Everything You Need to Know to Visit the Eiffel Tower

By Sean Finelli

The Eiffel Tower was built to show off the engineering prowess of the Nation of France for the World’s Fair in 1889. And today, that hard work paid off. People travel from around the world to visit this romantic attraction. If you are one of those people then you came to the right place. This article covers everything you need to know to visit one of the Worlds most famous landmarks; the Eiffel Tower.

Pro Tip: Our tour company is all about memorable experiences. You can trust us to provide those experiences by booking one of our tours in Paris or try and go it alone. If you do go it alone, bookmark really useful blogs and articles in your browser in a “Paris” folder. You can start by bookmarking this one ( ;

What We’ll Cover in This Article

Opening Hours & Admissions
How Long to Budget for your Visit
Tower Facts
Tours of the Eiffel Tower
What to See When Visiting the tower
Places to Eat Inside & Nearby
Best Time to Visit the Eiffel Tower
Facts & History
How to Get There

Eiffel Tower Opening Hours & Admissions

Address: Champ de Mars

Hours: 9am – 12:45am (daily)

The last ticket time to the top is 11 pm.

There are 5 different types of admission tickets for the Eiffel tower at varying prices:

Eiffel Tower Tickets	Adults	Youth (12-24)	Child (4-11)
Stairs to 2nd Floor	10.40€	5.20€	1.30€
Elevator 2nd Floor	16.60€	8.30€	2.00€
Stairs to 2nd Fl, Elevator to Top	19.70€	9.80€	2.50€
Elevator to the summit	25.90€	13.00€	3.20€

Tickets can be purchased directly through the Eiffel Tower’s official site.

We also run an amazing Eiffel Tower tour that gets a ton of 5-star reviews.

How Long to Budget for Your Visit to the Eiffel Tower

Short Answer: 3 hours

Assuming you get tickets or a tour to go up the Eiffel Tower, you should plan on at least three hours. As you’ll read in my below recommendations, I think this is best done in a half-day event including a meal and ideally champagne if you plan on doing things correctly.

If you are reading this then you are very possibly planning ahead for your trip. I recommend putting aside some additional sheckles to have a killer meal on the Eiffel Tower! Eating and exploring would take about 4 hours at lunch or 5 to 6 hours at dinner.

If you can’t get tickets or decide not to go up, which is a mistake, you should plan on spending 20 minutes walking through the area, and however long it takes you to capture that picture touching the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower Facts

Where? Eiffel Tower is located in a park known as Champ de Mars which is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris in France.

When? The tower was constructed to be the entrance to the World’s Fair in 1889 and took two years to build.

Who? It was built by engineer Gustave Eiffel whose innovative design has led to his name going down in the history books. Many said that a structure of this size simply couldn’t be built. I assume that motivated him even more.

What? The Eiffel Tower is 1063 feet tall (324m) which makes it about 75 stories tall (14ft per story).

Why? On average, about 7 million people visit the tower per year making it one of the most visited (ticketed) buildings on Earth. It was constructed to display France’s engineering prowess at the World’s Fair and beyond. Today, it has become the emblem of Paris.

Mountain Climbers – Apparently when the city decided to add more lights to the tower, approx 20,000 lights, they hired mountain climbers to scale the tower and attach them. I wonder what the electricians union thought about that?

Anything Else? Yep, a ton more. The tower is host to three levels, two restaurants, and various bars.

Le Jules Verne, which is a Michelin star-rated restaurant on the second level of the tower. The second is named Le 58 which is on the tower’s first level, 58 meters from the ground.

The absolute top level features a Champagne bar named “Bar A Champagne”. You don’t need a fancy name to sell a class of Champagne on the summit of the arguably the world’s most romantic structure.

Beyond that, there are multiple buffets, terrace bars, and even a macaroon bar (makes sense).

Tours of the Eiffel Tower

Privileged Access Eiffel Tower Tour with Champagne Cruise on the Seine (2.5 hours)

With many evening and day-time departures, this is the best way to visit the Eiffel Tower. An English speaking guide will explain the full history of the tower and take you on a Seine River cruise. You’ll sip champagne as you pass by many Parisian monuments including the Eiffel Tower. Your guide will then bring you to the tower and you’ll visit the first and second floors. You’ll be able to spend as much time as you like inside prior to leaving.

