So you’re in Paris — or are planning a trip — and are all ready to go check out its most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower. You might have found out the best time to visit already, and know how to get there from anywhere in Paris. And maybe you’ve even chosen a hotel with a great view of the Eiffel Tower to marvel at the landmark throughout your entire stay.
But when it comes to the actual visit, what ticket is best for your Eiffel Tower experience?
Perhaps you’d like to get the classic bird eye’s view of the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Champs-Élysées, Montmartre and all the other world-famous Parisian sights. Maybe you want a romantic trip with a sip of champagne at the summit. Or maybe something else?
Whatever it is, we have you covered. Read on to find the best Eiffel Tower ticket option for your trip.
The classic Eiffel Tower Ticket for a hassle-free visit
If your primary goal is to visit the Eiffel Tour to enjoy the panoramic views with max convenience, your best bet is probably the classic elevator ticket.
Choose your preferred time slot — morning is sometimes lighter on crowds, though it varies. On the day of your visit, make sure to arrive on time or slightly earlier as otherwise you might miss your opportunity to enter the tower. Meet your guide outside security. They’ll have your ticket and introduce you to the tower and what to expect next.
You’ll go through the line and security together, and then hop on the glass-walled elevator to head straight to the second floor. Get ready to be amazed!
Tip: Taking the elevator is also faster. While wait times in line can vary, especially during peak season, the elevator tour is about 1.5 hours while the climb takes two hours.
The step challenge (that also saves money)
Did you know an Eiffel Tower ticket by stairs is slightly cheaper than the one by elevator? It’s the same whether you book it with or without a tour.
Maybe the city wants to encourage people to get their steps in, or maybe it’s technically cheaper per person since lifts do require energy to operate, after all. You can’t deny that it’s good exercise to take the stairs. And Gustave Eiffel did say taking the stairs was the best way to truly experience his creation.
However you look at it, it’s a thrifty, healthy choice to pick the ticket with stair access.
Although the Eiffel Tower has a total of 1,665 steps from the ground to the very top. However, visitors are only allowed to climb 674 of them for safety reasons. Still a great workout!
The Eiffel Tower guided tour
The Eiffel Tower and the views are great, no doubt, but a local guide telling you fascinating facts and stories all along the way can really elevate your experience.
We love both tours, but as the creators of the world’s first climbing tour of the Eiffel Tower (before that, it was only elevator tours), maybe we’re a bit partial to the stairs.
But choose the travel method that works best for you, either the guided climb or the elevator tour. For your visit, you’ll head up with your guide who will tell you all about the engineering, design, and history of this Paris landmark while also pointing out all the sights once you are on the viewing platform.
The Eiffel Tower summit ticket with champagne
Most of us don’t get to be in Paris every day, so why not spoil yourself a little and fully embrace the French joie de vivre while you are there?
If enjoying the views from the Eiffel Tower with a glass of champagne in your hand sounds just right up your alley, we have good news for you: You don’t have to bring your own bottle (actually, you wouldn’t even be allowed up with it). You can just upgrade your Eiffel Tower with a summit ticket!
Your glass of bubbly at the top is optional if you choose to buy it there, but the summit ticket gets you access to the first and second floors of the tower as well as the third level — the very highest.
When people talk about a bird’s-eye view of Paris, this is it. You’re over 900 feet up, surveying the City of Lights. If you have a birthday or anniversary to celebrate, are looking for something extra romantic for that special someone, or just want to have the ultimate Eiffel Tower experience, then a summit ticket is the right pick for you.
Local tip: Instead of saying cheers when clinking your glass of rosé or white champagne, try it the French way and say “santé” (pronounced sahn-tay), which means “health,” essentially a shortened version of say “here’s to your health.”
The tower and cruise combo ticket
And if you want to get a different view of all the landmarks (including the Eiffel Tower itself), you can upgrade your climb or elevator ticket with a boat tour on the Seine river.
You can take your cruise right after your Eiffel Tower visit since the departure point is by the tower, but you can also hold onto it for another day. Your boat ticket is good for up to a year.
The Eiffel Tower Effect ticket
This ticket isn’t strictly an Eiffel Tower ticket but rather an add-on to any of the above mentioned options, available on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower on the day of your visit. In this virtual reality experience, called the Eiffel Tower Effect, you board a Zeppelin to do some hands-on repair work on the Eiffel Tower to preserve the landmark for many years to come. You’ll resolve a series of space-time loopholes and look for lost fragments, then fix the glitches, before heading on a night flight around the illuminated Eiffel Tower.
The experience lasts 12 minutes and is open to adults and children 11 and up. If you have time at the end of your tour (and your ride to the summit if you upgrade), this can be a fun way for families to spend more time at the Eiffel Tower.
Note: You can visit the first floor of the Eiffel Tower even if you chose the Eiffel Tower elevator ticket. You’ll just need to return to the ground floor by stairs instead of the lift since the first level is only accessible via stairs.
Private tour of the Eiffel Tour
Dreaming for the most exclusive possible Eiffel Tower experience? Then look no further than a private guided tour.
Groups of up to six adults can head up the tower together with a guide who can customize the experience for you. Go at your own pace and be sure to ask your guide for their tips on more to see and do in Paris — this is your chance to get a Parisian’s take on the best way to savor this city. Your guide is also happy to snap as many photos of you as you’d like, making this a great option for families and couples looking to preserve the memory together.
Tickets for the Eiffel Tower
In a nutshell, no matter your budget or preference, if you want to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, you’ll have a variety of ticket options to choose from. We didn’t talk about kids’ tickets, but of course, be sure to select the number of children’s tickets you need when you book as those are cheaper than adult tickets.
Not yet sure if you want to climb the tower or take the easier elevator. Have a look at our guide to the pros and cons of the stars vs. the elevator.
