during peak season in July and August when there are very long waits. 

If you’re looking for the most economical option, you can purchase stair tickets to the second floor for around 12 euros for adults. Elevator Tickets will cost you more (see the chart below).

Visit the Eiffel Tower Website for more information

Ticket with Elevator Access to the 2nd Floor of the Eiffel Tower	Adult Rate	Youth Rate (aged 12-24)	Child Rate(1) (aged 4-11)	Disabled(1)	Child under 4 Rate(2) (under 4)
	18,80€	9,40€	4,70€	4,70€	0,00€
These tickets grant elevator access to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower

Ticket with access lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower	Adult Rate	Youth Rate (aged 12-24)	Child Rate(1) (aged 4-11)	Disabled(1)	Child under 4 Rate(2) (under 4)
	29,40€	14,70€	7,40€	7,40€	0,00€
This ticket grants access to the top floor via two lifts.

Ticket with access stairs Second floor	Adult Rate	Youth Rate (aged 12-24)	Child Rate(1) (aged 4-11)	Disabled(1)	Child under 4 Rate(2) (under 4)
	11,80€	5,90€	3,00€	3,00€	0,00€
This ticket grants access to the second level by the stairs.

Ticket with access stairs 2nd floor +lift The top	Adult Rate	Youth Rate (aged 12-24)	Child Rate(1) (aged 4-11)	Disabled(1)	Child under 4 Rate(2) (under 4)
	22,40€	11,20€	5,70€	5,70€	0,00€
This ticket grants access to the top of the Tower via the stairs up to the second floor, and then in a lift.

Can You Buy Eiffel Tower Tickets On The Day

Yes! The online ticket office sells e-tickets on the day of your visit within 30 minutes before the visit time, subject to availability.

Eiffel Tower by Public Transportation

Metro and RER Stations near the Eiffel Tower – These stations are within 15-minute walk 

• Bir-Hakeim
• Passy
• Léne
• Trocadéro
• Dupleix
• Alma-Marceau
• École Militaire
• Boissière
• La motte – Picquet Grenelle
• La Tour-Maubourg
• Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel (RER C)

The Eiffel Tower By Bus

• Bus 82 – Tour Eiffel or Champ de Mars stop (5 minute walk)
• Bust 42 – Tour Eiffel stop (5 minute walk)
• Bus 87 – Champ de Mars (6 minute walk)
• Bus 69 – Champ de Mars stop (6 minute walk)

The Eiffel Tower By Boat (Batobus)

For a unique experience traverse the City along the River Seine via the Batobus. You’ll have panaoramic views in an all-glass boat with a terrace. Besides stopping at the Eiffel Tower, you’ll see other landmarks including:

•  Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes
•  Louvre Museum
•  Musée d’Orsay
•  Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Book your Batobus ticket here.

Private Tours with Transport to the Eiffel Tower

If you want to leave all the work to others, you can book a private tour of the Eiffel Tower including private pick up and drop off, plus a cruise on the Seine river.

Pickpockets Near the Eiffel Tower – Watch your belongings

Like many big cities in Europe, Paris is susceptible to pick-pockets and scam artists, especially during peak times. Don’t let this discourage you, but instead, take it as an opportunity to prepare yourself and take precaution before your exciting time in the City of Light.

For safety reasons, bags left unattended will be taken by the security team. This could also result in the entire floor being evacuated in fear of a safety threat. If you lost an item, you can access the Lost Property service.

There is always a chance that pick pocketers are both outside and inside the Eiffel Tower. After all, your wallet or phone will cover the cost of their ticket. Always watch your belongings no matter where you are in Paris, even inside the Eiffel Tower.

Scams

Fake Charity Petitions

The first common scam at the Eiffel Tower is the fake charity petitions. There is generally a group of con artists with clip boards, who will ask for your donation for a charity. It could be relating to child orphans, deaf and mute associations and often, they’ll use the logo belonging to real-life charities. Remember, a legitimate charity would ask for your contact details, not for money on the spot.

Illicit Street Vendors Near The Eiffel Tower

You certainly won’t miss the street vendors by the Eiffel Towers, they bombard the exits and will likely approach you on your way out offering all kinds of souvenirs including miniature Eiffel Towers, umbrellas, hats, shirts and more. They are known for their aggressive sales methods and become rather manipulative, like coercing you to hold their items and then harassing you into buying them.

Three-Cup Scam

The three-cup scam is often seen by the Eiffel Tower as well, which involves challenging visitors to guess which of the three cups holds the prize and they are usually charged to play for a “cash prize”. Unfortunately, it’s usually made impossible to win and the game master doesn’t have a cash prize for you.

Things you can’t bring with you inside the Eiffel Tower

• Firearms, knives, and any other weapons.
• Luggage: suitcases, large bags and any other bulky items (regular backpacks are okay, smaller the better)
• Glass objects including bottles and containers.
• Alcohol
• Pets
• Non-folding strollers
• Scooters and bicycles

Things you can bring with you to the Eiffel Tower

• Water – granted that it isn’t in a glass bottle
• Food and non-alcoholic beverages
• Folding strollers
• Cameras and small electronics

The Waiting Game: Lines, lines and more lines.