Paris in a Day Tour with Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower and Montmartre (8 hours)

This is a much more extensive tour of Paris lead by an English speaking guide. You’ll visit many monuments including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (outside), and more. Be sure to click the link above to get a full description including pricing.

What to See When Visiting the Eiffel Tower

You may read this and think, “You go to the tower and you go up the tower, right?”

In reality, there is a lot more to do than you may expect. The structure is extremely tall and it is framed by two huge parks that occupy more than 2 million square feet of downtown Paris France. In this section, we’ll explain what do to in, on top of, and around the Eiffel Tower.

Going Up?

Yes, you should make every effort possible to go up the Eiffel Tower. The tickets start at 10.40€. which is affordable enough for anyone who can afford a visit to Paris.

With the exception of 2020 given the reduced levels of tourism, don’t think you can show up on a Saturday and say, “Two please!” These tickets are extremely difficult to obtain. This restaurant features multiple different dining facilities from indoor to outdoor and a bar.

You’re going to want to book ahead. See our explanations of what each ticket consists of.

GILLES TABLE WITH ALL TYPES OF ACCESS LEVELS

Hungry? Restaurants at the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower may look like a thin, wiry structure but at any given moment there could be up to 3000 people eating, drinking, or snapping selfies from 58 meters to 276 meters off the ground on Eiffel’s three observation decks.

When I travel, I am a bit of a bon vivant. We all work hard so decompressing on vacation and enjoying the sweet fruits of your labor is super important. This is why I always say, “If you can, you should go inside.” This goes for eating at Le 58 or Le Jules Verne – if you can.

Le 58

This restaurant is currently closed. The website says that it will reopen at the beginning of 2021. For many who can’t travel to Paris right now, it changes little. If you are looking to make a reservations, check the website frequently.

It is currently closed for renovations so expect a cool environment when it opens back up – the French are known for their style. The restaurant does two lunch services per day.

The price tag for your meal will sit around 75€ per person so it is something to consider. I am a bit of a bon vivant when I travel so I would reduce my hotel budget by 75€ and use those funds for this memorable experience. What do you get?

Priority access to 1st level of Eiffel Tower
A very high-quality meal crafted Thierry Marx who received two Michelin stars at Sur-Mesure
An experience you will not forget.

For me, it is a no-brainer. If you can plan ahead far enough to get the reservation, you should save the extra 150€ for you and another person to enjoy this experience.

Hours:

First at 12 and the second at 1:30. Pencil in a 80 to 90 minute dining experience.

Le Jules Verne

The definition of bon vivant is a person who enjoys a sociable and luxurious lifestyle. The photo next to it had better be someone eating a meal at Jules Verne.

Again, I believe that if you can, you should. Spending 75€ is something that I believe anyone who can afford a trip to Paris can manage. Jules Vern, on the other hand, will run you 190€ – 230€ per person for dinner excluding beverages. A five-course and seven-course menu respectively.

This is a starting point as you are going to want a drink. So, if you can, you should. Let this be your reward for a successful year or positive life event but know going into it that you will spend a pretty penny.

They have a more affordable, he scoffs, menu at 105€ for lunch excluding beverages. It is a 3-course tasting menu that makes a very pleasant experience.

Eating at the Jules Verne is a special experience for anyone who can afford it. The restaurant has succeeded in receiving 1 Michelin star under all four chefs who have run Le Jules Verne.

Making a Reservation at Jules Verne:

You can go through their official website. They release timeslots 90 days in advance so forget about booking a year ahead.

You have two choices, the Main Rooms (looking at the city) and the Alcove (looking at the interior). Main Rooms obviously go first although the website tries to sell the benefits of the Alcove.

You can sit down for lunch at 12 to 1:30 at 15 minute intervals.

Dinner sit down times are 7, 7:15 & 7:30 pm. Expect a magnificant 3 hour dining experience for the 5 course menue and longer for the 7 course menu.

Bistro Buffet

Throughout the 1st & 2nd floors there are various buffets, snack bars and shops that will satisify your hunger or thirst. Exactly what you will expect from a stand-up counter service establishment. Definitely gets the job done.

If you manage to get the covetted ticket to the summit or top tier, definitely put aside a few euros for a glass of champagne. There is a small bar that serves champagne named Champagne A Bar. Very straight-forward.

