What to do in the Eiffel Tower in Paris

What to do in the Eiffel Tower in Paris

The Eiffel Tower. The real beacon of Paris, the landmark of the city of lights, the true iron lady of France’s capital! Built in 1888 by architect Gustave Eiffel, it stands since the Paris World Exhibition in 1889.

But once you are face to face with the iconic monument of Paris, how to explore and discover it? Here, just for you, we explain what to do in the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Walk up the Eiffel Tower ? The alternative to elevators

In total, there are 1665 steps from the square to the top of the Eiffel Tower. You can walk up the Tower to the 2nd floor and then take one of the elevators to the top, for an experience that is both physical and breathtaking.

That’s exactly 674 steps to climb! The ascent will take you between 30 and 45 minutes. It is the opportunity to wander around the center of the Tower’s metallic structure at your own pace and slowly contemplate the fantastic iron work.

Tickets for the second floor on foot are available online on the Eiffel Tower website. Staircase + top lift tickets are only available on site. In both cases, accessing the Eiffel Tower by taking the stairs is time saving, the queues at the cash registers are much shorter.

For those who wants to learn more about the history of the most famous monument of Paris, you can experience a skip-the-line small group guided tour to the second floor.

The first floor

– The adventure game

This year 2019, on the occasion of its 130th anniversary, the Eiffel Tower offers a fun treasure hunt that will immerse you in its history. The game is free for visitors and accessible to everyone, alone or as a team, with family or friends.
The game starts on the first floor and ends in the tower gardens ower gardens with the final enigma.
To play, all you need is a pencil and a game booklet available on site or on the website. It’s up to you to decipher the riddles to unlock the secret of the Tower…
If you want more information about the adventure game, click here.

– The cultural path

In the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, you will also find an overview of its history through fifty illustrations of its evolution, photographs, engravings, drawings, films and interactive systems.

– Services and relaxation areas

You can also enjoy a rest and contemplation area, a restaurant (“The 58”), a buffet restaurant and a souvenir shop, all with a breathtaking view of Paris.

– Discover the original spiral starecase

On the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, you can take a closer look at one of the remaining pieces of this historic staircase. It used to link the second floor to the top, and Gustave Eiffel would use it to reach the office that he‘d set up for himself!

The second floor

You don’t want to miss the panoramic view from the second floor, with all Paris at your feet.

The arrival on the second floor is astonishing. You enjoy a completely unobstructed view of all the monuments of Paris: the Louvre museum, the hill of Montmartre, Notre-Dame, the loops of the Seine river…

From the Right Bank to the Left Bank, the Eiffel Tower offers you the most unique view on the major landmarks of the city of lights.

The second floor also host a very, very fancy restaurant: “Le Jules Vernes“. The location, the starred chef, the gourmet dishes… you imagine that going to this restaurant has a cost. But if you can afford it, it’s a unique experience to live! There is even private elevator access to the restaurant!

Some says the best time to visit the Eiffel Tower is in at night, when you can appreciate a more calm atmosphere as well as the incredible illuminations. After sunset, the Tower sparkles with thousands lights and his open until 11 pm.

Finally, the summit (third floor)

You are there. At 275 meters high, overlooking Paris. The emotion is at its height.You can walk both inside and outside, in order to immerse yourself in Paris, its lights, its monuments, all aspects of this magical city.

– Gustave Eiffel’s office

As I mentioned above, Gustave Eiffel had set up his office in the Eiffel Tower… quite logical according to me !

On the third floor, you can take a look at Gustave Eiffel’s reconstructed office. Observe the wax characters more real than life; Gustave Eiffel himself and his daughter, Claire Eiffel, with the American inventor Thomas Edison, founder of General Electric.

– Champagne ?

Want to feel very chic? Enjoy a glass of champagne at the top! Nestling into the very structure of the Tower, the champagne bar offers you a choice of a glass of either rosé or white champagne, served as chilled as you like. The bar is open until 10 pm and serves drinks for a cost between €12 and €21.

For your return, I would recommend you to extend the magic of your visit with a romantic and timeless getaway in the gardens of the Eiffel Tower ! You will be amazed, looking up, to discover the Eiffel Tower from perspectives never seen before.

Address: Quai Branly, Trocadéro/Tour Eiffel, Paris, 75007
Phone: 08-92-70-12-39 €0.34 per min
Cost: By elevator: 1st and 2nd levels €9; top €15.
By stairs: 1st and 2nd levels only, €5
Hours: Mid Jun – Sep, daily 9 am – 12:45 am (11 pm for summit); rest of year, daily 9:30 am – 11:45 pm (10:30 pm for summit); stairs close at 6 pm in winter
Website: www.toureiffel.paris
Metro: Bir-Hakeim, Trocadéro, École Militaire; RER: Champ de Mars.
Location: Around the Eiffel Tower