Long lines come as no surprise considering the Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument in the world that requires a ticket. Us tour guides are extremely fearful of what will become of the waiting game this summer during the Olympics and it’s difficult to predict exactly how things will play out. Let’s break down the line system clearly from what we do know, so you can at least have an idea of what to expect and how this can greatly impact your itinerary. 

There are 2 entrances to the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower site is accessible via 2 entrances, entrance 1 is located on Refuzniks’ path near the south pillar and entrance 2 is along Paulhan path, near the east pillar.

Back in the day there was no fence around the monument, but a 3-meter-high glass and metal barrier was installed in 2015 to strengthen security measures. This means you now have to line up twice before actually climbing. Just to clarify – you will have to line up at either one of these entry points before a second inside. This is the first out of 2 security checks, don’t be too intimidated by the length of this first line, it typically moves quickly as no one is purchasing tickets here, you are simply lining up to have your bags checked and to walk through a security body scanner. If one line is too long for your liking, you can walk around to the other entrance to see if that line is any shorter.

Can I skip the line at The Eiffel Tower?

Yes, you can purchase a skip-the-line pass online in advance from the official website of the Eiffel Tower. 

If you purchase tickets for a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower, remember to check if they offer a skip-the-line pass, otherwise you will still have to wait in line with everyone else. That being said, it’s also important to note that a skip the line pass does not promise to avoid waiting in line entirely. 

This is because the elevator and the general structure of the tower itself, becomes increasingly narrow with height, only fitting so many people at a time.

What Happens Once You’re Inside The Eiffel Tower

Without pre-purchasing a ticket, you’ll line up a second time at the 1 of 2 ticket desks. One being for the elevator, the other being for the stairs. 

Insider Tip: I highly recommend taking the stairs if you’re physically able to. It only takes on average 10-15 minutes to reach the 1st floor, then the same amount of time to reach the 2^nd floor. There are also guided Eiffel Tower Tours via the stairs if you want a little more context during your visit.

The queue for the stairs is non-existent in the off-season and a fraction of the elevator queue during peak-season. Besides, you’ll be able to tell all your friends back home that you climbed the Eiffel Tower yourself. 

If you opt to purchase a summit ticket, you will take the elevator to the summit from the 2nd level, regardless if you took the stairs or elevator there.

 Finally, there is another line for the summit elevator.

What time does the Eiffel Tower sparkle?

The Eiffel Tower sparkles every night at the beginning of every hour after sunset for 5 minutes. At 11:45 pm, the golden lights will switch off for the night and the Iron Lady will sparkle with whimsical white lights for the last time.

Light Shows at the Eiffel Tower

Not only does the Eiffel Tower light up every evening, but it changes its colors and provides various light shows and displays every year for different occasions. Here are just a few different examples.

• The first notable date is the French Bastille Day on the 14^th of July, which is the National Day of France. There will be a concert all evening with multiple performances, lots of pretty lights in blue, white and red as well as a bunch of fireworks to finish the night. Bastille Day is one of the most anticipated days for the Eiffel Tower.

• Each year, the Eiffel tower is lit pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will light up to show France’s support towards many different events and dates. 

• The Eiffel Tower was a lit up in blue to show its support for Ukraine in 2022 after the war with Russia had been instigated. 

• It has previously adorned in the colors of the Olympic Games to celebrate the successful bid to host them, along with the inscription “Paris 2024”. 

• The Eiffel Tower paid homage to the victims of the 2016 homophobic shooting in Orlando by lighting up in rainbow colours with the words #lovewins.

•  In 2016 the Tower also illuminated in green to celebrate the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. 

Painting of the Eiffel Tower

Some years, tourists are often confused about the peculiar netting covering the Iron Lady that can at times, be considered an eye sore. Due to the Iron build, the Eiffel Tower is susceptible to rust. Therefore, a very meticulous paint job is done every 7 years which can take up to 3 years to complete. 

The impressive paint job is done strictly by hand with a brush, rather than a spray machine and the painting can only occur during ideal weather conditions, making the process much longer. 

The netting covers large parts of the Eiffel Tower for the safety of the painters in any case they fall. 

The Eiffel Tower has seen many different colours over the years, the first one being a venetian red. For the 2024 Olympic games the Tower will be a glistening gold, that has been in the making for the past few years and is nearly complete.

Visiting THe Eiffel Tower – Other Things to Know

Related links

• There’s a ton of good restaurants around the Eiffel Tower. Here’s our list of Where to Eat Near the Eiffel Tower.
• To make the best of Paris without spending a ton, here’s Paris on a Budget: 30 Tips from a Local.
• If you are visiting Paris soon, check out What to do in Paris in March.

Written by Joanna Todorova for the HiP Paris. Looking to travel? Check out Plum Guide and our Marketplace for fabulous vacation rentals in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long or short term, or buy in France? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates or click here. Looking to bring France home to you or to learn online or in person? Check out our marketplace shop and experiences.