Why visit the Eiffel Tower?

Located in Paris, the Eiffel Tower - nicknamed "La grande dame" or "La dame de fer" - is a puddled iron tower 324 meters high (with antennas). On the second level of the 3rd floor (279.11 meters high), it has the highest observation platform accessible to the public in the European Union and the second highest in Europe, behind the Ostankino tower in Moscow (337 meters high).

It is one of the symbols of the city of Paris, and more widely of France.

Since 1964 and 1991, the Eiffel Tower has been listed as French historical monuments and UNESCO world heritage respectively.

Eiffel Tower

From 10.50 € (or 10.50 €)

From 10.50 € (or 10.50 €)

Compare ticket prices

History of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower - initially named the "300-meter tower" - is the work of Gustave Eiffel and his collaborators, for the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889.

It took 18,000 metal parts, 7,300 tonnes of iron, 250 workers and 2 years of work to complete its construction.

Gustave Eiffel: engineer, visionary entrepreneur, iron genius and pioneer of aerodynamics

Born in Dijon on December 15, 1832, Alexandre Gustave Bonickhausen - known as Gustave Eiffel - went to École centrale des arts et manufactures (École centrale Paris - ECP) to become chemical engineer in 1855, the year of the first Universal Exhibition held in the French capital.

He then specialized in metallurgy and its applications to architecture. Its first project is the construction of the Saint-Jean railway footbridge, in Bordeaux.

He set up on his own in 1866, as a contractor specializing in metal frames. He builds rail and road bridges, factories, guards and department stores:

• The Garabit viaduct in Cantal, France (565 meters long and 122 meters high)
• The bridge spanning the Red River in Hanoi, Vietnam
• Budapest train station, Hungary
• The bridge over the Douro, in Portugal
• The metal frame of the Statue of Liberty, donated to the United States in 1886
• Etc.

In 25 years, he designed more than 120 works.

Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889

For the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889, the French government wishes to see a tower of 300 meters rise above the City of Light.

With the Gallia Tower project of its 2 engineers: Maurice Koechlin (1856-1946) and Toussaint Michel Émile Nouguier (1840-1897 ), Gustave Eiffel wins the competition.

The ground of the Champ-de-Mars being marshy, Eiffel had to find a solution to expel the water from the Seine: he had waterproof caissons installed in which he injected compressed air.

The thousands of parts of the Eiffel Tower were custom-built in the warehouses of the Eiffel company in Levallois-Perret: 18,038 metal parts fixed by 2.5 million rivets.

After 2 years, 2 months and 5 days of work, the building is completed on March 31, 1889. Popular success was immediate and ended the controversy in the world of culture (Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas fils, Charles Garnier - architect of the famous Opéra Garnier, Leconte de Lisle, François Coppée, etc.) which was indignant at this "odious bolted sheet metal column".

Splashed in 1892 by the Panama Canal scandal, Gustave Eiffel retired from business to devote himself to his research on radio telegraphy, aerodynamics and meteorology - with a most remarkable instrument: its own tower, which still serves today as a radio and TV transmitter.

Visit the Eiffel Tower

Parvis

The square offers a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower which rises up to 324 meters above you!

It is accessible from entrances 1 (south) and 2 (east) from avenue Gustave-Eiffel, through the gardens.

On the forecourt, you will find:

• The statue of the bust of Gustave Eiffel: sculpted by Antoine Bourdelle (assisted by architects Auguste Perret and André Granet) and inaugurated on May 2, 1929, it is located at the corner of the North pillar.
• The elevator machinery from 1899: restored and computerized, the imposing hydraulic machines that operate the elevators on the west and east pillars of the Eiffel Tower are located in the basement of the forecourt.
• The Information point: for all your practical questions and requests concerning the visit of the Eiffel Tower (prices, opening hours, map, cultural route, services, amenities, etc.), is located at the West pillar.

As well as a snack bar and two souvenir shops:

• The buffets in the square: varied choice of savory or sweet dishes and hot or cold drinks.
• Le Rendez-vous (west pillar) & Le Kiosque (east pillar): souvenirs and exclusive gifts from the Eiffel Tower.

1st floor (57 m high)

The Eiffel Tower is climbed via the pillars that house the elevators (east and west pillars) and the stairs (south pillar).

With its oblique and transparent architecture, the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower offers an unforgettable experience!

On the 1st floor, you will find:

• The glass floor: the unique sensation of walking above the void.
• The Eiffel Tower Kids course: a new (free) fun and interactive course for children
• Remember to download and print the visit support in advance!
• The discovery trail: screens, touch screens, showcases, digital albums, reprographics of objects, etc. installed along the outer passage.
• The section of the spiral staircase: along the outer passageway, also discover 4.30 meters of the historic helical staircase that connected the 2nd floor to the top of the Eiffel Tower ( Gustave Eiffel's office). It was dismantled in 1983 because it had become obsolete.
• The other 21 pieces of the staircase have been auctioned.
• spaces for rest and contemplation: on the large terrace and in the Ferrié Pavilion.

As well as two restaurants and a souvenir shop:

• The Pavilion Ferrié buffet: terrace and room with tables and view on the south side.
• The Pavilion Ferrié boutique: the largest souvenir shop on the Eiffel Tower - with a large selection of "Made in France" items.