Best Time to Visit the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited attractions on Earth with 7 million + visitors per year. Reserving ahead is the key to a positive and stress free experience. If you can get the tickets, when is the best time to go?

Sunset

At and after sunset is by far the most attractive time to visit the Eiffel Tower. The tower lights up every hour on the hour after sunset for 5 minutes until 1am to 2am depending the season. The 336 lamps/projectors make the tower light up in a very sparatic fashion which is really a joy to look at.

Do a search for when sunset is the day of your visit and show up 45 minutes before sunset. Book your tickets anytime between 45 minutes before sunset to closure. This way you can see the tower at sunset and go up in the same evening.

Day Time

You can enjoy the Eiffel Tower during the day as well and watch the light-show from the ground at night.

An afternoon at the Eiffel Tower can be really great. The official website advises 1.5 hours for 1st and 2nd levels and 2.5 hours for all three levels, but you can really stay as long as you like.

Visiting during the day allows you to explore and have a casual meal and or drink while walking around.

Try to get tickets to go up around noon. This way you can have a drink and meal while you are on the tower. If you don’t want to eat buffet food, reserve your tickets for later afternoon. Maybe after 4pm. This way you can have some drinks on the tower at the end of your day before you get ready for dinner.

April 1 – Oct 31

From April 1st to Oct 31st, the Eiffel Tower will be extremely hard to reserve. Make sure you reserve in advance to get the entry time you like.

I highly recommend joining a guided tour if you go in the summer. The guides really make the tower come to life and it often includes a sunset cruise on the Seine river. Make sure you read the details to know if the tour you are booking includes that. It is an awesome experience.

Nov 1 – March 31

With the exception of Christmas, you basically will be able to have your pick on what time to visit the tower. I recommend you go in the afternoon as the tempuratures may be warmer.

That said, you are going to want to see it at night evening in the winter. If this is the case, dress warm!

History & Construction of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower had a rather tedious start on paper. Gustave Eiffel, a French civil engineer and architect, began his career working for a railroad company and his first major work was The Bordeaux bridge. Basically a 1600 ft (500m) sheet Iron bridge that crossed the Garonne river at Bordeaux.

The bridge helped connect Paris to Bordeaux and was in use until it’s destruction in WWII. Gustave’s grandson rebuilt the bridge in 2012. From there he worked on many iron bridges, mainly for trains since he worked for a rail company.

His first big design work was teh Budapest-Nyugati station in Budapest, Hungary. The best part of this commission was that Eiffel was able to do this on his own books. He set up a company in Paris with Théophile Seyrig, another prominent architect, and started work on the train station which was built as a terminus for a line running from Vienna to Budapest.

The design was much more beautiful and innovative than any of his previous works. It was obvious that he wanted to infuse more metal into structures as he combined it with stone to form a captivating facade for the Budapest-Nyugati station.

In 1879, Eiffel dissolved his partnership with Seyrig and opened Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel. In 1881 he was contacted by Aguste Bartholdi who asked him to design the engineering side of the Statue of Liberty. He helped design a complex interior skeleton that ensured the statue would hold up under strong wind.

The greatest part is they completely built and erected the statue in France before dismantling it, shipping it to the New York and reassembling it.

While Gustave got the name-credit for the Eiffel Tower, it was designed by two men engineers who worked for him; Émile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin.

Inspiration for the tower came from Latting Observatory. A pointy wooden structure that existed on 42nd between 5th & 6 avenue in NYC. It was constructed in 1853 for an industrial conference. It was lucky they saw it because it was partly dismantled before burning down three years later in 1856.

Eiffel saw the first drawing of the tower in 1884 but was unimpressed. He knew they were working on something as a pet project to win the bid for the World’s Fair in 1889 so he told them to make some improvements.

A few months later Eiffel presented the design at an art exhibition with mild acceptance. He began politicizing his tower in order to gain the favor of local and national government.

He recieved little traction until 1886 when Jules Grévy, then President of France, announced a competition for a metal structure to be the centerpeice for the World’s Fair. It appeared pretty obvious he was creating a competition geared towards Eiffel’s design to win.

Tower construction began on Champs de Mars on the 28th of January in 1887 and, for the world’s tallest and arguably most impressive structure, went very fast. Within 27 months the building was open and operational.

