The Eiffel Tower rising above trees on the far bank of the Seine under a blue sky, with a boat on the river

Landmark · 7th arrondissement, Paris, Île-de-France

Eiffel Tower and central Paris

Gustave Eiffel's iron tower above the Champ de Mars, with lifts and stairs to three levels and views over the Seine

Ambient sound · similar settingMurmuring crowd on a historic city square

Photo: Svetlana Gumerova (@bananablackcat) / Unsplash

Discover Eiffel Tower and central Paris

Few structures are as closely tied to a city as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Its four iron legs rise from a square base 125 metres across, and the latticework narrows to a summit platform at 276 metres, with the antenna taking the tip to about 330 metres. From the gardens of the Champ de Mars on one side and the Trocadéro across the river on the other, it frames much of western Paris.

A visit can be as simple or as involved as you like. Many people simply walk beneath it and along the river, while others climb the stairs to the first and second floors or take the lifts all the way to the top for a view that stretches across the rooftops to Montmartre and La Défense. After dark the tower is lit, and for a few minutes each hour thousands of bulbs sparkle across its frame, a sight best watched from the Trocadéro or a boat on the Seine.

Don’t miss

01Summit platform at 276 metres, reached by lift from the second floor
02Around 600 steps from the ground to the second floor for those who prefer to climb
03The hourly sparkling light display after dark
04Views from the Trocadéro and the Champ de Mars gardens
05Seine river cruises that pass beneath the tower

History & culture

The story of Eiffel Tower and central Paris

The tower was designed for the Exposition Universelle of 1889, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution. Engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier of Gustave Eiffel's company drew up the original concept, and architect Stephen Sauvestre added the decorative arches. Construction began in January 1887 and the structure was completed in March 1889, opening to the public that May. It was intended to be temporary, but it proved useful for radio and other scientific work, and it remained the tallest structure in the world until 1930.

The tower has been repainted many times; it is painted in three shades that grow lighter towards the top so that it looks uniform against the sky. It is now one of the most visited paid monuments in the world, receiving around six million visitors a year, and more than 300 million people have been up it since it opened.

Local life & traditions

The 7th arrondissement around the tower is a residential and diplomatic district of broad avenues and Haussmann-era apartment blocks. Rue Cler, a short walk east, is a pedestrian market street with cheese shops, bakeries, greengrocers and cafés that is popular with locals for food shopping. On summer evenings the Champ de Mars fills with Parisians and visitors picnicking, and the riverbanks below the tower are busy with joggers, cyclists and boats.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Most visitors buy a timed ticket for the lift to the summit or the second floor, while others climb the stairs to the second floor and continue to the top by lift. A glass floor was installed on the first level in the 2014 refurbishment, and there are restaurants on the first and second levels, including Le Jules Verne, which has its own lift from the south pillar. Around the tower, the Champ de Mars lawns are a popular picnic spot, the Trocadéro terraces across the Pont d'Iéna give the classic full-length view, and river cruises leave from the quays nearby. Walking east along the Seine leads past the Musée du quai Branly, the Pont Alexandre III and the Invalides towards the Louvre.

When to go

The tower is open every day of the year, day and evening. Spring and early autumn bring mild weather and clearer views; summer is the busiest period, with longer opening hours and long queues. Evening visits are worthwhile at any time of year for the lights, and booking a timed ticket in advance is sensible in high season.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Ticket prices (adult): Lift to the top €26.80; stairs and lift to the top €20.40; lift to the 2nd floor €17.10; stairs to the 2nd floor €10.70. Young people 12–24 and children 4–11 pay reduced rates; under-4s are free. Source: parisjetaime.com ↗
Opening hours: Open every day of the year. Low season 9:30 to 23:45; high season 9:00 to 00:45. The last lift leaves 1 hour 15 minutes before closing. Source: parisjetaime.com ↗
Getting there: Metro line 6 to Bir-Hakeim Grenelle; RER C to Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel; bus 82 to Champ de Mars. Source: parisjetaime.com ↗
Address: 5 avenue Anatole France, Champ de Mars, 75007 Paris. Source: parisjetaime.com ↗

Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Book a timed ticket on the official website well ahead in summer and school holidays.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor is cheaper than taking the lift.
Allow extra time for the security check at the entrance to the tower's grounds.
Watch the hourly light display from the Trocadéro or a river boat rather than from beneath the tower.
Check the official website before visiting around 14 July, when the tower's opening is restricted for the fireworks.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Eiffel Tower and central Paris: food, markets & places to stay

The Trocadéro and Palais de Chaillot, with their museums, face the tower across the Seine, and the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac lies just upstream. To the east are the École Militaire, Les Invalides with Napoleon's tomb and the Musée Rodin, and a riverside walk leads to the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre. The Palace of Versailles is reachable on RER C from Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel station.