2nd floor (115 m high)

The 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower offers a clear view of all the monuments of Paris: the Louvre Museum, the Grand Palais, Montmartre and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Hôtel des Invalides, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, the Seine, etc.

On the 2nd floor, you will find two restaurants and two souvenir shops:

• Restaurant Le Jules Verne: new gourmet restaurant from chef Frédéric Anton - perched 125 meters high and offering a breathtaking view of the Champ-de-Mars, the Quai Branly and the Trocadéro.
• This restaurant is accessible by private elevator.
• The buffet: varied choice of dishes and drinks - and macaroon bar!
• Boutique La Verrière: dedicated to the tower itself, it offers the largest collection of reproductions of the famous monument.
• Boutique Seine: souvenirs and exclusive gifts from the Eiffel Tower.

Summit (276 m high)

At 276 meters high, the two levels (outdoor or sheltered) of the top of the Eiffel Tower allow you to enjoy the view during the day and in the evening.

At the top you will find:

• The Gustave Eiffel office: a reconstruction with realistic wax figures (Gustave Eiffel, his daughter Claire and the famous American inventor Thomas Edison).
• The orientation signs: panoramic panels to locate you the directions and distances of the big cities of the world and their emblematic monuments.
• The model of the summit: a model made at 1 / 50th scale, which represents the top of the Eiffel Tower as it was in 1889, painted in its original color "red brown".

As well as a bar:

• The Champagne bar: glasses of rosé or white Champagne, caviar, artisanal lemonade and mineral water.

Gardens

Access to the forecourt and the Eiffel Tower is via the gardens: a reconstruction of Parisian gardens in the Belle Epoque, with a varied flora made up of more than 60 trees (weeping willows, cedars, chestnuts, etc.), 20,000 shrubs and 2,000 perennials.

In the gardens you will find:

• The belvederes: historical viewpoints recreated to observe the tower from forgotten angles, these are the best viewpoints in the gardens.
• A cave: it is located in the west garden (near the Refuzniks alley) and is adorned with a small waterfall that flows from one of the pools.
• The bicentennial plane tree: planted in 1814 and 20 meters high, it is the oldest tree in the gardens. It is located near exit 2 (west).
• The historic fireplace: one of the remains of the Eiffel Tower, which once served to evacuate smoke from elevator machinery. It is located near exit 2 (west).
• The basins of the Eiffel Tower and their fauna: home to common carp, koi carp, collared ducks, seagulls and herons, they are located allée Jean Paulhan and allée des Refuzniks.

Illuminations

Designed by Pierre Bideau, lighting engineer, and inaugurated on December 31, 1985, the golden lighting of the Eiffel Tower includes 336 projectors, equipped with high pressure sodium lamps of orange yellow color. They replace the 1290 exterior projectors in service from 1958.

The light beams, directed from bottom to top, now illuminate the Eiffel Tower from inside its structures.

On December 31, 1999, at midnight, the whole world discovers the new lighthouse and twinkle (made up of 20,000 flashing lamps) of the Eiffel Tower - which is overlays with golden lighting and animates the monument each time, 5 minutes at the start of each hour, until 1 a.m.

Originally a ephemeral installation for the transition to the year 2000, the sparkle of the Eiffel Tower was perpetuated in 2003.

Tickets for the Eiffel Tower

Compare and get the best price by purchasing your tickets for the Eiffel Tower from one of our partners:

Eiffel Tower

From 10.50 € (or 10.50 €)

From 10.50 € (or 10.50 €)

Compare ticket prices

Eiffel Tower opening hours

The Eiffel Tower is open all year round:

• Every day, 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.

Getting to the Eiffel Tower

Property of the city of Paris, the Eiffel Tower is located at the north-west end of the Champ-de-Mars park, facing the Trocadéro, on the banks of the Seine, in the very touristy district of 7th arrondissement of Paris.

Address: 5 avenue Anatole France, Champ de Mars, 75007, Paris

To get there, 6 options:

• Metro:
  • Line 9 (Pont de Sévres - Montreuil town hall), Trocadéro stop
  • Line 6 (Nation - Charles de Gaulle Etoile), Bir-Hakeim stop
  • Line 8 (Balard - Créteil), École Militaire stop
• RER: line C (Versailles / Saint Quentin en Yvelines - Anthony / Massy Palaiseau), stop Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel
• Bus:
  • Bus 82, Tour Eiffel or Montessuy stops
  • Bus 30 or 42, Eiffel Tower stop
  • Bus 69 or 86, Champ de Mars stop
  • Bus 72, Pont d'Iena stop
• Car:
  • Pullman Tour Eiffel Parking
  • Parking 443 avenue Joseph Bouvard
  • Parking 2 place Joffre
  • Parking Quai Branly-Tour Eiffel
  •  
• Velib':
  • Station 2 avenue Octave Gréard
  • Station 2 quai Branly
  • Station 43 avenue Rapp
  • Station 36 avenue de Suffren
• Boat: Batobus Tour Eiffel

Near the Eiffel Tower

Take advantage of your visit to the Eiffel Tower to visit the city of Paris:

• Aquaboulevard
• Paris Aquarium
• Arc de Triomphe
• Center Pompidou
• Disneyland Paris
• Menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes
• Carnavalet Museum
• Orsay Museum
• Louvre Museum
• Grevin Museum
• Rodin Museum
• Opera Garnier
• Parc Astérix
• Paris Zoological Park