The construction was complex but simple. Four massive concrete slabs would support four limestone shoes that supports the entire tower. Each leg of the tower, four in total, joins together with arches to form a first, second and third observation deck.

It was designed to have elevators at on each leg to bring guests up to each level but also has a staircase going to the top. On the day of its inauguration, March 31st 1889, Eiffel took a group of governement officials and press into the tower.

Many stayed on the first and second level instead of climbing the 1665 steps to the top of the tower. Eiffel did so and brought a tricolour, national flag of France, to the top. It was raised to a 25 gun salute.

Let There Be Light

Paris is called the City of Light for a reason. That reason is not that the Eiffel Tower is lit up. The name was coined far before the construction of the tower. That said, the Eiffel Tower was not going to be the reason to stop calling Paris the city of lights.

Even when the tower was first built in 1889, it was decorated with thousands of gas-lights. Imagine the difficulty of illuminating the tower by lighting these gas lights.

In 1900 electric bulbs replaced the gas lights which enhanced the tower and were safer. Improvements were made throughout the 20th century until 1985 when 336 sodium-vapor lights were installed inside the tower. Unlike before, the tower was now the source of light instead of being lit up from it’s surroundings.

The system was created by Pierre Bideau and is still the system we see today. However, in 2000 over 20,000 sparkling bubbles were installed by a team of mountain climbers. They were first intended to be used temporarily but you can still see them today for 5 minutes every hour from sundown until 1am.

Places to Eat Inside & Nearby the Eiffel Tower

Inside the Eiffel Tower

Le 48

Priority access to 1st level of Eiffel Tower
A very high-quality meal crafted Thierry Marx who received two Michelin stars at Sur-Mesure
An experience you will not forget.

For me, it is a no-brainer. If you can plan ahead far enough to get the reservation, you should save the extra 150€ for you and another person to enjoy this experience.

Le Jules Verne

The definition of bon vivant is a person who enjoys a sociable and luxurious lifestyle. The photo next to it had better be someone eating a meal at Jules Verne.

They have a more affordable, he scoffs, menu at 105€ for lunch excluding beverages. It is a 3-course tasting menu that makes a very pleasant experience.

Eating at the Jules Verne is a special experience for anyone who can afford it. The restaurant has succeeded in receiving 1 Michelin star under all four chefs who have run Le Jules Verne.

You can go through their official website. They release timeslots 90 days in advance so forget about booking a year ahead.

You have two choices, the Main Rooms (looking at the city) and the Alcove (looking at the interior). Main Rooms obviously go first although the website tries to sell the benefits of the Alcove.

You can sit down for lunch at 12 to 1:30 at 15 minute intervals.

Dinner sit down times are 7, 7:15 & 7:30 pm. Expect a magnificant 3 hour dining experience for the 5 course menue and longer for the 7 course menu.

Bistrot Buffet

Nearby the Eiffel Tower

At the Eiffel but not planning on eating inside? Ok – here are some places nearby to fill up your belly.

Cafe Constant €€- 139 Rue Saint-Dominique

The bistro is the center of Parisian food culture and Cafe Constant is taking French food into the 21st century. While it is a casual bistro, the chef and owner earned a Michelin star in the past. Their website reads a friendly message which mimics their atmosphere, “Open from breakfast through lunch and into dinner.”

Café de l’Homme €€€€ – 17 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre

You could say this upscale bistro is more about the view than the food but many would say it’s about both. Just across the river located on Place de Trocadéro this treat would definitely impress that special someone. Be sure to reserve a table with a view in advance or you will only see part of the experience.

Arnaud Nicolas €€€ – 46 Avenue de la Bourdannais

Enjoy a cut of meat? This institution has earned the most prized awards in France for preparation of pâté and foie gras among other dishes. This is a special meal so make reservations and come hungry.

How to Get to the Eiffel Tower

Metro

The preferred method of transport in Paris is metro. The Eiffel Tower is located footsteps away from Camp de Mars / Tour Eiffel station which is on the RER C. You can also get off at the Ecole Militair on Line 8 or Bir-Hakeim on Line 6 which are both within walking distance. When you get out of the metro station look for the Eiffel Tower and you’re there!

Bus

You can take the 30, 42, 80, 82, 86 or Direct 2. Get off when you feel you are close enough to walk to the tower.

Walking

Luckily, you can see the Eiffel Tower from basically anywhere in Paris. Walk towards it.