Is the Eiffel Tower Summit Worth It?

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This page compares what the top adds over the second floor, using the Tower’s own prices and figures, so you can decide before you book. For the rest of the visit, see the Eiffel Tower visitor guide.

The short answer

What the top actually costs, in money and time

Sources:¹ for prices,⁶ for visiting time,⁴ for height and floor space.

The extra €13.20 for an adult buys roughly 530 more feet of height and an hour more of visiting time, split between a second elevator queue and the top itself. The top’s floor space is a fraction of the second floor’s — 820 square feet against 4,692 — so it’s a shorter, more concentrated stop rather than a second full floor to explore⁴.

How you get there is different, not just how far

A ticket to the top does not mean one continuous ride. Five elevators run from the esplanade to the second floor; from there, a separate pair of “duolift” elevators takes you the rest of the way, and the Tower notes you may wait for that connection depending on the day and time⁴⁶. There is no stairs option to the top at all — the stairway above the second floor is closed to the public regardless of ticket type, so “climbing to the top” always means finishing by elevator¹³.

What's only on the top

Two things exist nowhere else in the Tower. The first is a reconstruction of Gustave Eiffel’s own office, furnished with wax figures of Eiffel and his daughter Claire¹. The second is the summit’s champagne bar, where a ticket bundled with a glass of champagne brings an adult elevator ticket to €60.70¹. Both are exclusive to the top; the second floor has its own kiosk and café options but not these two.

Who can't go up, and when the last elevator runs

The Tower states plainly that the top and the stairways “are not suitable for people with limited mobility,” and its planning guide is more specific: the top is closed to wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility for safety reasons, specifically the risk of needing to evacuate it quickly. The lower level of the second floor and the first floor, by contrast, are fully wheelchair-accessible by elevator¹². For those visitors, the decision isn’t a trade-off — the second floor is the ceiling of what’s reachable.

Timing matters too. The last elevator to the top runs at 10:30 p.m., even though the Tower itself may stay open later; anyone planning a late visit specifically for the top should build in a safety margin before that cutoff⁵.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the second floor enough, or do you need the top too?

That depends on budget and mobility rather than on what’s “worth seeing” — the top adds height, Eiffel’s office and the champagne bar, but at €13.20 more and roughly an hour longer, and it isn’t reachable at all for wheelchair users¹²⁶.

How much more does the top cost than the second floor?

As of September 2026, €13.20 more for an adult elevator ticket: €36.70 for the top against €23.50 for the second floor¹.

Can you walk up to the top of the Eiffel Tower?

No. The stairway above the second floor is closed to the public. A stairs ticket only reaches the second floor; from there, reaching the top always means switching to the elevator¹³.

What time does the elevator to the top stop running?

10:30 p.m., which can be earlier than the Tower’s general closing time⁵.

Is the top of the Eiffel Tower wheelchair accessible?

No. The top is closed to visitors with reduced mobility for safety reasons. The first floor and the lower level of the second floor are accessible¹².

How long should I plan if I'm going to the top?

About 2.5 hours in total, against about 1.5 hours for a visit that stops at the second floor⁶.

Tours worth considering

This section contains affiliate links. If you book through them, the site earns a commission at no cost to you. It does not change what is recommended.

You don’t need a tour to reach the top — an official elevator ticket bought directly from the Tower is the cheapest way up, at the prices above. A paid product makes sense in narrower cases:

• You want the summit combined with a Seine cruise in one booking. This avoids coordinating two separate reservations for the same day. See the Eiffel Tower lift access tour with optional summit and Seine cruise; the summit is an option you choose when booking, not part of every ticket.
• You want lift access with the option to decide on the summit later. A ticket that includes lift access with an optional summit add-on suits visitors who aren’t sure yet whether they want to pay the extra for the top. See the Eiffel Tower lift access tour with optional summit and Seine cruise.

Skip a paid product if you can use the official site directly for your dates — there’s no official line-skipping advantage a reseller ticket can add for entry to the top.

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